Week 1 Review

 

 

A bit later than I wanted to post, but better late than never.

 

Week 1 of the Hello Mornings challenge has been completed, and I was up and moving around at 5:30am either three or four days out of seven this week. Today starts Week 2, and I got up a little bit earlier. I set my alarm for 5:15am today, and I’ve discovered that to get the time I really want in the mornings, I will have to be up around 5:00am. So, moving forward, let’s review what stood out to me this week and what Scriptures were covered.

 

Day 1: John 1:1-18 (To see my review on day one, click here)

 

Day 2: John 1:19-34

“This encounter took place in Bethany, an area east of the Jordan River, where John was baptizing” v. 28

Bethany, was also the name of the place where Jesus feet was washed with tears and perfume and where Lazarus was raised from the dead. Now, with the map I have from my Meet Jesus book on Leicester (my Kindle), there are two places named Bethany. So I’m not completely sure which Bethany this verse is talking about, but the more I see the name Bethany, the more it has significance in Jesus’ ministry. Time and time again I read of Him going there or someplace near there. Which made me wonder, where is Bethany today? What is it called today? Is it still called Bethany, or has it been given a new name?

 

Day 3: John 1:35-51

These verses are John’s description of Jesus gathering his 12 disciples. One thing that struck me when I first read it was, it seems simple to them to quickly believe and drop everything. But I remember, they had the Messiah’s coming foretold for generations and John the Baptist was loudest/persistent about them paying attention and remembering and believing that One was coming.

 

Day 4 : John 2:1-12

“Dear woman, that’s not our problem,” Jesus replied. ‘My time has not yet come.’ But his mother told the servants, ‘Do whatever he tells you’.” v. 4-5

How often does God clearly tell us, “it’s not time” and we go on to make plans and set things in motion anyway? I find it interesting also that He referred to Mary as “Dear woman” and not Mother. He wasn’t speaking to her as her child, but as her Saviour and Creator. He could perform the miracle she wanted, and He did perform the miracle she wanted (changing water into wine), but it wasn’t His time. Saving the day, as it were, is what Mary wanted but it wasn’t what she needed. But in His love he gave her what she wanted. Likewise, sometimes what we are asking for is not what we need. But we fervently want Him to fulfill that desire for whatever it is we are asking for. Sometimes He gives it to us, sometimes He saves us from ourselves.

 

Day 5: John 2:13-25

“Because of the miraculous signs Jesus did in Jerusalem at the Passover celebration, many began to trust in him. But Jesus didn’t trust them, because he knew human nature. No one needed to tell him what mankind is really like.” v. 23-25

Ouch. What a pain this caused when I first read it. The New Living Translation is one that puts the Scriptures into words so easy for me to understand, and unfortunately this passage is so true, isn’t it? If we look at ourselves with honest and sincere vision, we will know this is true. We may not be the most unreliable person alive, but how many of us have skipped a workout we enjoy because we’d rather sleep in? How many won’t say “enough” to our favorite TV show and will stay up til the early morning hours watching the latest episodes online? (Ahem, Doctor Who and/or Downton Abbey and/or Bones til 1:00am or 2:00am here). Do we keep hitting the snooze until we finally drag ourselves out of bed with just enough time to pull our hair back and turn on the lights before our children wake up, or do we say to our fleshly desire for more sleep “I am saying no to you and yes to my Creator. He deserves my undistracted attention in the mornings”. Now, I know that if I have a sick child and don’t get to sleep til after 3:00am then my sleeping in til 9:00am is perfectly fine, and probably a necessity. But to constantly sleep late because I don’t like waking up early, is a lousy excuse. I don’t like going to the dentist, but I like having my teeth. I don’t like running on the treadmill (which I seriously need to get back to) but I like burning enough calories to enjoy an ice cream guilt free. I don’t like cooking that much, but I like giving my family meals I know are healthy and will prolong their life, not shorten it.

 

So, in short and to wrap up so I can feed my son breakfast, there has been quite a few things already for me to review and ponder. As a quote I found states, “Discipline is remembering what you want.” Another is “If it were easy, it wouldn’t be a sacrifice.”  I am choosing to continue sacrificing my own desire for sleeping in, because when I do I am so abundantly blessed with the sunrise…and birds singing….and quiet time to myself…..and a day that is filled with more calmness and understanding and patience and joy. Why would I give that up?

 

Hello Mornings Summer Challenge~Week 1

http://www.hellomornings.org/info/

 

Okay, so I didn’t post again nearly as quickly as I thought I would. But, I am here, during week 1 of the Summer challenge. I haven’t decided yet if I am going to do a weekly update or if I will post on a daily basis, or what. Since I discovered there are 5 days for Scripture readings for each week, I think I am going to do the readings for Monday through Friday, Saturday will be for the “extras” like researching the areas I studied, then Sunday I will post my weekly notes to share with you all.

 

Sound like a plan? It sounds like one to me. However, I do want to start with sharing my notes during the first day’s reading. I am reading the devotion that was available on the Hello Mornings website, Meet Jesus: The Book of John. 

The first day’s reading was John 1:1-18 and I read it on my Kindle (Leicester as I refer to it) and nothing seemed really different to me. Same ol’ same ol’ that I heard uber-amount of times before. THEN, I re-read the Scripture on the computer and used the New Living Translation (my personal favorite) and verses 4 and 5 really inspired me.

 

“…and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.” 4b-5

 

What a promise! Jesus (the light) shines in the darkness (Satan and this world) and the darkness (evil) can NEVER extinguish it.

Once again I am reminded of a lighthouse in a dark, stormy night. The ship may be surrounded by darkness, and the light of the lighthouse might fade from view of the ship because of the rough waters rocking it about; but the light still shines, always and forever.

 

One of these days I am going to find a picture of a lighthouse and a ship in a stormy night, and I will add this Scripture to it. As of yet, I have not found any lighthouse pictures that fit what I have in my mind.

 

Now it is back to chores, making lunch, and eventually “school” for my little hurricane. He was so excited yesterday to write the number zero (both as 0 and as “zero”) and write the uppercase and lowercase A, as well as a maze, a connect the dots, and a coloring page with the sign language picture for “a”. Today we will cover zero again, and introduce B. I’m not sure what I will do when we are finished with the 26 letters of the alphabet.

 

Challenge re-take Week 1

Well, I haven’t exactly been getting up at “0-dark thirty”.  But I definitely feel a spiritual growth in my soul.

The past week I read the Names of God Bible Study by Lara Velez. Some people have criticized her work because (I’m assuming) she’s not a traditional/formal author. However, take it from me, this woman is a blessing.  While reading this study I felt her heart for other women speaking clearly through her writing.

The Scriptures that stood out to me the most during this Bible study were Psalm 93:2, John 8:34-36, Romans 6:6 and Philippians 2:13.

Your throne, O Lord, has stood from time immemorial.

You yourself are from the everlasting past. 

Psalm 93:2

The meaning of immemorial is “extending back beyond memory, record, or knowledge”. Other words of the same/similar meaning are timeless, ancient, and ageless. It struck me once again how the entirety of God is beyond my ability to comprehend, “Your throne, O Lord, has stood from beyond memory”…. I cannot fathom the fullness of God’s existence, I can only see glimpses of Him that grow and expand, like an ever-growing puzzle. No  wonder Jesus spoke in parables.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

Philippians 2:13

This verse in Philippians was so vital for me to hear that day. After feeling like I had failed miserably with the Hello Mornings Challenge and not waking up before my early-bird son, I felt like my desire to get up was not enough. But this verse, this was my confirmation or reassurance that I was on the right path. I may not be a seasoned early morning riser yet, (not by far!) but my heart is true. I sincerely and desperately want to arise early, to welcome the day by watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee in one hand and my Bible in the other.

SO, I am not there yet, but after finishing this blog I have decided I will indeed take part in the summer challenge of Hello Mornings. I can’t wait til registration is open and I can continue on my journey. See you next week…….or two weeks at the latest.

Hello Mornings…….

A while ago I started a challenge to get up earlier. I signed up with Hello Mornings, joined the facebook page for the group I am in, read through some ebooks and blogs……….and yeah, I have promptly gone back to being a night owl who sleeps in past eight most days.

 

So, I am going to go back to the beginning and re-educate myself on why I wanted to do this in the first place. I am going to make a point of writing down my thoughts during this time and post on this blog once a week. Now that classes are over I no longer have the excuse of homework to stay up late at night. It is also amazing how much cleaner my apartment has been this week since I’m not on the computer checking in to class and doing assignments. Facebook is still sucking away hours of my life, however.

 

See you in about a week!

Let me die!

24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. NLT

I love the way this Scripture describes “dying to self” as the phrase goes. Perhaps the only one I like better could be the version found in The Message…

24 Among those who belong to Christ, everything connected with getting our own way and mindlessly responding to what everyone else calls necessities is killed off for good—crucified.

Everything connected with getting our own way…is killed off.  How hard it can seem to deny our flesh. I cannot speak for others, but I know for myself my spiritual and fleshly battle is something like  this: Flesh: Don’t do it! Don’t kill yourself when there’s nothing wrong with your life! Spirit: Please, let me help you. This flesh is like a cancer slowly eating away at your soul and the only way I can heal you is if you let me cut it out.

I will not deny that this “spiritual operation” as it were is not painful. Who wants to admit to themselves that they need a desperate, drastic change? But that is exactly what must happen. As I told my husband earlier today in an email, I have an ongoing affair with my snooze button. I know God has told me to start my day around 5:30 am. This will give me time to get up and have my alone time with Him, get organized for the day, and just have a general quite before the chaos of life takes over. School….Facebook….a 4 year old….an upcoming move across the country….Netflix….all these things and more are such a distraction. I must KILL my flesh on a daily basis so that my SPIRIT can survive and thrive.

I am so thankful that, through a friend, He lead me to an online accountability community Hello Mornings. I have decided to join their challenge, which officially starts 1 week from today, and have a team to help me deny this flesh.

I hear my son in his room playing and having a grand old time, so I will end for now. However, I want to end with one more Scripture. In my readings today on Youversion ~ Teach me to Pray I was given the passage Luke 12:17-20. I went on to read one additional Scripture, Luke 12:21 which reads…

Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God. NLT

I read this passage and had this question, which I shall leave you with for today. Are you best friends with God, familiar acquaintances, or strangers?

Days of Thanks

Now that October is over, I see many people on Facebook doing daily status updates on what they are thankful for, or a picture a day of what they are thankful for. You know, that’s really a good idea. If every one of us would use the season of Thanksgiving as an initiative to remember what we are thankful for…..not just at the dinner table at the end of the month looking at a yummy turkey, but every single day…….how much less complaining would we do about what we don’t have? What if we carried it over into the next month, and the next, and the next? What if every day we took the few seconds to take a picture of something we were truly thankful for and shared it?

 

I don’t know about everyone else, but I know my eyes would be opened. Even things that we complain about we might truly be thankful for. For example, we complain that our teenagers don’t listen to us or clean their room. What if instead of spending all the time complaining to ourselves “Their room is a mess, why can’t they clean up after themselves, why are they so lazy” and feeding negative thoughts about our children into our minds, why don’t we say “I am thankful we have the income to provide for their clothing, I am thankful I have a child with no health issues, I am thankful they have an active life, I am thankful they have friends to spend time with, I am thankful they are continuing school”. What if for every complaint we said, we had to immediately follow-up with two positive thoughts? What if every time we said or thought something negative about someone we had to immediately state two things about that person that were positive? I’m not talking about simple things like “she has pretty eyes” but something unique to them, something sincere, something that provokes thought in us?

 

How much more grateful would we be? How many smiles on our face would we add? How many headaches would leave? How much heartburn would leave? How much better our lives and the lives of those we come in contact with would be, if we would take just a few seconds every day to say “Lord, thank You for…”?

Quiet Time

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14

 

Today’s Scripture comes to you courtesy of “Time with God” devotionals, you can read the full email devotion here (it’s very short but very enlightening). The past few devotions I have received from them in my email have been talking about making time for personal, quiet time with the Lord. Not “finding” time, “making” time. Today’s message was talking about the difference between meditating on His word and personal prayer time. Both are vital for spiritual growth, but they are not the same thing. In one devotion the writer even suggest locking yourself in the bathroom if that is the only place you can be guaranteed solitude for a few moments (how often have we heard the “mommy jokes” about doing just that for some peace and quiet?).

 

So I have been trying to do just that (quiet time, not locking myself in the bathroom). I know that for me, in order to have the quiet time I long for and need, I have to deny myself one of my favorite things in the world………..sleep. I cannot sleep in until my son wakes me up, I must get up at 5:00 am with my husband, no matter how well or poorly I slept the night before. And I must be consistent with this routine. After all, my son will not be going to school at 10:00 am, and I doubt I will find a job that doesn’t start until 11:00 am, so I might as well get used to early mornings now, right?

 

This desire for changing from a “night owl” to an “early bird” reminds me once again of 2 Timothy 1:7,

For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline (NIV)

 

Self discipline…..a God given spirit of self discipline. Time and time again I am reminded, I do not need to gain self discipline, it was instilled in me at my creation. While He was working the miracle of my life inside my mother’s womb, making my fingers and toes, eyes, ears, hair…he included self-discipline. For me to say “I don’t have the self discipline to get up at 5:00 am every morning” or “I wish I had the self discipline So-and-so had for working out regularly” is not of Christ. I truly believe it is a trick the devil uses to sidetrack me on my daily walk with my Saviour. I have started praying at night as I go to sleep, that God would help me use the self discipline he instilled in me to get up even if I don’t feel like it. Guess what? It worked.

I should not be surprised, I know that He wants to spend time with me even more than I can realize. He is the one calling out saying “I’m here, won’t you have a morning cup of coffee with Me?” and I am the one saying “I’m too tired…..I’m too busy”.

 

So, my food for thought for you today my reader(s) is this, instead of asking for self discipline, ask that you would use the self discipline He already gave you. It will not be easy, but then again how does that phrase go “Nothing ever worth having was gotten easily”?