At It Again - Devotionals from MY Bible - Day 4

So, I forgot last night to post the verses for today.  Sorry!

Genesis 15:5 - He took him outside and said, "Look up at the heavens and count the stars - If indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."

Genesis 19:26 - But Lot's wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

Genesis 22:7-8 - Isaac spoke up and said to his father Abraham, "Father?" "Yes, my son?" Abraham replied. "The fire and wood are here," Isaac said, "but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham answered, "God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." And the two of them went together.

     These three verses cover a LOT of events and a LOT of history.  It covers God's covenant with Abraham, the destruction of the cities of Sodom & Gomorrah, and then Abraham's prepared sacrifice of his only son from his wife Sarah.  So, let's break down each one even though they all revolve, basically, around the life of Abraham.

     Genesis 15:5 - I love when God gives you a promise.  Do you know why?  Because He ALWAYS keeps it!!! Now, it may not happen while we're alive and our descendants may have to reap the "reward", but He always fulfills it.  Back in biblical times it was important to have heirs or sons to leave your estate (blessing) to.  Pretty much the goal was to have many children with the hope that many of the children would be boys.
     Abraham was worried about this matter as he did not have any sons and he was climbing in age daily.  God promised him early on that he would have lots and lots and lots and lots and lots (you get the point, right) of descendants and his name would live forever.  Abraham believed Him, but is wife wasn't so sure.  Especially since the first promise of a child didn't take place within her timing.  She asked Abraham to bed with her maid and they had a kid and it was pretty messy after that! (Women!)
     Now, God made a lofty promise to Abraham...I mean, can you count all the stars?  Can you even count all the stars you can visibly see when facing one direction?  Another verse within the story of Abraham tells him his offspring will be numerous as the sands of the beach...really!  That's a lot of mouths to feed!  This would make any man happy.  He would have descendants! He would have heirs!  This was uber-important in those days.  But, isn't it almost as important today?
      While we have limited views of the world as Americans, many countries still carry on a similar practice to what Abraham was wishing for.  There are tribes and nations all over the earth that have many children in hopes of many descendants to carry on the family line.  Even in America, most families want at least one male child to carry on the family name...or it dies out and where is the legacy in that?
      For example, if my brother was the only McPherson male child born (excluding cousins, etc.) the McPherson line would currently die when he dies as he has no male offspring.  And, if you look in other countries, like China, the male children are preferred over female children.  Boys were pretty important back then!

     Genesis 19:26 - This is an example of what happens when you disobey God when He's given clear consequences for your disobedience!!!  This plays out in the present destruction of the evil cities of Sodom & Gomorrah.  These cities were so bad that God sent angels in to see if they could find anyone righteous. While that was going on, Abraham asked God to save Lot and his family, but also to find the righteous.  (Abraham was a softy, I think...a good attribute from time to time!)
     Basically they couldn't find any righteous.  The angels told Lot and his family to high tail it out of the city and were specific in saying "DO NOT LOOK BACK".  What gets me here is that the family actually had a face-to-face with God's messenger.  They got told what to do (get out and don't look back) and the consequence (death) if you looked back.
     Now, like I said yesterday, I believe Dad is compassionate and full of love.  But, like any parent, sometimes He has to be tough - you know, tough love.  This was one of those times.  He had some cleaning up to do and no one needed to see it done.  He was adamant that His rules be followed.  And the rules weren't that hard...get out and don't look back.  But, curiosity killed the cat...
     Lot's wife must of have been curious.  Even though there was no one "righteous" in the city, I'm sure there may have been "good" persons there.  They were losing their friends, their church, their business, their associates, their house, their belongings, the family Bible!!! Women tend to be more thoughtful and emotional than men.  It must have been hard for her to cope with everything that happened that hour.  She was told to abruptly leave her home never to return or look back upon the life they had there.
     It makes this story sad because I think curiosity and emotions got the better of her. More disturbing is the thought that God knew she would look back.  Maybe that was the plan all along?  Maybe she was a bad apple? Maybe she was a thorn in the side of Lot and a reason he wasn't fully focused on God?  And why salt?
      Just let this be a lesson to you: Why Dad loves us and wants us to be happy, He is like any father. There are rules sometimes that cannot be broken and when they are broken, there are consequences.

     Genesis 22:7-8 - These verses are an amazing tribute to a wonderful Father/Son relationship that exists between God and Abraham and Abraham and Isaac.  First, God has just told Abraham to take his only "begotten" son from his wife Sarah and sacrifice him as a burnt offer to God.  And Abraham obediently complies with the task.
     Can you imagine what was going through Abraham's mind? In addition to some questions and thoughts below, I imagine the scenes of the Isaac's life were passing before his father's eyes.  Why God? He's my only son...what about your promise?  I love him.  This is going to cause me to die. What about Sarah, she'll never recover the loss. What will I do? Will you give me more sons? I've raised him since he was born. Oh, remember that baby smile? Oh, I think I'm going to be sick!
     But Abraham knew God had his best interest at heart.  He knew God could see the big picture and knew that God would still keep his promise. Now, as reassuring as all this "knowing" is, I'm sure Abraham was still having that inner turmoil.  He was human...like you and me. He was probably emotional inside. Maybe he sorta shut down on the outside.  He was doing his best, surely, coping with this so Sarah and Isaac wouldn't pick up on what was to come.  Thanks to Abraham's trusting relationship with God, he was able to obediently carry to the task.
     Now, on the flip side, you have a great relationship going between Abraham and Isaac.  I'd have to assume that Isaac may have been a little spoiled.  But he was very respectful and trusting of his father.  To me, it is like looking at the relationship of God with Abraham in human form.  Isaac didn't know Abraham's instructions, but trusted his dad knew the big picture and the sacrifice would go without a hitch.  He had faith in his father to trust his words "God himself will provide the lamb..."  Isaac knew his dad would protect him and knew that his dad, Abraham, had his best interest at heart.  Simply like God has ours at heart.
     It should be noted this is the first time the word lamb is used in the Bible. Also, I like how God has Isaac to sacrifice his only son (ignoring his offspring with the maid) for the greater good of humanity.  This same thing would happen years later when God would send down Jesus...the sacrificial lamb...to die for our humanity.  It should also be noted that this segment of the story has a happy ending in that God actually provided a sacrificial ram just before Abraham was about to slit open Isaac.  Can't imagine trying to explain that to my only son....

Tomorrow's verses:
Genesis 25:8 - Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.
Genesis 26:34-35 - When Esau was forty years old, he married Judith daughter of Beeri the Hittite, and also Basemath daughter of Elon the Hittite. They were a source of grief to Isaac and Rebekah.
Genesis 28:22  "...and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God's house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth."

Enjoy!

At It Again - Devotionals from MY Bible - Day 3

Sorry the devotional is so late today. I've been a bit under the weather and had to go to the doctor today for antibiotics, then lunch with Josh, then had to get the meds picked up, and a little nap to try to feel standing tonight.

Genesis 6:8 - But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Genesis 6:22 - Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
Genesis 8:22 - "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease."

     Genesis 6:8 - To find favor in the eyes of the Lord...Oh, what must one do?  Surely we don't have to be perfect because only one human ever was - Jesus.  I try to picture God like I do my human daddy.  Dad is very much like a human daddy.  He cares for his kiddos. He wants to see them happy, healthy, and growing.  He wants very much to be in a relationship with them.
      I do not thing Dad plays favorites, so don't let the word "favor" fool you.  I simply think it means that Noah made good choices and that made Dad happy.  Dad was pleased with him.  And, like a human daddy, Dad doesn't expect perfection.  He's happily pleased if we do our best and have that relationship with him.

     Genesis 6:22 - I sometimes think that "commanded" is a harsh word.  And, frankly, I don't always like picturing Dad as a harsh task-master.  However, I love the concept of being able to do everything that Dad asks us to do.  When we are youngsters, we don't always want to do what our parents tell us to do.  However, I have found, that when we get older, we comply.  Of course, I think it would be easier to do all that Dad "commanded" us to do if we could literally hear His voice...like a face-to-face conversation.
     Still, I know Dad does not expect perfection from me as that is not in my nature. So, I'm more likely to try to comply with His commands out of respect for all He has done and shown me.  Also, if I have a good relationship with Dad, I find I am more willing to comply than if I have a bad relationship with Him.  I think Dad knows and understands this as well.  Remember that He is Love.  And His overflowing love will pour down on us.  We have the biggest task...same as Noah and his ark...we have to listen to God and obey.  Sometimes that can be a shaky thing for us!

     Genesis 8:22 - While we don't know how long the earth will endure for, we can be sure that planting, harvesting, cold, heat, summer, winter, day, and night will never go away.  For a farm girl like me, that's pretty reassuring.  I don't have to wonder if El Nino or El Nina will prevent me from having a hot summer so I can take a cool dip at the lakes...it's GUARANTEED!
     There is reassurance in this verse over and over again.  Because all the elements that are important to every individual on the earth are mentioned in that short verse.  We all care about one aspect or item on the list and, again, I find it reassuring that these are GUARANTEED as long as the earth endures.
      Am I anxiously awaiting the "New Jerusalem"?  You betcha!  I can't wait for no more heartache, pain, tears, and the emotional rollercoaster we humans live with each day.  It wouldn't be so bad if I was happy all day or maybe not bad to have just one emotion tugging on me during that time.  But that is not how we were designed!  We are emotional beings and I'm just waiting for the ride to end....at least that's how I feel today! =o)

Below are links to a couple of Bill Cosby's parodies on Noah's ark.  They make me laugh each time I hear them because I'm sure I'd act in a similar manner if God spoke to me where I could clearly and concisely hear with my two ears.  I hope you like them.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bputeFGXEjA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Tt_YpvwrFg

Enjoy!
  

At It Again - Devotionals from MY Bible - Day 2

Genesis 5:24 - Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.
Genesis 5 - Adam: 930 years, Seth: 912 years, Enosh: 905 years, Kenan: 910 years, Mahalalel: 895 years, Jared: 962 years, Enoch: 365 years; Methuselah: 969 years, & Lamech: 777 years

     We humans put a lot of weight on numbers.  We need to stay in the black, out of the red.  We like to see how much money we earn or are worth. We like to know how old someone is at his/her birthday celebration. We like to know how many miles to the gallon we get. We like to know how much something costs or how it has appreciated in value.  We like to know how many years apart couples are and what drew them together. When we're little kids we want to know "How many?"
     It's funny to think that the God of the universe who is timeless would make humans and watch us obsess about time and numbers.  So, I've highlighted the numbers above in my Bible because it blows my mind that humans used to live that long.  We consider it a miracle these days if someone lives to be 100.  But 969 years old!
      Now there's lots of talk around what God sees as a day or a year verses what man sees as a day or year.  I've heard speculation that 1 human day is 1 year for God, or 100 years for him, or even 1000 years for him.  I've also heard speculation in the opposite that 1 human year is 1 day for God, or 100 years is 1 day, or even 1000 years is 1 day for him.
     Time does not concern me.  However, I like to have fun with numbers:  The average human life expectancy is around 70 years old today (give or take for those who want to be exact).  That means that 35 is the "middle" of your life.  Typically today couples are waiting longer to have kids, so around 30 is about average.  We live for 30 years, have kids, then age...respectively.
      During the life and times of these men, the numbers can be drastically different.  The average human life expectancy then was 847 years old.  "Middle" aged was 424 years old!!!!  So, the time to start having kids, comparatively with today's averages, would be 419 years old!!!  Can you even conceive such a thing?!
      Now, while these numbers are HUGE, know that they must have aged like we age now.  Because at the age of 65, both Mahalalel and Enoch began having children.  If they didn't age like we age, that would have been like a 9 year old dad.  So, we must assume that in some respects they aged like us.  Perhaps for them, 65 was the new 30?
      Anyway you slice the numbers, it is remarkable to me that at one time, the followers of God walked the earth for so long.  It's an amazing thing to speak with someone who is 80-100 years old to see how much things changed.  Can you image the change these men got to see?  Moving on...

Genesis 5:24 - Imagine walking with God.  What does your mind's eye capture?  Is he young or old? Is he clean shaven or neatly trimmed or scraggly looking?  Does he put you at ease or make your nervous?  Is it like being with an old friend or a new acquaintance?  Is there a brilliant radiating light or is it just "normal"?
     The previous verse states that Enoch walked with God for 300 years.  What did he do for his first 65?  Was he a sinner or perfect?  I like to think he was like me...a human sinner in need of redemption.  It took him 65 years and a kid to find God.  Not too shabby!  Then he walked with God for 300 years.  I'd like to think that this relationship is similar to that of Adam and Eve's before their fall.  It was an open, happy, beautifully working relationship.  Enoch would talk, God would listen and vice versa.  It must have been a great thing.
      Even more inspiring is the fact that he was taken away by God.  He didn't have to see that final sleep.  He didn't have to die that death and be buried in the ground or a tomb.  No!  He got to walk with God and then God put His around Enoch and said, "Come on, buddy.  It's time to go home."  Wow!
      In my mind's eye, I picture it similar to the final calling of the faithful to Christ.  You know, how the picture comes to mind that everyone who believes and is saved just disappears?!  But the other half of me tries to cope with how his family must have felt.  I mean, dying of old age at least allows you to say "Good-bye" to your loved ones.  You can bestow your blessing on them, hug them, hold them, comfort them while they try to do the same to you.  How must if have been for Enoch's family?

     Today's devotional is not about having the answers.  I'm human. I'm not in seminary nor have I studied any seminary classes. I try to listen to God and dole out some of the wisdom he has bestowed on me.  If you want answers to any of the things swimming in your head, seek God.  He's got all the answers.  Begin a relationship with Him.  Walk with Him daily.  Read His word daily.  Ask a preacher or teacher of the "Law" for help.
     Let the questions of my devotional swim for a while.  I think God leaves things open because were not supposed to fully understand them.  Ah, the great mystery writer, He is!

Tomorrow's Verses:
    Genesis 6:8 - But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
    Genesis 6:22 - Noah did everything just as God commanded him.
    Genesis 8:22 - "As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter,   day and night will never cease."

Enjoy!

At It Again - Devotionals from MY Bible - Day 1

  

Genesis 1:1 - In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Genesis 1:31 - God saw all that he had made and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning - the sixth day.

Genesis 2:18 - The Lord God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him."

Genesis 2:21-22 - So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man's ribs and closed up the place with flesh. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of man, and he brought her to the man.

Genesis 2:24 - For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.


     So, in rereading the verses for today, I've decided they are rather simple, yet very complex.  I'd like to break down today's study by verse groupings.

     Genesis 1:1 - Simple enough.  God created the heavens and the earth.  But what did that entail?  Think about all the things we know today.  All the continents, all the oceans, all the rivers, all the lakes, all the dialects, everything.  I like this verse because it sums up most of Genesis chapter 1...He created it ALL.
     There are those who would argue that the Big Bang Theory is how it all went down.  To them I ask, "Where did all the dust particulates come from to cause the Big Bang?"  To which they've always replied, "They were always there."  Well, to them I say, "God was always there!"

      I love the imagery given in the Good Book of heaven...yeah, the streets of gold and mansions untold, etc. But that's not really real to someone who grew up poor.  My vision of heaven is a bit more simple and realistic for a country girl.  When the big thunderheads roll across the plains with black clouds gathered below, you know you're in for a storm. But atop the black (figuratively speaking, it could be compared to earth), there are typically brilliant white golden cumulus (puffy) clouds. And when the sun hits them just right, there brilliance is SO overpowering that it hurts to look upon them, but when you do, there is now shadow in the heavens where the light touches.  That is how I see heaven and think about being in God's glory...it will be so brilliant, so overpowering, we will not be able to grasp the wholeness or the full beauty of it.
     So, while the verse is very simple, think about how complex the act truly is.

     Genesis 1:31 - Again, simple. So He saw what He did. He thought it was very good.  And, oh yeah, there was morning and evening on day 6.  He saw what He did...Wow!  He just created everything as we know it today with extras!!!!  Dinosaurs, birds, fish, lions, tigers, bears, Oh my!  Yes, on day 6 He has even created Adam, the first human to live in such a lush richness of compliance and in total open relationship to God.  He saw all this; the earth - land, water, rivers, mountains, waterfalls, oceans, valleys, hills, plants galore, animals galore, and a human; the heavens, His future dwelling place in all the elaborate fancies we can conjure into our limited imaginations and then some; morning and evening.  It was ALL GOOD.  All of it. All of it good...everything down to the last little mosquito and mouse.
      By saying it was VERY GOOD, He, the creator of it all, was saying it was "perfect".  It was as it should be.  God was dwelling with man and all the beasts of the earth, and birds of the air, and fish of the waters.  It was perfectly good in all things.  Beautiful. Breathtaking. Vivid. Bold. Vibrant. Alive. Loved. It was very good.

      Morning.  It is one of my favorite times of the 24 hours given to us.  I love it because if I'm an early riser, I get to see God painting the sunrise and I know that daily it changes...what an imagination God has...so limitless and full.  And in the morning, animals are more active and the birds, and there is a peace in my heart that is so full I want to sing praises until Him for all His glorious creation!  I love mornings.
     Evening. Well, humans have given this two meanings.  1) Before the dusk falls.  When the temperatures have cooled down and the sun is nearing its setting point...thus like morning, animals and birds are active. This is the time to sit down on the porch in your Adirondack chair and have some sweet tea with ice and lemon and maybe a cookie.  It is humanly perfectly peaceful...mostly.  2) It is night.  You go to sleep because it has turned dark.  God has gently leaned in the door of our room (earth) and switched "off" the light so we may get rest for the next fulfilling day.  I like to sleep and I like it more so when it is dark.  So, hooray for evening.

     Genesis 2:18 - We get a bit more complex as we think about that "suitable helper".  I mean Adam has seen ALL of creation just like God.  He's named all the animals and plants and knows each one, but there isn't one he wants to snuggle with.  Now, some may say that God hadn't thought about woman until this point, but God is God.  He already had all this planned.  Of course, He knew she would bite the fruit and take Adam with her and the relationship He had already established would get MUCH harder.
     But, like a doting parent, He didn't want to say "No".  And thus we march into the next verses were glorious, but lost woman emerges.

     Genesis 2:21-22 - The creation of woman.  Have you ever felt on a man or a boy their ribs.  You'll notice they have 11 and there's definitely flesh where number 12 "should" be.  And on a woman or a girl, you'll find she has 12 and no extra flesh where a rib "should" be.  I like to think how man was created from dirt.  And woman, we were created from flesh and bone.  We are wholly a part of man and thus man is wholly part of us because we bear them after 9 months.
       This is like the best gift ever to Adam.  Someone like him.  Similar to him, yet different enough to be unique and attractive and deadly unfortunately.  She is his second half.  She is of him, for him, because of him, and will be with him always.
       And thus, they begin a relationship with each other that is full, open, and wholly partaking of God.  It's the most beautiful relationship we can think of other than that of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.  It is a relationship of love, laughter, openness, perfection.  Something we will not be able to attain until we sleep our final sleep.  Beautiful.  Whole. Loving.  Wow!

     Genesis 2:24 - I love this picture.  You see, in biblical times, the sons would stay with their fathers and live there and work their fields and tend their animals until they married.  Once they married, they would leave their family...move out...and the man would now make his own way to be with his wife.  Now back then the woman's family typically gave a dowry which is how the man and woman would live...it was typically herds or fields or both or all that and some gold or silver.
      It is when the man decides to take a wife, that one flesh and one flesh combine to form one flesh.  It's biblical math and when the right one flesh finds another right one flesh and they work it out right, they should be one flesh.  It's how God intended relationships of the flesh to work intimately.  You think alike, you act similar, you complete the other's sentences, you know him/her inside and out.  You can make decisions based on what you know what him/her comfortably and know that it "right" and okay.

      When the two become one flesh, they take the good, the great, the awesome, the "We are truly blessed!" with the bad, the ugly, the "Why do we feel like God is punishing us?".  They take each other through the thick and the think.  They cry together, laugh together, work together, play together, go to battle together.  They are bonded like super glue...flesh to flesh.
       It's a scary thing when you think about it.  Or, maybe if your adventurous, it's exciting.  It's a journey like no other. A journey in love, life, thought, feelings...everything move you make now effects someone else.  You no longer hurt alone...for he/she hurts with you.  You no longer "win" alone...all wins are wins for the one flesh.  You celebrate together and scorn together.  It's a bond like no bond ever before.  Sure, it's similar to a familiar bond, but very different.
      Again, in this creation, we see beauty, love, elegance, determination, perfection through relationship with work.  It's a WOW thing.

      I love the creation tale.  While it is used time and time again in Sunday school and can seem to get bogged down, you have to admit, it's an awesome wonder.  If you put time to think about what it means to create something, you'll gain a new appreciation for what God did for us.  If you're having trouble wrapping your mind around this, try this: Take some clay or play dough and try to make an animal.  It has to be a 3D animal and try to make it look realistic.  It's hard, even for an artist like me.  Once you have that realistic 3D animal, imagine if it came to life.  That, is what creation must have been like...only way faster!

    Tomorrow's verses:
Genesis 5 - We'll be contemplating the ages of all the people with an actual verse 24 being thought of.
     Adam: 930 years
     Seth:  912 years
     Enosh:  905 years
     Kenan:  910 years
     Mahalalel:  895 years
     Jared:   962 years
     Enoch:  365 years
     Methusela:  969 years
     Lamech:   777 years
     24:  Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.

Enjoy!

At It Again - Devotionals from MY Bible

     So, it's been FOREVER since I've posted anything and again, I've decided to do devotionals.  This time, with a twist!  I'm a person who has read the Bible on several occasions, sought it out to find answers when I was lost, just read it to establish a relationship with Dad.  In the many, many times I've used my current Bible, I've highlighted things that spoke to my heart, wrote myself notes in it, etc. 
     I feel that God is easier to hear, if we're allowing ourselves to come into the relationship with him...expecting him to talk to us.  Many people claim they never hear God or that God has never spoken to them.  But, I beg to differ.  Sometimes he talks and we hear then and there.  Sometimes he talks and we don't listen. Sometimes he talks, but we don't get it until after the fact.
     Below are just a handful of stories from my life experiences that show God does, indeed, speak...do we listen?

Story 1 - The 11 Year Prayer
     To keep the stories short, I'm only going to tell what is important.  My father was a Christian raised by Christian parents, baptized. He is a farmer, welder, was a Sheriff's Deputy.  He was drafted into the Vietnam war.  He saw many horrors and on more than a few occasions nearly lost his life.  When he returned home, he was "changed".  He had PTSD and basically said God couldn't exist and let the horrors of Vietnam go on.
     I was (just getting back to being) a fervent prayer warrior.  I prayed all the time...even in school, around my town, with friends, etc.  I was in a good relationship with God and often referred to him affectionately as Dad.  I could feel my own dad's hurt and need for affection.  I tried as a teenager to show him my love and that things will someday be right.  It just wasn't working.  So, I had to pray.
     I began praying for my father to come back to God in August 1993...I was 10. I had just met my best friend Becky and her family.  I had just come to the realization that God can do ANYTHING and even something like bringing my daddy back around was possible for him.
     I prayed for my daddy daily...sometimes more than once, but daily for 11 years straight.  Oh, boy! I got frustrated with God. Mad at God. Sometimes I felt he was ignoring me, but He was and is God.  He must know what he is doing.  Eleven years later (not sure if it was to the day or not), my daddy called me.  I was outside of the Red Lobster @ 95th & Metcalf meeting my friend Bre for dinner to discuss God.  I was waiting for her and floundering in my prayer as to how I could better help her.
     When my dad called, he said "Bubba," long pause which made me worry, "I got something I gotta tell you."  Then he broke down crying.  I was 21 and had NEVER heard my daddy cry.  I started crying...thinking the worse. My mom?  My brother? My neice?  What?  My daddy took a big breath, "Sorry for crying. But I knew you'd be the one to understand.  He found me, Bubba."  Now I paused. Did I hear him right?  Was this the same "He" that I knew? Or was it someone else. Hesitantly I asked, "Who found you?" "God found me, Bubba.  Hard and fast and I had to let you know."  He started crying again.  We talked about it, but I was very grateful that after 11 years, my prayer "itch" had been scratched.  Remember that God's timing is always perfect even if we don't understand it.

Story 2 - The Fleece Before God
     I liked Josh.  He seemed to like me, but he was very girl shy.  We always hung out with Bill Jr., Burnie, and Heidi.  How was I going to convey to Josh that I liked him?  Everytime I told a guy, the answer was "Um, NO." or it was a bad and sometimes bitter relationship.  I wanted something more now.
     I laid my fleece before God one night.  Simple as it was, it was a profound statement of faith on my part. "Dad, here's my fleece.  If Josh asks me out, I know we're going to get married."  WHOA!  Big statement huh?!  Marriage if he asks me out...hahahahaha.  I even laugh at it now.  But, it's true. I was ready for the next step in life and felt that God knew what he was doing.
     All our friends said he would NEVER ask me out because he was too shy.  On a Monday evening everyone but Josh and I had plans...Burnie was working, Bill had a date, Heidi and class...Josh and I decided to do dinner together so we wouldn't have to eat alone.  Afterwards, Josh wanted to drive the I-435 loop to just talk...needless to say neither of us wanted to spend a nice night at our apartments alone.
      Around the loop discussion sorta flourished.  It got to the point that I offered to set him up with a girl named Emily who was a teacher because he wanted to take a 3 week trip along the Pacific Coast Highway.  Fair is fair...he had to set him up with someone.
      "Well, I was going to set you up with me, but since you're setting me up with Emily, I'm not sure what to do now."  He replied with his eyes intent on the road. "I haven't done it yet!" I said looking at him with questions in my eyes.  "Well, fine.  I'd like to date you and see how things go, if you'd like to."  Glancing at me, I said "Sure." And we sealed the deal with a high five!
      That was in February of 2005.  In May of 2005 he popped the question.  And on August 13, 2005 we were wed.

Story 3 - The Elusive Elk & The Farm
     Did you know God has a sense of humor?  While vacationing in the middle and southwestern parts of Colorado with our friends Jason and Jana, Josh was ever on the hunt to see elk.  He loves elk and he rarely gets to see them in the wild.  We were on the last 2 days of the trip and Josh was really bummed because we'd been ALL over the mountains of Colorado and hadn't seen even 1 elk.
     "Maybe you should ask God to see an elk." Jana ventured as we drove toward Cortez and Mesa Verde. "Yeah, that sounds like a great plan, Jana.  Josh, maybe you should ask God. He's always answering prayer." I said looking at him.  "Oh, fine. I just don't think it will work.  He's probably got better things to do."  "Nah, he's ready for you." Jason said as the final encouragement.
     "God - Is it too much to ask?  I just want to see an elk. I'm not saying there has to be a lot. Can't you let me see at least one before this vacation is done.  Amen."  There...he had  done it. He had said his prayer and now we'd all wait to see if it would be answered in a timely manner.
     Ten minutes later I called excitedly, "I see an ELK!!!! Look!  There it is!!! And the antlers!!!!"  "That's not what I meant!  I meant I wanted to see a WILD elk...!!!" Josh complained as we passed the ELK FARM of Cortez.  Sitting in the middle of a pen next to the highway was a huge bull elk in all his glory.  Everyone in the truck began to laugh uncontrollably at the sight of the elk.
     "You weren't specific though, Josh. You never mentioned it had to be wild!" Jana roared. "Yeah, you just said an elk!  Guess God got you good on this one huh?" I rolled in laughter.
     I like to think in that moment, God was sitting upstairs laughing with us as Josh tried to find the humor in it all.

     Now that we know God hears us and talks with us, we'll beging the Bible study tomorrow.  I will being going from Genesis through Revelation study 1-3 verses each devotional.  These verses will be ones that I have highlighted or attempted to highlight or mark, but wasn't successful in.
     Tomorrow, we will be looking at the following verses:
Genesis 1:1
Genesis 1:31
Genesis 2:18
Genesis 2:21-22
Genesis 2:24
      I know this is more than 3, but all these versus kinda sum up creation.  See you here tomorrow sometime for the continuation!

Enjoy!