Thursday, June 17, 2010

Free Sewing Patterns For Potholders

Sewing small projects (well, at least looking up directions and planning to sew them later) has been a focus of mine lately.

Missie - any guess who might be getting which one for Christmas? There is one correct answer - one person is getting one of the above potholders.....

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Summer of the Kings: Finally diving into and enjoying the Old Testament

Saul, Samuel, David, and Solomon.....the last judge and the first three kings of Israel. God didn't design us to be ruled by any king except for himself. A country without a person in charge? Major decisions made by a select few set apart as wise and worthy? How could that even work? It seems impossible to us, but this was the way the world began. Israel was content without kings and only judges....until nearby pagan countries - who worshiped false gods and did not follow the true God - appointed kings to rule their land. In response, Israelites ranted and raved for their very own king! Saul, the final judge, warned them of what would happen...

1 Samuel

10 Samuel told all the words of the LORD to the people who were asking him for a king. 11 He said, "This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots. 12 Some he will assign to be commanders of thousands and commanders of fifties, and others to plow his ground and reap his harvest, and still others to make weapons of war and equipment for his chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. 15 He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants. 16 Your menservants and maidservants and the best of your cattle and donkeys he will take for his own use. 17 He will take a tenth of your flocks, and you yourselves will become his slaves. 18 When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the LORD will not answer you in that day."

19 But the people refused to listen to Samuel. "No!" they said. "We want a king over us. 20 Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles."



He warned them....they didn't listen. All of Samuel's predictions come true.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Storm Warnings

Billy Graham is at heart an evangelist, not primarily an author, which I should have prepared myself for prior to beginning Storm Warning: Whether Global Recession, Terrorist Threats, or Devastating Natural Disasters, These Ominous Shadows Must Bring Us Back to the Gospel. Graham presents many current day disasters and events that are warnings signs of the end age and examines and deciphers the book of Revelations.

Instead of Graham diving into current and future events that stemmed from Biblical prophecies as I had expected, I struggled through the first 100 pages of Storm Warning, waiting for insight and information. The book is fairly simplistic, slow, and written for a general audience, which was not what I expected. As usual, unmet expectations can destroy a perfectly good experience, which could be the main reason I did not enjoy this read.

While describing and explaining the last book of the Bible, Billy Graham does not miss an opportunity to share the gospel message in Storm Warnings. The reason to discuss end times is install a bit of realistic fear into a sinful human race, which Graham does in a very positive, encouraging manner. I am a believer and think it is very important to share the gospel but wish more of this book was devoted to insights and descriptions of relevant current events. I hope believers and non-believers are touched by his message - he paints a great word picture of the author and message of Revelations, but this read left me wanting more.