DAY 3: Comfort Zephaniah 2:5

"Woe to you who live by the sea, O Kerethite people; the word of the Lord is against you, O Canaan, Land of the Philistines. 'I will destroy you, and none will be left'"

Let's add versus six and seven too.

"The land by the sea, where the Kerethites dwell will be a place for shepherds and sheep pens. It will belong to the remnant of the house of Judah; there they will find pasture. In the evening they will lie down in the houses of Ashkelon. The Lord their God will care for them;  he will restore their fortunes."

Now for comfort: How do you spell relax? B-E-A-C-H? M-A-S-S-A-G-E? S-P-A? S-E-R-T-A? There's nothing like a good mattress for some quality of sleep. But how about rest from weariness and stress of life? Even the best mattress can't take care of that. Only one brand name provides that type of rest: God! The faithful people of Judah would agree. God promised to give them land and provide for their needs. Now that's quality rest! In need of some genuine rest? Lean back and put the whole weight of your cares on God.

Thoughts?

Have a good day!

Anne :)

DAY 2: Character Leviticus 18:3

"You must not do as they do in Egypt where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices."

God could have decided to just leave his people in the desert so that they wouldn't be tempted by the evil people in Canaan. But God wanted his people to get to live in that Beautiful land, so he brought them there with a serious warning, "You can't do what they do."

I can see this in present day as well. Are you surrounded by people who think and live differently- at school, at work, even at home? God wants you there, but warns, "Don't do as they do" Instead be a light for Christ (I know it can be hard)- it may be the only light those people see.

Let's do some soul-searching! Which do  you think is more important: looks or CHARACTER? Winning the Miss Congeniality award can seem less thrilling than being crowned Miss America (ps congrats Ms. Nebraska). In a day when looks seem to be valued over character many people are tempted to devalue character. But genuine character- inner beauty- never goes out of style with God.

The last thing I want to say about character is something my mom and dad always tell me. "Life is sweet and meant to be enjoyed. And when you are young and have your whole life ahead of you it is especially easy to feel carefree and wild. Fun seems to lie around every corner! But while enjoying all that today holds, it is also easy to forget about tomorrow. You've got to keep up in mind that choices you make today may affect you for eternity. Don't do anything now that you will be ashamed of later. Enjoy life in such a way that you will have no regrets when you come to the end it.

~Anne

Ladies Like Us: The Canaanite Woman

DAY 1: Beauty Proverbs 11:22

"Like a gold ring in a pig's snout

 is a beautiful woman who shows no discretion."

This verse reminds me of the saying "you  can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig."

What a waste! A solid bazillion carrot gold ring hooked through the snout of a smelly pig. That's how useful beauty is without good judgement to balance it out. Just think about the lies of some of the most beautiful (supermodel and movie stars) in the world. While these chicks look beautiful on the outside, they're often confused and unhappy on the inside. Their beauty doesn't do much but accessorize an otherwise ugly life, as we see is the case with many Hollywood folks. And in the end, even a pig with a nose ring is still just a pig. True beauty grows from the inside out, not the inside in.

True images covenant: A true images girl has Genuine Beauty. She doesn't seek shallow outer beauty; she desires a deep, inner, lasting beauty. (Proverbs 31:30)

It's not telling you to give up your makeup. Believe me, I'm the last one to throw my eyeliner and mascara away.  But to put the condition of your heart first. How does your heart look?

Like Mr. Matt used to tell us: "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting" ~Proverbs 31:30

Think about it, how many eighty-year-old models do you see on magazine covers? Even the most beautiful women eventually gets old and forgotten no matter how beautiful they once were, their beauty just doesn't last. It's fleeting- 'going, going, gone'  You probably spend a lot of time trying to look your best (I know I do). That's fine, but you also need to spend time with God , so that you develop lasting beauty- the kind of character that sets you apart and doesn't fade with time. It gets better and better, making you beautiful no matter how old you are. Did you hear that Mr. Garnier? tehehe just kidding!

What do you guys think?

Anne

30 Days of Genuine Living

Here's the reading schedule:

Verse of the Year

Hey y'all!
It was so great seeing all of you over my break. After talking to you guys, it was obvious that we are all super stressed! I wanted to share Matthew 6:25-27 with you guys once again. I am using it as my verse of the year.

    ²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

Have a good one!

Anne :)

Happy New Year!

Hey Ladies!

2011 is here! I read a saying somewhere, it read "Don't cry because it is over, smile because it happened" or something like that... Anyway it means that we have to accept that everyday is not our day and that we can't turn back time to do things that would have benefited us. With a new year comes, a new page, a new beginning, if you will.  Time to start anew. For many 'anew' comes in the from of resolutions. Maybe to study more, lose weight (did you notice how many salads there were at potluck today :)), read the Bible more, and many others.

For us, the new year brings wonderful new devotionals to help us with our relationship with God. We will soon start 30 Days of Genuine Living.

Have a good one!
Anne

DAY 30: Jesus and the World: The Ultimate Sacrifice: Luke 23:26-49

Woot! We've made it through 30 days! 

Think about what you treasure the most. Many people value relationships above all else. It is great to make new ones and hold on to old ones right?Consider how much better your life is because of your friends and family. Which relationships do you especially treasure? Who do you spend the most time with?

Look throughout the Gospel of Luke, and what do you find? People. The Gospel of Luke is like the People magazine of the Bible but i a non- gossipy way. It zeros in on relationships. Of course, the main story is Jesus and how his story weaves into the "fabric of our lives".

Throughout the Gospel are several stories within a story- the parables Jesus told. Since Jesus was so social, it's only fitting that he would use stories in order to explain deep spiritual truths. His stories were for a wide range of people. Even small children could understand them.

What's also fitting is that Luke wrote to a friend of his in order to explain the story of the most influential person who ever lived. As a doctor (did you know Luke was a doctor? I sure didn't) and missionary, Luke met and became friends with a lot of people. He especially wanted his friend Theophilus to know the truth about Jesus. Is that your hope for the people in your life? How do you use what you know about Jesus to influence your friends and family for good?

In our passage, from the Gospal, we learn that if ever we are tempted to doubt God's love for us, we should remember that He loved us so much that He sent his Son who stretched out his arms upon a wooden cross, and had his hands and feet nailed down to it, giving his life just for you and me. We also learn from this passage that it is never too late to come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness.

What are you thoughts?

DAY 29: Jesus, Mary, Martha, and Lazarus: Jesus Wept: John 11: 1-44

Hey Ladies!

Background on John Gospel of John:

When you need info, you have a variety of sources to choose from- the internet, books, a friend, the newspaper, or maybe even gossip girl :). You choose your source based on what kind of info you need, right? For example, if you wanted advice on which shirt looks good on you, you probs wouldn't go to the library (hahaha I just had a laugh attack thinking about it). You'd need someone standing there looking at you (and someone you considered having good taste).

Not every source of info can be considered reliable or believable. For example, would you be more likely to believe a story in a supermarket tabloid or a story in the New York Times? The source makes all the difference.

A reliable source usually provides the best info. As one of Jesus' twelve disciples John was considered a reliable source of info about Jesus. He was one of Jesus' closest friends, even among the Twelve. He didn't have to rely on hearsay; he had seen with his own eyes what Jesus could do. He was convinced that Jesus was fully God and fully man.

John wrote his Gospel for one reason; to help people believe in Jesus- the source of all wisdom and eternal life. He wanted to present evidence that would make people get off the fence of doubt and into believer territory. To John, the facts were clear. Can you say the same?

We learn for one, that crying does not mean you are weak. Even Jesus, God in flesh, wept when his friend died, Jesus isn't embarrassed by our pain or sadness either. Don't be afraid to share your hurts with him.

We also learn a lot about Faith in our passage. Let's say your parents get divorced, or someone you love dies, or your dad loses his job... When bad things happen, you struggle to understand why. "If God loved me, why wold he let this happen?" Mary and Martha felt that way . They didn't understand why Jesus let Lazarus die. But in verse 4 Jesus tells us why:  It happened so that God would be glorified. No matter how bad things get, you can trust God to work even the painful things in your life for your good and his glory- which is what life is all about.

Thoughts?

DAY 28: Joseph and Mary: Grace under Pressure: Mattthew 1:18-25

Hey ladies!

Matthew tells us  here, that in order for us to get with it, God needed to get with us... literally. So we should scratch the whole idea that god is far away out of our heads. He's already come as our Immanuel. 

Tamar- a widow who tricked her father in law into sleeping with her. Rahab- a foreign prostitute who helped the Israelites. Ruth- a penniless immigrant widow who cared for her mother-in-law. Uriah's wife Bathsheba- King David's partner in adultery. Why are these sketchy women named in Jesus' genealogy? Maybe in part to show that Jesus came to save sinners, and also because these were ordinary women whose lives made an extraordinary difference.  They never knew that, in spite of their shortcomings, they were in the Messianic line. You may never see all the difference your life makes; it's probably more than you'll ever know.

What do you think about the passage?

DAY 27: Hosea and His Wife: Unconditional Love: Hosea 1;3

Hosea was written by Hosea in 715 BC. An important theme to consider is that even though Israel committed spiritual adultery by worshiping other gods, God was loyal to his people by loving them and offering them forgiveness.

There is no getting around it- adultery is an ugly word. You don't hear it a whole lot, even though it happens all too frequently in our society. It is number 7 on the ten commandments. Maybe you know firsthand the hurt of a marriage torn apart when one partner is unfaithful to the other. No matter how glamorous it may seem in the movies or in romance novels, adultery destroys everyone and everything in it's path.
Hosea experienced the pain of adultery. god told Hosea to marry a woman who would be unfaithful to him. Hosea explained the terrible pain of dealing with an adulterous wife.
Hosea's real-life experience was actually a word picture to help God's people understand what they were doing when they worshiped other gods, they were committing "spiritual adultery"- being unfaithful to God. God used Hosea's devastating pain to show us in no uncertain terms, the pain that he feels when we sin against him.
And here's the unbelievable part: God told Hosea to go and bring his wife back and to love her again. Why? Because that's exactly what God does for us! he brings us back and loves us, even though we hurt him deeply. Don't let anything ever keep you from running back into the loving arms of God

Chapter 1 makes me  think a lot. We know the kinds of things that hurt our feelings. But what about God's feelings? Hosea's life shows us the deep pain God feels over our unfaithfulness...
In Chapter 3 Hosea reconciles with his wife. How easy would it be to forgive someone who's cheated on you? Revenge seems like a much easier option but forgiving others reminds us how much God has forgiven us.


What do you all think?

DAY 25: Job and His Friends: Mourn Those Who Mourn: Job 1-2

Hey Ladies!

Ok, so today's text is from Job. The book of Job takes place in the land of Uz, which is a large area east of Canaan. One important theme to consider is that we may never understand why there is suffering in our world, but we can learn the lesson Job learned. Even in tough circumstances, God is in complete control, and we can trust him. 

Reading the headlines in the newspaper or watching the news about bad things can stir up a lot of emotions- sadness, anger, and fear, to name a few. These stories can also raise a lot of "why" question in our mind. Why do thousands of children starve to death? Why are countless people killed in wars? Why are there so many diseases, accidents and senseless crimes?

You may even have some personal "why" questions. Why did someone I love suddenly die? Why did my mom lose her job? Why do I have to study so hard just to pass my classes? Why do the Redskins always lose :)? After my track injury till the time I needed surgery, I remember asking, "Why did I have to get hurt?" a lot.

Job had a lot of "why" questions.. Why did he lose all his property? Why did he break out with terrible sores? Why did he have to suffer when others were untouched? This book raises these questions as Job's friends attempt to help him find answers. But in the end, Job realizes he will not find answers to his sufferings on this side of heaven. Instead of answers, Job is reassured that God is in complete control and can be trusted in the worst of circumstances.

When those "why" questions threaten to undermine your faith, remember Job. Turn to God and trust him completely with your situation

The main things I found in the passage for today were humility and integrity. Hard times show the world what you're really made of. What do hard times reveal about you? A tendency to despair? To whine? Or to be humble? That's what hard times brought out in Job- humility. when horrible things happened, he didn't blame God or anyone else. he also didn't demand better treatment. Instead he acted humbly and praised God. Humility means yielding to God's leading instead of your own. The odd thing about humility is that you can't fake it. The moment you notice you have it, well it's not really there. It's something that only god can teach you.

I know it is hard to keep integrity when things get hard. And sometimes it seems easier just to act like Job's wife during the storms of our life. But we have to hang in there and pray to God. Before I go  through something hard, like exams, I pray to God, asking him to keep me afloat.

Have a good one!

Anne :)

DAY 24: Ester and the Jews: For the Love of the People: Esther 4

DAY 23: Nehemiah and the People of Israel: Homesick: Nehemiah 1-2:9

DAY 22: Shunammite Woman and Her Son: A Mother's Heart: 2 Kings 4:8-37

Thoughts?

DAY 21: Elijah and Elisha: Friends to the End: 2Kings 2:1-18

DAY 20: Solomon and His Wives: Costly Love: 1 Kings 11:1-13

DAY 19: David and Mephibosheth: For the Sake of a Friend: 2 Samuel 9