Monday, July 15, 2013
Psalm 16
As you can see, I am well behind on my blogging. I have so many scriptures I would love to relay to you, but I'm trying to only blog one a day, and then when I get behind it drives me crazy. Today I'm going to do Psalm 16 because I found so much good stuff in this chapter, I couldn't wait to share it. Go here to read it in your preferred version.
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Verse 1 - Watch over me, God. I'm putting my trust in you - the trust that I have your protection surrounding me.
Verse 2 - You are my Lord. My soul is nothing without you. Separate from You, this body is an empty, meaningless shell. No purpose.
Verse 3 - God's people are pleasing to Him. He delights in us. God, who is the Creator and the ruler of all heaven and earth, delights in me?? This is amazing to me.
God as the Creator - "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1
God as the ruler and creator of the heavens - "When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:" Proverbs 8:27
God as the ruler and creator of the Earth - Job 38 - "laid the foundations of the earth" (v. 4), shut up the sea (v. 8), made the clouds (v. 9), told the ocean where to stop (v. 11), commanded the morning (v. 12), causes the rain (v. 26) - just to name a few!!
Verse 4 - Those who continue to choose other gods over the true God will have misery throughout their lives. They will never be truly happy. The Bible says their name will not even be on God's lips. This is a scary thought.
Matthew 7:23 - And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Verse 5 - The Lord is my portion. When He is in my soul I will be filled. Among other things, I can be filled with the fruits of righteousness, filled with the Holy Spirit, and filled with goodness and knowledge. God will uphold me when I need that support.
"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:11
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18
"And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Romans 15:14
Verse 7 - I will bless God when I praise Him for all He's done for me. Especially when I have cried out to Him and He has answered and counseled me, I have to bless Him and His name to others.
Verse 8 - I have got to set the Lord before me. If He is not leading me, then I am. That's never good. I don't have to be afraid to stand up for what I believe because God is at my right hand. He will never leave me or forsake me.
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Joshua 1:5
Verse 9 - My heart is glad and I am joyful. I can rest in the hope I have in my God. My body can physically rest because I have placed all my burdens on Him.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7
Verse 10 - God is the God of my salvation. He does not want my soul to go to hell. Individually He loves us each enough that He does not want one soul in hell. God will send a way for us to be saved from hell, David says. This "way", ONE WAY, is Jesus Christ who David calls the "Holy One" in this verse. David claims that the Holy One who will save us will not see any corruption in himself.
"The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity." Malachi 2:6
Jesus Christ is the one who can bring us out of the pit of hell. It is impossible to be saved apart from Jesus Christ.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
Verse 11 - God will show me what path to go on in life - if I will pay attention!! Being in God's presence will make us joyful. He will give us pleasures forever. He wants to give us these pleasures.
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on this Psalm. I would love to hear your comments, thoughts, and feedback!
Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.
2 O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;
3 But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
4 Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
5 The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot.
6 The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
7 I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.
Verse 1 - Watch over me, God. I'm putting my trust in you - the trust that I have your protection surrounding me.
Verse 2 - You are my Lord. My soul is nothing without you. Separate from You, this body is an empty, meaningless shell. No purpose.
Verse 3 - God's people are pleasing to Him. He delights in us. God, who is the Creator and the ruler of all heaven and earth, delights in me?? This is amazing to me.
God as the Creator - "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." Genesis 1:1
God as the ruler and creator of the heavens - "When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth:" Proverbs 8:27
God as the ruler and creator of the Earth - Job 38 - "laid the foundations of the earth" (v. 4), shut up the sea (v. 8), made the clouds (v. 9), told the ocean where to stop (v. 11), commanded the morning (v. 12), causes the rain (v. 26) - just to name a few!!
Verse 4 - Those who continue to choose other gods over the true God will have misery throughout their lives. They will never be truly happy. The Bible says their name will not even be on God's lips. This is a scary thought.
Matthew 7:23 - And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Verse 5 - The Lord is my portion. When He is in my soul I will be filled. Among other things, I can be filled with the fruits of righteousness, filled with the Holy Spirit, and filled with goodness and knowledge. God will uphold me when I need that support.
"Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God." Philippians 1:11
"And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18
"And I myself also am persuaded of you, my brethren, that ye also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another." Romans 15:14
Verse 7 - I will bless God when I praise Him for all He's done for me. Especially when I have cried out to Him and He has answered and counseled me, I have to bless Him and His name to others.
Verse 8 - I have got to set the Lord before me. If He is not leading me, then I am. That's never good. I don't have to be afraid to stand up for what I believe because God is at my right hand. He will never leave me or forsake me.
"Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Hebrews 13:5
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Joshua 1:5
Verse 9 - My heart is glad and I am joyful. I can rest in the hope I have in my God. My body can physically rest because I have placed all my burdens on Him.
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28
"Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you." 1 Peter 5:7
Verse 10 - God is the God of my salvation. He does not want my soul to go to hell. Individually He loves us each enough that He does not want one soul in hell. God will send a way for us to be saved from hell, David says. This "way", ONE WAY, is Jesus Christ who David calls the "Holy One" in this verse. David claims that the Holy One who will save us will not see any corruption in himself.
"The law of truth was in his mouth, and iniquity was not found in his lips: he walked with me in peace and equity, and did turn many away from iniquity." Malachi 2:6
Jesus Christ is the one who can bring us out of the pit of hell. It is impossible to be saved apart from Jesus Christ.
"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6
Verse 11 - God will show me what path to go on in life - if I will pay attention!! Being in God's presence will make us joyful. He will give us pleasures forever. He wants to give us these pleasures.
I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on this Psalm. I would love to hear your comments, thoughts, and feedback!
Saturday, July 6, 2013
Fishing Expedition July 2013
Stephen had a two-week stay in Florida in the middle of June for a work thing, and when he came home, he came bearing gifts - new fishing poles for Hunter, Brianna, and myself!
We couldn't wait to test them out, but then it rained approximately 40 days and 40 nights. Wait, maybe that was another time in history...
Anyway, if you live around us you know the rain has been atrocious for fishing with two little kids. So we jumped on our first opportunity to go to Stephen's family's house tonight, where there is free fishing and we get to see our family too! So a definite win-win!
On the way, Brianna spotted a rainbow. It was right smack in front of us and gorgeous!
This was the first time our kids had ever been fishing but they acted like old pros! They've been practicing with their fishing poles in our back yard with rubber fish, in between rain storms and heat waves! They were so excited to get to the pond and really do some fishing!
It was such a beautiful night for fishing! Not a lot of bugs, the weather was gorgeous, the kids were perfect, and we got some great family time in! We even got to see Grandma Betty and Aunt Beverly before we left! Nights like this make me so thankful we are close to so much of my family and Stephen's family. And I'm so glad the kids are starting to enjoy activities like this more so we have more opportunities to make some memories!
It was such a good night we got home a little after 9pm and still had homemade chocolate milkshakes to celebrate a good "family day" together. Hey, it doesn't hurt to skip bedtime for a sugar rush every so often. :-)
We couldn't wait to test them out, but then it rained approximately 40 days and 40 nights. Wait, maybe that was another time in history...
Anyway, if you live around us you know the rain has been atrocious for fishing with two little kids. So we jumped on our first opportunity to go to Stephen's family's house tonight, where there is free fishing and we get to see our family too! So a definite win-win!
On the way, Brianna spotted a rainbow. It was right smack in front of us and gorgeous!
This was the first time our kids had ever been fishing but they acted like old pros! They've been practicing with their fishing poles in our back yard with rubber fish, in between rain storms and heat waves! They were so excited to get to the pond and really do some fishing!
Hunter's just checking to make sure all the crickets are still there.
Brianna getting ready to let one fly (she's SO good at casting!)
Waiting patiently...
While Brianna is waiting patiently, Hunter gets a bass! Just a few minutes after our arrival he's already gotten his first fish! He pulls a Hunter move... he is so uninterested. He just wants to grab the fish, put it back in the water and bait his hook again!
I can just hear him saying, "MoooOOOooom!" I'm telling you, the boy thinks I am wasting his time!!
Not but a few minutes later and Brianna gets her first fish!!
Not sure she wants to grab the fish, she opts to hold Daddy's hand which is holding the fish. Don't let her fool you though, that's the only time she was squeamish about it. After that first one she and Hunter both were 100% hands-on with the fishing!
Classic Brianna - smacking her gum while fishing. Haha!
Both the kids insisted on getting their own crickets, although Bri asked for us to please get the cricket out of the box, then hand it to her, and then she'd give it back to us to put it on the hook. She couldn't easily grab them from the box. Hunter had no issues going elbow-deep in cricket poop!
Grandpa Talbert was a huge help with both kids! We were so happy he got to spend some quality time with us!
Helping Grandpa Talbert get the hook out of the fish:
Different fish (Hunter was on a roll, I think he had caught around 6 by the time Brianna caught 2 or 3!)
This poor fish is not put back in the pond with ease. Just lobbed in by this silly 2-year old! Poor fish probably all had some brain damage going on.
It was such a beautiful night for fishing! Not a lot of bugs, the weather was gorgeous, the kids were perfect, and we got some great family time in! We even got to see Grandma Betty and Aunt Beverly before we left! Nights like this make me so thankful we are close to so much of my family and Stephen's family. And I'm so glad the kids are starting to enjoy activities like this more so we have more opportunities to make some memories!
It was such a good night we got home a little after 9pm and still had homemade chocolate milkshakes to celebrate a good "family day" together. Hey, it doesn't hurt to skip bedtime for a sugar rush every so often. :-)
Revelation Review
I was offered the chance to review a book by Alun Ebenezer simply called "Revelation". I jumped on the opportunity to read it. Our church has done two in-depth studies of the book of Revelation which lasted about 3-4 years and I did not hear a single word of it due to working with the youth group. So there are a lot of things I have never understood about Revelation and a lot of things I am interested in hearing commentary on.
I love the ease with which you can read this book. Ebenezer is very down-to-earth in his writing and explains things so everyone can understand what he's saying.
I don't think that anyone knows with complete certainty if they are interpreting Revelation correctly. It's a difficult book and there are lots of discussions about if certain things are literal or figurative. Whichever way you lean, this commentary is still a great one to read. Ebenezer goes so in depth, this book will make you want to study Revelation deeper and deeper in order to understand it more.
A great book for those who have difficulty with the book of Revelation. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
Thank you to Cross Focused Reviews and EP Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You can buy your own copy here.
I love the ease with which you can read this book. Ebenezer is very down-to-earth in his writing and explains things so everyone can understand what he's saying.
I don't think that anyone knows with complete certainty if they are interpreting Revelation correctly. It's a difficult book and there are lots of discussions about if certain things are literal or figurative. Whichever way you lean, this commentary is still a great one to read. Ebenezer goes so in depth, this book will make you want to study Revelation deeper and deeper in order to understand it more.
A great book for those who have difficulty with the book of Revelation. I highly recommend this book to everyone!
Thank you to Cross Focused Reviews and EP Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
You can buy your own copy here.
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Witness Men Review
I am so excited to be able to share this book with you guys! I just finished reviewing a book by Rebecca Davis called Witness Men: True Stories of God at Work in Papua, Indonesia. This is part of her Hidden Heroes series which I had never heard of.
The Hidden Heroes series is geared toward children in elementary school to middle school, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think this is an awesome way for kids to learn about missionaries and how God works all over the world to reach people. The book is a very easy read and is intriguing enough to easily keep any child's attention, whether they are reading it or you are reading it to them.
I think in our culture, when children grow up in a Christian home they take it for granted that everyone learns about God and loves God. This book shows that there are people out there who have never even seen people who look differently from them, much less heard of God. But the book also shows that innate desire that people have for a higher power. Davis tells all about the gods that these tribes were worshiping and many of their worshiping styles, which range from cannibalism to sacrifice.
I highly recommend this book to families or schools. It is so inspiring and interesting to children AND adults! I can't wait to read the rest of Rebecca Davis' series. She is an amazing author and I'm so glad to have this subject in an easy-to-read format for my children.
Buy your own copy here.
Thank you to Christian Focus Publications and Cross Focused Reviews for the opportunity to review this book. I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
The Hidden Heroes series is geared toward children in elementary school to middle school, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I think this is an awesome way for kids to learn about missionaries and how God works all over the world to reach people. The book is a very easy read and is intriguing enough to easily keep any child's attention, whether they are reading it or you are reading it to them.
I think in our culture, when children grow up in a Christian home they take it for granted that everyone learns about God and loves God. This book shows that there are people out there who have never even seen people who look differently from them, much less heard of God. But the book also shows that innate desire that people have for a higher power. Davis tells all about the gods that these tribes were worshiping and many of their worshiping styles, which range from cannibalism to sacrifice.
I highly recommend this book to families or schools. It is so inspiring and interesting to children AND adults! I can't wait to read the rest of Rebecca Davis' series. She is an amazing author and I'm so glad to have this subject in an easy-to-read format for my children.
Buy your own copy here.
Thank you to Christian Focus Publications and Cross Focused Reviews for the opportunity to review this book. I was given a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.
Monday, July 1, 2013
DIY Pinata at Evan's 2nd Birthday Party
Okay, in just a few months it will be my nephew Evan's birthday and I haven't even blogged about his birthday last year. I am way behind on blogging. Here are some cute pictures from his party, and then a very easy DIY birthday pinata! (Aren't you tired of paying almost $20 for something that your kids are SUPPOSED to break!? Craziness!)
So, I got the idea for the pinata from The Sweetest Occasion. Hers is MUCH more beautiful than mine, but mine definitely got the job done and that's all that matters. Here are the incredibly easy instructions for this party game:
Go through your recycling and grab some thick cardboard and some cereal boxes. Get some fun colors of tissue paper, some masking tape, scissors, a glue stick, and some pipe cleaners. And of course, candy!
Start by cutting out the shape of your pinata out of the thick cardboard. She did a number one but I did the letter E. Cut out strips of your cereal box to use for the sides of your pinata. I did mine like hers - the letter was about 18 inches tall, so the strips were about 3 inches wide. Put your cardboard shape together with the strips using plenty of masking tape. Leave a flap open and untaped at the top of the pinata.
Next, get the tissue paper ready: leave paper folded as it comes in a package, and cut off a two-inch-wide strip of folded tissue paper. Snip fringe about halfway up one side of the folded tissue paper. Unfold, and you should have a long strand of fringed tissue. You can use any colors you like.
Once all of your tissue is fringed, grab your glue stick and start applying the fringe to the pinata form, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Overlap the tissue so that the only portion that shows is the fringe, and the un-fringed part is what gets glued down.
Then, cut small holes on the open flap at the top, and corresponding holes on the top in a section that is taped down. String a pipe cleaner or twine through the holes to seal the top of the pinata. (If you’re filling the pinata with candy or treats, you can use the open flap to get your goodies inside!)
Of course, you don't have to fill it. You can just use it as decoration if you like. The kids had a blast with a bat to knock this thing silly, and it gave all the adults a good laugh! Also, they get exactly what they want - the opportunity to hit an object with a bat, and lots of candy!!
So, I got the idea for the pinata from The Sweetest Occasion. Hers is MUCH more beautiful than mine, but mine definitely got the job done and that's all that matters. Here are the incredibly easy instructions for this party game:
Go through your recycling and grab some thick cardboard and some cereal boxes. Get some fun colors of tissue paper, some masking tape, scissors, a glue stick, and some pipe cleaners. And of course, candy!
Start by cutting out the shape of your pinata out of the thick cardboard. She did a number one but I did the letter E. Cut out strips of your cereal box to use for the sides of your pinata. I did mine like hers - the letter was about 18 inches tall, so the strips were about 3 inches wide. Put your cardboard shape together with the strips using plenty of masking tape. Leave a flap open and untaped at the top of the pinata.
Next, get the tissue paper ready: leave paper folded as it comes in a package, and cut off a two-inch-wide strip of folded tissue paper. Snip fringe about halfway up one side of the folded tissue paper. Unfold, and you should have a long strand of fringed tissue. You can use any colors you like.
Once all of your tissue is fringed, grab your glue stick and start applying the fringe to the pinata form, starting at the bottom and working your way up. Overlap the tissue so that the only portion that shows is the fringe, and the un-fringed part is what gets glued down.
Then, cut small holes on the open flap at the top, and corresponding holes on the top in a section that is taped down. String a pipe cleaner or twine through the holes to seal the top of the pinata. (If you’re filling the pinata with candy or treats, you can use the open flap to get your goodies inside!)
Of course, you don't have to fill it. You can just use it as decoration if you like. The kids had a blast with a bat to knock this thing silly, and it gave all the adults a good laugh! Also, they get exactly what they want - the opportunity to hit an object with a bat, and lots of candy!!
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