18 days straight

I'm on Day 18 of Reading the Bible in 90 Days. Can I even tell you how much I'm patting myself on the back because I have consistently done something for the last 18 days??

Actually, doing something consistently for the last 18 days is not the big shocker. The fact that I have consistently done something that is not self destructive for the last 18 days is the big deal.

Oh please, you know what I mean. It's not like I have a drug habit or anything like that. Although as prone to sin as I am, it's only by the grace of God that I'm not begging and stealing for my next drug fix.

Can we skip that entire introduction? Because I don't want my mom to get a whiff of this post and think I need to be in therapy for drug related issues. No, mom; I'm just being relative here.

Back to this post's original intent (well, if it had one). I'm quite all over the board today, so pardon me if you're getting annoyed.

Over the course of the last 18 days, I have fallen in some love with Moses. How awesome that he got to meet with God face to face. How cool to be called God's friend!! And I just hate it that he didn't get to go into the Promised Land. For crying out LOUD, he dealt with those whiny Israelites for 40 years just to get them there.....and then all he got to do was look at the view from a mountaintop?

Although Moses and I have developed a bond, I am far more enthralled with Moses' God. Over and over He shows love to the Israelites...and over and over they reject Him. As I always do when I'm reading, I put myself in the Israelite's shoes (or sandals?). I get so frustrated with them, but I'm certain I would be right along with them, fashioning my own handmade idols and worshiping all sorts of false gods. I'm just amazed at the persistence God exhibits on their behalf. His love is relentless!

And as cool as it is that Moses had such an intimate relationship with God..we are invited to an even closer relationship. WE ARE GOD's DWELLING PLACE.

Moses et al had to cart around the tabernacle from place to place....and offer up all kinds of sacrifices before they could be in God's presence. Yet Emmanuel....God with us. Christ came to this earth and lived among us, so that He could be THE one and only sacrifice for our sins. He died on that cruel cross and rose again victoriously so that the veil was torn and we could intimately fellowship with God every single moment of our lives. No priest stands between us. No curtain that we cannot cross. No more sacrifices. Only Jesus...

And speaking of Jesus: He is the only reason I can do ANYTHING non-self-destructive for 18 days straight and counting.....Praise the Lord.

By the way - I think this post could win a "most random award.."

Bible in 90 Days updates and such

I'm on Day 11 of the Bible in 90 days.....and still plugging along. I have been excited to wake up each morning to spend time in God's Word (with The Word), and I've found that the Lord has spoken to me daily.....even in the book of Numbers. Go figure. Who knew he doesn't just appear in Psalms and the New Testament!?

So here is today's SOAP on my reading:

Scripture: Numbers 16:37-38a

"Tell Eleazar, son of Aaron, the priest, to take the censers out of the smoldering remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers are holy -
the censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives......"

Observation:

Korah and his companions sinned at the cost of their lives! God opened up the earth to literally swallow them whole because they insisted on "having their own way". Isn't that the root of all our sin......the persistance to just have things done...or do things...our own way?
Although we may not die an earthly death when we commit sin, we can be assured that a little piece of our abundant life shrivels up and dies. It is reality: sin = death. Spending enough time wallowing in our own self-willed flesh kills us every time.
My heart aches and my stomach hurts as I am convicted of this fact in my own life. Our choices can be deadly if they aren't founded in the wisdom of God's living word.

Application:

Note to self: do not take things into my own hands.....
Note to self: Trust that God's way is better than mine: every single time. There is not that "one time" that I have it right all on my own.
Note to self: Revere God as the Author of Life; the Creator - the MasterMind of the Universe. He deserves our utmost respect. ("The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." - Proverbs 9:10
Note to self: Don't act like Korah.

Prayer:

Lord, I look up to the heavens, and I acknowledge Who created this universe. If I cannot trust Your ways above my own, then I am in sad shape.....because who better to listen to than the One who knows all things? Forgive me for asserting my own will so deliberately and foolishly. Thank You for Jesus....because without Him, I would surely suffer the same fate as Korah.
Thank You for providing the perfect sacrifice. It pains me to even imagine how small I make You in my mind. Open my eyes so that I can see You everywhere....hear You everywhere....and follow You everywhere.
In Jesus' name,
Amen

Bible in 90 Days - Post #2

So I am on Day 5 in my Bible in 90 Days reading. For this Type A girl who loves structure, I am in love with this new adventure. I especially love checking the box each day after I have completed my reading.

However, completing the task is not the only thing I am enjoying about this. Each morning, I am spending time with the God of Creation....the Author of the Word...and that is the coolest. I have done bible studies for the last 15+ years, but this is truly the first time that I have read scripture in a structure set up to take me through the whole bible. Needless to say, I have looked forward to hearing what God has to say to me each morning!

It's virtually impossible for me to post every day, so although I won't have a post for what I have learned in each reading, I will blog about my observations at least 3 times a week.

This morning's stand out scripture was Exodus 3:7-8:

"The LORD said, 'I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering.
So I have come down to rescue them from the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites.'"

Observation:

The Lord cares. He cared about the misery of the Israelites' slavery, and He cares today about our own imprisonments. Whether they be physical or emotional.....externally or interally afflicted - the Lord cares. And just as He came down to rescue the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians, He sent Jesus in the form of a man to rescue us from our slave drivers.
The promised land of the Israelites was physical land; whereas our promised lands are spiritual.....but oh, the joys of walking with the Lord in our good and spacious land: land that flows with milk and honey, peace and joy, comfort and love.
As we trust in the Lord daily and learn from Him.....we little by little drive out the Canaanites, the Hittites and the Amorites from living on our inherited promised lands. These "-ites" are different for all of us...but they are enemies, soul-terrorists, anything that stands on our souls to keep us from taking hold of the best God has for us.

Application:

Today, I will curl up on the lap of Jesus, and rest in His care. I will trust that the promised land He holds out to me is better than living in slavery to my sin.

Prayer:

Father God, You are an All-consuming fire. Set my heart ablaze for Your Truth. God of Heaven, You heard the cry of the Israelites and You had great compassion for them. Help me to see and believe with all my heart that You rise up to show compassion for me. Go before me today and destroy the enemy. Get them off of my land and lead me on into Truth. Thank You, Jesus!

Bible in 90 Days: Post #1

I cannot even tell you how excited I am for the next 90 days. I am praying that God just pours out His blessing over us as we journey through His Word!

I am adopting the SOAP method of bible study for the next three months, and if you are wondering what that is.....I've stolen the idea from Amy at Mom'sToolBox.

Scripture: Genesis 21:1

"Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what He had promised."

Observation:

The Lord is faithful to His promises. His promises to me (and you!) are too numerous to recount every single one. He promises us a way out of temptation; He promises to never leave us or forsake us; He promises that our minds cannot even conceive what He'll do with a life surrendered to Him; and He promises to supply every last one of our needs.
May I victoriously proclaim, "Now the Lord was gracious to Amy as He had said, and the Lord did for Amy what He had promised."

Application:

I shall BELIEVE! I will believe Him for His promised escape from temptation. I will believe that He is the only true satisfaction. I will believe that obedience to Him is rewarding, and I will believe that life under His Lordship is the greatest adventure. I will lean on His understanding as opposed to my own, and I will believe that He loves me unconditionally. I will believe that His blood was enough to cleanse me of sin, and I will believe that I don't have to work for righteousness. It is our right as God's children to know Him intimately and believe Him.

Prayer:

Gracious Father, fill my heart with faith in You. In the hollow, empty places of my soul, fill me up with Your satisfying presence. Swell my heart with belief in You. Let it be true of me when I say, "I'm BELIEVING God!!" I want to know the joy and peace found in believing You. Thank You for your faithfulness. You are so trustworthy, Jesus.

Reading the Bible in 90 Days - are YOU in??

Read the Bible in 90 days?

Why? Am I a glutton for punishment? Am I an overachiever?

I’m reading the bible in 90 days because it’s going to be my medicine, my food, and the strength I need to get 2010 off to a great start. I need me some Jesus more than I need my next breath…..and committing to an intensive reading program is way to keep me accountable.

2009 has been an upheaval of a year for me, and now I need a detox. My mind needs healing; my soul needs scrubbing; and my spirit needs to be rejuvenated. From the outside, my life has been fine. I have a beautiful, God-fearing family, a loving husband, a happy-healthy-precocious 4 year old, and a wonderful 16-year old stepdaughter (who I adore). I also started a new business (Scentsy); became a Partner at my “real job”; and I have super friends.

...But the inside of me has been in turmoil all year. As you’ve seen in earlier posts, I’m in that Egyptian desert…..complaining about the manna, circling around like an Israelite, wondering why things are not going the way I want them to go. Hmmm….could it be that I’m as stubborn as those silly Isrealites? Oh yes, yes indeed.

Posting my vulnerability is not so easy for me. As a woman who believes she is called to write for the glory of God…and to teach others about Him…it’s more than difficult for me to put my shortcomings and struggles on paper (or, I guess…online(!) for all the world to see). But honesty is where it starts, right? I’m totally feeling trepidation as I continue to type here….but I could not be a testament to God’s grace if I lived a façade.

The decision to read through God’s Word in 90 days is ICU for me. It is a commitment to bury myself in scripture, and therein find my Savior.

I’m totally geared up for this. Anyone want to join me?

Click here to read all about it: I’m Reading through the Bible in 90 Days

Consistently Inconsistent

I think the most consistent thing about my blog is its inconsistency. Grrr..

Every morning, I faithfully read a handful of my personal much-loved blogs. And each day, I make a mental note that I need to write a new blog post. The effort generally does not go past the mental note part. However, there are good streaks of time where I post two or three a week….until the chaos of my job takes over.

Is it too early to make a New Year’s resolution? If not, then I want to officially make one now: 3 blog posts per week in 2010. You all heard it right here. Just be gracious when I’m lagging behind come May (or February, whichever comes first).

2010 blog posts will include my Journey Through the Bible in 90 days, along with Amy at Mom’s Tool Box. I am beyond excited about this. I love structure and planned reading programs…..but even more so….I love the word of God. I love digging deep into scripture and finding out what God has for me to find. It's my prayer that these posts will bless your life and encourage you to dive into the Bible for yourself.

I’m also going to keep everyone posted on the Sunday night cooking expos that I have with my neighbor Kathryn (who in the future will be referred to as NK (Neighbor Kathryn). This distinguishes her from Daughter Kathryn. Sunday night cooking expos should not be confused with any expert cooking blogs. NK and I are amateurs at best. For the last year, we have cooked dinner on Sunday evenings together…and the comic relief we have provided for our husbands is star-quality blog material. Sadly, they have not experienced nearly as much good food as they have laughs. It’s the thought that counts, right?

Hopefully, my love of structure will help me in my efforts to consistently post. Anyone out there willing to help me be accountable in this??

Just Stuff...

There is absolutely nothing going on in my head of which to write. So I have committed dead-head bloggy-ness with a list of only remotely interesting links and things:

I have bragged about this jewelry before, but I am totally in love with it. My good friend, Kimberly sells it - - and I’ve already accomplished 72% of my Christmas shopping on her website: www.stelladot.com/kimberlyjohnson

My niece Kristi sent me flowers yesterday because I am so special! Actually, she sent me flowers because I made Director with Scentsy (www.smellgoodie.scentsy.us). It’s kind of funny because I have a full-time job, which I love….but I started selling Scentsy in April of this year as a hobby. I am bowled over by the fact that now I have a team of nearly thirty people, and I am a DIRECTOR. It makes me smile just thinking about it…..not to mention, my house always smells good, and I have a nice amount of extra cash each month. Not a shabby deal I must say.

I think I may have a split personality (oh, not really!) because I talk all day long with Ph.D. economists about their careers, etc., and then I come home and talk to women about wickless candles. What can I say? I’m diversified.

This morning, I took Luke through the drive-thru at McDonald’s because someone forgot to pack his breakfast. He complimented the drive-thru lady for using her manners, so she sang a song to him. It was kind of sweet.

Thanksgiving…..so much to be thankful for….and that is what I’m going to continually remind myself of as we travel 9+ hours to Oklahoma tomorrow. Thankfully, we have the DVD player for Luke, and Kathryn will have her iPod.
One of my favorite reasons for thankfulness this year is that my mother-in-law is giving me her first set china. It’s the set that Larry’s father sent to her when he was in the Korean War. I never registered for China (gasp!), so this is over the top exciting (and precious) to me. I could go on and on about how much I love my mother-in-law….

Oh! One more thing! Did you know my Luke can shoot spider webs out of his…..? Yes, yes, he can. He told me all about it….

Happy Thanksgiving, friends!