I’ve Been a Little Quiet

I’ve Been a Little Quiet

I realize I’ve been a little quiet and haven’t written any Bible study blog posts in a while. It’s because I’m going through a phase where I am participating in multiple Bible studies right now. I need them. Desperately. I feel like a sponge soaking up everything I can in the present from the Word of God (the Bible). I will start a writing project soon on this blog. I just want to do my own personal studies for a couple of weeks, so I can be more prepared to write Bible study blogs. So, please bear with me.

Thank you kindly.

(Image credit for top photo: Stacy Duplease 2009-2014.) 

Prayer Requests

Prayer requests:
1 E needs a job.
2 R lost their baby.
3 R is getting ready to leave for a while, because of work, and the family will be separated.
4 D needs to find a new job and will need to move to another state, across the country.
5 P--Her husband just died and she has children.

If you have any to add to the list, let me know. Either send an email, add a comment at the end of any blog post, or use the contact form on the right hand side of the blog to share them with me/us. I would gladly add it and will pray--and I'm sure all of you will as well.

Blessings.

(Note: By the way, the initials above are not necessarily the same people mentioned in the past. I pick any letter in the alphabet to keep anonymity for people--and change the request a little--knowing God knows the real people and the full prayer. So, if you want me to put names, etc., when you send a prayer request, you might want to put in quotes what you want me to publish exactly if you don't want me to be less specific.)

Updated May/03/2014 

Giving Thanks and Counting Our Blessings

Counting of Blessings and Morning Prayer

Thank You, Lord, for this day. What an opportunity. It is Your day, not mine. I look forward to seeking You and searching all around to see Your glory.

Thank You for this week and time with You.

Abba, You are my all, my Everything. I am nothing without You.

Guide me, Lord. Help me to stay in the middle of Your will.

Use me. All I want to do is bring you as much glory as possible.

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease 2009-2014.)

Mother's Day (and Father's Day) Insensitivity: A Day of Pain and Not Celebration for Some

This is a difficult blog post. I've written it several times and have then deleted it. But, the more I keep receiving blog posts in my email about Mother's Day, I decided I cannot wait any longer to broach the subject. This is to help others see another side of Mother's Day.

Mother's Day is a very painful day for five groups of people (not in any order--just numbered points):
1 Those who have lost their moms in the last year (or longer).
2 Those who do not know their mom or have a mom?
3 Those estranged from their mom.
4 Those who are infertile and can't be a mom.
5 Those who have lost a baby or child.

Please, Christians, Churches, and Bloggers, be very careful about capitalizing on this day. I understand one blog post on Mother's Day, but every day leading up to it--for a month? Talk about ripping open the sore over and over and over. Enough. I beg of you. Think.

It hurts.

Deeply.

Churches, please, offer a separate service where Mother's Day and Father's Day isn't mentioned. There are some of us who will not go to church because it is so painful to hear about. If there was a neutral service, so we can turn to God with others who are experiencing the same pain, it would be very beneficial. I don't like to ever feel like I can't go to church. Mother's Day and Father's Day are two days I cannot--and will not--unless it's neutral.

Bloggers, it's quite painful to have several emails I receive that have the mentioning of Mother's Day in them. Please be courteous and thoughtful about how painful this day can be.

People in general, don't wish everyone you see a Happy Mother's Day. What if that person cannot have a child? This hurts. (Or the other four reasons it's a painful day.)

Sorry to be harsh here, but this needs to be said. If you do not understand what I am saying, and I know there are some who just don't see the big deal, then trust me in this. It is. Just because you don't grasp it, it doesn't mean you aren't hurting another. I can't disappear for a month or two. I have to keep carrying on with life, but how can I when I am constantly being reminded of what I cannot have?

Just some thoughts from a fool, asking people to be a little more thoughtful and considerate for the pain people can cause others...

I am sorry for being so bah-humbug. I just ask you to think. That's all.

Does anyone else know what I mean?

Ugh. What a tough blog post. Blah.

(Image Credit: Microsoft images online 2008-2014.)

Updated on May/03/2014

Counting My Blessings for My Marriage

When my husband, B and I married, we didn't do the traditional marriage vows. However, we sure thought of them and still do to this day. The part "for better and for worse" part, along with the "love keeps no record of wrongs" and "love bears all" parts in 1 Corinthians 13 meant and mean something to us.

Words have meaning. Each word does.

We dissected the traditional wedding vows and the love verses to make sure we would live by them before we ever got married. And, we still reflect on them today. 'Are we living them?' is a question we constantly ask ourselves.

B and I made a vow to one another and to God. We know our marriage is a reflection of our relationship with the Lord.

We take our marriage seriously. It's not something that's flippant.

When we go through the hard times in life, which there are plenty, we cling to one another and to God. We do not allow division between us--B and I and God. We know that it takes all three to make this thing called life work, plus our marriage.

The little stuff in life, we keep little. We do not make a mountain out of a molehill. (Sorry to use a cliche. But, again, words have meaning--and this best illustrates the point I'm trying to make.) We have gone through so much in a few years past a decade--and we've learned to take things in stride. It does not help anything, or make things easier, to throw a fit, fight, and have division in our marriage when life sends us a challenge. (How ridiculous is that?)

Our challenges grow us.

Marriage is meant to help carry one another's burdens and that sure makes things easier and more meaningful.

We have a good marriage because it's something we work on. We make it worth the effort. We refuse to hold the past against one another and to try to make the best of our situation, one another, our faith, and our marriage today.

In our marriage, there is a word we try to never use. "I." Rather, it's "We." Marriage cannot ever be self-serving. It has to be we-centered. and, by golly, God better be the first in the equation on both parts.

Marriage takes on a whole new level when you live in this manner: "Always give thanks--no matter what." Always give thanks, even for the challenges. Always give thanks to one another. Always give thanks how life is a journey meant to be shared together. Always give thanks--for God is the reason for everything. It is, after all, all about Him--and not about us.

God, thank You for helping us center our marriage on You, not on each other, and surely not on circumstances or emotion.

Lord, thank You for all the bends in the road, the life challenges You've sent our way over the last few weeks, never mind the last two years. To YOU be the glory in all of it. It's all about You and Your perfect plan.

(Top image credit: Microsoft images online 2008-2014.)

Take Time

My Personal Bible Reading and Bible Study

Right now, I cannot soak in enough of the Word of God. I usually am not this thirsty. I'm normally thirsty, yes, but this is to the extreme. However, it's in a very a good way.
I'm doing more Bible study in a day than I've done in a month, I'm afraid for a few months over the last couple of years. (Ouch. It embarrasses me to be so honest. But, it's true.)
The Bible studies I am doing right now are:

1 BELIEVING GOD by Beth Moore
(Information about it can be found here: http://www.lifeway.com/n/product-family/believing-god/?intcmp=BethMooreBS-Tiled-Tiled-BelievingGod-20140221)

2 Personal Bible reading of Bible in a year. Just started a new reading program this morning. The M'Cheyne program.

3

4 Just started this one as well:

5 Oh, silly me! I forgot this one.

{Image credits:
Top image: Microsoft images online 2008-2014.
Next Image of "Believing God: is copied from Lifeway.com and here: http://www.lifeway.com/Product/believing-god-experiencing-a-fresh-explosion-of-faith-member-book-P001227729?intcmp=BelievingGod-MTX-Text-MemberBook-20121106
Top Middle Image: Cover Image Copyright and All Rights Reserved: Image courtesy of khunaspix / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Bottom Middle Image: Cover Image Copyright and All Rights Reserved: Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Bottom Image: Stacy Duplease 2014.}

Seeking God and Knowing God

SEEKING AND KNOWING GOD

Seeking God is looking for and searching for Him. It’s trying to identify Him and His work in our lives and around our lives. In order to be able to identify Him, though, we have to know Him. Otherwise, how do we know it’s Him and not something or someone else? Part of knowing God is knowing His attributes or characteristics. It’s also about knowing His Word.

Let’s be real here and face it: if we are not in His Word, we do not know Him. If we do not know Him, how can we seek Him?

(Image credit for top image: Microsoft images online 2008-2014.)

Why A Year of Always Giving Thanks and Counting of Blessings

Why A Year of Always Giving Thanks?
Giving thanks is a way to give God glory and praise.
Giving thanks is acknowledging God for who He is and what He has done in our lives--and in the lives all around us. Giving thanks is looking around to see God and His workmanship. It's always being open and searching for His glory.
Giving thanks is something we can do at all times, even as we do other things.
Giving thanks when you are having a tough moment or day tends to make your day a little brighter. It's recognizing He is the most important, powerful, faithful, and loving One in our lives.
Why always give thanks? So we can remember what God has done and we can continually give Him credit for it if we write it down to remember.
Giving thanks takes the focus off of self or circumstances and puts our gaze on Who and what really matters.
Why give thanks always? There's too much to lose otherwise.

COUNTING OF MY BLESSINGS
235 A new day
236 The Word of God to read and soak in, slowly and sweetly, so I can get as much out of it as possible.
237 Christian authors--non-fiction and fiction
238 Another day to do Bible reading and study
239 God getting my husband and I through another bend in the road last week.
240 God speaking to us (B and me)
241 God guiding B and me
242 God's love--it's faithful, never-ending, deep, unconditional
243 God's guidance
244 "Believing God" by Beth Moore
245 The radio/sermon series by Dr. David Jeremiah on worshiping God and knowing Him.
246 My new personal Bible study, "Seeking God: A Godly Vision Bible Study Journey"
247 Using B as much as You do, Lord. Thank You so much.
248 Lord, thank You for putting up with my mood swings as I try to deal with the bends in the road that seem to keep hitting
249 For telling me when to draw back from writing so I can focus on You and the reading, study, and implementation of your Word... So I can ruminate on it and soak it all in over time and not rush through it.
250 My new Bible reading in a year plan. M'Cheyne, round--whatever
251 The heart you've given my husband, Lord.
252 I know You will get someone close to me a new job--and thank You in advance.
253 Thank You for the job that individual in #252 has had the job they have had.
254 Possibilities and opportunities
255 Seeing You
256 For teaching me how to seek You

I Want to Seek God

Seeking God:

A Godly Vision Bible Study Journey

I WANT TO SEEK GOD

I want to seek God.

I want to seek Him where I am, doing what I am doing, not just during my quiet moments. And not just when I read the Bible and do Bible study.

I want to seek God and find where all He is working all around me, in me, through me, and in the lives of others. God is always present and is in me and is without (meaning around me). I want to seek Him and see Him in every moment. After all, every moment I am alive, He is there. He is here. And, He is in you, and with you, and is working and present around you.

So, yes. I want to seek God and find Him here--and there. And, I want to join Him in the work, and in the being, He has planned for me. How about you?

When I think of how God is always here and there, and how few times I've actually searched and looked for Him in the moment, it makes me sad and frustrated. How can I miss Him so often? So, I want to live with purpose and intentionality and seek Him in every moment. I want to be mindful of Him. Hence, I want to seek Him and to constantly be seeking God.

The Bible tells us to pray 24/7/365. It also says to thank Him always. It also says to meditate or ruminate on the Bible every night and day. If we are in the Word, are praying, and are counting our blessings, then wouldn't we be seeking Him all the time?

Care to join me in seeking God? That is what this Bible study journey is all about. Let's see the glory of God all around us and recognize it day and night—and stop missing Him. Let's seek God and continually do so.

This is Seeking God.

(Image credits of top picture: Stacy Duplease. Sunrise at Virginia Beach 2014.)

Updated on Apr/29/2014/815 a.m.

My Current Writing Project and My Current Personal Bible Study

My Current Writing Project and My Current Personal Bible Study

This is what I'm doing right now, along with A Year of Always Giving Thanks.

{Cover Image Copyright and All Rights Reserved: Image courtesy of khunaspix / FreeDigitalPhotos.net}

Psalm 105:4

{ HCSB: Scripture quotations marked HCSB are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Holman CSB®, and HCSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.}

A Country Based on Prayer

April 26, 1607 was the First Landing of the settlers who came from England to establish the first permanent English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia.

The charter of the monarchy said they were to pray whenever they came to land.

This cross is the monument to mark both.

If you ever hear the United States of America is not a Christian nation, or think it yourself, think again. The first thing we did was pray here, on this land, at Cape Henry on their way to Jamestown.

May that be said of us today. May the first and last thing we do all day and night is pray.

Side-Note: This is quite close to me, for three of my ancestors came with this voyage in 1607.

The base of the cross.

(Image credit: Stacy Duplease April 26, 2014 at Cape Henry.)

Updated on Apr/29/2014 at 1053 a.m.