Yesterday was kind of quiet, which is really nice to have after have a rough week of not feeling well, crazy situations with meetings, just plain being tired. Hubby wanted to take me to breakfast yesterday morning (although I told him I found it interesting that I didn't feel I could go to church after my week of being sick, but could obviously go to breakfast....) so we did. It was a nice breakfast. Didn't do much after breakfast.... went to Big Lots and picked up a few things that 'we just had to have'. (In other words, didn't really need, but thought we might 'sometime'. And snacks for hubby while I'm gone. And I had to have a small package of oreos for me. And a small box of Cheezits.
Did you see that video on facebook of the woman who would sniff an oreo and stuff a piece of broccoli in her mouth? I always think of that when I see broccoli or oreos. It was really funny.
We had the leftover chicken, mashed potatoes and corn for dinner last night since we weren't hungry for lunch. Afterwards we decided to watch Jentezen Franklin from You Tube since we didn't watch him yesteday morning. He was on fire yesterday. And he just stated that more preachers need to be preaching the Word of God from the Bible and not giving '7 steps to being a good friend' (or something like that). Meaning, quit covering up the truth with 'goody' stuff and put the truth out there! "The BIBLE says...." is what Billy Graham always said.... and Jentezen was holding up his Bible and saying 'The BIBLE says...". Powerful, powerful service! The kind I 'enjoy' hearing. It doesn't matter what I feel about something, or what I think of this or that.... if the BIBLE says..... then that is to be my response.
They also have a monthly praise and worship service in the evenings at Free Chapel and I went ahead and clicked to watch it after the service. Wow. What a worship service! For the first time in a long time, I felt refreshed and renewed in worship. Some of you may not understand that feeling. I wish you did. I wish you experience it when you worship. Total abandonment of oneself in worship. No, I didn't get up and dance and all that, but fell to my knees with lifted hands in worship. Oh the enemy kept trying to mess with my mind... "you know hubby is watching you" (SO WHAT??!!) The enemy is always trying to make me self-counscious during worship. But I was able to close my mind to him last night and just worship Jesus. What a precious, precious time of praying for my family, my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren - and even for those beyond that. Each one I claimed for the Lord. Oh that all would open their eyes to His goodness, His faithfulness, His love, and turn their hearts to Him!
I didn't want the time to end. Worship was so sweet, so comforting, so loving, so wonderful. I can sit here even now and close my eyes and remember the sweetness of the evening. Oh that each one of you could experience the joy of serving the Lord and only Him. Not tha I am perfect by any means, in worship, or in life. I'm not. But I have a Savior, just as you do, who loves me so much that when I confess my sins to Him, He is faithful and just to forgive me my sins, and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. My righteousness if found in Him alone.
When I went to bed shortly after worship, I slept the best I have slept in a long, long time. I awoke at 2:30AM, glanced at the clock, went right back to sleep and slept until 4AM this morning. I actually feel rested and (almost) ready to start the day. I am working today and it will prove to be a busy day, for sure. To start off with, it's 'timecard Monday' so I need to get those done. Then I have that June 3rd/May 20th meeting to get taken care of today. Hopefully the executive assistant of the president finally responded to my email. If not, I will be texting her to read her email from me from 8:30AM last Friday morning. Got to get that taken care of. Other than that, it is just tying up loose ends so that I can be gone 4 days without my laptop. I get my work emails on my phone so I can periodically check if something should come up, but there isn't anything I can do because I am not taking my work laptop with me. This is vacation. That means fun. That means hanging out with those I love and they will have my full attention.
I need to start week two of my Bible study today - not sure if I will have time to this morning before I start work, as I really want to jump on the computer and get things done. Unfortunately, my timing isn't always THIER timing when it comes to timecards. I'd like to get on and say by 8AM have all your timecards approved (I'm usually the 2nd approval). But THEIR bosses have given them until 11AM. Last week I was down to one person so I just emailed her and asked her to go in and approve so that I could finish up and quit checking. It can get time consuming at times. So I may as well take the half hour before me and work on my lesson. I thought the first week was thought provoking, and I have already mentioned how I struggled to answer honestly some of the questions from Day 5. I talked with my little sister yeserday as we were to discuss the summary of the week - and she hadn't completed it. Why? Day 5 had 'personal questions' that she struggled with, and after the first 8 questions (out of 18), she quit. Said she didn't want to do the study (that is what I 'heard', may not be exactly what she said). So we talked about it and I explained that day 5 was a personal reflection for our own review. We do NOT share our responses to that. But if she looked beyond those questions to the summary of the week, where there are general questions about the study to discuss - THAT is what we would choose from to share with each other. That made a difference; she hadn't looked any further. So, we probably will be discussing week one and week two next weekend for we won't talk that much this week.
And isn't that what we sometimes do? If we don't like something the Bible says, we choose to close the Bible and not read any further? If we don't like what someone says to us, we turn it off in our minds, and not listen? We don't like the way a preacher preaches (because it steps on our toes?) so we quit going. The Bible isn't to entertain us. It is to instruct us on how to live. Yes, it was written centuries ago - but it still applies today! Our conscience convicts us of things we know we shouldn't do... so we turn it off so that we can do what we want. Who says you have to go to church anyway, we remark when we don't want to go. "I can still be a Christian and not go to church." How many times have we heard that?!
I gave each of my children a Bible a couple years ago. I don't think any of them have even taken it out of the box - or if they have - have looked to read it. I wish I had given them the Bible I am reading now for it has helped me a lot. I've mentioned before how I enjoy reading different study Bibles as a pastor's interpretation is sometimes different from others. I gave them each a Jentezen Franklin Legacy Bible - and it has years of sermons in it that he gave (brief ones) over the years. Some are really good. I've read through that Bible and have it marked up. Loved reading the sermons. But it isn't a STUDY Bible. Meaning, there are no notes at the bottom that can help one understand what the scripture is saying. I am currently using David Jeremiah's NJKV Study Bible. His interpretations of scripture have helped me a lot in understanding a deeper meaning of the scripture as I read it. I currently read a chapter, then read the study notes, and any 'insights' he has. I also enjoy the book summary in front of each book. I just started Romans yesterday (reading through the New Testament first, then will go back to Genesis and start again there. I boughht one for hubby too and he has commented how much more he gets out of it. I wish I had bought these for my children, because of the study notes. But I love the messages in the Legacy Bible too. Bottom line, the Bible has so much history in it and through interpretations of those who know much more than I, I am able to form my own opinions, my own interpretation. It opens our minds to what God is saying to us! And His Word never changes. Oh that they would all love God's Word like I do! I have one Bible that belonged to my dad.. it's called a 'Teacher's Bible' and gives the pronnouciations of the names...I'm still undecided whom I will pass that on to. I want to read it myself in its entirety before I pass it on. Perhaps once I retire and have more time. I want whoever it goes to, to treasure it as I do. Not only because it is a Bible, but it belonged to my dad.
I guess I need to quit sharing and prepare my mind for the day's work. I need to pack too! Having lunch with my daughter today to go over things I want or need to take. Still need to get my hiking boots down off the shelf. For this reason I asked for them for Christmas (besides, there wasn't anything I needed, and it was something specific hubby could buy for me). Last day of work before vacation; hopefully I can get off the computer at my usually sign-off time and be done with it for the rest of the week. Pray for our protection and travel mercies as we travel to and from, please.
I John 5:14-15 (NKJV): "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."
Blessings!
