Thursday, March 14, 2024

Levi is 8 and Isaiah is 6

 

Some birthday celebrations around here lately.
Levi is eight and our second grader is 
growing up just too quickly.

Always good for a meal together
 and ice cream time.
Isaiah is 6 and rocking his glasses
 and Kindergarten.

So for birthdays this year we are once again
 doing experiences with those that live near us.
 We took the Metro downtown to DC to the 
Museum of the Bible for lunch 
before our Matinee play.
(Schools closed for voting helped that out)
Prince Caspian is the live theater there right now.
We took Levi to see The Boy and his Horse 
last year and he loved it.
So another C.S. Lewis book was just the right thing!
We especially loved Aslan!
This is one of the favorite movies at our house,
 so they knew the story.
This theater company does an amazing job
 with the very large puppets.
Memories made and we give thanks
 for all of these fine young men.
Jonah and Mom got to be the special guests
 of the birthday boys.

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Worship into the Week- Look and Live

 

Worship into the Week-
Numbers 21:4-9

The Bronze Serpent

The people cried out that they were going through
 a harsh and miserable time.
Even the food the Lord provided was "worthless."
Pretty much a "woe is me" tragedy drama scene.
Well, it got worse.
Poisonous fiery serpents rained down upon them
 or just appeared on the land.
Oh, for crying out loud. 
And they did.
So they come to Moses and plead for his help.
Moses intercedes on their behalf to God.
God gives Moses a plan.
Moses makes a bronze serpent and sets it on a pole.
Notice- that God doesn't remove the snakes. 
He gives them a way of deliverance and protection.
They HAVE to look in the right direction to be saved.
 This generation will not see 
the Promised Land- like Moses.
Their lack of trust in the wilderness 
has a harsh response from God.
I am reminded of my own crying out
 in wilderness experiences.
Feeling abandoned and questioning
 the wisdom of God.
What happens when dreams and hopes 
of my own fade into the horizon?
Even in my worst failures and disappointments,
God has provided for me.
Yet, I too, have to look to HIM,
to Jesus and to the cross.
Keep my eyes on Jesus.


The Bronze Serpent on Mount Nebo
from one of our trips to Jordan.

Supplies:
Visual Faith Graphics
Worship into the Week Printables
Colored pencils
Magazine cutouts
Stamps








Saturday, March 9, 2024

Worship into the Week- The Authority of Jesus

 

Worship into the Week-
John 2: 13-25
Jesus Cleanses the Temple

The solemnity of the festivals and sacrifices 
at the Temple had been hijacked by the sale of animals
 and the money changers.
In this section of the story in the Gospel of John,
 there is the clear pointing to the authority of Jesus.
Jesus went up to Jerusalem like many 
of the faithful Jewish for the Passover.
His action to overturn the tables and disrupt the selling
set out his authority to dictate temple practice.


A piece to help us understand this clear announcement
 of his authority is identifying 
the temple as "my Father's house."
His disruption of the economic practices of the temple 
was a public display that he was not just an average pilgrim
 in town for the Passover.
He is the Son of God.
His zeal for God's future plan of salvation 
gives us a hint that he is willing to endure any suffering
 for this plan of His Father.
This raised questions by the religious leaders 
as they wondered how he could give these announcements.
Maybe a "sign or wonder" would be proof. 
Then, there is the misunderstanding
 about "raising the temple." The leaders think about 
how long it took to build the Temple 
and Jesus is talking about being raised from the dead.
Jesus is using Resurrection terms that wouldn't be clear
 until the 3 days after his death.
Jesus is using this teaching here to point the people
 to himself as the new temple.
Take aways might be:
Does my heart need "cleansing" to keep the focus
 on the important things?
How can a church best use their economic resources
 to point others to Jesus?

Supplies:
Visual Faith Printable
Worship into the Week Printable
Magazine cutouts
Distress ink
Colored pencils
Stamps






Wednesday, March 6, 2024

When the Story Blesses the Kingdom- Number 17 #becauseofconcordia

David Smalls- CUAA Student Government President

with Rev. John and Connie Denninger.

 I was encouraged to write a number of blog posts
 in the past 3 weeks telling the story of
 amazing Concordia Connections.
What I wasn't prepared for was the personal blessing
 that would come out of that endeavor.
I had told David that on my next trip to Ann Arbor,
 I wanted to come to campus 
and meet him and personally shake his hand.
That is a great "hope it happens" kind of thing.
So a week ago, I get a text from David announcing
 that he would be in DC for Spring Break visiting his brother.
Was there any night we could meet up for dinner?
Where his brother works.
Sure- that sounds great.

We arrive at Surveyor at The Thompson near Nationals Park, 
Navy Yard, Washington DC.
Brother Dervin is the Executive Chef at this restaurant.
David is the youngest of eight children 
and you can tell his older brother likes
 to take care of "the younger brother."
The surprise was a very special 3 hour meal
 prepared by Dervin.
Fancy food, carefully prepared and delicious.
The joy of the evening was the conversation,
 as we were able to hear the heart 
of this young servant leader.
Prepared to do "what it takes" in his leadership role.
Willing to be mentored and learn from others.
A humble heart that sees he is in a place to give, 
serve and pull others up.
It only takes a short conversation with David to hear words
 like prayer, listening and HOPE.
He is ready to come back from Spring Break 
and roll up his sleeves to be the voice of encouragement.
He understands the hard work ahead.
 He doesn't step aside from the challenge
 facing CUAA right now and into the future. 
The students at CUAA have a man named Smalls
 ready to lead like a Giant for the future of CUAA.

We couldn't have seen the blessing of meeting
 this young man a month ago.
But now, we testify that even in the hard, 
the bad and the hurtful,
God is still making connections of heart 
that bring GOOD things to His Kingdom people.


 

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Worship into the Week- Blessed to be a Blessing

 

Worship into the Week-
Genesis 17: 1-10, 15-16
Blessed to be a Blessing

God comes to Abraham and establishes
 his everlasting covenant with him.
Covenant- a contract between God and his people. 
God makes promises to his people and usually 
requires certain conduct from them.
I love looking at this section of Scripture
 and seeing all of the "I will."
God is the heavy lifter here.
God is also the faithful one.
Everlasting- lasting or enduring through all time.
Forever- without an end, to exist forever.
Created for immortality- from Abraham's offspring to 
throughout all generations.
God is still working out his forever plan.
Praise him for that great blessing.

Supplies:
Visual Faith Printable
Worship into the Week Printable
Distress ink
Colored pencils
Magazine cutouts
Postage stamp
 



Friday, March 1, 2024

Calendar Journaling- February 2024

 


Calendar Journaling February 2024

Finishing up the second month in the Visual Faith® Ministry
Common Book with the calendar journaling for my devotions.
Changing up what I call this process and see how I like the focus.
I don't really do much with either icons or doodles.
My take aways tend to be just words.
I love looking through the month to see the story
 of my devotion time in little squares.
I am finding that the 08 Micron pen 
gives good space for finishing up filling in the letters.
Prismacolor pencils are working 
for the filling in with some color.
Some days are just the words. 
Then another day I sit down and color in a few days.
Have been rethinking the words-
 "In the beginning, God..."
It does really start with that very simple phrase.
Looking forward to devotional time 
in March to see more of the story.

Devotion book-
New Morning Mercies by Paul David Tripp

Thursday, February 29, 2024

Devotional Journaling- Psalm 37- Leap Day 2024

 

I return to my Psalm prayer journal often on days for

 more focused prayer time.  Next up was Psalm 37. 

Today I needed to read it from The Message.

Just a black Sharpie non-bleeding pen,

and 4 colored pencils.

I call this process Psalm Summaries or 

Praying the Psalms.

A Psalm distilled down 

to my take aways for TODAY.

Moving through my day with:

"Quiet down before God,

be prayerful before him."

AND

"God, ALERT, is also on watch."