Friday Facts - Books of the Bible

Today's Friday Fact post shares some info about the types of books that are in the Bible. Such as, historical books, poetical books, gospels and so on.


The Old Testament has 17 Historical, 5 Poetical, and 17 Prophetic books in it. These are grouped as follows:

17 Historical Books
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

5 Poetical Books
Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon,

17 Prophetic Books
Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.


The New Testament has 4 Gospels, Acts, 21 Epistles, and Revelation. Thse are grouped as shown below:

4 Gospels
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John,

21 Epistles
Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude.

Thankful Thursday

"Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28



Oh, my... how thankful I am that we can find rest in the Lord! As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I have been in great need of some rest. Not just physical rest, but a kind of mental rest, too. A time where I could just sit back and watch the world go by. A time when I could be quiet and REALLY listen to the Lord. A time when I could just "hang with the family" and not worry about the laundry piling up or the dirty dishes in the sink or so many other things that we let get in the way of truly resting.

Over the last couple of weeks the Lord has really blessed me and my family with some great time together where we could all just be together. We started out two weekends ago with a great day at the Texas State Fair followed by a Sunday morning spent with our church family and then a quiet day at home. We then took this last weekend and just left town together for a couple of days. We headed south to Austin and spent two wonderful days doing only what we felt like doing. We visited the state capital, we napped, we read books together, enjoyed some wonderful silly time and just enjoyed being together with no interruptions at all.

The Lord knew this was just what I needed to truly experience some wonderful rest and relaxation. I must say, this week I really feel better than I have in a couple of months. Not only do I feel rested in the physical sense of getting plenty of sleep, but I am also rested mentally. The stress is almost non-existent, I feel more calm, I am at peace with things that have been troubling me for awhile.

Oh, dear Lord, thank you for giving us rest!

For more Thankful Thursday visit Iris at Grace Alone...!

Word-Filled Wednesday - 1 Corinthians 3:9

For more "Word-Filled Wednesday" posts visit The 160 Acre Woods.





Picture courtesy of www.christianphotos.net

God Uses Each of Us

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberius), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near.

When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, "Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?" He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

Philip answered him, "Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!"

Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up, "Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"

Jesus said, "Have the people sit down." There was plenty of grass in that place, and the men sat down, about five thousand of them. Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

John 6:1-15 The Word from the Bible New Revised Standard Version


Over the last 6 weeks or so, our pastor has been preaching about spiritual gifts and how God uses each one of us. Oh, my.... I wish each one of you could be a part of this time in our church. God is moving strongly thru our congregation and thru me... I feel each and every week.

This last week the sermon was based on the passage of scripture above. I must admit that at first I was a bit puzzled. However, I quickly began following and our pastor opened my eyes to view this very familiar story in a whole new way.

You see, I had always read this story and thought of it as one of Jesus' many miracle-performing times. I looked at what Jesus did in the feeding of the 5000. And, while that is VERY important part of this story, there is another person that is just as important.

Have you ever thought about the little boy that gave up his two small fish and five loaves of bread? Have you ever thought "What if that little boy had not been there?" or "What if that little boy would not have given Jesus his fish and loaves of bread?" What would have happened? We don't know. But, I can tell you this -- Jesus would not have fed five thousand people on two fish and five loaves of bread. There may have been a miracle that day, but it would not have been the miracle in this story that showed five thousand persons how Jesus can feed us all and would not be the story that still speaks such a powerful message to us today.

Of course, this leads me to think, "How does God use me?" and "Have I withheld something that kept God from moving in a particular circumstance?" Unfortunately, I'm afraid the answer to that last question is Yes. I have not followed every time I felt God leading in a particular direction. Sad, but true.

As I've thought through all of this over the last week or so I have found that my way of thinking is starting to change. I'm finding that I am looking more openly at the events of my days and looking for the doors the Lord may be opening along the way. I'm noticing more the people around me and seeing ways in which I may be able to help them... even if is just opening a door for someone when their hands are full or allowing someone to move in front of me in traffic.

I am so thankful that God made sure I was in this particular service. It has spoken so very strongly to me and I have a feeling that it will for some time to come. I don't want to be a hindrance to God in any way. I want to fling the doors wide open and be a vessel for Him wherever He may lead!

3 John 1:13-14

"I had many things to write to you, but I am not willing to write them to you with pen and ink; but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall speak face to face. Peace be to you. The friends greet you. Greet the friends by name." 3 John 1:13-14

These are the last two verses in the book of 3 John. John's closing comments to the church to which he was writing in this letter.

In sharing these verses, I want to share directly from one of the commentaries that I use when studying scripture, Enduring Word. I cannot think of a better way to express my own thoughts outside of what they have written here.

On the phrase The friends greet you -- "In addition to a familiar blessing of peace upon Gaius, John also reminded him (and us) of the common ties of Christians - even if they are separated by miles, they are still friends in Jesus, and appropriately they should greet one another."

On the phrase Peace to you --- "This is a letter about contention and conflict; yet John appropriately ends the letter with a desire and expectation for peace. As Christians, we can and should have a sense of peace even in the midst of difficult times. Christians have the resources in Jesus Christ to have peace even in unsettled times."

How comforting these words are for the time in which we are living. Not only should we desire peace, but we should EXPECT peace. As Christians, we can KNOW there will always be peace as followers of Christ. Even in the midst of many difficulties there will always be peace. And, if that wasn't enough, we can also know that we ALWAYS have Christian brothers and sisters that are praying for us, supporting us, and seeking Christ right along with us.

Oh, how thankful I am for the peace I find daily in Christ. What comfort that brings to me as I walk this road on which I travel each day.

Thank you, Lord, for your peace and the comfort it provides each and every day!

The "Five Tag" Meme

Last week Laurie Ann and Debra tagged me for this fun meme that is all about 5's. Groups of 5, that is. This was fun and, on several, really made me think. For example, what in the world WAS I doing 10 years ago?? Still a bit of a mystery if I must be honest. :)

Anyhoo.. here's my "Five Tag" answers.......

10 Years Ago :

It was just hubby and I…. no kiddos yet.

We were just returning from a splendid 2 week vacation in Italy.

I worked as a quality assurance manager in an IT department.

Didn’t know who the Wiggles were…. Or Dora the Explorer… or Diego… or.. well, you get the picture. :)

I ‘m cheating and making this statement my 5th item… this is hard… 10 years ago was before we had kids… it’s true what they say… once you have kids you can’t remember what in the world you did before kids! :)

5 Things on Today's "To-Do" List:

Run by Office Depot
Help my son with his homework
Run a load of laundry
Respond to several emails from friends
Relax!

5 Snacks I Enjoy:

Cheese
Chips
Nuts
Pizza
Carrot Sticks (I had to get something healthy in there!) :)


5 Things I would do if I were a millionaire:

Give a large portion to my church
Something special for my extended family
Buy a cabin in the mountains
Buy books, books, and more books!
Travel


5 Places I have lived:

O’Fallon, MO
Richland, MO
Harrison, AR
Independence, MO
Highland Village, TX

5 Jobs that I have had (or still have today) :

Registrar for Fellowship of Christian Athletes – this was my summer job during college and was the BEST! I was responsible for enrollments for 3-4 of their summer camps and would travel to each of them and spend 2-3 days at each camp site. The coolest college summer job EVER! And, a truly GREAT organization!

Administrative Assistant for software documentation department

Support Rep for a large software application contracted to a government agency

Software Quality Assurance Team Member (we made sure software worked well before sending to our customers)

Business Analyst for large corporation – I provide support to our business users in their use of our system that does the company financials, warehousing, purchasing, etc.


And, now.... if you're reading this post..... consider yourself TAGGED! :)

Friday Facts - Bible Cut with a Penknife

Have you ever heard the story of how the written words of our Lord were cut with a penknife? This story can be found in the book of Jeremiah.

"So they went to the king in the court, but they had deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and they reported all the words to the king. Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it to the king as well as to all the officials who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting in the winter house in the ninth month, with a fire burning in the brazier before him. And it came about, when Jehudi had read three or four columns, the king cut it with a scribe's knife and threw it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier." Jeremiah 36:20-23


In this chapter of the book of Jeremiah the Lord has told Jeremiah to take a scroll and write His words regarding Israel, Judah and all the nations in the scroll. God then asks Jeremiah to share His words with the leaders that they all hear God's words, know God's plans and have an opportunity to turn from their evil ways. God desires to forgive them their sins.

After writing God's words on the scroll, Jeremiah asks Baruch to go into the house of the Lord and read the words on the scroll to people on a fast day (at this time Jeremiah has been restricted from this place and cannot enter). Micaiah hears God's words read from the scroll, goes to the king's house and tells of what he hears. Upon hearing what Micaiah had to say, the officials send Jehudi to Baruch telling him to bring the scroll and to come with him. Baruch goes along with him and reads from the scroll to the officials. The officials became fearful as they listened and determine they must tell the king. At the same time telling Baruch and Jeremiah that they must hide.

The passage above is the reaction the king had to God's words in the scroll. The king was not fearful. In fact, he didn't believe the words from God at all. If you continue reading thru the remainder of this 36th chapter of Jeremiah, you will see that God did call Jeremiah and Baruch to write the same words on a new scroll and go back to the king once more. This time with a warning from God about his future and the future of his descendants.

This is one of those passages of scripture that causes me ask, "Why? Why doesn't the world follow God? Why doesn't the world believe?" God gives each one of us the opportunity to read/hear His words, to know how much He love us, to see His love in action. And, still, so many still reject.

It breaks my heart, but at the same time gives me a new resolve to share His love and pray for the world in which I live. This world that so desperately needs Him.... more than many will ever know.

Thankful Thursday

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39

I think it is safe to say that life is crazy for just about everyone these days! There is always so much to do... work, church activities, school activities, family activities, volunteer opportunities, and on and on.

Just as long a list comes with all there is to worry about in this world today... the economy, the upcoming elections, negative and worldly influences, drugs, alcohol, and so many more.

Isn't it such an amazing assurance to know that no matter how busy, no matter what we encounter on a daily basis that we will ALWAYS have the love of God?! God will never leave us. God will be there to help us get thru it all. God will help us to prioritize all the "busy-ness". God will help us turn away from the negative influences. God will carry our concerns about the economy. God love us and is ALWAYS with us.

Today I am just so thankful that NOTHING can separate me from the love of God!



For more Thankful Thursday visit Iris at Grace Alone...!

Word-Filled Wednesday - Matthew 7:7

"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

For more "Word-Filled Wednesday" posts visit The 160 Acre Woods.





Picture courtesy of www.christianphotos.net

Serving God is AWESOME!

Sunday morning on the way to church we were listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's "Speechless" CD. This is a favorite of mine and my son absolutely LOVES the song "Whatever" that is on this CD. I've lost count of the number of times over the last couple of months that we've been in the car and he has requested this song. This morning was no exception... we hadn't even gotten to the end of our street before he made his request.

As the song began to play, the following conversation took place:

JOSH: "Mom, this is a really great CD, isn't it?"
ME: "Yep... one of my favorites!"
JOSH: "Aren't these all church songs?" You know, all songs about Jesus, right?"
ME: "They sure are... every one of them. This song talks about how we should always be willing to do WHATEVER God wants us to do."
JOSH: "Wow, Mom... that's pretty awesome, isn't it?!"


Yea... that IS pretty awesome, isn't it? Every one of us has the opportunity to serve God is so many ways! But, how often do we really see it as awesome?

Sure, I know I need to be willing to do whatever God wants. Sure, I know that I should be willing to do so no matter how difficult the task. But, do I really realize how truly awesome it is that God gives us the opportunity to do so very much for Him and for the furtherance of His Kingdom?

For me, personally, I must admit the answer is "No". I am willing but I don't actively think about the "awesomeness" of being able to do so. I'm thinking that if I actively DID think about it in that manner that it might completely change how I go about serving God and how I go about following His will for my life and the lives of my family. It probably wouldn't change the direction the Lord leads, but I'm guessing it would change my attitude and that I would be a more positive testimony to those around me.

As I type this post, I am making a very real and very conscious decision to regularly remind myself and thank God for the awesome opportunity He has given each one of us to serve Him and to follow His will for our lives. I'm excited to see the change it will make for me in the way I follow and seek the Lord.

In closing, below are the words to the chorus of the song "Whatever". I pray you would join me as I seek to follow the Lord's will no matter the task. In doing so, I pray that we would never fail to communicate to others how awesome it is to do all this for our Lord and Savior.

Whatever, whatever You say
Whatever, I will obey
Whatever, Lord, have Your way
'Cause You are my God, whatever

3 John 1:5-12

"Beloved, you are acting faithfully in whatever you accomplish for the brethren, and especially when they are strangers; and they bear witness to your love before the church; and you will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they went out for the sake of the Name, accepting nothing from the Gentiles. Therefore we ought to support such men, that we may be fellow workers with the truth. I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, neither does he himself receive the brethren, and he forbids those who desire to do so, and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen. God. Demetrius has received a good testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself; and we also bear witness, and you know that our witness is true." 3 John 1:5-12

I would say the central theme in the books of 1 John, 2 John and now in 3 John have been how, as believers in Christ, we should show the love of God to the world in which we live. By doing so we are being obedient to God and we are showing non-believers what an awesome God we serve. In loving others unconditionally, we show them a God that loves them unconditionally.

In the passage of scripture above, John gives us some great examples of ways to show this love and also of things that we should not do as they get in the way of loving others and of loving God.

John speaks of a man named Diotrephes. Diotrephes caused great strife in his church as he would not receive or support traveling brothers and sisters in Christ. During this time in the early church, it was a very common practice to take in traveling preachers and missionaries, so for one in the church to refuse to do this would be very distressing.

Diotrephes' problem was that he wanted to always be first. And, it's hard to be first when we are caring for and supporting the work of others, isn't it? He wanted the glory... not to give it to others by supporting those traveling and sharing the Word of Christ. In his desire to be first, he would:

~ Refuse to receive or support traveling church leaders
~ Maliciously attack those church leaders, discrediting their character and ministry
~ Forbid people in the church from receiving or supporting any church leader, except himself by implication
~ Put people out of the church if they supported these church leaders

As Christians, we should run far away from these types of actions as it is the exact opposite of what God wants of us. Instead, we should always be supporting and receiving others into our homes. We should always support with our kind words instead of spreading malicious untruths.

In the last few verses of this passage of scripture, John gives us three principles to always remember in showing Christian hospitality:

~ Do not imitate what is evil but what is good
~ Always be teachable
~ Strive for consistency in your life

It can be so difficult to show Christian love and hospitality in the world we live in today. However, we must remember that this is what God calls us to do. He knows it is hard... He knows we are criticized... He knows it "interrupts" OUR plans. But, He helps us to make it easier.... He comforts us and helps us to put aside our hurt feelings when criticized... and He always has better plans than those we had that were "interrupted".

Friday Facts - Babies and a Scarlet Thread

In the 38th book of Genesis is the story of Judah and Tamar. Tamar was the wife of Judah's son Er. Shortly after Er and Tamar were married, God took the life of Er (due to his evil ways) and Tamar was left a widow. After a period of time, Tamar went to live with her father in another town and, also during this same period of time, Judah's wife died and he was left alone. One day he went on a journey to his sheepshearer's in another part of the country and, while traveling, came upon a woman sitting outside the gateway of Enaim. When Judah saw her he thought she was a harlot and went into her home with her. In actuality, it was Tamar. Soon after their time together Tamar discovered she had conceived and was expecting twins by her father-in-law, Judah.

This is where we find this week's "Friday Fact".

When Tamar gives birth to her twins, one of the babies has a scarlet thread tied around its hand before birth. Below is the passage of scripture that gives us this unusual fact.....

"Moreover, it took place while she was giving birth, one put out a hand, and the mid-wife took and tied a scarlet thread on his hand, saying, "This one came out first." But it came about as he drew back his hand, that behold, his brother came out. Then she said, "What a breach you have made for yourself!" So he was named Perez. And after his brother came out who had the scarlet thread on his hand; and he was named Zerah." Genesis 38:28-30

I pray you have a terrific weekend filled with many, many blessings! Happy Friday!

Thankful Thursday

This week I am so thankful for quality time with my family... with my husband and with my children. The last couple of months have found us all in places and in circumstances that have left us with very little good time together as a family. I have been pre-occupied with some concerns I have over small situations, my husband has needed to be away from home quite a bit, my kids are in the midst of activities with school and friends, and then we've just had a alot of "stuff" that needed to be done.

The next two weekends it looks like we are going to get some good time together where we can all do some fun activities together and we can just have some good "us" time. I am so looking forward to this... time where we can just be together without all the daily interruptions. I'm going to push aside all my daily worries and pre-occupations, we're not going to think about work or laundry or dirty dishes or anything else. It's just going to be about being together and oh, how my mind and my heart need this time. It is ALWAYS so refreshing to me... both mentally and physically. And, as we are gearing up quickly for holidays and all the busy-ness that comes with this time of year... I am going to enjoy our time together to the fullest and "fill myself up".

I pray each of you can enjoy some of this wonderful family time over the next few weeks, as well!

Thank you, Lord, for family!


For more Thankful Thursday visit Iris at Grace Alone...!

Word-Filled Wednesday - Psalm 21:13

"Be thou exalted, O Lord, in Thy strength. We will sing and praise Thy power." Psalm 21:13

For more "Word-Filled Wednesday" posts visit The 160 Acre Woods.





Picture courtesy of www.christianphotos.net

Some Fun with Memes

I was recently tagged for one meme and then saw one on another blogging buddy's blog (oooh.. almost a tongue twister there! :) ) so thought I would make this a fun post of memes!


A few weeks ago, Laurie Ann tagged me for a meme where I need to share a random list of info about me. So, here goes……


1. In junior high and high school and I played the flute in the band.

2. I’ve never been a coffee drinker -- which is not to say that I don’t have a need for a little caffeine (or, maybe a LOT… ahem…). I just find mine elsewhere… Diet Coke. Specifically, a diet coke with lime from Sonic. I stop by there just about everyday!

3. On another musical note, I also took piano lessons for about 6 years during elementary school and into junior high.

4. I’m sure you will all either laugh or think “Wow.. that IS odd!” but I had the nickname of Mallard in college. A friend of mine just looked at me one day and called me Mallard instead of Mel or Melanie and for some odd reason, it just stuck.

5. I DO NOT like snakes. They just seem slimy and slithery to me… YUCK!

6. Growing up I always wanted to have a beautiful singing voice and be able to make records. Or, I guess today that would be CDs. I think I just dated myself a bit with records, huh? :) Anyway, I used to pretend in my bedroom that I was a famous recording star. Honestly, today I’m glad the Lord didn’t lead in that way. So much pressure in that arena. Once again, God definitely knew what He was doing when He led in other directions.

7. When I was a child and in elementary school I was reprimanded more for talking than for anything else. It seems my son is following in his mother’s footsteps…. ahem. Poor kid, I’m sure he’s wishing his mother had the trait of knowing when to keep her mouth shut and that would have been the trait I passed on to him. :)



Fun with the Letter ‘W’

Last week Tonya posted a fun meme where she assigns you a letter and then you write about 10 things you love that start with that letter. I got the letter ‘W’. A little tough, but I was up to the challenge! Stop by and see Tonya to join the fun.

1. The WOMEN in my life – my mom, my grandmothers, my sisters, my aunts, my girlfriends.

2. The WORLD WIDE WEB – where I have met so many wonderful women blogging friends.

3. WINDOWS – I love a home or any sort of building with lots of windows letting in the sunshine and the beauty of the outdoors.

4. The WORD – God’s Word.

5. WHALES - I’ve always been a bit fascinated by these large mighty creatures. However, this last year I’ve developed an even greater love for them as my daughter has discovered whales. This year over Spring Break we went to San Antonio and visited Sea World. She was completely taken in by Shamu in the killer whale show. She draws Shamu, she talks about Shamu, she becomes so excited when seeing pictures in books or on TV of killer whales. The thrill and wonderment in her eyes when she sees one is enough to keep me smiling for weeks!

6. WASHING MACHINE – I LOVE my washing machine. Although it would be cheaper and would probably be a good work out for me, I’m just not a “beat your clothes with rocks by the riverside to get them clean” kind of gal. :)

7. WATER – oooohhh….. what is more refreshing than a cold glass of water on a hot August day in Texas!

8. WEEKENDS – relaxing time with all the family home together for two whole days!

9. WHISPER – both my kids have always loved to whisper sweet words in my ears. Usually along the lines of “I love you, Mommy!”. It just melts my “mommy heart” every single time.

10. WILDFLOWERS – I love to see a field full of wildflowers. Fortunately, I live in the perfect state for this as Texas is full of wildflowers in the spring. Due to much great work by Lady Bird Johnson, we get to see them everywhere in the spring in Texas. Along the roadsides, in the fields, in the road medians in the cities and on and on. I love it!!


So, there ya go... probably more random info about me than you ever wanted to know! Happy Tuesday!!

3 John 1:1-4

"The elder to the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth. Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. For I was very glad when brethren came and bore witness to your truth, that is, how you are walking in truth. I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth." 3 John 1:1-4

Shortly after graduating from college and settling back into my church home, I began teaching a 3rd grade Sunday School class and, for awhile, also taught a preschool children's choir. Oh, how I enjoyed these children. Sharing with them the love of Jesus thru the Bible and thru music was such a blessing. In turn, they also taught me many things along the way. I learned how to come before the Lord with the heart of a child, how to put my adult cares and concerns aside and focus only on the moment and the time we had together, how to be open to new lessons and new truths about God, and the list could just go on and on and on.

It has been about 15 years now and I have since moved to another state, married and have children of my own, joined a new church, and teach a new group children in Sunday School. However, what I am learning now is how these children that I first taught have grown up and "gone forth into the world". My sister is still an active member in that same church and below are a couple of things she has told me about where several of these children are now:

* One little girl I taught in children's choir is now married with children and they are leaving for the mission field later this year as missionaries.

* A little boy I taught in children's choir is now married, an active member in their church and involved in their church music program.

* Another girl is now praying about the Lord's leading her into the mission field.

Each time I hear a story such as this about one of these children my heart soars. It is such a joy to know they have grown up to be such strong Christian adults going out into the world and sharing the love of Christ with others.

This feeling is what we hear John expressing in these first 4 verses of 3 John. John says he has "... no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in the truth." The man to whom John addresses this letter is a friend and brother in the Lord, Gaius. John is rejoicing that Gaius is still walking with the Lord with love and in the truth.

God feels this same way about each one of us. As our heavenly Father, He rejoices with us as our earthly parents also rejoice with us as we grow and succeed. He rejoices as we grow more and more in Him. He rejoices as we seek Him each day. He rejoices as we turn more and more of our lives over to Him.

How comforting it is to know that God is right alongside us rejoicing as we navigate our daily lives while seeking Him and sharing His love with others!

Friday Facts - Bible History Part 3

Back again for one more week is more interesting and fun facts about the Bible. The week includes fun facts about the verses and words in the Bible. I would love to meet the person that did all the counting to come up with these numbers! Wow... what a job that would be! :)

There are 31,173 verses in the entire Bible

23,214 of these verses are in the Old Testament

7,959 verses are in the New Testament

Psalm 118:8 is the middle verse of The Bible

2 Chronicles 20:17 is the middle verse of the Old Testament

Acts 17:17 is the middle verse of the New Testament

John 11:35 is the shortest verse in The Bible

The longest verse in The Bible is Esther 8:9

Verses that are alike are Psalm 107:8, 15, 21 and 31

Ezra 7:21 contains all the letters of the alphabet except 'J'

Daniel 4:37 contains all the letters of the alphabet except 'Q'

In the whole Bible there are 773,692 words

In the Old Testament there are 592,439 words

In the New Testament there are 181,253 words

The longest word in the Bible is "Mahershalalhashbaz" (18 letters) which is found in Isaiah 8:1.

Several of the words that are only found once in the Bible:
Eternity - Isaiah 57:15
Reverend - Psalm 111:9
Grandmother - 2 Timothy 1:5
Gnat - Matthew 23:24

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for the season of fall. This is one of my favorite times of the year! The temperatures begin to cool down and the colors of nature are just spectacular -- all the oranges and brownes and golds!

To me it is the perfect preparation for the holiday season. I begin putting together my holiday plans while sitting outdoors enjoying the temperatures that are comfortable and even a little cool. We begin making our travel plans for Thanksgiving and Christmas, plan out our Christmas card list, prepare our home and put together meals if we are having family at our house and on and on.

Now, don't let me fool you that I'm some kind of organization wizard that has all of her holiday plans together by the end of October.... far from it!:) In reality, I probably won't have anything final until sometime in November -- and then only for Thanksgiving. However, this beautiful fall month will mark the beginning of turning my thoughts seriously to the holidays and at least begin putting ideas together in my mind.

Fall is also the perfect season for more outdoor time together for us as a family. We love to take this time of the year and spend more time at the park together, go to the zoo, and just hang out in the backyard together more. We'll eat more meals out on our patio and really enjoy the weather before it gets too cold to do so.

So, as I go about my days and enjoy the cooler temperatures, I want to make sure that I also remember to be thankful for this season. Thank you, Lord, for all the beauty of the Fall!


For more Thankful Thursday visit Iris at Grace Alone...!

Word-Filled Wednesday - 2 John 1:6

"And this is love, that we walk according to His commandments." 2 John 1:6




For more "Word-Filled Wednesday" posts visit The 160 Acre Woods.





Picture courtesy of www.christianphotos.net

Thank You...... You're the BEST!

I gotta tell ya… you guys out there are great! Last week for Thankful Thursday I posted this. First of all, the words of encouragement and interest in where the Lord is leading us was just amazing. The comments you all leave and the prayers you offer and the true interest you show is just awesome and so uplifting. The Lord has blessed me so much in the friends (you) he has provided to me through blogging.

And, while I didn’t intentionally mean to leave a bit of a “teaser”… it seems I did just that. :) The main reason I haven’t given any info as to the type of business we are working on is that I want to be able to show it to you. Also, I hesitate a bit because I don’t want anyone to incorrectly perceive that I am trying to advertise or get business via this blog. I pray when I do reveal what we are doing that no one will see it as advertisement. On the other hand, I am excited about it and want to share. Plus, how can I withhold when you have all been so faithful to pray for me and encourage me as I look to where the Lord is leading?

So, with that said, we are currently working on getting a web site up and running for this new business endeavor. Once we’ve got it “viewer worthy”, I will post a link and you can see for yourself what we’ve got going here.

I will give you a hint or two. This is a completely new sort of thing for me. I’m a computer person in my current job… work in IT and sit at a desk at my computer most of the day. And, I do love computer “stuff”. However, this new business puts the creative part of my brain to work and gives me a chance to be directly involved in the production and design of our product. I’ll offer these two words as a hint…. original and handmade.

I’m also thinking that maybe in celebration of this new venture that, when the time is right, I might do a giveaway on my blog for someone to win some of our “product”. We’ll see… there again, I hesitate a bit because I don’t want anyone to misconstrue my intentions in regards to advertising or drumming up business. I need to think some more on this one. I’ll let you know what I decide and maybe you could offer your thoughts on the matter?

Thanks again to each one of you for your prayers and your interest and your encouragement. You are truly the BEST!

2 John 1:4-13

"I was very glad to find some of your children walking in truth, just as we have received commandment to do from the Father. And now I ask you, lady, not as writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, just as you have heard from the beginning, that you should walk in it. For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch yourselves, that you might not lose what we have accomplished, but that you may receive a full reward. Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ, does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching, he has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house, and do not give him a greeting; for the one who gives him a greeting participates in his evil deeds. Having many things to write to you, I do not want to do so with paper and ink; but I hope to come to you and speak face to face, that your joy may be made full. The children of your chosen sister greet you." 2 John 1:4-13

John begins this passage of scripture reminding us of the importance of walking in the truth and the importance of loving one another. John even states in verse 5 that he knows this is not a new commandment... he knows we have heard these words in the past. John knows, however, the importance behind following these commandments. They are worthy of repeating. Over and over.

The only way to abide in God is to walk in the truth. And not just a step or two here and there. But a full out straight path of truth. No crooked roads. Only the straight and narrow. The straight and narrow truth that can only be found in God.

Loving one another, and in turn, showing the love of God. This is how we show the world that we walk with God. This is how we show our obedience to God.

John goes on to tell us that while we walk in the truth, while we show our love for one another, we must not forget to always be on the lookout for false teachers. We know we must always be aware of false teachers in the world we live in today. And, John knew the same to be true of the world as it was during his time here on earth. They were everywhere. And John tells us we should not receive them into our homes or to greet them.

Now, some will interpret this to mean that we should not associate ourselves in any way with non-believers. From my study of this scripture and from where I feel the Lord speaking to me, though, I think we need to be around non-believers. For one, how can we show non-believers the love of God if we are not associating with them? How can we expect them to attend our churches when we say we cannot be around them (or them around us)?

Secondly, I think to really understand John's words, we need to look back into the customs of that day. It was very common for teachers and missionaries as they traveled to stay in the homes of the townspeople. They would simply knock on the door and ask if they could come in and spend the night. These teachers and missionaries could be persons that taught the truths of Jesus Christ or they could be teaching false doctrines. In looking at these customs and reading John's words, it is likely that John was speaking primarily about offering hospitality to those that TAUGHT false doctrines. After all, there is a difference between believing a false doctrine and further perpetuating or teaching others a false doctrine.

This is not to say we shouldn't be careful when we are with persons that believe false doctrines. However, we should be kind to them, we should speak with them, we should share God's love with them. We should also welcome them into our churches. After all, how else will we be able to fully share with them the love of Christ?

I know this can be a touchy subject. And, I also know that we all must approach it in the way we feel led to by the Lord. We are taught that there is a big difference between being IN the world and being OF the world. We can't hide under a rock and keep all of God's love to ourselves. We can't hide in our church buildings never allowing non-believers to walk thru the door... no matter the sinful lifestyle they may be living.

I challenge you today to find your place in sharing God's love... regardless of the type of lifestyles you may encounter. Yes, be wary and yes, reject those false teachings and those that perpetuate those teachings. But, at the same time welcome non-believers with open arms. Show them the wonders of God's grace and mercy by sharing how God rescued you. Show them Christ's love by loving them.

Friday Facts - Bible History Part 2

So, here are some facts about the books and chapters of the bible... they include number of books, what is the longest book, what chapter is the longest, etc. All kinds of fun "trivia" about the Bible. Happy Friday!


There are 66 Books of the Bible

There are 39 Books in The Old Testament

There are 27 Books in The New Testament

Proverbs is the Middle Book of Old Testament

2 Thessalonians is the Middle Book of New Testament

Psalms is the Longest Book of Old Testament

Luke is the Longest Book of New Testament

There are 1189 chapters in the entire Bible

There are 929 chapters in the Old Testament

There are 260 chapters in the New Testament

Job 29 is the middle chapter of the Old Testament

Romans 13 is the middle chapter of the New Testament

Psalm 117 is the middle & shortest chapter of The Bible

Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in The Bible

2 Kings 19 and Isaiah 37 are chapters that are alike

Thankful Thursday

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' Jeremiah 29:11

Oh, how thankful I am the Lord has a plan for me. He has a plan that gives me a future. A plan that gives me hope.

I haven't mentioned it too much lately, but in the spring and early summer I wrote several posts regarding difficult situations I was facing at work. I mentioned more than once that I felt God leading in a different direction but didn't yet know what direction. However, I have always been so thankful that I could trust in this verse. Always knowing that even if God had not yet revealed the plan to me that I could trust it would be what was best for me. And that it would be a plan full of future and always full of hope.

Over the last few months God has started to slowly reveal His plan and is changing my heart and my desires in the process. I have ALWAYS been a "career gal". Always wanting to be in the business world. We've been lucky that I've worked in situations and with people that allowed me to do this but also keep my family a priority. We've been able to balance the work and the family. (And, just as a sidenote... as much as I've always been that "career gal", if I would not have been able to balance the work and the family then the work would've been ditched quickly.)

The last couple of years have found me more and more unsettled in my career and have put before me more and more challenges that did make it difficult to maintain the work and family balance. As I became more unsettled I was also placed in some very difficult situations and saw some of my closest friends and co-workers laid off and without a job. I've been saddened and struggled with life in the corporate world.

Over the last few months God has placed an opportunity in front of hubby and I that excites me to no end. It would give me flexibility in my schedule and even more time with my family but would also allow me to maintain some of my "career gal" desires and allow me to do something else that I have always wanted to ... own and operate my own business. It feels "right". It feels blessed by God.

The downside to it all is that until we begin making a profit I am working my full time job and then working on this new business after I put the kids to bed at night. And, no... it's not alot of fun! :) However, it is the direction God is leading and I know because of that it is for good. I have a peace about it all. It will land us in a good place in the months to come. And, one thing I've had to remind myself on many of these late nights is that God never promised His road would be easy. He did, however, promise to be right beside us thru it all. I can assure you.... He has been with us thru it all so far.... and I know He will continue to be with us thru it in the months to come.

Thank you, Lord, for this promise you gave to us thru Jeremiah. A promise that we can ALWAYS count on. A promise that YOUR plan is always the BEST plan!

For more Thankful Thursday visit Iris at Grace Alone...!

Word-Filled Wednesday - Jeremiah 29:11

'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.' Jeremiah 29:11

For more "Word-Filled Wednesday" posts visit The 160 Acre Woods.





Picture courtesy of www.christianphotos.net