Each year, I listen to a daily audio Bible podcast—and complete the Bible in one year. This year marks my sixth year through the Bible.
Why don’t I stop?
Every year, I learn new aspects of the Bible because each year, I am in a different place in my life, and the Holy Spirit speaks to me where I am.
The Bible is always fresh! It is always alive!
It is the only book that has a Living Spirit within it.
Each year, when I get to Judges in the Old Testament, I say, “Oh boy!” because I know what is ahead.
Passover begins this evening.
It is one of the most significant Jewish Holidays, commemorating when the angels of God “passed over” the Hebrews as the firstborn children and animals of the Egyptians were killed—all because Pharoah would not set the Hebrews free as God commanded.
With this final plague on Egypt, Pharoah agreed to free the Hebrews so they might begin their journey to the promised land.
God instructed the Jews to commemorate the first Passover, when they had marked their houses with blood, alerting the angels to “pass over” their homes.
Christians draw parallels in their faith,
This week, I was listening to a minister on the radio who noted that in the days after His resurrection, Jesus did not appear to Pilate to tell him that he had been wrong in ordering His crucifixion.
Jesus did not appear to the Jewish leaders and chastise them for not believing and demanding His death.
He did not appear to the Roman soldiers who nailed Him on the cross.
Why?
Today, I was drinking in the beautiful hymns of Psalm Sunday. They are majestic, powerful, and inspirational!
Among my very favorites is All Glory, Laud and Honor. When I close my eyes and listen to the lyrics, I can feel all the emotions I imagine those present at Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The hope. The joy. The expectation.
As Christians, we carry the hope, joy, and expectation at our Lord’s second coming. Feel this excitement. Play this song and sing along. It is a wonderful way to enter into the spirit of Holy Week.
What are some of your favorite Holy Week Hymns/ song?
In a survey completed by US News and World Report, by mid-February, 80 percent of new year’s resolutions have been shelved. Goals are tough to achieve. Most require marathons—not sprints—and marathons take endurance.
So, what do we do when we find ourselves mid-year with shelved goals and stale dreams.
Here are some steps to help you jumpstart your plans and to finish this year with the satisfaction of having achieved what brings fulfillment and joy:
Organization is not one of my strengths.
There I said it.
It isn’t easy to admit. I would love to be able to say that I am highly organized.
But I am not.
My daughter is. She has EVERYTHING organized. Toys, books, drawers. All sorted, labeled and well placed.
She did not get that gene from me.
But, I appreciate it. And, I can see how it is reflective of God.
How is that?
I love Aesop’s Fables. They are as relevant today as they were Aesop was a storyteller born approximately 620 BC. His short, pithy stories are as relevant today as they were when he wrote them, because human nature has not changed.
One of my favorite fables is the Belling of the Cat. Here is a translation of the story from read.gov:
Belling the Cat
The Mice once called a meeting to decide on a plan to free themselves of their enemy, the Cat. At least they wished to find some way of knowing when she was coming,
In looking at the Three Branches of Churches: Orthodox, Roman Catholic, and Protestant churches, last week we looked at the differences between the Orthodox churches and the Roman Catholic Church.
This week, we will consider the differences between the Roman Catholic church and the Protestant churches.
It has only been recently that I have begun to learn more about the “Three Big Branches” of the church: the Eastern Orthodox church, the Catholic Church, and the Protestant Tradition.
When I was growing up, I attended the Lutheran Church. One of my best friends attended the Greek Orthodox church and another attended the Roman Catholic church, so I understood there were three branches of Christianity. And though the services seemed different in content, I never really looked behind the services themselves to better understand what the denominations hold as core beliefs.
So, it was with great interest that I read..
