Thankful Thursday

My “thankfuls” for this week are random in nature. The Lord has blessed us in so many different ways, I’m just finding it hard these days to narrow it down to one central theme! :)

* I am thankful for the many ways in which the Lord provides and cares for my family.

* I am thankful for each new day given to us.

* I am thankful for the time to spend with my family and friends.

* I am thankful for all the Lord is teaching me these days. Many lessons on fear and “letting go” of all the “stuff” we get bogged down with in life. I’ve been posting some on this lately as I’ve shared with you things about gaining margin in our lives and beating stress. I’m sure there is more to come on this topic from me in the weeks ahead… God is really working with me in this area. I tend to cling too much to my “to do” list and not enough to HIM!

* I am thankful for Thankful Thursdays. What a great meme to participate in each week! I have found it to be such a good thing in my life to sit down each week and really think about all the Lord has given to me.

For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Laurie at "Women Taking a Stand"!

Word-Filled Wednesday - Matthew 14:27

The purpose of Word-Filled Wednesday is to share God’s word through photo and a verse.





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




Picture courtesy of http://www.christianphotos.net/.

An Introduction to Colossians

The book of Colossians was written by Paul the apostle to the people of the city of Colossae around the year AD 60.

Colossae sits on a ridge above the Lycus River in what is now Turkey. People passed thru Colossae as they traveled from Ephesus to the Euphrates; Ephesus was approximately 100 miles west of Colossae.

About 6 years before writing the letter to the Colossians, Paul had met Philemon and Epaphras while in Ephesus. Philemon was from the city of Colossae where he hosted meetings in his home for the believers in Colossae. Epaphras came to know the Lord thru his friendship with Paul. After spending time in Ephesus with Paul, Epaphras returned to Colossae to share his new found faith with his friends and family.

The letter to the Colossians was delivered to the believers of Colossae by Philemon's runaway slave, Onesimus, and Paul's friend and fellow servant, Tychicus of Asia. Paul was in prison at the time and had written this letter along with two others -- one a personal letter to Philemon and the other for the believers of Ephesus.

Today the city of Colossae is buried under a hill in Turkey. Although the city is no longer in existence, the words Paul wrote those that lived there so many years ago are still true. His words endure and speak great truths that are valuable to us even today.


The letter to the people of Colossae presents Jesus Christ to them as someone that is able to meet all their needs and the answer to all their challenges. Paul tells them who Jesus Christ is and what He can do for each of them. It answers the questions:

* Who is Jesus Christ?
* Is he a god?
* A created power?


Join me over the next few months and together we will look deeper into the words Paul wrote to the Colossians so many years ago. We'll answer the question "Who is Jesus Christ?" and we'll see that even today He meets our needs just as He did for the people of Colossae many, many years ago.

Thankful Thursday

"Thank you, Lord, for the gift of my sweet children."


I know you can't really see their faces in this picture, but it is one of my favorites because it shows how much they enjoy being together. Abby just talking away while Josh listens. On this particular day, they sat and ate their lunch and just talked and talked while Jeff and I sat over to the side enjoying some time where we could talk and enjoy watching the two of them. These two are good buddies and for that I am also thankful. Sure, they do have their moments when they argue, and I'm sure as they get older these times may come more frequently. However, my prayer is that thru all the "growing up stuff", regardless of what is going on, they will always continue to be good buddies and know that they have each other.


For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Laurie at "Women Taking a Stand"!

Word-Filled Wednesday - 1 Peter 1:8

The purpose of Word-Filled Wednesday is to share God’s word through photo and a verse.

"Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls." 1 Peter 1:8-9

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




Picture courtesy of http://www.christianphotos.net/.

How to Stress Less

We live in a society that is constantly on the go. There is always something to be done. This has led many of us to leading a life with a completely packed calendar. I've been sharing over the last few weeks some great info I had received about building margin, or breathing room, back into our lives.

However, I think there is one more area that we must look at as we address this problem. A co-worker of mine has a sign in her office that says, "Good Morning, Let the Stress Begin". While I must admit I feel that way many a morning, I don't want to feel that way. And, I know that while I cannot control ALL the stress in my life, there is quite a bit that I CAN control. As I learn to control what I can (or maybe, in some cases, that should be LET GO), I know I will also see some additional margin in my life.

Below are several ways of thinking that will lead to stress. Believe me, they really do. Ask me how I know? From personal experience. :) Unfortunately, I am able to see myself in more than just one item on this list. As you can probably guess, these are the areas I will be addressing in my own life. How about you? Anything here ring a bell?


These were taken from the book "Stress Less" by Don Colbert, M.D. In this book Mr. Colbert lists "10 Types of Distortional Thinking" as given to him by Dr. David Burns.


1. All or Nothing Thinking - You see things in black-and-white categories. If your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure.

2. Overgeneralization - You see a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat.

3. Mental Filter - You pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively so that your vision of all reality becomes darkened, like the drop of ink that colors the entire beaker of water.

4. Disqualifying the Positive - You reject positive experiences by insisting they "don't count" for some reason or other. In this way you can maintain a negative belief that is contradicted by your everyday experiences.

5. Jumping to Conclusions - You make a negative interpretation even though there are no definite facts that convincingly support your conclusion.
a. Mind Reading - You arbitrarily conclude that someone is reacting negatively to you, and you don't bother to check this out.
b. The Fortune Teller Error - You anticipate that things will turn out badly, and you feel convinced that your prediction is an already-established fact.

6. Magnification (Catastrophizing) or Minimization - You exaggerate the importance of things or you innappropriately shrink things until they appear tiny. This is also called the "binocular trick".

7. Emotional Reasoning - You assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are: "I feel it, therefore it must be true."

8. Should Statements - You try to motivate yourself with should and shouldn'ts as if you had to be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do anything. "Musts" and "oughts" are also offenders. The emotional consequence is guilt. When you direct should statements towards others, you feel anger, frustration, and resentment.

9. Labeling and Mislabeling - This is an extreme form of overgeneralization. Instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself. "I'm a loser." When someone else's behavior rubs you the wrong way, you attach a negative label to him. "He's a ... louse." Mislabeling involves describing an event with language that is highly colored and emotionally loaded.

10. Personalization - You see yourself as the cause of some negative external event, which in fact you were not primarily responsible for.

Quotes for the Week

Recently I have run across several quotes that have made me stop and think. Today I wanted to share a few of them with you. They touch several subject matters -- our life's purpose, how we treat others, finding pleasure in our lives, how amazing it is that Jesus walked this earth -- to name just a few. I hope they give you something to think about as you move forward into this new week.

"You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense." ~Rick Warren

"It's amazing -- not that I walked on the moon, but that He walked on earth." ~Neil Armstrong

"If you judge people, you have no time to love them." ~Mother Teresa

"Do not bite at the bait of pleasure, till you know there is no hook beneath it." ~Thomas Jefferson

"Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless." ~Mother Teresa

Friday Facts - New Testament Writers

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Have you ever wondered who wrote the most books in the New Testament? At first guess, I would say Paul. Upon doing a little research, though, I found that this isn't exactly correct. It depends on how you look at it. Here's what I mean.....

~ Paul wrote the greatest number of books in the New Testament (13 books, 2,033 verses)

-- BUT --

-- Luke wrote the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. These two books take up one-third of the New Testament (2 books, 2,158 verses)


Who comes in third place?

~ John, the apostle, wrote a gospel, the book of Revelation, and 3 letters (5 books, 1,414 verses)



Have a great weekend!!

Thankful Thursday

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6


You know, this parenting gig can be tough some days. It is certainly a blessing from God and it is a joy and I can't even begin to tell you how much I love my children... but it still can be tough!

We are responsible to see that they have food and clothes and a safe home and that they get to school and that they learn to be responsible and loving and kind on and on and on. AND, most importantly, we are responsible for seeing that they are raised to love and serve the Lord.

And, let me tell you, there are days when I find that completely overwhelming. And, you guessed it, today would most certainly be one of those days! We've had a week filled with temper tantrums and displays of disrespect and days of not wanting to do homework and I'm just about done in. I want to teach them both how to behave and how to be respectful and how important it is to do their homework. I want to do it in a loving and kind way.... in the way the Lord would want me to teach them all these things. While, at the same time, I feel like my head might explode from all the fits and the struggles (not to mention that all the struggle makes me just worn out mentally).

By now I'm sure you're wondering where the thankful part is, aren't you? Well, here it is.... I am thankful that when I have days like this where I am just completely overwhelmed with parenting, that I have God to turn to for guidance. I have God to turn to and pour my heart out to... to tell Him how much I love these precious little kiddos He has given me, but how it's tough right now and I need Him to show me how to guide and direct them. I am thankful that He is there for me to ask "How do I go about training them up in the ways that they should go"?

He is always RIGHT THERE when I call out.. and I've been doing that everyday for the last week or so. But, you know what? Every. single. time. I have called to Him, He has been right there. And, tonight? Well, after picking up everyone and getting home for dinner, we had what started to be ANOTHER one of those nights. I took a break and went to room and prayed. And then I came back out and prayed as I cleaned up the remains of dinner. And, then all four of us sat down and had a family discussion about all that has been going on. And, God was there with us. By the end we were all discussing and it wasn't just my husband and I talking, the kids joined in too. My son began making suggestions for how we could make it better (don't argue, listen when Mom and Dad are talking, do your homework w/out complaining) and my daughter was naming off all the ways in which we show love and respect to those that we love (don't yell at Mom and Dad, be nice to my brother, etc). Yes... God was definitely right there with us!

"Dear Lord, thank you so much for being with us as we travel this road of parenting. Thank you so for these sweet children you have given to us. And, while the responsibility may be daunting some days, we KNOW you will always be there there with us every step of the way. AMEN. "


For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Laurie at "Women Taking a Stand"!

Word-Filled Wednesday - Matthew 11:28

The purpose of Word filled Wednesday is to share God’s word through photo and a verse!

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30


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

Picture courtesy of http://www.christianphotos.net/.

Practical Ways to Gain Margin #2

Last week I shared in this post 7 practical ways to gain margin in our lives. Today I want to share 7 more ways to gain margin. All of these come from a book entitled "Margin" written by Dr. Richard A. Swenson, M.D.

1. Thank God - If you have two meetings scheduled on the same evening, you obviously can attend only one. Don't overlook the possibility that this might be God's way of being kind to you.

2. Get Less Done but Do the Right Things - Busyness is not a synonym for kingdom work -- it is only busyness. All activities need to be assessed as to their spiritual authenticity. Again, if we have one hundred things to do and can do only ten, how do we select from them? We must have God-authored criteria with which to judge our activities, and we must be willing to use them.

3. Don't Rush Wisdom - Seldom is true wisdom a product of speedy deliberation. As a matter of fact, wisdom is almost always slow. Wait for clearness. The more important the decision, the longer the time you should take to make it. If life's pace pushes you, push back. Take as much time and prayer as you need for clearness to develop. And wait for your decision to be affirmed by peace.

4. For Type A's Only: Stand in Line - Cardiologist Dr. Meyer Friedman, one of the first to describe the type A personality, offered this practical advice to his patients: "Practice smiling. Purposely speak more slowly, stop in the middle of some sentences, hesitate for three seconds, then continue. Purposely say, "I'm wrong" at least twice today, even if you're not sure you're wrong. Listen to at least two persons today without interrupting even once.... Seek out the longest line at the bank. Verbalize your affection to your spouse and children."

5. Create Buffer Zones - If you have a busy schedule with nonstop appointments, consider creating small buffer zones between some of the obligations, a kind of coffee break for the spirit. Even ten or fifteen minutes can allow you to catch up, take a deep breath, close your eyes, pray, call your spouse, reorient your priorities, and defuse your tension.

6. Plan for Free Time - If God were our appointment secretary, would HE schedule us for every minute of every day? Time urgency was not only absent with Christ, it was conspicuously absent. Christ's teaching, His healing, His serving, and His loving were usually spontaneous. The person standing in front of Him was the opportunity He accepted. If He chose spontaneous living, isn't that a signal to us?

7. Be Available - Margin exists for the needs of the kingdom, for the service of one another, for the building of community. It exists, just as we exist, for the purpose of being available to God. Being useful to God and other people is a large part of what life is meant to be. And yet "usefulness is nine-tenths availability." When others need help, they don't need it two days from now.


I am slowly working several of these into my life and I must tell you that they really do make a difference. I'm finding that focusing on what REALLY needs to get done instead of every little thing on my list right at this moment helps temendously. Purposely slowing down and making myself be still is great. Creating buffer zones is working well for me, too.

Another area somewhat related to this (at least for me) is stress. Next week I'll share some steps to help in alleviating some of the stress in our lives. Can you imagine how freeing it could be to give ourselves additional breathing room in our lives AND alleviate some of the stress? WOW! :)

Ruth - Writing the Scriptures

Today brings about the beginning of the end to my study of the book of Ruth. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed the time I have spent looking more closely at this story. So much more has come alive to me and I have gathered many truths upon which I'm sure I will hold closely for quite some time.

I am going to end my study time by trying a suggestion that was made in the book I followed throughout my study. I followed the study book for Ruth in the "Coffee Cup Bible Studies". These are written by Sandra Glahn. She suggests at the end of the study that we try something that was part of her classwork while in college. That was to write out the book of Ruth in longhand. I think that I should be able to write out eighty-five verses (she also did this with the full thirty-nine chapters in the book of Deuteronomy... so surely I can handle eighty-five verses!). As I write, I'm going to follow her suggestion as I go:

"As you write, chew on the storyteller's words. Notice the sovereign hand of God at work. Think about what a high premium the Lord places on caring for the needy. Marvel, as you write out the genealogy, how God weaves a story through human lives. Don't rush to complete the assignment. Take your time and notice details. Ask questions."

I'll let you know how it goes. I'm really interested in seeing what the Lord shows me as I take the time to write and meditate on the words of the book of Ruth.

In the meantime, I'm also beginning to look at the next book I'll be studying... the book of Colossians. I'm going to use the study guide from the "Coffee Cup Bible Study" series for this one, too. These books are easy to read and follow, provide some great background information as well as, practical examples to bring home the message.

This study will be a big change of pace from the book of Ruth, but I know will be just as rewarding as I learn and grow thru the time spent in study. I'm anxious to start... I've always loved Paul's letters. I hope you'll join me as I begin posting on Colossians in the next week or two!

He Arose!

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb. There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me." Matthew 28:1-10 (NIV)

Friday Facts - The Cross and The Crucifixion

As we enter into this weekend of recognition of the gift given to us thru the crucifixion of Jesus, I wanted to continue in sharing information related to this event.

I decided to take a look at the cross and the death of Jesus. The cross on which Jesus was crucified and the suffering He endured as He died for you and for me.


Let's first look at the type of cross on which Jesus was crucified....
There were three types of crosses that were most commonly used by the Roman army in the first century A.D. Each type carried an inscription stating the victim's capital offense and a seat-like projection. This projection towards the bottom of the cross not designed for the victim's comfort, but instead to prolong their agony. Nails and ropes held the victim's legs and arms in place.

The first type of cross was called a “high tau” cross due to its shape which was similar to the capital Greek letter tau (“T”). The second type was known as a “low tau” cross, as it was shaped like the lower case tau (“t”). In both cases the central post was set permanently in the ground while the cross bar was carried to the site by the victim. The third type of cross was an actual tree that was still in the ground (dead or alive) with its limbs serving as the cross bar. Most likely, Jesus was crucified on a “low tau” type cross.

____________________________

Let's now take a moment to look at how Jesus died.....

The death of Jesus endured involved severe stress. He was tortured by the beating brought on by the Roman soldiers.

At the time of crucifixion He was hung completely naked in front of the crowd. The pain and damage caused by crucifixion so intense that the victim would continually long for death, but could linger for days with no relief.

According to Dr. Frederick Zugibe, piercing of the nerve in the hands with a nail can cause pain so incredible that no pain medication could assist, “severe, excruciating, burning pain, like lightning bolts traversing the arm into the spinal cord.” Rupturing the foot's nerve with a nail would have a similar effect.


May we never forget, may we always be thankful, and may we never fail to share and to love..... to love as Christ first showed His love to us.

Thankful Thursday

I have so many "thankful thoughts" running thru my head this evening as I sit down to type out this post. It's been a month of blessings, of learning, of listening. I've sat here and tried to pull them all together into some sort of post to share with you what they all mean to me, but alas, the words just aren't coming this evening. :) So, here they are in bullet points (I know.... not as creatively "pretty", but I don't think God will mind).....

* I have been so blessed by the husband God gave to me. He is patient with me, he is kind (even when I am not), he loves me and he loves me exactly the way that I am.

* My children are right up there at the top of the list with my husband. I just can't imagine my life without these two sweet little people in my life. My son so full of laughter and hugs. My daughter so sweet and silly.

* I am thankful for my parents. They taught me from an early age about God and were a living example to me in how I should live my life for Him. As I look back over my "growing up years" I see so many ways in which they taught me and my sisters what was truly important in life and taught us how to rely fully on God in everything. And, they taught us this consistently. No hit or miss based on whether life was easy or life was difficult. God was our direction through thick and thin and, because of this, I was witness to the many ways in which God provides in all types of circumstances.

* I am so thankful for the ways in which the Lord has been teaching me that I just can't do everything myself. This actually has been something that I have been dealing with for awhile now... this realization that I'm not superwoman and, therefore, should not expect myself to be able to do everything myself. Lately it just seems that I've received some gently prods and guidance from God in this area. And, just like He always does, He has shown me ways to let go and let someone else do it, or just completely let it go (yes, there are things I worry about that are just not priorities... sigh).

* I am thankful for spring. I love this time of year as the earth just seems to come to life... new flowers and new leaves all so fresh and green and brightly colored, new life in the animal kingdom, sunshine and warmer weather.

* I am thankful for the new life I have in Christ. I am so thankful for the gift He gave us as He sacrificed His life so that we might live. I can't even begin to put into words what I feel as I think about this gift.... a gift that I'm sure I don't even fully comprehend even as I sit and type these words.


As we all celebrate the new life we have in Christ in the days to come, I pray that none of would take lightly what we have been given and that we would move forward with a new and fresh commitment to live our lives fully for our Lord and Saviour!



For more Thankful Thursday posts, visit Laurie at "Women Taking a Stand">!

Some Practical Ways to Build Margin

Finding some margin, or breathing room, in our lives is so important these days. All our lives are just packed with activities of all kinds -- family activities, church, school, work -- some days it just seems endless.

I have a great list of ways to find some margin in our lives. All of these came from a book entitled "Margin" that was written by Richard A. Swenson, M.D. (I haven't yet read the book, but I'm planning to in the near future). This list has fourteen items, so I'm going to split it up into two posts. I'll list the first seven below and then be back next week with the remaining seven.


1. Expect the Unexpected - A Proverb in Ecuador states: "Everything takes longer than it does." This is not a perfect world, and the unexpected happens. To plan for the unexpected is not an invitation to sloppiness or mediocrity but instead a concession to reality. If you want some breathing room, increase your margin of error.

2. Learn to Say No - Because progress gives us more and more of everything faster and faster, the obvious result is steadily increasing options, opportunities, and obligations. Meanwhile, we are struck with the 24-hour day. The inevitable collision between this escalation context and a fixed time frame catapults the word No to the front of the class. Saying No is not an excuse for selfishness, rudeness, or insensitivity. Instead, it is an invitation to listen carefully to the Spirit's voice, adhering closely to a system of wise priorities that inform our Yes and our No.

3. Turn off the Television - As long as you are saying No, say it to your television set. For the average adult, this would gain twenty to thirty hours a week. No other single effort will secure as much time margin as this simple, nearly impossible action.

4. Prune the Activity Branches - Activities and commitments often have a way of adding themselves to our lives. Even though it is much harder to stop something than to start it, periodically, get out the clippers and prune away.

5. Practice Simplicity and Contentment - We all consume significant quantities of time in the buying and then maintaining of things. A life of voluntary simplicity and contentment, on the other hand, is opposed to the unnecessary proliferation of material possessions. It is free of the clutter much of society must sort through on a daily basis. With fewer possessions, we do not have as many things to take care of.

6. Separate Time from Technology - The best thing to remember about time-saving technologies is that they don't. Instead, they consume, compress and devour time. All the countries with the most time-saving technologies are the most stressed-out countries - an assertion that's easy to prove. Remembering that technology is responsible for much of our time famine, it is good to go on strike occasionally. Try disconnecting from clocks, watches, alarms, beepers, telephones, and email for a day, a weekend or a week. Find the off switch. Don't answer the telephone. Stop giving people the number to your cell phone and instead use it to make calls rather than receive calls.

7. Short-Term Flurry Versus Long-Term Vision - Americans are notoriously shortsighted. We live in a state of myopic mania that blurs the future. The horizon is never visible in the middle of a dust storm. But we must have vision that extends beyond tomorrow. Living only from week-to-week is like a dot-to-dot life. Our goals should be flexible to the redirecting God so often asks of us. But each of us needs a direction and a vision that can inform his or her focus.

Seeking God In the Hard Times

"I left here full, but the Lord has caused me to return empty-handed. Why do you call me 'Naomi', seeing that the Lord has opposed me, and the Sovereign One has caused me to suffer?" Ruth 1:21


I have always been cautious about voicing my complaints to God in prayer. When I don't like how things are going and I may be questioning His direction, I'm cautious there, too.

As I read thru this scripture passage and then the accompanying text in my study guide on Ruth, though, I began to re-think this position. It began as I read this statement shared from a book entitled Shattered Dreams which was written by Dr. Larry Crabb:

"Why was Naomi able to see God's hand when He began to move in her life? Many people can't. Why can she? I think it was because she entered her heart so deeply, feeling all its pain, that she eventually stumbled into the core of her heart, where she wanted God. People who find some way to deaden their pain never discover their desire for God in all its fullness... If we deny how badly we hurt, we remain unaware of our desire for God and aware only of lesser desires."

Could it be that when we don't pray to God about our questions and our hurt, that we deny those questions and hurt just a bit? After all, if we have a relationship with God but aren't talking to Him about what we REALLY feel, aren't we acting as if they don't exist? If we are putting God first in our lives, we should be turning it all over to Him... as we would our best friend. And, if we can tell our best friend, shouldn't we also be able to tell God?

But, if we're mad at God, do the same rules apply? So many times in our earthly relationships we don't tell our friends or family when we are mad at them. Is that really the right thing to do, though? If your spouse was angry with you would you want he/she to come to you or would you want them to complain to their friends? While it could be a difficult conversation, I know I would most definitely want my husband to come to me.

I think it's the same with God. He wants us to come to Him when we are angry with Him... not to complain to everyone EXCEPT Him. Whether we tell Him we are mad at him or not, HE KNOWS. He already knows our heart, our feelings, so why not just get it out there in the open and let Him help us deal with those feelings of anger, those questions, those doubts?

Why not talk about it with God and then let him wrap his arms around us and hold us and love us?

When I Think About the Lord

Friday Facts - The Letters on the Cross

Happy Friday! I don't know about you, but I am really glad it is Friday and we are just a few short hours from the weekend. I am ready for some time to play and rest and enjoy my family.

Since we are so close to Easter, I thought I would dig up some facts surrounding the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. For this week, let's take a look at the letters that were on the crucifix...


The letters were "INRI" and Pontius Pilate had these written over the head of Jesus on the cross. These letters stand for "Iesvs Nazarenvs Rex Ivdaeorvm." Translated to English this means "Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews."

Pilate had these words written in three different languages:

"And Pilate wrote a title, and put [it] on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS. This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, [and] Greek, [and] Latin. Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews." John 19:19-22



Today I am thankful beyond words for "Jesus, the King of the Jews". Through his suffering on the cross, he gave us a gift that I'm not sure we will ever fully comprehend until we are home with him someday.

Thankful Thursday

I have been thinking alot over the last couple of days about the foundation I have in the Lord. What an awesome thing it is to know that my life is built on the most firm foundation that exists. Not only is it sturdy and strong, but it is also soft and comforting. It is a foundation that I can rely on.... ALWAYS.



I've included below the words to the old and familiar hymn "How Firm a Foundation" -- a beautiful description of all we have in the Lord. I am so very thankful that I have the assurance of the firmest of foundations on which to stand!



How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
to you that for refuge to Jesus have fled?

"Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed!
For I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.

"When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
the rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
for I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
and sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

"When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
my grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
the flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

"The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
that soul, though all hell shall endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no, never, no, never forsake."


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