Weekly Update

Hey, everyone!

  This week we'll be memorizing Romans 8:6-10:


      6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace,  

     7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so,  

     8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.  

    9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.  

    10                   ^IF If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness.  


     I hope that you all have a great week! :)    ~Emily

My Life Right Now

          I was planning on Saturday to post on Monday... but it didn't happen. And the next day was Sunday and I decided not to schedule the post, because first I would need to write it. And on Monday I didn't plan anything, because I forgot that I needed to, and we tried to start our school-year. I say 'tried' because we realized that we needed another week to get ready. And then on Tuesday night I remembered that I needed to plan to post, only it was too late and I needed to go to bed so that I could get up early to try to do some prep work for school next week. All day Wednesday I told myself that I would blog later, because we had kids over all day and I skipped all preparation for school next week so that I could can from the garden before the tomatoes rotted. On Thursday I continued to prepare for the next school week, and went to music lessons and read some books and went to pick up more beans so that I could can more, and then watched some of the movie that matched my book. And today I did a full day of school just to make sure that it worked and I could do it, and later we're having a friend over to spend the night because we never get to see her, and Mom wants me to do the laundry if I get a minute because she's still trying to finish up the little-kid's school.
 
          This is my life right now. :)
  
          I'm trying to enjoy every second of it, and not miss a moment, because very soon it's going to change. And then it won't ever be the same again, and I'll miss what I once thought was unorganized chaos and running wildly all day long, trying to be in control of our lives.

          In fact, I think that most people lose a lot of time trying to stay on top of things. And I don't think that you can! The only One who can possibly control our lives is God, so I've been trying to give Him my days.

          When the schedule messes up, and nothing happens the way I want it to, and I feel like I had a useless day- I need to remember that every day is a gift from God. He delights in giving us good things, and the only useless day is the one that I spent without rejoicing in Him and praising Him for the good He gives.

          So I apologize for not posting on time... but life took over! Maybe we could start our verses next week?

          "Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen." ~Eph. 3:20-21

                           ~Emily^"""      

Update~

Hello, all!

It's been another week, and even though I'm not exactly caught up with our reading ;P, we're going to move on and read Leviticus 11-27. We'll also be finishing memorizing Psalm 3. I don't know about you, but I think this must be one of my favorite psalms! I especially love verses 5 and 6:

5 I lay down and slept ;

I awoke, for the LORD sustains me.

6 I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people

Who have set themselves against me round about.

7 Arise, O LORD ; save me, O my God !

For You have smitten all my enemies on the cheek ;

You have shattered the teeth of the wicked.

8 Salvation belongs to the LORD ;

Your blessing be upon Your people ! Selah.

I hope that everyone has a great week!

Joy in a World of Pain

For school this year I've been reading The War between the States, a really interesting history book on the American Civil War. As I've continued, I've read accounts of horrible things done by both sides during this devastating war, things that have made me feel sick. In addition to this book, I read Finnikin of the Rock; and Duncan's War, the first book in a trilogy about the Scottish Covenanters.

While I really enjoyed Finnikin of the Rock, I'm not recommending you read it. Unlike the Hunger Games, it can easily be related to real life, and the truth is hard. The whole time I was reading it I kept thinking, "I'm so glad that I live in a world of peace instead of a world of war. America is safe, and these horrible things don't happen here."

But I realized that I was wrong. This world is so broken, so full of sorrow and pain. And I don't know about you, but I can't deal with pain. At all. My heart gets numb, and all I can do is cry and try to hold myself together until the pain leaves. And this, from only secondary sources of pain. I haven't actually had to deal with personal pain myself.

And then I was handed a book. One Thousand Gifts. And I started to understand better how you can be hurt and still live with joy in this world of pain.

The Big Truth in that book is, "Our God is good." He delights in giving good gifts to His children. And His purpose is always to make us better and more like Him, even through really hard circumstances. He disciplines us because He loves us. No matter what happens, He will shape everything for His good purposes, and He is in control. And that is a very comforting thought to me.