Monthly Archives: January 2012
BIG WORD: 1 Samuel 1–3
As a parent, do you ever wonder how much of your kids’ behavior is actually your fault? The question reaches wide because the answer changes with your child’s age. At some point, we have to let them make their own decisions, but even then — Is it our fault if they make the wrong decisions? Where is the delineation of responsibility?
The first three chapters of First Samuel offer two striking cases that, when juxtaposed, address this very issue. There we read about Hannah, the mother of Samuel, who showed tremendous faith and confidence in God. Not only did she trust Him to overcome her infertility, she faithfully surrendered her son back to Him. Her great faith in and faithfulness to God are contrasted with Eli’s passive approach to parenting and his less worthy sons.
This was just one part of our discussion last night at our Big Word Bible Study. To truly dive into this section of Scripture, hop over to the Big Word tab and download our homework notes.
If you’re already following along, here are a few things we talked about last night that weren’t included in the homework. Read the rest of this entry
The Shadow of Your Smile (and a giveaway!)
Susan May Warren is the contemporary author I recommend most and most freely. Every one one of her books not only entertains, but also inspires me to investigate myself. My husband teases me about underlining text in novels. I do! But it’s because I learn something about God and something about myself in every single one of her books. I don’t want to forget those lessons. She is a tremendous writer, a beautiful tool used by God.
Her latest book, The Shadow of Your Smile, is another in the Deep Haven series. (I believe this is the fifth.) As always, she features new characters far enough removed from the last that you feel still the cozy familiarity of a series, but without redundancy or direct tie-ins. Each book can stand on its own. This series can be read out of order.
About the book:
After twenty-five years of marriage, Noelle and Eli Hueston are contemplating divorce. They’ve been through a lot together, but instead of growing closer, they’ve gone separate ways. They both have secrets. When an accident erases part of Noelle’s memory, she wakes without any memory of Eli, their children, or the tragedy that has ripped their family apart. In fact, she believes she’s still a college co-ed, incredulous that this is her body, her husband, her life. Why did nothing turn out like she dreamed? As she tries to regain her memory and slowly steps into her role as a wife and mother, Eli helps her readjust to daily life with sometimes-funny, sometimes-heartwarming results. But can she fall in love again with a man she can’t remember? Read the rest of this entry
You don’t have time to read the Bible.
Don’t have time to read your Bible? Yeah, me neither … ALL IN ONE SITTING! But it’s important. Like, crazy life-changing important. That’s why we MAKE time to read it.
I know it’s intimidating and we all have excuses. Think about it. How books have you read that exceed 1000 pages? Personally, I can’t think of a single one. In fact, this is the very reason I’ve yet to finish Bonhoeffer’s biography. I simply can’t wrap my mind around the task. I can, however, think of several series that I’ve complete which, if all the pages are totaled, well surpass that size.
Let’s see … there were the Baxter books (beginning with the Redemption Series) by Karen Kingsbury. Each book was around 275 pages; multiply that times 15 books … yup. I could have read the Bible front to back THREE times in the hours I spent immersing myself in that family’s melodrama. Then, of course, I read Alex Haley’s Roots at least four times. That plus the two sequels … Yup. There’s another three or four times. The Mark of Lion series by Francine Rivers. Those were amazing books! Read each of them at least four times.
Maybe we just need to break this huge task into more manageable pieces. Don’t look at it like War and Peace. It’s simply 66 little books, many of which can be completed in just a few minutes. For example, while waiting for the bus. Or waiting for the next step while cooking dinner. Or waiting for your doctor appointment. Or waiting for the kids to finish their piano lessons. We do a lot of waiting, don’t we?
I wonder, if we picked up the Bible instead of Angry Birds or that silly waiting room magazine, how far we would get this year?
Your turn: When and where do you like to read the Bible?
Like this:
The Attack on Whining (a.k.a. Wishful Thinking)
Don’t even pretend your kids don’t whine. (Or your co-workers or your siblings.)
I used to think this was an isolated issue and that if I just found the right trick, the correct combination of tactics, we could win the battle. This may eventually be true, but I’ve seen too many other exasperated parents fighting the same war to believe I’ve got the corner on anything.
Worse: I’ve seen too many adults on the other side of the battlefield. They’re whining now, too. (Or is it still?)
We’ve tried lots of tactics: taking toys away, giving more chores, claiming we can’t understand them (which is usually true, though sometimes exaggerated) or that the sound makes our ears hurt (which is always true, though the damage is more severe to our nerves). We’ve tried logic and reverse psychology. We’ve alternately agreed with their miserable plights (sarcastically, of course) and sought to show them the error of their perspectives. We’ve even made them quote combat Scripture (You know the ones that speak directly to the problem in the face of the problem.). It all works to varying degrees, though never for very long.
Lately I’ve tried a new approach: wishful thinking. When my kids complain about something in that nails-on-a-chalkboard whine, I respond with what I wish they would say instead. Read the rest of this entry
Two Weeks In
This morning I received an email that claimed to offer “You won’t find this information any place else!” What were they toting? Great ways to help you break those “pesky” New Years Resolutions. “It’s never been easier!”
Lose weight? Here are some coupons for your favorite high-cal restaurants!
Spend more time with family? Have a discount to your local spa for some me-time!
Travel more? Check out these great things to do right in your home town!!
Kinda creative marketing, actually.
So, how are you doing with those new goals? More specifically, how are you doing with your Bible reading?
On Monday I posted some great tips for choosing the right Bible reading plan and where to find them. If you missed it and are still deciding what to do, go back and check it out.
At only two weeks in, it’s not too late to get started. For that matter, you can start in July! It doesn’t matter when, how or where you start reading the Bible, JUST DO IT.
As for me, I’m on Day 15 which, according to the calendar puts me ahead, but according to when I started it, I’m a day behind. It’s nice to have a little grace built in.
YOUR TURN: Which reading plan have you chosen? How are you doing with it?
Introduction to First Samuel
This is the first in a new online Bible study hosted right here at In the Dailies. Now through May we’ll spend every other Thursday (and maybe a few other days here and there) diving into the book of First Samuel. This follows right on the heels of our study last fall of the book of Judges. At the bottom of this post you can download homework to prepare for our next discussion. If you plan to participate, please let us know in the comments section!
The book of Judges spanned approximately 350 years of history for ancient Israel. The Bible records 11 judges during that time. These people (10 men and 1 woman) served as military leaders and catalysts for revival among God’s people. Unfortunately, upon the death of each judge (and even during the lives of some), a downward spiral continued of cultural and moral decay.
Throughout all of this we witness God’s persistence in pursuing those He loves. Regardless of how many times the Israelites turned to false gods and engaged in hedonistic lifestyles, God never stopped trying to redeem them. He was incredibly forgiving and ceaselessly faithful. Even in the face of their brazen unfaithfulness.
So what happened next?
Samuel, whom we will soon meet, was the last of the judges. He was not only a judge, but also a prophet and a priest. Some call him “The Kingmaker”, but that sounds too much like a make-up clad wrestling star to me. Samuel was the last judge because God used him to select and anoint the first two kings of Israel: Saul and David. Read the rest of this entry
Finding the Right Bible Reading Plan
My high school youth group used the Word of Life program. (Some of you may be familiar with it, the associated WOL Bible Institute or the summer camp in Schroon Lake, NY.) The program employs a wonderful format called DIA — Discipleship In Action. It encourages one-on-one work between leaders and teens, but it also utilizes a system to establish daily “quiet times” or devotions. It’s a great habit-builder … that is, until you graduate from the program.
You see, the program uses (or at least it did twenty years ago when I was teenager) workbooks with specific readings, questions, applications and prayer prompts. I became quite dependant on those workbooks and felt pretty lost when I no longer had them. I knew how to follow the book, but I hadn’t a clue how to study the Bible on my own.
Even in Bible college I had specific assignments and directions to follow for my “personal” pursuit of God. The problem comes when all these guidelines disappear. How do grown-ups maintain consistent times with God? Read the rest of this entry
Celebrating Epiphany
My kids greeted breakfast with loud proclamations of “Happy Three Kings Day!” Today, January 6th, is Epiphany (or Three Kings Day). It is traditionally the day of celebrating the arrival of the wise men, but many churches combine that with a celebration of Jesus’ baptism.
Most American Protestants don’t celebrate Epiphany. At least not in the way Christians do in other parts of the world or in more liturgical churches. My mother, who has been a believer since she was nineteen (I won’t share her age, but that’s a long time!) hadn’t even heard of it until this year when she and I discussed it. It’s funny because we all sing “The 12 Days of Christmas”, but few realize that, historically, the twelve days begin on December 25th and end on January 6th. We tend to start Christmas on Black Friday and close up shop on December 26th.
Our family doesn’t typically celebrate Epiphany either (though I do have a little unspoken rule that forbids the tree coming down until after January 6th), but a recent discussion on facebook has me considering the fun of doing so in the future. Here are some ideas people shared of what they do on this holiday. Read the rest of this entry
Like this:
And After the Judges Came …
We finished our in-home study of Judges before Christmas, but I never got around to posting the online part.
The night of our last study I received word that a very close family friend had gone to be with the Lord. Writing discussion highlights fell by the wayside as I booked flights and spent the weekend celebrating the life of an amazing man, one who ran the race well and beat us all to that great reunion with our Creator. That sounds quite jubilant. It was actually, as you can imagine, an exceedingly difficult weekend. That weekend tumbled into an unusual Christmas and … well, here we are in the new year and I’ve yet to finish things up!
The good news is that the workbook we used overlaps with our next study which we’ll begin soon. Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself.
The theme of Judges has been consistent. The people did what was right in their own eyes BUT God is still ceaselessly loving. He is tenacious in bringing people back to Himself even as they try to push Him away. Not because He desires to control them, but because He loves them and desperately wants what is good and best for them.
This living God is our God, and He pursues you and me in the same relentless way. Read the rest of this entry
Bloggy Rambles
Every year WordPress sends out an annual report. Here are some stats for me in 2011.
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 13,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 5 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
In 2011, there were 81 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 765 posts. There were 131 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 222mb. That’s about 3 pictures per week.
The busiest day of the year was July 24th with 260 views. The most popular post that day was Disney World: Advice for First-Timers.
You may also be interested to know my most-visited posts of the past year.
- Disney World: Advice for First-Timers
- The Newest Dennis Adventure
- When a boy breaks his leg …
- Strawberry-Peach Oatmeal Crumble
- The Perfect Gift
Interestingly, only three of those were actually written in 2011! The most frequently googled phrases that led people to my site include “book purse,” “spica cast” and “strawberry peach crumble.” Apparently, if I want more readers, we should have more family injuries and I should spend more time creating recipes. 
Mostly this tiny corner of cyberspace is where I dump my thoughts, where I process what I’m learning about God and myself through life and books. Entertaining at times, but more often cathartic for me. Yet I want it to also be a useful site — and I don’t mean just about Disney or desserts, but one that challenges you to grow deeper in love with our Creator. I want to offer something helpful for you in your journey toward knowing God. Hopefully, in spite of what the stats say, I have done that. At least a little.
So, this morning as I re-evaluated my intentions for this site, I spent far too much time browsing new web templates. After three years of looking the same, it’s feeling a little tired. I also noticed that I have employed nearly 150 different labels. Something needs to be done about that. I’ve got that familiar itch for a site overhaul. Something that reflects my theme of seeking the Lord and His presence in the dailies (Psalm 105:4).
If any of you are into web design or know someone who can do it on the cheap, I’m listening!
Thus ends my bloggy rambles for the day.
