My "New Large Print" NIV Application Bible...

Yes folks I am at the age where I need a large print bible.  Regular print bibles are just too little for me to read out of anymore.  You might be thinking that's what digital bibles are for.  Not for me because I like having a real bible in my hands to read and study out of.  I like to highlight and make notes in my bibles as well.  And yes, I know that you can do that on digital too but it's just not the same as with a real one.  So here's what my new bible looks like:

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)...

Footnotes from NIV Application Bible:

(v.34) The use of the imperative "seek" does not mean to look for something not present.  Jesus has already announced the arrival of the kingdom.  In this context, it means that his disciples are to make the kingdom of heaven the center of their priorities.  

(v.19-34) If we put Jesus at the center of our lives, we will avoid the modern idolatry of worry.  We probably do not think of worry as a form of idolatry, but it is when we allow it to take our eyes off Jesus.  We substitute despair, hopelessness, or fear in place of God and turn to our own efforts at trying to control our environment.  This can be a harsh world, and worry can consume us.  A way of reversing the trend toward anxiety is to look around at what we have and what God has done and then say, "Thank you."  He is our Master and Provider, the One who has given us kingdom life, kingdom priorities, and kingdom values, by which we can truly say, "Thank you."

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV)...

Footnotes from NIV Life Application Bible:

(v16-18) Our joy, prayers, and thankfulness should not fluctuate with our circumstances or feelings.  Obeying these three commands - be joyful, pray continually, and give thanks - often goes against our natural inclinations.  When we make a conscious decision to do what God says, however, we will begin to see people in a new perspective. When we do God's will, we will find it easier to be joyful and thankful.

(v17) We cannot spend all our time on our knees, but it is possible to have a prayerful attitude at all times.  This attitude is built upon acknowledging our dependence on God, realizing His presence within us, and determining to obey Him fully.  Then we will find it natural to pray frequent, spontaneous, short prayers.  A prayerful attitude is not a substitute for regular times of prayer but should be an outgrowth of those times.

(v18) Paul was not teaching that we should thank God for everything that happens to us, but in everything.  Evil does not come from God, so we should not thank Him for it.  But when evil strikes, we can still be thankful for God's presence and for the good that He will accomplish through the distress.

My Greatest Blessing...

Telling our kids often that we love them is so important to their self esteem.  It's important that we build them up as often as we can and that they never have to wonder if we love them because they already know.  

Tim knows because we tell him all the time how much we love him.  He also knows how proud we are of the man that he's becoming because we tell him all the time.  He never has to wonder how we feel about him because he knows.  

Tim knows he is wanted.  He knows he is loved.  He knows that he will always be wanted and loved.  He is God's greatest blessing to his father and myself.  I'm thankful everyday that God allowed me to be his mother and that we have raised him the way that we have raised him.  He is becoming an amazing young man, at 17 (a senior in High School), who knows who he is and whose he is as well.  I know that God has great plans for him and his dad and I can't wait to watch how those plans play out in his life.  

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)...

Footnote from NIV Life Application Bible:

To walk safely in the woods at night we need a light so we don't trip over tree roots or fall into holes.  In this life, we walk through a dark forest of evil.  But the Bible can be our light to show us the way ahead so we won't stumble as we walk.  It reveals the entangling roots of false values and philosophies.  Study the Bible so you will be able to see your way clear enough to stay on the right path.  

A Jesus Shaped Life...

Started this bible study Monday and I'm loving it already.  I'm looking forward to diving into the subject of sound biblical theology and how it deepens my relationship with God and others.  

Already I've learned:

(Definitions derived from Greek Words)

• Theology = theologia = a belief system and world view based on the promises and parameters found in God's Word.  
• Theos = God; Logos = Words/conversation.
• Hermeneutic = the lens through which we see and understand.
• Orthodoxy = Orthos = right; Doxa = belief
• Ask yourself, is what I claim about God in line with Scripture and the core beliefs of the Christian faith?
• Orthopraxy = Orthos = right; Praxis = practice
• Ask yourself, does what I claim compel me toward right ways of living?
• Orthopathy = Orthos = right; Pathos = feeling
• Ask yourself, is my heart and emotion attuned to God in light of my theology?

This study has already got my blood pumping and excited for learning more.  I can't wait to do day 2's solo work/homework today.  I'm looking forward to sharing more with you as I do this bible study.  

Happy 53rd Birthday to My BF from HS...

Today is my BF, Joanne's, 53rd Birthday.  She's the only friend from my HS days that I have stayed in touch with.  Time can pass but when we are together it's like no time has passed at all.  She is one of the only ones that really knows me worts and all.  I only have a few friends that I can say that about.  I'm praying that she has her best birthday to date today.  

1 Peter 5:8 (ESV)...

Footnote from NIV Life Application Bible (v.8&9):

Lions attack sick, young, or straggling animals; they choose victims who are alone or not alert.  Peter warns us to watch out for Satan when we are suffering or being persecuted.  Feeling alone, weak, helpless, and cut off from other believers, so focused on our troubles, that we forget to watch for danger, we are especially vulnerable to Satan's attack.  During those times of suffering, seek other Christians for support.  Keep your eyes on Christ, and resist the devil.  Then, says James, "he will flee from you" (James 4:7).

Psalm 84:5 (ESV)...

Footnote from NIV Life Application Bible (v.5-7): 

The pilgrimage to the temple passed through the barren Valley of Baca.  No specific valley has been identified with Baca.  Because Baca can mean "weeping," it may have been a symbolic reference to the times of struggles and tears through which people must pass on their way to meet God.  Growing strong in God's presence is often preceded by a journey through barren places to our lives.  The person who loves to spend time with God will see his or her adversity as an opportunity to re-experience God's faithfulness.  If you are walking through your own Valley of Baca today, be sure your pilgrimage leads toward God, not away from Him.  

Hebrews 12:1 (ESV)...

Footnote from NIV Life Application Bible:

This "great cloud of witnesses" is composed of the people described in Chapter 11.  Their faithfulness is constant encouragement to us.  We don not struggle alone, and we are not the first to struggle with the problems we face.  Others have run the race and won, and their witness stirs us to run and win also.  What an inspiring heritage we have!

(v.1-4):

The Christian life involves hard work.  It requires us to give up whatever endangers our relationship with God, to run patiently, and to struggle against sin with the power of the Holy Spirit.  To live effectively, we must keep our eyes on Jesus.  We will stumble if we look away from Him to stare at ourselves or at the circumstances surrounding us.  We should be running for Christ, not ourselves, and we must always keep Him in sight.