Sunday Scripture

 

 After a break for a Christmas study, this Sunday I'm back to sharing from the Made for Community reading plan from Love God Greatly that I worked on back in 2015.  With this study, as I have often done, I used the SOAP method of Bible study.  Just a quick reminder that the S is for Scripture, O is for Observation, A is for Application and P is for Prayer.  The seventh section is Living in Community in Our World.  So here we go with the Scripture for the third day of that section. 

S= "For I was hungry, and ye gave me food; I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink; I was a stranger, and ye took me in."  (Matthew 25:35)

O= Chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew recorded the predicted return of the King in the Olivet discourse.  Jesus is answering the questions of His disciples:  "Tell us, when shall these things be?  And what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the age?" (24:3)

Much teaching by Jesus follows in answer to these questions.  Here He is speaking about the judgment of individual Gentiles at the time of His return to earth.  They will be judged on their treatment of what He calls "my brethren" during the tribulation period: feeding the hungry, taking in strangers, etc.

And the principle is still the same today: As we have done these things for others in the name of Jesus and out of love for Him, it is as if we have done these things for Him.

A= I have many opportunities to serve others and meet physical needs that people may have.  I often donate items to our community thrift stores, which benefit the homeless and veterans.  Through our church, I have donated to a local food pantry.  I have also donated to Samaritan's Purse and have filled shoeboxes for their Shoebox project.

My hubby and I have also served by cleaning our church on a regular basis.  I believe that providing clean rest rooms and a beautiful, orderly space to worship is a ministry in itself.  For many years, our church had a potluck lunch or coffee time nearly every week.  It's a ministry to provide good nourishing food to share with others, as well as the opportunity to fellowship around a table.

In addition, we frequently open our home to others for hospitality.  Over the years we have had countless missionaries stay with us, and we have shared meals with all kinds of people from pretty much every walk of life and spiritual condition.  What a blessing it is to know that in serving others, it's as if we are serving Jesus Himself.

P= "Lord, how I thank You for Your Word, which not only shows us how to come into relationship with You, but clearly teaches us how we are to conduct ourselves as Christians.  I thank You that when I serve others, it is like serving You.  I praise You for the many opportunities You give me to help meet the needs of others, and pray that You will help me to do so faithfully, as unto You.  I thank You for all You will do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

That's the simple study for this week.  I hope that maybe my Application suggestion gave some of you ideas of ways you can serve others.  Probably you are already doing many of these things, but just hadn't seen them as service to your community and to the Lord.  

I have so many ideas for posts for the new year swirling around in my head.  Looking forward to sharing with you more in 2023!

Aiming for spiritual growth in the New Year

 

Here we are on the eve of a new year.  I'm not sure how 2022 flew past as it did, but it's gone.  It's that time again when we consider goals or resolutions for the coming year.  I prefer goals, personally.  It seems to me that resolutions can easily be broken (and discarded), but a goal is something you can keep working at even if you fall a little short of it at times.  Even if you don't fully realize a goal, you make progress toward it.  When I set goals for a new year, spiritual goals are always included. 

Due to a cough and cold, I didn't make it to church on Wednesday evening, but my hubby shared with me what our pastor had taught on.  He's beginning a series on spiritual goals/resolutions and suggests things like reading through the Bible in a year; establishing a habit of Bible reading if one has never done so; beginning or continuing a Scripture memory program; nurturing one's prayer life, meditating on Scripture, and so on.  I'm so happy that he's encouraging us to do this.  

Our former pastor of many years always taught us (and very accurately, too) that there is no standing still in the Christian life.  We're either moving forward or we're moving backward.  That has always stuck with me through the years and I have seen it proved true over and over.  

So aiming for ongoing spiritual growth is very, very important and I find the start of a new year to be the perfect time to make a plan for it.  As the old saying goes, if you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time.  So in every area of life, I try to aim at something, no matter how small it may seem.

I haven't fully formulated my spiritual goals for this year (more to come on that later), but my hubby would like for us to begin a Scripture memory program, so that would be one.  I didn't read through the Bible last year, so I'm planning to use a one-year Bible and do that this coming year.  

May I encourage you to aim for greater spiritual growth in the New Year?  You will not regret having done so.

December weekend 4

 How swiftly the weeks of December have passed!  It hardly seems possible that four weeks have passed and that Christmas Day is now behind us.  

We stayed at our camp on Thursday night, December 22 because the temperatures were conducive to it.  We knew they were projected to rise overnight.  Even though it was snowing when we went to bed, by morning it was supposed to be in the 40s and raining hard.    This held true.

We headed home around 8 am.  There was still snow on the ground at the camp, but it was raining hard.

The forecast was for heavy rain all day on Friday.  Then it was predicted to cool down very fast, leaving all sorts of ice behind.  Oh, and let's not forget the river flooding warnings for the rivers in our area. 

I had baked little apricot fruitcakes (my walking partner's favorite!) a day or two before, and so I wrapped up four of them to take to her and her hubby.  We drove there in pouring rain and had a nice, if brief visit with them.  She had baked eggnog cranberry muffins and sent us home with a couple!

Meanwhile,  unbeknownst to us, quite a lot was happening back in the woods between our little camp and our daughter's home.  At 5:06 pm I got this message via Instagram:

We were blissfully unaware of all this.  The land up behind our camp (and their house) is very steep, and apparently the warm temps and heavy rain had melted the snow so that these large amounts of water were coming down through the woods.  Enjoy the videos which Carrie sent us!  So thankful for capable, helpful neighbors!

You can glimpse our camp in the photo above.  Ari had to pick her way up the driveway around water and washouts.  

Jim and Carrie's power went out around 6 pm and was out all night, coming back around 4:30 a.m.  A lot of games, piano playing, singing and more took place by headlamp in their resourceful household.

Saturday I woke up with a scratchy throat and just wasn't able to accomplish as much as I would have liked that day.  It didn't seem like Christmas Eve; since we would be alone I didn't make our usual Christmas Eve menu.  I did make a very good low-carb creamy taco soup that we both enjoyed.  It soothed my throat quite a bit.  And after supper, between Mr. T and myself, we managed to get all of the gifts wrapped for Christmas day, and also assembled the crockpot full of Ranch House Chicken for Christmas dinner.

 

I've written about our lovely Christmas day over on my Christmas blog, so do head over there and read The Day After Christmas.  I didn't go to church myself due to still not feeling top-notch (I watched the livestream), but did join in on our family get-together since my scratchy throat is likely the same thing their kids have had.

But it was a lovely day, with beautiful music, thoughtful gifts, yummy food, and just precious family time.  A blessed Christmas day indeed!

Sunday Scripture

 

As I mentioned earlier, in December 2020 I used Peace, Be Still: A 31-Day Christmas prayer journal, from Women Living Well.  I'm using some of my simple study from this book as Scripture Sunday posts for this December, using different posts on each of my blogs to keep it interesting for all of my readers.  I've been using two from each week's study to use one each on my blogs, and I'm planning that maybe next December I'll use more of them.

Also -- note that this simple study does not use the SOAP method as my studies usually do.  This one includes a verse for the day, a thought for the day,  a reflection question for the day and space to write a prayer for each day.  I tended to look at the verse a little bit in depth, and I tended (but not always) to answer the reflection question in the prayer.  But of course you can use these any way you want to.   Here goes with the study for Week 4, Day 22!

Verses for the day:

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.
"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  (Philippians 4:6-7)

My study:

C.I. Scofield notes that the peace of God here is "inward peace, the state of the soul of the Christian who, having entered into peace with God, has committed all his anxieties to God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving; this phrase emphasizes the nature of the peace granted.

Believer's Bible Commentary explains,  "This peace surpasses all understanding.  People of the world cannot understand it at all, and even Christians possessing it find a wonderful element of mystery about it.  They are surprised at their own lack of anxiety in the face of tragedy or adverse circumstances.  This peace garrisons the heart and the thought life ...".

So --

• be anxious for nothing
• pray about everything
and
• God's peace will guard your heart and mind!

Reflection question:

What do you need to give over to God today? Exchange your worry for His peace and be still.  Jesus loves you!

My prayer [remember I was writing this at the end of 2020]:

Dear God, I am so thankful for Your peace which passes all understanding.  When I commit my concerns to you in prayer, including the important element of thanksgiving, You promise that Your peace will guard my heart and mind.  The wording here shows us that Your peace surrounds us like a garrison..  What a blessing it is to have peace like this!  We're living in incredibly uncertain days surrounded by illness, civil unrest, uncertainty, and even questions about our church leadership.  I'm so thankful that I can commit all of this to You in prayer -- and receive Your peace in return.  I thank You in Jesus' name, Amen.

That's our Sunday Scripture for today!  Although this is a passage I've studied in depth in the past, it was a blessing and encouragement to me to review these verses.   I hope this look at God's incredible, unexplainable peace encouraged you as well.

December weekend 3

 

 It was another busy weekend, though not quite as busy as the previous two.  Friday morning found us at the grocery store early, sipping a gingerbread coffee at the in-store cafe and planning our day.  (We had spent Thursday night at our little camp, amazingly!  It was a decent temperature, but was snowing when we woke up.)

Included with our groceries were a few more items for Christmas baking and for kitchen gifts.  And, not surprisingly, there were a few things we couldn't find: orange slice candies, white chocolate candy melts, caramel baking bits, and more.  A trip to a second grocery store did not yield any of these products either.

On Saturday I did a bit more baking and we took a cookie tray to an elderly neighbor.  Not the one above -- that is just a "snack plate" for us to share.  I made the peppermint chocolate trees -- well, I finished them off with the mint chocolate and the green sugar, my hubby baked them -- and he made the lemon spritz, raspberry thumbprints and the macaroon kisses.

Also on Saturday, I prepared two pans of lasagna to freeze for a friend to use with a houseful of visiting family.  I also made some gingerbread cookie dough which I still haven't found time to bake!  My hubby was busy with snow removal here and at his mother's house.  (Even though she is no longer with us, the roof still needs to be kept clear to keep it safe.)

Sunday morning before church services, he did a bit more snow removal here and at our neighbor's, as it had cooled down overnight and he felt he could safely scrape both driveways.  Then off to Sunday School and church, where we enjoyed more special Christmas music -- "O Holy Night" by a teen choir and "Sing We Now of Christmas" by violin and piano.

After church, we headed over to our friends' church in Vermont to enjoy a fellowship dinner and afternoon service with them.  Mr. T took along one of his famous cookie trays which was enjoyed by all!

When we got back to our town we made quick stops at Dollar Tree and Wal*Mart and were able to find the baking ingredients the other stores had been out of.  

And that was our weekend!

Sunday Scripture

 

As I mentioned last week, in December 2020 I used Peace, Be Still: A 31-Day Christmas prayer journal, from Women Living Well.  I'm using some of my simple study from this book as Scripture Sunday posts for this December, using different posts on each of my blogs to keep it interesting for all of my readers.  I will take two from each week's study to use one each on my blogs, and maybe next December use more of them.

Also -- note that this simple study does not use the SOAP method as my studies usually do.  This one includes a verse for the day, a thought for the day,  a reflection question for the day and space to write a prayer for each day.  I tended to look at the verse a little bit in depth, and I tended (but not always) to answer the reflection question in the prayer.  But of course you can use these any way you want to.   Here goes with the study for Week 3, Day 15!

Verses for the day:

"For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.
"But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."  (Romans 6:20, 22-23)

My study:

These verses describe an amazing transformation!  We were once the servants of sin, but since accepting God's gift of salvation, we are now:

• made free from sin
• producing fruit unto holiness
• made servants to God
• destined to everlasting life!

Reflection question:

Have you repented of your sins and placed your faith in Jesus and received the free gift of eternal life? If you haven't, do it now!  If you have, you are a child of God and He is your everlasting Father.  How has He transformed your life?

My prayer:

Dear God, I am so thankful for Your free gift of salvation: free to me, but at great cost to You.  Once the servant of sin, I accepted Your gift when I realized I was lost and unable to save myself.  

What an amazing transformation then occurred: freedom from sin, eternal life as a destination -- and even, unbelievably, the privilege of serving You and producing spiritual fruit that can show how You work in a life.  I thank and praise You for all of this.  It is such a blessing and privilege to be Your child!   In Jesus' name, Amen.

That's our Sunday Scripture for today!  It was a blessing and encouragement to me to review this passage, and I hope this look at God's amazing gift of salvation encouraged you as well.

Making Christmas ornaments through the years

 

I adapted this from a post I wrote for my Christmas blog back in 2009.  No one ever commented on it, so I'm not even sure if anyone even read it!  I've been thinking this season about how much joy it has always brought me to make handmade ornaments and -- as I write this post on Thursday morning -- I am looking forward to an afternoon spent crafting at my daughter's home.  I will post about the projects we did, but not today.

 I simply love crafting Christmas ornaments. I've been making them for years. One ornament particularly stands out in my mind. I crafted it from felt years ago from a pattern in, I think, a McCall's Christmas Make-It Ideas. The ornament was several circles of varying sizes and then a bell, with separate clapper, strung vertically on a thread. It was pink -- not the best color for a Christmas ornament, I'm thinking now -- but how I labored over that creation. Each piece was cut twice, and then the thread sandwiched in between the two, which were glued together. The effect was like that of a mobile, in that the circles, bell, and clapper swayed and turned on the thread in the air currents in the room. I made this project when my children were very young -- mostly sitting on the floor to work on it while they played around me -- and as I recall it took me an entire day. Another project I did back in those days was crocheted ornaments I found the pattern for in a newspaper. A Christmas tree was one of the designs I made. These were crocheted from dark green yarn and then colorful French knots were added for lights.

As my kids grew older, I was always on the lookout for ornaments they could make. For a few years I taught art at a Christian school, and made countless ornaments with the students there at the Christmas season. In later years I made many ornaments for an annual October craft fair at my daughters' school. It was always fun, as Christmas drew near, to look at my stash of Christmas magazines, as well as the new issues, to decide what ornaments I might make. Oh, the fun of sending off to Home-Sew for the makings for some of these -- Christmas ribbons, cords, laces and trims! It was truly a special and wonderful part of my Christmas season.  The paper twist angel at center below was one of those I made for the craft fair.

As the years went by and I had more time, I made more complicated ornaments.  The embroidered mouse, below, was a gift to my mother one year.

One year I made photo ornaments for extended family members using vintage photos.

For a number of years my two oldest granddaughters spent a lot of time at our home, so once again in December I pulled out the craft supplies and the Christmas ideas.  The yo-yo wreath at the top of the post was made by one of the girls.  The candy cane below was also one of their creations.

Now I often look back on ornaments I have made and wish to make more of them; few things bring me more joy than working on such projects at my little crafting desk. But there's never enough time, and my desk is piled high with other priorities. This year, I plan to work on ornaments all year round. One project I hope to do this week is to sit down and plan what ornaments I will make and to locate all the patterns and instructions. Then I will take note of any materials I might need to buy. I believe I can probably make a good many ornaments just with materials I already have on hand. How inspiring that thought is!

That was my plan in 2009.  We will see how I do in 2023!