BFS #131 -- Trusted Everywhere (Duracell Batteries)

Memory Verse: Genesis 20:13 and it came about, when God caused me to wander from my father’s house, that I said to her, ‘This is the kindness which you will show to me: everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.’” (Which, by the way, is a very funny memory verse!)

Introduction: Trusted Everywhere (Duracell Batteries) Easy Week. It was supposed to be Nancy’s week, she had planned on posting a simple assignment, but she’s gone, and her assignment isn’t here. So.. Because Nancy is traveling, I thought we’d talk about Everywhere, or Anywhere.

Assignment: Where have you been? Where have you traveled? What was the purpose of your trip?

Photo: Map your journey… or show a picture of you on the trip.

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I had a couple of different ideas for this assignment. One of the main deciding factors was finding a photo of me! Generally speaking I'm the one behind the camera. There is a reason for that!!! Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, one of the kids snagged the camera from me and snapped a photo, so here you have it. Rare footage indeed!

Instead of sharing about a trip away from home which we've taken, I decided to share about a trip that came to us. Well, not us personally, but rather our beach. You see, we live on a small stretch of beach known across Mexico as "the place to go for semana santa". That's Holy Week in English. Folks aren't generally coming to worship God, though. Picture Corpus Christi or Florida or Palm Beach. It's a little crazy for a week or two down here!

I had to include the photo of the quad with all the kids on it, even though the image is blurry. Count heads: there are six bodies on that thing!

So, I've decided to share about what our family did this year during Holy Week. We were blessed to have a mission team from Southern California here for a few days. Those are the other gringos you'll see in the pictures.

Our family as a whole only went out on the beach one day. Sarah participated in the drama which the mission team shared, so she was out there most of the weekend. Seth, Jessee, Andrew and Caleb each dedicated time and resources on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to earn a little money. Seth made muffins, Jessee sold limeade, Andrew and Caleb made snow-cones. I think they decided that Seth's venture was the most profitable -- he had no competition! Vendors line the waterfront selling drinks and ice-cream, but no one bakes bread. There's talk among the boys of selling bread in a BIG way next year. We'll see! Kind of depends on whether I ever get my brick oven done!

I took almost 500 shots of our time on the beach. My friend Karen took another hundred. Pastor Tom beat me out by more than doubling my number, but of course, he was on the beach three days to my one! Needless to say, it's hard to choose photos for this post.

The drama outreach was spectacular. I couldn't possibly do it justice with only a couple of shots. If you'd like to see some more photos and read more about the outreach, you can click over to Sarah's blog (this link will open in a new window, so clicking won't take you away from this site.) Hover your mouse over each photo to read its caption.

Fortunately, the world has to be back to work on Monday morning. Sunday was quiet (comparatively) and we celebrated resurrection Sunday with our church family from the US and Mexico both.

Well, that was a trip, wasn't it??!!

BFS #129 -- Strong Enough for a Man, but Made for a Woman (Secret Deodorant)

Memory Verse: Judges 4: 8 Barak answered her: “If you go with me, I’ll go; but if you won’t go with me, I won’t go.” 9 She replied, “Yes, I will gladly go with you; but the way you are doing it will bring you no glory; because ADONAI will hand Sisra over to a woman.” Then D’vorah set out and went with Barak to Kedesh.

Introduction: Strong Enough for a Man, but Made for a Woman (Secret Deodorant) I am woman hear me roar.. Or.. If you’re not going to do the job, someone has to. We live in a society that thinks any strong woman is a “woman’s Libber” but that’s not what God has to say. D’vorah (Deborah) was a strong woman, she was appointed as a judge over the Israelites by God.. .. and yet she was a wife 4 Now D’vorah, a woman and a prophet, the wife of Lapidot, was judging Isra’el at that time.This is no Woman’s Libber, this is a woman who is strong in Character and Wisdom, and her strength doesn’t humiliate her husband, it glorifies him.

Assignment: OK my strong, wise, brilliant friends. Glorify your husbands! I want you to study this story of D’vorah and see if you can follow her path, from the Palm between Ramah and Beit-El, in the hills of Efrayim; to Mt Tabor, and then follow Sisera as he flee’s to oak at Tza’ananim and is finally brought down by Ya’el.. Find out where Kadesh is too…study this story with a map in front of you, look at the terrain, look at the setting of the battles Look at the players of this battle, who are they?. Now..Tell me the story as if you were D’vorah - tell me your travelogue, your sightseeing, your emotions on your journey. Tell me of the dangers and the thrill of victory. Tell me of your strength. Tell me of your response to Barak.. bring this story to life in the first person, as if you were there and living it.

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Sorry, I've never done "first person" very well. ;^)

The date is c. 1000BC.

The place is Kadesh-Barnea and the surrounding area. An arid, high desert suitable for the raising of sheep. Here's a photo to give you an idea of the terrain. Visit this site to see a better "overall view" of the area (it's worth the click!).

Background: Israel has fought for their promised land, and for the most part, they have won. The Canaanites remain in the land to test the faith of the Israelites. (Judges 2:20) Apparently, they are failing the test. Enjoying a relative peace, the Israelites begin to slide back into the worship of idols. As God's word says in Judges 3:12 "the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord." This happened several times in their history (Judges 2:16; 4:1; 6:1; 8:33; etc.). God has, instead of appointing a king, raised up judges to help in the governing of His people. Eventually, they will tire of this and demand a king, but for now, the whole "judge" thing is relatively new and the judges cause the children of Israel to straighten up and fly right...for a time.

Enter Othniel and Ehud and Shamgar -- the first 3 judges. Each had their moment in the spotlight, fulfilled the purpose God had for them, and then died -- leaving the children of Israel to once again do "evil in the sight of the Lord". Sigh.

Kadesh-Barnea is circled in orange near the southern tip. Click on the map above to see a larger view. The blog where I found this map is a wealth of information!

We meet Deborah as she is living near an oasis being the area prophetess. From what I gather from scripture, people from the area would come to her for advice, suggestions, prayer and probably more than a few with complaints and problems. She was a woman of God, devoted to Him and serving as wife to Lapidoth and keeper of her household.

Then one day she gets a message from God: (Judges 4)
(voice of the Lord...paraphrased) Deborah, I have called to Barak, son of Abinoam, and told him to gather 10,000 men and go to Mount Tabor. I told him that once he is there, I will draw Sisera, captain of Jabin's army, to him and deliver him into Barak's hand. BUT, Barak hasn't moved. Go tell Barak that he needs to get up and get moving.

Deborah, being obedient to the call of God, calls Barak to her palm tree.

"Barak, the Lord God has commanded you to go to Mount Tabor and take 10,000 men of Naphtali and Zebulun with you. There you will meet with Sisera and the Lord God will deliver him into your hand. Why are you still here?"

Barak replies, "Deborah, I'll tell you what, if you go with me, I'll go. Obviously you have a better relationship with the Lord than I do and more experience at leading the people. They all look up to you already! Think of the benefit you'll be to our team." (yes, I added a bit to the story)

Deborah thinks for a moment. A quick prayer is sent to the Master of the Universe and the answer to her petition is received. "Alright, Barak. I'll go with you. You need to know one thing though. If you were hoping to receive the glory for this operation, forget it. The credit will go to a woman."

Certainly Barak was thinking, "Sure, she'll take the credit, but I'll deal with that later. The important thing is that I'll be alive!"

Deborah and Barak go off to war. True to His word, the Lord delivers Captain Sisera into Barak's hand, but as prophesied Sisera was already dead when Barak captured him.

As you can see from the map above, Kadesh was in a hilly region near the Kishon River. This area was prone to flash flooding. Sisera was proud of his chariots, but in this battle the chariots didn't help. (Judges 5:21-22) God sent torrential downpours, the river Kishon flooded, the chariots became bogged down in the mud and Captain Sisera fled on foot to his friend's tent -- Heber the Kenite. Unfortunately for Sisera, Heber's wife Jael wasn't a big fan.

Captain Sisera arrived at the tent of Jael exhausted and thirsty, so Jael -- the perfect hostess -- offered him warm milk and a pillow. "I'll watch over you," she told him. (Judges 4:18)

Some time later, Barak comes riding by. Jael walks out to meet him. "Are you looking for Sisera? He's in here." Remember how in my last BFS post I said that Jael was a tough lady? Think about this:

• How many of you have ever helped your honey set up a tent?
• Have you ever tried it using a stone hammer and a wooden stake?

I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever hit a tent peg hard enough to drive it through a man's skull and pin him to the ground. AND it's not like she's going to get more than one chance at this. If she misses the first hit, she's dead. That peg has to kill him instantly, or it's all over for her.

That is one gutsy lady. I picture the dialog something like this:
God: "Jael, Sisera is asleep. Take the stake and the mallet and pin him to the ground."
Jael: "Do what?!? I can't do that!!! If I swing that hammer hard enough to kill him and I miss, I'll lose my hand! What if I miss entirely??? He'll kill me!"
God: "Jael -- peace. I have delivered Sisera into your hands. I will guide you. I never miss. Just do it."

So what's the moral in all this???

We need to show up. I've been mulling this idea over for a week or more. What did Deborah do that Barak didn't do? She showed up. God said to do something, Deborah did it. Barak made excuses.

I'm thinking that there might be another post coming along those lines. Maybe Nike: Just do It. Seriously, though, so much of our life here in Mexico is just showing up. We really don't set out in the morning to conquer our world. We just pray that God would use us where we are and that we would hear Him when He's speaking to us. Man or woman -- boy or girl.

Isn't that what God has called each of us to do?

Acts 1:8 But you will receive power after the Holy Spirit has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem [your hometown], Judea [your homeland] and in Samaria [your enemies' territory] and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

BFS #128 -- Does She or Doesn’t She (Clairol Shampoo)

Memory Verse: Genesis 2: 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him. 21 So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said,
“This at last is bone of my bonesand flesh of my flesh;she shall be called Woman,because she was taken out of Man.”

Introduction: Does She or Doesn’t She (Clairol Shampoo) The world sees Christianity as a male dominant religion. It’s seen as a religion dominated by men, for men. But we know that God loves women - God created woman, and has used women to bring about His plan for the world.

Assignment: Tell the world about your favourite woman in the Bible. Who is she? How did the world judge her? How does God see her? How did God use her? How has this woman affected your life? How does she inspire you to walk out your relationship with God?

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Hmmmm. My favorite woman in the Bible...that's a tough one. I have many favorites -- Hannah encourages me to keep a gentle spirit and to pray more fervently. Ruth reminds me that God has plans for my future, even when my "Plan A" doesn't work out the way I thought it would. I really like Jael (she's the one who killed Sisera with a tent peg) and Deborah -- tough chicks, for sure.

But my favorite (at least today) would have to be Abigail. You can read her story in 1 Samuel chapter 25, but let me give you a little background. Keep in mind that this is purely hypothetical, because we know nothing about her prior to her marriage to Nabal. The Bible says that she was "a woman of a beautiful countenance and good understanding". We can assume that she was from a good family, since she married into the family of Caleb (high society). Girls in those days married young and generally had no say in whom they married. So let's picture Abigail as a beautiful young lady of about 16 whose father arranged a marriage with a prominent (and rich) older man named Nabal. Whether or not she was happy about the match, she had no choice and found herself the mistress of a large household, and the wife of a fool.

Abigail to me is the picture of a woman who made lemonade out of the lemons of life. Rather than bemoaning her fate, she rolled up her sleeves and set her mind to the task at hand. Although scripture doesn't say this, I don't believe that she was in the habit of belittling her husband. She saw him as he was and made no excuse for him; she called him a "worthless fellow", but then the Bible clearly says that he was "churlish and evil in his doings".

Read Chapter 25 -- it's a great story!

Abigail was faithful to the committment she had made -- the vow she had made before God and the obligation she had to her parents -- and God honored her faithfulness.

So why is Abigail one of my favorites? Well, I'm a sucker for a happy ending. Hers is a bit of a Cinderella story -- rescued from a life of drudgery by a handsome prince (even if the whole "happily ever after" thing didn't really happen). More than that, though, is the hope I see for women whose husbands are stinkers...and there are a few of those where we live. Seeing how God dealt with Nabal reminds me that God sees all things and as His word says, "Vengeance is mine says the Lord. I will repay!"

Does God still allow us to go through hard times and suffer through difficult people? Obviously so! In James we read that, "The testing of our faith works patience."(James 1:3) It's just refreshing to be reminded that we don't need to stress over people who wrong us. God sees, and God knows, and we can have faith that He will take care of everything in due time.

Romans 8:38 And we know that God works all things together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose.

Have a blessed week!!!

Blogger Friend School #127 -- One truth...God!

This week we have a guest assignment from Libby at Deep in the Mountains

If anyone else is interested in doing an assignment please email Nancy at nking@hughes.net or Sombra at sombra.wilson@yourlink.ca. We’d be happy to have your assignment ideas to post. Also be sure to come back during the week for a Special Announcement from the BFS staff!

Memory verse:

"And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

Introduction:
This is a spin-off of last week as we went searching for what “Hear” means. This is a hunt for the Truth about who we are as believers, how God views us and how we can rest in that Truth.

As before, use any Bible or Bible study tools to help you in your search. Sometimes it can be intimidating to do these kinds of studies. I was a little nervous about the last two assignments. But these assignments can be a way to learn how to do this kind of Bible study. Don’t feel you have to know it all in order to do this. We aren’t Bible professors here, but we are all in need of learning and understanding God’s message to us. God, our Abba, our Daddy, wrote this Book, the Bible, to us! Let’s see what He wants to share with us about all the wealth that is ours as His children.

Assignment: Dig around in the Word and share what you find about any or all of the following:

Who is Jesus Christ? (Yes, the obvious, but dig around, what are some of His names?) What has God given us in Christ, what benefits are ours right now? Because of Christ’s work on the cross on our behalf, what can we count on from Him in our daily lives?

If you need some ideas of where to get started check out these chapters in the New Testament and see where they take you:
John 15, Romans chapters 6, 7 and 8, Galatians chapters 2 and 5, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Corinthians and 1 Peter are also great.

I can’t wait to see what everyone finds! Happy Digging!

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Doug said something during our family devotion time the other day which really struck me. I thought it neat that it went right along with this assignment...but then, I really shouldn't be so surprised. There are, afterall, no coincidences!

One spring day, you are walking along, not paying too much attention, just strolling down the middle of the boulevard. Suddenly, a dump truck rounds the corner and comes barrelling down on you. You are paralyzed and can't even react! Without warning, you are abruptly shoved out of the road and into the ditch. You're safe, but the guy who saved you -- let's call him Dave -- he was killed.

You go to Dave's memorial service where everyone around you is talking about Dave and what a great guy he was. A gentleman walks up to you and asks, "Did you know Dave?" How do you respond?

Would you say, "Oh, well, I didn't really know him, but he seemed like a nice guy"? More than likely your response would be more along the lines of, "Let me tell you! He saved my life! I was being dumb, and even though I knew better than to walk in the street, I did it anyway. Dave didn't even know me, but he gave his life for me. He saved me!"

When our kids began going to AWANA -- way back "when" -- the first verse they learned as Cubbies (3 and 4 year olds) was

1 John 4:10 "...God loved us and sent His son..."

I can still picture each one of my kids as they proudly quoted that verse (using hand motions, of course). But y'know what? That's not the whole verse. It's a shortened, 3-year-old version. I know why they shortened it. Here's the whole verse:

1 John 4:10 And this is love: not that we loved God, but that God loved us and sent His son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Most three year olds can't even say "propitiation", let alone comprehend what it means! Many adults stumble over it and only have a vague idea of its definition.

propitiate: to cause to be favorably disposed; appease; conciliate; to pacify, placate, mollify or reconcile

Jesus was sent by God to "be the propitiation for our sins". Jesus stepped in and took the blame, took the fatal impact, of our disobedience. It's more than "God loved us and sent His son", although it really is that simple.

When we begin to realize what Jesus actually did for us, we can better respond to Him. How we respond to Jesus reflects who He is in our lives. It's a personal response and one that each person needs to work out "with fear and trembling" (Philippians 2:12).

So, that having been said, my question to you is this:

Who is Jesus to you?

Blogger Friend School #126 Can You Hear Me Now?

Memory Verse: Mark 12:28-34

28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Intro: When Jesus starts his response with “Hear O Israel”, he’s referencing back to the Shema - from Deuteronomy 6-4 - Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One and Only, Blessed Be his Glorious Sovereign Name for ever and ever. Jesus says this is His greatest commandment. Like.. if you asked your child(ren) to clean a room.. and it wasn’t done.. they responded to you and said.. I heard you. What good is it if they heard you.. but didn’t DO it. So for us to say, we heard God.. but ignored his instructions.. that’s not good enough.

Assignment: What does God mean when he says HEAR.. he says it often.. if we don’t have an auditory reception of His voice. why is he saying HEAR.. what does it mean, what are we losing in translation? The word Shema doesn’t just mean Hear.. like what your ear receives.. it means more. Tell in your assignment what you think Shema means whether it’s active hearing or auditory hearing. I’m very anxious to read your thoughts on this. I hope you will all enjoy doing this assignment, as we are trying to dig deeper into the Word and have a better understanding of what the Bible really is about.

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When I read this assignment on Tuesday, I got all excited about it, because I really do enjoy digging into words and meanings. Then life began to happen and suddenly I find myself here on Saturday with a page full of notes ready to post. Phew. It's been a full week! Yesterday was our last "official" day of classes before our spring break, so now I feel like I can breathe a little easier. Maybe I'll be able to catch up on the rest of the unfinished posts I have waiting for me!!!

So, here's where God led me in this study...

The Spanish verb oír and the Spanish verb escuchar.

• Oír -- to perceive sounds, to give into the pleas of someone = hear
• Escuchar -- to listen attentively; take into account; obey = listen

There is just something about the Spanish verbs which is different. During the past 100 years, American English has undergone a few changes. Nothing which terribly changes the actual language, but the rules have relaxed (in more ways than just grammar, for sure!) and many slang words have been added. Some words which used to be commonly used in a positive way are now used in a negative way or not used at all. For instance, my daughter was commenting the other day that someone accused a friend of hers of being "descriminating". I told her that 100 years ago, being descriminating was considered a good thing. In our language today, descrimination is only a bad thing. Many words are like that. Dumb used to just mean speechless, toilet was something everyone did to prepare for the day and gay was how you felt on a spring morning.

While the meanings of "hear" and "listen" haven't changed with the passing of time, it's good to slow down and really look at their meanings. In English they are used almost interchangeably, but not so in Spanish and also not so in the original Greek and Hebrew. The word translated oír or hear is a passive word. It implies that the hearer is just receiving. Escuchar or listen, on the other hand, are acitve verbs. That means that there is work being done on the part of the receiver -- some processing or application going on.

I focused on two main verses which use the word hear. The first is an Old Testament passage, the one which Jesus quoted in the passage above.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord.

The second verse is from the New Testament:

James 1:22-23 ...But be doers of the word and not merely hearers...

In the first verse, the verb is the active form of the word. Take notice! Listen up!

In the second verse, the word used would be what your child is doing about 30 seconds after you begin lecturing about the state of his bedroom. He hears you, but he's checked out. He's already heard it, he knows what you're going to say, if he just looks like he's paying attention, you'll stop ranting soon, and he can get back to whatever it is that he really wants to listen to.

And that, my friends, is exactly what God says NOT to do! Don't just read your devotional book in the morning, move your bookmark to the next page and get on with your day. The woman who does that is (as the Bible says) like the person who looks in the mirror and then walks away and completely forgets what she looks like. Here's the whole passage from the book of James:

James 1:22-25 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.

I hope this post encourages you to really listen to what God wants to tell you -- be an active listener, not a passive hearer!

BFS #125 Let Your Fingers Do The Walking (Yellow Pages)

Memory Verse: Ephesians 6: 10-18 Finally, grow powerful in union with the Lord, in union with his mighty strength! Use all the armor and weaponry that God provides, so that you will be able to stand against the deceptive tactics of the Adversary. For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm. So take up every piece of war equipment God provides; so that when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist; and when the battle is won, you will still be standing. Therefore, stand! Have the belt of truth buckled around your waist, put on righteousness for a breastplate, and wear on your feet the readiness that comes from the Good News of shalom. Always carry the shield of trust, with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. And take the helmet of deliverance; along with the sword given by the Spirit, that is, the Word of God; as you pray at all times, with all kinds of prayers and requests, in the Spirit, vigilantly and persistently, for all God’s people.

Introduction: Let Your Fingers Do the Walking (Yellow Pages) I have deviated from the traditional Memory Verse.. in that usually we take one of the words in the slogan and seek a scripture that uses that word, but today I’m using the concept of what Yellow Pages is all about.. seeking and finding. I used the word Walking.. which made me think of shoes.. and this set of verses is exactly what I want to share. This assignment will be tougher than those of the last few weeks.. take your time, you can always do it late. Put on that full armor and study God’s word, so that you can more fully understand what He wants you to learn from it. This scripture from Ephesians is exhorting us to be armed - fully armed - to stand against HaSatan - the Adversary. The Sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. I want us to dig deeper into God’s Word, and to really let our fingers do the walking through the resources we have available to us - books, internet - and really seek to find the true meaning of His Word. Don’t worry, I’m no expert, I’ll be learning to do this along with you all.

Assignment: I’d like you to choose a word, find the Hebrew or Greek original word, and then dig into it’s full meaning. Use things like the Strong’s Concordance or the Gesenius and find the root of the word. What is the first occurance of that word in scripture? What did that word mean in that first occurance? Did the meaning of the word change as God used it in scripture? Now find some verses in scripture that use that word, and like The Message Bible does, re-write that scripture using the full meaning that you now understand to illuminate that scripture verse. What kinds of words should you look up? I’m going to do fire.. but you could look up water, altar, sacrifice, prayer, washing, or any word that you feel God is asking you to understand better. If you feel challenged to, when you find the Hebrew word, look up the meaning of the letters in the root word. The Hebrew letters themselves have meaning, and give meaning to the word.

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God's timing never ceases to amaze me!

This assignment comes just as I'm finishing up our March update letter (finally) and studying a passage of scripture which caught my attention. Great timing, Lord!

Friday at our ladies' study, one of the sisters shared from Psalm 103:2-5. Here is the passage in English:

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, Who forgives all your iniquities, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from destruction, who crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercies, who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.

Sometimes you can hear the same passage of scripture over and over -- even have it well-memorized -- and then suddenly hear it in a different version or with a different emphasis than what you've heard before and it's like a lightbulb being switched on. I think that is part of the "living, active and powerful" thing the writer of Hebrews described in 4:12.

The Spanish Bible I use is a new translation taken directly from the original Greek and Hebrew. That's really important to me, because I don't like the idea of a Bible based on a translation of a translation from the original. It's a soapbox of mine.

Anyway, the "Nueva Biblia de los Hispanos" is my version of choice and (knowing that most of you won't understand the text -- bear with me) here is the same passage in Spanish:

Bendice, alma mía, al Señor, y no olvides ninguno de Sus beneficios. El es el que perdona todas tus iniquidades, El que sana todas tus enfermedades. El que rescata de la fosa tu vida, El que te corona de bondad y compasión. El que colma de bienes tus años, para que tu juventud se renueve como el águila.

Now, here is the literal (the way I understand it) interpretation of the Spanish. See if it doesn't give you a slightly different impression:

Soul of mine, bless the Lord. Don't forget even one of His benefits. He is the one who forgives all of your intentional mistakes. The one who heals all of your infirmities. The one who rescues your life from the sewer. The one who crowns you with kindness and compassion. The one who showers good things upon your years so that your youth is renewed like the eagle.

The word that caught my attention in the Spanish -- the whole reason I decided to dig deeper into this passage -- was "fosa". It's the word we used here for septic tanks, grey water ditches, nasty pits, etc. I assumed that when I looked it up in the English Bible, I'd find the word translated "pit". Wrong! The word used in the King James there is "destruction". Hmm. That's very different. So I pulled up the E-sword (great program, BTW. If you don't have it, get it for free HERE). All the English versions translate the word destruction or death. The Latin is "redimit de interitu vitam". I'm not a Latin scholar, but I think that means "redeems from interrment the life". So, I looked up the Spanish word "fosa" to see what else it could mean. Bingo! Fosa also means sepulcre or grave. It's never used that way here, but it was in the dictionary. I love my Spanish dictionary!

The original Greek word is:
shakh'-ath; a pit (especially as a trap); figuratively destruction: - corruption, destruction, ditch, grave, pit.

The cool thing, though, is that the word caught my attention, so I spent more time in the Word, committed the passage to memory and learned a couple of new Spanish words in the process.

God even speaks to us through words like "fosa". Isn't He great???!!!

Have a blest week, everyone!


BTW, I started a new Meme last Friday -- something our kids can get involved in! Click here to check it out or click the "Fun Fact Friday" button on the left sidebar. See you there!!!

BFS #124 -- The Easy Button

Memory Verse - Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.
2 Chronicles 7:14-16

Introduction - I thought that I would hit the “easy button” this week and not only make the assignment light, but also give us a chance to get to know each other better through prayer.

Assignment - This week I would like you to post any prayer requests you have. What is going on in your life that you need prayer warriors for? Feel free to post an unspoken request if you feel it is too personal. Then if you would just take the time to visit as many other BFS buddies as possible, pray for them and then leave them a little note letting them know that you have prayed or will be praying.

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Last night when I read this assignment, I wasn't sure what my prayer request for the week would be. This morning, I know: health. Aside from myself -- dealing with phlegm and gunk from my sinuses -- Caleb is also battling a nasty cough, Evie and Andrew are both struggling with low-grade fevers/headache/tummy aches, Sarah still is fighting with a sore back and Doug was up half the night with an upset stomach. The twins are fine, praise God!

So this week, please pray that our bodies readjust to being home and that our immune systems get back into step...a.s.a.p.!

In addition to that prayer request, though, I want to add a praise -- it is SO good to be home! We had a fantastic trip to the States and spent some wonderful time with old friends and new. God watched over us every step of the way and showed Himself powerful again and again. And now we're home. And it feels really good.

Ephesians 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power which is at work within us, unto Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, world without end. Amen!

The ABC's of Praise

Introduction: This is a steal, literally, because I found it on Facebook and decided to use it this week. This is an expression of Praises to God- using the ABC’s. I thought this would be a good way to be able to Praise God and use every letter of the alphabet!

Assignment: Try to think of one thing you can say to the glory of God- one thing to thank Him for, a positive thing you can say about Him, or one of His Names-using each letter of the alphabet. You are allowed to make up words- if you can justify them by making it clear what you mean- and you may also use any foreign language (but please explain what it means) - and you can also use a thesaurus or dictionary if you get stumped. It’s a bit of a challenge, but I think you’ll enjoy it. Have fun with it!

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Psalm 117

Oh praise the Lord, all you nations; praise Him, all you people. For his merciful kindness is great toward us; and the truth of the Lord endures forever. Praise ye the Lord!

A -- Awe-inspiring God

B -- Bountiful provider

C -- Christ the Creator

D -- Dealing with my shortcomings

E -- Enveloping me with love

F -- Faithful when I am faithless

G -- Good. The only One who is.

H -- Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God almighty

I -- Immortal, invisible, the one true God

J -- Just and merciful

K -- King of all kings

L -- Lord of lords

M -- Master of my life

N -- No other before Him

O -- Omnicient and omnipresent

P -- Prince of Peace

Q -- Quintessential (pure or perfect)

R -- Ready for battle

S -- Strong deliverer

T -- Towering fortress

U -- Unsearchable, unchangeable, unstoppable

V -- Vast, Victorious!

W -- Wonderful counselor

X -- eXactly what we need when we need it

Y -- Yes! All of God's promises are "Yes!" and "Amen!" in Christ

Z -- Zenith -- the goal toward which we press on

BFS #122 -- Say it with Flowers (FTD)

Memory Verse - II Corinthians 4:18 - While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

Introduction - Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; isn’t that what we’ve always been told. I find beauty in many things and in most people. There’s beauty in a flower, according to FTD as well, there’s beauty in trees, animals, people, and I’d have to say, as I’m sure that most people agree that there’s beauty in watching a child grow.

Assignment - Look around your space, look into your heart and share the beauty you see or feel with the rest of us.

Please show us some pictures of the beautiful things in your life, not just your children, maybe a flower, a book, a special place you sit to find peace or it could just be a beautiful letter or note you’ve received.

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One of the most wonderful parts of life here in Mexico is the beauty that surrounds us. Now, I don't mean that there was no beauty in Oregon. On our last furlough we ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the majestic pines and snow-covered mountains. There is great beauty in Oregon. There is beauty in Arizona, too. Last fall we spent some time in the Tucson area and were amazed at how absolutely gorgeous the flowering cacti were. The dark storm clouds rolling in each afternoon struck a great contrast to the sand and scrub brush which stretched on for miles. Beautiful indeed.

Here though, I see beauty a little more readily. It could be that since there is also much ugliness, poverty and sadness, the beautiful stands out more sharply. Maybe my newly-discovered photographer's eye is becoming more trained to look for beautiful (or at least interesting) things. Or maybe, just maybe, there really is just as much beauty in the States -- but I was always running around too frantically to see it.

The pace of life is much slower here. Neighbors come over to visit when you return from vacation. Church dismisses and the entire congregation stays to chat for an hour. The garbage man waits while you bring out more trash -- and then stands around talking for a few minutes, too. Cashiers strike up a conversation at the grocery store. There's always time.

Time to stop what you're doing and just admire the beautiful when you see it.

Beauty in the land around us...


Beauty in the creation of our Father God...


Beauty in the people we see every day...



Take time today to search for and enjoy the beauty around you!

Ecclesiastes 3:11 "He has made every thing beautiful in its time; also, He has set eternity in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end."

BFS #121 -- Obey Your Thirst (Sprite)

Memory Verse:

Psalm 69:21 They put poison in my food; in my thirst, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Introduction: Obey Your Thirst (Sprite) In this Psalm, terrible things are plaguing David. He’s seeking the Lord, as he has that sinking feeling, that desperate thing of alienation and abandonment… and they try to poison him and give him vinegar - GROSS! How Vile! Sometimes when we’re sick, we have that sinking desperate feeling, we call out to God, we call out for healing.

Assignment: Tell us the most vile “remedy” you’ve ever had to consume in order to be rid of that “plague”. Was it something prescribed by a Medical Doctor? or was it an herbal remedy? We all know that Buckley’s commercial, it tastes awful, but it works. Would you take this remedy again? Did it work? Can you get your children to take it?

Oh Ladies, I’d love to see you in a photograph making that sourest of faces, - remember that remedy and remake that face.. or get your kids to make that face with you.. can you do it without laughing? Laughter makes the best medicine.

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When I gave birth to Sarah (16 years ago) my midwife perscribed an herbal rinse to help with the "ouchies" I had after the birth (this is a family-friendly site -- I'm not going to get too graphic here!). She used 1/2 tsp of goldenseal root powder in a quart of water. Steep for 15 min and then apply with a peri-bottle. Worked like a charm. She also sprinkled the goldenseal powder on Sarah's umbilical cord. It healed in 3 days (looked gross at the time, but it healed!).

Even though I saw the benefit of herbal remedies, I still didn't really get "into" herbs until after my twins were born (thirteen years ago). I decided to do an in-house trial -- one twin got goldenseal on the umbilical and one got the regularly recommended alcohol wipe at each diaper change. After three days, the goldenseal umbus was healed and the alcohol one was red and angry-looking (beginning signs of infection). I quickly discontinued the hospital's recommendation and switched to the herbal remedy. Two days later, the infection was gone and the umbus was healed.

Since then, I've become a STRONG proponent of herbal medicine. There's so much I want to learn!!! While I can't become an expert in all things overnight, I decided to work with what I already knew.

When I was little, whenever one of us kids had a sore throat, my dad would say, "Go gargle with salt water." I hated that. But it always worked. Salt has great antiseptic and disinfectant properties, no side effects and is dirt cheap. Gargling with salt water is gross, but there are many worse things in the world!!!

One of those "worse things" is an herbal concoction I use to stave off sinus infections. I was in a pretty nasty car accident when I was a teen and broke a few bones in my face. Ever since I was about 17 I've been prone to really bad sinus infections. REALLY bad. Like, "my-eyeballs-are going-to-explode-out-of-my-head" infections. When they got bad, nothing would help. I tried all sorts of home remedies and perscription junk and absolutely nothing helped.

After coming to the realization that goldenseal and salt were two of the best options for fighting off infections, I decided to become my own guinea pig. When I felt the beginnings of a sinus infection coming on, I brewed a batch of goldenseal tea (1/4 tsp in 1 cup of water) and added a teaspoon or so of salt. I cooled the brew slightly, put it in a syringe and squirted the concoction up my nose. YUCK!!!!!!!!! I don't know why I ever thought that salt water tasted gross! Goldenseal is absolutely HORRIBLE!!!! And it burns!!!!!

I haven't had a sinus infection in almost 6 years. (Except for the one I had las December because I thought I had kicked it and stopped irrigating my sinuses after 2 days instead of doing it for 5 days like I usually do. Dummy.)

So, my favorite home remedy for throat infections and sinus infections: irrigate the infected area 3 times a day for 5 days with a mixture of 1/4 tsp goldenseal root powder and 1 to 2 tsp salt in one cup water. (As salty as you can stand it.)

For serious cuts on humans, smashed fingers, gunshot wounds on cats, dogfight cuts on dogs, torn out feathers on ducks and any other wound that looks really bad, but you're otherwise at a loss for what to do (and don't want to pay a vet) -- mix 1/2 tsp goldenseal powder in a quart of hot water and steep 15 minutes. Use this mixture to rinse the wound 3 times a day until all danger of infection is past. (Usually a week, but it depends on the depth of the wound.)

For not-so-serious cuts on humans or animals alike (like when you cut yourself shaving!) -- sprinkle dry goldenseal powder on the affected area and cover to keep the wound clean. Goldenseal will tend to cause the cut to clot and stop bleeding. Uncover the wound at night to speed healing. Air is a good thing. Bacteria love warm, moist, dark places. A clean, dry, uncovered cut will heal much faster than a covered one.

Pictures...hmmm. I have an idea...

"OK kids -- time to gargle with saltwater and goldenseal! Whadaya say???"

Their reactions:

My verse for this assignment:

Genesis 1:29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.