A Net in Time

Curriculum and book reviews, faith, homeschooling and more!

Faith

Settled in Spirit

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Miss Kate inadvertently posted the Five Minute Friday word prompt late. It happens. This late posting let the word settle run around through my mind and gradually a thought poured out and started forming words around it.    This is the result of that. 🙂

Settled in Spirit
Once upon a time
There was a lonely child
Raised in a family of many
Yet lonely.

Feeling different than anyone around
Thinking different
Knowing the difference
Separated from the rest
By things not quite seen.

Excelling scholastically
Yet understanding not
The people surrounding
Much they did so much a mystery.

Growing, maturing, 
Studying
People watching, 
Seeking to understand.
The smiles, the frowns, 
The hmms, and hahs, so familiar.

What did they mean?
What a shrug combined with a smile signify?
A frown with a tear in the eye? 
Was that sorrow or anger?

How does one respond to a hug 
when one feels a distance
and doesn't understand 
what is meant?

Slowly but surely
Understanding gained
While often confusion in crowds mounts
Introvert by choice
or by necessity?
Anger at self for not understanding
When all around expect it to be.

Over time
Maturity blooms
War rages within
over self-recrimination
Or acceptance.

God stepped in.
Acceptance is given.
Love felt.
A knowing settles deep within.
A spirit of belonging overtakes.
And so

Settled in Spirit one becomes
Warring happens 
When forgetfulness occurs
But reminders are presented daily.
Remember.
Loved.
Accepted.
Christ died.
Belonging to God.
Remain.
Settled in Spirit.

settled in spirit, a poem

Review: The Woman’s Study Bible

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Imagine a study bible, meant for women, edited by women.  Would that intrigue you?  Now imagine that this Woman’s Study Bible is a beautiful bible, hardcover done in a beautiful floral pattern.  Would that bible be encouraging to you to receive God’s truth for transformation, hope and balance?  Thomas Nelson as produced a lovely hardcover NIV Woman’s Study Bible,to encourage women to spend time in God’s word.  Stories about women, for women, with notes and quotes to encourage. 

review of the the NIV woman's study bible.

What do you get?

The NIV, The Woman’s Study Bible has everything you look for in a good study bible. Book notes that tell you about each book, it’s themes, author, date, outline and so forth.  I found this bible to be a sturdy hardcover.  It was easy to read, and the standard complement of maps were in full colour as easily used.  The bible itself is done with colour throughout.  

It was interesting to read the variety of quotes found throughout the pages.  Study notes lined the bottom of the pages, bringing deeper understanding to the text. 

The bible is sturdy and the font size is readable. It is very easy to read and the maps are beautifully illustrated. The use of full colour throughout makes this bible enjoyable to navigate.

Scattered throughout the bible were small essays that were interesting to read, and seemed spot on.  Mind I didn’t read all of them, but the many that I read didn’t raise any alarm bells for me. 

My Thoughts:

Oh…this is such a pretty bible, and the quotes are great.  I really appreciated the front section of the bible where women could list their spiritual mentors.  Isn’t that a neat thing to have?  To think on and have yourself reminded by?  But one doesn’t live on prettiness, quotes and other people.  One lives on God’s word explained.  The numerous essays and articles, and the extensive indexes help women to dig deeply into God’s word.   That makes this a good, useful bible.  The pretty aspects just are great bonuses.  🙂

The Woman's Study Bible (NIV)
Thomas Nelson
Hardcover
Woman, Study Bible,
Reviewed for: BookLookBloggers. 

Where can you find: Amazon Link.

Other bibles I have reviewed:

Unapologetic Bible.
Study bible for kids.
My Jesus Bible.
Revolution Bible.
Readers Bible. 
Visual Study Bible. 
Jesus Storybook Bible.

It was intended

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 Mary therefore took a pound of expensive ointment made from pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped his feet with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
John 12:3 

Reading over the verses that precede this one I am reminded of how after Lazarus was raised from the dead, how some of the Jews went off to tattle-tale to the Jewish leadership over what had happened.   They didn’t need to do that, it was a decision they freely made.   Mary, Martha and Lazarus must have had a lot of friends as we read in John 11: 45 Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.

It was intended, looking into the heart of having a mary heart

This is course, led to a discussion among the Jewish leadership about what to do with Jesus and from that day forward they sought to take his life.

As a result, Jesus withdrew from being among the people.  He instead stayed with his disciples in an area near the wilderness, a village called Ephraim.  

When we come to this story, which takes place in Bethany, Jesus had taken some quiet time with his disciples.  They were having a nice dinner together.  A meal given in Jesus’ honor.  Six day before Passover.  Mary and Martha were serving the meal, then Mary comes out with a bottle of really expensive perfume.  The most expensive thing she owned.  In a day when perfume was kept in bottles that needed to be broken before they were used.  She took it and anointed Jesus with it. 

You know I sit here and wonder at that.

Thinking that wow….  could I have wasted perfume like that?   But she simply did it.  We dont‘ know the state of her heart and mind, whether it was done from the Spirit’s prompting, or out of the generosity of her heart, or whatever.  We don’t know.

What we do know is that she put it on his feet.  Feet that would have had contact with a messy dirty road, feet of a man used to spending most of his day walking around.  But Mary paid that no nevermind.  Poured the perfume on and USED HER HAIR to wipe his feet.  Not an ever ready towel that women carry around to clean up messes and the like, but her hair. 

Can you imagine doing that?  Using your hair to wipe perfume over someone’s feet… even someone you cared about desperately?  Would it be an easy thing to do?

This is what Mary did.

She gave of herself and her person to anoint the Lord.    Jesus’ response was this : It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial.

Jesus knew he was going to die…and now his disciples knew it too.  Did they understand it?   Did Mary really understand it when she heard those words?   I don’t know.  I just don’t.  I suspect the disciples didn’t really understand it based on how Peter stuck close to his side. I know that it sends a chill down my back reading it and I know that Jesus came to die for me.   For my sin.  To make me right with God.  To know that it was foretold that Mary would keep that bottle so she could anoint him… just touches my inner part you know?

Makes me wonder a bit, what does the Lord know that I will do for him?

Will I know it when it happens?  

Mary had learned to seek after the Lord, to cling to his words. Anointing him with this oil undoubtedly sprang out of this clinging to him.  So when I consider what the Lord might have planned for me, clinging to him and his words seems like a vital step to take doesn’t it?   I must continue to cling to him, to seek after him, to keep sussing out what the Lord himself would have of me.  Join me? 

 

 

 

The Next Disciples

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Do you remember yesterday we learned about the first disciples of Jesus?   Today we’ll learn about some new disciples in John 1:43-51.

43 The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, “Follow me.” 44 Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” 46 Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” 48 Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” 49 Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” 50 Jesus answered him, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” 51 And he said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”

John 1:43-51 The next disciples

We know that Andrew and Simon Peter are disciples of Jesus.  Now Jesus is on his way to Galilee and finds Philip.  Do you note that it doesn’t say he went looking for him, or accidentally met him along the way, he FOUND Philip.   He said “follow me” and Philip did.  Then Philip found Nathanael and told him the news “We have found him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph“.   Nathanael, being a typical Jewish man (I’m assuming Jewish though I’m not specifically told here), asked if anything good could come out of Nazareth.  This article points out some reasons why Nazareth had negatives overtones to it. 

Philip’s only response to him was “come and see”. 

Ah look.. Nathanael is Jewish… Jesus calls him “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit”.  CAn you imagine it?  Imagine if Christ greeted you saying “Look, it’s Annette… a Canadian in whom there is no deceit”.  I would be FLABBERGASTED!   Seriously.   It’s not like Nathanael had met Jesus before this, and before Nathanael had even been introduced to Jesus, Jesus called that greeting out.   It’s no small wonder that Nathanael asked how Jesus could know that detail…and note… Nathanael didn’t deny what Jesus said. No false modesty, no blushing, just how did you know?

Now catch this remarkable thing….Jesus knew who Nathanael was because he saw him under a fig tree.   Can you picture the shock?  Knowing this, Nathanael’s faith blossomed.  To me it seems like he blurted out “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”  For someone to know that much about you without being there?   A mind blowing experience for Nathanael.  

Jesus makes him a promise that he will see far greater things than this.  Nathanael will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.   Quite the promise eh?  I wonder what that meant for him?

Have you noticed two things?

In our last reading Andrew brought the next disciple to Jesus.   In this passage, Philip brought the next disciple to Jesus.  Two men, convinced of who Jesus was, and they both brought someone to the Lord.  I see that truth and it makes me sad…. I haven’t done this I think.  I know a child in VBS, I talked to that child about the Lord and he made a commitment, but I don’t know what happened beyond that.  But as adult, have I brought someone to the Lord, to introduce them to the Saviour and then have the Lord change their life.   I’ve become too insulated I think… to fearful of being honest about my faith, to afraid to face the hard questions from people who need to know the Lord and will ask questions I don’t know the answer to, or will be too sure of myself in my faith that I come across too harsh or unmoving.  These days are the days of asking questions, of helping people see the truth that God hides within us. 

The questions before me today (and before you perhaps) is this: how can I be more like Philip and Andrew?  Knowing that Christ is Lord, who can I bring to meet him? How will I do so?  It’s not like I can say Hey.. come meet this guy.  So how can I introduce people to Christ? How do I let them see Christ living in me?

How can I be more like Simon Peter and Nathanael.  Seeing Christ in action and knowing who he is. Acknowledging that fact. Living out a day to day existence with Jesus and letting that exposure change who I am and how I relate to the people around me. Let my heart be open eh?

Jesus’ First Disciples

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Oh, last week we left off with John Bearing Witness to who Jesus was.   Today in John 1:35-42 we’ll see the first disciples of Jesus come. 

35 The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”37 The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. 38 Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” 39 He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. 40 One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. 41 He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). 42 He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas”(which means Peter).

John 1:35-42 Jesus has his first disciples.

Jesus has been baptized, and now John the baptizer is standing with two of his disciples when Jesus walks by.  John calls out “Behold, The Lamb of God!”  This exclamation was heard by those two disciples and they followed after Jesus. 

I read those words and my heart smiles.  I don’t know why. But I’m just sitting here picturing John and those disciple chatting away and John notices Jesus and makes his exclamation and those disciples turn away from John and start following after Jesus… I know.. I know, I”m repeating myself.. but I smile because John has obviously done his job well. He has been expounding to his followers that Jesus was coming, how Jesus is better than he is. So when Jesus comes by, the disciples turned and followed Jesus instead.  My heart smiles.

Anyways, Jesus sees them following and turns to talk to them.  It seems to me an odd question “where are you staying?” Jesus doesn’t put them down though, he just invites them to come along and see.  They came along and stayed with him.

You know what? After Andrew stayed the day with Jesus he went and found his brother Simon Peter and brought him along to see Jesus

Now we know that Andrew and Simon Peter (now called Cephas) were Jesus’ first disciples. Don’t you find it interesting that Jesus’ first comment to Peter was “you are Simon the son of John.  You shall be called Cephas”.  Not just hey Peter, glad to meet you.  But simply that he was shortening Simon Peter’s name to Peter.   Makes me wonder if Peter felt like Jesus saw through to the core of who he was.  We can’t know…it just, tonight makes me wonder cause it’s seems like an odd greeting.

I also kinda wonder who the other disciple was, but we aren’t told here. 

Review: Every Day with Jesus

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You know how it’s great to encourage children to develop the necessary habit of spending time with the Lord God?  Every Day with Jesus is a lovely devotional written by Charles F. Stanley to help us do just that.  Help our children read God’s word and then to think about it for a while.  It’s a pivotal part of Christian Parenting. 

My Review of Every Day With Jesus

Every Day with Jesus has a balloons theme, balloons on the cover and scattered on the pages throughout.  Each day starts with a one verse reading.   These verses are taken from both the Old and New Testaments. The devotions are one per page. Each devotion has a title, scripture verse, short reading, an ending prayer, and an application point. Scripture is mostly taken from the International Children’s Bible version.  Other translations used are: NKJV, NIV, NLT and NCV.

Most of the time I could easily find the connection between the scripture, but on the odd page I was stumped.  It is admittedly one of my pet peeves with devotionals, when the scripture passage used doesn’t connect with the devotion given.  May 7 was one such day.

Author Charles F Stanley is a pastor in Atlanta, Georgia.  He is a Baptist minister who has written more than 60 books. He is the founder of In Touch Ministries.  This is his first devotional meant just for children.   He wrote this children’s devotional to coordinate with the adult version “Every Day in his Presence”.  It is for the most part, a very good devotional.  He’s changed the readings to reflect the language and interests of children. 

My Thoughts:

I like this devotional.  For the most part the readings fit the text (though not always).  They are short and sweet, include a prayer and close with a main thought to talk about over the course of the day.  The short length makes it a good devotional for elementary aged children. Depending on the age of your children they could use this devotional independently, but it’s often good with younger elementary children to do devotions with them to help them understand God’s word and to answer questions they may have. 

Every Day with Jesus
Charles F. Stanley
Hardcover, devotional, 365 devotions
Elementary children.
Reviewed for: BookLookBloggers. 

Where to find: Amazon Link.

Other Devotionals:

365 Bible Answers
Beginners Bible for Little ones

Conversation Between Mom and Lad

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Today’s word prompt from Miss Kate is routine.  A regular Friday post where we write for five minutes on a word prompt without stressing about editting or being perfect. 

Go

The other day my lad and I were chatting as we set out to go to the foodbank.  Talking about how to get up on time and what not.  We got to the foodbank and needed to let that conversation rest, but the lad picked it up on the way home again. 

a conversation between mom and lad, a poem

Why?

Why what?

Why is it important mom?  What you said earlier.. why is it important?

Well, because it’s better for me to pray regularly.  It’s good to have that routine and rhythm to life.

But why are you using a thing on your phone?

Oh, because sometimes a person needs help.  Like when I made that chart for you, to help you establish good habits?  Remember how you told me it helped you?

Oh yes, it’s very helpful. I’m glad you did that for me mom.  So does that prayer app help you then mom?

Yes.  AND because I have on it to remember to learn from God, I am able to remember to do my devotions or good book reading too.

Oh!  That helps you mom?

Yes.  It’s a good thing to remember not only to talk to God but to listen to him too.

 

Then we got home and our conversation ended with the settling back into our day of talking with Dad about his orientation being postponed.   And conferring with the lad over what schooling should happen yet. But you know what happened two days later?

“Mom, did you remember to pray?

 

 Warmed my heart. 🙂