Mandy’s Mondays – Beth Moore’s David 90 Days With a Heart Like His
22
October
1
written by: | One Comment

david_cvr_lr.jpgOver the last several months I have been working through Beth Moore’s David 90 Days With a Heart Like His and I am excited because I am about to finish. I don’t know what it is but I get a thrill from finishing things :) There is just something about completion that is encouraging.

I have enjoyed working through this devotional on the life of David. I have always respected the way that Beth handles Scripture and she does the same great job with this book. I must say though that Brian mocked me greatly for carring this book with us on vacation and on our summer youth trips, due to the size of the thing. It is a large awkward book (it is designed to look like an old book with torn pages and lots of room on the pages – which does not make it a great traveling book)!

So why did I like it:

1. It was a great walk through David’s life. It was encouraging to see him in both his times of triumph and defeat. Beth has a great way of drawing applications out and referencing other areas of Scripture.

2. I loved the Scripture inspired pray at the end of each devotion. Most days this is where I found myself really challenged, and it was great to read and ponder some verses I was not as familiar with.

3. Each days devotion took me about 15 minutes. Now normally I would love to spend a lot more time, however with the current ages of my four children it is hard to find time!! So having a book that helped me go through Scripture and was doable while who knows what else is going on in the house is SUPER important!! So on those crazy days I could still do something, and on the relaxed I have an hour days it was a good way to get my time started.

And now on to something else I love – picking where and what I am going to read next for my personal time with God. I always get excited about this as well. Who knows what the Lord has in store to teach me. I have two thoughts in mind of what I will choose between but I am waiting to see and asking the Lord for direction.

Category: Mandy's Mondays, spiritual life  One Comment
Updated Family Pictures
22
October
1
written by: | One Comment

Just a quick note to say that we have updated some of our family photos. A few new albums…Owen at 7 months, Owen at 8 months, Addie’s Soccer Team Fall 2007. Enjoy

Category: Family Life, photos  One Comment
Mandy’s Monday (on Thursday) – Journaling
18
October
2
written by: | 2 Comments

Well since this is the second week in a row that I have failed at getting my post up on Monday, I am starting to wonder if I should rename it Mandy’s Whenever I Can Get To It :) No not really, I am still keeping it Mandy’s Mondays and hoping future blogs will fall on the correct day of the week. This week sickness got in the way again, only it was Addie who had to come home from school early and then be cared for., and not myself that was under the weather.

I taught at Study & Share this week on Journaling. Unfortunately I was unable to record the lesson so it is not available to listen to.

When we were talking through the curriculum for Study & Share we were asked to pick the chapters from the book we wanted to study. One that I chose was on journaling. I have loved journaling over the years and have done it in several different ways. In getting ready for teaching I pulled my journals all together and looked them over. I found 17 that span 17 years. Now that makes it sound like I have one for each year, I don’t. Sometimes a journal took me more than a year to fill and other times less than a year.

So what do I journal about? It all started with my high school missions trip to Mexico when we were required to keep a journal to be able to make a copy to give to our sponsers. And then came college when I had a prayer assignment for a certian amount of hours of prayer that I need to do for this one project. I thought how will I ever pray for more than 5-10 minutes!! I decided to write my prayers out and my prayer journals were born :) For many years this was the main way I prayed and I loved it! Although I still do so at times it is not my main way of praying these days. Instead, today my journal is what I use in my devotions, in my personal time with the Lord. I usually read a passage of Scripture and while doing so find a verse or more that sticks out to me. It may bring encouragement or it may be a great challenge to me, but for some reason I desire to ponder it greater so I write it out in my journal. Then I just write my thoughts and questions and finally use that as a springboard to pray for the day.

In preparing the lesson for Study & Share I decided to take a look at David and his journaling in the Psalms. He was such a man of emotions and convictions. In II Samuel and I and II Chronicles we get to read the history of David’s life and times, but in the Psalms he wrote we get to see his inner turmoil and struggle to grow in his walk with the Lord. I know most of these Psalms he wrote, if not all, were written as songs but I believe that is a form of journaling! David was a journaler :)

An article I read said the greatest reason to journal is to answer the question “what is God doing in my life?” And I would have to agree!! It is amazing to read past journals and see how the Lord has worked. And it is so refreshing to write my thoughts and emotions down right when I am thinking and feeling! It helps me process it all and think more deeply about the Lord. And that is something I want to do.

So journal with me :) find a way, a time, a style that fits you! Don’t think you have to do it like anyone else, even in frequency!! Brian says he is a “sporadic journaler” and that fits him well. Give it a try and see what God is doing in your life :)

Category: Uncategorized  2 Comments
Mom’s Words For A Day
18
October
2
written by: | 2 Comments

Props go to my Father-in-law, Ronnie, who sent me a link with this youtube video! I laughed out loud!! I can so identify with the morning routine she includes as well as other things, and I know the other stuff (get off the phone, stop texting, and I will add let me see your facebook) will be just around the corner. So sit back and enjoy, and if you are a Mom I know you are laughing out loud at this one!!

Category: Family Life, Mandy, Motherhood, youtube  2 Comments
God is Love & the reality of Hell
10
October
2
written by: | 2 Comments

“I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” – John 13.34-35

I came across the video below based on this Bible verse. How does a Christian understand the reality of a place called hell, of which Jesus talked a lot about, with loving others? I think that instead of the approaches shown in the video below, we should be about loving others with God’s love so that they may experience the fullness of life in him instead of the eternal death apart from him.

Watch the video and share your perspectives on this!

Because the video would start every time someone came to the website, I have taken it down. But if you would still like to see the original video, click here.

Category: hell, love, spiritual life, Theology  2 Comments
I Love My Sisters – By Owen
10
October
1
written by: | One Comment

This morning as I was sitting in my high chair being fed sugar cereal by my sister Isabelle, and I started to think how much I love my sisters! Especially when Mom showed up and took the lovely yummie cereal away!!

I have three sisters, ya know and I love them each for the things that make them special.  Let me explain:

Addie is my oldest sister and she likes to read books to me.  I really enjoy it when she lets me have the book and then I get to chew on it :)   Who needs reading when you can chew!

Emma is my second oldest sister and she is my Bud, or at least I think so because she always calls me “O Joe Buds”.  I am not exactly sure why but I think it has to do with my name being Owen Josiah and that I get called Buddy from time to time.  I figure she just put them all together.  Emma likes to hold  me even though I am getting really big these days.  And she is great at talking and singing to me a ton when I am crying.  Sometimes she gets to feed me and that is always fun!!

Then there is Isabelle and she really brings spice into my life!  Sometimes when Mom does not know it she will come and wake me up.  She first turns on all the lights then crawls into bed with me, turns on my mobile and we lay there giggling.  I like it when she plays peek-a-boo with me!  She runs up to me and says “aaahh-boo, aaahh-boo” over and over, and it just makes me laugh!  But I must say it is great when she sneaks me some food that Mom is not ready for me to try yet, like the sugar cereal.  It is just our little secret.  Sometimes as payback I let her have my passy, but usually I protest when she takes it!  This morning after the cereal was taken away, Isabelle decided to decorate my face with pen marks.  I did not like the application, but once on what is a little ink in a boys life?  Although, I don’t think Mom shared the same opinion!

Aren’t my sisters GREAT!  For now I am sitting around planning…planning how I can love on them back once I get more mobile!  It is going to be great!!

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Category: Family Life, Owen  One Comment
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