Pressing On

 It seems we don't have too many all day rain events here. Houston, oh yes and that could include several days of end on end raining ranging from misty to torrential. Most of the heavier rain went south of us so gentle showers are doing the job. We both have taken it easy today. Well, Roy is doing our taxes so I guess that doesn't count as easy, but a relaxed schedule. We are thankful it isn't me doing the taxes. World without end, amen. 

We've been Presbyterians for a little over a month and we are enjoying this journey. I know old school isn't for everyone but we have settled into it nicely. Roy started last week attending the men's Bible study and I've been attending the women's Bible study since the fall, the season not Adam and Eve time. Along with choir there are more opportunities for social interaction. Last week I read an article about slowing down verses shutting down. Interesting and I think this change is just what we needed. I was talking with a friend from Houston about this article and after having some trouble articulating my interpretation I gave her an example from this summer. It fit and said it all. 

Now it is Monday morning. A very cold one at that. We opened the Inn on the Catmore Estate last night and several took advantage but the innkeeper, Roy, is pushing everyone out at 11:00 or there abouts. It should be above freezing and besides the sun is out and there is play time to be had. 

We were on our way to church yesterday and the Mustang gave us a bit of an issue. We decided to turn around and get the truck but when we arrived home, the snow was so heavy that Roy was a bit iffy about going. I really wanted to be at church for many reasons but one is the choir anthem we were singing. It is one of my favorites. I texted two choir members to let them know of the situation. It's ironic because since 2010 or so I have not gone to big church in January on the advice of a Houston cardiologist. He knew because he said Baptists go to church sick most of the time. I would tend to agree with that. Now in January this year, I want to be in big church.  

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Thursday morning, below freezing and some snow on the ground. It doesn't look like our road has been salted or sanded. That means that even work trucks are driving slow this morning. The sun is out but we don't get above freezing today. Just got the text and email that Bible study is cancelled this morning. In part I'm glad cause of the roads but sad because the discussion is lively and we gain so many insights from one another. It is one of the best groups I've been apart of. We enjoy our friendship with the Word of God leading the way. 

Things I'm liking these days

My clearance jammies I bought at Sam's. Only had gray left so I ordered two pairs and I am so glad I did. Comfy and all that comfort for only $7.98 a pair. Here is something unusual, they are Lord and Taylor brand. Someone must have bought the name cause there hasn't been a Lord and Taylor for quite sometime. Loved shopping at the one in The Galleria. 

Rowe Casa Tart Cherry. Really helping me sleep through the night. Truthfully, I like all things Rowe Casa. 

Archer and Oliver for journals and paper products. Great presentation.

Earl Gray tea. It seems to be helping my heart stay out of flutter. 

The free time for reading. Almost finished with Family of Spies, nonfiction. In 1994 or so young woman finds out her family spied for the Japanese in Hawaii years before Pearl Harbor. Her family, from Germany. Her painstaking research and from all that questioning within what her father knew and if her elderly aunt who was the main cog of it all would ever share with her niece the adventures and crimes she was a part of. I'm about halfway through. 

Here is the last thing for this post, I read this the other day and of course cannot remember the author's name, but her or his sentiment is worth thinking about. Research shows that most Christians or church attendees cannot answer some of the simple questions to determine what they understood about the scriptures. The cynic in me says, many can answer but don't know how to live it but the face is we are illiterate in many ways. That info is interesting but their thoughts on quiet times and devotional thoughts is spot on. We romanticize quiet times all warm and special with hot or iced tea, depending on the season. Of course in the south we drink iced tea all year long. We have our specially bought journal or journals...I always think it is the journal that will inspire my thoughtful devotional writings. I just like journals with narrow lined paper. Now, I am not against devotions in the morning or vespers in the early evening, but we need to dig a little further in God's Word more than what we normally do. Yes, I am guilty. So far this month I have been hit or miss on this but pressing forward to the prize I will still make that effort. It will only do me good. 

Meanwhile, we have fallen prey to the malformation of “quiet-time culture.” Having a quiet time can be beneficial, but it often disciples people into a devotional style of reading the Bible. Devotionals are big sellers, and for good reason. They pair a snippet of Scripture with a bite-sized insight, leaving readers with a positive emotion to start their day: comfort, assurance, hope, inspiration. Christian living and devotional books comprise 41% of Christian book sales, while Bible studies a mere 8.5%. One of the best-selling Christian books of all time is a devotional that has sold over 45 million copies. 

Devotional reading limits which portions of the Bible we spend time in. There is a reason no one has written a devotional on the Book of Leviticus. But all Scripture is profitable. 

Quiet-time culture also delivers a short-term, instant-gratification reward. It elevates individual interaction with Scripture so that we view the most precious time in the Bible as personal, not communal. If you have been caught in a “what this verse means to me” spiral in a small group discussion, you have seen this dynamic at play.