Sep 30, 2008

Sep 27, 2008

Under the Weather

I may not be posting for a few days. I have come down with something mean and nasty. Have a great weekend everyone.



Edie

Sep 25, 2008

Random Question - What Does "In His Image" Look Like?

Random Question


It's Friday and here we are again with a new question to think about, discuss with God, and write out your thoughts on your blog. I want to thank you all for participating and I do hope you are enjoying our weekly topics. Ok, on to the question. Are you ready for a tough one?

What does "In His Image" actually look like? Consider how this may look different in some ways before the fall, after the fall, and after Christ.

Family photo


Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness ....."
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:26-27)

When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image ..... (Genesis 5:3)

In His Image. I love this phrase, and I have often wondered and prayed about it too. Looking at the two scriptures above they appear to carry the same idea. Whenever a baby is born friends and family often say "He looks just like his dad", or "She looks just like her mom." We search for identifying traits that mark a visible connection to the parent and even to other family members. So is it possible that we might actually bear a physical (I use that word very loosely here) resemblance to our Father? Maybe. We won't really know that until we step on the other side of eternity.


I have to believe that Adam & Eve in their perfect state were the closest human representation of His Image (apart from Christ) there was. After the fall His Image faded in us and continued to fade as time went on. Then when Christ came, He made it possible to sharpen His Image again when we choose to accept Him as our Lord and Savior. Since He takes up residence in us and begins to change us back into a representation of His Image. Looking at this I think I have to say that "In His Image" has moved from a more physical representation (the perfect human) to a more spiritual representation (the character of Christ). In the same way we notice physical traits in a baby in the image of his/her parents, and later in life we often notice character traits of the parents. Those are just my thoughts.


So here are a few things that I have seen in people that I believe are In His Image.


  • Ability to think, talk and reason.
  • Strong arms combined with a gentle touch.
  • Sense of humor.
  • The way God wired a man to protect and provide. (I know not all men do this but I do believe that God wired men this way.)
  • A woman's desire to have a child.
  • Creativity. I believe all people have creativity in some form, but not all creativity is expressed in the same way.
  • An appreciation for beauty.
  • Imagination.
  • Ability to love.

Ok so this is a very, very small list but it should be enough to get you thinking. Now it's your turn. Write about what "In His Image" looks like on post it on your blog and include a link to this post. Then come back here and use Mr Linky below to link back to your post and leave me a comment.

Edie





Witch Doctor Song Lyrics

This sounds like it's going to be evil but it isn't I promise.

There is a discussion going on in the "Chat Room" over at ADHD-Jo's Monkey's are Funny about the correct words to the song "The Witch Doctor." I don't have the original "record" (which is ok since I also don't have a record player either) but this should clear up the matter.

Be careful, you are likely to be singing it all day. :)





Edie

Sep 24, 2008

Word Quiz

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A picture is worth a thousand words right?



I don't much like to type becasue I have such a hard time moving my thoughts from their origination point and out of my fingers. (I also never type becAUse correctly and I'm not fixing it any more.) It seems that a lot of the time when I have to do the "Word Quiz" (as one dear bloggy friend calls it) I get it wrong and have to redo it. In light of this I have removed the "Word Quiz" from my comments section. You are now allowed to leave a comment whether or not you can read the letters.


It strikes me as very odd that THEY make the letters so difficult to discern. It is my understanding that the reason it reduces spam is becasue it is an image and automated spam whatchamacallits can't read images. So whey do THEY make the images hard for people to read? Becasue!


Becasue, becasue, becasue, becaaaaasue, ........becasue of the __________________ (fill in the blank)


Edie

Sep 22, 2008

The Poetry in a Psalm

Have you ever tried to write a Psalm or even just thought about it? Years ago I heard a program that dug into this topic and I found it very interesting. The Psalms are actually Hebrew poems that follow certain rules of poetry and there are a variety of styles too. It is also a prayer in the form of a poem.


I thought it would be fun to look into it and learn to wrtie a Psalm. I noticed that a number of Psalms were acrostic poems where each line or verse begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Psalm 34 and Pslam 25 are two examples of this. I thought this might be a good style to begin with, only using the English alphabet. Then I realized that wasn't the style but the way it was implemented so I needed to make some adjustments. Fortunately it wasn't too far off the mark.

The style I did use is called Synonomous parallelism. In this style the expression of the first line is repeated in the second.

e.g. Psalm 24:1
"The earth is the Lord's and the fullness of it,
the world and they that dwell in it."
(Parallel terms share the same emphasis)
The second line often focuses the first line. i.e. "they that dwell in it" is more specific than "the fullness of it."

I'm not much of a poet but I did spend time with God in a new way while doing this.

I will post again with new Psalms in the various styles. Try it yourself. Write a Psalm in the Synonomous parallelism style and post it on your blog. It doesn't have to be an acrostic poem. Be sure to come back and let me know, I would love to read it.

Edie's Psalm




Edie

Sep 19, 2008

Random Question - How Do You Recognize When God Speaks?

Random Question

Happy Friday! It's time for our Random Question. I have to be honest, this is a question I pulled from Priscilla Shirer's book, Discerning the Voice of God". It's an excellent book and discusses an excellent topic. So on with our question.

How do you recognize when God speaks to you? Can you tell us about a specific time when you heard Him?

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. (John 10:27)


If I'm going to be transparent here, then I have to admit that I have, more than once, questioned my ability to hear God. How do I know that it is Him and not my own desires? That is kind of ironic to me too since I was an agnostic in my teens. I just didn't know if there was a God, but I did know that if there was that He would be more than capable of telling me, so I asked Him... several times. One day as I was having a conversation with a friend, seemingly out of the blue I heard God say "I Am Real." Not audibly, but most definetly I heard it in my heart. I was so amazed by it that I looked at my friend and said "God just talked to me!"

I think it's interesting that even though I had never heard God speak before, I knew without a doubt that He spoke to me then. I've thought about this a number of times since then also because many times I have been unsure if I am hearing Him or not. There have also been times that I have been sure He spoke to me but then as things did not appear to occur as I had expected, I questioned if I had really heard Him to begin with.

I have found that He speaks differently in varying circumstances and people. While there have been a number of times when He has spoken loud and clear to my heart like that first time, most often I find I'm not exactly sure that He's speaking to me until I take that step into obedient faith. At those times His voice is more like a pressing or a pulling into a situation that doesn't let up until I have moved into the situation.

At times I hear His voice when I am reading the Bible or a devotional, and something jumps out at me. One time I had been praying about a strong concern I had over someones conduct toward me and a website that I was trying to access was having trouble opening properly. All of a sudden in large bold type popped up the words "Leave Him To Me". The words Hit Me and I knew that was God speaking to me.

So how about you? How do you recognize when God speaks?

Edie


Sep 17, 2008

Game of the Day Revisited - Bubbles

Due to the recent growing interest in this game, I thought it would be fun to bring it back for a bit. Now for those of you who are afraid of popping balloons, let me assure you that these are bubbles and not balloons, but this might be good therapy if you have that phobia. :D

Have Fun!

Bubbles - Try to pop the bubbles by shooting at same color bubbles. You must touch 3 or more bubbles of the same color to pop them. Have Fun!






Edie

Sep 16, 2008

Living a Life of Integrity

Psalm 19:7-14


We are in week five of our study on integrity and I love that God has been teaching me so much. I had intended to share week three, our lesson on the beaditutes, but there was so much. I hope to do that another time.

As I was doing my study this morning, it led me to several scriptures, including the one above, Psalm 19:7-14 ...
Psalm 119:11 - I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against
you.

Luke 4:4 - Jesus answered, "It is written: 'Man does not live on bread alone.

Deuteronomy 8:3 - He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you
with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man
does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the
LORD.


It is so easy to look at these, see the obvious, and then move on. So these scriptures tell us to read, know or learn the Word of God. But then God brought me back to Psalm 19:7-14 and also had me read Psalm 119:9-16, not just 119:11. I hope you will take a moment to go back to that scripture and read it too.

This is what these scriptures say to me, what it means to live a live of integrity. Knowing the Word of God is not, in itself, enough. Even Satan knows the Word of God. We must Live by the Word of God.


  • We must know it.
  • We must believe it.
  • We must meditate on it, which means think and pray about what it means.
  • We must obey it in every area of our lives, not just the convenient or acceptable ways.
  • We must delight in it or learn to love it.
  • We must depend on it.
  • We must revere it.
  • We must give it full authority over all decisions and every area of our life, from the tinyest detail to the greatest problem.

And it speaks two awesome promises when we do these things.

  • A great reward.
  • The pleasure of God.

To me there is nothing greater than pleasing God.

These are not things we do from a distance. These are things we do up close and personal with God. I am really looking forward to our discussion of this in class this Sunday and welcome your thoughts on this too. Is God stirring up your heart with these Words of His like He has mine?


Edie

Sep 13, 2008

Beloved Blogging Buddies

Thank you blogging buddies

I just wanted to say thank you to all of you who have expressed concern for my safety today. You are good Bloggy Friends and I so appreciate you checking in on me like you have.

Just to let you know, I am safe and well. Ike passed just a little east of me so we got some heavy wind and rain but no threat of damage. My heart and my prayers go out to those in Galveston, Houston, and others in Ike's direct path. The damage is quite severe and many have lost their homes, and some have lost their lives.

Father, you alone are God. You are Holy. You are worthy. You created all things
and without you nothing could exist. Please help those who have lost homes and
loved ones due to this hurricane. Wrap your arms around them and make them
very aware of your presence. Reveal yourself to those who don't know you and
draw those that do closer to you. Provide all that is needed in possessions
and finances to repair and rebuild where damage occurred. Thank
you that you always hear and that you love us. - In Jesus' Name


Edie

Sep 12, 2008

Random Question - What Element of Creation Most Causes You to Worship God

Random Question

Well, it's Friday and time for this week's Random Question. Please join us won't you?
What element of creation makes you most want to worship the LORD?
The Heaven's declare Your greatness,
the ocean cry out to You,
the mountains they bow down before You,
so I'll join with the earth and I'll give my praise to You.

I find myself often looking up at the sky and thinking on God. Sometimes I think I'm looking for Him to appear there. I love to look into the sky, but that is not the element that makes me most want to worship Him.

I used to have my living room decorated in kind of a jungle theme. I had pictures of wild animals on the walls, animals carved out of wood, and stone, and even a real crocodile head. I didn't have the animal killed, so please don't be mad at me. I bought is because it facinated me. It also facinated the five year olds that I taught Sunday School to when we learned about creation.

It's the animals that make me most worship God. Ok, let me add that includes bugs, flying creatures and aquatic creatures too. Everything about them teaches me something about Him, about His character, and His thoughts, and His personality.

I have mentioned that I rarely ever watch television but one night I turned on the tv and went to check out the Discovery Channel. Well it was about the African Dung Beetle. I was so disappointed and started to change the channel but then there was a closeup of this little guy doing what he was created to do. Basically that was find a mate, build a house, have baby beetles, and die, and he had very little time to accomplish it too! Anyway, I found myself being amazed at the personality in this little bug and his wife. At one point he was in the way while she was trying to setup the home and she let him have it with both barrels! I thought it was pretty funny but I don't think he was too amused. But they had a purpose and they knew what it was and worked together to accomplish it. God designed their little bodies perfectly to accomplish their tasks of digging, and rolling up the supply of food that would be necessary to sustain their little bugs as mom and dad would never see them.

God gave creatures incredible camouflauges, both for protection and for hunting advantages. The leopards spots blend in with the leafy shadows of the trees. God made zebras to hang out together and the stripes make it difficult for preditors to tell where one zebra ends and another begins. There are bugs that look like leaves, fish that look like rocks, and animals that change color with the season or the environment. When feeling threatened goats play dead, puffer fishes puff into a spiny ball, and there is a lizard that looks like that cute little dinosaur in Jurassic Park whose neck fanned out like an umbrella. Then there are the built in protection weapons like the frog we met in my post on why dogs should not eat frogs.

God put so much thought into His creation it really is hard to choose just one element. When I look at the creatures, I see incredible beauty, protective features, defensive features, logic, imagination, creativity, variety, oddity, uniqueness, color, and personality. I have been amazed to find personality in every creature. I had a fish once in a fish bowl that, when I would walk near the bowl he would actually swim to the top of the bowl and let me pet his head.

Without a doubt, when I look at the creatures I am awestruck over my Creator.

I hope you will join us this week. Leave a comment and use Mr Linky to link to your post.

Edie


Sep 10, 2008

The Invisible Woman

I'm not feeling especially typative this week. I have been reading about all the mom's who courageously shuffled their little ones, and not so little ones, off to school in the last week or two. I have seen tears, and celebrations, and planning, and lists, and lots of hard work mingled with lots of love. You are seen.

Tomorrow is 9-11. Those that were lost on that day were seen. Those that acted courageously were seen. Those that lost loved ones were seen. All those firefighters and police officers who did, and those who do put yourselves at risk daily to help others. You are seen.


El Roi - The God Who Sees
He sees where you have come from and where you are going.
He sees what you need as well as what you don't need.
He sees what He wants to make of you and
how He's going to achieve it.





The Invisible Woman by Nicole Johnson


Edie

Sep 9, 2008

Giving Obama a Chance to Speak for Himself

Ok, please forgive me if you are offended by political messages but it seems to be the week for me. You may have seen this but since I don't watch television, I miss a lot of stuff like this.






Edie

Sep 8, 2008

Dear Mr Obama



I saw this on Diane's Blog, Meyer's on the Hood, and wanted to share the message. Feel free to post it on your site and keep the message going.



Edie

Sep 7, 2008

Why is it bad news for a dog to attempt to eat a frog?


BEWARE - ATTACK FROG ON DUTY


A number of years ago, when my daughter was living with me, she woke me up in a panic one morning at 4:00 am. Now I have been known to stay up til 4:00 am, but to be woken up at that time is just wrong! So as I'm waking up I can hear the dog running wildly through the house, using the entire carpet as a face napkin, and panting like crazy.

So Nik tells me that she had gone outside on the patio to smoke a cigarette and, as usual, Tobi went with her. While they are out there a frog joined them. We hardly ever get frogs here but this one turned up and Tobi was curious. She had never seen a frog before and decided to inspect it more closely. The frog would take a few hops and Tobi would follow it, so the frog would take a few more hops and Tobi would follow. I guess the frog became annoyed with this game and hopped into the garden making it more difficult for Tobi's close inspection. So Tobi decided to do the logical thing... move the frog back on to the patio.

According to Nik, Tobi was not trying to hurt the frog, she just wasn't finished with the game. Now I have to believe that because I've seen Tobi when her heart was set on evil. There is no doubt when her goal is "kill or be killed". This generally occurs with cats, rabbits, mice, and squirels. Birds, crickets, frogs, geckos, and flies are just novelty items to pass the time. So anyway, Tobi picked up the frog in her mouth to move it and immediately spit it out and went tearing out down the patio and on to the grass with foam pouring out of her mouth as she rubbed her face all over the lawn in a desperate attempt to rid herself of this nasty discovery.

Not knowing what was going on, I called a 24 hour Animal Hospital and asked them if frogs were toxic to dogs and the guy on the other end kind of chuckled and said "So your dog got a hold of a frog huh?" I took the chuckle to be an encouragement that this was not a life threatening situation and was quite relieved.

It seems that God has given frogs a highly effective defense mechanism by making their skin toxic enough to cause a very immediate, and from Tobi's response, quite uncomfortable reaction. I don't think Tobi will be interested in frogs anymore.

Tobi
Jeremiah was a bullfrog...
was no friend of mine.
I tried to help him out and how he repayed me
was with a mouth full of foamy slime,
and it was mighty nasty foamy slime....


Edie

Sep 4, 2008

Random Question - Which is Your Prefered Bible Translation?

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It's time for another RQ. I'm so glad to see that so many of you are enjoying this challange. I have loved reading the thoughts you have posted on your blogs. I'm going to take it easy on you this week. First, this weeks question is less challanging than previous questions. Second, because I love to give people choices, I have posted an optional question at the end of this post. Choose one or both to write about.

Which is Your Prefered Bible Translation? Why?

There are numerous Bible translations available to choose from these days. There's the New International (NIV), New American Standard (NASB), the Amplified Bible, the New Living Translation (NLT), the King James (KJV), New King James (NKJV), the Message, and the list goes on....

How is one to choose? Well, I don't claim to know all the differences in all of the various translations but I have narrowed my preferences down. I decided I wanted to live for Christ in 1991 as a result of reading my Bible. We had been in the Gulf War and I began wondering about it's signifigance to the end times so I started reading Revelation. Yep, I started with the most difficult book to understand. In addition to that, I was reading out of an Old King James Version.

Here is a sample reading in case you haven't had the opportunity to read this translation.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.


John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne; And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.


Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.


This is just proof that it is God who reveals Himself to us and He can use anyone and anything, or nothing at all to do so.

So I have a certain fondness for the KJV but it is not my prefered translation. I was introduced to the NIV shortly after that and it is the translation that I carry and use most. It is an accurate translation and easy to read and honestly, I've become accustom to it. I do however, refer to two other translations often.

I am developing quite a taste for the NLT these days. It is written in a more common English verbiage and I have been finding deeper meaning in a number of verses lately using this translation. I am even considering switching from my NIV to this translation.

On occasion I will also refer to The Message. This translation seems to be the most frequently quoted these days. It definitely sheds a different light on scripture. I choose not to use it much but I do like to refer to it at times just to see how a verse is translated.

I think refering to different translations often offers deeper understanding of scripture, and with the online Bibles that are available today it is much easier to refer to several. So which one is your preference?

Alternate Question:
Why is it bad news for a dog to attempt to eat a frog?
Yes this is a real question with a real answer. Have fun finding it!





Edie

Please Pray for my Friend K and her Family

I just now received this email from a very dear friend and sister in Christ. I am asking for your prayers on her behalf. Thank you again.


Dear Edie,

I came out to Las Vegas Wednesday to visit my girlfriend, T. Yesterday I got a call from my sister in Ohio informing me that my nephew B (her 18 yr old son), has died suddenly from complications from the surgery he had last month. I am overwhelmed with grief....and am flying to Ohio tomorrow morning to be with my family...Please pray that I would be the light of Christ in this dark time. None of my family knows the Lord Jesus. I am scared. I will keep you posted as things unfold.

Thanks in advance for your prayers.

Love, K





Edie

Sep 2, 2008

Pray for the Persecuted


We do not experience persecution like the Christians in other countries do. It is so easy to forget. We all do this, not intentionally but because "Out of sight, out of mind." Today will you remember with me and lift them up in prayer. We forget, this could happen in our own nation as well. We are not exempt.

Thank you dear ones.


Christians Flee to Forests as MobViolence Escalates in Indian State.
Please watch the video HERE.



Additional videos you may be interested in.











Edie

Sep 1, 2008

Another Certificate of Acheivements Presentation

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Once again I am here to present these Three of a Kind, but still Highly Unique,
Certificate of Achievements to two more individuals who have proven themselves
more than worthy of this High Honor.

To Mrs P at The Patterson 5: This Certificate is being presented for her highly developed, self-taught linking abilities, along with the diligent and consistent use of these new skills. Truely a woman of admirable perseverence!

To Sue at CREATE: Making Something of Today: This Certificate is being presented for her outstanding ability to construct a post that incorporates a link to all of her
closest bloggy friends (I'm honored to be included) while simaltaneously,
incorporating the Blog Names of her bloggy friends into the story plot of her
post. An amazing feat!

Hang these certificates proudly on your blog for all to see, admire, and covet.


If you want to meet two wonderfully kind women of the blogosphere be sure to pay them a visit. They will welcome you with love and friendship. That's what they did for me. :)


Edie