Ugh....

I just read the end of Ch19 and am very confused and slightly horrified. Anyone want to offer some insight on this story- it made my stomach turn...

Jael's My Girl!

Alright so #1 I’m pumped to be reading Judges with you guys (Brad and Shann) and thanks for starting over to wrestle through the odd names and places that this book contains – Shann I’m totally with you in regards to the pronunciation of these names. I think you would all get at least a little grin on your face hearing the way I pronounce them in my head. #2 I’m already excited about all the different characters that I’m reading about in Judges. As consistent with the way God works; it’s always these ordinary people doing extraordinary things that are outside of their character definitions. Let’s highlight a few shall we?
1- Ehud from the tribe of the Bennamites which ironically means “son of my right hand” – haha and he’s this left handed man who uses his abnormality to massacre the fat king. Did anyone else chuckle a little bit when it said the kings “dung came out” (verse 22)? Or am I just immature? And yes I did try to think of a clever name for what that would be called in the poo book.
2- Deborah- obvious one who’s playing a role outside of her cultural definitions as a woman. Was she actually considered one of the judges by all the Isrealites? Or just in retrospect the author noted that she judged them I wonder. Alan? Any insight onto this one?
3- Jael- She’s my girl! When I read about her it really made me pause to realize how she took advantage of the situation that was placed in her hands. She didn’t have time to think or plan – she just acted. I hope I would be that courageous.
4- Gideon- he claims in 6:15 that he’s from the weakest tribe and the least of his family and yet he’s used to defeat the oppressors of Israel
So anyway, all these people just got me thinking about how God always uses the people who don’t necessarily have the right “status” to do HUGE things. It made me pray today that God would use me to do things outside of the box that I live in. That he would give me his perspective and his eyes to help me see the potential that I have because He lives inside of me. We often talk about how we put God in a box, but let’s be honest in doing that, we also put ourselves in a box. We loose track of the power of the Holy Spirit that lives inside of us. Or at least I know I do.

Shannon, thanks for sharing your prayer for this year. I’ve had a couple of people prophecy over me that I would be a mother of the nations—sounds kind of lofty huh? I remember kind of rolling my eyes about it (awful of me to do I know). But I guess after what I just wrote, I need to stop thinking so small. I’m going to pray the same thing for you. That God uses you and your training to be a mother, not only for this little one that is inside of you, but also to train you to be a mother of the nations. He has given you a heart for the nations obviously and I will be praying that he only increases the passions that He has placed in your heart over this next year.

Alright I wish we could all be sitting around in your living room eating breakfast burritos and talking about Judges but alas for tonight I will just have to setting for our little cyber conversations J and be thankful for them! I love you all.

Oh and Alan, thanks for the song. I listened to it like 5 times while I was typing this.

Here we go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ds-rpBZI5nw

Here's a Goodie

I like this song.

A New Year!....just 13 days late

I am just caught in a whirl wind lately. I feel that life is just flying by. I am enjoying it all and remembering each moment, but it is all to fast. With school, baby, husband, friends and at times God (yeah thats all backwards!) I am having an out of body experience. My heart feels it all but my mind is not absorbing anything. Anyhow just giving you guys a reference of where I am at right now. 

Terra, I am going to respond to your post which was a long long time ago. I know that I shared with Terra when she was here how last year I made a New Year's Prayer "Resolution" (it wasn't a resolution just a prayer for the year). My prayer was that God would make me more mature all around. Whatever form that took I trusted that he was going to provide a backbone and peace for me. Reflecting on last year I can see many areas and events where that prayer was answered. So, starting this new year I am going to do the same thing. My prayer is that God transforms who I am now into a mother. That sounds weird to write and re-read. I do not feel like I have it in me now to be a mother and I am going to need that transformation in order to take on that task that is on its way. So if you guys could please pray for me on that specific front that would be fantastic!

I am excited to be reading scripture with you guys (Al and Terra). Not going to lie though I was not excited to start over in Judges! I loved reading through Joshua and Judges is not so easy to understand. I think maybe going through it a second time will help. I can hardly read through the book without stumbling on the names of people and places. Ask Brad he just laughs at my fatal attempt to pronounce a name such as Simmamucuison. Ok I made that up, but it all looks like that to me. 

Love you guys and I am interested to hear what you guys think about Judges. Please enlighten my feeble mind.

Shann

I am Excited

I am very excited for all of us to dive into the Word together and wrestle and grow together.

I also enjoyed that last post by daddy.

So today I read Judges 1 & 2.   It is funny to me that we are reading right here because this is something that I have been thinking a lot about lately.  I am talking about how the Israelites don't fully complete their conquest of the land.  They do not fully drive out the inhabitants of Canaan.  

This makes me think of a few different things.  God wanted his people to be separated from the other nations because he knew that it would cause them to stumble.  They would start worshipping other gods and taking on other nations traditions.  And that is exactly what happened.  I struggle with how this plays out today.  I feel we are called in one sense to live holy and purely for God (separate from the world).  Yet we are not living in a nation that is wholly devoted to God.  Nor is the church solid enough in a community where they are really separated.  And can really be transformed be each other.  This is why I want to live in community.  We are so impacted by the 'world' and our society today in ways that are not of God.  Like you were saying Brad with the music we listen to and tv, movies, media, maybe even certain friends, and a million other things.

This brings me to my other point.  That what God called His people to do is not the 'nicest' or most 'proper' or 'respectable' thing to do.  It seems cold and mean.  These people live here for how long and they are to come and kill or kick out men, women and children.  I want to wipe my slate clean of what i think is the right or good thing to do.  I want to follow God even if it seems crazy to the world.  Look at Jesus' life.  He lived a life so radical and preached things that put him on the cross.  

"They are from the world; therefore they speak from the world, and the world listens to them.  We are from God.  Whoever know God listens to us;  whoever is not from God does not listen to us.  By this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of error."

              1 John 4:5-6

Why do we listen to the world if we are from God?  Maybe we need to do something radical to separate ourselves.  I remember in high school when I really changed my life around I stopped hanging out with all the football guys (you know brad).  I was a dick for it, everyone said I was a jerk and abandoned my friends that I had known since kindergarden.  But looking back I consider it gain.  

What do you guys think?

We sure need GOD!

sitting around the other day and recounting some of life's recent happenings truly made me realize how desperately we need GOD! not onyl dow e need becasue this is a fallen world and life is tough and He's got love for us, but we NEED God because without God there is some "good" and "bad" -  but truly only death for eternity.  the trip came for me when it became apparent that we need God but he simply desires us with His being. it a relationship of need on mans behalf and desire on God;s behalf - but God relentlessly showed/shows us he wants us. It is humbling because God gave His son for His desire for relationship and i am struggling to relinquish the things in my life to/for Him. it is perplexing because God wants us to receive His love and enter into deeper and deeper relationship when we struggle and fight this call when we truly need God and all he has to offer. 

I am pretty pissed at how much i give and have given back to God despite me necessity for Him and His sacrifice for me and others around me. I guess i am sharing this because i hope we can all realize more and more how we need God and how He truly desires us. I believe that the more we, or i come to grips with with true discipleship and the unquestioned following of Christ and all He desires to allow me/us to journey on I/we will truly live. What a gracious God who offers us Discipleship and life when it is the exact thing we need!

I had a blessed time with u in town momma T! we hope of living in community with u two and hope it sooner than later.