I am back!

Today I am sharing acouple short verses from John. People are told to read the book of John, if they haven't begun in earnest reading the Bible. I have read it before but I haven't for a long time. I am finding I really enjoy it.

This tells about Jesus using several loaves of bread and a few fish to feed the thousands:

"Then Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, spoke up,

'There's a youngster here with five barley loaves and a couple of fish!

But what good is that with all this mob?'"

~ John 6:8 & 9 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "The disciples are contrasted with the youngster who brought what he had. They certainly had more resources than he did, but they knew they didn't have enough, so they didn't give anything at all. The youngster gave what little he had, and it made all the difference. If we offer nothing to God, He will have nothing to use. But He can take what little we have and make it great."

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For fun!

Side Notes, vertical sayings in the margins of the current edition (August/September) of Our Iowa magazine. Installment #1 of 2:

"The trouble with
weather forecasting
is that
it's right too often
to ignore it
and wrong too often
to rely on it."

*
"He who sows courtesy
reaps friendship,
and he who
plants kindness 
gathers love."

*
"The best way 
to get your tomatoes
to ripen
is to go on vacation."

*
*"We could learn
a lot from crayons.
Some are sharp,
some are dull
and all are 
different colors,
but they have to 
live in the same box."

*
"What can you do
to promote world peace?
Go home
and love your family."
~ Mother Teresa

***

An entry from Sarah Young and her “Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence”:
 
 “In a world of unrelenting changes, I am the One who never changes. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. Find in Me the stability for which you have yearned.

 
“I created a beautifully ordered world:  One that reflected My perfection. Now, however, the world is under the bondage of sin and evil. Every person on the planet faces gaping jaws of uncertainty. The only antidote to this poisonous threat is drawing closer to Me. In My Presence you can face uncertainty with perfect Peace.”

~ Taken from Revelation 22:13; John 16:33 (AMP)
 
***

FEAR!!

Have you ever noticed that most of our fears are for the future? What about my job? Our money? The next health exam? Ours? Or that of a loved one? Will my children, grandchildren make wise choices? What does my future look like as I age? The world situation? 

I have heard it said that the Bible has 365 'fear nots'! One for every day of the year! God must know we'd have a tendency to fear!

 "Fear not,
for I am with you.
Do not be discouraged.
I am your God.
I will strengthen you.
I will help you.
I will uphold you
with my victorious right hand."
~ Isaiah 41:10 LAB

Bible commentary on this verse (in part) says: 

 "We need not fear because
1) God's presence is with us;
2) God has established a relationship with us.
3) God's assurance of strength,
help,
and victory
over sin and death is certain."

***

Something by Max Lucado in my inbox several weeks ago:

IS GOD IN YOUR CRISIS?

"Do you recite your woes more naturally than you do heaven’s strength? No wonder life’s tough. You’re assuming God isn’t in this crisis.

"Isabel spent her first three and a half years in a Nicaraguan orphanage. As with all orphans, her odds of adoption diminished with time. And then the door slammed on her finger. Why would God permit this innocent girl to feel even more pain? Might he be calling the attention of Ryan Schnoke sitting in the playroom nearby? He and his wife had been trying to adopt a child for months. Ryan walked over, picked her up, and comforted her. Several months later, Ryan and Christina were close to giving up, and Ryan remembered Isabel. Little Isabel is growing up now in a happy, healthy home.

"A finger in the door? God doesn’t manufacture pain, but he certainly puts it to use! Your crisis? You’ll get through this."

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Installment #2 of 2; Side Notes in the current edition of OUR IOWA magazine:

"It doesn't matter
where you are going.
It matters
who is beside you."

*
"True friends
are never apart,
maybe in distance
but never in
heart."

*
"'Show me a 
family of readers,
and I will show 
you people
who move the world.'"
~ Napolean Bonaparte

*
"it's not true
that nice guys
finish last.
Nice guys are
winners
before the game
even starts."

*
"Peace is not
the absence of trouble.
Peace is
the presence 
of God."

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I haven’t read the Bible book of Exodus for a long time. Even if we are familiar with some verses, they are good to refresh our minds. The Egyptians were alarmed how many Israelis there had become. So many they were afraid the Israelis might overthrow the leaders and their country:

“The king told his people,
‘These Israelis are becoming dangerous to us
Because there are so many of them.
Let’s figure out a way to put an end to this.
 If we don’t, and war breaks out ,
They will join our enemies and fight against us
And escape out of our country.’
So the Egyptians made slaves of them
And put brutal taskmasters over them to wear them down
Under heavy burdens while they were building (two cities).
But the more the Egyptians mistreated and oppressed them,
The more the Israelis seemed to multiply.”
~ Exodus 1:9 – 12 LAB
 
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Bible Commentary:  “The Egyptians tried to wear down the Hebrew people by forcing them into slavery and mistreating them. Instead, the Hebrews multiplied and grew stronger. When we are burdened or mistreated, we may feel defeated. But our burdens can make us stronger and develop qualities in us that will prepare us for the future. One cannot overcome without troubles to come over. Thank God for the hard times, because even the worst situations can make us better people in the long run.”

 
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Today's entry by Sarah Young and her "Jesus Calling:  Enjoying Peace in His Presence":

I have been part of a weekly ecumenical Bible study for a number of years. It has just been the last few weeks that our leader is challening us to memorize a verse each week.

This week's is:

Taken from ‘365 Days of Prayer for Women” by Stephanie Sample. It was written for a few days ago.
 
Have a nice weekend!

 
EVERYTHING
 
“You will seek me and find me
When you seek me with all your heart.”
~ Jeremiah 29:13 NIV
 
“Wonderful God, as I consider the next chapter of
My life, as I dream and plan for a future only you can
Know, remind me of the one thing I need. No matter
What the future holds, your plan is perfect. Your love
Is unfailing. Everything I’m looking for is in you. Take
My whole heart, Lord, and make my future certain.
When I seek answers, point me to you. When I seek
direction, lead me to you. When I seek purpose,
steer me to you. Remind me that all I’m after, every
answer I yearn for is contained in you."


“How are we seeking Jesus with our whole heart?”
 
***

It was the evening of Passover and Jesus was eating supper with his disciples. As He spent time with them, the Bible says,

Just for fun, I looked back 20 years to read some of the things I wrote and sent out for Karen's Korner. Here is something from August 2005!

When we traveled to Australia and New Zealand last February, we asked our neighbor to water our houseplants. Since they are stashed in lots of places around our house, it would have been a lot of work for Sue to care for them easily. I grouped them all together in and around our dining room table.

EQUIPPED TO SERVE

"And now this word to all of you:  You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds."

Yesterday's Max Lucado in my computer inbox:

I am making my way through the book of John. John chaper 17 has three headings:  Jesus prays for himself; Jesus prays for his disciples; and  Jesus prays for future believers.

this is a portion of  the second part. As Jesus was making His final journey before His crucifixion, He prayed for His disciples:

"My plea is not for the world
but for those You have given Me
because they belong to You. 
And all of them, since they are Mine,
belong to You;
and You have given them back to Me
with everything else of Yours,
and so they are My glory!"

~ John 17: 9 &  10 LAB

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Bible Commentary:  "Jesus said that His disciples are His glory. What a fantastic truth, that Jesus glories in us and that our lives can bring Him joy. Are we living in a way that brings Him Joy? Does He glory in us?"

*

A prayer from "365 Days of Prayer for Women" by Stephanie Sample from several days ago. They are all good, but some I like better than others. This is a good one:

MY COMFORTER

"Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you,
because I am humble and gentle at heart,
and you will find rest for your souls."
~ Matthew 11:29 NLT

"Jesus, just to say your name quiets my racing heart. To remember all you are and all you have done brings comfort to my soul. I need that today, Lord. Your presence, your gentleness, your quiet example of a life at peace:  the comfort of your love restores my hope. How can I began to thank you for the relief you bring? What can I give you? You are my comforter, Jesus. Your selfless hands wipe away every anxious tear. Your strong arms lift my burdens, replacing them with the easy task of loving you in return."

"What burden are you carrying that you need to give to Jesus?"

***

I get week day emails from Max Lucado. This is yesterday's:

LET THIRSTY SOULS COME

"Let’s pray prayers like this one: God, please release living water upon and through your children. Let us be sources of life and love everywhere we go.

"One of the most famous revivals happened early in the twentieth century in Wales. One hundred thousand people came to Christ in less than a year. Almost-empty bars were closed for lack of business. Magistrates saw their courts emptied of criminals. Miners even had to retrain the mules that worked in the coal mines. Many of the animals had been trained to respond to vulgar commands. But when the men got cleaned up, their language did as well, and the mules had to learn a new vocabulary.

"May the need arise to retrain some mules today. Let the thirsty souls come to Christ. And let the rivers of living water flow again."

***

Our church sermon on Sunday looked at the topic "God does not give us more than we can handle!"

We broke in to small groups to discuss our thoughts on the topic. Added in were several Bible verses. Then we went back together to hear the sermon.

"How powerless we were to help ourselves; but that was good, for then we put everything into the hands of God, who alone could save us, for He can even raise the dead."
~ 2 Corinthians 1:8 & 9 LAB

"Shall I look to the mountain gods for help? No! My help is from Jehovah who made the mountains! And the heavens too!"
~ Psalm 121:1 & 2 LAB

Bad news: "God does not give us more than we can handle!"

Good news:  We can't handle ANYTHING without His help! We have to keep our eyes on Him. And not on things that surround us! We are going to need His help!

Praise God!!

The topic of our ecumenical Bible study on Wednesday was on the topic of making choices on what to do with our daily lives. Our leader used a writing by Mary Sutherland. She was a volunteer extraordinary. Picking everything! But it landed her into clinical depression.

Lots of things are good but we can't choose them all.
Choose GREAT over GOOD!

We were given a graphic to enhance our thinking:

"People before things;

People before projects;

Family before friends;

Spouse before children;*

Spouse before parents;*

Tithe before wants;

Bible before opinions;

Jesus before all."

By Jo Ann Leavell

(*written as husband)