Saturday, June 25, 2011

My Treasure



We had a garage sale today. Most of the big items went first, including some baby things that were extremely difficult to part with. They went in the first 30 minutes. How do you place a price tag on your memories? After about an hour, I calmed down from the panic that ensued after parting with those items, (for less than what I thought they were worth I might add.) The most important things in my life are the people that used the stuff and live in my house and are going to use more stuff. I get to cuddle them and love them and make a lot more memories with them.


Jesus said in Matthew 6:19-21 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”


What kind of treasures can we store up in heaven? What kind of treasures does God store up? People.

People are God’s greatest treasure.

God gave up His Son, so that we might all be able to be stored up in Heaven.

So as the cuts I feel to my heart today keep reoccurring, I am reminding myself that my treasure is still close, and I am going to follow God’s lead in giving of myself for them always.

What is your treasure?

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon {Book Review and Giveaway}


"When Jesus added women to His entourage, it provided an aha moment for an entire culture."-Excerpt from the chapter, "A Little Pink in the Party: Our Savior is Wildly Pro-Women"


In the day of ten steps for everything this book, was “wildly” refreshing, a book about Jesus. Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon written by Lisa Harper is a book for the person seeking all that Jesus is. The book had me from the very beginning or more accurately, from “Brace yourself,” the first line in chapter 1. When a book opens like that, one cannot help but be intrigued as to the contents within.

Untamed is divided into twelve chapters, each focusing on a “wild” characteristic of our savior, opening with the subtitle in chapter 1, “Our Savior is Wildly Redemptive,” and closes in chapter 12 with the subtitle, “Our Savior is Wildly Liberating.” The pages in-between consist of the many other characteristics of Jesus, such as Jesus’ ability to be compelling, confident, and faithful. My favorite chapter is entitled “A Little Pink in the Party: Our Savior is Wildly Pro-Women.”

The author Lisa Harper uses wit and passion in conveying her experience in coming to know these characteristics in Jesus and how she has seen them displayed in the lives of people that are close to her. She is extremely open and frank with her own history and her love for Jesus and freedom she has found in Him is compelling.

There were many things I liked about this book. The author’s honesty was sometimes flabbergasting. I am not sure I would be so brave as to say some things that she said, but at the same time it is encouraging to those who may be struggling or need hope in a particular area. Lisa is funny, and enjoys her life. She is also very educated and her book seems to be well researched. I learned so many new things.

I highly recommend this book to young women who want to know the Lord better. At the end of each chapter are questions to help the reader apply what they have read. The book could be used in a young ladies’ group study or with people who may have just confessed Jesus as Lord. This book would also be helpful to someone who has been struggling with a religious perception of Jesus and would like to come to know Him for who He really is.

If you want to know why people came to Him so freely in the New Testament and felt loved and safe, free and healed in His presence, then this book will give you a clue. Many blessings to you as you progress on your journey to know Him more and more each day!

~Beth

To learn more about the author, Lisa Harper, or to order a copy of her book go here, www.lisaharper.net.

To read an excerpt from Untamed, go to Christianbook.com.


The Giveaway- Thanks to the publisher, I have an extra copy of Untamed! Please comment below to be entered for a chance to win a copy of this wonderful book. Contest ends at midnight EST on June 30th, and one winner will be selected at random. The winner will be announced here on July 1st. If the winner does not contact me by July 4th, a new winner will be drawn! Thanks for participating!


Disclaimer Notice: I received this book as part of a program that gives free books to bloggers at Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to give a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.


Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon {Book Review and Giveaway}


"When Jesus added women to His entourage, it provided an aha moment for an entire culture."-Excerpt from the chapter, "A Little Pink in the Party: Our Savior is Wildly Pro-Women"


In the day of ten steps for everything this book, was “wildly” refreshing, a book about Jesus. Untamed: How the Wild Side of Jesus Frees Us to Live and Love with Abandon written by Lisa Harper is a book for the person seeking all that Jesus is. The book had me from the very beginning or more accurately, from “Brace yourself,” the first line in chapter 1. When a book opens like that, one cannot help but be intrigued as to the contents within.

Untamed is divided into twelve chapters, each focusing on a “wild” characteristic of our savior, opening with the subtitle in chapter 1, “Our Savior is Wildly Redemptive,” and closes in chapter 12 with the subtitle, “Our Savior is Wildly Liberating.” The pages in-between consist of the many other characteristics of Jesus, such as Jesus’ ability to be compelling, confident, and faithful. My favorite chapter is entitled “A Little Pink in the Party: Our Savior is Wildly Pro-Women.”

The author Lisa Harper uses wit and passion in conveying her experience in coming to know these characteristics in Jesus and how she has seen them displayed in the lives of people that are close to her. She is extremely open and frank with her own history and her love for Jesus and freedom she has found in Him is compelling.

There were many things I liked about this book. The author’s honesty was sometimes flabbergasting. I am not sure I would be so brave as to say some things that she said, but at the same time it is encouraging to those who may be struggling or need hope in a particular area. Lisa is funny, and enjoys her life. She is also very educated and her book seems to be well researched. I learned so many new things.

I highly recommend this book to young women who want to know the Lord better. At the end of each chapter are questions to help the reader apply what they have read. The book could be used in a young ladies’ group study or with people who may have just confessed Jesus as Lord. This book would also be helpful to someone who has been struggling with a religious perception of Jesus and would like to come to know Him for who He really is.

If you want to know why people came to Him so freely in the New Testament and felt loved and safe, free and healed in His presence, then this book will give you a clue. Many blessings to you as you progress on your journey to know Him more and more each day!

~Beth

To learn more about the author, Lisa Harper, or to order a copy of her book go here, www.lisaharper.net.

To read an excerpt from Untamed, go to Christianbook.com.


The Giveaway- Thanks to the publisher, I have an extra copy of Untamed! Please comment below to be entered for a chance to win a copy of this wonderful book. Contest ends at midnight EST on June 30th, and one winner will be selected at random. The winner will be announced here on July 1st. If the winner does not contact me by July 4th, a new winner will be drawn! Thanks for participating!


Disclaimer Notice: I received this book as part of a program that gives free books to bloggers at Waterbrook Multnomah. I was not required to give a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.


Tuesday, June 14, 2011

A Reluctant Queen: The Love Story of Esther by Joan Wolf




"...The business of the court was not the business of women, and that was that. Yet Mordecai believed that it was the will of God that had made her Persia's queen. In the deepest part of her own soul, Esther wondered if her uncle was indeed right. There was no other way she could find to account for the incredible events that had befallen her."


When I first began reading this book, I was taken aback by the author changing some of the Biblical facts in the novel. After some outside encouragement, I decided to give the novel another chance. I am so glad I did.

The story of Esther is one of my favorites in the Bible, probably due to the hero actually being a heroine. In the novel, A Reluctant Queen, the author Joan Wolf has created a fictional account of the Biblical story of Esther. At first glance all you many notice is the changing of some Biblical facts. But if you look more closely, you will see the author has done some thorough research. I actually learned some new things while reading the novel, because I did my own research in the Bible and on Persia to see what facts matched up with the novel. I don’t have time to list everything here, but I will give you some examples.

In the novel the Royal family takes a journey to Ecbatana, the capital city of Media. In the fictional story it is a long journey taking many days. I have looked at Biblical archaeological maps, and Ecbatana is an actual city that lies within a mountain range and it appears to be accurately portrayed as to the length of time it would take to arrive there by foot and by horse.

Also, Hatach in the novel is a eunuch assigned to attend to Esther. In the actual account in the Old Testament, Hatach is a real person and is referred to as chamberlain in the King James Version of the Bible. In my research I found out that the word chamberlain would be more accurately translated “eunuch.” This is another example in the novel of an accurate Biblical fact. I had never noticed Hatach before I believe because so much attention is always given to Hegai. These are just but two examples and for brevity’s sake, I won’t go on.

This novel turned out to be my favorite book I have gotten from Booksneeze so far. It was romantic, yes, but there was so much more to it than that. It is a fictional account, without a doubt, but the author did such a beautiful job with the story that it draws you to the scriptures. The character of the king is warm and wise, and I don’t know how she did it, but she developed him to such a point that she made him almost Christ-like. It made me wonder who the savior is in the actual account. Esther? Mordecai? Or was it Ahasuerus (Xerxes), because the Biblical account’s main objective is the salvation and preservation of the Jews?

Usually, I give a list of people I recommend this book for. Not this time. This time I just want to simply say, I recommend this book.

Many blessings to you and Happy Reading!
~Beth
Jeremiah 29:11



*Disclaimer: I received this book from Booksneeze as part of a free books for bloggers program. I am not required to give a favorable review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Preserving Memories

This is a photograph of the first time my son went bowling. 
My husband said he had never seen him have that much fun before!


If you haven’t already, please read my posts about “Making Good Memories” Part 1 & 2.  I discuss the importance of making good memories with your children, and some ways you can do that.
While you are making memories, think of ways you can preserve the memories.  Create items your children will treasure as they grow and when they become adults.  A few ways to do this are:
1. Keep photo boxes.  Fill them with photos of special family memories.  You can also create digital albums to store, especially in the advent of all the new technology.
2. Create keepsake boxes.  You can fill them with baby clothes, teeth, hair snippets, baby dedication forms, blankets, etc.
3. Video.  Whether you have a video camera or just use your phone, video is a great way to store memories.
4. Baby books.  A lot of the baby books now go all the way up to kindergarten.  You can record those memories for your child to read about later.
5. Journals.  Create a journal for each of your children where you write to them individually as they grow up.  Share your feelings with them about their birth and special events such as birthdays and Christmas.
As they get older, include them in the process.  Make a time capsule together and fill it with new treasures on their birthdays, or other special occasions.  They will enjoy looking back at baby teeth or something they drew in the first grade.  It is a great way as a homeschooling family to see some visual progress.
Making good memories is so important to your children.  I believe it will make them more secure people, confident in who they are, and secure in your love which will help them as adults fulfill their purpose in history, God’s great story.
Many blessings to you on your journey through parenthood,
In Him,


Beth

*This post originally appeared at Growing Your Homeschool.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Through the Bible in 120 Days: Numbers 23-34


Keeping up with the reading in the first five books of the Bible has proven to be a challenge. I like the stories. It is easy to make connections to them, and more interesting than all of the lists. I know the lists are important too, because God just doesn't include things for no good reason. I try to keep in mind that it is all pointing to Jesus, and we can find Him in every book of the Bible if we look for Him.

My reading today was some more lists, but there were also some beautiful things that I knew were present, but didn't know where. Now I know. The book of Numbers is where we find God blessing the nation of Israel and where He divides up the land that compromises Israel based on the twelve tribes.

Numbers 24:5-9 says,
"How beautiful are your tents, O Jacob, your dwelling places, O Israel! Like valleys they spread out, like gardens beside a river, like aloes planted by the Lord, like cedars beside the waters. Water will flow from their buckets; their see will have abundant water. There king will be greater than Agag; their kingdom will be exalted. God brought them out of Egypt; they have the strength of a wild ox. The devour hostile nations and break their bones in pieces; with their arrows they pierce them down, like a lioness-who dares to rouse them? May those who bless you be blessed and those who curse you be cursed!"


Numbers 26:52-56 says,
"The Lord said to Moses, "The land is to be allotted to them as inheritance based on the number of names. To a larger group give a larger inheritance, and to a smaller group a smaller one; each is to receive its inheritance according to the number of those listed. Be sure that the land is distributed by lot. What each group inherits will be according to the names for its ancestral tribe. Each inheritance is to be distributed by lot among the larger and smaller groups."


I found both of these passages very interesting in my reading today. In Numbers 24, a prophecy is given by Balaam over the nation of Israel, foretelling what will be in their future in relation the nations they will shortly face. We read more about that when we get further in the Old Testament.

In Numbers 26, God gives a deed from His own lips to Israel giving them the right to the land, by dividing it up.

Both of the passages I have mentioned stir in my heart because of what is going on with Israel in the world today. What do you think?