Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 22

 This post has taken awhile because; not only is this a longer chapter but there is SO much here.  It's so interesting and important to lean into these passages.  Everything Jesus says is important but notice the things He chooses to express as His death approaches.  In the last chapter we saw how Jesus taught the importance of focusing on Him; not being distracted by temporary/earthly things.  In this chapter I noticed a theme of humility; both exemplified and taught verbally.  I'm going to try to condense my notes and just share a few tidbits but I encourage you to re-read this chapter and prayerfully examine this thought of humility.

This chapter starts out with an example of something Jesus has mentioned a few times; how that we can never serve two masters.  It may seem we can for awhile but in the end we will show which one we truly love and which one we truly hate.  Chapter 22 begins with Judas betraying Jesus...for money.  Judas chose money over Christ.  In 1 Timothy 6:10 Paul cautions Timothy to be careful of this very thing because 

"the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.  It is through this craving that 
some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs." 

As we see Jesus preparing his followers we also see that He has prepared every detail of His last few days.  Notice in verses 8-13 how Jesus has prepared for the where and how, He will observe Passover with His disciples.  Verse 13 says "And they went and found it just as he had told them, and they prepared the Passover."   During this meal Jesus illustrates His coming death through the cup and bread thus instituting the first Lord's Supper.  In verse 19 He says "This is my body, which is given for you."  In this picture I'm reminded of John 10: 17-18 

"For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life 

that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but 

I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority 

to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. 

This charge I have received from my Father."

Below are a few thoughts on humility:

Humility Exemplified: 

- during the Lord's Supper Jesus serves His disciples

- Jesus will willingly give His very life for those He loves.

- In verse 37 Jesus tells that He will humble Himself so that Scripture will be fulfilled; even in that He will be "numbered with the transgressors."

- We see in Jesus' prayer that it's okay to cry out to God and let Him know what we do and do not want but ultimately we must be willing to surrender our own will to God and follow; even if His will is different than ours. 

- In the midst of being betrayed and arrested Jesus still shows compassion and mercy.  He heals the servant's ear. (vs. 51)

- While being mocked Jesus is quiet.  (I was reminded of 1 Peter 4:19 while reading this.  Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father)

Humility Taught:

- In verse 26 Jesus teaches "But not so with you.  Rather, let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves."

- Jesus foretells Peter's denial; but that Jesus has prayed for Peter; that he will learn from this and that Peter will help others by what he learns. 

- When the rooster crows Jesus looks at Peter. In that moment Peter learns a hard lesson of humility. In his pride Peter thought he would do better than the others (see vs. 33) but in this moment Peter's pride is broken and he sees his sin.  

A quick compare and contrast between Peter's testing and Jesus' mocking/betrayal.  Peter needed to be tested so that  he would learn humility; to learn that he can fall just as easily as anyone else.  Peter needed to learn this lesson so that he would be prepared for the tasks Jesus had for him after Jesus left.  Jesus exemplified this humility in how He handled His own betrayal, mocking and trial.  As we study the life and teachings of Jesus we see how He taught, through His words and actions, all that we need for living our lives for Him.  

In this chapter the title of Son of Man is used three times; in verses 22, 48 and 69.  Jesus uses this title for Himself when He is brought before the council.  When the elders, chief priests and scribes hear Jesus use this title they immediately know that He is claiming to be God.

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 21

 Good Morning!  I'm still here.  While I've been reading and taking notes on the final chapters in Luke; with all the busyness of Christmas and hosting some family members, I haven't had a chance to blog those thoughts.  I pray that you all had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior.  

In Chapter 21 of Luke we see Jesus preparing his followers, even more, for the time when He will not be with them physically.  Here are a few thoughts:

Widow's Offering (vs. 1-4): 

Again Jesus points out the importance of placing our faith in Jesus, and not money, for all that we need.  We must choose to trust and serve Jesus; not earthly things that will never last.

Jesus Foretells destruction of temple (vs. 5-9):

Earthly things will be destroyed; even earthly temples.  In 1 Corinthians 6:9 Paul reminds us that our very bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  While we are to care for them we are not to worship them; they will be destroyed. 

Jesus foretells wars and persecutions (vs. 10-19):

Jesus is preparing His followers for the persecution and hatred they will face because they declare Jesus as Messiah. 

Jesus foretells destruction of Jerusalem (vs. 20-24):

Jerusalem will fall, the people will be led away as captives and Jerusalem will be trampled "until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled".

The coming of the Son of Man (vs. 25-28):

The Son of Man will return!  Redemption is drawing near!  Jesus gives these warnings but does not leave us hopeless.  This is our hope and guarantee!  Jesus Himself will return.  

The lesson of the fig tree (vs. 29-33):

Again, the reminder that Heaven and Earth will pass away but God's Word never will! Place your trust in the eternal!

Watch yourselves (vs. 34-38):

Do not be weighed down by the cares of this world.  Stay awake!  Stay alert!  Always praying! (See also 2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

As Jesus nears the end of His earthly ministry and His death He gives warnings to His followers to help prepare them for what is to come after He leaves.  With the warnings Jesus also gives hope by assuring them that He will return.  Life is hard but He will return bringing redemption so don't be distracted! Keep your focus on Him! Watch! Pray! Do not get bogged down by the cares** and anxieties of this life.

**I thought it was interesting that the word for cares used in verse 34 is the Greek word merimna which is the idea of being drawn in different directions or as Strongs Concordance puts it "a part separated from the whole" and "dividing and fracturing a person's being into parts".  The cares and anxieties of this life are trying to draw us away; separate us from Jesus, the source of our peace & wholeness. It's no wonder that Jesus warned His followers to not be weighed down by cares/anxieties and distracted by the world. 

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 20

 In chapter 20 there is a lot said about Jesus' authority.  The chief Priests start by questioning Jesus' authority and the chapter ends with Jesus warning about the scribes who claim authority yet deny the truth/Christ.  Here are a few things I jotted down.

Authority of Jesus challenged: (vs. 1-8)

As I read Jesus' response to the chief priests I was reminded of the principle from Proverbs 26:4-5.  In those verses we are told, 

"Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest you be like him yourself.  
Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes." 

At first glance these verses may seem to contradict each other; but of course they don't, and Jesus interaction with the chief Priests in Luke 20 is a perfect example of this.  If someone is just trying to argue or make you look bad then don't answer them; don't engage in their foolishness.  However, if someone is being a fool because they are trusting in just what they know; they may just be ignorant of all the facts needed, so answer them so that they may see the foolishness of trusting in their own knowledge.  In the Luke 20 passage Jesus doesn't really answer the chief priests because He knows they are just trying to argue.  However, Jesus does question them, so that the crowd can see the limitation of the chief priest's knowledge. 

Parable of the Wicked Tenants:

Throughout time God has sent many messengers, servants, prophets and rulers to the Israelites to declare His authority and for them to follow Him.  The Israelites have beaten, disbelieved and rejected those messengers.  Now Jesus, the Son, has come and they will kill Him.  Because of this God will turn from working through the Jewish people and will move His focus to the Gentiles. 

Paying Taxes to Caesar: 

When asking if they should pay taxes; Jesus asks "Whose likeness and inscription does it [the money] have?"  when they answer "Caesar's" (vs. 24) Jesus responds "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's" (vs. 25)

Now in light of Jesus words think of this:

 - the coin was to be rendered to Caesar because it bore his likeness (vs. 25)

 - we bear the likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:26) and so WE are to render our very selves to God!

The final sections of this chapter focus on Jesus warning His disciples about those who would claim to have authority but really it is a false authority that they claim for themselves.

Summary of Authority:

- Jesus' authority comes from Heaven

- Jesus is the Beloved Son heir to the kingdom of God; He has the authority to rule.

- Jesus has authority over our lives; we are created in His image, we bear His likeness and so we should render our lives to Him.

- Jesus has authority over death.  He is not a God of the dead but of the living because of the resurrection. 

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 19

 Life's busy; some days I will get up the post, other days I'll put two up to "catch up".  While I wanted to post daily here to keep myself accountable I also didn't want it to become a chore or something I rushed through to just check it off the list.  December is obviously very busy.  Part of enjoying the Christmas season is choosing to let the idea of "perfection" go and embrace some craziness this season and be flexible.  One reason I did not get the post up yesterday is because last night was the children's program at our church.  The kids did a great job and we were reminded of the amazing gift of Jesus and the salvation He offers through His blood and grace.  I only snapped one picture; of course I'm a bit biased to the star and the narrator in the red & black tie. 

Now on to Chapter 19.  I found this chapter to be one of contrasts so I'm choosing to highlight those today.

Contrasts: 

Zacchaeus - (vs. 1-10): Zacchaeus is a rich tax collector who chooses Jesus instead of his riches.  Contrast this with the rich ruler we saw in chapter 18 who wouldn't give up his riches.  Zacchaeus is an example that it is indeed possible for a rich man to enter heaven; he just must choose to find his riches in Jesus. 

Parable of the Mina - (vs. 11-27): Those who wisely use the talents God has given them and invest their lives in service and obedience to God.  Contrasted with those who are foolish and don't accomplish anything for God.

Triumphal Entry - (vs. 28-44): The people are rejoicing as they travel with Jesus into Jerusalem because they believe He is going to establish an earthly kingdom.  Contrast this with Jesus weeping because He knows that Jerusalem will continue to reject His spiritual kingdom and will fall. 

Jesus Cleansing the Temple - (vs. 45-48): The Pharisees are paying close attention to Jesus' words and actions looking for a reason to condemn Him.  Contrast with Jesus disciples "hanging on" His words looking to learn from Jesus so they can better follow and serve Him. 

Titles of Jesus in this chapter:

- Son of Man (vs. 10)

- King (vs. 38)

Gospel of Luke: Advent - chapter 18

 I love how God's Word is truly alive; the wisdom and truth in God's Word can never be exhausted.  As I was reading Chapter 18 today I was struck by how seemingly unrelated teachings all had a common thought: that of how much Jesus desires ongoing, open communication with us as we live in relationship with Him.  We know that communication is such an important part of earthly relationships so it really isn't a surprise that it is so important to Jesus. 

Once again Jesus uses a couple parables to teach this concept.  In the first He shares about a persistent widow who keeps requesting a judge to give her justice.  In the very first verse of this chapter Luke says that Jesus told this parable so that people would know they "ought always to pray and not lose heart." Keep praying!  Verse 8 says "I tell you, he [God] will give justice to them [elect/believers] speedily."  So if it's "speedily" why does Jesus say to keep praying and not lose heart?  Because God does not always work on our timeline; God's idea of "speedily" may look very different that ours but that does NOT mean He won't answer; He will, we need to trust in the waiting. 

Next Jesus talks about a Pharisee and a Tax Collector who go to the temple to pray.  Here Jesus teaches that we are to be humble, not thinking that we have our own righteousness but to remember that any righteousness we have comes from a relationship with Him.  Those that exalt themselves will be humbled; yet those that humble themselves will be exalted. (see Luke 1:52)  Jesus continues this idea of humility when His disciples want to turn away the children, even infants, that people are bringing to Jesus.  Jesus says that those that come to Him are to be like these children; humble and trusting. 

Jesus then has a conversation with a rich ruler.  The rich ruler asks what he needs to do to follow Jesus.  Jesus first asks if the ruler follows the law and the ruler replies yes.  Then Jesus says, okay, sell all you have and give it to the poor.  This doesn't mean that everyone who God has blessed with wealth needs to give it all away but it does mean that they must be willing to sacrifice earthly blessings if that is what Jesus asks.  The rich ruler had placed his trust and confidence in his riches here on earth and couldn't give them up for Jesus.  Jesus remarks about how difficult it is for the rich to accept Him and the disciples as "Then who can be saved?" (vs. 26)  Jesus gives a beautiful answer filled with hope.  He says; "What is impossible with man is possible with God." (vs. 27).  God can change hearts!

Lastly we see the interaction between Jesus and a blind beggar.  I find it interesting that in vs. 41 Jesus asks the man "What do you want me to do for you?" (vs. 41) Jesus obviously knows everything, yet He wants us to communicate our needs and deepest desires to Him.  When the man replies that he wants to see; Jesus hears the faith that the man believes Jesus can do this and so responds "Recover your sight; your faith has made you well." (vs. 42) 

So how do these tie together?  Jesus wants a relationship with us; He wants communication! 

We are to: 

- Pray persistently; trusting that God will answer.

- Be humble!  Recognize and repent when we sin.

- Come as a child; in humility, fully trusting Jesus.

- Not put our confidence in earthly riches but be willing to let go and follow Jesus.

- Pray, knowing that nothing is impossible for God.  He can change hearts!  

- Be confident that everything in God's Word will be accomplished.  (see vs. 31)

- Communicate our needs & desires to Jesus.  He wants to hear it all!!

- Glorify God for all He does; be a light to the world pointing them to Him.  So that just like those who heard the beggar's story and praised God; may those that we encounter see God's work in our life and give Him the praise. (see Matthew 5:16)

Titles used for Jesus: 

- Son of Man (vs. 8, 31)

- Son of David (vs. 38, 39)

It is a beautiful, humbling and overwhelming thought that we serve a God Who is so powerful He can create worlds with just a word; yet desires to have such intimate, loving, ongoing communication with us!

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 17

 Good afternoon.  It's been an interesting 24ish hours here so I'm just now getting yesterday's post up.  Last night we lost our internet and had a child with a stomach bug.  I've learned that things won't always go as planned and that's okay.  I'm hoping to get the post for chapter 18 also up today but we'll see.  Here are some thoughts on chapter 17.

In this chapter Jesus continues teaching but instead of teaching through parables He teaches by sharing examples.  The beginning of this chapter is focused on how we deal with others. 

vs. 1 - Do not be the cause of temptation for others.

vs. 2 - Do not cause others to stumble

vs. 3 - When someone sins; rebuke them, if they repent; forgive them.

vs. 9 - Be faithful in your service.  If you just do the bare minimum; your "duty" you are acting like an unworthy servant.

In verse 11 the focus shifts to how our attitude should be in service to God.  As they are walking along ten lepers come to Jesus asking for Him to "have mercy on us" so Jesus sends them to the temple.  As they head to the temple they are healed.  Yet only one of the ten return to thank Jesus; to give Him the glory and honor.  In this we are reminded to glorify and thank God for the blessings in our life.  We are to recognize that all good things come from Him (see James 1:17).  Jesus responds to this thankful leper by saying "your faith has made you well"; this leper recognized that his healing was from Jesus.

The chapter ends with Jesus giving warnings and instructions about the coming Kingdom of God.  We are to be faithful servants.  No one knows when Christ will return; just as with the flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, people will just be living normally right up to the moment.  In light of this truth we should be focused on living for Christ every moment.  

We should be: 

- Careful to not cause others to stumble. (see also Romans 14:13 & 1 Corinthians 8:9)

- Forgive those that sin against us when they repent. (see also Ephesians 4:32)

- Go beyond just our "duty" when serving others. ( see also Romans 12:10)

- Give thanks and glorify God for all our blessings. (see also James 1:17)

- Do not listen to those who would try to predict when Christ will return. (see also Matthew 24:36)

Titles for Jesus in this chapter:

Master - vs. 13

Son of Man - vs. 22, 24, 26, & 30

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 16

 In Chapter 16 Jesus continues His teaching using parables.  The over-arching theme of this chapter is to value the eternal more than the earthly/temporary.  Here are a few things I jotted down while reading this chapter.

vs. 10 - faithful in little = faithful in much; dishonest in little = dishonest in much.  Nothing is too small to matter to God.  Be faithful in everything!

vs. 13 - No one can serve to masters.  Check your motivation!  Who are you serving God or money?

vs. 15 - What is exalted among men is an abomination to God.  Yikes!  Think on this.  What does the world exalt?  Status? Riches? God desires humility (Micah 6:8, Philippians 2:3-8), generosity (Luke 6:30, 2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

vs. 17 - Everything in this earth will pass away but not even the smallest part of God's Word will.

vs. 25 - Anything we gather here on earth (riches, possessions, etc) we will lose when we die; like the old saying says "you can't take it with you".  Store up treasures for eternity (Matthew 6:19-21)

vs. 31 - God's Word is true and complete.  

vs. 9 -  Things of this earth will pass away.  Use any gifts and riches that God has blessed you with to serve God and others. Show generosity; point others to Jesus so that when the riches and things of this world fail they will see that God never fails.  As God's child we already have an eternal dwelling; we have a home in heaven so don't be too focused on the things of this world.  Be concerned with helping others see their need for Christ that they might repent and gain their eternal dwelling. 

This is an old Gospel song that came to mind while writing this post.  

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 15

 In chapter 15 Jesus shares 3 different parables but all with the same message; He loves us and desires for us to be restored to a right relationship with him.  Here are some thoughts from each:

The Lost Sheep (vs. 1-7):

Jesus is our Shepherd Who pursues us when we wander.  He desires our repentance so that we can be brought back into a right relationship with Him.  There is much rejoicing in Heaven when a sinner repents.

The Lost Coin: (vs. 8-10):

We are very valuable to God.

The Prodigal Son (vs. 11-32):

The son has run off and squandered all of his inheritance, then in verse 17 it says "but when he came to himself"; sin dulls our senses, we turn away from common sense and sin deceives us into thinking that we can figure things out on our own.  Sin tells us that we are too far gone to be accepted as a child again.  The further we walk away from God the more we become stuck in our own misery and despair. But then, when the son comes to himself (other versions say "came to his senses") he turns back towards home.  The whole picture here is one of repentance; a turning back to the father.  Notice here that there is no pride in his turning back, no expectation of full restoration, instead there is a humility and an attitude of accepting consequences for his actions (vs. 18 states he was willing to be a mere servant in his father's house).  

One of the most poignant moments of this parable is in verse 20.  The father sees the son and he runs to meet his son.  The father was watching for his son; he never gave up on him.  The father doesn't make his son come groveling up to him and beg; no the father runs to his son.  He is filled with joy that his boy is back home; he embraces and kisses the son and immediately plans a celebration. 

Now the older brother is angry at this celebration; after all, he's done everything "right".  But here's the thing, the older brother got so caught up in following the rules and doing the job that he missed the fact that he has all the blessings and privileges of a son. He hasn't been enjoying any of the benefits that he has had full access to all along. 

How often we are like that older brother we get caught up and distracted by the cares of this world that we forget that we are children of God.  Are we enjoying all that is ours as heirs? Or are we too stuck in thinking we need to just work and wait...getting caught up in the drudgery of this world?  Eternity with God begins at the moment we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior.  We don't have to wait for eternity to enjoy the blessings of being God's child we can start living in them now! 

A couple more points to this parable that I wanted to highlight:

- The father is never blamed for his son's foolishness.

- The father never shames the son for his foolishness.

- When the son repents he is forgiven; completely. He does not have to carry guilt or shame over his past.

- Without Christ we are dead in our sins.

- Notice that it is the older son that gets lectured about his attitude; he was sinful too and at this point unrepentant.  All sin is an offense to God but the older brother was seeing himself as better than his younger brother.  I love how Tony Evans puts it, in his book God Himself: A Journey Through His Attributes, when discussing God's holiness: "God does not have a grading system for sin because He is totally and absolutely perfect in all His ways.  He knows no gradations of sin...God is so holy...that He is as offended by an evil thought as He is by murder.  While there are differences in the consequences of sin, there is no difference in essence."

Unexpected Uses

 Today I want to share with you three "mini-blessings".  I love to find good deals at second hand stores or to find new ways to use objects rather than just having them go to waste.  I am not a hoarder and don't like clutter so I'm sure others have way more that they are reusing but these are a couple ideas that I found so I thought I'd share.  I encourage you to think outside the box and see if you can find ways to use objects in unexpected ways; are there ones that you would like to share?

This first picture is something I've shared a bit about before.  I found the book at a second-hand book store years ago and it has become a tradition to read it every year.  Each day Benjamin Bear opens a door on his advent calendar and then his mom tells him about little bear's journey to Bethlehem.  I looked online and one site mentioned that there was originally an advent calendar that came with the book but I haven't been able to find one; or even what it looked like.  Last year, before Christmas, I made it my mission to figure out how to make an advent calendar to go with this book.  Some of the things listed are different (a robber, a pear tree, a giant) and since I had bought this cute advent calendar for a good price, whatever I used needed to fit in the drawers.  I looked at a few different options and eventually settled on jewelry charms I found on etsy that would work.  Not every charm is exactly matching; for instance for a giant we have a larger viking head charm, but they are close enough.  The charms are small enough that I can even fit a lindt truffle in each drawer.  

This next picture is something that "randomly" came to mind today.  Tomorrow night our mom's group at church is having our annual Christmas party and this year we are doing an ornament swap.  I found an adorable ornament at a local second-hand store (that is actually owned by some friends of ours).  It's delicate and so I wanted to figure out a way to protect it.  I was planning to go to the dollar store to see if I could find a box that would work.  Today Amy made some tea and finished the bag from this Teavana container.  I decided to see if the ornament would fit; and it does, perfectly! I'll wrap it up in a nice bag but now I don't have to worry about it getting crushed.  I also saved the other Teavana container that was emptied today and will keep it through the Christmas holiday in case I find something else that needs packaging.

This last picture is a loaf of oatmeal bread.  The other day I made oatmeal (regular old fashioned); several of the kids decided they wanted oatmeal and I hadn't really made enough.  Last night I decided to make a large batch of steel cut oats in the slow cooker; well of course, only a couple of the kids wanted oatmeal today so we were left with quite a bit of leftover cooked oats.  I remembered seeing recipes that use leftover oatmeal and a quick Google search turned up this recipe. Since I had so much leftover oatmeal I quadrupled the recipe.  My oatmeal must have been much wetter because it took a lot more flour than the recipe indicated.  I ended up with six loaves of this bread; some of the kids have tried it and said it's very good.

I'm always so thankful to find frugal, fun and unexpected ways to use things.  I don't believe things are random and thank God for bringing these things to mind.  
  

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapters 13 & 14

As you've probably noticed I'm trying to blog every day in December; working through the book of Luke.  Well, yesterday was a different day here and by 11pm last night when I finally had a bit of time to sit, I didn't feel right about trying to just throw together a post about chapter 13; I decided to sleep and that I'd do two posts today to "catch up".  After reading chapter 14 I realized that these two chapters tie together quite nicely; so to highlight that and change things up I'm putting them together in this post.  

There's a bit of a different "theme" in these chapters.  Jesus isn't really referred to by any "title" here; so.  instead of the "Jesus is" tag that I have been using I'm going to use "Jesus says/teaches".  Let's dive in...

Jesus says/teaches...

Chapter 13:

- His desire is for us to repent so that we will not perish (vs. 5)

- like the owner of a vineyard who desires his trees/vines to be fruitful; Jesus desires that we will produce fruit for the kingdom of God. (vs. 6)

- We are to care more for people than for animals or any man-made traditions (vs. 15)

- He is the Lord/Master of the kingdom of God (vs. 25)

- He weeps when we reject Him & the blessings He desires to give us. (vs. 33)

- Jesus desires our repentance and He desires to shelter His people (vs. 34)

Chapter 14:

- Jesus again heals on the Sabbath and challenges the Pharisees to care more about people than animals or man-made traditions (vs. 3-5)

- Stay humble/Have humility (vs. 11)

- Give without any expectations (vs. 13 -14)

- Answer God's call.  Don't be so distracted by the things and cares of this world that you miss God's blessings (vs. 18-19)

- Keep Jesus as the first priority in your life (vs. 33)

Throughout all of these teachings is the truth that Jesus desires a deep, honest relationship with us.  He wants to be our Lord and Master, first in our hearts. As we draw near to Jesus and are sheltered under His wings then we are to show that same love to others; through giving, not exalting ourselves over others, and caring more for those around us that for our traditions, routines or animals.  Be focused, generous, humble, sensitive to sin and quick to repent, above all keep Jesus first!  

Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise,
Thou mine inheritance, now and always; 
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 12

 I'm getting this up very late tonight so just a quick post and song to share.  There were three "titles" to highlight from this chapter.

Jesus is...

- our friend/ calls his followers friends (vs. 4)

- Son of Man (vs. 8, 10, 40)

- Teacher (vs. 13)

When I read verse 4 and how Jesus called His followers "friends" the song below immediately came to mind.  

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 11

 Tonight I want to share not only my thoughts on Chapter 11 from this year but also something I wrote a couple years ago while reading through Luke.  First, here are my quick thoughts from this year.

Jesus is...

- The One who knows our thoughts (vs. 17)

- Son of Man (vs. 29)

- Greater than Solomon (vs. 31)

- Greater than Jonah (vs. 32)

- Teacher (vs. 45)

In this chapter Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray.  After teaching them the prayer Jesus expounds on why it's important to pray.  "And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks, it will be opened." (vs. 9-10)  He then goes on to say how that we are to be persistent in praying.  God is a good Father who grants us His Holy Spirit when we ask; what an amazing Gift that is!

And now, here are my thoughts from a couple years ago: 

I’m really enjoying the “Luke Challenge” that I posted a couple weeks ago so I thought I’d share a very encouraging observation about prayer that I’ve had in reading Luke so far.

In the book of Luke the first recorded time of Jesus praying is in chapter 3; right after He is baptized it says “when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (vs. 21b-22) Jesus prayed and the heavens were opened and the Trinity was shown together! What an awesome reminder of the power of prayer!

I’m only to chapter 11 but find it interesting to note that Jesus taking time...making space...in His day to devote to prayer is mentioned in chapters 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10 & 11. (I’m going to be on the lookout for it in the remaining chapters as well). So, taking time away is obviously an important example He wants us to get. Jesus calls the first disciples in chapter 5 and chooses the 12 apostles in chapter 6 yet it isn’t until chapter 11 before it’s recorded that they asked Him to teach them to pray. They were excited to see all that Jesus was doing and to participate in His ministry but it seems that it took some time before they realized the important role that prayer had in His ministry.

This got me thinking how easy it is to often neglect prayer forgetting that our power, strength, direction, wisdom and source of joy is found in communicating with our loving Father. We have the Holy Spirit in us and Jesus interceding at the right hand of the Father for us. When we pray we are communing/interacting with all three persons of the Trinity! My prayer is that I will remember the importance of making space for daily prayer.

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 10

 Jesus is...

- The Son (vs. 22) 

- Teacher (vs. 25)

While these two titles are the only ones I've highlighted for this chapter there is a theme that I noticed and found encouraging.  On two occasions discussed in Chapter 10 (the disciples returning to report on their mission; verses 17-20, and Jesus visiting Mary & Martha's house; verses 40-42) Jesus emphasizes the importance of choosing to keep our focus on the eternal.  In the first instance the disciples are rejoicing about how they; through the power of Jesus name, had power over demons.  But notice how Jesus responds in verse 20 "Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven." In the second instance Martha is complaining to Jesus that Mary isn't helping her with the household tasks and in verses 41-42 we see Jesus' response "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary.  Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

How often we, like these disciples and women,  become distracted by the issues and busyness of life. We get so caught up in things that will "pass away".  We need that same reminder; to focus on the eternal, to put Jesus as our first priority.  As we go through this busy Christmas season, enjoying many fun things, may we never lose sight of Who we are celebrating and the glorious gift of His birth....Emmanuel...God with us; He came to us so that we could forever be with Him.

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 9

Thoughts on Chapter 9:

Jesus is... 

- The One who sends disciples (vs. 2)

- Abundantly supplies; often more than we need (vs. 17)

- The Christ of God (vs. 20)

- The Son of Man (vs. 22, 26, 44, 58)

- God's Son; His Chosen One (vs. 35)  "Listen to Him!"

- Power over unclean spirits/Healer (vs. 42)

- Knows our hearts/motivations (vs. 47)

One encouragement from today's reading is that Jesus welcomes, ministers to and provides for those that seek Him.  In verse 11 Luke tells how that when the crowds heard that Jesus was at Bethsaida they followed Him.  Jesus welcomed them, taught them about the kingdom of God and "cured those that had need of healing", later He provides food for the crowds.  Looking at this passage I was thinking of how Jesus provided for their emotional needs - He welcomed them, their spiritual needs - He taught them about the kingdom of God, and their physical needs - He healed them and fed them.  No matter what we are facing we need to be faithful in following Jesus because HE is the source of all we need for every area of our lives. 

Gospel of Luke : Advent - Chapter 8

 Good evening.  I love how that a simple exercise can help to keep our focus on Jesus. As I read through these chapters it again makes me so grateful for This Jesus that desires a relationship with us and through His sacrifice provided the way for us to have that relationship.

Jesus is...

- Commander of the wind and waves (vs.24-25)

- Son of the Most High God. (vs. 28) Even the demons recognize and bow to Jesus!

- He has the power and authority to command demons (vs. 32) 

A few words on a few other events in this chapter: 

In verses 37-38 we see that the people were afraid of Jesus and asked Him to leave.  Even though He leaves notice how He sends the healed man to proclaim what God has done for him.  Compare this with the great commission (Matthew 28:16-20) Jesus gives when He ascends to Heaven after His resurrection.  Just like this man who had been demon-possessed was to now proclaim his healing to others we too are to declare all that Jesus has done for us.

In verse 48 Jesus speaks to a woman who touched the edge of His garment to be healed.  Jesus could have moved on and only He and the woman would have known what had happened in her body; the complete healing she received from Him, but Jesus is a personal God who desires relationship.  Jesus calls her "daughter" (note: this is the only time Jesus calls someone daughter).  This woman had been isolated for 12 years.  Under Jewish law she was considered unclean because she had an "issue of blood".  By Jesus stopping and declaring her healed He was also declaring her clean under Jewish law; daughter...a term of family, belonging, endearment...she could now, under Jewish law, be welcomed back in to her town; but also, and much more significant, was that she was welcomed by faith into the family of God. 

In verse 50 Jesus says "Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well." in response to the news that a girl had passed away.  Then in verse 52 Jesus says "Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping."  the response of those in the house mourning was that they laughed at this seemingly absurd comment.  This laughing brings to mind Sarai's reaction when she is told that she and Abram are going to have a baby in their very old age (see Genesis 18).  In both of these cases Jesus was declaring that He could bring life to the dead (in Luke it was a little girl, in Genesis it was a dead womb).  In both places we see Jesus' authority over life and death and what He has declared will happen does happen.  Nothing is impossible for Jesus!  

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 7

 Good evening.  I've mentioned before how much I enjoy using a lexicon when reading Scripture.  One reason is that terms can become so seemingly familiar to us; we hear Biblical terms and have an idea of what they mean.  I've found that so often looking up these words in the Greek give such a richer meaning to the passage.  I'll share my thoughts from Chapter 7 and then dive a bit deeper into one of the words in this passage.

Jesus is...

- the Authority (vs. 8)

- Compassionate (vs. 13)

- Son of Man (vs. 34)

- Forgiver of sins (vs. 48)

So, the term I want to look at a bit closer is the word used for forgiven in verse 48. The Greek word is aphiémi meaning "send away, let go, release, remit, forgive, leave alone, permit to depart".  Earlier in the chapter we are reminded that Jesus has authority over all (vs. 8) and here He shows that authority by forgiving sins.  "Jesus forgives our sins" can become a common phrase but that forgiveness isn't some far off thing; the forgiveness Jesus offers, sends away those sins by His authority, He remits the debt we have accrued due to those sins and makes it so that the sins must leave us alone.  We do NOT have to let those sins back in; we do NOT have to be bound by the shame of those sins, we do NOT have to live in the past.   Here are a couple other verses that talk about the completeness of God's forgiveness..

Psalm 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us." and 

1 John 1:9  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 

As we celebrate this advent season may we be more aware of the gift that Jesus has given us through the forgiveness of our sins; for salvation, and also for the countless times we sin even as believers.  May we be quick to confess and repent of our sins and always be humbled and grateful for the gift of forgiveness. 

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 6

 Good evening.  Here are a few thoughts from Chapter 6. 

Jesus is...

- Son of Man (vs. 5)  *see note below

- Lord of the Sabbath (vs. 5) **see note below

- Prayerful.  Jesus prayed all night before choosing the 12 apostles. (vs. 12-13)

- Merciful (vs. 36)

- A Firm Foundation (vs. 46-48)

*the title "Son of Man" that Jesus uses for himself here and in Luke 5:24 is a reference to Daniel 7; specifically verses 13-14.  "I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.  And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed."  For further reading compare this passage with Philippians 2; specifically verses 10-11.  Also be on the lookout for when Jesus uses this title about Himself.  Fun fact: Jesus refers to Himself as the Son of Man more than 70 times.  

**the word used for Lord in verse 5 is the Greek word kurios according to Strong's Lexicon this title means someone with "absolute ownership rights"

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 5

 Good evening.  This weekend has been filled with Christmas preparations.  As I mentioned yesterday, we got our tree and started decorating the house.  Today we finished decorating the inside of the house and decorated the tree.  Yesterday we also did some baking and made gingerbread cookies.  It's definitely Christmastime when my grandmother's sifter and cookie cutters come out. I thought I'd share a couple fun pictures today and then dive into some observations from Luke Chapter 5. 

Do you have any special recipes that you like to bake with your family?

So fun...and now some thoughts on Luke chapter 5:

Jesus is....

- Our bountiful supplier (vs. 4-8)

- Not bound by the laws of nature - He commands nature (vs. 4-8)

- Worth leaving the things of this world to follow Him **Jesus is better** (vs. 11, 28)

- Jesus prioritizes prayer (vs. 16)

- Healer (vs. 17)

- Forgiver of sins (vs. 20)

- Son of Man with authority to forgive sins (vs. 24)

- Minister to the "greatest" sinners, those seen as "more" sinful by society; He eats with them. (vs. 29-30)

- The Bridegroom (vs. 34) *See Paul's letters for more on the church being the bride of Christ. 

What caught your eye in this chapter?  

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 4

 Getting this up very late (but it's still the 4th!) as we were busy today getting our Christmas tree and doing some decorating and baking. Here are the thoughts I jotted down for chapter 4.

Jesus is...

- Full of the Holy Spirit (vs. 1)

- Led by the Holy Spirit (vs. 1)

- Fully human like us; He was hungry (vs. 2)

- Fully knows the Scriptures (vs. 4, 8, & 12)

- Has the power of the Holy Spirit (vs. 14)

- Teacher (vs. 15)

- Raised in Nazareth (vs. 16)

- The fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 61 (vs. 18-21)

- Gracious/Has gracious speech (vs. 22)

- Holy One of God (vs. 24)

- Able to cast out demons/Authority and power over unclean spirits (vs. 35-36)

- Healer (vs. 39-40) *His healing is immediate and complete; notice Simon's mother-in-law immediately got up and prepared a meal. 

- Sent with a purpose; to spread the Good News (vs. 43)

What were your thoughts and/or things you were struck by in this chapter?

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 3

 Good afternoon!  Chapter 3 spoke about the beginning of John the Baptist's ministry and how he was the fulfillment of the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3-5 (quoted in Luke 3:4-6).  Here are a few things we are told about Jesus in this chapter.

Jesus is...

- Mighty (vs 16)

- Greater than John the Baptist (vs. 16)

- Beloved Son of God (vs.22)

- Jesus was "about thirty years of age" when He began His ministry (vs. 23)

- Jesus is from the tribe of Judah (vs. 33) (For further reading on this see Genesis 49:8-12)

Compare John's statement in verse 16 with the proclamation about Jesus in Revelation 5.  Only Jesus is worthy!

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 2

 Good Evening!  Luke 2 is probably the most "famous" passage in Luke; growing up we had a tradition of reciting the first 20 verses before we opened gifts.  We still do this when we celebrate Christmas with my parents & siblings. So, what do we learn about Jesus in this chapter?

Jesus is...

- From the lineage of David (vs.4-5) 

- Jesus is the firstborn (vs. 7)

- Savior (vs. 11)

- Christ the Lord (vs. 11)

- The Lord's Christ (God's anointed one) (vs. 26)

- The answer to the promise of God to Simeon (vs. 26)

- Jesus is our Salvation (vs. 30)

- Light for revelation to the Gentiles (vs. 32)

- Glory to Israel (vs. 32)

- Filled with wisdom (vs. 40)

- Favor of God was on Him (vs. 40)

- Submissive to his parents (vs. 51)

Jesus grew in wisdom (mentally), stature (physically), in favor with God (spiritually), and man (socially) (vs. 52)

Gospel of Luke: Advent - Chapter 1

 Today is our first day journeying through the Gospel of Luke; where we take time each day to read a chapter and focus on what Luke says about Jesus.  I'm also hoping to share a recipe, song or photo in some of these posts that are also related to Christmas.  But first; here are some truths found in Luke 1 about Who this Jesus is...

Jesus is: 

- Son of the Most High (vs. 32)
- Ruler of Israel forever, from the line of David (vs. 33)
- Son of God (vs. 35)
- Holy (vs. 35)

(the following are from Mary's song of praise: The Magnificat in verses 46-55)

- Mighty
- Holy
- Merciful
- Strong
- Brings down the mighty and exalts the humble
- Fills the hungry
- Helps His servants
- Remembers His promises (faithful & trustworthy)

(these next ones are from Zachariah's prophecy in verses 56-79)

- The One who fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies 
- Savior
- Redeemer
- Forgiver of sins
- Light to those in darkness
- Guide
- Source of peace

One other amazing fact is that the very first person recorded as rejoicing that Jesus came to us was an unborn child; John the Baptist (vs. 41), his joy-filled leaps are recorded before either his mother or Mary's rejoicing is recorded. 

What truths did you find? Were there any that were particularly meaningful for where you are right now? 

Last Tuesday Tunes (for now) & a Special Invitation

 Good afternoon!  As God so often does; He brought together a few things for this post.  There is still so much "hard" stuff going on.  Many are grieving the loss of loved ones, others are praying for ill friends and family,  some are dealing with loneliness and isolation, others are wrestling with things God has showed them during this hard time and feeling the "growing pains" of those truths,  while others are trying to navigate a place where even once close friends find it hard to know what is "safe" to discuss or how to be sensitive to the comfort levels of others.  It's a lot and can leave us feeling powerless to what is going on around us.  But Praise God, as believers, we are not left to try and navigate this time in our own power. 

I'm currently reading through Tony Evans' book God Himself: A Journey Through His Attributes; Part of this week's reading focused on God's Omnipotence; meaning that He is all-powerful.  The following quotes and Scripture referenced were great reminders:

"We have problems with the power of God because we keep Him in our environment.  
We try to limit Him to what we know on earth, so we just know that He can't do this or that.  
But God lives in a realm far beyond us, and His power operates according to vastly different rules.
God is not only unlimited in what He can do.  He is unlimited in how He gets it done." 

"If you ever forget the word omnipotent, if the word power doesn't do anything for you, just
do what the writers of the Bible did.  They reached back to an old phrase and simply said, "He's
able."  If you lose all the theology of it, if you don't know how to match omnipotence with 
sovereignty, just remember this phrase: "He's able." "

Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or 
think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in 
Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

As I read that phrase I was reminded of a chorus I learned as a girl; simply titled He's Able

SPECIAL INVITATION:

Last year I took December 1st - December 24th and read a chapter of Luke each day (there are 24 chapters in the book).  As I read each chapter I jotted down what we learn about Jesus from each chapter.  It was a great way to truly focus the the wonderful gift God gave by sending His Son to be Emmanuel - God with us.  I'm planning to do this again and would LOVE for you all to join me.  Comment with what you saw in each chapter to encourage each other!  

Tuesday Tunes: Thanksgiving Edition

Last year we were having a discussion in our house about Christmas music and how there are a limited amount of songs so they tend to get overplayed.  As part of that discussion I decided to make a Thanksgiving playlist on Spotify.  So now, we have a Thanksgiving playlist for November and a Christmas playlist for December.  Since Thanksgiving is this week I thought it would be fun to share a couple songs from that playlist.  

 I love classic music and the holidays must have some Bing Crosby and Nat King Cole; so here's a classic by Bing Crosby for Thanksgiving. 

Wishing you all a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Large Families: The Comments, The Life & The Ugly

 Disclaimer: This post is NOT to whine, be rude or guilt trip anyone. A year or so ago, as I was writing a check for an activity that a few of our kids were attending, a friend commented, "wow, that's a lot.  I only have one kid"  and more recently another friend sent me an Instagram Reel of a woman acting out the reactions/comments people give when you have kids...from 1 to 6 kids.  The Reel was funny and reminded me that I'd had this post bouncing around in my brain for awhile.  As a mom of 6, I have realized that there are things that are the same as those with less kids but also things that are very different.  So, I thought I'd share some of the real-life things we've encountered over the years.  Full disclosure: there was a family that we did not invite to our wedding because they had 8 kids and we were mostly paying for the wedding ourselves...I get where I was in life then but I also cringe a bit because I know how much a nice, paid for meal could have meant for that mama...so, with the risk of being completely misunderstood (but hey, it's my blog LOL), here goes....

The Comments:

- Yes, we know "how that happens" or "what causes kids"

- Yes, we notice when we walk into a restaurant/other venue and notice you quickly count the 

kids and sigh because you think those kids will definitely misbehave. (side note: we probably 

spend more time than the average teaching our kids to be aware of their surroundings and 

not be wild in public.)

- Yes, they are all ours -- same mom and dad

- No, we are not "the Brady Bunch"

- Yes, I've been told by a complete stranger "you should probably stop after this one.  

But I suppose it's good to have them when you're young" (I was pregnant with #4 at 29 yrs old)

- Yes, I've been told by a family member "are you out of your tree??!!" when announcing 

that I was pregnant (Again with #4).

 

- Yes, I've comforted one of my daughters when she excitedly called a family member to tell them 

that I was pregnant again and the family member just laughed at her and my hurt daughter couldn't 

understand why they laughed and weren't excited. (side note: after this we made sure to be in a 

public space when telling this family member so they would temper their reactions)

- Yes, we have our hands full, but our home and hearts are also SO full.

 

- We get very excited when someone finds out we have 6 kiddos and responds with "oh, cool!  

I'm one of 6/7/8, etc...you don't hear about large families a lot these days"

- No, we are not Catholic...Yes, we do believe in birth control.

The Life: 

- There is always someone to play with, chat with,  etc.

- You learn to just let things go.  Nothing will ever be perfect; you learn to embrace some chaos.

- Parents of many kids are not some special variety, we question decisions, we doubt, 

we pray...A LOT!

- We talk a lot around other adults because we get excited to have other adults to talk with!

- We get really good at stretching expensive ingredients (i.e. meat)...repeat after me...

"soup is your friend"

- You can relate to pretty much all your parent friends because you most likely 

have a kid in the same stage.  Preschool - check; Elementary School - Check; 

Middle School - Check; High School - Check

- When going through a difficult stage with a child; it's best to NOT focus 

on the fact that you will have to go through this stage X more times.

- Holidays are AWESOME!  You appreciate the importance of family! I recently had 

one of my older kids  say "mom, it's gonna be so awesome and BIG when, 

someday, we all have holidays together with all our families. Since there's six 

of us and you & dad we could have a whole week where we go to each other's

houses!"  I pray she never loses that love of family!

The "Ugly": 

- We are often lonely in this place. (see "the life" regarding adult conversation)

- We rarely get invited to other people's houses.  I get it, we're a lot.

- When you write that check for your one kid...multiply that amount...yep, it's expensive.  

God has richly  blessed us and we are fortunate to be able to make our money "work" 

for us...yay CC points! But it still, often takes some creative budgeting.

- There will rarely be a time when everyone is "okay"...praise God for His strength 

and faithfulness that sustains us.

We are blessed to have a wonderful family and church who support us, love us, and 

pour into our kiddos.  While much of what I wrote is the same for smaller 

families; there are unique challenges and blessings to having a "larger than 

normal" family.  Yes, we chose this life and are grateful for it but it doesn't 

mean that there aren't challenges unique to this life.  My prayer is that by sharing 

a bit of insight you will better be  able to minister to and understand the 

larger families in your circle.  Yes, each family is unique....but hey

after all, it is my blog. 😀

Tuesday Tunes (Yes, I know it's Wednesday)

Yesterday was very busy so I didn't have a chance to get this post up.  I'm still calling it Tuesday Tunes because I like the alliteration.  Today I'm sharing a song that reminds us that God is still the Ancient of Days and HE is the King reigning over ALL.  

None above Him, none before Him
All of time in His hands
For His throne it shall remain and ever stand
All the power, all the glory
I will trust in His name
For my God is, the Ancient of Days

Praying for the prodigals (and parents)

 The other day a friend said to me "[your kid] is such a good kid, you've done a great job with [them]."  I said thank you but a part of me cringed a bit.  When we have kids we think that's what we want to hear; it's encouraging and I know that that is exactly what my friend was doing; encouraging me, and I so appreciate that, we need that. But yeah, I did cringe a bit and I want to share why that type of encouragement is harder for me to hear lately. (this friend is awesome and super encouraging so this is not to disparage her comment in any way; it was just a reminder of some things I've had rolling around in my head for awhile). 

So much of parenting is trying to do the right thing.  We are told there are no formulas, but yet we still think if we just do x, y, z, then our kids will come out great; they'll stay on the straight and narrow.  There are Scriptures that encourage us to train up our children in the "discipline and instruction of the Lord" (Ephesians 6:4) or the verse that so many quote, to "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6).  It's essential that we as parents are teaching and training our children in the ways of God; but is that a guarantee?  Is Proverbs 22:6 a principle or a promise?  We could debate those things but here's something that is crystal clear....our children are unique humans with their own free will; while there is much that we can control, ultimately there are decisions and choices they will make that we have no control over.  If we think anything different we head down the path of pride.

Let me say, that I have been guilty of this; of judging parents based on how their teens & young adult children choose to live...and yes, I've been humbled as my own kids move through the teen years.  Yes, we do as parents have influence on our kids and we should absolutely be striving to do our best to teach them, not only that they should follow Jesus but also why following Jesus is the best way.  But there is no formula.  We can pray, teach, discipline, surround our kids with others who love Jesus and they can still fall away.  And all too often when that happens we, even as believers, tut-tut our tongues and say "well, what did the parent's do wrong?".  We become prideful and think "if they only did this or that then their kid wouldn't have walked away".  Do you not think that the parents are asking themselves those same questions?  What could we have done? What did we miss?  It's so easy to say "wow, great job" when the kids meet our expectations of how they should act or think but when they don't "fall into line" we can immediately think "wow, what did you as a parent do wrong?"  As parents we constantly second guess if we're making the right decisions; we pray, seek to follow God's Word and do our best. 

The other aspect of this is that when we see the kids struggling with faith we often pull away; after all we don't want our kids being influenced by them.  What is wrong with that family? So what ends up happening is the family is further isolated and feels deeper shame, the struggling child is pushed away and no longer even tries to ask questions or engage in church, etc.  They feel the judgement too.  So, when you see a family, or anyone struggling or being a bit prickly why not lean in to build a closer relationship rather than stepping away?  Those parents need to hear that even when their children make wrong choices that the parents are still doing a great job when they pray, continue to teach and still reach out to others.  They need encouragement too!

As parents we need others to speak truth to our kids.  Especially for teens, they need to hear from people who aren't mom & dad.  They are trying to figure out who they are; and how their faith is theirs.  Some of us have raised our kids up in church, Christian homes, some in Christian school, some home schooled, some in public schools all raised with the Gospel.  These kids have made professions of faith and yet when they got older they walked away.  Some of us have kids right now that are struggling with their faith, figuring out what they believe, why the Bible is true.  As they get older and aren't really kids anymore it's natural to struggle with these questions; how are we as believers coming alongside them in this?  Are we?  Answers like, "it's just faith, you just have to believe" often aren't sufficient; are we teaching them apologetics; the logical reasons?  Why our faith is not a "blind" faith?  What evidences there are all around us that reveal God?  How we practically live out our faith? As our own kids move through the teen years it's been eye opening to see how their thinking changes; they need those deeper discussions and answers; and often they need to hear those answers from others...not just mom & dad. 

When my friend made that comment, what she didn't know is that the kid she was complimenting came to faith later in their childhood.  A lot of prayer and tears were said and shed for them and the hardest lesson I learned was that I had no control over whether they ever came to faith; what if I prayed the rest of my life and never saw that child accept Jesus?  We are told that "neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth." (1 Corinthians 3:6)  We are to be faithful to do our part but only God can change hearts.  I praise God that they did accept Jesus as Savior and one of the sweetest gifts ever was having that child allow me to read their testimony they had written out and seeing specific ways God answered my prayers and worked in their heart to bring them to Him.  God is "not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) but each of us has to make that personal decision; it's not one we as parents can ever make for our kids.  I remember hearing someone say "Adam and Eve had the perfect parent and they sinned and walked away"  We need to remember this and stop judging other parents so harshly, we need to pray for and with each other.  We need to pray that God will honor those prayers and that the "prodigal" children will listen to the Holy Spirit and turn back.

One final thought: If you are a parent of a "prodigal" child who accepted Jesus and has now walked away; know that Jesus has not let go.  Jesus says in John 10: 28-29 "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.  My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand."  I'm praying for this generation and their parents.  That those who have walked away will turn back to God and He will do mighty things through them!  

Tuesday Tunes

 Yay, two weeks in a row.  Getting this up late but it's still Tuesday. What a beautiful day it was today.  The weather was a bit warmer here and the sunshine and blue skies were so pretty.  

 Today I want to share with you a beautiful medley that I recently heard.  After listening I'd encourage you to read through a few passages to reflect on the truths mentioned in this song: 

Genesis 1
John 1:1-18
Romans 1:1-20
Colossians 1:15-20
Philippians 2:1-11

"Do you want to be healed?"

 

I'm going to start this post with a bit of a disclaimer; I typically do not like Christian movies.  I find that most of them make a caricature of Jesus and the Bible and do not present Jesus as someone that people would be drawn to.  Having said that; I have enjoyed the series The Chosen.   

The above scene is from Season 2 and the full episode can be watched on Youtube.  The Scripture it follows is John 5:1-17, when Jesus heals a man at the pool of Bethesda.  Jesus first asks the man "Do you want to be healed? (vs 6).  We may see this as an odd question and think "of course he wants to be healed, who wants to be a cripple?"  but here's the thing; Jesus knows us, He knew this man.  We can become so stuck in the things that cripple us that they become our identity.  Our sins and limitations become how we define our lives; and we find a false sense of comfort in that. The familiar, no matter how messed up, can become comfortable because it is easier to stay stuck in what we know than to face what we never have before.  Did this man want to be healed?  It would change his life, he wouldn't be languishing by a pool all day and would have new responsibilities.  Jesus was also offering this man spiritual healing; He was "knocking" on this man's heart (Revelation 3:20) and was asking to be invited in; to enter into relationship with this man as his Savior and THAT healing would change everything!

I was so touched by this episode because it made me think.  Am I placing my trust in things that can never bring healing? Change? Hope?  Am I stuck defining myself by my own limitations and sinful habits rather than making the tough choice to truly let Jesus change me to follow His purposes for me?  All throughout His life Jesus kept teaching that the only thing that we need is to keep our focus on Him.  HE is all we need and HE is the only One who can bring true hope and healing.  

So, "Do you want to be healed?" If you haven't already, are you willing to open the door of your heart to Jesus and let Him heal all the broken parts of your life?  To be your Savior?  To bring hope to places where you are feeling hopeless?  I pray you will.  

Tuesday Tunes

I'm going to try something different for this month.  If you've read much of this blog then you've probably noticed that I love music.  In conversations I typically have a song pop into my head about whatever we might be discussing.  Music just speaks to my soul and I'm so thankful for the gift of music.  

One criticism that I often hear about newer Christian music is that it's mostly focused on what we get from God rather than on Who God is and worshipping Him.  I get that, it's great to share testimonies of how our lives have been impacted by God but it's also important to share Who this awesome God is and why He is so worthy of our praise, worship, honor and adoration.  So, as we enter into this month where we are focused more on Thanksgiving I want to share some songs focusing on Who God is to help focus our minds on why we should be so grateful for not only all He has done for us but grateful for Him.

Two Fall Favorites

Well, it hasn't felt much like fall around here, with temperatures in the 70's most days. I took this picture of our rose bush yesterday; lots of buds and flowers.    

Even with the warmer weather we've still been enjoying some of our favorite fall recipes. Since we have one kiddo allergic to anything apple, I have to make sure there's an option for her whenever I bake something apple; so these two recipes tend to get made on the same day.   I'm horrible at labeling blog posts so I may have shared these recipes before but here they are again.  

Pumpkin Pie Squares: 
(adapted from this recipe)

3/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C rolled oats
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/2 C butter, softened
2 C pumpkin puree
1 (12oz) can evaporated milk
2 Eggs
1/2 C sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 C chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)
1/3 C packed brown sugar
2 TB butter, softened
1/2 C oats

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray or Grease a 9x13 pan.

Mix together the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar and butter. Press into pan, bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

In large bowl or blender, blend together pumpkin, evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, salt and spices.  Pour custard over baked crust; bake for 30 minutes or until firm.

While custard is baking, mix together the chopped nuts, brown sugar, butter and oats.  Sprinkle topping on custard and bake additional 15 minutes.  Cool and cut into squares.  To serve, top with whipped cream if desired.  

Straight from the Orchard Apple Cake:
(adapted from this recipe)

2 eggs
2 C sugar
1/2 C oil
1 tsp vanilla
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
4 cups apples, peeled and diced
1 C oats

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 9x13 pan.  
Beat the eggs, gradually add sugar, oil and vanilla.  
Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices then add to egg mixture; stirring well.
Stir in apples and oats.
Spread evenly into pan
Bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

A couple notes about this recipe.  First, the ingredient proportions will seem way off; like there's not enough batter for that amount of apples but there is.  Second, I recommend mixing this all by hand; it just seems to come out better for me when I do it by hand.  Lastly, the original recipe calls for a frosting but honestly, I think it would mess up the cake, it is already plenty sweet.  When baked this has a crusty top which is our favorite part, it gives a nice contrast to the soft, appley inside.  You can see a bit of what I mean about the topping in this picture, 

Fun & Frugal

 

Pictures taken at a reservation near our house

Good morning!  The pictures above are some I took last week on a walk near our house.  It was a bit cloudy so the colors don't show up well but it was such a pretty walk (and free entertainment & exercise)!

So today I wanted to do a quick post to share a couple tips.  With inflation rising and the cost of items going up and up; especially groceries!  I thought I would share a couple quick tips that we have found helpful to save some money.  Here are a "top 5" of how we save on groceries and clothing:

1) Buy & Freeze - Buying off the discount rack is a great way to stock up on items.  I always check discounted bagels & breads that are too pricey to buy normally.  I throw them in the freezer so they stay as fresh as possible.  Last week I was able to buy 5 loaves of cinnamon swirl french toast bread for $1.68 each!  I also check the dry goods discount rack and often find great deals on pasta and other items there. 

2) Rotisserie Chickens - I have found that these are cheaper than buying a raw whole chicken.  Even cheaper is to look for the cold chickens that didn't sell (at our store these are listed as "cold chicken parts")  I bring them home, debone/skin them, shred and place in quart freezer bags.  These are great for quick meals.  The price on the cold ones used to be just under $3/chicken but last week I noticed they had gone up a bit but still cheaper than buying any other way.  Another meat tip: It's almost always cheaper to buy and cut yourself.  We'll buy a large pork loin roast and cut it into smaller roasts or chops ourselves to save the difference in price. 

3) Make it homemade - If you have time, this is obviously one of the biggest ways to save money.  I make our regular sandwich bread each week.  Muffins, quick breads, etc are all quick easy snacks to make homemade.  I also make a large batch of granola every couple of weeks; since granola is so versatile you can tailor the ingredients to your budget.  

4) Learn to DIY - This is similar to #3 but making something or fixing something yourself is not only frugal but also very rewarding.  There are Youtube videos for pretty much anything you want to learn.  

5) Thrifting - I joke with my oldest daughter that we were into thrifting before it was cool. :D  Whenever my kids need clothes or I'm looking for something for the house the first place I like to check is Savers.  Savers is similar to a Goodwill but I've had better luck at Savers so that is my "go-to" place.  

Bonus: If you have the time and space consider planting a garden. It doesn't have to be big.  Some things that produce a lot in a small space are green beans, tomatoes and hot peppers.  

A few words on Peace

Double rainbow in South Dakota; taken on our 10yr anniversary trip

You slide into a comfy chair with your favorite book, all is quiet, your loved ones are in good places physically, spiritually and mentally and you feel that sense of peace.  But the thing is; it doesn't last long.  You hear your toddler yell "mama" from the other room, your teen comes and shares some tough stuff they are dealing with and you feel the tension rise again.  We all long for peace, yet it can seem so illusive; especially in the times we are living now.  See, lately I've been fighting for some peace.  I'm an introvert who loves routine and not much about our lives lately has been routine.  With two kids working, school schedules, a family member needing a medical procedure (that is looking like it might be delayed for a second time); it all just feels yucky and unsettled. 

I mentioned in my last post that I had gone away for a ladies retreat a few weeks ago.  One of the things God impressed on my heart was that I have been looking around a whole lot more than I have been looking up.  I love to read, I usually have at least two books at a time that I'm reading (as well as my daily Bible reading).  Reading is something that I have always loved.  Usually, my books are a nonfiction memoir and a Christian study book.  There are so many wonderful books, but here's the thing.  Many of those books are testimony books.  They share how God stepped into the life of the author and taught them a lesson.  The author is sharing about a time or mess that God brought them through.  These books are awesome and great to read; however, sometimes we need more.  In these testimonies we are still looking around; around at how God has worked in lives and while we can learn a lot from that, the authority and focus we truly need can only be found by studying Scripture.  I'm always thankful when I find out one of these books come with a study guide that digs into the Scripture; that is where true transformation, growth and peace is found.  

This year in our Mom's Night Out group at church we are reading through the book Jesus Over Everything by Lisa Whittle.  I read this book last summer on my own and it was powerful.  This time I decided to go a bit further since I had already read the book and grabbed the study guide as well (this goes with a DVD series but I'm just using it a bit different without the DVD's).  At the end of each day she has you read a passage of Scripture and dig deeper by looking up a key word in a concordance to learn more about what the passage is saying. (I'm going to digress a bit here to say that my favorite Bible study tool is actually a Lexicon.  I love that you can look at the original Greek and see what the word means there; it often gives a much fuller understanding and that is just what happened the other day.)

One of the passages that Lisa had us look at was Philippians 4:4-9 and in particular the word peace.  In the Greek, the word used for peace in this passage is εἰρήνη (eirēnē); the meanings listed are: "one, peace, quietness, rest".  The definition "one" caught my attention; further down in the definition it fleshes this out a bit more as meaning, "wholeness, when all essential parts are joined together".  You see, we can only have true peace when we are one with Christ, He is the essential part we need to be joined to, in order to be truly whole.  Our focus should be on striving for oneness with Christ no matter what the circumstance.  When we focus on Christ and put Him as our priority (as Lisa says "Jesus Over Everything") then we find peace that will last.  We look up rather than around.  Another verse that uses this same Greek word for peace is Romans 15:13 and it is my prayer for you today "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace [rest, quietness, wholeness] in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope."