Sunday Scripture

 Time for another Sunday Scripture!  As previously mentioned, I'm using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus, which is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.  I truly hope that others are finding this as helpful as I am.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of October 13,  but I am working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. But since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this checklist first. This checklist offers us four points:  

* To make a plan for reading our Bibles and praying.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To jot down a to-do list of tasks that must be completed this week.

* To make a note of our top three priorities for this week.

This last point is one that I need to pay special attention to every week.  I've been finding it so helpful.  (The other three points are things that I'm consistently doing.) 

For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Friendship and fellowship -- friends at camp for lunch on Tuesday;  tea with friends on Wednesday; dinner cruise with friends on Saturday.

2) Homemaking and Etsy -- try a 7-day home reset (yes, that goal is still following me around; work on Etsy orders and listings; make tallow balm, order replacement clock works/casserole carrier; do some fall decorating.

3) Ministry --  SS lesson prep and teaching; finish Scripture post; tea and discipleship on Wednesday; plan meals for TWNE volunteer work crew.

[If you are following along with our study, this is the place to make a Week-at-a-Glance checklist and/or priority list for yourself!]

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to our fears, joys, worries, desires and stressors concerning the week ahead.  [If you are following along with us, take a moment in a journal or notebook to do just that.]. Here's what I wrote on Monday, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: No real fears going into this week, though there is a situation of concern on Tuesday night and another on Thursday.   

Joys: Hosting friends at our camp is always a joy, especially missionary friends we seldom see.  Our little weekly tea party with friends is always a joy.  A dinner cruise with friends will be a joy,  Taking a young granddaughter apple picking will also be a joy.

Worries: No real worries going into this week.  A few concerns.

Desires: That God will be glorified in the events of this week.  That I can be a blessing to my teatime friends.  That our missionary friends will be encouraged and that our granddaughter will have a really special day with us.  

Stressors: Time and energy limitations, and housework that won't stay done.

🌿 The next prompt is PRAYER. It was suggested that we use several prayer prompts to have a conversation with God about the week ahead.  [You can do the same.  Use the very same prompts for your own prayer.]

* Lord, You are ... in full control of every aspect of this week, even the most concerning situations. You are so good to give us times of Christian fellowship and family fun.  You are fully aware of time constraints and the limitations of aging, and You are able to help me use my time and energy wisely.

* Lord, I feel ... a little bit overwhelmed by the sheer busyness of life in this season.  I feel privileged to extend hospitality to other believers and incredibly blessed to be able to be used by You in the lives of others.  I feel thankful to be involved in the lives of grandchildren.  I feel a bit discouraged to have fallen so far behind with my exercise program.

* Lord, help me with ... all of the events of this week.  Help me to balance all of the activities and to use my time and energy wisely.  Help me to encourage others in their Christian walk and with the challenges of their everyday lives.  

* Lord, forgive me for ... any time when I try to act in my own strength or wisdom.  Any time that I act or react in ways that do not please You.

* Make a note of 4 or 5 people you are specifically praying for.  I listed a friend dealing with severe pain; a young mom and her children in a very difficult situation; two women with a lot of responsibilities in our church family.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Proverbs 4:23, using the SOAP method, and then answered several suggested questions.   [You can use your own preferred method to meditate on this verse, and answer the questions below for yourself.]

S= "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."  (Proverbs 4:23)

O=   The ESV reads: "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."

The word used for "keep" here is the Hebrew natsar meaning to guard, keep, observe, hide, preserve, hide.  Baker's Complete Word Study Dictionary says, "The word (natsar) refers to people’s maintaining things entrusted to them, especially to keeping the truths of God in both actions and mind (Ps. 119:100, 115). God’s Word is to be kept with our whole hearts (Ps. 119:69); our hearts, in turn, ought to be maintained in a right state."

Another scholar noted that "In short, the Hebrew word natsar is a command calling for continual watching and can even refer to a watchman on security duty. Note also that watching includes two things, one, that you keep noxious pollutants from coming in, and secondly, that you keep anything good from being stolen. Both are relevant when it comes to guarding one's heart."

Cross-reference for "from it" or "out of it" -- "A good man out of the good treasure of .his heart  bringeth forth good things; and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things."  (Matthew 12:35)

Cross-references for "the springs" or "issues" of life" -- "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart, and they defile the man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."  (Matthew 15:18-19))

"Thou wilt show me the path of life.  In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore."  (Psalm 16:11) 

A= To help with my application of this verse, I answered the three questions from Fix your Focus:

* Reflect on what this verse tells you about who God is.

He is a God -- and my Heavenly Father -- who gives me clear and practical instruction as to the best way to live my life.  He desires for me to be diligent.  The issues of life proceed from my heart, so He instructs me to keep, or guard, my heart.

* Think about what this verse tells you about who you are.

I'm a person who needs to learn how God wants me to live life.  I'm someone who needs to guard my heart with all diligence and I need to understand that the issues of life proceed from my heart.

* Throughout the week, consider how this verse should affect the way you live.

 I would say that guarding my heart involves keeping a watch on what I say, do, read, listen to, etc.  I should seek to fill my heart and mind only with things that are edifying and good, so that the things which spring from my heart will also be edifying and good.

One writer gave this excellent counsel which really helps me in applying this verse: "Every morning (empowered by the Spirit, indwelt with the Word) post a sentry on duty at the door of your heart."

 Warren Wiersbe explains, "The Bible warns us to avoid a double heart (Psalm 12:2), a hard heart (Proverbs 28:14), a proud heart (Proverbs 21:4), an unbelieving heart (Hebrews 3:12), a cold heart (Matthew 24:12), and an unclean heart (Psalm 51:10)....If we pollute that wellspring, the infection will spread; before long, hidden appetites will become open sins and public shame.”

Charles Bridges wrote, "The rules laid out in verses 23–27 constitute an invaluable safeguard for our Christian lives. Since we are attacked at every point, every possible place where sin may gain a foothold has to be guarded against—the heart, the mouth, the eyes, the feet. First the heart, man’s citadel, the center of his dearest treasure. It is frightening to think about its many assailants. Let it be guarded carefully. Never let the guard sleep at his post (Deuteronomy 4:9). The heart must be known, so that it may be kept safe. Nothing is more difficult, but nothing is more necessary. If we do not know our hearts, it will be as if we knew nothing at all. Whatever else we know, to neglect this knowledge is to be a prize fool."

He adds, "Then, when I know my heart and feel that it is in the middle of so many dangers, the question arises, can I guard my own heart? Certainly not. This is God’s work, though it is carried out through the agency of man. He works through our efforts. He implants an active principle and sustains the ceaseless exercise. When this is done in his strength and guidance, all the means of our preservation are greatly increased. Watch and pray. Nurture a humble spirit and a dependent spirit. Live in the atmosphere of the Word of God. Resist the evil world, even in its most plausible forms. This will be a conflict until the end of our lives."

Sobering, isn't it?  But so true and so important!

P= "Lord, I'm so thankful that You give clear instructions in the Bible for how You want your people to live.  I praise You for helping me to understand that the issues of life proceed from the heart and, therefore, I need to guard and keep my heart with all diligence.

    "I pray that You will help me to pay attention to this every day.  May I wake up each morning and post a sentry at the door of my heart.  I know that Your Word, hidden in my heart, can keep me from sinful thoughts, deeds, and attitudes.  Help me to get serious about memorizing Scripture so it will be there when I need it.   I thank You for how You will help me,  in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to you over the past week and list five things we are thankful for.  [If you are following along with us, be sure to make your own list of five things!]. Here is my list:

1) Ongoing weekly teatimes with my young friend Jennifer and others .

2) Strength and creativity for decorating the fellowship hall for the missions weekend.

3) So much food leftover from the missions dinner that we had a second meal the next day!

4) A surprise encounter with one of my local young adult grandkids at the grocery store.  Orchestrated by God for sure.

5) The opportunity to talk with my young friend Rebekah and to hear how God is answering prayer on their behalf.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on FELLOWSHIP.  We were to plan a time to fellowship with friends this week.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

Our plan for fellowship: to have our missionary friends Bill & Karen over for lunch at our cottage on Tuesday; to meet with Jennifer and friends for tea on Wednesday; and a dinner cruise with our friends Syd and Cyndy on Saturday night.  

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

What I love determines the course of my life; therefore I choose to love the Lord.

We can take this challenging, uplifting thought into the coming week!

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

End of October Hodgepodge

 It's Wednesday again, and time for the weekly Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.  Joyce asks the questions, bloggers supply the answers. Here are mine.

 1. What do you like most about your family? 

Now that is a very tough question.  I really have no idea how to answer it.   Maybe just the idea that we were all placed in this family together by a sovereign, loving, all-knowing God.

2. What's something nice that's happened to you recently? 

 

Our dear friends treated us to a lovely dinner cruise on a lake.  It was so much fun.  Yummy food, beautiful surroundings, a nicely set table, good company, and a glorious sunset!

3. Do you like the color orange? Besides a pumpkin and an actual orange, what's something orange you love?

 

I do like the color orange quite a lot.  I have a couple of pale orange sweaters that I love, but I really, really love seeing orange leaves (most often on maple trees) in the fall.

4.  What's something you have now you couldn't have imagined having five years ago? How does that make you feel? What's possible now because of it? 

Let me see ... I will say our little camp/cottage.   We acquired it in 2020, but I would never have imagined that we could make it so beautiful and liveable and such a refuge.  Our daughter, son-in-law and their kids helped a lot.  I feel humbled and grateful to have this place which I would never have expected, and wouldn't have thought that we wanted or needed.  It's made possible many quiet hours of relaxation and refreshment; many sweet visits from grandchildren running over from next door or stopping by on their bikes; and many, many opportunities for hospitality and fellowship.

5. Let's wrap this one up with an October this or that...

• pumpkin bread or apple cider donut
• cozy sweater or cozy hoodie
• apple picking or pumpkin picking
• scary movie or Hallmark movie
• hay ride or corn maze
• twinkle lights or candles
• autumn hike or autumn bonfire

 Apple cider donut.
Cozy sweater.
Apple picking.
Hallmark movie -- although to be honest I've never watched one.
Hay ride.
Can I pick both twinkle lights and candles?  That's a hard decision.
Autumn hike.  If autumn campfire had been a choice, I would've had to pick that though.

Hayride at The Wilds of New England

Apple cider donuts

Apple picking (above and below) at a favorite orchard

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

The current drought means no campfires in our state (except in campgrounds).  Hoping yesterday's rain (and more predicted for next week) will help that ban get lifted.

From the TWNE couples' retreat, 2022

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Sunday Scripture

 

 Time for another Sunday Scripture!  As I explained several weeks ago, I've made some changes in  my Sunday posts,  using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus, which is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.  I truly hope that others are finding this as helpful as I am.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of October 6,  but I am working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. But since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this checklist first. This checklist offers us four points:  

* To make a plan for reading our Bibles and praying.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To jot down a to-do list of tasks that must be completed this week.

* To make a note of our top three priorities for this week.

This last point is one that I need to pay special attention to every week.  I've been finding it so helpful.  (The other three points are things that I'm consistently doing.) 

For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Friends and relaxation -- We plan to spend Monday doing some touristy fall things with our young friends.

2) Household --  catch up with housework and laundry; get our old fridge removed by a recycling service.

3) Ministry --  Blogging,  Sunday School lesson prep, make bulletin board, tea and discipleship time on Wednesday, prepare for our church's missions weekend (my hubby and I are part of our church's missions team).

[If you are following along with our study, this is the place to make a Week-at-a-Glance checklist and/or priority list for yourself!]

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to journal about our fears, joys, worries, desires and stressors concerning the week ahead.  [If you are following along with us, take a moment in a journal or notebook to do just that.]. Here's what I wrote on Monday, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: No real fears going into this week.  

Joys: Time spent with our young friends Colby and Emily will be a joy.  Reconnecting with missionary friends will be another.  Tea and discipleship with Jennifer is always a joy.

Worries: No real worries going into this week.  A few concerns.

Desires: To glorify God in all that's said and done this week.  To be able to be a blessing to our friends and to encourage the missionaries who are part of our weekend.

Stressors: Time constraints.  Limited energy.  A few unknowns with the missions weekend that could cause stress if I allowed them to.

🌿 The next prompt is PRAYER. It was suggested that we use several prayer prompts to have a conversation with God about the week ahead.  [You can do the same.  Use the very same prompts for your own prayer.]

* Lord, You are ...  in full control of every aspect of this week.  You are omniscient and know all that it will hold.  You know the concerns of my heart that I don't always voice to anyone else.  You are all-wise and able to give me the wisdom I need for every situation.  You are with my young friend Rebekah whom I haven't been able to reach due to my own time constraints. 

* Lord, I feel ... a little bit stretched with all the various things I need to do.  I feel hopeful and energized after a good night's rest.  I feel encouraged by all of the good teaching I've been able to soak up (and pass on to others) recently.  

* Lord, help me with ... all that I have to do this week.  Help me to figure out an appropriate bulletin board and decor for the fellowship meal.  Help me to have energy and endurance for a lot of hiking on Monday.  Help me with food prep for the church events on the weekend.

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when I don't respond as You would have me to.  Times when I allow my sin issues to get the better of me.  Times when I rely upon my own very limited strength and/or intellect rather than on You.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a young couple making a move;  a family experiencing serious turmoil; and a friend trying to manage severe pain.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, 2 Peter 3:9, using the SOAP method, and then answered several suggested questions.   [You can use your own preferred method to meditate on this verse, and answer the questions below for yourself.]

S= "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."  (2 Peter 3:9)

O=   The ESV reads: "The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient tward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance."

Cross-reference for "slack" -- "For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie; though it tarry, wait for it, because it will surely come, it will not tarry ."  (Habakkuk 2:3)

Cross-references for "longsuffering" -- "But Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth."  (Psalm 86:15)

"And therefore will the LORD wait, that He may be gracious unto you, and therefore will He be exalted, that He may have mercy upon you; for the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all they that wait for Him".  (Isaiah 30:18)

"Willing" may be read "desiring". 

"God does not desire that any should perish, but it is clear that many will not be saved (Revelation 21:8)." -- C.I. Scofield

Cross-references for "should come" -- "Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give His life a ransom for many. "  (Matthew 20:28)

"For this is good, and acceptable in the sight of God, our Savior, who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the knowledge of the truth."  (1 Timothy 2:3-4)

Cross-references for "repentance" -- "Remember, therefore, from where thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove the lampstand out of its place, except thou repent."  (Revelation 2:5)

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  (Matthew 3:1-2)

"And the times of this ignorance God overlooked, but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent."  (Acts 17:30)

"Repent" is the translation of a Greek verb metanoeo, meaning to have another mind, to change the mind, and is used in the NT to indicate a change of mind in respect to sin, God, and self. This change of mind may, especially in the case of Christians who have fallen into sin, be preceded by sorrow; but sorrow for sin, though it may cause repentance, is not repentance. The son in Matthew 21:28-29 illustrates true repentance. Repentance is not an act separate from faith, but saving faith includes and implies that change of mind which is called repentance." -- C.I. Scofield

A= To help with my application of this verse, I answered the three questions from Fix your Focus:

* Reflect on what this verse tells you about who God is.

God is not slow to fulfill His promise.  God is longsuffering and patient.  God does not desire that anyone should perish; His desire is that all would come to repentance.

* Think about what this verse tells you about who you are.

I'm one of those with whom God has been longsuffering. He continues to have patience and longsuffering with me every day.  I'm a person who has come to the place of faith and repentance.  I'm a believer who sees God keep His promises in His timing.

* Throughout the week, consider how this verse should affect the way you live.

 I should trust God to fulfill His promises, knowing He will not be slow to do so.  I should point others to the fact that He doesn't want anyone to perish, but His desire instead is for all people to come to repentance and faith.  Since Christ is my Example, I should exhibit patience and longsuffering in my dealings with others as I seek to point them to Him.

 An Our Daily Bread article noted, "Peter wrote to a persecuted and suffering group of Christians, which is why he highlighted the faithfulness of God. Peter wanted them to remember that the Lord would fulfill the promise of His second coming."

Randy Kilgore wrote in another Our Daily Bread reading: "Sometimes I find myself impatient with God, especially about His return. I wonder, What can He be waiting on? The tragedies around us, the suffering of people we love, and even the stresses of daily life all seem bigger than the fixes on the horizon ... Then someone tells their story of having just met Jesus, or I discover God is still at work in the messes. It reminds me  [that] there are stories and details God knows that I don’t. It reminds me to trust Him and to remember that the story isn’t about me. It’s about God’s plan to give time to others who don’t yet know His Son."

P= "Lord,  I praise You that You are longsuffering and patient, not willing that anyone should perish.  Your desire is that all people would come to repentance, but You have given man a free will and You already know that there will be those who choose not to come to You. I praise You for drawing me to Yourself even though I tried hard to fight against it.

    "I pray that You will help me to be patient and longsuffering with others, as You have been with me.  Help me to patiently wait for the fulfillment of Your promises and to be a light to unbelievers while I wait for Your return.  I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to you over the past week and list five things we are thankful for.  [If you are following along with us, be sure to make your own list of five things!]. Here is my list:

1) God's help with preparing and sharing a testimony for the Ladies of Grace meeting.

2) Tea and discipleship on Wednesday with Jenn and Kendra.

3) The blessing of getting to attend the one-day senior retreat at TWNE.  Great teaching from the book of Job, wonderful food, and all sorts of fall fun.

4) A two-night getaway at a favorite Airbnb, with Friday brunch at a special pancake house and then exploring some autumn lakes and trails.

5) Good teaching, fellowship and fun at the TWNE couples' retreat.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on FASTING. We were to think about how we could replace our fasted item with additional time in God's Word.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

We do intermittent fasting on a regular basis anyway and I always use the time saved by not eating breakfast to spend extra time in Bible reading and study.  Now I don't know how I ever had time to eat breakfast!

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

God's promises are not slow to arrive.

We can take this encouraging, comforting thought into the coming week as we share God's love with others and as we wait on His timing in our own lives.

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Coloring in the Hodgepodge

 

So it's Wednesday again, and time for the weekly Hodgepodge with Joyce and the gang at From This Side of the Pond.  Joyce asks the questions, bloggers supply the answers.  I'm a little late, but here we go!

1. Do you make an effort to see/hear live music? Last time you went somewhere for the live music? 

I am blessed to hear live, beautiful, soaring music every single Sunday.  We have strings and piano, and the teenage strings players are just amazing.  The Wilds of New England also has great music.  I've heard "Orange Blossom Special" 3 times in the past month and enjoyed it more each time.  

Last time I went somewhere specifically for the live music: probably in May, when we went to hear our granddaughter and some friends play in the Lakes Region Symphony Orchestra.  The photo below is from Thanksgiving at my daughter's home a few years back.

2.According to HGTV the colors of the year for 2026 are mostly decided. Top paint companies declare a color of the year, and decorators will incorporate that into their new year home and room designs. Here's what's on tap in terms of paint trends for 2026 (check out the link here to see photos)

Sherwin Williams-universal khaki (inspired by heavy canvas and outdoor gear)

Behr-hidden gem (a confident shade of teal)

Valspar-warm eucylyptus (a warm silver tinted green)

Dutch Boy-melodious ivory (a honey tinted beige)

Glidden-warm mahogany (a classic brick red)

Krylon-matte coffee bean

Clark and Kensington -Hazelnut Crunch (warm reddish-brown)

Graham and Brown-Divine Damson (cherry red with a subtle violet undertone)

Dunn and Edwards-midnight garden (the green that works everywhere) 

First question-did you know there were so many different paint manufacturers? 

 I was familiar with the first half-dozen manufacturers.  Never heard of the others.

Which color on the list most appeals to you in terms of your own decorating style? Do you have plans to do any painting in your home in the coming year, and if so might you choose a color from this list? 

In looking at them, I liked the khaki best.  I don't have plans for painting at the moment, but one never knows, I suppose, when the impulse will strike. 

Now, forget painting walls, which color name appeals to you most? 

Hazelnut Crunch if we are going strictly by name.

3. What's something in your life you have to do-watch-or participate in that's about as exciting as 'watching paint dry'? 

You know, I really can't think of anything like that in my life.  Probably I'll read an answer from someone else that might remind me of something, though.

4 . Tuesday, October 14th is/was National Dessert day...did you/will you celebrate? Tell us how? What's your absolute favorite dessert. Yes, just one. I know!! 

I did celebrate but not intentionally.  We had guests over for lunch at our cottage and I served Maple Apple Crisp (which has become a standby recipe!) for dessert.  My absolute favorite dessert?  Oh, I have no idea how to pick a favorite.

5. Perhaps today is the day I will __________________________________. 

Get back to my exercise program or finally start that 7-day home reset.  I plan to add this homemade laundry scent booster as I launder linens during that reset to soften and scent them.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Paint manufacturers have to be a little bit crazy to name and personify their colors.   "A confident shade of teal" indeed!

That's the Hodgepodge for today!

Sunday Scripture

 Time for another Sunday Scripture!  As previously mentioned, I'm using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus, which is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.  I truly hope that others are finding this as helpful as I am.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of September 22,  but I am working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is further on in each week's section. But since I am working on Fix Your Focus all week long, I find it works best for me to do this checklist first. This checklist offers us four points:  

* To make a plan for reading our Bibles and praying.

* To add any upcoming events to our calendars.

* To jot down a to-do list of tasks that must be completed this week.

* To make a note of our top three priorities for this week.

This last point is one that I need to pay special attention to every week.  I've been finding it so helpful.  (The other three points are things that I'm consistently doing.) 

For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Rest -- Ladies of Grace meeting on Saturday will feel restorative; get to bed early each night we are at home.

2) Homemaking -- change to fall decor; declutter flat surfaces; Zone 3 tasks; work on computer room.

3) Ministry -- SS lesson prep and teaching, preparing testimony for Ladies of Grace meeting; tea and discipleship on Wednesday; blogging; work at volunteer job; .

[If you are following along with our study, this is the place to make a Week-at-a-Glance checklist and/or priority list for yourself!]

🌿 The first actual prompt for each week is JOURNAL.  We are encouraged to take a few minutes to our fears, joys, worries, desires and stressors concerning the week ahead.  [If you are following along with us, take a moment in a journal or notebook to do just that.]. Here's what I wrote on Monday, breaking it down into the suggested categories:

Fears: No real fears going into this week, although the recent martyrdom of a conservative Christian leader could give us pause.   

Joys:  Our Ladies of Grace meeting will be a joy.  Our little weekly tea party with friends is always a joy.  Ministry at TWNE is a joy,  I find joy in homemaking when I'm able to take time to do it.

Worries: I could have a lot of worries about life right now, but Jesus commands us not to worry, so I am trying to leave it all with Him.  

Desires: That God will be glorified in every aspect of this week.  That I can pull together a testimony that will be a blessing at the LOG meeting.  That I could get a good start on a 7-day home reset.  

Stressors: Time constraints, and just the simple fact that everything we do takes longer as we age.  It's hard to get used to that, but it is a fact of life.

🌿 The next prompt is PRAYER. It was suggested that we use several prayer prompts to have a conversation with God about the week ahead.  [You can do the same.  Use the very same prompts for your own prayer.]

* Lord, You are ... so kind and so good to give me so many opportunities to serve You and to minister to others.  You are in full control of each detail of  what needs to happen this week, You are able to give me strength and energy for what needs to be done.

* Lord, I feel ... a bit overwhelmed by the busyness of life.

* Lord, help me with ... the things that need to happen this week.  Help me with wise use of time and planning what needs to be done and when, and with my interactions with my husband and others..  

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when my attitude is bad or I allow my emotions to get the better of me.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed  a young mom and her kids in a heartrending situation, a friend coping with severe pain, and another young mom who needs encouragement.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Micah 6:8, using the SOAP method, and then answered several suggested questions.   [You can use your own preferred method to meditate on this verse, and answer the questions below for yourself.]

S= "He hath shown thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LorD require of thee, but do do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" (Micah 6:8)

O=  The ESV reads, "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"

Scofield titles this section "what the LORD requires of man".

The Daily Walk Bible gives us a picture of what is happening in Micah 6:1-5 -- "Micah's prophecy closes with a courtroom scene.  God has a controversy with His people, and He calls the mountains and hills together to sit in judgment on the case.  The people have replaced wholehearted worship with halfhearted ritual.  They have divorced God's righteous standards from their daily business transactions in order to justify their greed and corruption.  In short, they have failed to understand what God requires of His covenant people."

So Micah reminds them:  God has shown them what is good.  What does the LORD require of His people?

🍁 To do justly
🍁 To love mercy
🍁 To walk humbly with their God.

"He has told [or shown] is the Hebrew nagad - נָגַד which means "to tell, report, make known or declare something, to make it conspicuous. "To speak information for any purpose, used in such contexts as a message, a verdict, a warning, etc." (Swanson). The basic idea was “to place a matter high, conspicuous before a person."

Cross-references for "shown thee" "And now, O Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul."  (Deuteronomy 10:12)

"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams."  (1 Samuel 15:22)

"For I desired mercy, and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."  (Hosea 6:6)

"Therefore, turn thou to thy God; keep mercy and justice, and wait on thy God continually."  (Hosea 12:6)

In the phrase "what doth the LORD require", "require" is the Hebrew darash - דָּרַשׁ which means to seek with care, to inquire, to require, to investigate, to examine, to study. The participial form of the verb suggests this is an ongoing expectation on God’s part.

So what does the LORD seek diligently for?  He will describe three things (to do justly, to love mercy, to walk humbly with Him), but all of them emanate from a heart that is humble and in right relationship to God -- this is what He diligently seeks for in His people.

Cross-references for "to do justly" -- "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD to do righteousness and justice; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him."  (Genesis 18:19))

"Learn to do well; seek justice, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."  (Isaiah 1:17) 

 The word "mercy" is elsewhere translated "kindness".  It is the Hebrew hesed which has the idea of faithful love in action. One writer explains, "It reflects the loyal love of Jehovah for His people, and speaks of relationship and covenant obligation. This noun is often used of God, and we do well to be imitators of Him. God's hesed denotes persistent and unconditional tenderness, kindness, and mercy, a relationship in which He seeks after man with love and mercy. How wonderful when our life begins to display just a "fraction" of this divine quality!"

A= To help with my application of this verse, I answered the three questions from Fix your Focus:

* Reflect on what this verse tells you about who God is.

He is the Ruler of the universe and He has a standard for how He desires for His people to live.  He has shown man what is good and what He requires of him.

* Think about what this verse tells you about who you are.

I'm someone who needs to be shown by the Lord what is good and what He requires of me.  I can't know this on my own, nor can I obey it on my own.  I'm in need of God's help in all areas.

* Throughout the week, consider how this verse should affect the way you live.

 I should live in obedience to the light God shows me.  I should do justly in all my actions and interactions.  I should love mercy and show kindness.  I should walk humbly with my God, remembering that He hates pride of any kind.

"Verse 8 describes what God requires; to obey this a person must have divine life. An unconverted person is totally incapable of producing this kind of righteousness." -- William MacDonald

 Warren Wiersbe explains, "None of us can do what God requires until first we come to God as broken sinners who need to be saved. Unsaved people who think they are doing justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly with God are only fooling themselves, no matter how moral their lives may be. 'Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us' (Titus 3:5)." 

"Humility must be in the heart, and then it will come out spontaneously as the outflow of life in every act that a man performs.... True humility is thinking rightly of thyself, not meanly. When you have found out what you really are, you will be humble, for you are nothing to boast of. To be humble will make you safe. To be humble will make you happy. To be humble will make music in your heart when you go to bed. To be humble here will make you wake up in the likeness of your Master by-and-by.” -- Charles Spurgeon

P= "Lord, I'm so thankful that You tell us exactly how You want Your people to live.  There is no way I could ever know this without Your clear instructions to Your people in Your Word.  I thank and praise You for drawing me to Yourself and for helping me to read and understand Your Word, the Bible.

    "I pray that You will help me every day to live in the ways that please You.  Help me to do justly, to love mercy and kindness, and to walk humbly with You, remembering that You resist the proud and give grace to the humble.  I thank You for how You will help me to do these things,  in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 GRATITUDE is the next prompt.  We were to reflect on the way God has shown His faithfulness to you over the past week and list five things we are thankful for.  [If you are following along with us, be sure to make your own list of five things!]. Here is my list:

1) The opportunity to enjoy dessert and a time of catching up with our neighbors on the Monday night .

2) The blessings of a wonderful day with friends: breakfast out, the Cannon Mountain Tramway, and hiking at The Basin, all on Tuesday.

3) Strength and wisdom for looking after our family's house and animals while they vacationed.

4) Tea and discipleship on Wednesday; breakfast out with another couple on Thursday.

5) An excellent time with wonderful fellowship and teaching at a ladies' retreat on Friday and Saturday.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on REST.  We were to make a plan to intentionally rest this week.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

Our plan for rest: to get to bed early each night that we are home. To spend several hours at our camp on Sunday afternoon. 

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

It is good to act justly, love faithfulness, and walk humbly with my God.

We can take this instructive, challenging thought into the coming week as we seek to live the Christian life as God would have us to.

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!