I had such a rough week..nothing happened but alot of my friends are either stressed/depressed and since I'm so empathatic i have taken on their emotions.Also, im feeling less satisified with my job...I'm thinking and thinking how i can expand it and the direction it can go on but outside of general ideas I dont have anything. I did talk to my boss about myself and the other team members within my division that need developmental skills and i would be happy to be a coach per se. I also talked about how we are not sure how we fit in in this new strategic structiure..the vision for us etc. It was a really scary conversation because i never speak up and i was coming from a place of this is what i am and this is our team and what we need. I fekt empowered yet scared. My boss came back with exactly what i expected and appreciated...he has to noodle it and was glad that i approached him and whatever trainng i needed i can have it so i signed up for the coaching and mentoring seminar and strategic thinking for starters. But this week was really slow which can be good but not this week i was bored, exhausted emotionally and physically, and not knowing where to turn. i was also reminded to Be still and trust God is God. Hubby says its great that im feeling dissatisfication it means im ready to stretch myself. all i know is i needed some type of break because this heaviness was not moving despite my prayers and reading the word or maybe it was not moving fast enough as i saw it. Then it popped into my head i need a mental health day as my friend Cory calls it.
I planned to take one day (Thursday) because my co-worker has Friday off but my boss said to take off two days and i was going to object but Lord knows I needed it. So i planned to just totally veg out but of course days off always garner errands so i did those early in the morning and then planned a self love date with myself. While i was out i decided i wanted to have a sort of french theme so i got this lovely ham, onion, guyere cheese tart for lunch, a bottle of wine and flowers, cheese fondue for dinner along with spinach rivoli. For dessert blueberry tart and carrot cake. I'm watching a wonderful period piece Young Victoria which so far I'm really enjoying.
I needed to replenish my well which looks like is happening.I'm feeling 80% better with this day off. also i turned my phone off today so not to be distracted from filling my well.Overall im feeling like im breathing ..im relaxed and today was exactly what i needed.
New thoughts about a scripture i read
In finding a new devotional to read I came across this scripture:
Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.
Joshua 3:5
I love how that sounds and wondered the defination of consecrate. I feel like i have heard the term before but until now really want to hone in on the defination. I went straight to my life application bible which told me consecration is purfication. This was a ceremony that was often done by making a sacrifice or as in this case(this scripture) witnessing a great act of God. The bible goes on to say that God law in the OT stated several ways a person could be considered unclean and the various outward signs of uncleanniness to illustrate ma's inward uncleaness as a result of sin. The consecration ceremony shows the importance of approaching God with a pure heart. Very intresting..i wondered what else i may find on this topic. i found this article that mention in consecration our part and God's work together. Our part in consecration involves separating ourselves from evil by continually working with our heart so that we drink from earthly sources less and less all the time. But doing that is only half of what we can do for practical holy living. The other half of our part in consecration is that of actually drawing near to God and drinking. God designed us so that we have to be "drinking" from something. By our drinking from God, purity works it's way into our experience because enjoying God's presence becomes our preferred way of quenching our thirst, not sin or unwanted behaviors. By drinking from God, the earthly ways of unrighteous living become less and less attractive to us. But by our turning to God and drinking something else happens: God is able to do His part in consecrating us. By our drawing near to God and our letting Him draw near to us, God is able to prepares us for His use because He washes us holy all the while He is drawing near to us. We have to draw near to God so God will do his part.
I started thinking about consecreation and how tangible this word is. Think about our lives and gifts we want to use for God and for his purposes. Think about filling yourself up with God's word on a daily basis not only to strengthen you but because it is nourishment for your soul. Thinking about making God's business priority. think about making the first part of your day priority. I know my day is more beautiful when i start it with the Lord. I'm reminded now of this scripture which is becoming my favorite: John 15:5
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
OMG! That closeness with the wonderful Lord that you cant even tell the vine from the branches because you are that tightly woven into each other. I found this excerpt that i think is a perfect closing to this post.
The Christ touch upon our lives, that is what we want for the best and greatest
service in God's Kingdom. I wonder how many of you have kept a quiet time alone with Christ today? I wonder how many of you have formed the habit of keeping a daily quiet hour, a quiet half hour, a quiet quarter of an hour, or even a quiet ten minutes alone with Jesus Christ? Friends, until we have formed that habit, I don't believe it is possible for us to know the blessing and the power of the Master's touch upon our lives. ... There are three essentials for communing with God: sincerity, concentration of mind and consecration of life. I can think of no time, when the soul so fully meets these conditions, as when we are alone with God. ... The quiet hour is not a time for morbid meditation, nor for careless and mechanical reading of the Bible, nor for offering thoughtless prayers: it is a time when you shall become acquainted with yourself. If we would give to God our best moments; if we would give to Him a fresh mind, a quiet spirit, and a receptive heart, then we must make the quiet hour a morning watch. We, too, must heed those classic words of advice which Ruskin gave to the students of Oxford: "Read your Bible. Make it the first morning business of your life to understand some of it clearly, and your daily business to obey it in all that you do understand." ... The keeping of the morning watch may mean less sleep, the forming of a new habit; it may mean self-denial and real sacrifice; but if it be God's will that we should seek Him first each day, He will give us grace and strength to pay the cost.
—Olive Russell, The Baptist Chronicle, Alexandria, La., Jan. 15, 1914
Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the LORD will do amazing things among you.
Joshua 3:5
I love how that sounds and wondered the defination of consecrate. I feel like i have heard the term before but until now really want to hone in on the defination. I went straight to my life application bible which told me consecration is purfication. This was a ceremony that was often done by making a sacrifice or as in this case(this scripture) witnessing a great act of God. The bible goes on to say that God law in the OT stated several ways a person could be considered unclean and the various outward signs of uncleanniness to illustrate ma's inward uncleaness as a result of sin. The consecration ceremony shows the importance of approaching God with a pure heart. Very intresting..i wondered what else i may find on this topic. i found this article that mention in consecration our part and God's work together. Our part in consecration involves separating ourselves from evil by continually working with our heart so that we drink from earthly sources less and less all the time. But doing that is only half of what we can do for practical holy living. The other half of our part in consecration is that of actually drawing near to God and drinking. God designed us so that we have to be "drinking" from something. By our drinking from God, purity works it's way into our experience because enjoying God's presence becomes our preferred way of quenching our thirst, not sin or unwanted behaviors. By drinking from God, the earthly ways of unrighteous living become less and less attractive to us. But by our turning to God and drinking something else happens: God is able to do His part in consecrating us. By our drawing near to God and our letting Him draw near to us, God is able to prepares us for His use because He washes us holy all the while He is drawing near to us. We have to draw near to God so God will do his part.
I started thinking about consecreation and how tangible this word is. Think about our lives and gifts we want to use for God and for his purposes. Think about filling yourself up with God's word on a daily basis not only to strengthen you but because it is nourishment for your soul. Thinking about making God's business priority. think about making the first part of your day priority. I know my day is more beautiful when i start it with the Lord. I'm reminded now of this scripture which is becoming my favorite: John 15:5
"I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
OMG! That closeness with the wonderful Lord that you cant even tell the vine from the branches because you are that tightly woven into each other. I found this excerpt that i think is a perfect closing to this post.
The Christ touch upon our lives, that is what we want for the best and greatest
service in God's Kingdom. I wonder how many of you have kept a quiet time alone with Christ today? I wonder how many of you have formed the habit of keeping a daily quiet hour, a quiet half hour, a quiet quarter of an hour, or even a quiet ten minutes alone with Jesus Christ? Friends, until we have formed that habit, I don't believe it is possible for us to know the blessing and the power of the Master's touch upon our lives. ... There are three essentials for communing with God: sincerity, concentration of mind and consecration of life. I can think of no time, when the soul so fully meets these conditions, as when we are alone with God. ... The quiet hour is not a time for morbid meditation, nor for careless and mechanical reading of the Bible, nor for offering thoughtless prayers: it is a time when you shall become acquainted with yourself. If we would give to God our best moments; if we would give to Him a fresh mind, a quiet spirit, and a receptive heart, then we must make the quiet hour a morning watch. We, too, must heed those classic words of advice which Ruskin gave to the students of Oxford: "Read your Bible. Make it the first morning business of your life to understand some of it clearly, and your daily business to obey it in all that you do understand." ... The keeping of the morning watch may mean less sleep, the forming of a new habit; it may mean self-denial and real sacrifice; but if it be God's will that we should seek Him first each day, He will give us grace and strength to pay the cost.
—Olive Russell, The Baptist Chronicle, Alexandria, La., Jan. 15, 1914
Feelings about 47 day journal
Can i say im disappointed in the 47 day journal? I was expecting it to be a little more than it is. The introduction sounded great but after reading the scriptures and answering the same questions day after day its starting to get boring and i would like to complete the 47 day journal but im no longer intrested in wasting my time with things that i dont feel passionate about so Im going to find something else instead. Two good things came out of the 47 day journal: discovered a few areas that i need to work on and 2. forming a habit of reading the word on a regilar basis.
Weekend Plans Did Not Happen
I was soo looking forward to volunteering at the womens shelter community garden on Saturday and wouldnt you know I got lost and never found it. It was a suspicious neighborhood and i really didnt want to ask anyone for directions and the organizer did not give her number. I was so pissed especially since 1. Yvonne (aka as period) was visting and i literally had to drag myself out of bed and 2. i was lost and disappointed. Then Sunday i wanted to go to the Fricks museum but again yvonne reared her ugly head so i stayed inside and i didnt even realize until later it was Sunday because i missed church.
Lately i noticed the rare times when I am in a sour mood God gives me perspective (maybe he always has and i havent noticed it until now). Hubby told me one of his friends Anthony saw his ex girlfriend get shot dead. I was horrified by the news and lifted Anthony and his ex girlfriend family in prayer. missing meetups and cramps is nothing in comparison to someone seeing a person they love shot. senseless killings i never will understand it and until now didnt know anyone who has been shot or had someone they love be shot. This is so sad.This made me think about this life in broader terms.
In this life i dont believe God wants us to compare our lives with someone else because we all are on distinct walks. I also don't think we should ignore problems but i do believe God gives us perspective for a reason..to look above and not at our circumstance. i see why God wants us to love our neighbors. I see why God does not want us to focus solely on our problems and wants us to keep one another lifted in prayer.This actually sort of reminds me of last sunday in church where the pastor says he wants us to go on prayer walks ..basically pick a neighborhood and pray for the people in that neighborhood for 10-15 minutes. What a beautiful gesture!
Lately i noticed the rare times when I am in a sour mood God gives me perspective (maybe he always has and i havent noticed it until now). Hubby told me one of his friends Anthony saw his ex girlfriend get shot dead. I was horrified by the news and lifted Anthony and his ex girlfriend family in prayer. missing meetups and cramps is nothing in comparison to someone seeing a person they love shot. senseless killings i never will understand it and until now didnt know anyone who has been shot or had someone they love be shot. This is so sad.This made me think about this life in broader terms.
In this life i dont believe God wants us to compare our lives with someone else because we all are on distinct walks. I also don't think we should ignore problems but i do believe God gives us perspective for a reason..to look above and not at our circumstance. i see why God wants us to love our neighbors. I see why God does not want us to focus solely on our problems and wants us to keep one another lifted in prayer.This actually sort of reminds me of last sunday in church where the pastor says he wants us to go on prayer walks ..basically pick a neighborhood and pray for the people in that neighborhood for 10-15 minutes. What a beautiful gesture!
Exploring the City
I'm having a great time exploring the city (museums, food, outings). The more I'm out in the city the more I love this city. There's so much to do. I feel like my weekends im really taking the time to breathe in the day that God is blessing me with whether i have a planned event or I'm walking down the street and being still and really look at the colors, feel the wind... just allow myself to slow time in this fast paced city.
Food/Drinks
-I found a new restaurant-Anja Bar (i LOVE the space and the food) but it does not love my pocket so i know i will not be doing a 3 course dinner with them for awhile...definitely on the pricier side. But the appetizer(vegetable spring roll which btw i typically hate spring rolls) and entree (spicy maya shrimp with coconat basmati rice) was delicious...the dessert which was unmemborable was not.
-Dessert Crawl (anyone who really knows me knows i love desserts). It's only fitting I found a group that meets monthly and try different desserts (my rationalization is this wont interfere with my weight loss journey because its only once a month). This months crawl was a cupcake crawl (2 of the places Ive been too before, 1 place was new and their speciality is bread but now they've expanded to cupcakes (they should stick with what they know..cupcake was terrible). The fourth place is called Sweet Revenge....OMG! The best cupcake place YET. I love Crumbs because of the variety but my my Sweet Revenge cupcakes are decadent. The two cupcakes I had was: Mayan Chocolate – Cinnamon Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Buttercream and Carnivale – Mexican Vanilla Cake, Spiced Apple Filling, Salted Caramel Frosting. soo good. its just so hard to find.
-Sake Tasting (which was great because ive always wanted to try Sake). i found two that was alright..i didnt love them but out everything i tried i would buy it : Dewazakura Tobiroka Sparkling Sake "Festival of Stars" (Yamagata Prefecture) and Kamoizumi Komekome Speciality Sake "Happy Bride:
-Ayza Wine & Chocoalte Bar-- (this has been on my list since one of my first visits to NY when i got lost and i said now is the time to cross it off my list. I ordered an appetizer wild mushroom tart which was pretty good and my free Sangria for liking them on facebook was enjoyable. the highlight of the meal was the chocolate: was decent but i loved my new favorite chocolate: Martine's piano (so cute an actua chocolate piano with caramel...yummy; Jacques Torres Love bug ...favorite chocolate EVER..i LOVE white chocolate but was not sure how i would feel about the lime ganache inside. It just melted in my mouth.
Other Activities
Gun Range with Kym (it was alot of fun...i wasn't about the sport of hitting the target but the fun of just letting go ...i tell you i can see how it could be a stress relief)
Art Museums/Exhibits
I am taking advantage of pay as you wish days and free entry to see the museums on my list. Thus far I've seen:
-Whitney Museum
-MoMa (I haven't been here since when i was visiting hubby before we were married)--America Society had an exhibit that had artistic images in a slide show playing against a ballet--it was quite interesting in a good way
-Rubin Museum of Art
Food/Drinks
-I found a new restaurant-Anja Bar (i LOVE the space and the food) but it does not love my pocket so i know i will not be doing a 3 course dinner with them for awhile...definitely on the pricier side. But the appetizer(vegetable spring roll which btw i typically hate spring rolls) and entree (spicy maya shrimp with coconat basmati rice) was delicious...the dessert which was unmemborable was not.
-Dessert Crawl (anyone who really knows me knows i love desserts). It's only fitting I found a group that meets monthly and try different desserts (my rationalization is this wont interfere with my weight loss journey because its only once a month). This months crawl was a cupcake crawl (2 of the places Ive been too before, 1 place was new and their speciality is bread but now they've expanded to cupcakes (they should stick with what they know..cupcake was terrible). The fourth place is called Sweet Revenge....OMG! The best cupcake place YET. I love Crumbs because of the variety but my my Sweet Revenge cupcakes are decadent. The two cupcakes I had was: Mayan Chocolate – Cinnamon Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Chocolate Buttercream and Carnivale – Mexican Vanilla Cake, Spiced Apple Filling, Salted Caramel Frosting. soo good. its just so hard to find.
-Sake Tasting (which was great because ive always wanted to try Sake). i found two that was alright..i didnt love them but out everything i tried i would buy it : Dewazakura Tobiroka Sparkling Sake "Festival of Stars" (Yamagata Prefecture) and Kamoizumi Komekome Speciality Sake "Happy Bride:
-Ayza Wine & Chocoalte Bar-- (this has been on my list since one of my first visits to NY when i got lost and i said now is the time to cross it off my list. I ordered an appetizer wild mushroom tart which was pretty good and my free Sangria for liking them on facebook was enjoyable. the highlight of the meal was the chocolate: was decent but i loved my new favorite chocolate: Martine's piano (so cute an actua chocolate piano with caramel...yummy; Jacques Torres Love bug ...favorite chocolate EVER..i LOVE white chocolate but was not sure how i would feel about the lime ganache inside. It just melted in my mouth.
Other Activities
Gun Range with Kym (it was alot of fun...i wasn't about the sport of hitting the target but the fun of just letting go ...i tell you i can see how it could be a stress relief)
Art Museums/Exhibits
I am taking advantage of pay as you wish days and free entry to see the museums on my list. Thus far I've seen:
-Whitney Museum
-MoMa (I haven't been here since when i was visiting hubby before we were married)--America Society had an exhibit that had artistic images in a slide show playing against a ballet--it was quite interesting in a good way
-Rubin Museum of Art
47 day journey-March 24th scripture
Luke 19:41-44
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”
Figure Drawing
I had a wonderful time figure drawing weeks back. ive always wanted to do it but never found anything affordable and honestly didnt think i should waste my time because i could never draw people well. Well thank goodness for meetup...for fours hours we only paid $12 for two models.I love good deals! thank goodness for nurturing my inner artist..its not about what i think i can or can no do anymore..its about experimenting. since i had two other meetups that day i didnt want to carry my large art bag so i carried my sketchbook and a few large pieces of paper. At first the drawing looked TERRIBLE but as we went along i think they came out beautifully.I loved how it was a mixture of 5 minute sketches and 20 minutes and you can totally tell which in my drawings. I hope more figure drawing is scheduled as the months warm up. usually thats not the case because when it warms up my sketching group goes outside but you never know. i really loved the experience of drawing human bodies ...before now i didnt realize how much i like the curvature of the human body. its so beautiful. Hubby thought this is some of my best drawings yet due to the artistic expression when i drew the bodies. i'm not sure i agree but i do think its good for my first time figure drawing.
I'll add pics later.
47 day Journal -March 23rd scripture
Isaiah 49 1-7
The Servant of the LORD
1 Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the LORD called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”
5 And now the LORD says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am[a] honored in the eyes of the LORD
and my God has been my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
7 This is what the LORD says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
The Servant of the LORD
1 Listen to me, you islands;
hear this, you distant nations:
Before I was born the LORD called me;
from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.
2 He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,
in the shadow of his hand he hid me;
he made me into a polished arrow
and concealed me in his quiver.
3 He said to me, “You are my servant,
Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”
4 But I said, “I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the LORD’s hand,
and my reward is with my God.”
5 And now the LORD says—
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am[a] honored in the eyes of the LORD
and my God has been my strength—
6 he says:
“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,
that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”
7 This is what the LORD says—
the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
“Kings will see you and stand up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”
47 day Journal-March 22nd scripture
Isaiah 42: 1-9
The Servant of the LORD
1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
5 This is what God the LORD says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
8 “I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not yield my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.”
The Servant of the LORD
1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
5 This is what God the LORD says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
8 “I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not yield my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.”
47 day journal-March 21st scripture
John 12: 1-11
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b]” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you,[c] but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
Jesus Anointed at Bethany
1 Six days before the Passover, Jesus came to Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead. 2 Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him. 3 Then Mary took about a pint[a] of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, who was later to betray him, objected, 5 “Why wasn’t this perfume sold and the money given to the poor? It was worth a year’s wages.[b]” 6 He did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it.
7 “Leave her alone,” Jesus replied. “It was intended that she should save this perfume for the day of my burial. 8 You will always have the poor among you,[c] but you will not always have me.”
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there and came, not only because of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus as well, 11 for on account of him many of the Jews were going over to Jesus and believing in him.
47 day journal March 20
Read Mark 11: 12-25 slowly and out loud
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins
Take 2-3 minures and individuially list some of the words/phrases from the passage that jumpout to you or that you feel are important.
My response:
-Have faith in God
-If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them
Based on what we read in Mark 11 how would you describe Jesus's character?
-Passionate about God's business and church.
-Teacher...in this specific passage he's talkng to us about faith and how not to be ineffective christians in a large regard. we are supposed to have fruit. even if its not time to fully blossom to our capapcity some fruit should be present.
What seem to be Jesus's main criticisms promptig his ations in th temple? how are the fig tree and temple related symbolically/ i think they are both dealing with god's natutal order for things. the church is to be used to praise, instruct, not for material means. theres a natural seed time and harvest.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25 And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins
Take 2-3 minures and individuially list some of the words/phrases from the passage that jumpout to you or that you feel are important.
My response:
-Have faith in God
-If anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them
Based on what we read in Mark 11 how would you describe Jesus's character?
-Passionate about God's business and church.
-Teacher...in this specific passage he's talkng to us about faith and how not to be ineffective christians in a large regard. we are supposed to have fruit. even if its not time to fully blossom to our capapcity some fruit should be present.
What seem to be Jesus's main criticisms promptig his ations in th temple? how are the fig tree and temple related symbolically/ i think they are both dealing with god's natutal order for things. the church is to be used to praise, instruct, not for material means. theres a natural seed time and harvest.
47 day journal-March 19th entry
in the journey there is a pargraph thattalks to how Jesus interacted with the marginalized (homeless, sick, elderly, minorities) on a daily basis. he spent his active years loving, teaching, and ministering to those often pushed to the isdesin anciet judea including the poor, sick, ad social outcasts, such as those with difficult and questionable pasts and difficult primary circumstances.Near the end of his ministry jeus became even more vocal about the injustices around him and called the nation of israel to remember and imitate god's heart.
Action:
Take 5 minutes to reflect on a time when you felt compared to care for one of NY's marginalized. what compelled you to act and how did you feel after you had done so.
My response:
Sadly i dont need 5 minutes...i never do this maybe with the exception of an lderly person if they talk to me first. i can see the wonderful thing about this journal is its opening me up to areas in my life i need to work on. Honestly the tangible thing i can see me doing to improve thihs area is to start volunteering again so im going to see how i can be Jesus's hands in the world in the only way i see fit but i will open my heart to anything else God has for me to do.
Action:
Take 5 minutes to reflect on a time when you felt compared to care for one of NY's marginalized. what compelled you to act and how did you feel after you had done so.
My response:
Sadly i dont need 5 minutes...i never do this maybe with the exception of an lderly person if they talk to me first. i can see the wonderful thing about this journal is its opening me up to areas in my life i need to work on. Honestly the tangible thing i can see me doing to improve thihs area is to start volunteering again so im going to see how i can be Jesus's hands in the world in the only way i see fit but i will open my heart to anything else God has for me to do.
47 day journal -March 18th entry
Mark 12:13-17
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
And they were amazed at him.
This passage is speaking to me about that there is an understanding of what's God should be given to God and what's the government should be given to them. i think what has convicted me in this passage is i have not given God truly what is his. in tithes/offerings..i only have a little bit so i only give a little bit but i dont treat that with taxes fully...at some point i give what i need to give so why shouldnt i be giving regulary to a church.like ive heard before you know where your priorities are when you look at where your money is spent. i need to do better in this area.
13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”
But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”
“Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”
And they were amazed at him.
This passage is speaking to me about that there is an understanding of what's God should be given to God and what's the government should be given to them. i think what has convicted me in this passage is i have not given God truly what is his. in tithes/offerings..i only have a little bit so i only give a little bit but i dont treat that with taxes fully...at some point i give what i need to give so why shouldnt i be giving regulary to a church.like ive heard before you know where your priorities are when you look at where your money is spent. i need to do better in this area.
47 day journal March 17th entry
Mark 11:11-24
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours
The questions are the same one as in previous days so i don't see a point of putting them down. I'm sorry but I'm really annoyed this morning yet again when it comes to these questions.I don't believe there is cooking cutter questions. When i read this passage i was thinking this is teaching to show us how powerful the word is along with faith. You can have anything. But then i decided to pull out my bible that has been with me for YEARS and so many things happened during these years that this bible was my right handed man. i was walking so closely to God and his word.So i read in the notes and it said this scripture is "Jesus showing his anger at religious life without substance. If you claim to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the barren fig tree. genuine faith has great potential; ask God to bear fruit for his kingdom." wow! that's powerful
11 Jesus entered Jerusalem and went into the temple courts. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.
Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts
12 The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
15 On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple courts and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, 16 and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. 17 And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’[a]? But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’[b]”
18 The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.
19 When evening came, Jesus and his disciples[c] went out of the city.
20 In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. 21 Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22 “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered. 23 “Truly[d] I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours
The questions are the same one as in previous days so i don't see a point of putting them down. I'm sorry but I'm really annoyed this morning yet again when it comes to these questions.I don't believe there is cooking cutter questions. When i read this passage i was thinking this is teaching to show us how powerful the word is along with faith. You can have anything. But then i decided to pull out my bible that has been with me for YEARS and so many things happened during these years that this bible was my right handed man. i was walking so closely to God and his word.So i read in the notes and it said this scripture is "Jesus showing his anger at religious life without substance. If you claim to have faith without putting it to work in your life, you are like the barren fig tree. genuine faith has great potential; ask God to bear fruit for his kingdom." wow! that's powerful
47 day journal-March 16th entry
Isaiah 42: 1-9
1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
5 This is what God the LORD says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
8 “I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not yield my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.”
What does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
What questions does this raise about who Jesus is?
How is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My response:
Basically this passage is telling us what is it come and tell us who God is and how he will take care of us. I think its beautiful wherever the bible mentions light ...and in this case to open eyes, to free captices, to release from a dungeon. i love this!
1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen one in whom I delight;
I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will bring justice to the nations.
2 He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
3 A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
4 he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”
5 This is what God the LORD says—
the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out,
who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it,
who gives breath to its people,
and life to those who walk on it:
6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness;
I will take hold of your hand.
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people
and a light for the Gentiles,
7 to open eyes that are blind,
to free captives from prison
and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.
8 “I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not yield my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
9 See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.”
What does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
What questions does this raise about who Jesus is?
How is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My response:
Basically this passage is telling us what is it come and tell us who God is and how he will take care of us. I think its beautiful wherever the bible mentions light ...and in this case to open eyes, to free captices, to release from a dungeon. i love this!
47 day journal-March 15th entry
Luke 23 1-49
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” [17] [a]
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[b]
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d]”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[e] When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
What does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
How do people interact with/respond to Jesus?
What questions does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
How is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My response:
This may be a little wrong but im tired of these formatted questions..they pretty much resemble the same questions day after day. what is jesus and his mission. Jesus's mission did not change. what you are learning are different accounts that occurred that add to the story of his mission. so im finding it really redundant to keep asking this question. so from this entry going forward i may follow this format or just write about my thoughts on what i read.
Ever since i was a kid reading my childrens bible this particular scene among other always struck me so powerfully not really knowing the meaning. Yes i read it but i didnt KNOW what this meant. It wasnt until i was in college and gave my life to Christ that i read this that i was completely awe stuck and hurt that Jesus went through all of this for me. Watching the Passion of Christ hit home even more. Here is a God who came down from heaven to bore our sins and even if some people didnt know at that time. They certainly knew Jesus's teaching and miracles and ways to a better life by obeying God, loving our neighbors, etc. its amazing how thr very people who were praising him one day are some of the very people who acted like they didnt know him the next day. its amazing to me that people chose Barrabus...a known murder and not Jesus who never harmed anyone! But then i think how many of us before giving our life to Jesus we chose sin..we chose death...amazing
1 Then the whole assembly rose and led him off to Pilate. 2 And they began to accuse him, saying, “We have found this man subverting our nation. He opposes payment of taxes to Caesar and claims to be Messiah, a king.”
3 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
“You have said so,” Jesus replied.
4 Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, “I find no basis for a charge against this man.”
5 But they insisted, “He stirs up the people all over Judea by his teaching. He started in Galilee and has come all the way here.”
6 On hearing this, Pilate asked if the man was a Galilean. 7 When he learned that Jesus was under Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem at that time.
8 When Herod saw Jesus, he was greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform a sign of some sort. 9 He plied him with many questions, but Jesus gave him no answer. 10 The chief priests and the teachers of the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him. 11 Then Herod and his soldiers ridiculed and mocked him. Dressing him in an elegant robe, they sent him back to Pilate. 12 That day Herod and Pilate became friends—before this they had been enemies.
13 Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers and the people, 14 and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was inciting the people to rebellion. I have examined him in your presence and have found no basis for your charges against him. 15 Neither has Herod, for he sent him back to us; as you can see, he has done nothing to deserve death. 16 Therefore, I will punish him and then release him.” [17] [a]
18 But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!” 19 (Barabbas had been thrown into prison for an insurrection in the city, and for murder.)
20 Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. 21 But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
22 For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
23 But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed. 24 So Pilate decided to grant their demand. 25 He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.
The Crucifixion of Jesus
26 As the soldiers led him away, they seized Simon from Cyrene, who was on his way in from the country, and put the cross on him and made him carry it behind Jesus. 27 A large number of people followed him, including women who mourned and wailed for him. 28 Jesus turned and said to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 For the time will come when you will say, ‘Blessed are the childless women, the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ 30 Then
“‘they will say to the mountains, “Fall on us!”
and to the hills, “Cover us!”’[b]
31 For if people do these things when the tree is green, what will happen when it is dry?”
32 Two other men, both criminals, were also led out with him to be executed. 33 When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified him there, along with the criminals—one on his right, the other on his left. 34 Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”[c] And they divided up his clothes by casting lots.
35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.”
36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”
38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.
39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah? Save yourself and us!”
40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.[d]”
43 Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
The Death of Jesus
44 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, 45 for the sun stopped shining. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. 46 Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.”[e] When he had said this, he breathed his last.
47 The centurion, seeing what had happened, praised God and said, “Surely this was a righteous man.” 48 When all the people who had gathered to witness this sight saw what took place, they beat their breasts and went away. 49 But all those who knew him, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
What does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
How do people interact with/respond to Jesus?
What questions does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
How is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My response:
This may be a little wrong but im tired of these formatted questions..they pretty much resemble the same questions day after day. what is jesus and his mission. Jesus's mission did not change. what you are learning are different accounts that occurred that add to the story of his mission. so im finding it really redundant to keep asking this question. so from this entry going forward i may follow this format or just write about my thoughts on what i read.
Ever since i was a kid reading my childrens bible this particular scene among other always struck me so powerfully not really knowing the meaning. Yes i read it but i didnt KNOW what this meant. It wasnt until i was in college and gave my life to Christ that i read this that i was completely awe stuck and hurt that Jesus went through all of this for me. Watching the Passion of Christ hit home even more. Here is a God who came down from heaven to bore our sins and even if some people didnt know at that time. They certainly knew Jesus's teaching and miracles and ways to a better life by obeying God, loving our neighbors, etc. its amazing how thr very people who were praising him one day are some of the very people who acted like they didnt know him the next day. its amazing to me that people chose Barrabus...a known murder and not Jesus who never harmed anyone! But then i think how many of us before giving our life to Jesus we chose sin..we chose death...amazing
47 day journal March 14th entry
Philippians 2:5-11
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father
What does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
What questions does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
How is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My Response
Jesus is God and he took the form of a human. He died on the cross for our sins.
To realize that if Jesus took on a human form, a servant there should not be any boast of inequality between of us. i mean God came down in human form...he was among the people, teaching, loving, praying, performing miracles. how tangible that is...how tangible a relationship with God is. you know he knows what its like to be a human, to have pain, to have gone through temptation, to sacrifice his life for us because the Father loved us so much. how amazing! yet we have this separation among the church...we have inequality..so much to this day. why? for what? If God didn't have it why should we?
We need to have the mindset of Christ!
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature[b] of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father
What does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
What questions does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
How is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My Response
Jesus is God and he took the form of a human. He died on the cross for our sins.
To realize that if Jesus took on a human form, a servant there should not be any boast of inequality between of us. i mean God came down in human form...he was among the people, teaching, loving, praying, performing miracles. how tangible that is...how tangible a relationship with God is. you know he knows what its like to be a human, to have pain, to have gone through temptation, to sacrifice his life for us because the Father loved us so much. how amazing! yet we have this separation among the church...we have inequality..so much to this day. why? for what? If God didn't have it why should we?
We need to have the mindset of Christ!
47 day journal March 13th entry
What impossible things do you need him to do in your life?
How do our expectatons of Jesus effect our expectations of ourselves/
Read John 12: 9-11
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there, so they came. But they did not come only because of Jesus. They also came to see Lazarus. After all, Jesus had raised him from the dead.
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too. 11 Because of Lazarus, many of the Jews were starting to follow Jesus. They were putting their faith in him.
This passage makes it clear that word about the miraculous thing that Jesus did for Lazarus--raising him from the dead and giving him a new life spread far and wide and Lazarus became famous because of Jesus's intervention in his death. In his death, Jesus freed us from the power of sin and death and gave us new spirtual lives just as he did for Lazarus physically. To what extent are our lives defined by what Jesus has done for us in the same that way that Lazarus was? how many of our friends, family. members, and co-workrs would, when asked to define us, would mention Jesus?
How can we live our lives in such a way that each day our words and actions bring honor and praise to Jesus, just as the crowds in Jersalem praised him on Psalm Sunday so many years ago?
My Response:
hmm to what extent is my life defined by what Jesus does..I try to do this in my actions, love, and attitude. i definately think theres more work for me in these areas because im far from perfect but im no where where i used to be. My life is completely changd since Jesus came in.
I think many people when asked to define me would mention Jesus. Alot of people know my relationship wth the Lord and how important my spirtual life is.
i think by thinking on the things Jesus thought on and obeying the commandments mentioned in the new testament. i went to find that verse and instead stumbled upon this website that listed this items of new testament commandments and think this without a doubt shows how we should live our lives.
1. "FORGIVE EVERYBODY OF ALL THEIR OFFENSES AGAINST YOU."
(Forgive, and be forgiven.)
2. "YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN."
3. "ABIDE IN ME, AND LET ME ABIDE IN YOU."
4. "LET PEOPLE SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS." (Do not hide your light
under a basket.)
5. "END DISPUTES QUICKLY."
6. "WHATEVER CAUSES YOU TO SIN, GET RID OF IT."
7. "DO NOT SWEAR OATHS AT ALL."
8. "DO NOT RETURN OFFENSE FOR OFFENSE." (Turn the other cheek.)
9. "GIVE WHAT PEOPLE ASK OF YOU, AND GIVE MORE THAN IS REQUIRED."
(Go the extra mile.)
10. "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND THOSE WHO WORK AGAINST YOU."
11. "GIVE TO THE POOR TO PLEASE GOD, NOT TO GAIN APPROVAL FROM OTHER PEOPLE."
12. "PRAY PRIVATELY AND SIMPLY, NOT TO IMPRESS OTHER PEOPLE."
13. "MAKE YOUR PRAYERS BE LIKE THE LORD'S PRAYER."
14. "WHEN YOU FAST, DO IT SECRETLY, NOT FOR SHOW."
15. "STORE UP YOUR TREASURES IN HEAVEN, NOT ON EARTH."
16. "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR MATERIAL NEEDS."
17. "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE."
18. "MAKE GOD YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR NEEDS."
19. "DO NOT JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE."
(Judge not, lest ye be judged.)
20. "DO NOT GIVE HOLY THINGS TO DOGS OR CAST YOUR PEARLS
BEFORE SWINE."
21. "ASK GOD FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO HAVE."
(Seek, and ye shall find.)
22. "FEED THE HUNGRY, CLOTHE THE NAKED, SHELTER THE HOMELESS, COMFORT THOSE IN DISTRESS."
23. "FOLLOW THE NARROW PATH TO LIFE."
(Enter by the narrow gate.)
24. "BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS."
25. "EXERCISE POWER OVER UNCLEAN SPIRITS."
26. "LOVE LITTLE CHILDREN, DO NOT DESPISE THEM."
27. "DO NOT TAKE THE TITLES 'MASTER' OR 'FATHER' FOR YOURSELF."
28. "RESOLVE DISPUTES IN AN ORDERLY WAY, LIKE THIS . . . "
29. "DO NOT OPPOSE OTHER BELIEVERS IN CHRIST WHO ARE NOT IN YOUR GROUP."
30. "HAVE TOTAL FAITH IN GOD FOR EVERYTHING."
31. "BE LIKE THE GOOD SAMARITAN."
(Go, and do likewise.)
32. "LOVE OTHER PEOPLE AS I HAVE LOVED YOU"
33. "EAT BREAD AND DRINK WINE IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME."
34. "WASH ONE ANOTHER'S FEET."
35. "BE MERCIFUL."
36. "GO AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM."
37. "KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."
38. "BE PREPARED FOR YOUR MASTER TO RETURN."
How do our expectatons of Jesus effect our expectations of ourselves/
Read John 12: 9-11
9 Meanwhile a large crowd of Jews found out that Jesus was there, so they came. But they did not come only because of Jesus. They also came to see Lazarus. After all, Jesus had raised him from the dead.
10 So the chief priests made plans to kill Lazarus too. 11 Because of Lazarus, many of the Jews were starting to follow Jesus. They were putting their faith in him.
This passage makes it clear that word about the miraculous thing that Jesus did for Lazarus--raising him from the dead and giving him a new life spread far and wide and Lazarus became famous because of Jesus's intervention in his death. In his death, Jesus freed us from the power of sin and death and gave us new spirtual lives just as he did for Lazarus physically. To what extent are our lives defined by what Jesus has done for us in the same that way that Lazarus was? how many of our friends, family. members, and co-workrs would, when asked to define us, would mention Jesus?
How can we live our lives in such a way that each day our words and actions bring honor and praise to Jesus, just as the crowds in Jersalem praised him on Psalm Sunday so many years ago?
My Response:
hmm to what extent is my life defined by what Jesus does..I try to do this in my actions, love, and attitude. i definately think theres more work for me in these areas because im far from perfect but im no where where i used to be. My life is completely changd since Jesus came in.
I think many people when asked to define me would mention Jesus. Alot of people know my relationship wth the Lord and how important my spirtual life is.
i think by thinking on the things Jesus thought on and obeying the commandments mentioned in the new testament. i went to find that verse and instead stumbled upon this website that listed this items of new testament commandments and think this without a doubt shows how we should live our lives.
1. "FORGIVE EVERYBODY OF ALL THEIR OFFENSES AGAINST YOU."
(Forgive, and be forgiven.)
2. "YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN."
3. "ABIDE IN ME, AND LET ME ABIDE IN YOU."
4. "LET PEOPLE SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS." (Do not hide your light
under a basket.)
5. "END DISPUTES QUICKLY."
6. "WHATEVER CAUSES YOU TO SIN, GET RID OF IT."
7. "DO NOT SWEAR OATHS AT ALL."
8. "DO NOT RETURN OFFENSE FOR OFFENSE." (Turn the other cheek.)
9. "GIVE WHAT PEOPLE ASK OF YOU, AND GIVE MORE THAN IS REQUIRED."
(Go the extra mile.)
10. "LOVE YOUR ENEMIES AND THOSE WHO WORK AGAINST YOU."
11. "GIVE TO THE POOR TO PLEASE GOD, NOT TO GAIN APPROVAL FROM OTHER PEOPLE."
12. "PRAY PRIVATELY AND SIMPLY, NOT TO IMPRESS OTHER PEOPLE."
13. "MAKE YOUR PRAYERS BE LIKE THE LORD'S PRAYER."
14. "WHEN YOU FAST, DO IT SECRETLY, NOT FOR SHOW."
15. "STORE UP YOUR TREASURES IN HEAVEN, NOT ON EARTH."
16. "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT YOUR MATERIAL NEEDS."
17. "DO NOT WORRY ABOUT THE FUTURE."
18. "MAKE GOD YOUR HIGHEST PRIORITY, AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF ALL YOUR NEEDS."
19. "DO NOT JUDGE OTHER PEOPLE."
(Judge not, lest ye be judged.)
20. "DO NOT GIVE HOLY THINGS TO DOGS OR CAST YOUR PEARLS
BEFORE SWINE."
21. "ASK GOD FOR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO HAVE."
(Seek, and ye shall find.)
22. "FEED THE HUNGRY, CLOTHE THE NAKED, SHELTER THE HOMELESS, COMFORT THOSE IN DISTRESS."
23. "FOLLOW THE NARROW PATH TO LIFE."
(Enter by the narrow gate.)
24. "BEWARE OF FALSE PROPHETS."
25. "EXERCISE POWER OVER UNCLEAN SPIRITS."
26. "LOVE LITTLE CHILDREN, DO NOT DESPISE THEM."
27. "DO NOT TAKE THE TITLES 'MASTER' OR 'FATHER' FOR YOURSELF."
28. "RESOLVE DISPUTES IN AN ORDERLY WAY, LIKE THIS . . . "
29. "DO NOT OPPOSE OTHER BELIEVERS IN CHRIST WHO ARE NOT IN YOUR GROUP."
30. "HAVE TOTAL FAITH IN GOD FOR EVERYTHING."
31. "BE LIKE THE GOOD SAMARITAN."
(Go, and do likewise.)
32. "LOVE OTHER PEOPLE AS I HAVE LOVED YOU"
33. "EAT BREAD AND DRINK WINE IN REMEMBRANCE OF ME."
34. "WASH ONE ANOTHER'S FEET."
35. "BE MERCIFUL."
36. "GO AND TEACH ALL NATIONS, BAPTIZING THEM."
37. "KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS."
38. "BE PREPARED FOR YOUR MASTER TO RETURN."
47 day journal-March 12th entry
Take a moment and think about your most favorite piece of music. Maybe it's a rock song, part of a symphony, a commercial jungle, whatever. Why is important to you? how do you feel when you hear it? Think about all the different components of the piece and the way they come together to produce such a strong effect on you?
My answer:
Interesting new format for today's lesson! i like the change. shake it up a bit:)
I thought for a moment and could not think of a favorite part of music. i like christian, jazz, classical, pop and r&b. hmmmm to pick a favorite is so hard. its either all (lots of answers or nothing with me). But if i had to pick i would say christian genre. Because it speaks about Jesus and my soul connects to the music. How i feel depends on the song..Does it leave me with a praise on my lips that sticks with me? encouragement? awe? amazement? touches my soul in a way i had no idea that i needed? Yes and some songs involve all of the above. I definitely can have a wide range of emotions with this genre because its talking about my savior its the most awesome experience.
Funny thing as I'm writing this i went to Carey's profile and looked up her favorite music because we have similar taste and Ive never heard of kerrie roberts so i said let me give her a listen. omg! her voice is AMAZING! Ive only listened to a few songs but so far my FAVS are take me away, unstoppable,no matter what and keep breathing.
My answer:
Interesting new format for today's lesson! i like the change. shake it up a bit:)
I thought for a moment and could not think of a favorite part of music. i like christian, jazz, classical, pop and r&b. hmmmm to pick a favorite is so hard. its either all (lots of answers or nothing with me). But if i had to pick i would say christian genre. Because it speaks about Jesus and my soul connects to the music. How i feel depends on the song..Does it leave me with a praise on my lips that sticks with me? encouragement? awe? amazement? touches my soul in a way i had no idea that i needed? Yes and some songs involve all of the above. I definitely can have a wide range of emotions with this genre because its talking about my savior its the most awesome experience.
Funny thing as I'm writing this i went to Carey's profile and looked up her favorite music because we have similar taste and Ive never heard of kerrie roberts so i said let me give her a listen. omg! her voice is AMAZING! Ive only listened to a few songs but so far my FAVS are take me away, unstoppable,no matter what and keep breathing.
Spring is almost upon us
I decided to give my blog a brighter facelift due to the coming of spring:) Boy do i love to see spring. Spring is such a time of renewal...a time to put away some of those things we carried with us in the winter.A time to see to see the budding of flowers. A time to come out of hibernation (who can raise their hand with me that when frigid temps come they go into hibernation). A time to really start the couch to 5 k program because you no longer have frigid temps and ice. There's a time for everything under the season of heaven so I have listed 10 things i plan to do this spring.
1. Study and prepare to re-take my cebs 2 exam in June
2. go to more meetups to hopefully expand my friend pool and to explore the city more
try new things i wouldnt normally try (after all im stepping out of my comfort
zone this year).
3. start the couch to 5 k program
4. Get rid of one debt (I have to review and see what is the smallest)
5. Be even more committed to Turbo Jam and eating healthy (im doing good in this area but i can always improve)
6. Take two training courses (strategic thinking and coaching) i mentioned in one of previous HR posts.
7. Read 1 book for art, hr,and coaching (i almost wish theres was a book that encomposed all three subjects)
8.Finally get my spare bedroom in order and figure out what we are doing it with it. Are we still turning it into a excercise room(i have avoided it long enough)
9. Attend church service more regulary ..at least twice a month.
10. Volunteer
1. Study and prepare to re-take my cebs 2 exam in June
2. go to more meetups to hopefully expand my friend pool and to explore the city more
try new things i wouldnt normally try (after all im stepping out of my comfort
zone this year).
3. start the couch to 5 k program
4. Get rid of one debt (I have to review and see what is the smallest)
5. Be even more committed to Turbo Jam and eating healthy (im doing good in this area but i can always improve)
6. Take two training courses (strategic thinking and coaching) i mentioned in one of previous HR posts.
7. Read 1 book for art, hr,and coaching (i almost wish theres was a book that encomposed all three subjects)
8.Finally get my spare bedroom in order and figure out what we are doing it with it. Are we still turning it into a excercise room(i have avoided it long enough)
9. Attend church service more regulary ..at least twice a month.
10. Volunteer
Craft Night Experience
Several posts back I mentioned i was going to a crafts meetup and i just realized I had not talked about until i saw a comment from Carey just now on that post. The craft meetup went so well!
I got there a bit early before the teacher was starting the next lesson (yay for me) so i was making small talk with the people at my table (another yay for me because that does not happen but im trying to be more outgoing) and then she asked us newbies to go to the back of the room so she could instruct us on the exercices for tonight. There was 10 of us at the table and we were handed pieces of paper. She first asked how many of you know how to draw? I was about to raise my hand because after all i am a proud artist but later thought oh lawd what if my art fails me... ill only raise my hand if someone else does. um...no one else did so obviously i didn't either.
The instructor went on to explain non artists are the type of people she likes to teach and how shocked she was no one was an artist because her last two groups were filled with artists. She reminded us that this process is about having fun, there's no critiques here ..just a place to express. so she tells us to take the small piece of paper she handed us and take our pens and put it in our non dominant hand. (pause)no brakes...screech....non dominant...i am not liking this first excercise...this will be terrible. why oh why would she suggest this? i had much resistence but of course did it. then she said i want you to draw the person across from you. what! you are asking for too much. lol. The instructor added these would be quick drawings. the person across from me was hilarious. she was apologizing already for what was to come and i said the same thing. non dominant hand, rushed drawing, no music to inspire me ...oh boy. lol...on one hand my non dominant hand suprised me it was better than i thought it would be it was a decent enough animated portrait. But as i looked around the room clearly it was the best one and im not saying this to gloat because thats not me but it just was. so you can imagine my suprise when she picks the girl across from me portrait and says how good her drawing is. really? that drawing looks nothing like me.
The next exercise we needed to draw what she uttered such as toilet, dog,and something else. These were supposed quick one minute drawing without picking up our pen. another pause this is exactly why i dont like drawing from memory. lol. it sounds like im complaining but i was actually having fun as i got over said items. In my mind i was thinking ...omg! these drawings are so awful! im so glad i didnt say i was an artist.lol.
We all got up and look at everyone else's drawing and we did a final exercise where we drew an eye, an larger eye, foot, and tail and each time we drew the item we turned the paper and it was time to connect it all together to see what creature you got. ha! it was so funny to see the final outcome. if i wasnt so embarassed about my drawings i would post them. the wonderful thing about this night after i got over my resistance and the lack of clear knowledge that my drawing was the best i let loose, had fun, and certainly drew things from scratch. Also I was able to laugh at my crappy drawings and thats never been the case.I am soo going to get the drawing lab book because this is exactly what i need.
I got there a bit early before the teacher was starting the next lesson (yay for me) so i was making small talk with the people at my table (another yay for me because that does not happen but im trying to be more outgoing) and then she asked us newbies to go to the back of the room so she could instruct us on the exercices for tonight. There was 10 of us at the table and we were handed pieces of paper. She first asked how many of you know how to draw? I was about to raise my hand because after all i am a proud artist but later thought oh lawd what if my art fails me... ill only raise my hand if someone else does. um...no one else did so obviously i didn't either.
The instructor went on to explain non artists are the type of people she likes to teach and how shocked she was no one was an artist because her last two groups were filled with artists. She reminded us that this process is about having fun, there's no critiques here ..just a place to express. so she tells us to take the small piece of paper she handed us and take our pens and put it in our non dominant hand. (pause)no brakes...screech....non dominant...i am not liking this first excercise...this will be terrible. why oh why would she suggest this? i had much resistence but of course did it. then she said i want you to draw the person across from you. what! you are asking for too much. lol. The instructor added these would be quick drawings. the person across from me was hilarious. she was apologizing already for what was to come and i said the same thing. non dominant hand, rushed drawing, no music to inspire me ...oh boy. lol...on one hand my non dominant hand suprised me it was better than i thought it would be it was a decent enough animated portrait. But as i looked around the room clearly it was the best one and im not saying this to gloat because thats not me but it just was. so you can imagine my suprise when she picks the girl across from me portrait and says how good her drawing is. really? that drawing looks nothing like me.
The next exercise we needed to draw what she uttered such as toilet, dog,and something else. These were supposed quick one minute drawing without picking up our pen. another pause this is exactly why i dont like drawing from memory. lol. it sounds like im complaining but i was actually having fun as i got over said items. In my mind i was thinking ...omg! these drawings are so awful! im so glad i didnt say i was an artist.lol.
We all got up and look at everyone else's drawing and we did a final exercise where we drew an eye, an larger eye, foot, and tail and each time we drew the item we turned the paper and it was time to connect it all together to see what creature you got. ha! it was so funny to see the final outcome. if i wasnt so embarassed about my drawings i would post them. the wonderful thing about this night after i got over my resistance and the lack of clear knowledge that my drawing was the best i let loose, had fun, and certainly drew things from scratch. Also I was able to laugh at my crappy drawings and thats never been the case.I am soo going to get the drawing lab book because this is exactly what i need.
Idea I had while finishing up my HR book
I was on the subway finishing up HR Transformation (thought provoking book that made me think of the structure of HR and where many companies are heading). For I minute as i just reread that sentence it sounded like a commercial...a testimonial. lol.
I spoke about this book when i first mentioned the job opportunity that was offered to me last year where the book was on the shelf and God reminded me of this book. Well after the job opportunity was literally taken back based on where i live and given to one of my friends based in DC God reminded me again of the book. This book has become my morning subway companion..on the way into work.
As I read the last chapter that was referring to thinking about your competencies and having a reading list. Both of which was a good idea. I started thinking more about the idea of expanding my job to a generalist position. what would it look like? I looked online at HR jobs and see if i could pull some duties from the jobs i saw into my current job because i don't want to be only a generalist. I also would like to incorporate some skills that i have..you know those natural ones. So I started thinking about the idea of coaching my fellow benefit/comp staff members. coaching...not that i have any experience in this but i am an encourager and i think that's part of coaching.
As soon as coaching came to my head I loved the idea. This isnt the first time ive thought about coaching because when i came across expressive arts that was the same time i found the coaching book that i kept walking by on our communal shelf and was like hmm i need to check out what that is and after days of doing that i finally picked it up and was so excited when i found out what the cover is. Welp would't you know it God reminded me of this book again so you know i will be reading this book next.
But let me get back to what i was saying...as i started thinking about coaching my fellow staff members i thought it would be a good idea. i am in a unique position where everyone comes to me for guidance, help on a task, and venting. I'm probably the only person who is aware that there's gripes regarding our staff meetings (that its geared more to managers). No one sees how unequip we are when it comes to the strategic things. We are the non managers in the room. We are used to HR being transacational. i think the general consensus is yeah! i want to be a strategic partner but how does that happen when my duties are transactional? How does this effect me? I'm no expert. In fact, i feel the same way but the difference is i think I'm the person who could bring it all together..that we could learn together. A way to work together to figure out competencies...to figure out how we get to where we are to strategic partners. i admit this idea may seem lofty but i think its needed.
What i want to propose to my boss is that he send me to training for strategic thinking and coaching (I already found a 1 day seminar for each) and i can use my coaching skills to teach what i learned and figure out or start the dialogue of how this thing will work. I finished the book and now I'm trying to figure out how to propose this to my boss. I talked to hubby and he said i just explained it to him just fine. That made me smile. in some ways i don't want to feel like I'm betraying the trust and confidence of my team but in another way i don't think anyone else i going to commit to us. our boss is awesome! but i don't think he realizes the magnitude of how we feel.so i think i may be on to something here...stay tuned.
I spoke about this book when i first mentioned the job opportunity that was offered to me last year where the book was on the shelf and God reminded me of this book. Well after the job opportunity was literally taken back based on where i live and given to one of my friends based in DC God reminded me again of the book. This book has become my morning subway companion..on the way into work.
As I read the last chapter that was referring to thinking about your competencies and having a reading list. Both of which was a good idea. I started thinking more about the idea of expanding my job to a generalist position. what would it look like? I looked online at HR jobs and see if i could pull some duties from the jobs i saw into my current job because i don't want to be only a generalist. I also would like to incorporate some skills that i have..you know those natural ones. So I started thinking about the idea of coaching my fellow benefit/comp staff members. coaching...not that i have any experience in this but i am an encourager and i think that's part of coaching.
As soon as coaching came to my head I loved the idea. This isnt the first time ive thought about coaching because when i came across expressive arts that was the same time i found the coaching book that i kept walking by on our communal shelf and was like hmm i need to check out what that is and after days of doing that i finally picked it up and was so excited when i found out what the cover is. Welp would't you know it God reminded me of this book again so you know i will be reading this book next.
But let me get back to what i was saying...as i started thinking about coaching my fellow staff members i thought it would be a good idea. i am in a unique position where everyone comes to me for guidance, help on a task, and venting. I'm probably the only person who is aware that there's gripes regarding our staff meetings (that its geared more to managers). No one sees how unequip we are when it comes to the strategic things. We are the non managers in the room. We are used to HR being transacational. i think the general consensus is yeah! i want to be a strategic partner but how does that happen when my duties are transactional? How does this effect me? I'm no expert. In fact, i feel the same way but the difference is i think I'm the person who could bring it all together..that we could learn together. A way to work together to figure out competencies...to figure out how we get to where we are to strategic partners. i admit this idea may seem lofty but i think its needed.
What i want to propose to my boss is that he send me to training for strategic thinking and coaching (I already found a 1 day seminar for each) and i can use my coaching skills to teach what i learned and figure out or start the dialogue of how this thing will work. I finished the book and now I'm trying to figure out how to propose this to my boss. I talked to hubby and he said i just explained it to him just fine. That made me smile. in some ways i don't want to feel like I'm betraying the trust and confidence of my team but in another way i don't think anyone else i going to commit to us. our boss is awesome! but i don't think he realizes the magnitude of how we feel.so i think i may be on to something here...stay tuned.
47 day journal-March 11
Matthew 21:1-11; Zechariah 9:9-10
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c]
“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.
Questions:
READ back through your journal through the week.
WHAT about Jesus do you find more compelling in this week's reading?
WHAT about Jesus do you find most difficult to understand or follow? why?
WHAT in your life needs to change if you are fully to follow the Jesus in the week's
text?
Answers:
I don't see this as a journal ...rather a devotional or bible study with myself which is perfectly fine because i need an assigned task to ensure i get the most needed word in my spirit.
Hmmm compelling..im not sure i would use that word over anything i read. what i found as the most comforting...a gentle reminder is the 1st entry in Isaiah 50....i think its wonderful to be reminded that God not only gives us the necessary things for our lives so we can be comforted but also gives us tools so we can be a help to others.
Jesus is always #1 in my life but if you look at my daily interaction you wouldn't be able to tell. Theres a good morning God a quick prayer and off with my day but i want to put the necessary work in that i do with any relationship that i care about. My best friend Kia lives in CA and i immensely enjoy our daily convos... talking makes her feel closer than she really is.that's committing time to the relationship yet with God i know he's there i love him but i don't put in the time somethings wrong with that picture.
There's nothing about Jesus that i find too difficult to understand or follow.
Simply making God the priority in my life needs to change in order for me to follow him. that is making the necessary time for him. My day starts out so awesome when i start my day with God.
As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples, 2 saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and at once you will find a donkey tied there, with her colt by her. Untie them and bring them to me. 3 If anyone says anything to you, say that the Lord needs them, and he will send them right away.”
4 This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
5 “Say to Daughter Zion,
‘See, your king comes to you,
gentle and riding on a donkey,
and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”[a]
6 The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. 7 They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. 8 A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. 9 The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna[b] to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”[c]
“Hosanna[d] in the highest heaven!”
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
11 The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”
The Coming of Zion’s King
9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.
10 I will take away the chariots from Ephraim
and the warhorses from Jerusalem,
and the battle bow will be broken.
He will proclaim peace to the nations.
His rule will extend from sea to sea
and from the River[a] to the ends of the earth.
Questions:
READ back through your journal through the week.
WHAT about Jesus do you find more compelling in this week's reading?
WHAT about Jesus do you find most difficult to understand or follow? why?
WHAT in your life needs to change if you are fully to follow the Jesus in the week's
text?
Answers:
I don't see this as a journal ...rather a devotional or bible study with myself which is perfectly fine because i need an assigned task to ensure i get the most needed word in my spirit.
Hmmm compelling..im not sure i would use that word over anything i read. what i found as the most comforting...a gentle reminder is the 1st entry in Isaiah 50....i think its wonderful to be reminded that God not only gives us the necessary things for our lives so we can be comforted but also gives us tools so we can be a help to others.
Jesus is always #1 in my life but if you look at my daily interaction you wouldn't be able to tell. Theres a good morning God a quick prayer and off with my day but i want to put the necessary work in that i do with any relationship that i care about. My best friend Kia lives in CA and i immensely enjoy our daily convos... talking makes her feel closer than she really is.that's committing time to the relationship yet with God i know he's there i love him but i don't put in the time somethings wrong with that picture.
There's nothing about Jesus that i find too difficult to understand or follow.
Simply making God the priority in my life needs to change in order for me to follow him. that is making the necessary time for him. My day starts out so awesome when i start my day with God.
47 day journal-march 10th entry
Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Questions:
WHAT does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
IF APPLICABLE, how do people interact with or respond to Jesus in this text?
WHAT questions does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
HOW is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My answers:
Jesus had a mission for cntries and now was th prper time for things to take place.
John is suprised that the mighty Jesus would want him to baptize him. The father is proud of his son.
Believe that Jesus is the true & beloved son of the father so you can trust you life will never be the same.
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Questions:
WHAT does this tell you about Jesus and his mission?
IF APPLICABLE, how do people interact with or respond to Jesus in this text?
WHAT questions does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
HOW is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My answers:
Jesus had a mission for cntries and now was th prper time for things to take place.
John is suprised that the mighty Jesus would want him to baptize him. The father is proud of his son.
Believe that Jesus is the true & beloved son of the father so you can trust you life will never be the same.
week of March 9th Grace Cards
I have not pulled grace cards in a while but here goes:
Beauty: Surround yourself with simple pleasures. Beauty is the language of the divine.
Faith: Have faith. Every event we experience and every person we meet has been put in our path for a reason.
Ask: When we call upon the Divine for guidance and support, we will receive a response. Spirtual signposts will be put in our path to guide us to our highest good.
Beauty: Surround yourself with simple pleasures. Beauty is the language of the divine.
Faith: Have faith. Every event we experience and every person we meet has been put in our path for a reason.
Ask: When we call upon the Divine for guidance and support, we will receive a response. Spirtual signposts will be put in our path to guide us to our highest good.
1st entry for the 47 day journal-March 9th
Isaiah 50:4-9
4 The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.
Questions:
WHAT does this tell you about Jesus/his mission?
WHAT question does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
HOW is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My answers:
When I read the passage the scripture comes to mind that the spirit of the Lord has anointed me to peach good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim freedom and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed...to preach the gospel. So i feel like this is telling me about the wonderful Father that we have ..that he is caring, helpful, and protective and we need not worry because he will send encouragement when we need it. We should never fear or be ashamed because God is with us and he will never leave us.
I'm not sure what they mean by what question does this passage raise about who Jesus is.
I feel that God is asking us to be confident no matter what situation we find ourselves in because in each passage i found that it speaks to encouragement, the ability to be ready and willing to listen and act, ears are opened attuned and alert. the act of being sacrificial, knowing that God is with us and we are are protected, we should not be ashamed because God has cleared our name, and he is our protector and shield and our enemies will be taken care of.
4 The Sovereign LORD has given me a well-instructed tongue,
to know the word that sustains the weary.
He wakens me morning by morning,
wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.
5 The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears;
I have not been rebellious,
I have not turned away.
6 I offered my back to those who beat me,
my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;
I did not hide my face
from mocking and spitting.
7 Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
8 He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him confront me!
9 It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.
Questions:
WHAT does this tell you about Jesus/his mission?
WHAT question does this passage raise about who Jesus is?
HOW is God asking you to respond to what you see in Jesus in this text?
My answers:
When I read the passage the scripture comes to mind that the spirit of the Lord has anointed me to peach good news to the poor, He has sent me to proclaim freedom and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed...to preach the gospel. So i feel like this is telling me about the wonderful Father that we have ..that he is caring, helpful, and protective and we need not worry because he will send encouragement when we need it. We should never fear or be ashamed because God is with us and he will never leave us.
I'm not sure what they mean by what question does this passage raise about who Jesus is.
I feel that God is asking us to be confident no matter what situation we find ourselves in because in each passage i found that it speaks to encouragement, the ability to be ready and willing to listen and act, ears are opened attuned and alert. the act of being sacrificial, knowing that God is with us and we are are protected, we should not be ashamed because God has cleared our name, and he is our protector and shield and our enemies will be taken care of.
Life Pie Chart
In my cluster group weeks back we had to draw a life pie. Basically a circle that is divided into six pieces that were labeled spirituality, exercise, play, work, friends, and romance/adventure. We were to place a dot on each slice at the degree in which I'm fulfilled in that area. Outer rim indicates great inner rim not so great. Then we were supposed to connect the dots and see where we are lopsided. the areas that are lopsided is the areas that are improvised and which there is little or no time spent. One of the tasks this week was to revisit.Looking at my life pie were several areas impoverished (friends in NY, play,and exercise,). The ones that are middle ground is work, spirituality, romance/adventure. Re looking at this i think i inflated spirituality more than i should have. Because my spiritual life is not where i want it to be in terms of the time i devote to God. February I took some time to evaluate how much time i spend at the gym vs the time I'm spending on the things that are priorities in my life and the things that are not getting done because of my late arrival at 10:30 such as spending quality time with hubby; having time with my artwork (whether drawing or doing more art related activities); and having time for myself. Funny and unknowing to me none of that included my time with God and that should be #1. So when i visited the church yesterday they gave out these small 47 days long journals which allows us the "opportunity to focus on the cross, the sacrifice, the resurrection and the life that Christ offers to each of us when we surrender to Him and trust in his way. It is the hope that the reader will begin to see Jesus for who he really is and who we are because of Him." can I say that is absolutely awesome and exactly what I'm looking for. Funny thing is when i picked up this journal I just thought it was a booklet to tell me about the church because the only thing on the front is the title and to my surprise when i opened it up I said this is exactly what i need. Thank you Lord for direction! So each day I'm going to post what is in the journal and my answers. The beautiful thing about this is its short passages and there no reason i could not be consistent with this.Oh and a few things that were improvised is not anymore..exercise i do that between 3-5 x a week, play (which I'm including artistic playtime)..is done at least 2x a day. still have to work on the romance/adventure. My husband is a really romantic guy but i think its kind of slacked off in the consistency of romance since we got married. Am i romanced several times yearly. oh yes. what i would like is monthly so it looks like i may need to implement that over the next few months.
Visited a New Church
I decided it was time for me to visit a new church and be planted so i made a decision I would visit at least three churches this month. This came from my wanting to be planted and I kept coming across an advertisement for a particular church called River on three different train lines so I was wondering if this was a sign for me to go there especially since I rarely take notice of advertisements. I of course went to their website to see if they had an recording of online messages so i could get a feel of the pastor. They did and honestly i was rather bored by what i heard. In the meantime online I was talking to my art teacher about the church i planned to visit and she mentioned a church she went to that was awesome that was called Forefront. I said hmm im going to put that on my list because i love hearing from someone that they enjoyed a service somewhere. In the meantime River had me feeling rather meh.
I planned to attend Forefront church on Sunday because from viewing a message online I loved the straightforwardness of the pastor. They had a late service 5:30pm which I liked. I was excited to go but of course with me lateness came into the mix no matter how hard i try to be on time. Urgh..so I was 30 minutes late. I had absolutely no reason to be late. I got caught up in a convo with J so I lost track of time. J was like at this point maybe you should try next time it will be too late when you get there and its raining. Nope i made up my mind I'm going. So I arrived and the church was in a theater located above a restaurant so since i was late I ran up the steps..little did i know the steps was literally the balcony of the church (not padded but hardwood floors). Oops. several people turned so i just stayed on the side and listened to the message trying not to be a disturbance. Then this girl came in after me and had no problem walking up the stairs in the middle of the sermon so i said i would walk too but not up the steps. i saw a leather bench which was near by and sat there. As i listened i took a look at the church. It was rather amazing to see this chill casual church environment in this small theatre which had maybe 30-40 people between the balcony and downstairs. People were on l shaped lounge benches or booth, chairs. It was rather refreshing. I love a church building dont get me wrong but i noticed this is the second church that doesnt fit the conventional church building facade and i really like it.
I was listening to the message but felt i was missing something because i missed the beginning (its like how i hate to watch a movie in the middle) but I said let me just focus on whats going on. The pastor said our cities are filled with John the Baptist rather it be colleagues, close friend, neighbors. John asked Jesus Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matthew 11:3). In other words John was asking are you really the hands and feet of Christ? Are you all that you say you are? The same question can be asked of us..are we Christ followers? Do our actions line up with the bible? What we say/do on the weekend should line up with our actions on the weekday. Are you sure you are who you say you are? There was a survey that asked participants between the ages of 18-29 what do you think of Christians? Their response is judgmental, critical, sheltered. We are supposed to love others, sacrifice, and give to others. But many of us feel like its ok to say one thing and do another; despise those that disagree with us but we are giving a role to contribute a verse to God and healing to this world. The pastor then went back to the question John asked Jesus. He said John was about to be beheaded and he is looking at Jesus and possibly thinking this wasn’t the role I expected the son of God to play out in my life. Why am I about to beheaded? Jesus response was that the mission of God is being accomplished…..people are finding their way back to God, the lame are walking, good news is being preached to poor, the blind is seeing. Your life will be sacrificed and you will die.
For the mission of God to progress or move forward its going to require sacrifice for everyone who say they believe him. It doesn’t mean your literal life though some it is. But its about seeing a difference of what’s going on today and tomorrow because we are a Christ follower. Love, give, and serve in extravagant ways. As the body of Christ we are ask to do and say what we mean.
I thought this was a great message and something to think about!I'm going to go to the morning service next week but unfornutaley i will have to leave early because i have other meetups scheduled that day but i will be there for the majority of the service and can catch the remainder of the message online. Thankfully I also got to sample the worship team because they sang a couple of songs before the service ended and i really liked it. All in all i enjoyed my 40 minutes of service and will definately do what i can to make it on time since i see their service probably last like an hour and half.
I planned to attend Forefront church on Sunday because from viewing a message online I loved the straightforwardness of the pastor. They had a late service 5:30pm which I liked. I was excited to go but of course with me lateness came into the mix no matter how hard i try to be on time. Urgh..so I was 30 minutes late. I had absolutely no reason to be late. I got caught up in a convo with J so I lost track of time. J was like at this point maybe you should try next time it will be too late when you get there and its raining. Nope i made up my mind I'm going. So I arrived and the church was in a theater located above a restaurant so since i was late I ran up the steps..little did i know the steps was literally the balcony of the church (not padded but hardwood floors). Oops. several people turned so i just stayed on the side and listened to the message trying not to be a disturbance. Then this girl came in after me and had no problem walking up the stairs in the middle of the sermon so i said i would walk too but not up the steps. i saw a leather bench which was near by and sat there. As i listened i took a look at the church. It was rather amazing to see this chill casual church environment in this small theatre which had maybe 30-40 people between the balcony and downstairs. People were on l shaped lounge benches or booth, chairs. It was rather refreshing. I love a church building dont get me wrong but i noticed this is the second church that doesnt fit the conventional church building facade and i really like it.
I was listening to the message but felt i was missing something because i missed the beginning (its like how i hate to watch a movie in the middle) but I said let me just focus on whats going on. The pastor said our cities are filled with John the Baptist rather it be colleagues, close friend, neighbors. John asked Jesus Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?" (Matthew 11:3). In other words John was asking are you really the hands and feet of Christ? Are you all that you say you are? The same question can be asked of us..are we Christ followers? Do our actions line up with the bible? What we say/do on the weekend should line up with our actions on the weekday. Are you sure you are who you say you are? There was a survey that asked participants between the ages of 18-29 what do you think of Christians? Their response is judgmental, critical, sheltered. We are supposed to love others, sacrifice, and give to others. But many of us feel like its ok to say one thing and do another; despise those that disagree with us but we are giving a role to contribute a verse to God and healing to this world. The pastor then went back to the question John asked Jesus. He said John was about to be beheaded and he is looking at Jesus and possibly thinking this wasn’t the role I expected the son of God to play out in my life. Why am I about to beheaded? Jesus response was that the mission of God is being accomplished…..people are finding their way back to God, the lame are walking, good news is being preached to poor, the blind is seeing. Your life will be sacrificed and you will die.
For the mission of God to progress or move forward its going to require sacrifice for everyone who say they believe him. It doesn’t mean your literal life though some it is. But its about seeing a difference of what’s going on today and tomorrow because we are a Christ follower. Love, give, and serve in extravagant ways. As the body of Christ we are ask to do and say what we mean.
I thought this was a great message and something to think about!I'm going to go to the morning service next week but unfornutaley i will have to leave early because i have other meetups scheduled that day but i will be there for the majority of the service and can catch the remainder of the message online. Thankfully I also got to sample the worship team because they sang a couple of songs before the service ended and i really liked it. All in all i enjoyed my 40 minutes of service and will definately do what i can to make it on time since i see their service probably last like an hour and half.
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