Sunday Scripture

 For Sunday Scripture posts currently, I'm using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus. This 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.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of June 23, but I am working ahead of you readers.  (I can hardly believe that in my own working on this book, I am 17 weeks into it.  Seems unbelievable.). 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 week-at-a-glance checklist first.  [Maybe you would like to use this same checklist if you are following along with us.]

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) Friends & family-- time with friends on Monday, an extended-family commitment on Thursday evening, possibly a belated Father's Day celebration on Sunday.

2) Home and Etsy -- trying to catch up on homemaking tasks and Etsy listings

3) Ministry --  phone call with Rebekah, Sunday School lesson prep, blogging.

[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, although the national and world news could certainly be fear-inducing were I so inclined.  

Joys: It will be pure joy to spend time with friends on Monday, taking a little staycation day trip together.  Blogging is a joy for me, as will be our LOG meeting on Saturday.

Worries: No real worries, just concerns for my husband's health.  He's feeling that the lesions on his scalp may be returning, and of course that's a concern for me.

Desires: Certainly that God will be glorified in the events of this week. That the family event on Thursday would go well.  That I can be an encouragement to other women of all ages.

Stressors: The news!  My hubby's concerns over his health and trying to help him navigate the best solutions. Extended family dynamics.

🌿 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 ... sovereign over all of the events of this week.  You are omniscient and aware of all that it will hold. You are all-powerful and able to change any situation even on a world level.  You are the Great Physician and able to heal any and all physical issues.

* Lord, I feel ... honestly, a bit discouraged that some of the scalp lesions seem to be returning.  I feel at a bit of a loss as to how best to tweak this regimen to help its effectiveness.  I feel tired and crampy myself this morning, so not at my best.

* Lord, help me with ... all the things on my heart and mind today -- a terminally ill friend, my hubby's skin, Saturday's LOG that I need to prepare baked goods for  ... "just everything", as one of my daughters used to say.

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when I try to carry too much myself instead of handing it all over to You.  For times when I doubt or worry.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a dear friend in hospice care; her adult children as they oversee her care; a young couple seeking God's direction; our former pastor as he grieves the loss of his wife of many years.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Ephesians 6:12, 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= "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."  (Ephesians 6:12)

O= We notice that this verse begins with the preposition "for".  The context indicates that this is a term of explanation,  so we must ask ourselves what it is that is being explained.  In this case, it is the concept that Christians are in a spiritual war.

The Christian warrior's foes are listed in this verse:

* Principalities

* Powers

* The rulers of the darkness of this world

* Spiritual wickedness in high places.

Verse 11 advises the Christian warrior to put on the whole armor of God, so they will be able to be stand against the wiles of the devil.

Verses 14-17 describe every piece of the armor, and verse 18 describes the resource of prayer.

Cross-reference for "powers" -- "In times past, ye walked according to this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketth in the children of disobedience."  (Ephesians 2:2)

Cross-reference for "rulers of darkness" -- Ephesians 1:21 tells us that the risen Christ is "far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in that which is to come."

Cross-references for "darkness of this world" -- "When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against Me; but this is your hour, and the power of darkness."  (Luke 22:53)

"Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son." (Colossians 1:13)

"High places" literally means "the heavenlies."

Cross-reference for "high places" -- "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ."

The use of the present tense implies, says Dr. Walter Martin,  that "this struggle or hand to hand combat is not a one time occurrence but is a daily, ongoing, continual warfare, whether we like it or not. The lie of Satan is that we have a battle here and there, and so we don't need the armor at all times. That is a lie and to act on it leaves the Christian soldier vulnerable."

Ruth Paxson notes the repeated use of the word "against."  She says: "The word "against" stands out five times upon the page. We have an out-and-out adversary who is actively and aggressively warring against us, assisted by powerful and wicked allies."

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 opposite of the rulers listed in this verse.  He is in opposition to all of these.  He is light rather than darkness, and would have His warriors to fight against the powers of darkness.

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

As a Christian, I'm in a spiritual battle, fighting against these powers of darkness.  I'm not necessarily fighting flesh-and-blood enemies that can be seen.

* Throughout the week, consider how these verses should affect the way you live.

I must recognize that I'm in a spiritual battle against an enemy who wants to destroy me and all believers -- or to at least render us ineffective.  In order to successfully battle this enemy, I must have my spiritual armor firmly in place and I must be in constant communication with my Commander through prayer.

One author noted that Paul does not call the believer to enter into spiritual warfare. "He simply announces it as a fact and explains that it is not mere men you face but the wiles of the scheming devil. In military strategy one must never underestimate the strength of the enemy. Paul is certainly not guilty of such fatal misjudgment but gives a realistic report of its potential."

Herbert Vander Lugt wrote in Our Daily Bread, "The Bible clearly acknowledges the presence of invisible but very real spiritual beings, or powers. In Ephesians 6:11-12, Paul declared that our primary warfare is against an army of rebellious angels headed by Satan. The bad news is that they are more intelligent and powerful than we are. The good news is that Jesus defeated them by His death on the cross: “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them” (Col. 2:15).

"There are many things beyond our control, but we need not fear. We who have placed our trust in Jesus are on the winning side."

P= "Lord, I thank and praise You for the clear teaching of Your Word.   I am so thankful that we can clearly understand the importance of the battle we are in, that it truly is a battle between good and evil.  Help me to always remember that Satan wants to destroy me -- or, at the very least, to make me ineffective.  Help me to be wise and consistent in employing my spiritual armor, and to stay in good contact with You, my mighty Commander who has already defeated Satan. I praise You for all that You will do, 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) Getting to have a really nice breakfast out with friends we don't ordinarily get to see often.

2) The blessing of seeing these same friends twice within one week.

3) The joy of being able to be used by God in the lives of other women, young and old.

4) Being able to get out for a walk a couple of times in the past week.  It feels good to get back to that.

5) Getting to spend time with Rebekah; the blessing that Mr. T and her toddler son have such a special relationship.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on SERVING. We were to think about our available resources -- time, finances, prayer, etc. We were to consider how we could serve those in need this week.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

 My answer: I can seek to support and encourage my husband and be a practical help to him as he deals with his skin condition.  I can be there as an encouraging presence as he speaks about his family at a local historical society.  I can bake a coffeecake to serve ladies at our monthly LOG meeting.  I can prepare a Sunday School lesson and blog posts to encourage other ladies.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

There is a spiritual battle happening in my life for which God equips me to fight.

We can take this challenging yet heartening thought into the coming week as we face the spiritual battles ahead!

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Two quick public service announcements

 

1)  Just really quick, I know that some of you enjoy visiting over at my Christmas blog, so I wanted to remind you that Christmas in July is going on over there all month.  Link is in the sidebar.

2) From now through July 24, there's a Christmas in July sale over at my Etsy shop, A New Hampshire attic.  Link to that is also in the sidebar.  All listings in the Vintage Christmas category are 25% off through the 24th of July, so head on over and browse.  I'm hoping to add a few more items to that category in the coming week.

Adulting with the Hodgepodge

The second week of July!  How is that even possible?  And it's also time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce writes the questions, bloggers provide the answers!  Here we go ... 

1. What's an adult problem nobody prepared you for? 

Caring for aging parents.  We sort of learn as we go.

2. How tuned in are you to all the recent food related health news? Have you gotten rid of your scratched cookware? Did you pay attention to food additives before they made the news? What's one healthy eating/cooking/food shopping habit you need to adopt? 

I may not be tuned in to all of it, but I do know enough to realize we've been sold a bill of goods as to what actually is healthy and what is not.  I have gotten rid of most of my scratched cookware, but I plead guilty to still harboring some old scratched cookie sheets.  I just like the way they bake, but I do know they ought to be replaced.

I paid attention to some food additives but am becoming much more aware of them now.  I think the biggest habit I need to work on implementing is reading labels at the grocery store.

 3. What's getting worse and worse as you get older? How about better and better? 

Everything seems to take longer and longer as we age.  There are things that get better and better.  Marriage, for one.  At least from my vantage point.

4. Are you more of an indoor person or an outdoor person? Elaborate. 

I love the outdoors, but probably in general I'm more of an indoor person.  I enjoy being outdoors and in nice weather will try to spend a lot of time outdoors,  but I don't love outdoor sports other than walking.  I do love being outside in God's creation and especially love to have my quiet time outdoors.  I always feel calmed and encouraged as I observe God's power, beauty, wisdom, creativity and order in nature.

5. If you had an expert personal assistant today, what would you have them do? 

Sort through all of my cookbooks and recipes to declutter and organize them.

 6. Insert your own random thought here. 

What a week it's been!  Vacation Bible School at church every morning, and afternoons have been very busy too.  Today we delivered a casket my hubby built to a funeral home.  Years ago he promised our dear friend to make her a "plain pine box" when the time came, and he made good on his promise.

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Sunday Scripture

  

Yes, it's time for another Sunday Scripture!  I'm currently 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.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of June 16, but I will be 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 week-at-a-glance checklist first.  [Maybe you would like to use this same checklist if you are following along with us.]

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 think it would be so helpful.  (The other three points are things that I'm consistently doing.) 

For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Homemaking -- catch up on some neglected household tasks 

2) People and ministry -- meet with Rebekah, meet friends for breakfast, walk with Rachel, call Jenn, blogging and Sunday School lesson prep

3) Etsy shop -- ship orders, get serious and list more items

🌿 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: It will be a joy to fellowship with friends for breakfast and to get together with my young friend Rebekah.  I find joy in studying God's Word, blogging, and seeing some homemaking tasks done, so this week has potential for a lot of joy.

Worries: I try not to worry, but there's plenty to be concerned about: my hubby's psoriasis, a grandchild heading to camp, two grandchildren with a serious stomach bug...

Desires: I desire to accomplish a lot of homemaking tasks this week.  I desire for my husband to feel better and to be free of this psoriasis.  I desire to be. an encouragement to other ladies through phone calls, meet-ups, blogging, and Sunday School.  I desire to glorify God in the events of this week.  I also desire some rest..

Stressors: Trying to do what's best for my husband in his diet, his comfort, and even trying to keep his skin flakes vacuumed up.   The busyness of life, the limitations of aging, and extended family dynamics are also stressful.

🌿 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 this week.  You are sovereign over all its events -- even the global, worldwide ones as well as my personal life.  You are able to give tremendous wisdom to our president and I pray he will be sensitive to your guidance  You are able to give me and my husband wisdom for his diet and other factors concerning his health.  You are wisdom and You are faithful to give wisdom when we ask. You are all-powerful and able to turn events as You desire, according to Your sovereign plan and purposes.  You are the great Physician and able to heal my husband's skin issues.

* Lord, I feel ... Honestly, a bit discouraged today, regarding the psoriasis.  Although I see signs of improvement in areas, other areas are not improving much and he thinks they may even be getting worse.  I can't tell, but the thought troubles me.  I know that any of the drugs for the condition are really not helpful, but am unsure if the alternate ways we're addressing it are enough or if we should tweak something a  bit.

* Lord, help me with ... knowing what more can be done, what avenues to pursue.  Please direct me to the sources that can help.  I know that the medical establishment has no real answers because they don't even acknowledge the true cause of the condition.  Help me too with the cleaning up of seemingly endless skin cells which accumulate on our floor.  Help me to know how best to encourage my husband.

* Lord, forgive me for ...  times when I become hurt or frustrated by the words or attitudes of others.  I know that my hubby is frustrated by the slow progress in healing and that at times. he is extremely uncomfortable.    Forgive me for times when I might become worried or fretful over this.  I know it's in Your control and that You have a good purpose in all that You allow.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a friend facing surgery, an older widow who needs encouragement,  a young couple seeking God's direction, and an older friend who has just been placed on hospice care.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture,Matthew 6:33, 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= "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

O= This verse is part of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 through 7).

Matthew 4:17  tells us of the beginning of Jesus' public ministry in Caperanum: "From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

Scofield explains, "Having announced that the kingdom of heaven is at hand, the King now, in the Sermon on the Mount, declares to His disciples the principles of that kingdom."

It"s interesting that this verse begins with the word "But" which indicates a change of direction,  In this case, "but" makes the contrast with the Gentiles. Jesus is saying rather than being like the pagans who are concerned about their physical needs, the citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven should be concerned about and seek after the things of God.

"Seek" here is the Greek zeteo which means "to try to learn where something is or try to find as in searching for something that is lost; to attempt to learn something by careful investigation or searching. Seeking in this context speaks of a single minded focus."

Cross-references for "seek first"-- "Blessed are those who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled."  (Matthew 5:6)

"For I say unto you that, except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven."  (Matthew 5:20)

"First" is the Greek proton which means first in time, place, order or, importance. 

The biblical concept of first seeking for the things of God is one that touches our motivation and priorities including how we spend our leisure time, the goals we set in life, and whether or not we experience spiritual growth.

Cross-reference for "kingdom of God" -- "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven."  (Matthew 6:10)

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

He is the King.  He rules over the kingdom of God.  He will provide all that I need if I will prioritize seeking after His kingdom and His righteousness.

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

I am a subject of the King.  I am a person in need of many things, and I can know that God will provide them all if I first seek His kingdom and righteousness.

* Throughout the week, consider how these verses should affect the way you live.

I should seek God's kingdom and righteousness first.  I should seek to live and walk in ways that please Him.  I should keep in mind that whatever I do should be done heartily, as to Him, and not unto men, for I "serve the Lord Christ."

One writer has said, "Christian, put priority on daily Bible study and prayer, even if you must neglect some secondary things. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God!"

Charles Spurgeon wrote in Faith's Checkbook, "See how the Bible opens: “In the beginning God.” Let your life open in the same way. Seek with your whole soul, first and foremost, the kingdom of God, as the place of your citizenship, and His righteousness as the character of your life. As for the rest, it will come from the Lord Himself without your being anxious concerning it. All that is needful for this life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3) “shall be added unto you.”

Pastor Ray Pritchard advises: "Here’s a simple test to help you discover what you truly seek in life. This test is absolutely foolproof. You tell me how you spend your time and your money and I’ll tell you what you are seeking. You can say anything you like, you can come to church and look very religious, but your time and your money don’t lie. Time is life and money is nothing but the time it takes to make the money. Show me your calendar and your checkbook and I’ll know the truth about your priorities."

P= Lord, I'm thankful today  for the  clarity  of Your Word that tells us so clearly how You would have Your children to live their lives.  I pray that You will help me to fully grasp the concept of seeking You first every day, even if some secondary things must be temporarily set aside.  Help me to seek You and Your righteousness every day, knowing that You will give me all things that are necessary for life and godliness.  I thank You for all You will do,  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) Time to meet with Rebekah even in the midst of a busy week.

2) Energy to plan and prepare food for two back-to-back events at church.

3) The memorial service: a testimony of a life lived to God's glory.

4) Getting to see so many dear old friends at that service.

5) The God-honoring anniversary service and the joy of praising God with so many of His younger servants.

🌿 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.

We planned for breakfast out with old friends at an iconic mountain restaurant in New Hampshire.  We had a wonderful visit over pancakes!.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

I will focus on serving God; He will take care of everything else.

What a great reminder for all of us in the coming week!

A glorious Fourth of July to you!

 

I hope that each of you Americans reading this will have a glorious Fourth of July celebrating the birthday of our beloved country! Whether you celebrate with family, friends, or church family, whether you are here on US soil or elsewhere, whether you're enjoying a picnic, a parade, or fireworks, I hope that each of you will take a moment sometime throughout the day to thank God for the land He has blessed us to be able to live in. Our country has many serious problems and flaws, but it is still a wonderful place to live and has many blessings which we often take for granted. Whenever I think of "America the Beautiful" these words come to my mind:

"America! America!

God mend thine every flaw.

Confirm thy soul in self-control,

Thy liberty in law!"

Truly, God is the only One who can mend our flaws -- but we have to want that to happen and we need to beseech God that it will happen. 

Regarding the phrase "confirm thy soul in self-control, thy liberty in law" I'm reminded that as citizens we are often somewhat confused concerning the balance between liberty and self-control. Our land offers us many freedoms, yet we take them for granted and many times do not see the need to exercise self-control or self-restraint in any area of life. We want what we want, when we want it, and then when we meet the inevitable consequences of our lack of self-control, we expect our government to take care of us.

Let's take time today to beseech God to help us "mend our flaws" as a nation, to ask for wisdom in exercising our freedoms, and to thank Him for the privilege of living in this land.

Mr. T is involved with an Independence Day parade this morning, and this afternoon we will enjoy a simple cookout with family and good friends.  The weather sounds promising too.

Have a wonderful Independence Day, everyone!

A few goals for July

How is it July already?  Not sure how it happened, but we are three days in and it's time to set some goals.  Here goes!

* Post in this blog as often as possible

* Post in my Christmas blog every day if at all possible

* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones

* Continue reading through the One-Year Chronological Bible

*  Continue with the book Fix Your Focus for my Sunday Scripture series

* Continue studying and preparing for my ladies' Sunday School class 

* Continue through the wonderful Daily Grace Co. study of Habakkuk, Even If (this is intended to be a 3-week study; it has taken me months since I only work on it on Saturdays)

* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items

* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family

* Keep up with Flylady's zones of the week

* Have friends over at our camp for the Fourth of July 

* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able

* Help out with vacation Bible school at church

* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating

* Take a few days in Maine with friends

* Continue meeting with my young friend R. for discipleship

* Spend quality time at our little camp; plan some staycation time

* Get to bed by 8:30 each night we are at home

* Drink enough water each day

* Attend a graveside service for a dear friend

* Spend time with family visiting from out of state

* Continue with the habit of getting outdoors for the morning light

* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

HEALTHY HABITS FOR JULY:  Drink more water/get more sleep/exercise daily/intermittent fasting/limit carbs/get morning light

And that is more than enough to keep me out of trouble this month!

A red, white and blue Hodgepodge

  

July is here!  And it's also time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce writes the questions, bloggers provide the answers!  Here we go ...

 1. What does freedom mean to you? 

 Borrowing my answer to a similar question from 2017:

"There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

"For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death."  (Romans 8:1-2)

🌿🌿🌿

"If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."  (John 8:36)

🌿🌿🌿

"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." (Galatians 5:1)

🌿🌿🌿

 That is true freedom, but I also appreciate the following definitions:

2. How will you celebrate Independence Day this year? If you live outside the USA answer this question as it relates to your own country's patriotic holiday, wherever that may land on the calendar. 

We usually have a church picnic on this day, but this year we're waiting until fall for that.  My hubby is part of a group that waves flags every Saturday morning and they are participating in a parade in the morning.  In the afternoon, we plan to have friends over for  a visit and an early supper at our cottage.

3. This or that...red, white, or blue? Stars or stripes? Watermelon, home made ice cream, or blueberry pie? How do you feel about fireworks?  

Blue.
Stripes.
Homemade Ice cream.

I like fireworks a lot but at this point I especially enjoy the backyard fireworks displays some people do.  Much nicer than fighting crowds to see fireworks that are often not as good.

The above was from a backyard fireworks display a few years ago.

4. What have you purchased recently that made you excited? 

The ingredients to make some homemade tallow balm. 

5. I'm thankful to live in America (or fill in whatever country you call home) because____________.

Many reasons but maybe especially because of the Four Freedoms that Norman Rockwell depicted in his famous series of paintings: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear.  These are blessings that Rockwell presented in uniquely American ways.  

Beautiful graphic from Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We had lunch today at such a sweet little cafe!  Hoping to blog or at least write an Instagram post about it.  Everything homemade, great portions, excellent prices.  

And there'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 June 9, but I will be 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) Food prep-- for back-to-back events coming up at church on Saturday and Sunday.

2) Homemaking -- trying to catch up with home tasks and to do some decluttering

3) People --  phone calls and meet-ups, plus seeing old friends who are grieving and seeking to be a blessing to them.

[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: It will be a joy to fellowship with many old friends on Saturday at a memorial service.  Sad reason, but joyful fellowship.  It will also be a joy to celebrate our 3rd anniversary as a merged church with a wonderful choir of staff from TWNE.

Worries: Not really worries, just concerns for my husband's health.  Trying to be sure we're doing what's best for him.  Also that everything goes smoothly with the two events this weekend.

Desires: Certainly that God will be glorified in the events of this week.  Also that the family of a dear saint having a memorial service for her at our church will be encouraged, comforted and blessed by our ministry to them.  And that our church anniversary on Sunday might be a wonderful testimony that will draw many to the Lord and encourage believers.

Stressors: Time and energy constraints, limitations of aging, and my hubby's skin condition.

🌿 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 the events of this week.  You are able to provide the health, strength and energy I need for each activity.  You are even ale to expand my time and allow me to accomplish more than I think possible..

* Lord, I feel ...quite optimistic and energized for the week ahead.  I feel very thankful for this!

* Lord, help me with ... wise use of my time, especially with the food preparation I need to do and the household tasks I'd like to accomplish.

* Lord, forgive me for ... wrong, sinful or selfish attitudes that crop up from time to time.  Forgive me for wasting time occasionally, and help me to use each moment to its maximum potential.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a dear friend whose wife's memorial service is this weekend; a young couple seeking God's direction; another young couple seeking to raise their family to God's glory.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Psalm 127:1, 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= "Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it; except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."  (Psalm 127:1)

O= The ESV reads: "Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.  Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchman stays awake in vain."

Psalm 127 is one of fifteen "Songs of Ascents" -- Psalms that were sung by worshippers as they went up to Jerusalem for the great festivals -- OR possibly sung by pilgrims "on the ascending march from the Babylonian captivity to Jerusalem."  -- C.I. Scofield

One author wrote: "This Psalm  teaches us to depend in all our undertakings on the blessing of God. The Divine blessing is the only true source of prosperity. It should be sought on the threshold of every undertaking."

Cross-reference for "vain" -- "And your strength shall be spent in vain; for your land shall not yield her increase, neither shall the trees of the land yield their fruits."  (Leviticus 26:20)

Cross-reference for "except the LORD keep the city" -- "Behold, He that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.  The LORD is thy keeper; the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand."  (Psalm 121:4-5)

Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures says: "All help, all protection, and all blessing come from God; without Him all labor, care, and trouble are vain."

Several sources suggested looking at Proverbs 10:22 -- "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and He addeth no sorrow with it."

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 sovereign over all the affairs of men.  He is the One who holds all things together.  He is our keeper.  He is the One who is to be the foundation on which we build our lives and homes.

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

I am a person who needs to build my life on the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ and of His Word.  I am inadequate to build my life myself and would be foolish to build it on any other foundation.  I am inadequate in myself to protect myself.  Ultimately it is the Lord who protects me.

* Throughout the week, consider how these verses should affect the way you live.

I should seek to live my life as one whose life is built on the sure foundation of Christ and His Word.  My life outwardly should be consistent with my inward life.  Although I should be prudent and wise and be a good steward of my life, ultimately my protection comes from God.

One author noted that there is no prohibition here against our building or watching, but against our doing anything independently of God. If we are to succeed, we must be fellow workers with Him.

David Roper wrote in Our Daily Bread, "It’s useless to drive ourselves in anxious frenzy, “to rise up early, to sit up late” (127:2), as if success depended solely on our efforts. We must work hard and be faithful in all we do, but we must also realize that everything depends on God. He never stops working on our behalf."

Herbert Vander Lugt noted, "Some Bible scholars believe that in his later years Solomon wrote Psalm 127 out of his own bitter experience. He had discovered at last the futility of going his own way.

"Our way is the path of human wisdom and self-reliance. It leads to frustration and emptiness. God’s way involves trusting Him, obeying Him, and depending on Him. It leads to satisfaction and joy—in part on earth but fully in heaven. Each day let’s choose to live God’s way."

P= "Lord, I praise You for the wisdom to be found it Your Word.   Truly You give wisdom for every aspect of life, and You give us clear direction for living our lives in a way that pleases You.  I pray that You will help me to trust and obey You, depending on You through every moment of life, realizing that I can do nothing of eternal value in my own strength.  Having built my life on the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray that You will help me to work hard and do my best, living as one whose foundation is in Him.  It's in His name that I pray! 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) Breakfast out, at an iconic New Hampshire landmark, with friends on the Monday.

2) Taking some time on our own after breakfast that day to drive some scenic back roads in New Hampshire and Vermont.

3) Spending an hour with a dear friend along our route.

4) Seeing significant changes in my hubby's skin issues.

5) Getting to spend some time with dear young friends and their children on Saturday.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on FASTING. We were to make a plan concerning what we would fast from, and what would be the duration and frequency of our fast.  We were also to consider how we might replace our fasted item with the pursuit of God and His Word.  [And again, if you are following along, please think about this for yourself.]

  I do intermittent fasting daily, fasting approximately 16 to 18 hours each day.  This practice absolutely does free up time for spending in God's Word and in prayer, and I take full advantage of that!

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

It is the Lord, not human effort, that makes any task successful.

We can take this encouraging thought into the coming week as we seek to serve God in His strength and not our own.

And there's the Sunday Scripture for this week!

Adventuring with the Hodgepodge

 

 Wednesday again (how does that happen?) ... and that means it's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce writes the questions, bloggers provide the answers!  Here we go ...

 1. What does adventure mean to you? 

  Adventure means trying something new, be it a flavor or an experience, something off the beaten path.  I'm not an adventurous person in many ways. I'm fairly adventurous about food, and moderately adventurous about travel, but nothing extreme.

 I've picnicked in places with this signage.  Some would call that adventurous.

Some folks are terrified of heights or riding in a tram car like this.  I quite enjoy it.

2.  What are your thoughts on tipping? What businesses or service providers do you regularly tip? Do you resent being asked if you'd like to add a tip? What about when a suggested amount is presented? 

I will nearly always leave a tip.  Mostly we only regularly tip in restaurants or occasionally put something in a tip jar at an ice-cream place.  (We don't frequent hair salons or other places where a tip might be expected.)  When we traveled West by Amtrak, we did tip service personnel.  

We usually tip 20% but if the service was great it might be more.  If it was not very good service the tip will reflect that.  I don't care for it when people ask for tips or suggest an amount.

3. I scream you scream we all scream for ice cream...do we? Is ice cream a favorite treat at your house? What's your favorite flavor? Regular, soft serve, gelato, sherbet, or some sort of non-dairy version of ice cream...what's your pleasure? 

Oh, ice cream is a huge favorite at my house.  However, with a special diet for my hubby's psoriasis we are avoiding both sugar and dairy, so we aren't currently eating it. Regular ice cream is our favorite, especially homemade (and we have a lot of homemade ice cream places in our state).  Favorite flavor is a difficult choice.   One place makes a sweet cream flavor that's really good.  And I love one that features malted milk ice cream with bits of Milky Way in it.

If only this were true!  

Our state takes its ice cream seriously.  Some of our favorite places are on this Ice Cream Trail.

4. What's your 'back in my day, we____________________ ' story or saying? 

"... girls had to wear skirts to school every day."   This was in public school no less.

5. Somehow this is our last Hodgepodge in the month of June. Next week's Hodgepodge lands in July. Wow. Sum up your June using three adjectives. 

Challenging, friend-filled, busy. 

 

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Our peonies are blooming.  Such beautiful flowers.  I wish they lasted longer.

 

That's the Hodgepodge for today!