A coolish and foggy Friday morning. We are going between two seasons lately and I don't think most of us mind. Hotter days are ahead, our patterns change. Our trees now look like a forest from all the rain we've had and rain we've needed. I was greeted on the driveway by Roy cutting up the branches from the ornamental cherry trees that hang over one side when returning home Wednesday night from choir. In early May I felt I was so early trying to get flower things done and here at the end of May, I feel so behind. My attention is now toward the middle of summer when most of these seeds will be flowering. Roy looked at the tomatoes and bell peppers yesterday and said they are doing good. He will probably put up the tomato cages sometime this weekend.
After three weeks of missing Thursday Morning Bible Study, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the conference room to listen, discuss and study Finishing Well With A Life of Purpose. I have a confession to make, after we finished the mini version, no homework study of Mark by Kay Arthur, I was a little concerned about now having a man teach our study, brilliant man at that cause most of what I know about men teaching is, no discussion. My way or the highway type attitude. On a side note, Roy didn't believe me when I told him that there was a distinctive terminology with work or attitudes divided up by, that's women's work around this area. Upon being here full time, he was quick to verify my observations. He found it astounding, not as in a eureka moment but in, how can this attitude happen in the twenty first century. But of course, I digress. Back to Bible study, I confess I was wrong and this has been one of the best, meaningful and interesting look into the scriptures. Yesterday, when I got home I told Roy all about what we studied. The discussion and the openness of our thoughts is so encouraging. Bryan, is a retired engineer that worked at Lockheed Martin. Sometimes he will add thoughts to our lesson with info on quantum physics. I kind of check out on that part just like always when it comes to math. But he gave us such an applicable example that even I, minimal math Nancy was blown away. He said, what if you took a math class, I think I laughed, anyway, you are taking a math class and you just aren't getting it. You go to tutoring, do extra study but it still doesn't make sense. On the day of the exam, you go to the professor, now I am laughing cause I never took a math class in college, and say, I don't understand this, I am going to fail... The professor responds, what if I take the test for you? Boom! Bingo! That is the example of what Jesus did for us, he took the test, he bore the price so that we could pass, so we could have life abundantly. He added he once said the same thing to a professor about understanding the class, but the professor didn't volunteer to take the test. Insert whatever course or what you're good at where math is used. Double boom, double bingo. Bryan's insights into the biblical culture of the first century church is thought provoking. Michael Card, author and musician, teaches imagine study of the scripture that I have always loved. Put yourself in that place...forty days and forty nights is one thing to read, but when you think of a period of time with waiting, wondering and discouragement that we experience, it brings a whole new dimension into your study time. I have a friend right now waiting on an MRI and this time of waiting, antibiotics and such...probably feels like forty days and forty nights, but she knows God is in control.
The choir is singing one of my all time favorites, Majesty and Glory of Your Name. Memories flooded back singing that anthem with the choir at First Baptist Houston. I was talking with Peggy the other day and mentioned that she and I must have sang a combo of alto/tenor cause some of those notes are just too dang high.
Something to be grateful for, not being a member of a Southern Baptist Church right now. I mean it seems there are greater things, issues and problems. Some SBC pastors and men, when it comes to nitpicking and such, well, at least they are consistent. Guess one could say they are like Jesus, they are the same yesterday, today and forever. Haha! Old M&G joke.
Repeat these basic essentials over and over to God’s people. Warn them before God against pious nitpicking, which chips away at the faith. It just wears everyone out. Concentrate on doing your best for God, work you won’t be ashamed of, laying out the truth plain and simple. Stay clear of pious talk that is only talk. Words are not mere words, you know. If they’re not backed by a godly life, they accumulate as poison in the soul. Hymenaeus and Philetus are examples, throwing believers off stride and missing the truth by a mile by saying the resurrection is over and done with. 2 Timothy 2:14-18 Message Bible
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