a new update.

Hear ye Bloggers.

How doth thy reading of the scriptures taketh thee into other realms of thoughts and appreciations?

I wouldst delight in thy intricate re-tellings of how thee hath found this noble challenge to be so far.

do tell.

Strength in thy readings and re-tellings.

Krestonius

Okay...so where is everyone?

Hi all,

I keep checking this blog...but no new updates. How is everyone going? I must admit with great disappointment that I have gotten quite a ways behind. I am still in Exodus, I'm not even sure where we're meant to be up to. I feel bad for not having kept up. But I read 5 chapters today and am hoping to catch up as much as I can.

I have realised of late I am not spending much time in the Word or in God's presence. And I find this shows in my every day life, how I respond to things, how I carry out my daily duties, how I react to circumstances. If I am spending time in God's prescence, reading His Word and in prayer, then it certainly makes a difference. But when I don't, that feeling of God's presence is gone and its really frustrating and I find tension and anxiousness creeping into my soul.

Anyway, just wanted to check in, see how everyone is doing and I guess maybe if you could all hold ME accountable to keeping up with the program. Even if I'm not keeping up with the chapters, just that I am at least making an effort to spend daily time in God's presence. And of course reading our 4 chapters a day is a great way to achieve this as it kinda forces us to sit down and see what God has to say to us that day.

I don't know about you but life for us as a family is quite busy at present. But that makes it all the more vital and important to spend time with God, even MORE time than ever before, because this is the time decisions are being made, lives are being changed and plans are being formed...and for us to make the right decisions and go the direction God would have us to we have to be abiding in Him daily. I just love this verse and am going to try to make it my motto as I try to seek Him daily "I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing" John 15:5

How very true..."apart from Me you can do NOTHING."

Anyways, signing off for now, stop in and let us all know how you're going, what you're up to, even if you're lagging behind, don't feel bad, we can all get up again and try our hardest, God knows our motives and our hearts. Tomorrow is a new day.

love yas,
Neen x

Heya!

How is everyone going? THE question hey.

Exodus could yet be another script for a way out there movie or mini series. River of blood, frog plagues, gnat plagues (WHAT........... are gnats by the way??!), staff turning into snakes.... oh, my goodness. I am so glad I am not an Egyptian of the time. Gosh, Pharaoh was stubborn. But, for some reason - God hardened his heart... I found that strange in my human frame of mind. I was thinking though, if Pharaoh caved in first plague and let the Israelites go -- then perhaps the people wouldn't have realised what a God, God actually is. All powerful, and loving. God may have hardened Pharaoh's heart, for the sake of more people coming to know him as Saviour. Hmmm...

Well, this wasn't going to be a long blog -- just a check and see how everyone is going kind of blog. I am still enjoying this. Yep, sometimes is hard to fit 4 chapters in a day - but the rewards are there. I'm learning so much more than what I ever thought - and I feel like I'm filling in the gaps of the Bible that I may have heard told before......pretty cool.

Hope everyone is well. I know everyone is busy..........assignments, work, househunting, driving too and from Emerald..... :) Everyone's doing great though -- keep it up!

Camp this weekend!! Awesome. Will see you's there all being well hey.

~ Bec

1 down, 65 to go.

nice work guys. we're goin' good! genesis for me was interesting in the fact that these people had no bible as such, to live their lives by. any encounters with God were 'real' or 'real' stories passed down to them from there father, and his fathers father. in the first book we see the sadness the Lord feels by sin infecting the world. peoples lifespans have dwindled from centuries to a century, and a whole town gets slaughtered by two blokes who had a serious case of "don't touch my sister" syndrome.

Very interesting.

i was astonished @ how much the guys do seem to sleep around. i have cemented the fact though, that these people all had their own personal journeys with the Lord, just like I. So the Bible being brutally honest, shows there best and bad times of life. which is great to realise these people were human just like me, not super bible people.

so like bec said, Exodus here we come.

over and out rubber duckie.

Keep those readings up I tell myself!

Hey bloggers.

I have a confession to make. I missed out on doing my 4 chapters yesterday (friday the 24th/4/09)... and I just want to tell you all how now I have to do 8 chapters. And the thought of it is a little overwhelming. (ok so i'm havin' a sook, "toughen up" i hear u say!) I'll do it, 'cause I know that to saddle up to 12 chapters tomorrow might be to much.

So keep those readings up people, and don't fall behind like me...

i'll catch up...

you keep on going ahead...

j... ju... ju... j.ust...

.... (white noise)...

...

Chapters 29 - 32

How's everyone going...this blog's been a bit quiet the last couple of days? Everyone is probably just so busy, I know we are!...hope we are keeping up with our readings, even if we don't post on here...I have to admit sheepishly that I am a *touch* behind...but I will catch up, I promise! Maybe hold me to that...by Sunday I will back on track and caught up. Make sure you ask me and badger me to see if I am!!

Ok, so first interesting bit for me is how much physical emotion was shown in those days - I don't think Jacob had ever met Rachel or Laban, yet he kissed them and wept for meeting them!
Next thing I thought is Jacob turns up and stays a whole month...and by the end of that month it seems he is in love with Rachel. How about that - so love can happen fairly quickly it seems...sometimes we think it needs a lot of time and years of getting to know each other, etc. but for some people well it just seems to be right.

And wow, what a love Jacob must have had for Rachel, to wait 7 years to marry her! That is amazing patience and incredible endurance...he must've really loved her.

Then how awful that Laban deceives him and gives him Leah instead...honesty really is the best policy, really couldn't they just have talked this through without him having to lie to Jacob? I guess its all coming back to bite Jacob - he deceived his father and in turn he is now being deceived! We reap what we sow.

Well at least he didnt' have to wait another 7 years - but only the bridal week, before he was able to have Rachel too (at least that's how I read it?). He did have to work another 7 years after that but I'm pretty sure he got Rachel before the 7 years. So that's 14 years of work for one woman! She must've been pretty amazing.

I do feel a little sorry for Leah, I mean it probably wasn't her fault that her father deceived Jacob in that way. She just wanted to be loved and she thought once she had children she would be, but it seems Jacob still loved Rachel more, even though she was barren.

Then Rachel finally has children - but by her servant - and one of the children she calls Naphtali - "I have had a great struggle with my sister, and I have won" - How sad that it has become a competition and a show of jealousy between two sisters. Guess this is one reason that bigamy or polygamy is never a good option! God knows best, one man, one woman. And then it follows that Leah actually "hires" her *own* husband to sleep with her...strange.

Also what struck me how God open and closed wombs back then...I guess he may still do that today? Grant some people children and others not? I am not sure if it all works the same as it did back then.

What did others think about the goat thing with Laban & Jacob? How strange that the sheep bore speckled/striped goats if they "did their thing" in front of the speckled poplar branches...does this seem strange to everyone else or just me? How does that work? Hmm...maybe have to ask a goat farmer sometime.

Anyway, so once again, now Laban is the one who has been deceived, now he's reaping what he sows. Jacob takes off with his daughters, etc. and Rachel steals Laban's idols. Another example of how the spoken word had such power is how Jacob says But if you find anyone who has your gods, he shall not live" ...you will find out in later chapters that Rachel does end up dying because of what she's done - seems Jacob's word has come to pass. Not sure when that chapter comes. Sorry if I spoiled that for you but I'm sure you all know the story?

It was nice that Laban & Jacob seem to settle their differences before Laban leaves and they set up a pillar as a witness between them and God. How sad that Laban had to kiss his grandchildren and daughters goodbye, maybe never to see them again? yet I guess that's what happened a lot in those days, people moved around and had to leave their families.

Then next Esau comes to meet him - I think Jacob is more than a little scared! Great that in his time of distress, he cries out to God, just like we should be doing in time of need (and even in times of not-so-need!) It was some gift he gave Esau - two hundred female goats and twenty male goats, two hundred ewes and twenty rams, 15 thirty female camels with their young, forty cows and ten bulls, and twenty female donkeys and ten male donkeys - that is a BIG gift! Maybe he was trying to show just how much he wanted to come in peace and make amends. I like how it says "I will pacify him with these gifts". :)

And then the next part, where Jacob wrestles with God..or God wrestles with Jacob.that's incredible. Imagine God becoming a man and wrestling with you until daybreak - and in the process your hip is dislocated. And before you stop wrestling with God, you demand him to bless you...I don't understand much of this bit, but there must be some reason for it in there! Anyone have any thoughts on what really happened here? This website has an interesting commentary on this passage http://www.unionchurch.com/archive/100399.html

Anyways, i'm off to bed, sorry for length of this post...I was reading the chapters as I posted my thoughts. Look forward to hearing from everyone else soon!

Chapters 25-28

Hey Guys! How is everyone? Ok, well I've been out of this for a few days, but I've been keeping up my readings, taking mental notes and thought I'd open the discussion for today... I'm looking forward to everyone's thoughts :)

So Abraham dies at a 'good old age'.. I thought it was really nice how he was buried with his wife, Sarah even though he had taken a new wife Keturah after Sarah's death. I think that is a pretty special symbol of love, that lasts even though circumstances change. Wow, what a life Abraham lived! He was not perfect, so very human - and made many mistakes, yet God blessed him, and the generations that followed him. In chapter 12 how God promised to (then) Abram: 'I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you'. Abraham was blessed, to be a blessing. God required obedience from Abraham, and he was faithful to obey - he didn't always do it without questioning....one time he even laughed! But God could see Abraham's heart under his flaws, as He does us. How amazing would it be for God to say, '[you] obeyed me, and did everything I required of [you], keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions' as He did for Abraham in chapter 26:5. What a challenge.

Wow, so Esau came out 'as a hairy garment'. Hmm. That would be an interesting sight... And feisty Jacob had a hold of Esau's heel even as Rebekah was giving birth! These two boys were set to be handfuls even before they fully entered the world! I was thinking, perhaps Jacob was Rebekah's favorite as she would have seen him more at home (I presume) 'among the tents', while Isacc would have been proud of his masculine son, Esau a skillful hunter with the ability to satisfy his taste for wild game. Pretty sad that parents would discern between their own children though, and have favorites. Obviously, this caused heartache down the track..

One thing that stuck out to me particularly, was the power of the spoken word in these times. All Esau needed to do to pass over his birthright was swear on oath. No signing documents in the presence of lawyers, nothing - his word was steadfast. And Isaac who's testimony of forgiveness and hospitality towards Abimelek evidenced God, even after Abimelek was 'hostile'. Their oath of peacefulness was steadfast. Our world could learn a lot.

Wow, what a mess as Jacob takes Esau's blessing. Conscience stands out as a lesson in this story. How restless would Jacob and Rebekah have been after stealing Esau's blessing?? Wow, I couldn't imagine. And to add on top of this, Jacob has to flee in fear of his life. So he received Esau's blessing - but along with the blessing, he grieved his father on his deathbed, alienated his brother and was separated from all that was familiar to him. I don't think his conscience would have been too squeaky after this.

Yet.....God blessed Jacob. I love the verse: 'I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Genesis 28:15.' God is faithful.

I thought it was interesting how Jacob says: 'IF God will be with me, and will watch over me on this journey I am taking and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear so that I return safely to my father's household, THEN the LORD will be my God and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.' It was as though Jacob was bargaining with God. Did you guys take it this way? Hmm. I wonder how Jacob's walk with God was like before this time...

Well..... I think that's about all for now. I am learning so much already, and we're still only in Genesis! Yep, sometimes it's a challenge to saddle up to 4 chapters (chapter 24 was a long one!), but I know this is an opportunity I'm surely not going to pass up on. Imagine how well we'll know the Bible after this year?! Pretty cool.

Until next time,

Bec x

Yee-eew!

Hey Guys... phew. Have I missed this blog. I have not been able to access any internet since i've arrived in emerald. I have been keeping my readings up, and been encouraged by the fact that we are all sharing the same literature.

I was very encouraged to see how active you guys have been and yes, there have been some interesting points brought up. I shall comment on them when I get the chance. I can't @ the moment, I'm using mattie's wireless and I really should be off it.

I have two points to make before i go. I am seeing that when wine is introduced in excess, something regretful usually happens. #1 Noah being starkers and Ham finding him. #2 Lot ending up sleeping with his two daughters. Now it says Lot didn't know about it, but gee... i would feel slighty bizzare if that happened. Anyhow... just a passing observation.

I love the picture you painted kim. The hard road and the easy road... be interesting to sketch that one day. Reegs you've had some conversation makers... i'm lookin' 4ward 2 camp so we can chat. Bec and Nina, thanks for the wisdom you share. Andrew. I see you've joined, can't wait till your part of the online conversation!

Thanks guys for everything, I'll have access to the net @ school. So I'll be on more often hopefully. Cheerio!

Kresto

Gen 21-24

Well. So everyone's all sweet eh? I notice some either very crazy or very dedicated followers of this blog out there. Like Nina posting something before 6am in the morning! That's a bit crazy for me... And Kimmy at 1:30am! That's even more insane. It just goes to show how dedicated you lot are. It's awesome!

Well if one day I had a son, I would love him. He'd be such a blessing to my life. But if God asked me to sacrifice my son for Him, I honestly can't say that I would even think God was being serious with me. There would be no way I would give up my son for God. It just wouldn't make sense - why would God bless me with this gift then decide to take it away?

Abraham on the other hand didn't think twice. He didn't question God at all! He just went out in faith and did exactly what God had commanded. In the end everything turned out sweet of course, and Abraham was blessed immensely for his obedience. For us, sometimes things don't make sense - we can't understand why God does the crazy things he does. But I've come to realize that in the end it's all for our benefit, if we would only trust Him. God rewards us so much for the sacrifices we make for Him.

Hmmm... "May it be that when I say to a girl, 'Please let down your jar that I may have a drink,' and she says, 'Drink, and I'll water your camels too,' let her be the one..." This reminds me of a true story that my sister Melissa told me. It was about a random guy who was sitting at a random place contemplating life and doubting that God was real. In front of him was a vending machine. He said in his thoughts, "God, if you are real, then while I'm sitting here you'll get someone to stand on their head in front of that vending machine over there." Meanwhile, a Christian fellow who was walking past didn't know why, but suddenly felt a strong urge to stand on his head in front of this vending machine. After trying to fight the urge and failing, he decided to stand on his head in front of the vending machine. Haha! Do you think God has fun with this stuff or what!

Anyway... It would be awesome if getting a wife would be that simple. I hope so!

Chapters 13 - 16

Ok, so I thought it was interesting in Chapter 13 how Abram gave Lot the choice of where to go, when the herdsmen of both starting quarelling. He told Abram that if he chose the left, he'd go right, if he went right, he'd go left. Very noble of Abram. So Lot looks up and sees the best land in the plain of Jordan, and decides to go there. Very selfish of Lot. But Abram takes it in humility and doesn't make a fuss. As it turns out, Lot made quite a foolish decision, because the people of Sodom were very wicked. It kind of makes me think, what is the reason behind the decisions we make? Do we think, ahh, now that looks good, I think that's the way to go, it looks nice and breezy and easy and comfortable. I'll take that. Or do we think, where would God want me to go? What would HE want me to do? Does he want me to take the easy road, the best pasture?? Or if we really sought out His will in our decision-making, would we often have to take the harder road, with more trials along the way, yet more to learn and more growing opportunities.

I think it was great how when Lot got captured, Abram spared no expense in going after him and rescuing him. He just did it and was successful because the Lord was with Him. And when Abram got offered all the spoils and goods by the King of Sodom in exchange for the people, Abram refused. Pretty noble of Abram, he would've been well deserving of the riches.

I like in Chapter 15 how Abram was talking to God and telling Him about his dilemma of being childless and not having an heir, and God brought him out to see the stars in the heave and asked him to number them. You can just imagine Abram looking up and thinking, yeah, as if I could number them! And then God tells him that His seed will be as many as the stars up in that heaven! Wow...mind boggling. That from one child, his generation would end up as many as the stars in the sky. But as mind boggling as it must've been for Abram, he believed in the Lord and God counted it to him for righteousness.

Then in Chapter 16 you see Sarai telling Abram that God hasn't given her any children so they have to do it their own way, Abram was to have a child by Sarai's maid, Hagar. Because of Sarai's unbelief in that God would give her a child, it caused a lot of trouble for Sarai when Hagar did get pregnant, she despised her. Hagar was stuck in the middle and she fled away from Sarai. I like how God still took care of this poor woman, he sent an angel of the Lord to her and told her she would have a son called Ishmael , which means "because the Lord has heard thy affliction". And Hagar calls God the "God who sees". She had confidence that God SAW her in her condition and how destitute she was and that He didn't leave her that way. And if God can take care of Hagar in that way, He can most certainly take care of us.

Hey - how's it all going?

Well seeing noone has posted for 2 days.....I will post something. How is everyone going with their readings? Are you keeping up to it all? How are you Kresto? You would be excused for not completing your 4 chapters I think at this settling time, but its great if you still can! Of course we can always catch up the next day or whatever, as long as we DO catch up. Some nights/mornings I think I could put a chapter or two off til the next day, but I know when I do that (from past experience) I quickly lose my motivation and before I know it I have 16 chapters to catch up on!!

Anyways, just thought I'd check in. I will do a post for the next 8 chapters I think tomorrow morning if nooone has posted their thoughts first. I think the chapters are 13 - 16 and 17 - 20. Look forward to everyone's thoughts! Then tomorrow we will be ready for chapters 21 - 24 ALREADY! Cool that we would have read 24 chapters of Genesis already in about 6 days. :)

By the way, I found 7 comments that you guys had tried to post in the past that needed to be "moderated" - they were on the "dashboard" page. Many of them are yours Kim, no wonder it wouldn't work for you! Also Bec's first comment on the second post. Take time to read them if you want to catch up on a few comments that were missed. I'll try to keep up the comment moderation (if we don't moderate comments, it means anyone in the entire world could comment on our posts before us knowing what they are writing...scary stuff).

Well night all and I hope to catch up with you soon in blogland!! And Kresto...hope you're settling in well, miss you already.

Nina

Chapters 9 - 12

Hey all, how was your days? Don't know about you, but mine was very busy and full. BUT I did find time to read the 4 chapters - while I was sitting for 2 hours at pathology at the hospital where I had to have a blood test. So glad I brought my Bible!

Few things that struck me in these next lot of chapters were....oooooooooooh dear. I've just realised I commented on Chapters 5 - 8 post by Kresten, with my comments which were actually meant for Chapters 9 - 12. DUH Nina. Oh well, this will be a short post then. My thoughts on Chapters 9 - 12 were the ones I posted in the last post's comments. Ok, well goodnight then :)

Sweet dreams!

Nina

The 2nd lot of 4 Chapters!

Hey Guys.

How is everyone going with it all? I'm getting into a bit of a system I think. Cereal first to wake me up. Then sit down with a coffee and read. ... ... I was going to write something. I'm actually pretty tired though. Maybe I might just go to bed and write something when i'm a bit sharper. I hope we all are managing it though we all live very busy lives.

A quote, "I have so much to do today, how can I not spend time with the Lord?"

All the best guys. Be prayin'...

Kresto

First 4 chapters - Genesis 1 - 4

Well seeing as noone else has posted yet, I'll just be the first to post my "reflections" on Genesis 1 - 4...just as a side note, it took me all of 6 minutes to read 4 chapters! So we really have no excuse we don't have the time, do we? :)

I just wanted to share what verses spoke to me the most in reading these chapters, a few of my favourites were:

Ch 1:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. -
I just love the picture it puts in your mind of how God created man, you can just imagine God forming the dust into a man and almost feel him breathing His breath into man's soul...

Ch 2:18 And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.
- I think being a wife I love this verse because it makes you realise the purpose for what woman was initially created for - to be a "help meet" to their husbands. Helpmeet in Hebrew is actually the word "Ezer" - ie: I will make him an "Ezer". The Hebrew term "ezer" is actually based on an ancient word "azar." The Strongs Hebrew dictionary translates it as "to surround, i.e. protect or aid:--help, succour.""Succour" means to be the one who gives assistance in a time of great difficulty. So - man was in a time of great difficulty and need someone to come to his assistance NOW! He needed an aid, help, assistance, that couldn't be found in any of the animals God had created. This why God specially created woman for this purpose. Of course not all women will marry, but if they do, and are following God's purpose for their lives, I think they will find much fulfillment in being a "help meet" to their husbands. Its a very special and important job :) Plus I love this saying ""God did not choose a piece of Adam's head, so that woman would be over him; nor did He select a piece from Adam's foot, so that he would step on her. Rather, our loving Creator chose man's rib, so that woman was taken from his side--to be his equal...from under his arm--to be protected by him...and from near his heart--to be loved by him."
Awww, how true :)

One thing I wanted to ask you guys what you thought meant was Genesis 4:23 "And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt." -
I thought I may have missed a verse somewhere or something, but do you think this is saying Lamech killed someone just as Cain murdered his brother? Cause it follows in the next verse If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. But I couldn't find where it said who he killed. I don't know why this is relevant, but its interesting anyway. Thoughts anyone?

Anyways, that's my 2 cents. Look forward to hearing your reflections soon :)

Nina

In the Beginning...

Here we are just getting the blog up and started, to reflect on the journey of reading through the Bible in one-year (or less!!) by faithfully reading 4 chapters a day. We are a group of friends passionate about seeking God and His Will for our lives, and one way to do this is by regularly spending time in God's Word.

We are starting today, at Genesis Chapter 1 - 4. Reading 4 chapters a day will give us plenty of time to reach our goal.

Lets endeavour to pray for each other, that will be faithful to read the Word and pray that God will reveal His will for our lives! I for one am very excited about sharing this journey with you!