Sunday Scripture

As I explained a couple of weeks ago, I'm shifting gears on my Sunday Scripture posts ... stepping away from the study of Psalms for awhile.  This is something God has placed on my heart to do, and I hope others are finding it as helpful as I am.

I am 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 March 17, 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. 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.  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 attention to every week.  I think it would be so helpful.  For this week, my top three priorities are:

* Ministry (cooking and cleaning for me, carpentry and painting for my hubby) at our volunteer jobs

* Ministry to church family (cooking, church cleaning, encouragement)

* Ministry to blog readers

🌿 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:

"Let's talk about stressors!  Headed out Tuesday afternoon for another stint of cooking and serving at my volunteer job.  It's always a bit of a puzzle trying to fit all the food ingredients into the existing fridge/freezer/shelf space, but this time space is at even more of a premium than usual.  A bit of a headache trying to figure out where we'll store everything.  That makes much more stress,   I'm trying to package things much more compactly to take up less space, strategizing ways to thaw foods without using, the fridge, etc. etc.  Packing is a stressor as well,  hoping we remember everything we'll need personally and for our work.

"Joys ... of course, serving people is absolutely a joy.  But more and more I see the need for recharging time.

"Worries ... see stressors.  I try not to worry, however, as I know it's unproductive and exhibits a lack of trust.

"Fears ... see stressors.

Desires ... to serve God and His people well.  To improve my health and stamina to be able to serve better.  To nurture my own spiritual life and creativity, to fill myself so I can pour out/overflow to others."

* And I must just add here on Wednesday morning that we remembered almost everything, and that an extra fridge was made available only a short walk away, so that concern was alleviated also.*

🌿 The second 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 ... able to resolve every one of my concerns about the day ahead, and the entire week.  You are able to provide all that is needed, from equipment to energy.  You are sovereign over all of the events of this week.

* Lord, I feel ... completely inadequate in my own strength to carry out any of this week's responsibilities.  I also admit to feeling a tiny bit frustrated that I have a lot to do at home which isn't getting done.  But it's okay!

* Lord, help me with ... using my time wisely throughout this busy week.  Help me to know exactly what resources or assistance will be the most helpful for my young friends.  Help me with planning meals for future ministry.

* Lord, forgive me for ... times when I stress over potential problems and snags before taking them to you in prayer.

Here we were to list 4 or 5 people we are specifically praying for.  I listed two young couples (each with a new baby), a seriously ill friend and her husband, and friends whose young adult son has just died.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Romans 12:12, 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= "Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing diligently in prayer."  (Romans 12:12)

O= Romans chapter 12 begins a section that continues through chapter 15:13 -- a section that C.I. Scofield has titled "Christian Life and Service for the Glory of God."  Romans 12:12 is included in a section within this, titled "The Christian and those within God's family."

So this verse is part of a section teaching believers how to live and serve for the glory of God along with others in the family of God.  According to Romans 12:12 we are to be:

* Rejoicing in hope

* Patient in tribulation

* Continuing diligently in prayer.

Warren Wiersbe notes in Be Right, his Bible study of Romans, "Serving Christ usually means Satanic opposition and days of discouragement.  Paul admonished his readers to maintain their spiritual zeal because they were serving the Lord and not men.  When life becomes difficult, the Christian cannot permit his zeal to grow cold."

The Phillips translation of this verse reads: "Base your happiness on your hope in Christ.  When trials come endure them patiently,  steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer."

Wuest paraphrases it, "rejoicing in the sphere of hope" -- in the atmosphere of hope is the idea.

"Rejoicing is the Greek CHAIRO, and means "to be in a state of happiness and inner sense of well being (often independent of what is happening) when the Source is the Spirit."

"Rejoicing is present tense which pictures us as living life with a habitual attitude of inner joy and outer rejoicing-- something not possible naturally but only possible supernaturally as we are enabled by the Spirit."

Cross-references for "rejoicing in hope" include the following: "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."  (Romans 5:2)

"Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope, by the power of the Holy Spirit."  (Romans 15:13)

Cross-reference for "patient in tribulation" -- "For ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise."  Hebrews 10:36)

Someone has written, "Paul exhorts us as new creatures in Christ who are possessors of a new 'power supply' to continue steadfast in the time of trouble. The realization that life is to some extent an obstacle course keeps a person from being surprised when things do not go as planned. Afflictions are to be borne patiently in His power."

Cross-reference for "continuing diligently in prayer" -- "These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and with His brethren." (Acts 1:14)

"Whenever your hope seems to fail you and your joy begins to sink,” said Spurgeon, “the shortest method is to take to your knees. By remembering the promise in prayer, hope will be sustained and then joy is sure to spring from it.”

Rob Morgan writes, "An open Bible and a bowed head create a powerful atmosphere in which God’s will is brought to bear upon the distresses of life."

A= To help with my application for this verse, I did the assignments suggested in Fix Your Focus for Romans 12:12.

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

It does not make specific statements about God.  However, I can infer the following: 

*. Because He is the God of hope, I can rejoice in Him.  My hope in Him is a surety-- an anchor of my soul.

* Because He is the God of patience, and His Word tells me He wants.me to grow in patience, I can be patient in affliction knowing this is one way he helps me grow in this quality.

* Because He hears and answers prayer, I can continue diligently in prayer.

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

Although as a human I will experience difficulties in life in this fallen world, I can rejoice in hope because of who God is.  I'm a person in need of patience, and I can learn patience through these difficulties as well.  I'm God's child and because of that relationship I have the privilege to communicate with Him in prayer.  He wants me to be diligent and consistent in doing that.

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

It's pretty self-explanatory: I should be rejoicing every day because of the hope I have in Christ.  I should maintain a patient attitude even in afflictions, being mindful that God wants me to grow in patience through difficulties.  I should be diligent and persevering in my prayer life.

P= "Lord,  I am so thankful for the instruction found in Your Word!  I praise You for all that it reveals about who You are, about my role as Your child, and about how You would have me to live each day of my life.  I pray that You will help me today and every day to rejoice in hope, to be patient in affliction,  and to be diligent in my prayer life.  I thank you for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 The next prompt is for GRATITUDE.  We were encouraged to reflect on the ways God has shown His faithfulness to us over the last week, and then to list 5 things we are thankful for.  [So, you who are reading along, do the same!]

Here is my list: 

* Energy for ministry.

* Wisdom for planning ministry meals and even shifting gears and menus on the fly as needed,

* The blessing of encouraging younger women.

* The restorative quality of sleep.

* Being able to use practical skills like cooking and cleaning (and carpentry for my hubby) to serve in support roles in Christian ministry.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next thing to consider.  As I mentioned earlier, there are four different aspects of this that we will be rotating through.  The one for this week is FAST.

For this prompt, we were asked to consider fasting from something this week in order to focus on our need for God.What could we fast from?  What would be the duration and frequency of our fast?  We were to make a plan for how we would replace our fasted item with the pursuit od God and His Word.  [And if you are one of my Sunday Scripture readers, please consider this challenge for yourself!]. Here are my thoughts :

I was so slow this week (or so busy, take your choice!) that ut was Sunday evening before I finished journaling for the week.  I din't fast as much as I would have wished.  We do intermittent fasting, so  I did fast from around 6:30 or 7 at night until at least 10 in the morning -- so about 15 to 16 hours,  I did use some of those hours to study additionally in God's Word.

Lastly is 🌿 a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION to take with us through the week.  This week it was: "I can patiently and prayerfully endure hardship because my hope is in Jesus."  

And there is our third Sunday Scripture using Fix Your Focus.  I know it's quite different from what we have been doing, but I trust the Lord is using it to encourage you.  Please let me know!

Sunday Scripture

 As I explained a couple of weeks ago, I'm shifting gears on my Sunday Scripture posts ... stepping away from the study of Psalms for awhile.  This is something God has placed on my heart to do, and I anticipate it being helpful to many of you, as well as to me.

I am 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 March 10, but I will be working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 The first prompt 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:

"It does look like another busy week.  We're here at home for today but will head back to TWNE for the rest of the week.  Today will have a lot packed into it.  Meeting with my young friend R. this morning, a joy and privilege.  I just pray that God will equip and use me to meet her needs.  I'm so thankful that He knows exactly what those needs are and I can trust Him to equip me to meet them.  None of this is anything I can do in my own strength or wisdom.

"Today will also include grocery shopping, food prep and more planning.  We need to write some reports for our church's upcoming annual business meeting.  We'll also be packing food and personal items for the upcoming week.

"In the next few days Ill be cooking lunches for a work crew of 3 to 5 people and a supper for about a dozen people on Thursday night.

"The weekend will involve church responsibilities and also prepping food to share after a recital.  I'll also prep a meal for a friend with a new baby.  All service, all good.  I know that the Lord will provide wisdom and strength as we seek to do all to His glory."

I find that this journaling component is very helpful for me in dealing with the week ahead.  It's a way to spill it all out and then sort it.

🌿 The second 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 ...  fully in control of this busy week and of the slight vertigo I am feeling right now.  YOU are all-powerful and can stabilize my unstable body.  You are all-wise and able to provide the wisdom I lack in my humanness.

Lord, I feel ... completely inadequate for the week ahead of me. Yet paradoxically I also feel joyful and energized because it's a blessing to serve.

Lord, help me with ... keeping a good balance between work and rest.  I also need help with self-control as there will be yummy goodies around this week, and with motivation to stick with my exercise program.

Lord, forgive me for ... any attitudes that are not glorifying to You, and for times when I speak before thinking.  I thank You that forgiveness is available from You, in Jesus' name, Amen.

* Here we were also to make a note of 4 to 5 people we are praying for.  I listed two young couples, a housing need for one of them, a new mother, a bereaved acquaintance, and some old friends with serious health issues.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Psalm 34:8,, 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= "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who trusteth in Him."  (Psalm 34:8)

O= Here David is exhorting his readers (and us!) to taste and see that the LORD is good.  He also instructs them that the person who trusts in the LORD, this good God, will be blessed.

Cross-references for "taste" -- "If so be ye have tasted that the LORD is gracious."  (1 Peter 2:3)

Hebrews 6:5 speaks of those "who have tasted of the good word of God."

Cross-reference for "the LORD is good" -- "For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, and His truth endureth to all generations."  (Psalm 100:5)

Cross-reference for "blessed" -- "Blessed are all they who put their trust in Him."  (Psalm 2:12b)

"Trusteth in Him" is rendered in the ESV "takes refuge in Him."  One of the Hebrew words for trust signifies "to take refuge."

A= To help with my application for this verse, I did the assignments suggested in Fix Your Focus for Psalm 34:8

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

He is good!  He blesses those who trust in Him and take refuge in Him.

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

I am a person who has tasted and seen God's goodness in my life.  As a person who is learning to trust God completely, and has often taken refuge in Him, I have been (and continue to be) blessed indeed.

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

I am tasting God's goodness every single day.  I need to be faithful and also intentional to share His goodness with others.  I also need to trust Him fully every day.  It seems this verse has a special emphasis on trusting Him as a refuge amid the storms and stresses of life.

P= "Lord, I am so thankful for who you are!  Your goodness is only one of the many unfathomable facets of Your character.  I have tasted and seen Your goodness (as well as Your kindness, mercy, love, and longsuffering) in drawing me to You for salvation.  I see Your goodness throughout every day of my life,  and I am so thankful for that!  I pray that You will help me to trust You fully through every difficulty of life and to be faithful and intentional in sharing Your goodness with others who need to experience it.  I praise You for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 The next prompt is for GRATITUDE.  We were encouraged to reflect on the ways God has shown His faithfulness to us over the last week, and then to list 5 things we are thankful for.  So, you who are reading along, do the same!

Here is my list:

* A subtle but beautiful sunrise -- lavender, periwinkle, peach, and gold with the occasional streak of coral.  Such a wonderful reminder of God's mercies every morning and His endless creativity.

* A day at home on Monday.   In God's providence one day was enough time to prep for ministry meals this week and catch up on laundry.

* The opportunity to connect with two younger friends this week.

* Our Ladies of Grace meeting last Saturday and the opportunity to return home for that.  It was a much-needed recharge.

* In God's strength, the time and confidence to work at my exercise program daily even there are some exercises I can't yet do for various reasons (a need for more equipment being one).  In my own strength and faulty thinking, I would simply give up on it. 

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next thing to consider.  As I mentioned earlier, there are four different aspects of this that we will be rotating through.  The one for this week is REST.

For this prompt, we were asked to think about what observing a Sabbath rest looks like to us and to make a plan to intentionally rest this week.  [And if you are one of my Sunday Scripture readers, please consider this challenge for yourself!]. Here is my plan:

Begin each morning with a time of quiet communion with God -- usually at least an hour.  I also can often find a few quiet moments in the evening to relax with needlework.  We are also planning an overnight stay at our camp on Sunday evening, which will hopefully be a quiet and restful end to a busy week.

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is next.  It 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.

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.

Lastly is 🌿 a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION to take with us through the week.  This week it was: "When I trust in God, I experience joy."  Short and easy to remember!

And there is our second Sunday Scripture using Fix Your Focus.  I know it's quite different from what we have been doing, but I trust the Lord will use it to encourage us!

A green new Hodgepodge

 

It's been awhile (since January!) so I'm taking a moment to join in with Joyce and the gang for the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce writes the questions, bloggers provide the answers! Here we go ... 

1. I write the Hodgepodge questions so they'll post on Sunday, which sometimes throws me off in terms of what day it is. St. Patrick's Day will be celebrated on Monday, March 17th. Did you mark the day in some way? Wear green? Make a special meal? Watch or participate in a parade? 

I have often marked the day in some way, wearing green, making Irish soda bread or corned beef & cabbage.  Not this year however.  Just too busy for even thinking about it.

That said, this Glazed Corned Beef dinner is a wonderful slow-cooker recipe I've made in the past.

2. Do you think luck plays a part in your life? Explain. 

No, I don't think luck plays any part in my life.  As a believer in Christ and a child of God, I believe that He orchestrates everything that happens for my eventual good and for His glory.  A wonderful post by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings explains it well: No Luck Here.  Fun graphic below is by Abby also.

3. Of the 15 green foods listed, which one is your favorite and how do you like it prepared? Any on the list that are a hard no for you? In general do you like fruits and veggies? As a kid did you eat them willingly or did you hide peas in your napkin hoping your momma wouldn't see? 

Asparagus, avocado, broccoli, celery, cucumber, grape, green bean, kale, kiwi, lettuce, lime, 

pear, peas, pistachios, spinach

Avocados would be my very favorite from this list, though I like every one of these green foods.  A simple homemade guacamole would be my favorite way to prepare avocados.  In general I like fruits and vegetables, and generally ate them willingly as a kid.  Things I didn't like back then were eggs and liver.  (And I love eggs now but still detest liver.)

4. What's something that makes you 'turn green'? (with envy or with illness... whichever way you want to run with it)

Roller coasters.  I think you can guess which way of turning green goes along with that.

5. Did you spend a lot of time outdoors as a child? Doing what? Do you spend a lot of time outdoors now? Doing what? 

I did spend lots of time outdoors as a child.  Sledding and making snow forts in winter, riding my bike and just wandering the farm fields in other seasons.

Now I enjoy time outside, mostly walking or hiking and I also enjoy having my quiet time outdoors in the milder seasons.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

I was looking back at some older posts and was reminded of a kids' devotional book I once wrote with an Irish theme.  One of the topics I wrote about was Irish blessings.  I thought it might be fun to share one of those (and my kid-friendly thoughts about it) today.  Here 'tis:

May you always have

Walls for the winds,

A roof for the rain,

Tea beside the fire.

Laughter to cheer you,

Those you love near you,

And all that your heart might desire!

These are good things to wish for your friends. "Walls for the winds" and "a roof for the rain" mean that you hope your friends will always have shelter from the weather.  

"Tea beside the fire" reminds us of a warm, cozy home.  Tea warms us up on the inside and a fire warms us up on the outside!

"Laughter to cheer you" is a good thing to have.  The Bible tells us in Proverbs 17:22 that "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine."

Of course, "those you love near you" is a wish to always have friends and family nearby.  We like to have our loved ones near.

The last wish is "for all that your heart might desire."  Our Bible verse today tells us that if we delight ourselves in the Lord, He will give us the desires of our hearts.  Delighting in God means that He is more important to us than anything else in our lives.  If we delight in God, we will love to spend time with Him, reading His Word, and talking to Him in prayer.  If we truly delight in God, the things we desire, or really want, will be things that please Him.  When we delight in God, He will give us the desires of our hearts.

*  Thank God for the promises in His Word, the Bible.  Ask God to help you delight in Him more each day.  *

And there you have it!  Hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into my devotional book In Green Pastures.  This particular Irish blessing strikes me as one that I would wish for all of my friends.

• And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!  Glad I got to join in.

Sunday Scripture

 

 As I explained a couple of weeks ago, I'm shifting gears on my Sunday Scripture posts ... stepping away from the study of Psalms for awhile.  This is something God has placed on my heart to do, and I anticipate it being helpful to many of you, as well as to me.

I am 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. If you can, by all means get your own copy of this beautiful, helpful book,  But even if you can't do that,  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 March 3, but I will be working ahead of you readers.  So here goes!

🌿 The first prompt 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:

"The week ahead looks busy and a bit complicated.  There's a lot to juggle and to balance.  Yet by God's grace and with His help, I know it can be done.  

"From Thursday-Sunday we'll be holding down the fort at our volunteer jobs while others are away.  [On Saturday morning, we plan to return home for a few hours for meetings.]

"Next week and the week after may hold more cooking and serving responsibilities for other volunteers, which means, if that holds true, I will need to spend time this week doing food prep and planning, and there are only three days in which to do that.

"I also have two younger friends to connect with this week -- ministry that I love, but timing is always tricky with busy young moms.

"We also need to clean the church before leaving town on Thursday, and do another church errand en route.  

"And hopefully we'll get back in time for a grandson's birthday supper on Sunday evening.  WOW!"

🌿 The second 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 ...  a great and awesome God.  You have the wisdom I do not have for this week, and You see the big picture that I cannot see.  You are able to strengthen me for the week ahead and enable me to see every responsibility clearly and wisely.

Lord, I feel ... so inadequate for the week ahead of me. There is no way I can do any of this in my own very limited strength and wisdom.

Lord, help me with ... ordering my days this week.  I have a plan, but I pray that You will help me to hold it loosely and to always be sensitive to your plan.  I pray that You will give me strength for every responsibility this week and that You will structure my days as You see fit.

Lord, forgive me for ... every time I try to act in my own strength or wisdom.  Forgive me for times when I add things to my own plate or when I exhibit any hint of pride.  You know each struggle that I'm dealing with, and I thank You for how You will work, in Jesus' name, Amen.

* Here we were also to make a note of 4 to 5 people we are praying for.  I listed two young couples, a bereaved acquaintance, and an old friend with serious health issues.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Psalm 143:10, 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= "Teach me to do Thy will, for Thou art my God.  Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."  (Psalm 143:10)

O= David here is asking God to teach him to do His will,  He can ask this because God is his God.  There is a a personal relationship with the God of the universe.

David acknowledges that God's Holy Spirit is good.  The ESV says "gracious" instead of "good".  David asks that God's good, gracious Spirit will lead him into "the land of uprightness."  I was not sure whether the "land of uprightness" referred to heaven, or simply to an upright Christian life lived to the glory of God.  It may be both!  This phrase in the ESV reads "level ground".

Cross-reference for "teach me" -- "Blessed art Thou, O LORD; teach me Thy statutes."  (Psalm 119:12)

Cross-references for "Spirit" -- "And the Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the Sprit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD."  (Isaiah 11:2)

"Thou gavest them also Thy good Spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not Thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.'  (Nehemiah 9:20)

Cross-reference for "lead me" -- "He restoreth my soul.  He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  (Psalm 23:3)

Cross-reference for "land of uprightness" -- "Teach me Thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies."  (Psalm 27:11)

A= Spurgeon said, "How childlike -- 'Teach me!'  How practical -- "Teach me to do!'  How undivided in obedience -- 'to do Thy will!'  To do all of it, let it be what it may.  This is the best form of instruction, for its source is God, its object is holiness, its spirit is that of hearty loyalty."

"For Thou art my God'. Who else can teach me as Thou canst?  Who else will care to do it but my God?  Thou hast given me Thyself, Thou wilt surely give me Thy teaching."

Concerning "land of uprightness", Matthew Henry wrote,  "into the communion of saints, the pleasant land of the upright; or into a settled course of holy living which will lead to heaven, that land of uprightness where holiness will be in perfection."

As part of my application for this verse, I did the assignments suggested in Fix Your Focus for each week's verse.

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

He is my God -- a personal God.  He is able to teach me to do His will.  He is my Shepherd and Leader who will lead me on a level, plain path even through difficulties, along what our pastor of many year called "our pilgrimage from here to glory."  God is good and His Holy Spirit will lead and guide us.

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

I am God's child.  I am in need of teaching.  I must learn to do His will.  I cannot trust my own thinking to lead and teach me,  but must rely on His good and gracious Spirit to do this

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

I should be teachable and humble, sensitive to the Spirit's leading.

P= "Lord, I thank and praise You that You made a way for me to have a relationship with You!  I am thankful that Your indwelling Spirit will teach me and give me direction.  I pray that You will help me to be teachable and sensitive to Your leading, and that You will make my path clear and plain as I look to You.  I thank and praise You for Your guidance and care, in Jesus' name, Amen."

🌿 The next prompt is for GRATITUDE.  We were encouraged to reflect on the ways God has shown His faithfulness to us over the last week, and then to list 5 things we are thankful for.  So, you who are reading along, do the same!

Here is my list:

1) Wisdom God has given and is giving for planning during this busy month of serving,

2) God orchestrating the events of the week so that I could have phone conversations with two young friends.

3) How God has helped me to stay consistent with my exercise program even while away from home.

4) His provision of sleep even when I have a lot on my mind.

5) The privilege of serving Him and the physical strength, health, and energy to do so.

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next thing to consider.  As I mentioned earlier, there are four different aspects of this that we will be rotating through.  The one for this week is SERVE.

For this prompt, we were asked to think about who we know that might be in need, and to consider how we could serve them with resources available to us -- things like time, finances, prayer, etc.  Jot down your own thoughts about this.  Here are mine:

* I used time and resources to prepare four casseroles to freeze for future ministry.

* We are using our time this weekend at our volunteer jobs so regular staff can be away.

* I was able to encourage both of my spiritual daughters by phone.

* I can use the resource of prayer to pray for many friends with needs this week.

🌿 WEEK-AT-A-GLANCE CHECKLIST is next.  It 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.

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.

Lastly is 🌿 a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION to take with us through the week.  This week it was: "The Lord is my God.  He teaches and leads me by His Spirit."

So there is our first Sunday Scripture using Fix Your Focus.  I know it's quite different from what we have been doing, but I trust the Lord will use it to encourage us!

Midway through March

 Just taking a couple of minutes to put up a brief post to acknowledge this marvelous month of March!

I never did write a post about March goals, so here are some of my goals for March:

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Get back to working through the "Make Room Challenge" from Make Room for What You Love
* Get together with my friend Jennifer and her children 
* Possibly have some of our younger friends over for a meal and fellowship
* Post in this blog as often as possible 
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as 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 -- to start in a few weeks
* 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
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Plan menus and begin food preparation for a ministry opportunity next week
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Get back to memorizing the book of James
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general
* Get to bed by 8:30 each night we are at home
* Drink enough water each day
* Continue with the habit of getting outdoors for the morning light
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

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

It's been a few years since I put up a March archives post, so here are some older March posts for your perusal: 

Maple memories, from 2018, is all about sweet maple sugaring memories.

Chocolate Chai Tea Loaf is from 2019 and features a really yummy tea bread recipe.

In March 2020 I posted Encouragement for your day and these times -- still relevant.

A delightful getaway tells about a 2021 winter sojourn at a Maine Airbnb. 

In 2022, I wrote about Handy homemade helpers I use around the house.

For 2023, I chose a book review on the Gooseberry Patch book Grandma's Favorites.

And lastly, for 2024 I decided to share A surprising vintage find, the story of how I finished a vintage project into wall decor for our little camp.

Hope you enjoy these links.  Happy March, everyone!

Sunday Scripture

 

We're continuing with our ongoing series on my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal here: The Book of Psalms 1-50 or you can find all the resources right here on Women Living Well, Psalms 1-50.  I'm attempting to SOAP each Psalm too, though some of them are longer so I will likely only do a selected passage from many of them. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Each psalm's study also includes a reflection question, which I've been attempting to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 16.   Since I actually posted about Psalm 16:1-11 in February 2024 in my simple study from Rachel Wojo called Everything Beautiful, I am going to copy and paste some of that, with the new content being my prayer, some application thoughts, and answers to the Reflection Question. (You can read about that study here: Everything Beautiful Bible reading plan.) So here goes:

 S=  "Preserve me, O God; for in Thee do I put my trust.
"O my soul, thou hast said unto the LORD, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to Thee;
"But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.
"Their sorrows shall be multiplied that hasten after another god: their drink offerings of blood will I not offer, nor take up their names into my lips.
"The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup: Thou maintainest my lot.
"The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.
"I will bless the LORD, who hath given me counsel: my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.
"I have set the LORD always before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
"Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.
"For Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt Thou suffer Thine Holy One to see corruption.
"Thou wilt show me the path of life: in Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore."   (Psalm 16:1-11)

O= This psalm is titled by Scofield "The path of love and joy."

The Bible titles it "Michtam of David".  I've mentioned this before, but Spurgeon notes in The Treasury of David: "Michtam is usually understood to mean THE GOLDEN PSALM, and such a title is most appropriate, for the matter is as the most fine gold."

Psalm 16 is considered to be a Messianic psalm pointing to the resurrection of Christ.

But it has a message for me as well, a message that I can take from this without doing any disservice to the Scriptures:

1) God will preserve those who put their trust in Him; they are eternally secure.
2) God is my portion and the One who maintains my lot.
3) God will give me counsel as I look to Him.
4) God will show me the path of life.
5) In God's presence there is fullness of joy.
6) At God's right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Here are a few cross-references:

"Preserve" (verse 1) -- "Keep me as the apple of the eye: hide me under the shadow of Thy wings."  (Psalm 17:8) 

"Whom" (verse 3) -- "I am a companion of all those who fear Thee, and of those who keep Thy precepts."  (Psalm 119:63)

"Lips" (verse 4) -- "And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect; and make no mention of the names of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth."  (Exodus 23:13)

"I have set the LORD always before me ... " (verse 8) -- The cross-reference here is to Acts 2:25-28 where Peter is preaching.  He quotes this verse and more from Psalm 16.

Concerning the word "trust" (verse 1) Scofield explains, "Trust is the characteristic Old Testament word for the New Testament 'faith' and 'believe'.  It occurs 152 times in the OT and is the rendering of Hebrew words signifying to take refuge, to lean on, to roll on, to wait for."

We looked at this more closely a few weeks ago -- and wow!  do these thoughts ever give greater dimension to what it means to trust biblically!

Regarding verse 2, Warren Wiersbe notes in With the Word, "You have taken a giant step toward true Christian maturity when you can say to the Lord and mean it, 'my goodness is nothing apart from You'." 

A= We can put our unwavering trust in God, knowing that He will preserve us.  God is the One who cares for me and maintains my lot.  I can be glad when I consider all that He has done for me and for all of His people.  He will continually show me the path of life as I look to Him and keep my eyes on Him.   He will help me to walk in a way that pleases Him.

Warren Wiersbe notes that this psalm highlights
* Good fellowship -- "God's people are not perfect, but we should delight in their fellowship and not in the fellowship of the world's crowd."
* Good heritage -- "Not just God's gifts, but God Himself!"
* Good counsel -- "God gives wisdom if you will ask Him.  God teaches you in the darkness as well as in the light."
* Good hope -- This passage is one of the few in the Old Testament dealing with resurrection.  It refers to the resurrection of Christ, and that is what gives us our hope."

As God's children we have so very, very much to thank Him for!

P= "Lord, how I praise You for the amazing blessings and benefits of being Your child!  There are far too many to count.  How thankful I am for Your care for me every day!  I pray that You will help me to keep my eyes on You as You show me the path of life each day.  Help me to have an unwavering trust in You through the remainder of my earthly pilgrimage, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection question: God will not abandon us!  The pleasures of the world are empty but God's joy is full.  God's presence is with us and He gives pleasure for both now and eternity.

Just because we are believers that does not mean we get to experience a trouble free life.  But sometimes we focus too much on what our faith is costing us and we forget all the benefit!  List below some of the benefits and pleasures of being a child of God.

My response:  I jotted down a quick list, all that I had space for.  Here it is:

* We can come to Him in prayer, anywhere, anytime.

* We can be assured that He will provide for all of our needs.

* We know that He will never leave us or forsake us.

* We can boldly say that He is our helper.

* God has a plan and purpose for each one of our lives.

* Jesus is interceding for us in heaven.

* God promises to be our refuge and hiding place.

* We have a home awaiting us in heaven and are citizens of a heavenly country.

* God is conforming us to the image of His Son.

* He cares for us and we can cast all of our cares upon Him.

* He keeps us in perfect peace as we stay our minds on Him,

* He gives us strength for the demands of every day.

In addition, there are all of the benefits mentioned in the quote from Wiersbe in the Application section above.

And there is our study of Psalm 16.  I hope it was a blessing!

A quick note:  Recently I've sensed God prompting me to temporarily step away from the series on Psalms I've been working through for my Sunday Scripture posts.  Instead, I am going to be working through a guide called Fix Your Focus, from Daily Grace Co.  Hopefully you have all read my post concerning this change and how God led me to it.  

(I'll still be working on my personal study of Psalms and will write and schedule the posts for future Sunday Scripture posts in 2026.  However, from March 16 and forward I'll be posting about Fix Your Focus on Sundays.

Hopefully some of you would like to join me!

 

Fixing my focus

 Recently I've sensed God prompting me to temporarily step away from the series on Psalms I've been working through for my Sunday Scripture posts.  I wanted to explain a little bit ahead of time about the direction I'm heading, so that others may join me in this challenge if they like.

I guess we could say that what got my thoughts started on this path was a discussion of New Year goals and encouragement back at our church ladies' January meeting.  The book Soul Care was mentioned, and how Jesus modeled these important rhythms during His earthly ministry: nourish, rest, connect, protect, savor, and tune in.  A copy of this book was given away at the meeting, and I happened to be the fortunate winner of it.  I began reading it and learned more about these rhythms.  (As with many books, I can't say I would necessarily agree with or recommend every single statement in the book, but I did find it helpful.  I recommend as always reading with discernment.)

The next step on the pathway was when a much younger woman asked me to help her grow spiritually and become more of a prayer warrior.  When I met with her the first time, I hadn't been 100% sure exactly what kind of encouragement she needed, so I had gathered up a few resources and then decided to add in a copy of Fix Your Focus, a Daily Grace Co. book I've had for awhile.

When I purchased this book I had thought it was more of a Bible study.  Since it wasn't exactly what I was looking for, I put it in my bookshelf and sort of forgot about it.  When I gathered up the resources to meet with my friend, I took a closer look.  Like all Daily Grace Co. publications, this book is gorgeous -- you can see that in the screenshots of it from their site.  It's a 52-week guide;  each week includes journaling, prayer,

 
a Scripture meditation (just one verse), gratitude, spiritual growth, a week-at-a-glance checklist, and a gospel-centered affirmation to chew on through the week.

Very interesting!  The "spiritual growth" component for each week includes some of the same rhythms modeled by Jesus.  No coincidence, I am sure.  These are things I need to pay closer attention to.

When I showed the book to my friend, she was very interested so I gave her my copy.

By now, though, I was realizing that my own focus could also use some fixing.  I felt led to get another  copy of the book so that we could each work through it on our own but discuss it together.

As I talked this over with my husband, an idea began to take form.  I'm realizing that no matter how badly I want to do all the Bible studies, I can only do so much in a day.  As we talked, I realized the Lord was inclining me away from my time-consuming study of Psalms for a season.  Surely, some of my readers would be interested in working through this 52-week guide with me.  Since I would be working through it anyway, it only made sense to blog about it and use that for my Sunday Scripture posts.

(I'll still be working on my personal study of Psalms and will write and schedule the posts for future Sunday Scripture posts in 2026.  I do have a Psalms post scheduled for this coming Sunday (March 9), but from March 16 and forward I'll be posting about Fix Your Focus.)

Focus, strangely enough, was my word for the year in 2023.  You can read about that here.

Yet I feel I need a reminder.  Perhaps some of you do, also.  If so, you might like to purchase your own copy of Fix Your Focus and work through it along with us.  I know that many aren't able to do that, but certainly you can follow along with our Sunday Scripture and glean some blessings and encouragement in doing so. 

I'm looking forward to this!

Sunday Scripture

 We're continuing with our ongoing series on my simple study of Psalms.  You can see a copy of the journal here: The Book of Psalms 1-50 or you can find all the resources right here on Women Living Well, Psalms 1-50.  I'm attempting to SOAP each Psalm too, though some of them are longer so I will likely only do a selected passage from many of them. [Quick reminder that S stands for Scripture; O stands for for observation; A stands for application, and P stands for prayer.]  Each psalm's study also includes a reflection question, which I will attempt to journal an answer to.  Today's study is from Psalm 15.   There are only 5 verses, so I chose to SOAP them all.  Here we go!

S= "LORD, who shall abide in Thy tabernacle?  Who shall dwell in Thy holy hill?

"He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart,

"He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor,

"In whose eyes a vile person is despised, but he honoreth them that fear the LORD: he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;

"He that putteth not out his money to interest, nor taketh reward against the innocent.  He that doeth these things shall never be moved."  (Psalm 15)

O= Psalm 15 is simply titled headed "A Psalm of David".  Scofield titled it "The man who abides with God". 

 Psalm 15 is nearly identical in wording to verses 3-5 of Psalm 24:

"Who shall ascend into the hill of the LORD?  Or who shall stand in His holy place?

"He who hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully.

"He shall receive the blessing from the LORD, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

There are also similarities to Isaiah 33:14-16:

"The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites.  Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire?  Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

"He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that restraineth his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; 

"He shall dwell on high; his place of defense shall be the strongholds of rocks.  Bread shall be given him; his waters shall be pure." 

Psalm 15 is very simply constructed.  

Verse 1 asks two questions:

* Lord, who shall abide in Your tabernacle?

* Who shall dwell in Your holy hill?

Verses 2-5 list eleven ways the person who walks with God will live.

Verse 5 ends with a summary that the one who does these things will never be moved.

Cross-reference for "tabernacle" (v.1) -- "I will abide in Thy tabernacle forever; I will trust in the shelter of Thy wings.  Selah."  (Psalm 61:4)

Cross-reference for "holy hill" (v.1) -- "Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Zion".  (Psalm 2:6)

Cross-reference for "walketh uprightly" (v. 2) -- "Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved, but he that is perverse in his way shall fall at once."  (Proverbs 28:18)

Cross-reference for "worketh righteousness" (v.2) -- "Blessed are they that observe justice, and he that doeth righteousness at all times."  (Psalm 106:3)

Cross-references for "truth" (v.2) -- "These are the things that ye shall do: Speak every man the truth to his neighbor; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates."  (Zechariah 8:16)

"Wherefore, putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another."  (Ephesians 4:25)

"Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds."  (Colossians 3:9)

Cross-references for "backbiteth not" (v.3) -- "Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor; I am the LORD.  Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt surely rebuke thy neighbor, and not allow sin upon him.  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; I am the LORD."  (Leviticus 19:16-18)

"Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile."  (Psalm 34:13)

Cross-reference for "taketh up a reproach" (v.3) -- "Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness."  (Exodus 23:1)

Cross-reference for "sweareth to his own hurt" (v.4) -- Jephthah had vowed a foolish, shortsighted vow unto the Lord: "If Thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace ... shall surely be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." 

As it turned out, it was his daughter who came out to meet him, and "when he saw her, he tore his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter!  Thou has brought me very low ... for I have opened my mouth unto the LORD, and I cannot go back."  (Judges 11:35)  Certainly a pertinent example of someone swearing to his own hurt!

Cross-references for "putteth not out his money to usury/interest" (v.4) -- "If thou lend money to any of My people who is poor among you, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury."  (Exodus 22:25)

"Take thou no interest from him, or profit, but fear thy God, that thy brother may live with thee."  (Leviticus 25:26)

"Thou shalt not lend upon interest to thy brother; an interest of money, interest of victuals, interest of anything that is lent upon interest."  (Deuteronomy 23:19)

"He that hath not given forth upon interest, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true justice between God and man."  (Ezekiel 18:8)

"In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken interest and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten Me, saith the Lord GOD."  (Ezekiel 22:12)

Cross-references for "nor taketh reward against the innocent" (v.5) -- "And Thou shalt take no bribe; for the bribe blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous."  (Exodus 23:8)

"Thou shalt not distort justice: thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the righteous." (Deuteronomy 16:19)

A= Warren Wiersbe summarizes the application for this psalm so well: "God's children have open access into His presence through the work of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 10:19-25).  He is our High Priest and Advocate in heaven, and He welcomes us.  We come on the basis of His righteousness, not our own.  But we had better be sure we have experienced the cleansing of Hebrews 10:22 before we rush into His presence."

"Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water."  (Hebrews 10:22)

P= "Lord, how I thank You for this psalm!  Although I seek to walk blamelessly every day, there are those inevitable times when I mess up and do (or more often say) something stupid.  I thank You that there is always a way back and an opportunity to start anew.  I pray that You will help me to keep short accounts with You and have victory over sin in my life hour by hour, even moment by moment.  I thank You for how You will help me, in Jesus' name, Amen."

Reflection question: David lists eleven ways we should live if we want to have sweet fellowship with God.  

Which of these stood out to you as something you need to work on in your life?

My response:  I began by jotting down the list of eleven ways to live:

🌲 walk blamelessly

🌲 do what is right

🌲 speak truth in our heart

🌲  do not slander with our tongue

🌲  do no evil to our neighbor

🌲 do not take up a reproach among friends

🌲  despise vile persons

🌲  honor those who fear the LORD

🌲  swear to our own hurt and do not change

🌲 do not put out our money at interest

🌲  do not take bribes against the poor.

As for what stands out as something I need to work on in my life,  I chose the first way: Walk blamelessly.  I seek to do this always, but I can so easily slip up in little things.

Warren Wiersbe explains, "This psalm helps us examine our walk, our work, and our words (v.2).  The inventory includes our relationship with others (v.3-4), how we keep our promises, and how we use our money (v.5)."  He adds, 

"Meditating on this psalm and pondering these 'qualifications' could help us deepen our relationship with God."

And there is our Sunday Scripture!  Hope it was a blessing!