Category Archives: Bible

Valentine’s Weekend

Not only is Valentine’s Day on Sunday this year but today (Friday) is Chinese New Year (Year of the Ox) and on Monday we are celebrating Presidents Day. When I was in elementary school and beyond we celebrated Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday on February 12th and George Washington’s Birthday on February 22nd. We had both days off from school.

Sending love here there and everywhere.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Happy Presidents Day which now covers Washington and Lincoln and others. The above collage is of the statue of George Washington in the National Cathedral in Washington D.C.

We have a devotional from Lincoln that I found on our bookshelves today. Here is an excerpt from it;

The True Believer;

The Believer the Object of Divine Love

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 1 John iv. 9.

Pause, my soul, adore and wonder,
Ask, Oh, why such love to me?
Grace hath put me in the number
Of the Saviour’s family:
Hallelujah!
Thanks, eternal thanks to thee.

Today our morning started at 6 degrees f. Right now it has only gone up 1 degree. It is cold. Freeze your face cold. We are doing some indoor things. My sister and her hubby are due to travel over the mountain pass and arrive at our place sometime before five. We have dinner reservations at 5 so we’re hoping they have an uncomplicated drive.

In other news, our King Governor of Washington State has granted Eastern Washington a move to Stage 2 for reopening businesses. Our small businesses especially restaurants are breathing a sigh of relief.

Have a great Friday and weekend everyone!

Truth from A to Z ~ T is for…

On this Thursday we are on the letter T. The only thing tough about this letter will be narrowing down the choices!

Leave your verse/verses in the comments and I’ll add them here. Thank you in advance for contributing!

T is for Trusts and Thanks:

Psalm 28:7

The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.

From Vera: T is for Truth, True

“And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:20‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14:6‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4:8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Maristella: T is for Trouble

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.”
Matthew 6:34
AND:
“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
AT LAST:
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”
John 14:27

From Patsystitch: T is for Trusts and Thanks

Proverbs 29:25
“The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

From Happyone: T is for Tears

Revelation 21:4 KJV
And God shall wipe away all TEARS from their eyes: and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

Truth from A to Z ~ S is for…

Hello February! Today we are on the letter S in our Bible Verse Challenge. The sky is the limit on the verses you can come up with. As usual leave your verse/verses in the comments and I’ll add them to this post. Thank you in advance!

This passage from Psalm 28 is loaded with words that begin with S.

S is for Strength, Shield, Song, Saving, Save, Shepherd

Psalm 28:6-9 ~ Blessed be the Lord! For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. The Lord is the strength of his people; he is the saving refuge of his anointed. Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! Be their shepherd and carry them forever.

From Vera: S is for SUFFICIENT

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭12:9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Bethany: S is for Sing and Song

Click over to her blog Raindrops and Rainbows to read her post and verses!

From Patsy: S is for Spiritual Gifts

1 Corinthians 12:1-11 (NASB)

12 Now concerning spiritual gifts, brothers and sisters, I do not want you to be unaware. 2 You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. 3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

4 Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. 5 And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. 6 There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. 7 But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, and to another the word of knowledge according to the same Spirit; 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, and to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 and to another the effecting of miracles, and to another prophecy, and to another the distinguishing of spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, and to another the interpretation of tongues. 11 But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.

From Maristella: S is for SHINE :

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
and give you peace.”
Numbers 6:24-26
And :
“Arise, shine, for your light has come,
and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.”
Isaiah 60:1
And :
“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5

Truth from A to Z ~ R is for…

It’s the last week in January of 2021 and that brings us to the letter R. So many rich verses with words that begin with R. It’s always hard to choose just one or two or three.

Share the verse/verses you have come up with in the comments and I’ll add them to this post. Enjoy searching and digging!

Besides my current Bible reading in Luke and Proverbs I’m reading a Psalm a day. For my verse this week I’m sharing from Psalm 25. The whole Psalm is so good…

R is for Remember:

Psalm 25:6-7 ~ Remember your mercy, O LORD, and your steadfast love, for they have been from old. Remember not the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for the sake of your goodness, O LORD! 

From Cheryl: R is for Rich

” But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

Ephesians 2:4-7

Visit Bethany at Raindrops and Rainbows for her verses on remember.

From Patricia: R is for Remember, Rise, Remembered, Risen

Luke 24:6-8 He is not here, but He has risen. Remember how He spoke to you while He was still in Galilee, saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again.” And they remembered His words.

From Vera: R is for Redeemed

“You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life.”
‭‭Lamentations‬ ‭3:58‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Maristella: R is for Righteous, Righteousness and Rebuking

” I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”
2 Timothy 4:7-8
AND:
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16-17

From Cindy: R is for Rock and Refuge

Psalm 18:2 ‘The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge.’

“The Lord is our safe place, a place where we can find comfort and peace. He’s our shelter in the storm and we’ve certainly been in a storm the last year or so! He’s our foundation, a solid place to stand on when we need confidence and reassurance. He is my Rock and my Refuge!”

From Wendy: R is for Renewed

Renewed — Ephesians 4:23 

I’ll let you all look that one up and read the whole paragraph from verse 17 to 24!

 

Hit the Road Hodgepodge

Speaking of travel the photo above is of me behind the waterfall in the pool at our son’s Airbnb in Arizona a week ago, sigh.

Jo From This Side of the Pond has come up with the weekly questions for Wednesday Hodgepodge. Thank you, Jo! Click on over to join in on the fun.

1. Have you done more binge watching this past year than in ‘normal’ years? Any plans to break that habit in 2021? Tell us one or two shows you binged last year that you really liked. 

Our satellite connection for tv and the internet is temperamental and works better some parts of the month over other times. When it is working well we’ll binge some of our favorite shows on Acorn or BritBox. Since many of the British seasons are 4 to 8 episodes it’s not tough to binge. We’ve enjoyed Murder in Paradise, and we always enjoy going back to Midsomer Murders and the Great British Baking Show. Murder in Paradise had a new season in 2020 and we binge watched it. We enjoy other shows like Endeavor and Vera, too. If in 2021 there are any new seasons of these shows we’ll watch them when the internet is working well.

2. January 26th is Australia Day. Have you ever visited or lived in Australia?

No.

Have you ever tasted Vegemite, and if so what did you think? 

No thank you.

Is a trip down under on your bucket list?

No and I’ll tell you why…it would take far too long on an airplane to get there. If I could afford business or first class with the opportunity to lie down flat for much of the trip I might consider it.

We answered a question about travel three months ago (the October 21st Hodgepodge), but let’s revisit now…where are you when it comes to planning or even imagining travel this year? 

Our youngest niece on Dear’s side of the family is getting married on October 1st of this year in North Carolina. We are planning and imagining what a road trip from Washington State to North Carolina would look like with possible stops at some National Parks on the way. On the way back we are considering a route that would take us through Dallas to visit my youngest brother’s family then home via Colorado with a detour to some National Parks in Utah, Lord willing.

3. Something that zaps your energy?

Unconfessed sin, misunderstandings and confrontations.

Something that energizes you? 

Planning a trip, Spring, having company.

4. On a scale of 1-10 what are your eating habits like these days? (1=all junk food all the time and 10= juicing every green thing in the frig)

Dear says, “we’ve been juicing all the junk food in the fridge”. Haha.

I’m gonna say we are a 5 in eating habits these days.

Healthiest meal you’ve eaten in the last week or so? 

White meat chicken tacos with corn tortillas that weren’t fried with cabbage.

5. What’s your most often ‘Back in my day….’ thing to say? 

Back in my day we did not have cell phones to call anyone.

This phrase comes up a lot, “well we didn’t have cell phones then”.

6. Insert your own random thought here. 

Psalm 39:1 (ESV)

Consider joining in for Truth from A to Z, a Bible verse challenge for Thursdays on my blog. Tomorrow we are on the letter R. You don’t need a blog for this challenge.

Truth from A to Z Bible Verse Challenge ~ Q

January is moving along and we have come to the letter Q. Choices might seem easier this week as the letter Q has a shorter quantity of words in our Concordances! Enjoy your search and thank you very much for sharing your verse or verses in the comments here and I’ll add them to this post as soon as I can.

Q is for Quarrelsome:

Proverbs 21:9 (ESV) 

It is better to live in a corner of the housetop than in a house shared with a quarrelsome wife. 

From Cheryl: Q is for Quicken:

“Quicken me after thy lovingkindness; so shall I keep the testimony of thy mouth” Psalms 119:88

From Vera:

Q is for QUALITIES:

“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.”
‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭1:5-9‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Visit Bethany at her blog by clicking here https://raindropsrainbows.blogspot.com/

Her word is quieted with some inspirational thoughts, too.

From Maristella:

Q is for QUIET:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside *quiet* waters.”
Psalm 23:1-2
And
“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and *quiet* spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”
1 Peter 3:3-4

From Happyone:

Q is for Quench:

Ephesians 6:16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to QUENCH all the fiery darts of the wicked.

From Patsystitch:

Q is for Quarrelsome:

2 Timothy 2:24
And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil,

Truth from A to Z Bible Verse Challenge~ P

This Thursday we are on the letter P. Looking forward to seeing what verses in the Bible you choose to share. As usual I will add your verses as you share them in the comments. Thank you in advance.

The letter P has so many possibilities and options. I might add more later but here is the verse I will begin with. Please note that we are traveling this week and I probably will be late in seeing the verses you post and late in adding them here but I will do it as soon as I am able. Thank you for your understanding.

P is for Poor and Poverty:

2 Corinthians 8:9 (ESV)

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. 

From Vera: P is for PLANS and PURPOSE
“Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.”
‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭19:21‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Linda P. ~ P is for Peace and Power

Romans 15. v. 13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and PEACE in believing that you may abound in hope by the POWER of the Holy Spirit.

From Maristella: P is for PRAYER:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
And
“Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”
Colossians 4:2

From Gatorandshegator: P is for patience
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant.

From Patsystitch: P is for Poverty and Poor

Proverbs 30:7-9 O God, I beg two favors from you; let me have them before I die. First, help me never to tell a lie. Second, give me neither poverty nor riches! Give me just enough to satisfy my needs. For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say, “Who is the LORD?” And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God’s holy name.

Bethany posted on her blog and her word is Promise! https://raindropsrainbows.blogspot.com/

Click over to read her post!

From Happyone: P is for Pasture.
John 10:9
I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and find PASTURE.

Thank you everyone for your contributions this week. What an encouragement to read the verses you have chosen to share.  Our family is having a time away in Arizona so I am a little late in adding all the verses to this post. Thank you for your understanding!

 

Truth from A to Z Bible Verse Challenge ~ O

A new year and the first Thursday in January 2021 brings us to the letter O in our Bible Verse Search and Challenge. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with for O. Add your verse to the comments and I’ll share it on this post.

O is for One:

Ephesians 4:4-7 (ESV)

There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call-one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift.

From Vera: O is for overcome

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world— our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?”
‭‭1 John‬ ‭5:4-5‬ ‭ESV‬‬

From Patricia: O is for One

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another in love, Honor one another above yourselves.

From HappyOne: O is for Open

Ephesians 6:19 KJV
And as for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may OPEN my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel.

From Maristella: O is to OBEDIENCE:

“Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in obedience to him.”
Psalm 128:1
And:
“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
Romans 5:19

Family Moments Hodgepodge

1. Tell us about your favorite moment or share one of the bright spots from the year we’re leaving behind.
~
My favorite moment was when our Colville kids decided enough was enough and we were allowed to hug our grandchildren again. Oh Happy Day!
2. What do you wish you’d known at the start of 2020? Elaborate.
~
I wish I’d known that travel would be so adversely affected because of the COVID. I wouldn’t have booked our flights to London and our lodging in Oxford. Then I wouldn’t have had to spend any time cancelling and wondering if we’d get our money back. Thankfully we were refunded for everything.
3. Best book you read this year? If you did not read any books this year, what’s the best thing you ate all year? We’ve all eaten, right?
~
Nonfiction: Besides the Bible which is by far the best, Only Jesus (What It Really Means To Be Saved) by John MacArthur
Fiction: All the Devils Are Here by Louise Penny
This was the only nonfiction book I read all year and it wasn’t until December that I read it!
4. The Pantone Colors of the year for 2021 are ultimate gray and illuminating yellow (a bright shade)…are you a fan? Would we find either of these colors in your home or wardrobe?
~
The ultimate gray could be found but I would not choose the illuminating yellow. We have some gray in our home and wardrobes but no illuminating yellow.
5. If you were/are making a list of 21 things to do/accomplish in 2021 what is one thing that would be on it?
~
Weeding out things that I don’t want to leave to our children to deal with is one of the 21 things to accomplish in 2021!
6. Insert your own random thought here.
~
Our family of 10 had a wonderful few days together over Christmas and we are so thankful for the relationship strengthening time we had!
Our 4 kids from the other side of the Cascade Mountain range left on Tuesday for home. We are thankful for how they honor us, their parents, and how they contribute to our family unity!
Addy asked our “Coast Kids”, “Why don’t you live here with us?” She loves spending time with her aunts and uncles. Addy had several deep questions during our times together. Out of the mouth of Babes…
~
Thank you Joyce From This Side of the Pond for your faithful weekly questions that add a midweek boost to our blogging!