Sunday Scripture

 

 Again this Sunday, I'm 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 eighth, and last, section is Made for Community Challenge Week.  So here we go with the Scripture for the third day of that section. 

S= "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."  (Hebrews 13:2)

O= The letter to the Hebrews was written in part to exhort the Jewish believers to "hold fast" and to "go on to maturity".  Hebrews 13:1 begins: "Let brotherly love continue", which is surely part of moving toward spiritual maturity.  

Verse 2 instructs them (and us) not to forget to entertain strangers.  Adding a new dimension to our basic understanding of this verse, Believer's Bible Commentary explains that "This might refer primarily to believers who were fleeing from persecution and were hard-pressed to find food and lodging; to entertain them was to expose the host and hostess to danger." Of course, the verse can also be understood as a general encouragement to show hospitality to any believers who happen to need it.

A cross-reference is one of the verses we looked at last week.  Romans 12:13 tells us that believers are to be "given to hospitality."

The reason given here in verse 2 for extending hospitality is that in doing so, some have unknowingly entertained angels.  The allusion here is to Abraham, who did just that, as recorded in Genesis chapter 18.

Believer's Bible Commentary adds, "Even if we never have real angels in our homes, we may have men and women whose very presence is a benediction and whose godly influence on our family may have results that reach on into eternity."

A= Over the years, we have had many opportunities to entertain strangers -- visiting missionaries, Christian musicians, pulpit supply preachers, evangelists, and more.  None of them have been angels (to my knowledge) but many of them were a true blessing and encouragement to us and some have become lifelong friends.  It's always a blessing to extend hospitality!

P= "Lord, how thankful I am for the blessing of Christian hospitality!  I thank You for how well our pastor taught us in this area and how, over the years, You faithfully provided for us to do a little extra for our guests.  I pray that You will continue to bless our efforts and keep us hospitable.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

There is this week's study!  Just a couple Sundays left for this one.  I'm praying about what to share next for Sunday Scripture posts!

A few goals for February

 

Beautiful graphic by Abby at Little Birdie Blessings

* Keep up with Flylady's homemaking zones of the week
* Continue working through the "Make Room Challenge" from Make Room for What You Love
* Post in this blog as often as possible -- hopefully several times per week
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible
* Continue planning for family birthday gifts and crafting any handmade ones
* Craft some homemade Christmas gifts and decorations (yes, even now!)
* Do some sewing projects ( a few more sachets to stave off musty odors, plus maybe curtains) for the cottage
* Finish 2 pillow quilts for youngest granddaughters
* Spend a little time on some UFO craft projects
* Begin decluttering the entire house, zone by zone
* With my hubby, set some goals for 2023
* Plan a winter getaway with my hubby
* Continue stocking my Etsy shop and continue selling vintage items
* Spend some time on my trust responsibilities
* Spend some time volunteering at The Wilds of New England
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Memorize several Bible verses and review some older ones
* Get back into our study of the book of Daniel with younger believers
* Continue to help a widowed friend with the challenges of life in general
* Drink enough water each day
* Walk and/or exercise at least 4 times each week

HEALTHY HABITS FOR FEBRUARY:  Drink more water/get more sleep/get more exercise/intermittent fasting/limit carbs

Strengthening your prayer life

 

A meaningful graphic by The Daily Grace Co.

 I often find great ideas for blog posts on Instagram, especially in encouraging graphics from The Daily Grace Co.  The one above, titled How to Strengthen Your Prayer Life, is a great case in point.  Many of us have a goal to strengthen our prayer life in 2023, so I thought I would make use of this little graphic to share how I intend -- with God's help of course -- to do so.

💚  Make the time. 💚

It's so important, if you intend to strengthen your prayer life, to set aside time to pray every day.  If setting aside time to pray is new to you, start with 5 to 10 minutes and spend every bit of that time praying.  Set a timer if you have to.  At this point my prayer time is between 30 to 60 minutes.

💚 Create a specific place. 💚

It's true that you can pray anywhere, at any time.  Think of Nehemiah and his "arrow prayers".  However, it's also important to have a specific place where you meet with God every day.  My prayer place has been a cozy corner in our bedroom, a comfy rocker in an upstairs hallway, and is now a comfortable chair in a corner of our living room.

💚 Write them down. 💚

Write down your prayer requests in a notebook or journal.  I've written a number of posts about my prayer journal and how to build one.  Just click on " prayer journal " in the label cloud.  I believe it's important to write down our requests so we don't forget them and also so we can cross them off with a "PTL" when God answers.

Sometimes I also like to write out some of my prayers.  I keep these in the front of my prayer journal, and sometimes I go back and pray through them again.

💚  Reflect and give praise.  💚

Reflecting on all that God has done, and praising Him for those things as well as for the various aspects of His character, is an important part of every prayer time.  In my prayer journal, I have pages for many of God's attributes, along with relevant Scriptures for each one, and I pray through one of these each day.

💚 Be persistent. 💚

Keep on praying, even if you don't feel as if you see God working.  He is always working behind the scenes even when we don't see it.  Don't give up.

And be persistent in having your prayer time every day.  Don't get discouraged if you miss a day, or even a week.  Just jump right in again and build that habit!

💚 Pray in community. 💚

If your church has a midweek prayer service, make it a priority to be there and to pray with others.  If not, or if you can't get there, find a like-minded friend and get together to pray.  Praying in community is powerful.  I know one lady who prays with a friend on the phone every Monday night.  They have been prayer partners for years.

These are some of the ways I plan to strengthen my prayer life in 2023.  How about you?  Do you have some goals for prayer this year?  With God's help and in His strength, you can achieve them!

Sunday Scripture

 

 Again this Sunday, I'm 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 eighth section is Made for Community Challenge Week.  So here we go with the Scripture for the second day of that section.

S= "Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality ... Be not overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."  (Romans 12:13, 21)

O= Paul has begun chapter 12 by instructing the believers -- indeed, by beseeching them -- to present their bodies as living sacrifices to God, which is simply their reasonable service.  He has added that they are not to be conformed to this world, but are to be transformed by the renewing of their minds, so that they may prove the will of God.  

He goes on to list many of the ways this transformation is lived out by use of one's spiritual gifts, both within and outside of the family of God.  Verse 13 deals with our fellow believers: we are to be "distributing to the necessity of saints."  Here are some cross-references:

"But to do good and to share forget not; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased."  (Hebrews 13:16)

"Use hospitality one to another without grudging."  (1 Peter 4:9)

Verse 13 of Romans 12 goes on to add that believers should be "given to hospitality."

Then Romans 12:21 states that believers are not to be overcome by evil.  Instead, we are to overcome evil with good.  The cross-reference here points back to verses 1 and 2.

A= Am I doing good and sharing with my fellow believers? I try to; that's certainly my mindset.  Over the years my family and I have also been definitely "given to hospitality".  And it is such a blessing!

And how about when evil comes my way?  Am I overcome by it?  Sometimes I do feel overwhelmed by it.  But instead, my response to evil should be to overcome it with good.  

As I look at this, verse 13 seems to be a natural result of using my spiritual gifts (two of which are giving and hospitality).  Verse 21 can only be lived out as I yield myself to God as a living sacrifice with a transformed mind.

P= "Lord, I pray that You will help me in the areas I've considered here.  Giving, and showing hospitality, come fairly easily to me as as a result of the spiritual gifts You've given me.  But I must admit there are times when I don't feel hospitable, and I need help from You.

"Overcoming evil with good, however -- that does not come easily at all.  When I'm able to do this, it is completely supernatural.  In my flesh, it would never even occur to me.  When I am faced with evil in any form, I pray You will help me not to be overcome by it, but instead to overcome it with good.  I thank You for all You'll do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

And that's the Sunday Scripture for this week.  I hope it was a blessing to someone!

A bit of winter decor

 

Just a quick post to share some of my winter decor (and yes, a little bit of Christmas too).  Above is  a January display atop a bookcase.  Our friend Terry gave us the gorgeous lighted snow globe last year.  My friend Judy made the January garland for my birthday some years ago.  The pretty pitcher was a thrift store find this year.  Here's another look...

 

The pretty machine embroidered snowflake was a fun enclosure in a Christmas card this year.  I found the cardinal in a kitchen drawer at my childhood home and delight in displaying him when I can.

This picture makes this little sign look larger than it really is.  I haven't measured but it may be 4x6.  Not large.  But isn't it pretty?  A gift from my daughter last year.

 

This sign was a Dollar Tree find this Christmas.  As you can see we still have our Christmas decor up.  The tree will be coming down in the next few days, but the lighted houses will be coming out in its place.  Still need light and sparkle here!

 

Above, a closer look at that sign.  I like that except for the "fresh cut Christmas trees" this is just a winter sign.

My friend Cyndy brought me the snowman candle.  It's a vintage Gurley candle.  I like how he seems to be tipping his hat to the passing station wagon.

And just another look at the shelf the snowman is (or I should say was) on.  He's still on the shelf but I have changed out the plates.  Guess I will need to take another picture!  But not today.  Other tasks await!

Sunday Scripture

 

 Again this Sunday, I'm 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 eighth section is Made for Community Challenge Week.  So here we go with the Scripture for the first day of that section. 

S= "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth."  (1 John 3:18)

O= The epistle of 1 John has been described as "a family letter" from the Father to His "little children who are in the world."  C.I Scofield notes, "John's Gospel leads us across the threshold of the Father's house; the First Epistle makes us at home there."

Chapter 3 is contrasting God's children with the children of the devil and is noting their distinguishing characteristics.  And verse 18 is part of that description.  We are not to love only with our words, but in deed and in truth.  One of the cross-references for "love" is 1 John 4:21 --

"And this commandment have we from Him, that he who loveth God love his brother also."

We are to show our love not only by what we say, but by what we do -- and it needs to be real, not false.

A= It's easy to say we love God and others.  But as the saying goes, talk is cheap.  His Word tells me that I am not to love merely in word.  In addition to showing love with my words, I am to love in deed.  My love for God and others needs to be seen in my actions.  And also, I am to love in truth.  My love must be real and not feigned.  Jesus said, "If a man love Me, he will keep my words."  (John 14:23)

P= "Lord, I pray that You will help my love for You and others to be real and true.  Help me to love You and others in deed and in truth -- to live out the love I say that I have.  Your Word tells me that those who truly love You will obey what is written there.  I pray that You will help me to do this consistently, thanking You for all You'll do, in Jesus' name, Amen."

There you have it -- this week's Sunday Scripture!  I hope it was a blessing to someone.

End of the year book talk

 

 Yes, of course it's a little past the end of the year.  But I wanted to at least share something about the books I read in 2022.   Here goes:

JANUARY:

Authorized: The Use and Misuse of the KJV Bible, by Marc Ward

I read this as I was taking part in the constitution committee for what would be our merged church.   An interesting, informative read.

FEBRUARY:

The Green Ember, by S.D. Smith

I blogged about it here: One New Thing (that would be reading a genre of book completely out of my usual comfort zone).  Through the ensuing months, I read many more from this series.  Anytime you see a book on this list from S.D. Smith, it will be from the same series.   Rabbits with swords.  I guess you would call it allegorical for lack of a better description.  Suffice it to say there are many important lessons in these books.  And the kids I know love them.

MARCH:

The Black Star of Kingston, by S.D. Smith

The Big Lie, by Dinesh D'Souza  -- A challenging read,  but very interesting and informative.  The subtitle says it all.  Quite surprising but all true and all documented.

 Ember Falls, by S.D. Smith

The Fringe Hours, by Jessica Turner -- This is one I had dipped into over and over, but I finally got all the way through it.  It's one I'll probably read again because I can use the ongoing reminders concerning time management.

APRIL:

The Last Archer, by S.D. Smith

MAY:

Ember Rising, by S.D. Smith

Passionate Parenting, by Cary Schmidt.  This was a Mother's Day gift from our church.  Although it was written mainly to parents of teenagers, I thought it was very good and have already shared it with friends who are parenting a teen.

America, by Dinesh D'Souza -- another challenging, but important read.  The subtitle is Imagine a World Without Her.  Unfortunately that is becoming all too relevant.

JUNE:

The Wreck and Rise of Whitson Mariner, by S.D. Smith

The First Fowler, by S.D. Smith

Persuade Me, by Joanne Markey -- this is a Christian romance, set in Australia where the author grew up.  I didn't know what to expect, but I truly enjoyed this book.  It was a Kindle edition which I won in a giveaway.  It's one of those books I will definitely read again.  Even more fun, the author is my daughter's sister-in-law!

JULY:

Ember's End, by S.D. Smith

Captured! by Carolyn Paine Miller -- This was the true story of a missionary family captured by the North Vietnamese in the late 1960s.  A fascinating historical read with a happy outcome.  I'd suggest this would be a great book to read aloud as a family, or as part of homeschooling history.  I found a copy on Thriftbooks for $4.79.

AUGUST:

Miracle on the Hudson, by William Prochnau and Laura Parker -- This was the true story of the flight that landed in the Hudson river after a bird strike by Canadian geese disabled its engines.  It was written by two journalists who put together the account from the stories of those on board the flight.  

Here's the description from Thriftbooks: "The remarkable true story of Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's heroic crash landing in the Hudson River, as told by the passengers who owe him their lives. Millions watched the aftermath on television, while others witnessed the event actually happening from the windows of nearby skyscrapers. But only 155 people know firsthand what really happened on U.S. Airways Flight 1549 on January 15, 2009. Now, for the first time, the survivors detail their astounding, terrifying, and inspiring experiences on that freezing winter day in New York City."  

Tales of the Maine Woods, by Edmund Ware Smith -- We thoroughly enjoyed this one.  Each chapter was its own story of the Maine woods and the people who lived there back in the mid-20th century.  Lots of real-life Yankee humor in these stories.

SEPTEMBER:

The Personal Touch: Encouraging Others through Hospitality, by Rachael Crabb -- another lightish read that I just read to see if I wanted to keep it.  It was good but really didn't impart any new information.

Lighthouse in my Life, by Philmore Wass  -- a very interesting true story of a family growing up on a remote Maine island as their father was one of the lighthouse keepers.  I had no idea that the US government maintained a Lighthouse Service.   You can read about it here: US Lighthouse Records.  But the story of the family's day to day life on the island and how they managed things like groceries and school was the most interesting part.

OCTOBER:

Make Room for What You Love, by Melissa Michaels  -- a good, practical read, and the title says it all.  I'm still working on putting its principles into practice.

 

The Daniel Dilemma, by Rand Hummel -- This one is subtitled Real Courage for Real Life.  Important lessons from the book of Daniel for believers today.  It would be great to read this one (as I did, without really planning to) in conjunction with Rand's Bible study on the book of Daniel: Living with Lion-Like Character.  I highly recommend either book, or both.

NOVEMBER:

Simple Secrets to a Beautiful Home, by Emilie Barnes -- this was one of those "before-bed reads" that was light and undemanding.  Although I enjoy the author's writing, this was one I could read once and then pass on to be enjoyed by others.

Lumber Queen, by Ellen Anderson -- this is subtitled The Life of Woodswoman, Ruth Ayer Park.  It's a fascinating true story of how a Vassar graduate became " the only lady logger in the United States who swung an axe,  handled a cant-dog, drove a team; and ran her own [logging] camp."  It was even more fascinating to me because Ruth Ayer Park grew up in our town and carried on logging operations all around our area.

 DECEMBER:

No books completed.

In January 2023 I finished my annual reading of Shepherds Abiding, by Jan Karon.  I also completed A Rockwell Portrait, a biography of Norman Rockwell by his friend Donald Walton.

I'm pretty tickled that I managed to read 24 books in 2022!  A huge improvement from 2021 when I completed only five books!  I think the main thing that helped me get so much reading done is that I read aloud a lot in the car as we traveled places together.