A Life of Jealousy

January 27, 2010
Genesis 29-30

There must have been no peace in Jacob's home!  I suppose he kind of deserved it after all of the grieve he caused in his own home.

Leah and Rachel are competing about everything.  They compete for the love of Jacob.  They compete for how many children they can have.  At one point they even compete for who can spend a night with Jacob.  Sibling rivalry can be an ugly thing.  How much different would it have been if these two sisters dwelt together in peace and love?

How peaceful has your home been lately?  Has there been a trivial spirit of competition?  If so, determine not to allow that spirit to dominate your home.

From the kids
Joy says that this is the reason polygamy doesn't work.  :)
Alex says that no one could be that oblivious to not know who you were sleeping with until morning!

God if You....Then I'll

January 26, 2010
Genesis 27-28


Jacob comes from a long line of deceivers.  It started in a small way with Abraham.  Abraham lied about Sarah twice in order to save his own life, saying that she was his sister.  Isaac, his son, does the same thing with Rebekah.  Jacob tricked Esau from his birthright for a bowl of lentil soup.  Rebekah and Jacob trick Isaac into giving him Esau's blessing.

Now Jacob tries to finagle a deal with God.  He says God if you'll bless me on my journey then I'll serve you as God.  God does bless him in many ways, but I think He was not satisfied with this arrangement as a final relationship with Jacob.

Have you tried to make a deal with God?  Is your attitude, God if you do this, I'll do that?  If so, repent and change your heart today.  God was dissatisfied with this arrangement with Jacob, and certainly He is with you as well.

Become What You Believe

January 22, 2010
Genesis 25-26; Psalm 7:6-8; Proverbs 3:9-10; Matthew 9:18-38


After praising the woman with the issue of blood, Jesus meets some blind men on the way.  He asks them, "Do you really believe I can do this?"  (referring to healing them).  They reply yes!  Jesus says, according to the Message Bible, "Become what you believe."

All the pressure was then on their faith.  Not on what Jesus could or would do for them.  We have all become what we believe.  If we believe we are no good, we've become no good.  If we believe we are useful, we've become useful.

The key is to change what we believe.  I wonder how the blind men changed their beliefs.  Was it because of hearing all of the testimonies?  Was it because of Jesus' words?

We can change what we believe so that we produce different results too.  Surround yourself with testimonies of how good the Lord has been. Read God's Word.  Faith comes by hearing God's Word.  After changing what you believe to what God wants us to believe, then you will become what you believe!!

From the kids
We all wondered if King Abimilech was suspicious regarding Rebecca since his father had done the same thing with Sarah

Joy thought it was funny because the Message Bible reads that they were bringing casseroles!  :)

Don't Assume You Know It All

January 21, 2010
Genesis 23-24; Psalm 7:1-5; Proverbs 3:7-8; Matthew 9:1-17


A common trap for teenagers in this day is to think they know more than the adults around them.  Some times they do!  I mean who do you go to when your cellular device isn't working correctly?  If you're anything like me, I go to one of the teens in the house.

The question isn't whether or not one person knows more than another.  The real question is a matter of humility and a lack of pride in your own intellect.  The Message Bible says in Proverbs 3:7, "Don't assume you know it all."

It's the assuming that makes us look both foolish and full of pride.  Be careful to have a humble and teachable attitude.  Don't forget the reason why you know most of what you do.  It's the adults and the leaders around you who have laid their lives down for you that have taught you most of what you know. Demand of yourself that you act with an attitude of respect toward them.

From the kids
Joy noticed how sad Abraham was at the death of Sarah.

She also wondered why the people in Jesus' home town had pigs!

Don't Try to Figure Out Everything On Your Own!

January 20, 2010
Genesis 20-21; Psalm 6:6-10; Proverbs 3:5-6; Matthew 8:18-34


The Message Bible says,
Trust God from the bottom of your heart; 
   don't try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go;
   he's the one who will keep you on track.

How easy it is to feel that it is our responsibility to try and figure everything out on our own.  I know that I am definitely not qualified to figure things out on my own, but I still fall into the trap of thinking it is my Christian duty.  Then, after I mess things up, I dislike myself.

How much happier we would all be if we understood our limitations and allowed Christ to help us in them.  He wants us to depend on Him.  He will never allow our life to be such that we are completely independent of Him.  It pleases God when we trust in Him.  Our pride never pleases God.

Make a committment today to trust God from the bottom of your heart.  Let Him help you figure things out.  He knows everything.  What a wonderful counselor we have!

From the kids

Alex wondered how Abraham recognized God's voice without the Word of God to compare it to.

We all noticed lots of types and symbols in the reading of Abraham being willing to sacrifice Isaac.  Especially that Isaac carried the wood he was to be sacrificed with just like Jesus carried the cross he was to be crucified on.

Living A Live of Gratitude

December 19, 2010
Genesis 19-20; Psalm 6;1-5; Proverbs 3:1-4; Matthew 8:1-17


Jesus is speaking to a leper whom He has just healed and says, "Your cleansed and grateful life, not your words, will bear witness to what I have done." Matthew 8:4 (Message)

We are to be bold witnesses with what we say, but even more importantly we should be as this leper...We should be so grateful for what the Lord has done for us personally that it causes us to live a life in gratitude towards our Lord and Savior.  What has He done for you, personally?  Saving you from a life of sin is more than enough to live your life in joy for Him, but I challenge you to think of things He has done for you personally.  You will be surprised at the amount of things you have to be grateful for.  

If you think about it, this thought makes Romans 12:1-2 even easier to do.  Isn't it our reasonable service to make our bodies a living sacrifice when we live a life of gratitude?  Doesn't the world cry out for people who show their Christianity rather than just talk about it?

From the kids

Joy noted that although Lot's children were removed from Sodom, they were still influenced by their time there and were sexually perverted.

Alex was so sleepy, he had a hard time staying awake.  :(

Waiting in Expectation

January 14, 2010

Genesis 15-16; Psalm 5:1-7; Proverbs 2:6-9

I ready too much in Matthew again yesterday!!

Psalm 5:3 says,

"in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation."

Today, inventory what you have requested from God. Are you waiting in expectation? Everyone loves to see a child take a trusted adult at their word and get excited about something they have requested.

In obedience to this scripture, we made some requests this morning, and now our job is to wait in expectation. No matter what. This can be difficult because sometimes circumstances look like God has forgotten our requests, but He loves to be taken at His Word. He loves it when we expect Him to come through for us.

From the kids

Alex is trusting God for an HD camera. He is very talented with film, and uses it for the glory of God.

Joy is believing to go to Driver's Ed soon. (We home school our children and have to pay a tidy sum for driving instruction.)

I am believing for a way to bring income to my family without disrupting my other responsibilities to them.

Recognizing True Treasures

January 13, 2010

Genesis 13-14; Psalm 4:4-8; Proverbs 2:1-5; Matthew 6

Have you ever been totally preoccupied with attaining an item? Night and day the only thing on your mind is how you need that very thing. It seems that every conversation reminds you of your need and desire for it. It seems that every circumstance cries out, "You need this...You really, really want this!"

Can you imagine how silly that will seem in Heaven? "When we've been there ten thousand years..." can you imagine how ridiculous our desire for anything earthly will appear? If Heaven is our aim, and pleasing God our number one goal, we can trust Him for everything we need in order to store up treasures that will not seem valueless in forever.

He promises to take care of everything we need. If we treat the heads of our home without gratitude, and like they haven't done a good job providing, they usually get offended. And rightly so. Don't offend God by not trusting Him to do whatever is necessary to bring you whatever is necessary.

Growing in FaithW

January 12, 2010

Genesis 11-12; Psalm 4:1-3; Proverbs 1:28-30

We accidentally read too much in Matthew yesterday.

Abraham was a real live human being just like you and me. He had to grow in faith just like the rest of us. Sometimes you see him move in great faith, and other times you see his frailty.

God told Abraham to move away from his family and all that he knew. This took great faith, but he obeyed. Then on his journey, God shows him land that he wants to give to his descendants. Abraham builds an altar to remind himself of God's promise.

Just a few verses later, Abraham moves to Egypt. Scripture doesn't mention whether or not it was under the direction of God. Abraham, then Abram, was so afraid that the Pharoah would kill him for Sarai, he asks her to lie! Perhaps he moved outside of the will of God when he went to Egypt and this is why he didn't have the confidence to trust God. Or, perhaps he was just growing in faith, like the rest of us.

Abraham is called the Father of Faith, yet it is easy to see that even he through the years had to grow and walk the walk of faith just like the rest of us. However, he kept on, and he finished the course. Let's continue our walk of faith, so that we can truly be called the sons and daughters of Abraham!

From the kids

We all wondered what it was about the building a tower that would keep them from scattering across the earth.

Also the very thing they were afraid of (being scattered) is the very thing that happened.

We also wondered if this was how God ensured that people were on every continent before Pangea broke apart.

Revealing the Nakedness of Others

January 11, 2010

Genesis 9-10; Psalm 3:5-8; Proverbs 1:23-27; Matthew 5

Today we read the account of Ham gossiping to his brothers about his father's nakedness. When Noah hears of this offense, he curses Ham and his descendants. His lineage becomes a thorn in the flesh of Israel even now. Again we have an instance where one son is ostracized for his sin.

It is interesting to note that it is Ham's descendants who continue in sin and build Sodom and Gomorrah. Noah was recognizing something in Ham which would produce more and more evil in the future. And it all started by revealing the nakedness of another.

Whose nakedness do we reveal in conversation, rather than being a servant and covering those who have embarrased themselves or fallen. Those seeds of gossip, talebearing and reveling in another's weakness and/or hardship have the seeds which produce problems not only in your own life, but in generations to come.

Make a decision to cover the sins of others. "Love covers a multitude of sins."

From the kids

Joy mentioned that it makes sense that Pangea was broken during the lifetime of Peleg. This is how the entire earth came to be inhabited by people.

We noted that it was after the flood that people were permitted to eat animals. Naturally, the animals now feared man. Man was chasing them for food!

We were all convicted about our words, because of Jesus speaking of not calling people a fool, etc.

Led to Be Tempted

January 8, 2010

Genesis 6-7; Psalm 3:1-4; Proverbs 1:20-22; Matthew 4

The key word for today's readings is obedience. Noah obeyed God even though what God asked of him made no sense. Jesus obeyed the Holy Spirit by being led to the desert for the purpose of being tempted. Peter and Andrew obeyed Jesus immediately. James and John obeyed Jesus immediately. The disciples left work and followed Him. The Bible doesn't even say whether or not they knew who He was. They heard the Master's call, and they obeyed.

Noah's obedience brought blessing on the earth. It saved mankind. More personally, it saved his family. Jesus' obedience allows us to see how to combat temptation. It shows us that we have an Advocate who understands what it is to be tempted by sin. The disciples' obedience shows us that nothing is more important than doing what the Savior has asked of us. These humble fishermen became world shakers. In the end, they were so influencial that their lives were taken so that they could do more damage. Little did the perpetrators know that they only empowered their testimonies!

What is the Father asking of us today? Is He asking you to do something which makes no sense? Is He leading you into the desert in order to be tempted? Or is He asking you to leave everything and follow His plan for your life? Whatever it is, you can be sure that His plans are so much better than ours ever could be!

From the kids

Joy says that she thinks that the angels brought Jesus food after he was tempted.

We all noticed how Jesus' message was exactly that of John the Baptist.

Better Late Than Never

January 7th, 2010

Genesis 5-6; Psalm 2:7-10; Proverbs 1:10-19; Matthew 3

We've had a beautiful snowstorm! Due to extra shoveling, I didn't make my deadline of writing before going to bed last night. :(

His mercies are new every morning!

Yesterday's reading begins talking about God creating us to be like Him. It struck me that when the serpent told Eve that she should partake of the fruit in order to be like God, that He was tempting her with something she already had.

This is true of so much in our own spiritual walk. For instance, if we are truly in Christ, we've been made righteous. Yet we don't feel righteous, act righteous, or seem righteous.

Eve didn't act like God because she didn't believe that she was like God, even though God said that she was. We don't act righteous because we don't believe that what Jesus has done was enough to make us righteous even though He said we are. Our actions always follow our beliefs. If we believe we are righteous we will begin acting righteous. Not of ourselves, otherwise we could boast, but because it is a benefit of what Christ has purchased for us.

Satan was able to destroy Eve's life, (and ultimately mankind's) by making her feel deficient in something God said she had complete sufficiency in.

What area in your life are you tempted to believe something other than what God says about you? Change your mind so that Satan doesn't have a hold on you and cause you to partake of doing things the world's way, just because you don't believe something God has said about you.

From the kids

David pointed out that he had heard in his Youth group lecture class that if you translate all of the names from Adam to Noah that the meanings prophecy of the second coming of Christ. He also pointed out that he would like to go to Turkey sometime and see if remains of the ark are there or not! :)

We all wondered at the wording in chapter 6:7 which states "I will wipe mankind...-men and animals,...-" Were animals counted in mankind at that time?

I also created a timeline to see whose lives overlapped in this portion of scripture. We were amazed to find that Adam was alive until just before the birth of Lamech, Noah's father! All of the patriarchs up until this point died before the flood. Noah was the last righteous man from the lineage listed in Genesis 5.

What does this say about the importance of family heritage? When circumstances led to the fact that only one person from this lineage was living, the earth became very corrupt and violent. We must raise our children to obey God, just as Noah did. This way the inheritance of God's people will remain on earth, and if there becomes a shortage of righteous people, God will protect our family just as He did Noah's.

We Are On Our Way...

January 6, 2010

Genesis 3-4; Psalm 2; Proverbs 1:8-9; Matthew 2

The genius of the serpent is that he made Eve think that his temptation was actually for something good - to be more like God. He did this by sowing discord and suggesting to Eve that God was really being unfair. He was keeping all the wisdom for Himself.

As a parent, this reminds me of a progression I've seen in my children. We say, "Don't do this, or don't do that." to a preschooler and they lovingly accept that we have their best interest in mind. They may ask why, but it isn't to question our motive, but rather to understand our wisdom. Then as adolescence comes in, our children begin to question our integrity, our motives. Parents start hearing phrases like, "It's not fair," or "You never want me to have any fun." The innocence of the child who truly believes that all authority has his best interest in mind is gone. Suddenly your motives are in question and usually found wanting.

The serpent did this to Eve putting a doubt in her. Why would God want to keep me from being wise?

All of us need to keep our child like faith. We need to obey without questioning that God has our best interest in mind when He requires something of us.

From the kids

This is scary...David my college student (home for the holidays) decided his revelation was that Adam was always dominant over Eve...Yikes!

Alex thought it was interesting that Eve wasn't freaked out that the snake talked. Maybe the animals spoke in the beginning?

Joy pointed out that this story was the origin of the Blame Game.

A few years ago, I attempted reading through the Bible out loud with my children. It was an epic fail. First of all, I had decided to read the Bible straight through rather than going with one of the plans using Old and New Testament. This was fine at first, but when we got to the Books of the Law, it was dare I say dull? Especially to grade school and junior high children. I'll never forget telling one of my friends how annoyed I was because it was taking so long in the mornings. In addition to the readings seeming to take forever, my children started asking questions! I had a schedule to keep, I didn't have time for my children to actually take interest in what I was reading. Believe it or not, I had to be reminded that asking questions was a good thing. So, we abandoned the idea of reading the Bible in a year, and went at a slower pace. Eventually we began a family devotional which did not include reading the Bible through in a year or any other amount of time. Therefore, I am sorry to say that we still have not read the entire Bible as a family.

Seeing that I have one child away at college, and two in high school, I decided to make this a priority before all of my children were out of the house. I have had the privilege of home educating my children for the past 10 years, therefore I have the advantage of really being able to take time in the mornings to accomplish this goal. I am so thankful for a country that not only allows me the freedom to teach my children about God, but also to teach my children academically at home in a godly atmosphere!

My purpose in creating a blog is two-fold. First of all, I wanted accountability. I knew that if there was a possibility that even one person was watching, I would stay the course and finish the race. Secondly, I thought that maybe other parents might have the same desire and could benefit from our successes and probably even more from our failures. :)

Each post will include the scriptures we read, any revelations we received, breakthroughs and humorous stories. It really annoys the organizer in me that I am starting this 4 days late. The part of me that got annoyed at the questions my children were asking because I had a schedule wants to wait until next year when I can start on January 1st, or even sillier still, I am tempted to cram four days into one. In the end, I don't think my Father cares whether our family finishes on December 31, 2010 or January 4, 2011.

January 5th, 2010

Genesis Chapters 1 & 2; Psalm 1; Proverbs 1:1-17; Matthew 1

Genesis Chapter 1 is one of my favorite portions of scripture. After all there is so much scope for the imagination. It is very easy to engage your children in a discussion when it comes to creation. Many statements start with ... I wonder if...or...maybe...

The infiniteness of God and all of His glory. He takes something formless and shapeless and empty and begins a new work. Isn't that what He's done with each of us who have received his grace through faith? He begins a new work in us. We are called a new creation. What did God do with his new creation of earth first? He separated light and darkness. The Word of God separates light and darkness in our world. "For the Word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing the soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." He. 4:12. In Genesis, God says, "Let there be light." And there is the light of His Word in our hearts. His Word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Ps. 119:105.

So here we are - new creatures with the revelation of God's light, His Word in our life. Let's allow our lights to shine before men...

From the kids...

Joy was surprised that Rehab was in the genealogy of Christ.

Alex quoted Psalm 1 from memory.

We all had fun thinking about the different relationship man may have had with animals before the fall.

We realized that according to Genesis chapter 1:10 animals were vegetarians as well. This made us realize how there was no violence whatsoever on the earth, not even in the animal kingdom. What a beautiful place it must have been!