Preparing to Study the Word

Pre- 1 & 2nd Peter Study


I hope this Sunday in March finds you well. I'm planted near a window, sitting in the most Hipster coffee shop I could find to try to draw my creative juices for this post. Unfortunately, the tiniest flakes of snow just started to swirl around the window... floating down from the grey sky onto the windowsill (and slipping through the crack in the window onto my keyboard. Let's all hope it stops soon.

My dear friend and I are starting an online Bible study tomorrow! We're digging into 1 & 2nd Peter. It's an 8-week study that comes with it's very own packet to get you to the finish line (hyperlinked above). All you need to participate in this one is good wifi.

Here's a verse to segue into tomorrow's study:

Psalm 1:2-3 says: Blessed is the man whose “delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”

I will DELIGHT in the law of the Lord and MEDITATE on it day and night. By these things, I will yield the fruit that are attributes of a person more like God... in other words, how I will PROSPER.

Those are my goals for this study:

• I will DELIGHT in His word, and seeking God's goodness!
• I will MEDITATE and do so daily, finding balance in consistency with God.
• I will PROSPER by taking the Truth from this study to heart and growing more like God.

What are your goals for this #LoveGodGreatly study? Write them in the comments below... I'll talk to you soon :)

Much love,

Vanessa

Muted colors.

Hi again,

Now that I've had almost an entire year away from blogging, I decided there was no better time to return.

I took some time to think through my re-brand... it's potential for longevity, and of course, my newest favorite color palette. Here we are. I've chosen rich yet muted colors, hoping that they'll continue to translate through winter and into spring/summer 2014. Inspired by the beautiful balloon collection that you see to your left, I take no credit for the wonderful photography collection on my pinterest pages.

It's funny to look back through posts and realize how quickly time passes. I'm used to looking back and thinking about how little I've changed, but lately I haven't felt that way.


Ways 2013 has changed me:

-I have a full-time job!

-I've started a budget. (though, I have yet to follow it)

-I fostered a sweet puppy named Roger.

-I finished two half marathons.

-I've used my crock pot.

-My best friend in the universe got married!

-I chopped off 5 inches of my hair.

-I drink wine on a regular basis. (sort of)

-I feel comfortable navigating the craziness of the Twin Cities.

-I have a big kid Bible and I read it daily. (and look forward to it)

-I visited Seattle and Long Beach, and am traveling so soon to Ft. Meyers! (all new places)


So what do I want to change in 2014? That's what I'll spend my week deciding. What do you want to change in 2014? It's the time of year to plan for change. If there's anything I've learned - it's to prepare for change, because it's going to happen whether you're looking or not!


Until next time,
V

I'm Burning Plows & Digging Ditches for Rain

Life is hard. I'd like to publicly make some goals:

I've started a Bible/book study with a very large group of amazing people. It's the Melissa Taylor study of the book, Greater, by Steven Furtick.

Funny chapter titles with deep meanings. I joined the study a little late, so over the past week I've read up on five chapters to catch up. They've hit me hard today, because today is my mom's birthday. I miss her so much. So what has the book taught me so far?

I have plows to burn and ditches to dig. Yes, the ditches are for rain, and NOT the Minnesota snow. These are analogies from the story of Elisha, who was approached by Elijah while he was in his routine of plowing with his oxen with a lack of a vision for what was "greater." When Elijah found him, he symbolically burned the plows as a sign of his radical faith in the greater plan for his life. Years later, he instructed a city in the midst of a drought to dig ditches for the massive amount of rain that God was about to provide.

My plows to burn:

• "what if" thoughts
• critical/skeptical spirit
• the grasp I have on my routine (work and personal)

The rain to come (after I dig some ditches):

• I have a hope and a future!
• I am blessed in the field, and blessed in the city
• He knows every hair on my head, and clothes the flower, He will take care of my needs and desires

Now it's time for me to remember this and put these thoughts into action.

Faith without works is dead.

It's good to be back,

V

להתפלל

In James 5, it says that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.  I just finished Nehemiah That man's prayers are very effective. He is in fact, a righteous man who we should learn from. What makes his infamous prayer in chapter one so convicting, and so inspirational? What can we learn from it and apply from it to our own prayers?

What do people pray for God doesn't need us to do what He wants on earth. I think prayer is more than that. When you pray, God is refining YOU. and me. Prayer does not accomplish the external, prayer is for the internal. God uses our prayers to purge us of our grime and dirt and replace us with clean, pure hearts.

So then, our prayers are important. How we pray, when we pray, and what we pray for all reveal who we are. Here's what Nehemiah's prayer means to me:

He is direct. He prays for God to remember him multiple times. Also, his prayer follows a specific pattern. It begins with praise. That is followed by repentance. Then comes asking. Finally, Nehemiah yielded.

God will reveal things through prayer. Try spending more than two minutes in prayer one day. Push it. Double it, triple it. Try something new. I will too.

Much love,
V

What are you thinking?

1 Thess. 5: 16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

What would you say the difference is between the flesh of a Christian and that of an existentialist? I say nothing. We were all born into this world from a mom and a dad. We wake up each day, we interact with the people around us, live the best we know how, and ultimately die.

We move, we talk, we learn & we love, we think & feel, we work, rest, and breathe. And things happen. Life is hard, and can be tough for Christians and non-believers alike. We come to our wit’s end and wonder if life is worth living. But wait, Christians have more than sinful flesh. We have a savior who has replaced our hearts of stone, so now the difference between us is great. Without a savior, in a difficult place we might say,

“I’m so unhappy today and nothing can fix it.”

“I’m in despair and don’t know what else to do.”

“I just want some joy in my life, because this life is it.”

“I want truth, but I can’t find it.”

BUT, with a savior, you and I can proudly declare the Word of God…

“I’ve had a rough day – but I choose joy because in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 it says, “’Rejoice always!’ I have Jesus on my side.”

“I don’t need to despair because in Isaiah 41:10 it says, ‘Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.’”

“I have joy deep in my soul because Jesus said to the Jews in John 8:31 & 32, ‘If you abide in my Word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”

We are believers, but there are days we wake up and feel like we could just have easily pass as an existentialist. Don’t let that happen. Today, I encourage you to cheer up because we have a Living God to glorify. Remember to choose joy; it’s worth it.