January 27

Here are a few things that have just stuck out to me over the past couple weeks.

• In the first 2 verses of Genesis, there was darkness then the spirit hovered over the water and then there was light. I thought the order of that was really cool to see because we see over and over again in the Bible that there is darkness and then the spirit and light.
• I learned a couple of things from Elihu: 1) He is respectful (he lets the older men speak first) 2) When he confronted Job on his wrongdoing, he didnt act like he was better than Job. He said "I am just like you before God". 3) He was wiser than the older men only because God gave him understanding. 4) He says his spirit was compelling him to speak and he couldn't hold it in.
• I love that God tells Job to brace himself before he reveals even the smallest portion of His glory and just from seeing that small portion of God, Job repented of his self-righteousness right away.
• In Genesis 21:22 Abimelech noticed that God was with Abraham in all he did. God used this to take care of the situation with the well. I think if we are truly living for God those around us will notice and God will bless us through it.

Question: Who is the random man who wrestles Jacob in Genesis 32:24.. Is it one of Esau's people?

~Marlene

understanding the timelines

So I have decided that this year as I am reading my bible that I will take time to study things and make charts, timelines, etc. if it will help me (and hopefully you) understand how and when things happened the way they did.  My first task was to chart the lineage of Adam all the way to Abraham and write out each man that was born and how long he lived.  This was cool to see who lived during the same time as someone else.  i.e. Abraham was born and lived around the same time as Seth which means he was able to hear about the fall and the events of Cain and Abel directly from the source.  Tonight I thought I would make a time line of the major events of Abraham's life.  I was amazed at what God accomplished in 100 years of Abraham's life!!  Here is what I created.  Hope it helps you too!!

Birth of Abraham	Silence	75 years old	86 years old	99 years old	100 years old	102 years old	132 years old	137 years old	140 years old	160 years old	175 years old
		Genesis 12   God's first promise to Abram to make him into a great nation.   Abram leaves Haran as God instructed and departs for the land of Canaan.	Genesis 16   Sarai gives Hagar to Abram as wife and she becomes pregnant with Ishmael. "I have now seen the one who sees me."	Genesis 17  God's fifth promise:  reaffirms the covenant made with Abram.    Covenant of Circumsciion	Birth of Isaac.	Hagar and Ishmael are sent away.	Genesis 22   Sacrifice of Isaac.       Seventh promise: God tell Abraham that his offspring will be as numerous as the stars of heaven and  the sand on the seashore	Genesis 23   Death of Sarah at the age of 127 years old.	Genesis 24   Wife for Isaac (Rebekah)	Birth of Jacob and Esau	Genesis 25   Death of Abraham
		God's second promise:  Once in Canaan God promises the land to Abram's descendents.	Birth of Ishmael.	Names are changed to Abraham and Sarah.      Genesis 18    Three visitorsremind Abram that Sarah will bear a son.  Promises that all nations will be blessed through them and Kings will be among their descendents.
		Famine causes Abram to move to Egypt where he lies about Sarai being his wife. Hagar is picked up as Sarai's maidservant.		Genesis 19   Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed.
		Genesis 13   Abram and Lot separate. Abram moves to Hebron. Lot moves to Sodom. God's third promise: Promises the land of Canaan to Abram's offspring.		Genesis 20   Abraham moves to Gerar and lies again about Sarah being his wife to Abimelech.
		Genesis 14    Abram rescues Lot.		Genesis 21   Sarah is pregnant with Isaac.
		Offering to Melchizedek
		Genesis 15   God's fourth promise:  God makes a covenant with Abram promising him a multitude of descendents as numerous as the stars. 15:2 "I am your shield, your very great reward."  Abram believes and God credits it to him as righteousness.   **They will dwell in the land of Canaan after being slaves for 400 yrs. In a foreign land (Egypt).

A New Desire

Hey girls! I hope y'all are all having a great week! I'm so excited to be able to share with y'all all that I've learned because I feel like I've learned SO much these last two weeks from reading our one year bible and from Mrs. Mandy's bible study.
-So.. I titled this post "New Desire" because some of the characters' relationships with God in our reading have stuck out to me in so many ways. In my journal, I've wrote things like "I want to be like Noah and do everything JUST as God commanded him with no doubts or fears (Jan. 2)." Another example is "I want to be like Job by not charging God with any wrongdoing, but praising Him (Jan 5)." I feel like these people have shown us such great examples on how to live a life ALL for Christ. My desire and prayer lately has been to be like these characters in order to strengthen my relationship with God!

-On Monday at Mrs. Mandy's house, we had the chance to study and learn about David and Goliath. I know that we've all heard this story since we were 5, but this story has so many AWESOME things in it that I've never really realized! I love how even when David was offered armor and other things to protect him, he knew that ALL he needed was His God! He had so much confidence because He knew God was with Him. My favorite thing I wrote down was "Whatever trouble we are in, it is not our battle to fight, it is the Lord's. He will carry you through." I love knowing that there is nothing I can do to overcome battles and trials in my life- all I need is to allow Him to carry me through!

-Wow, I'm sorry! This is long! One more thing.. I have a few questions:
1. In Genesis 5:3, does this mean that Cain and Abel were not born in his image?
2.Job 1:5- Why did Job feel like he needed to do that for his children?
3.Gen 1:26- "our image"... is he referring to the Trinity?

I hope y'all have a great rest of the week and a fun weekend! See y'all Sunday!
-Meredith

The Great Pursuit

While so many your age will choose to pursue the things of this world YOU have CHOSEN to pursue GOD. This truly will be an endeavor that you will look back on to when you began and you will see growth, change, goodness, transformation, and even more than these words will describe in your life. This will be a challenge because the busyness of life will try to stop you or cause you to get behind but I pray that you will recognize it and stand firm in your commitment to read these 66 books in one year with the purpose of getting to know God more than ever before. Also, keep in mind that as you read and see God's promises that these are true for you and your life still today.

This blog is NOT for me to be the one sharing what God is teaching me but maybe you have a question that you cant find the answer to OR maybe God has shared something really awesome with you and you cant wait to share it with someone else.  That’s what this blog is for!  Also it will be a great way to hold each other accountable and help each other to remain disciplined to read God’s word daily.

You may simply say “good morning, today this verse really stuck out to me because _______.”

I cant wait to hear what God is teaching you as you pursue Him.