Sunday Scripture

God, be merciful to me

because you are loving.

Because you are always ready to be merciful,

wipe out all my guilt

and make me clean again.

Psalm 51:1,2

Pointing the way

We have finally begun our Bible study again.  

I have missed it so much.

Anyway,  this week we started a focus on five major characters in the old testament.
This week we started with Adam, let's face it he was first, right?

We discussed Adams relationship with God, I mean he had everything he could possibly want right, he lived in paradise, was given a wife, basically, all his needs were met.

Then the serpent comes along and temps Eve, and she falls for it.  She wanted more.

Did you get that?

She wanted more.

So she decided to try the fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil.

Then what does she do?  

She runs straight to Adam and gets him to do it.

And he does it too, knowing he shouldn't, he still does.

Now, these people have the kind of relationship with God that we can only imagine, he actually came down to talk to them.

Can you imagine that?

So, even though God already knows what has happened he wants to hear if from them.  But they hide, thinking he won't know where they are or what they've done.

How silly, he knows it all.  So when they finally, admit what they had done, after blaming it on everyone they could, God disciplines them.

Now, remember he told them not to eat from the tree or they would surely die, but he didn't kill them, he showed them mercy.  

God is good, even when we don't deserve it.

Instead he gives them consequences for their actions (curses is what the bible call them).

First the serpent, he is condemned to crawl on his belly and eat dust all his life.  And the woman and all her descendants will be your enemy.  They will crush your head, and you will strike their heel.

To Eve, she will have much pain in childbirth, yet she will greatly desire her husband, and he will rule over her.

And last but certainly not least Adam.  He will put a curse on the ground, so that he will toil hard for his food, the ground will produce thorns and weeds and you will sweat and work hard.

I would like to say that the more I read it, the more I love the old testament.  The stories point us to Jesus.  There is nothing that we face today, that isn't in the old testament.  Betrayal, adultery, prostitution, just to name a few, and on top of all of that, God uses everyday people to lead them back to him.

Also, the more I learn the more I see how the old and the new are so intertwined.

For example;

We know that everything God made has been waiting until now in pain, like a woman ready to give birth.  Not only the world, but we also have been waiting with pain inside us.

Romans 8:22-23

A new testament example of how Eve's fall to sin still points us to Jesus.  Our suffering now, are nothing compared to the glory he has waiting for us.

How exciting is that?

Next week, Noah.

Tuesday Thoughts

I can't believe it has been so long since my last post, so I just thought I would let you know what I've been up to.

First, this past weekend I started another paint project, still not finished so you'll have to wait for that one.

Also, the basement is getting a serious cleaning out, already made one trip to Goodwill and have some things I am taking to Hospice also.

Since I sold all of my frame equipment I have been trying to sort through all of the prints that I have left and decide if I am going to use them or scrap them.  

I love that Fall is here, it hasn't turned completely cool yet but it's getting closer.

Fall is one of my favorite times of the year, everything seems so crisp and new.

Life seems to be getting busier instead of slowing down, Baby Girl is a senior this year, so while I am enjoying her last year in high school, I am busy, busy, busy with stuff seniors do.  And, going broke in the process.

So, I think I will just slow down, and take the time to enjoy what is.

Remembering Grandparents

Yesterday was Grandparent's Day.

Is it me or do we have a day set aside for just about everybody you can think of?

At our church when we have a special day like yesterday, our gift of choice is candy.  All the older people are given candy bars and we say a few words about why we are grateful for them.

While the kids were handing out the candy bars I was remembering about my own Grandparents.

One of the things that sticks about about my Grandparents is that every Sunday was set aside to visit them.  We would eat lunch at my mom's parents, aka Grandma and Paw Paw L.   Then we went to my dad's moms house, Grandma P.

I would like to say that NO ONE can make a cheese biscuit like my Grandma P, or stewed potatoes.  Best you have ever put in your mouth.

My other Grandparents had a dog, Suzie, and Paw Paw would feed her ice cream.  Who can resist a dog eating ice cream?  Their house was one of those houses where all the cousins met and we could take off and roam the neighborhood.  I grew up in the country so neighborhoods were a huge deal to me.

I remember staying with my Grandmother P while my mom worked occasionally, and she would rock me to sleep after a bible story and singing hymns.   I can honestly say I never heard her say one ugly thing.  No bad words, nothing mean about anyone, nothing.

Today, my kids think my mom makes better green beans than anyone they know.  Maybe its just some sort of spell that Grandparents have over their grandchildren, probably because they can send them home when they start acting up.

No matter what, Grandparents are special.

If you still have them, then go see them and spend some time with them.

If you don't then tell your kids what you loved about your grandparents, because as kids grow up sometimes they don't see the grandparents as often as they would like. 

So I hope you remembered and celebrated grandparents day in some way, whether it was with a candy bar or a phone call, or a meal.

Family matters.

Saying Goodbye to Summer

This past weekend we decided to go to the river one more time, before it starts getting cooler.

We had a fantastic day on the water, just look at how smooth the water was.

Slick as a baby's butt!!

Not bad for catching fish either.

Red drum.

We caught 4 over the course of the day, of course these are just for the fun of catching them, then you throw them back.

But what fun they are to catch.

The next day brought rain, but it didn't matter, what we couldn't do on the boat we made up for at the house.

Played games, drank wine, did some swinging, watched some movies, enjoyed our friends.

I am going to miss summer.

Down to the Final 2

Last night was the semi final for Master Chef, and we are down to 2.

They are

Source

Christine, I told you before that she is my favorite.

And Josh.

Source

I really like both of them.  But Christine is such an inspiration, I really want her to win.

Guess we find out tonight who the real Master chef is!!!