Lifeway’s Latest Online Bible Study (OBS)
Discerning the Voice of God from Priscilla Shirer.
I hope you are able to gather up your Bible and the workbook and study along. I’ll be there!
Study has ended however, you can always access the Lifeway studies via the archives. Video lessons will only be available during the study or for a few weeks after (or available for purchase through Lifeway.)
Your Business is His Business
As a small business owner since 1986, I am on occasion under attack from those forces of darkness that we are warned about in Scripture. I run as ethical a business as is humanly possible. We all make mistakes, but as so many of you do in your business, we try to do the right thing. In today’s world however, an anger is raging. A Me First mentality is invading our lives while many of us are struggling just trying to keep their businesses going and to make ends meet. To do the right thing. I know this is true, many of my online friends have expressed it. Their prayer requests are filled with God honoring desires that seem to be thwarted.
Social media has made the business owner an open target for attack. Maybe sometimes criticism is justified, and it can be welcome and put to good use. But when your peaceful day, where you are simply struggling to do your job, pay your bills and care for your family, is disrupted from an other-world force of rage, or anger or subtle threats then what do you do?
He came to bring peace. He came during this Christmas season to do so. He is here to offer that, along with hope and His never ending love. He told us to ask, to pray and believe He will answer.
Are you struggling with your career, your employment, your business?
Prayer requests welcome. Please feel free to post and share. I’ll be adding some verses or share the ones you stand on. Don’t let things ruin your day, your joy your peace. And if you do not know Him, please read the section on the sidebar that addresses that. This is unedited for the most part. Real honest talk. God knows your struggles, and I might just understand them too. If you work hard, if you work to provide for your family. You gotta keep hope alive. I don’t know much, but I know Him. He truly is all in all, all that matters. Keep fighting, keep serving, keep believing.
1 Timothy 4:10 (NIV2011)
10 That is why we labor and strive, because we have put our hope in the living God, who is the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe.
World Ballet Day 2017
Yes, I know I remind you every year of this event and this year I am late with the post.
As a former ballet student and teacher, I love this glimpse into major dance companies. It so reminds me of my days in class.
Visit the link for more…….
#WorldBalletDay
The Tomb is Empty, He is Risen
![dreamstimefree_186890[1]](http://dancingwithsimplicity.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/dreamstimefree_1868901.jpg)
It’s empty. He is risen. But not before dying an unimaginable death for you and for me. If you don’t know Him this Easter, if this is unclear or confusing or simply something you have never heard about please read the page on Steps to Knowing God. You’ll find it in the right sidebar. Don’t build your Easter on anything less than Christ the solid rock. This is serious business. The greatest sacrifice ever made for anyone, was made for you and me. As always, if you have any questions please post them. If you simply want to express how thankful you are to Him, please do. In this day of instability and world terrorism threats, we need the hope of that empty tomb. We need to know, our Savior lives. And one day, He will return for us. We need something to hold on to when we think we can no longer hold on. But this something, lives and will return again one day. God in human flesh, died a horrible death on our behalf. Again, if you need this hope, this security in your own life, remember the tomb is empty. Don’t live another day, another moment, without surrendering your life to the One who surrendered His life for you.
Matthew 28:1-9 (NASB)
1 Now after the Sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to look at the grave.
2 And behold, a severe earthquake had occurred, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled away the stone and sat upon it.
3 And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow.
4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men.
5 The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified.
6 “He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying.
7 “Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”
8 And they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy and ran to report it to His disciples.
9 And behold, Jesus met them and greeted them. And they came up and took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.
October 4, World Ballet Day
It’s a theme of this blog, and it’s a reminder of my past. Ballet. Tuesday October 4, is World Ballet Day. If you have ever been a dancer, or just love dance, this event is one not to be missed.
Dancing. It has always been one of the most colorful, beautiful things in the world to me. And though I can’t quite participate like I used to, I just love watching these classes from some of the world’s best companies and I’m dancing right along with them.
Psalm 149:3-4 (NKJV)
3 Let them praise His name with the dance; Let them sing praises to Him with the timbrel and harp.
And God Sent Mindy: Lessons From a Rescue Dog
Mindy, the Heaven sent Bichon Frise
And God Sent a Mindy…
Matthew 6:8- (NASB77)
8 for your Father knows what you need, before you ask Him.
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It’s been said that sometimes God doesn’t give you what you want; He gives you what you need. Such was the case in March 2010, when a scraggly puppy entered our world. Mindy came from an animal rescue. In her scrawny, disheveled state, she was what my husband wanted, but not the right dog to fill the hole in my heart. It was bleeding from a massive hole created by the recent death of our Golden Retriever Boris. The rescue could not deliver us a Golden, so they sent us Mindy. Or God did.
She was a curly little mutt. A real mess. (It wasn’t until later, that we determined she might be a Bichon Frise.) It wasn’t too long after her arrival that Mindy became sick. A little cough moved her from the Golden I wanted, to the pup I needed. A cough contracted from life in the shelter. I was beside myself until I knew she was going to recover. Yes, she was becoming what I needed to heal. All five pounds of her. She was in fact, what the whole family needed. She infused joy back into our home. She delighted everyone including two cats and our other Golden, Morgan.
This was our first little dog and we quickly learned that she could get into places we could not. She liked to hide under the bed, beneath the couch, under the table. Taking her to the vet was a challenge. We had to lift the sofa to force her out, or stand guarding either side of our bed in hope that she would exit and we could scoop her up. The only thing we found that sent her directly into our arms was a big bath towel. With every storm, her fur wet and muddy, she would readily walk into a waiting towel. Security. Rest. Comfort. To this day, it remains our solution for her sassy or fearful, hide- under- the-furniture state. Love replaces her fear.
The Christian life is like that. We hide in spots where no one can touch us. Physically. Mentally. We cower, rebel, or refuse to budge. And God waits to catch us with open arms. Sometimes He will lift us out of our hiding places. He moves walls to shake us loose from our stubborn stance, isolation, fear. Often He waits patiently for us to make the move, to step out into the light. And when we are in life’s storms, He is there to wrap us in that blanket of security, rest, love.
Though Mindy was not what I wanted, she has long since proved she was what I needed. To heal from the loss of a noble Golden. To demonstrate how God stands waiting for me. No doubt when He sees the pup He sent, He smiles. Just as we do, day after day with Mindy. Joy bestowed. Lessons learned.
Has a rescue dog or cat changed your life for the better? I’d love to hear about it! I believe God hand picks our pets.
Rejection: We’ve All Been There
“Rejection steals the best of who I am by reinforcing the worst of what’s been said to me.” @LysaTerKeurst #UninvitedBook
“Relationships don’t come in packages of perfection; relationships come in packages of potential.” @LysaTerKeurst #UninvitedBook
Stay tuned for future reviews on the latest from one of my favorite authors, and pre-order your book today! Sign up now open for the next OBS (Online Bible Study) from Proverbs 31 Ministries. Details here!
Follow-up: There is an awful lot to take in with this latest book from Lysa TerKeurst. I found myself looking at past rejections in light of who God says I am. Her concept, He has set me apart while others may have set me aside, rings true to me.
The book is big on her life experiences, and as a writer you can just imagine the rejection she has endured. You will find something to identify with, to improve on for yourself, or to share with others. You will also find some quotes to remind yourself of her concepts, and that is something you may or may not like.
If you are a student of the Bible, the book is not short on Bible verses and stories from the lives of Bible characters are often used to demonstrate her points. I would suggest further study of those stories, to get the full details. I know her ideas are Biblical, but for myself I need to dig deeper to gather the concepts out of the Bible that may back up some of these ideas on rejection.
The most you can do for yourself if you are experiencing the wounds of rejection, is to know that God has made a plan to accept you just the way you are. His love is unending, His sacrifice on the Cross is undeniable. Please visit the side bar if you are unsure of how to come to know Him. He is the reason this blog is here, and He will not reject you. Accept His love today. Feel free to post any comments or questions…….
Romans 5:5-8 (NASB77)
5 and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Easter: Hope from Suffering
I often think about one Easter spent in Georgia, somewhere back in the 60’s. My Dad spread blue fur around our hotel room. I’m assuming the Easter bunny was blue. I think that is what Dad was suggesting. He (Mr. Bunny) always took a nice bite out of the carrots I left for him. I believe he did on that occasion as well. Easter was blue fur and bunnies, and carrots with tooth marks in them. And who can forget Easter egg hunts, and being dressed up in patent leather shoes and your finest church clothes?
Those days however, are long gone. What used to be a holiday filled with candy and toys, has now become something much more to me. The Easter story brings hope. Hope of life eternal and grace beyond measure. Hope that streams from putting our faith in the one whose crucifixion we remember. When I decided to become a Christian, to follow Christ, I began to see how the Bible message as a whole became a reason for celebration. The Easter message was there in much of the Scriptures. Scripture was worth studying, memorizing, and above all following.
I would also discover that the most quoted Easter verses did not provide the whole picture. Suffering had to come before joy, fear before worship and God’s plan had to move forward into a message for others to hear. The message of Easter can be found in both Old and New Testament verses. It’s been said; that the message of the New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament. The message of hope therefore isn’t limited to just the standard Easter Scriptures. It is woven through the entire canon of Scripture. Bible verses specific to our Easter celebrations, stand as promises and bring us hope while Old Testament symbolism points to something much more.
It may not sound very hopeful to look at the suffering the Cross carried with it yet Psalm 22 reminds us of the suffering necessary to bring us future hope. Christ’s very words ” My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?” (Psalm 22:1, NIV) reminds us that the pain was a necessary part of the process. The whole Psalm bears witness of this. I have always marveled that the words uttered on the Cross (Matthew 27:46, NIV) were recorded in that Psalm long before. We cannot possibly fathom this suffering yet it reminds us of why we have our Easter celebrations at all. His suffering had to come before the triumph. His friends, family and followers had to endure great pain, before unspeakable joy. Though they pale in comparison, sometimes our trials precede our victories. We have to deal with pain in our lives, often before we see the glory on the other side. Entombed in our heart are many trials, many days of suffering and pain. But Resurrection power bursts through as our heart is renewed and filled with hope and joy.
The four gospel books contain various accounts of the resurrection of Jesus. In Matthew 28 an angel explains to Mary Magdalene and ‘another Mary’ that Jesus’ body is no longer in the tomb.
So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. (Matthew 28:8-10, NIV.)
Our worship should flow out of this very scene. Because of what He did for us, these Bible verses that celebrate Easter, can be personalized. We can worship at the feet of the Lord, because of the very fact that the tomb is empty. The. tomb. is. empty. He has risen. Our fear of any situation can be replaced with joy. The joy invokes worship at His feet.
In Luke Jesus left us this word “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” (Luke 24:44, NIV). The New Testament hope is concealed in the Old Testament Scriptures. Our Easter celebration is not made up of blue fur, and bunnies. Rather it is a celebration of hope. Hope based on a God who kept His promises, and fulfilled His word. I can live in light of the ‘everything’ that must be fulfilled.
This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. (Luke 24:44, NIV).
The Biblical celebration of Easter has to encompass the Cross of suffering, the joy of an empty tomb and the fulfillment of Scripture, past and future. From our own corner of the world we can preach the Easter message to others. We can share Easter verses of encouragement and hope. We can turn our fear to joy, and share that joy with those who need to hear. Be blessed and encouraged this Easter. Our world grows increasingly more troubled day by day. This Easter, embrace your Biblical hope as you live out your day to day life. Take your suffering and turn it to celebration, over the life that was given, and the life that now lives and intercedes on our behalf.
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