Lent

So I did a thing over Lent.  My giving up for Lent to draw me closer and change my perspective was to give up cussing.

I found an app and downloaded it; and I started my own swear jar for Lent.

I didn't tell anyone what I was doing; it wasn't about getting recognition for it.  It was about me changing my perspective and response.  So, I didn't just count the swears I said out loud, but the ones in my head as well when I was upset or angry. 

$92 will be going to charity.

Mark

I realized I forgot a few of my additional personal notes on my reading of Mark. 

• Teachers of the law went to hear Jesus teach
• Jesus needed personal space too.  (He went out on boats.)
• Jesus must have been a loud person to teach so many in a crowd.
• Just as the bleeding woman believe, so must I believe I am forgiven, saved, redeemed, blessed!
• 600+ written laws and unwritten law in Jewish tradition
• Jesus was so followed that people went without food for 3 days. (Or with only what they carried.)
• Jesus' followers discussed the meaning of His teachings.
• Jesus had a hard time getting away from crowds of people.

Fresh Out of Amazing

I finished this book up last night.  It was an alright read.  Sections of it were relatable, and reference to scripture was good.  I think personally I've already learned some of these lessons too, so there was some repetition, but some new things too. 

A New Years Eve to Remember

For the past few years we've enjoyed hosting some of our local friends for New Years Eve.  We play games, eat great food and talk the night away.  This year was no different, except that around 10:30PM there was a loud pop, and the house went DARK!

The wind had been howling terribly for much of the night, so it really wasn't super surprising, until we looked outside and all but 1 other house around us still had power. 

Candles were lit immediately, Caden was EXCITED and on top of that part.  And Keith got the generator hooked up and plugged in some work lights from the garage to light up the dinning room and turn the TV on for the ball drop. 

We all gathered around the TV minutes before the ball drop, and the crowd of kids were on the floor near the power strip and extension cords running power from the generator, when one of the girls fell to the side as the 10 second count down begin and knocked the power out, again!

We laughed and celebrated anyway.  And the fun continued until about 2AM.

The girls went to bed hesitantly just after midnight, not loving the dark.  Ruth fell asleep in my lap and Elinore slept in our bed. 

By morning, both girls were in our bed scared of the dark, and the power didn't return until about 9AM new years day.

Our friends were great and text us that morning with offers of bathrooms and showers and power if needed, but fortunately it was restored for us. 

Girl, Wash Your Face

Everyone is talking about this book lately.  A friend of mine and I were talking about it and the next thing I knew she's ordered a copy for each of us to read.  It was an east read; I found myself with a lot of waiting room time last week and finished it in 2 days. 

For all the conversation I'd heard about it; I had high expectations.  I was a little underwhelmed with the book.  I didn't find her faith to be in the forefront of the story.  I found it to be a little repetitive and occasionally contradictory.  I can see where some folks mind find value in her messages.  There is always room for improvement, but a few of them lessons she talks about I've learned just going through life to this point too. 

Taking Responsibiltiy for the Choices We Make

I finished reading this book last week.  It wasn't on my radar, wasn't on my to read list, wasn't sitting around in a pile for me to have time.  But I ordered a couple things online from a website, and in place of one of the items, came this book.  When I contacted them, they apologized, shipped my correct item and told me to keep the book. 

The title intrigued me.  It is certainly a lesson we are trying to teach the kids, but I hadn't thought about how it might apply to my life.  So it quickly rose to the top of my to read pile. 

I shared pieces of this story with my friends; I underlined and I was convicted in parts. 

It was a great read.

Isaiah

A few more personal notes and thoughts from my reading of Isaiah.

• God's message to all the lands were that judgment is coming and sin is everywhere.
• Do I do useless things with my time?
• From Isaiah 41:1 - Doomsday or the end of the Earth shouldn't be scary knowing God; He will be there in the End as He was there in the beginning
• Idols are bad.  They can't do anything for you.  They sought idols made of wood to save them.  I don't seek wood idols, but when I am tired or stressed to I first turn to God?  Or do I seek a tv show and a snack to replenish.  My idols may not be wood but just as distracting from God. 
•  Did the writer of Isaiah knowledge of the Earth influence the writing?  There is such talk of love for Jerusalem, but I live in the USA, which didn't exist then.  That doesn't mean we're excluded from God. 

Isaiah

I finished reading the book of Isaiah this morning.  This book has taken me a long time to get through.  I know there is a lot of good stuff packed in there, but I struggled with it too for some reason.  So much sin and separation.  I struggled with consistently reading my Bible lately too, maybe because of content, time, or some combination of both. 

• Jerusalem & Israel have turned to evil and strayed from God
• God is angry with them and will bring judges and enable fairness for their actions so Jerusalem will be free again
• In the last days the mountain with God's temple will becomes the most important, people will come and hear God's teaching
• A terrible day is coming that will make people run and hide from God's anger, the proud will be humbled
• God will punish Judah & Jerusalem
• Warning to flirty, fancy dressed women, they will be punished
• The Lord is a branch of life
• Lord is angry, punishment is coming, he invested in us and we threw away his efforts
• Don't be greedy and push others out
• Isaiah became a prophet; he recognized his sin and a 7 winged heavenly creature took it away
• Isaiah goes to tell the people they will not understand and will be sent way until only 1/10th are left in the land to regrow
• Challenge will come, you must keep your faith strong to survive
• Israel will be in trouble but Isaiah says a sign will come, Immanuel, God is with us
• There is ware in the land, by the time Immanuel is 12 (the time to choose between good and evil) that threat is gone, but the fertile land will be no more
• Assyria will overcome Damascus & Samaria
• Lord warns Isaiah not to fall for their ways and fears but to stay strong in the Lord and fear only Him
• A new day is coming, light will come in darkness, a baby; a son will come to rule and lead
• Lord is angry with Israel for their evil and ready to strike them down
• Assyria will overtake Israel for their evil, but then the Lord will punish Assyria too
• A new king will come
• The peaceable kingdom
• the new King's people will gather and have a way from Assyria
• Praise God
• God will destroy Babylon for their sin, children too
• Israel will return home, no longer slaves
• Babylon's king will die and he will go with the dead; his fearful rule on Earth will end
• Assyria will be punished
• Jerusalem is strong now by the Lord
• Philistines will perish, one cruel leader may die, but another is quick to hill those shoes
• Moab will be destroyed
• A new king will come and judge fairly
• Aram will be destroyed for they left God
• God's message to Cush & Egypt
• Isaiah obeyed and walked around naked and barefoot for 3 years
• God's message to Babylon, Edom & Arabia
• God continues to warn of coming destruction: Jerusalem, Shebna, Lebanon
• Lord will punish the people because of our sin
• Praise God
• Judgment for people and judgment will be fair
• Honor God with your heart
• Better times are coming
• Seek God's help
• Trust God, he wants to forgive us
• Trust in God, not in humans or animals
• Bad is coming but good will follow
• If evil, when you stop doing evil, it will come for you
• God is our safely, judge
• God will punish his enemies, their land will be for the animals
• God is comfort and discipline
• The Assyrians and Judah(King Hezekiah)
• Hezekiah was spared and praised God
• Babylon will take over Hezekiah's kingdom
• God's word stands forever, flowers fade
• Tell the good news, He is our shepherd
• There is no one and nothing like God
• He lives forever
• Never tires or needs rest
• He gives strength
• God is present in the beginning and the end, controller of history
• Only saving grace we have is God
• Idols cannot do what God can
• The Lord sends 2 special servants
• Songs of praise
• Israel heard, but didn't listen to God; God's teachings are good
• God is with his people
• People to witness God is so much more than any idol; He is all powerful
• God will save his people and forgive; bring your sins to Him
• Only one God, idols are useless
• Cyrus didn't know God but was selected to save Israel, everyone would see God's power
• Even when I'm old, God is the same
• Idols are useless
• We cannot save ourselves
• We hear and know but do not understand
• God gives peace like a river, evil has no peace
• God chosen will come to save, God will bring is people back to him
• Israel was punished for sin and doubted God's ability to save
• God helps his obedient servants
• We want to walk by our own light/fire, but HE is our light/lamp of the path to follow
• Judgment is coming, so is salvation
• Don't let the evil upset you, keep the faith, goodness will continue (don't fear those who die)
• Slavery of Jerusalem so the people would know God and again know God when we saved them
• We have all wandered away, but can be forgiven
• God will not be angry and punish again
• Jerusalem will grow
• God gives good and satisfying word we need to pursue
• It's word comes to us and causes things to happen; His thoughts are higher than our thoughts
• Foreigners will be accepted into the faith
• God offers real peace
• Don't make trouble, care for others, help others and God's light will shine
• People will fear God, salvation will come
• God is the light, let him shine
• Bring God's message
• The Lord was angry, for we all sin
• The Lord was/is ready and waiting for people to seek him and come to him
• People will learn about God
• Peaceable kingdom
• A new heave and a new Earth
• God loves Jerusalem & wants to see it prosper

Table

Earlier this year, during the winter that last into spring, we bought a new kitchen table.  I've wanted a new kitchen table for years.  However, at our old place, we didn't have room for anything bigger.  So after 9 months or so in the new place, we bought on a table.  It wasn't even planned!

My mom and I were out one day and happened to stop in a furniture store that had a boutique within.  While I checked out the boutique, my mom was checking the furniture bargain section, saw a table, that led to me calling Keith to meet me there and we bought a table!

It's big too, with 2 leaves in it to make it even bigger!

We didn't need to the leaves in it for our family dinner at home, so we had kept them stored within the table (neat feature).  But after having a mother's day cookout at our place, we'd put the leaves in and are keeping them in.  Now I think, our table is big and always ready should be have someone stop by or have folks for dinner. 

To me, it's a sign that our table is ready for guests, and I need to remember that hospitality mindset.

Keep Asking

^"17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, ¹⁹ and his incomparably great power for us who believe." - Ephesians 1:17-19

Keep asking. Don't stop asking for wisdom. Paul does not. We should not either. 

We were made for more because we are children of God. 

Know truth, so we may know God better.

Know there is hope and power beyond myself.
This was in Made to Crave and I needed to keep their reminder.  I often am asking for wisdom in my parenting, and I will continue to ask.  

How do you define yourself?

In reading Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst, she poses a question, how do you introduce yourself when you meet someone new?  What is your elevator speech?  How does that define you?  What does that perspective of yourself reveal about your life?

Do you answer as an employee, mother, friend, daughter, church? 

As I think about this in my own experiences, I think it depends on my audience, and by the setting how I respond and introduce myself, but is it wrong that I rarely if ever start with: I'm Beth, I'm a Christian? 

Checklist

"God cant be reduced to a checklist."

How do you grow closer to God?

It isn't in the actions we taken, even though that may be good and honorable.   It isn't in the church going, giving and community service.  It's in the position of our hearts to Jesus.  It is in denying ourself the things that dont benefit us or bring us closer to God even if they are not sinful things.  "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23

This is a fruit of the spirit.  (Galations 5:22)  Self-control brings us closer to Jesus and further from our thoughts being stuck full of guilt from our poor choices.

Sometimes I can get very focused on my shortcomings that it distances me from God.  It causes insecurity within me. I need spiritual nutrition and health to keep my soul full and satisfied in a way that food, possessions and other people cannot.

These are my notes and thoughts from the chapter " Growing Closer to God" in Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.

Where do I turn as my emotions change?

In reading Made to Crave, Lysa makes a statement about cravings and linking to our emotions. 

"Food was my comfort.  Food was my reward. Food was my joy. Food was what I turned to in times of stress, sadness, and even in times of happiness."

Food is meant to be a part of us and part of fellowship, but it cannot be the key point or the focus of my thoughts.

What do you crave more than me?

I'm reading Made to Crave by Lysa Terkeurst.  In the chapter titled "Finding Your "Want To""  Lysa gives her I interpretation of Matthew 19:21. 

"I want you to give up the one thing you crave more than me. Then come, follow me." 

This gave me a lot to think about.  What do I crave more the Jesus?  What gets in my way?  Food, workouts, sleep??

I rarely miss a workout.  The are at least a few days every week though, I don't pick up my Bible.  What does that say about my priorities?

More Proverbs

As I read about adulterous women tempting men; it was hard to read.  It seemed that women seemed to be the cause and evil that led the men to them.  It read is if the men didn't have the will power to say no; they made a choice as well to take part.

I'm not wealthy by American standards, but from the world's standards; I would be.  I do rely on my money some.  I have some savings that can help us and protect us, but I must never be confused with my true salvation through Jesus.  I can't buy that salvation. 

Statistics About Science & God

From all the learning I've done over the years; I've learned to become very skeptical of statistics.  I've found that they can be skewed to support your argument.  Things can be rephrased or represented different ways from the same data just to support your hypothesis or argument.  Not to mention how often they are just misquoted in general. 

This chapter in the book Talking with Your Kids About God touches on this too.  It refers to many studies that have been done over the years showing this high percentages of scientists that don't believe in God.  Other studies show different results, but still commonly compared to the general population, less scientists believe in God. 

However, I think the public can misinterpret that data.  We need to remember that correlation does not equal causation.  Further studies show that scientists were not raised in religious homes.  

Now, there are no studies I read on this, but in my mind as I think through this, do you think scientists seek science to fill a void they have from not being raised in a religious home?  Science can't fill the void, only God?  But sciences helps them explains what they couldn't understand. 

"What scientist believe about God ultimately has no bearing on whether God exists."  - Natasha Crain

(Thoughts from my reading of Talking with Your Kids About God by Natasha Crain.)

Friends

There was a time in my life when I was in search of friends.  I need my people, who supported me, loved me and where close and accessible. 

Don't get my wrong I have had friends over the years, but life changes impact friends as do moves, and I had a lot going on, didn't have a lot of time, and needed people.

Every time I met a new gal I'd think, could she me by friend?  She seems nice?  How can I extend an invitation to start a friendship?  And I was always thinking this way, looking for friends, trying to build friendships to carry me and my family on our adventures.  I knew I needed people. 

I distinctly remember on of the first time I realized I had been somewhat successful at this.  My family had been sick; and a 2nd cousin of my and some folks from the church brought my family dinner.  It was left from a SOUP meal they had served at the church that night, but they thought of us and brought of a warm home cooked meal.  The left that food for us an I remember telling Keith, "we have people!"  And I meant so much with that; we had people who loved us, thought of us and cared for us in a way that I'd been looking for in friendships. 

That was a starting point for us, and I think we've done a wonderful job of connecting to people and building a community of friends for each of us individually, but as a family too.  We have people.  They're people from church; they're family, and a few good friends I've known for many years now.  I believe God wants us to live in community with people who loves us, and we've built that.  Friendships and relationships take time and forgiveness and communication and we've done that.  And I couldn't be happier!  Thank you Lord for these people! 

I've always wanted our home to be a place for people to gather, and I think I tried to push that too hard early on after we've bought our own place, but naturally it has happened over time and we welcome groups of friends, family, friends families, and our kid's friends into the home often.  This past summer, our first summer at our new home, was the epitome of that, and I'm not sure we'll have a summer like that again, but we were able to gather people from all our different areas together celebrating and enjoying each other and introducing our people to each other and it was a beautiful thing. 

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In the last few months I've had this realization; I still think like I did when I was searching for friends when I meet new people.  Maybe I'm misguided, maybe I'm ignorant, but I realized I don't need to do this anymore.  It's not that I'm not open to meeting new people and developing relationships, but I don't have to search so hard for more people.  Quality of quantity right?  I already have my people.  Sure that will change with time and life with change, but I will adapt, our family will adapt.  If I keep searching for more friends now; I need more time for each of those friendships, and I don't want that to take away from the current friendships!  I don't want those to suffer because I feel the need to keep searching for more, more, more. 

How much evidence do we need?

When it comes to belief in God; how much proof do we need to believe?

Have you ever asked yourself or asked God to give you a direct answer to this?  Have you every wondered why he doesn't just show up and make himself known so all believe?

I remember being a kid trying to learn and understand and wanting a clear sign of direction, an answer that never came.  However, as I've grown and aged, I've grown in my faith.  I don't need a sign; I have prayer.  I see his handwork in nature; I see his love in other people.  I feel his presence in my world.  I see his miracles around us. 

What would it mean if he appeared to us here one day?  Wouldn't that be the coming of Christ and change everything we know?  Would it be too late for our faith to save us? 

What about free will?  He gave us free will in his creation; He wants to be chosen by us.  Don't you want to be chosen by someone too?

If He appeared here now and we saw his glory, would we have the free will to choose him and believe and follow him?

(Thoughts from Talking With Your Kids About God.)

Make mine a double!

This Sunday's sermon text was 2 Kings 2:1-12.  In this passage, Elisha is asking Elija for a double share of the spirit.  he is asking to take Elija's place as head prophet. 

We are all called to study and learn from our elders.  We are called to mentor the next generation.  We are called to share our faith and our knowledge.  We should all be seeking more of the Holy Spirit.  To do that, we have to put in the work.  It takes time. We must persistently pursue Him and the Spirit.  We must study the Bible, pray and have a Christian community to support and encourage us.  

I am blessed to be able to help carry on my church.

I must allow myself to be mentored.

I must mentor the next generation. 

Leadership

A few month back, I attended a seminar for work called Growing Leaders.  Holly Moore was the presenter and she was wonderful to hear speak.  Much of what she talked about resonated with my time in the McDonough Leadership Program at Marietta College. 

I took a few notes through her presentation; I've captured some snippets of it below.

• She opened with talking about people having a leadership mindset.  There are situation leaders and leaders who grow their leadership mindset. 
• Email is for information, not emotion.
• "Wise leaders play chess, not checkers as they manage relationships."  People move and interact like chess pieces, all different and unique and should be managed as such.  People are not all alike like checkers that move in the same way.

I enjoyed her presentation for the day so much that the following week I emailed the Dean of the program at Marietta and told him that the seminar I attended reminded me so much of my time at McDonough as she talked about situation leaders and growth mindsets.  When I think about what concepts and theories I learned in college that I think about any apply today in the workforce, far and away it is the concepts that I learned in leadership. 

That email led me to being connected with director of communication and brand management at Marietta, which led me to being a featured alumni on the website!