Just Wondering - Genesis 40:1-23

I began reading Genesis on 07-23-2015.  My goal is to read the Bible a chapter at a time at the beginning of my quiet time.  I pray asking the Holy Spirit to teach me as if I've never read the reading before.  I have missed some days of doing this but I am in awe of what I am learning and how I've been able to apply this new understanding to my life.  I truly love how there is always new wisdom from scripture I have read so many times before.

Just going to put down some notes today -

vs. 1-4 Pharaoh is mad at the cupbearer and the chief baker - puts them in prison, Joseph attends them
I'm wondering:  when I get mad at family, friends, etc how do I put them in prison?
                          does putting someone in prison (in my mind, by my actions) help me keep that mad
                                 going?
                          do I attend (help) others when they have been put in prison because of someone's
                                    anger?  do I help them or jump into someone else's stuff and keep them 
                                    in prison?

vs. 5-23 Cupbearer and chief baker have dreams.  Joseph interprets them.  Asked to be remembered by the cupbearer.  Cupbearer restored to position but doesn't remember Joseph.
I'm wondering:     do I remember when others help me?  do I give credit to the source of my help? 

I am really pondering the putting someone in prison when I am mad/angry.  Sounds like rejection.  How do I feel when I am rejected?  How does it feel to reject someone? 

In the Young Girls' Bible study we talked about taking our thoughts captive (2 Cor 10:5).  How often do I take my thoughts captive to make them obedient to Christ, but instead of giving Christ my thoughts, I just put them in prison and then take them out and
           think,
                        ponder,
                                         consider,
                                                            chew on them at a later time.

Just wondering.

THINK ABOUT SUCH THINGS - coming soon

Wow, sure has been a very long time since I put anything here.

I have now written 4 Bible studies for young girls.  The 5th one is almost completed.  The first two were printed week to week.  The 3rd one was printed at St. Luke Lutheran church and bound at Office Depot.  The 4th one was printed and bound at Office Depot.

I have decided as we study each week, beginning September 14th, to put some of the highlights here.  Not sure what it will include but I will include the comments from the girls.  They will be memorable, I know.

When we were studying the Fruit of the Spirit last fall, I read a long piece of scripture to the girls and then asked what they had heard.

Tyner's awesome response was,

          That was a whole lot of words!!!!

Yep, God's word, is a whole lot of words.  I can't wait to begin studying with these 3rd-8th graders again.

See you soon.

A LITTLE BIT MORE. . . . . .

We’re leaving the room and this you know

Walking not running is the way to go. (drawing goes here)

This will be fun

          This will be exciting

                   This walking we’ll do

                             Is so inviting.

“Inviting?”, You say.  “What do you mean?

Walking is boring and makes me turn green.” (green little girl)

Who wants to walk when there is running to do.

What fun can I find in following you?

When will we move, shake, rattle, and roll?  (I can see lots of girls shaking)

Where is the prize at the end of this stroll?

Why? Oh why, must I move so slowly,

How do I do it without getting holey?   (a holey child)

We will move, 
      we will shake, 
              we will rattle, 
                     we will roll!

As we move toward the prize of this short stroll.

Now order yourselves in a very straight line,
Follow your leader and please do not whine.

You will walk in line to the lawn at your church
Where a clue is awaiting you on a high perch.

(At this point the girls will line up and go outside of their church.  The clue will be "perched" on something high.  This is where the girls will learn about the first of four Greek words meaning love.  "EROS"

TaaaaaaaaaaaaaaDA

 

This is FUN and oh so HARD

Writing so girls will learn and in the process think they are having fun can be HARD.  But it is so FUN.

Rewrite for the first scavenger hunt continues:

We’re leaving the room and this you know

Walking not running is the way to go. (drawing goes here)

This will be fun

          This will be exciting

                   This walking we’ll do

                             Is so inviting.

“Inviting?”, You say.  “What do you mean?

Walking is boring and makes me turn green.” (green little girl)

Who wants to walk when there is running to do.

What fun can I find in following you?

When will we move, shake, rattle, and roll?  (I can see lots of girls shaking)

Where is the prize at the end of this stroll?

Why? Oh why, must I move so slowly,

How do I do it without getting holey?   (a holey child)

Holey you say so seriously and yet –

That is the quest of this study I bet.

You see our goal is to run

THE BEGINNING

I have FINALLY begun writing the Young Girls' Bible Study for the fall.  I learned last year that they love to go on a scavenger hunt.  So this year we will hunt for the fruit of the Spirit each week. 

A peak at how we will begin the first hunt is below.  The girls loved and I mean loved running from the first clue to the last during our previous studies.  It became a game just to keep them together.  I am excited to lead them again and to learn right along with them.

We’re leaving the room and this you know

Walking not running is the way to go.

This will be fun

          This will be exciting

                   This walking we’ll do

                             Is so inviting.

“Inviting?”, You say. 

“What do you mean?

This walking sounds lame,

Not at all like a game.”

 

THREE GIFTS FOUND IN DIFFICULT PEOPLE

Yesterday was difficult.  I encountered a difficult person.  This difficult person is a family member.  This family member is not always a difficult person.

This morning as I began my quiet time I was drawn to the "Joy Dare Collection" from Ann Voskamp's blog.

The challenge for this day is to write Three Gifts Found in Difficult People.

I love when God shows off and brings all things in my life right back to Himself.

I wrote the following in my quiet time notebook:

3 Gifts found in difficult people

1. prayer - turns me back to Christ - reminds me that I was created for good works (Eph 2:1) and that I should do all things as if for God not for men (Col 3:23).
2. laughter - because sometimes people are so absurdly difficult, the situation becomes hilarious. 
3. lessons learned - the lesson of how not to treat others

So, (I crossed that word out in my notebook, don't know how to do that on her)
I read yesterday that in removing the word "so" from my conversations will help me present myself clearer when I speak. 

My prayer today is:
     through the guidance of the Holy Spirit
             I will seek to see others a Christ does,
                  I will look for the joy and laughter in the hard moments and
                          I will treat others as if they are Christ.

What a lesson I have to share with the Young Girls' Bible Study.

Thank you Ann Voskamp for the reminder to find the gifts.

     https://www.facebook.com/AnnVoskamp
     http://www.aholyexperience.com/

HOW DO YOU LOVE?

Notes taken from a 2005 Bible study - THE PROOF IS IN THE FRUIT - led by Betsy Bird.

There are four Greek words for love:

1. Eros - a self satisfying love
2. Storge - the love of kinship
3. Philia - the love of friendship
4. Agape - a love that seeks the highest good of the other person

In the fall Young Girls' Bible study my plan is to go on a scavenger hunt to teach them the four Greek words for love.  They say, "we love scavenger hunts!"  They love moving, being active.

My prayer is by the end of that evening they will understand the difference between the four and know that above all else God's love is Agape.

Today my examples of the four Greek words for love are:

1. Eros - I love a Sunday nap.
2. Storge - I love my husband, Jeb.
3. Philia - I love Debbie Trussell - my best friend
4. Agape - Only through the love of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit can I even pray to love this way and to live out the love of God in me.

I have much studying to do.  This is just the beginning.

How about you?  How do you love?

Please help by responding to the four Greek words.