Sunday Scripture

 Time for another Sunday Scripture!  As I explained several weeks ago, I've made some changes in  my Sunday posts ... stepping away from the study of Psalms for awhile.  This is something God has placed on my heart to do, and I truly 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 April 28, 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'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) Ministry to friends -- an afternoon helping our friend Terry with necessary home updates for her health and mobility issues.  Sending sympathy cards to grieving friends.  Hopefully talk with both J. and R. by phone.

2) Ministry at my volunteer job cooking for a small work crew -- lunches, dinners, and coffee breaks.  Possibly doing some cleaning as well.

3) Ministry to other women as I write blog posts and do Sunday School prep, as well as teaching my ladies' Sunday School class.

🌿 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: More of a concern, I guess, that we are doing the best thing for my hubby's health issues.  I could fear, based on his description of his pain level, that this treatment isn't helping.  But I do think it is, and he's only been on this regimen a week.

Joys: It's a joy to serve others and always a joy to have a little part in the work God is doing at TWNE.

Worries: The condition my hubby is dealing with is not life threatening, but I could worry that the treatment will make things worse.  I could, but I do seek not to worry, as  I'm commanded not to and it accomplishes nothing.

Desires: To encourage and bless others, whether by a card, a phone call, cooking, cleaning, fellowship, or teaching.  To help even in a tiny way to advance God's causes and bring glory to Him.

Stressors: Time constraints, things left undone at home, 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 ... so good and kind to allow us to serve You and Your people.  You are in full control of  this week and already know the opportunities and challenges it will hold.  You know all about the stressors and will help me in handling each one.  I know that You are able to expand my time and also to give me increased energy.

* Lord, I feel ... inadequate in my own strength for this week, but after a night at our camp I also feel rested and ready to get into the day and week.  I feel cautiously optimistic about my hubby's skin issues.

* Lord, help me with ... wise use of my time to accomplish all that You would have me to do today and in this week.

* Lord, forgive me for ... the times when I fail to trust You and fall into the sin of worry, and for times when I handle my stress and concerns in wrong ways like emotional eating.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed  a dear friend who has just lost his wife; another dear friend whose mother recently passed away; and an old friend dealing 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 85:2, 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= "Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of Thy people; Thou hast covered all their sin.  Selah." (Psalm 85:2)

O= The biblical this psalm is "To the Chief Musician, A Psalm for the sons of Korah." 

C.I. Scofield titles Psalm 85 "A prayer for the returned exiles".  ESV titles the psalm "Revive us again."

Concerning God forgiving the iniquity of His people, Charles Spurgeon wrote, "Often and often had He done this, pausing to pardon even when His sword was bared to punish.  Who is a pardoning God like Thee, O Jehovah?  Who is slow to anger, so ready to forgive?"

Concerning God covering the sin of His people, Spurgeon added, "Thou hast covered all their sin.  All of it, every spot, and wrinkle, the veil of love has covered all.  Sin has been divinely put out of sight.  Hiding it ... covering it with the sea of the atonement, blotting it out, making it cease to be.  The Lord has put it so completely out of sight that even His omniscient eye sees it no more.

Cross-reference for "forgiven" and "covered" -- "Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."  (Psalm 32:1)

A= "God's people should live with a vibrancy that comes from the joy of their salvation.  Does your life still sparkle as it did when you came to know the Lord?  Pray that He will revive the church.  And pray that your testimony will bless others and glorify the Lord." -- Warren Wiersbe

"Every believer in Jesus enjoys the blessing of pardoned sin, and should regard this priceless boon as the pledge of all other needful mercies." -- Spurgeon

"The author of Psalm 85 praised [the] providence of God.  He knew how the Lord had provided for Israel in the past.  Now he called on God to deliver His repentant people from the present evil (v.4-7) and he confidently anticipated the answer to that prayer (v.8-13).

"Let's not doubt God's all-sufficient enablement.  He will carry us through life's darkest hours." -- Vernon Grounds in Our Daily Bread

To help with my application for this verse, I did the assignments suggested in Fix Your Focus for Luke 6:36.

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

God is a forgiving God who has taken the initiative to provide a way for the iniquity of human beings to be forgiven.  He is able to cover all of the sin of His people -- and in fact to remove it from them as far as the east is from the west.

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

I'm a person who needs to have my iniquity forgiven.  I'm incapable of dealing with my own sin; I must have God's forgiveness.

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

As Wiersbe says, I should live with a vibrancy that comes from the joy of my salvation.  I should live with the joy, confidence and trust of one whose sins are forgiven.  He will not fail to give that which is good, and to set me in the way of His steps.

P= Lord, how I praise and thank You for forgiveness of sins!  I could never deal with my own sin and would be without hope.  But because of the salvation You provided through the death of Your Son, I've been set free from my sin!

"I pray that You will help me to live in a way that reflects the joy of my salvation to those whose lives I touch.  Help my testimony to bless others and bring glory to You, I pray in Jesus' name, Amen."

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

1) Getting to stay at our camp on the Monday night.  So, so thankful for God's provision.

2) Wisdom for finding a place where we could meet up with our young friend R. and her little ones.  God led us to a park in her town -- one she was already familiar with.

3) Safety in travel.

4) Strength for serving at TWNE.

5) The blessing of celebrating two grandchildren's birthdays on Sunday evening.  These young people are such a delight to us!

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

   I can spend additional time praying for -- and maybe reaching out to -- a friend who is devastated and immobilized by grief.  I can serve here at TWNE by cooking, cleaning, and lightening the load of the regular staff.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

In Christ, I am forgiven.

We can take this comforting thought into the coming week and be so thankful for it!

Late for the Hodgepodge

Somehow, it's Wednesday again ... and so it's time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce writes the questions, bloggers provide the answers! My personal Hodgepodge post is going to be late; maybe a Thursday or even a Friday Hodgepodge.  Here we go ...

 1. What's something you're curious about right now? 

The link between psoriasis and diet.  I can honestly say this is something I've never thought about, but it's on my mind a lot these days as we try to learn more.  We may be limiting ice cream this summer.

2. If you could plan the perfect girl's weekend getaway, where would you go and what would be on the agenda? Do you have anything like this on your calendar in the next few months? 

It would likely be an autumn women's retreat at The Wilds of New England.  It would involve good food, fellowship, music, and lots of coffee.  Probably some ice cream too.  I have something like this on my calendar for September.

3. What's the most unique item in your refrigerator right now? 

An unopened package of chocolate cheese fudge sent to us by friends from Wisconsin.

(This is not the fudge; just a chocolate photo from Pixabay.)

4. In this season of your life, what do you find most challenging? 

How much more time everything seems to take.

5. Do you collect anything? If so why that? 

As Joyce mentioned in her post, sometimes if you have some themed items, people assume you collect that thing,   It is that way with me and strawberry themed items.  I have so many because people have made that assumption.  I do collect certain patterns of dishes, in particular Colonial Homestead by Royal.  The reason behind it is that these were the dishes my grandmother chose to put in her summer cottage on Ellsworth Pond.   I have told how I started collecting these in this post: A few of my green and white dishes.

6. Insert your own random thought here.

It's a busy season right now and I seemingly have no time for random thoughts.  I'm sure to think of one after I publish this.

And that's the Hodgepodge for this week!

Sunday Scripture

 

As I explained several weeks ago, I'm making some changes to  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'm using the Daily Grace Co. book Fix Your Focus, which is really not a Bible study as such, but more of a guide to help you fix your focus on God, His Word, prayer, gratitude, and spiritual growth, every week for 52 weeks.  I encourage you to follow along with us as we journal, look at Scripture, pray, and face the challenges of our weeks with our focus on Him.

This week's lesson was actually done by me the week of April 21, 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.  For this week, my top three priorities are:

1) Homemaking.  I have a lot I'd like to catch up on.

2) Family -- two local birthdays to prepare for, and a phone call with my younger daughter.

3) Ministry -- cleaning at TWNE, plus preparing for a ladies' Sunday School class beginning this week,   Blogging too.

🌿 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, though I do have concerns about grandchildren traveling solo to other states.  I know God will take care of each one..

Joys: Looking so forward to teaching a ladies' class again!  Also to celebrating two grandkids' birthdays, which will be special.

Worries: I really do try not to worry.  We do live in somewhat of a scary situation now with all of these intruders in our country,  Again, God is in control and nothing touches our lives without His knowledge and purpose -- but the concerns are real.

Desires: To get my homemaking into a better routine.  To reach out to others -- to those who don't yet know the Lord and need our witness as well as to fellow believers who need encouragement and mentoring.

Stressors: Sometimes just feeling a little bit pushed.  I've read too that any unfinished task becomes a stressor..  I can absolutely see that.

🌿 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 ... fully aware of all that I need to accomplish this week.  You are more than able to help me accomplish what is truly needful.  You are omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent and able to care perfectly for every person and every concern in my life.

* Lord, I feel ... overwhelmed by all that there is to do and the many needs in the lives of my friends. I feel grateful and thankful that You would choose to use me in the lives of people, but I often do feel overwhelmed and overextended.

* Lord, help me with ... everything that's on my plate this week.  Help me to use my time wisely to accomplish all that you'd have me to.  Help me with my worries, fears and concerns about the kind of world we are living in.

* Lord, forgive me for ... the sin of worry.  Forgive me too for those times when I don't use my time wisely, and help me to do better.

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed a young couple who need God's direction, our former pastor grieving the loss of his wife, a friend grieving the loss of her mother.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Philippians 4:8, 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.]

I had spent some time meditating on this verse back in 2011, so I will be including some of that study here.

S= "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are honest, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. (Philippians 4:8)

O=  One great way to make observations about a verse is to ask questions.  

Who wrote it? Paul

Speaking to whom? The believers in the church at Philippi

What are the major ideas? The verse enumerates the sorts of things God wants believers to be thinking on.

When was this written? 60 A.D.

Why was this written? To encourage the Philippian believers, a group of people especially dear to Paul's heart

This verse, along with verse 9, is part of a section, titled by C.I. Scofield "The presence of the God of peace."

Verse 9: "Those things which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do, and the God of peace shall be with you."

Paul concludes with "finally, brethren", and tells his listeners, 

Whatever things are :

TRUE

HONEST

JUST

PURE

LOVELY

OF GOOD REPORT

VIRTUOUS

PRAISEWORTHY

to think on these things.

The word translated “think” in Philippians 4:8 is the Greek LOGIZOMAI. In this verse, according to Vine’s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, this verb means “make these things the subjects of your careful consideration”, or “carefully reflect on them.”

J. Dwight Pentecost explains, “The word translated ‘think’ really means to meditate’ -- to dwell on, to give continuous attention to, to mull over, to be occupied with, to continually focus attention upon.”

The things that the Philippian believers had learned and received from Paul, the things they had seen in him,  they were to do, and as a result the God of peace would be with them.

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

Cross-reference for "honest" -- "Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord but also in the sight of men." (2 Corinthians 8:21) 

Cross-reference for "just" -- "That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."  (Deuteronomy 16:20) 

Cross-reference for "pure" -- "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy." (James 3:17)  

For "lovely" we are referred to the verses describing love in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7.

"Virtue" means "excellence".  

Cross-reference for "God of peace" (v.9) points to "the God of peace, who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, though the blood of the everlasting covenant." (Hebrews 13:20)

A= To help with my application of these verses, I used the following prompts: 

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

Verse 8 tells me that He is a God who cares about our thoughts and wants me to care about excellent and praisew0rthy things.  If I read on to verse 9, it tells me that He is the God of peace.

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

I am a person in need of right thinking, which does not come naturally to me or to anyone.

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

It should definitely affect the way I think, as I seek to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, and praiseworthy.  Just the command to think on what is true  covers a lot of ground.  Speculation, jumping to conclusions, "what if"and "if only" thoughts are not true, for example.  There is a great deal in this verse about how God would have us to think.

In addition, I considered these questions:

* What should I do? How does this truth apply to my life? I need to obey this command and think on these worthy things.

* In view of this truth, what changes need to be made in my life? I must actively think on what is true about God and His Word-- and not on things that are displeasing to Him, including "what if" and "if only" thoughts.

* What practical steps can I take to apply this truth to my life?

• Pray and ask God to help me think only on things that are pleasing to Him.

• Spend time studying the character of God as revealed in His Word.

• Memorize verses which emphasize important truths about God.

• Turn to God's Word (and to Him in prayer) when tempted to think about things that do not please Him.

P= "Lord,  how thankful I am for the clear instruction to be found in Your Word!  I'm thankful that You tell us so specifically the kinds of things you would have us to think about.  As one who has struggled with untrue thoughts of many kinds, I know that this instruction is so important.  I pray that You will help me to follow these guidelines and to seek to think biblically each and every day.  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 us 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) Health and strength to serve at TWNE and to clean the church

2) The opportunity to stay at our little camp overnight.  We continue to be so thankful for this little place that God provided -- a place we didn't even know we needed!

3) The opportunity for a lengthy, uninterrupted phone conversation with my young friend Jennifer.  The way that worked out was something only God could have orchestrated.

4) Safety in traveling many miles

5) The blessing of remembering our former pastor's wife who recently passed away.  I was so privileged to be informally mentored by her just in doing life and ministry together.  What a godly example she set for me, and how much I learned from her!

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

  We had a lovely time of fellowship with church family on Easter, time with R. and her little ones at the park on Wednesday, and  fleeting times of sweet fellowship with TWNE staff.  On Saturday we'll attend a dinner fundraiser for our local pregnancy center.  Also two grandchildren will celebrate their birthdays on Sunday -- and we'll be there!

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

 *I choose to think on what the Lord calls true and praiseworthy.*

Let's  take this challenge into the coming week!

May have time for a Hodgepodge

 

Wednesday again!  Time for the Wednesday Hodgepodge at From This Side of the Pond. Joyce writes the questions, bloggers provide the answers! Here we go ...

 1. Let's compare this May to last May. What's changed? What remains very much the same? 

Nearly everything is pretty much the same.  We're in our busy season of volunteering at The Wilds of New England.  May is always crunch time as the summer camp staff begins arriving and the buildings and grounds must be prepared.

I do think we've had much more rain than last May, and my hubby and I are navigating an issue with his health that is complicating things a bit right now.

2. What's something you may do this month? 

We may spend more time at our little cottage in the woods.  Relaxation seems to be a key to helping my hubby heal -- and we can relax there.

3. Mother's Day is approaching (in the US of A)...in what way(s) are you like your mother? 

I enjoy cooking and baking.  I like print newspapers (only The Epoch Times these days) and keeping up with current events.  I'm not as organized with housework as I'd like to be.  I adore Christmas and enjoy vintage things.

My mother as a young woman in the 1940s

4. Did you have a favorite book as a child? What was it and why was it a favorite. 

My top favorite was probably Little Women.  I don't know exactly why, but it was a riveting story that I enjoyed reading again and again even though I shed tears every time.  I also loved Little Men,  Jo's Boys, Eight Cousins, Rose in Bloom, and Jack and Jill, all by Louisa May Alcott.  And there were many other more contemporary favorites.  I was a real bookworm.

5. Are you more of a tortoise or a hare? Explain. 

More of a tortoise, especially these days.  I try to take things slow and steady, to pace myself and even stop for breaks if necessary.

Lovely rabbit image from The Graphics Fairy

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

We're attempting some big changes to our diet this month.  Lots to think about!

And there's the Hodgepodge for today...

Some goals for May

 Five days into a new month, and past time to set some goals for May:

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Get together with my friend Jennifer and her children
* Continue meeting with my young friend R. for discipleship
* 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
* 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
* Attend a granddaughter's symphony concert
* Hopefully get together with dear friends for Memorial Day
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Help prepare for a ladies and girls brunch at our church
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Do some research on a health issue
* Get back to memorizing the book of James
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general
* Spend time at our volunteer jobs -- it is crunch time there
* Spend quality time at our little camp
* 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 MAY:  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!

Sunday Scripture

 

Yes, it's time for another Sunday Scripture!  As I explained several weeks ago, I'm making some changes to  my Sunday 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 April 14, 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) Ministry to my church family -- prepping food for Easter breakfast; cleaning the church; praying for them.

2) Ministry to my actual family in preparing food for Easter dinner and in praying for them.

3) Ministry at my volunteer job as I spend two days cleaning.

🌿 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 fears going into this week so far..

Joys: It will be joyous indeed to celebrate Easter with our church family!  We also plan to celebrate Easter with local family, Lord willing.  Another joy this week is having some warmer, sunny days.

Worries: :A couple of family members have colds, so there is the concern that may impact our Easter celebrations.  Of course, it can never dampen our reason for celebrating!

Desires: My main desire for this week is that God will be glorified in every aspect and that it will be a joyous celebratory time.

Stressors: I think most stressors this week are just the time constraints and the limitations of aging.

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

* Lord, You are ... so good, so kind, so merciful to send Your Son into this world to die for us.

* Lord, I feel ... so grateful to be Your child.  So thankful that You drew me to Yourself with lovingkindness.  Thankful for how Your name is being proclaimed in our nation now, and thankful too for the volunteer work You've directed us to..

* Lord, help me with ... the tasks on my plate this week.  Help me too with my attitudes and also with my tendency toward emotional eating.

* Lord, forgive me for ...  times when I have bad attitudes and when I fall so quickly into emotional eating or complaining about circumstances. 

Make a note of four or five people you are praying for.  I listed two young couples, a dear friend who has just lost his wife; a prodigal grandson; and old friends dealing with serious health issues.

🌿 The next section in this helpful guide is SCRIPTURE MEDITATION.  I chose to first meditate on this week's Scripture, Luke 6:36, 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= "Be ye, therefore, merciful, as your Father also is merciful." (Luke 6:36)

O= "Therefore" -- What is it "there for"?  We must look back to verse 35:

"But love ye your enemies, and do good: and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great; and ye shall be the sons of the Highest; for He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil."

Therefore -- because God is kind to even the unthankful and the evil -- we are to be merciful, as He is merciful.

"Jesus continues to describe actions of sons of the Most High.  In the previous passage He describes sons are to be kind  (to give to meet a need) and here to  be merciful, meaning to withhold judgment that others deserve even as God withholds judgment that we as sinners deserve,  Grace is God giving us what we do not deserve.  How can we, as beneficiaries of His great mercy, not show mercy to others?" -- Precept Austin

Commentators tell us that "Be merciful" is in the present imperative which calls for continual exhibition of mercy (especially to those who do not deserve it) which in turn is possible only by being continually filled with and dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit to pour into (and through) our hearts this great grace of mercy.

Cross-references for "be ye merciful" -- "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy."  (Matthew 5:7)

"Be ye, therefore, followers of God, as dear children;

"And walk in love, as Christ slso hath loved us, and hath  given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savor."  (Ephesians 5:1-2)

"But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy,"  (James 3:17)

Cross-reference for "your Father is merciful" -- "Behold, we count them happy who endure,  Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord, that the Lord is very pitiful and of tender mercy."  (James 5:11)

A= The Precept Austin online commentary titles this section:

"Disciples practice a lifestyle of mercy."

Obviously, we can't show perfect mercy as our Heavenly Father does.  We are imperfect, finite humans.  But we should strive to imitate Him in showing mercy, learning to rely on Him and walk by the Spirit.  As we do we will find a supernatural desire and power to be merciful as He is merciful, and to show the lost world what God's mercy looks like.

"We are to be an audiovisual of Him." -- Darrell Bock

To help with my application for this verse, I did the assignments suggested in Fix Your Focus for Luke 6:36.

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

He is my Heavenly Father.  He is merciful.  

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

By virtue of Christ's sacrifice on my behalf, I am a child of my Heavenly Father and a beneficiary of His mercy.

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

I should be merciful toward others, as God has been (and is) merciful to me.

P= Lord, I thank You for Your great mercy with which You have loved me.  I praise You that because of Jesus' sacrifice of Himself, I have been adopted into Your family and am now Your child.  I pray that You will help me to show a "family resemblance" and to be merciful as You are merciful.  Help me to walk by the Spirit and to show my not-yet-believing friends an accurate picture of You and Your mercy.  I praise 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) A wonderful meet-up with friends last Tuesday.  God is so good to give us iron-sharpening-iron friends!

2) Strength and stamina to plan menus and to cook for my volunteer job, not to mention cleaning the church on Saturday.

3) The Christian fellowship around the table at mealtimes with the work crew.

4) Our LOG meeting last Saturday -- safety traveling in a spring snowstorm and a very encouraging time of fellowship and prayer.

5) The blessing of having a young family join us for lunch and fellowship at our camp..

🌿 SPIRITUAL GROWTH is the next prompt, and this week there's an emphasis on FASTING. We were to think about what we could fast from, and what could 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 of God and His Word.

I decided to fast from sweets Tuesday into Saturday that week, and to take extra time in my study of Luke 6:36.

🌿 Lastly is a GOSPEL-CENTERED AFFIRMATION: 

God has been merciful to me, and He wants me to be merciful toward others.

Let's all pray for opportunities to show an accurate picture of God's love and mercy in the coming week!