Penny J. Johnson's Blog, page 129
March 4, 2013
One Good Thing Every Day: March 2, 2013
God speaks through His Word. But, whenever a verse appears more than once in a reading, conversation, or circumstance, I know He is speaking directly to me!
One Good Thing Every Day: March 1, 2013
“Do not expect anyone to understand fully My ways with you, anymore than you can comprehend My dealings with others.” from Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
One Good Thing Every Day: February 28, 2013
“Many Christians live in a heightened state of hypochondria–only ours is of a spiritual nature. So many of us do not know how to be happy with what we’ve been given; it’s much easier to focus on being miserable.” from A Jane Austen Devotional
March 2, 2013
Books of the Month: February 2013
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Although her characters are far from perfect, Austen’s characterization is flawless. In an age of stringent social mores, she reveals the realities and deceptions of human relationships. She shows the prideful become humble or self-exalted. She reveals prejudice either dissolves with intimacy or increases ignorance. More than these, she developes a love story unmatched by the writers of her day and ours.
Silas Marner by George Eliot: Having set Middlemarch aside indefinitely, I had few hopes of liking any of Eliot’s book. Some books gain unfair reputations, and my perception of Silas Marner was steeped in ignorance. I thought it would be long and tedious. Instead, I enjoyed this slim, yet poignant story. Eliot aptly juxtaposes betrayal and loyalty, greed and benevolence, loathing and love. Her timeless characters remind readers of their own vices and victories. Forget what you may have heard about Silas Marner and give him the read he deserves!
February 27, 2013
One Good Thing Every Day: February 27, 2013
As I thought about today’s agenda, I woke up mentally tired. Imagine my thrill at this very moment, sitting in a quiet house! The kids finished their schoolwork before lunch. The youngest is at a birthday party. The oldest and middle-one went to bowling before middle-one’s therapy. My husband is working. I have sorted poems (!!!), caught up on my Bible study, and found myself here on this empty page in the middle of what I expected to be a cluttered day. Blissful sigh!
One Good Thing Every Day: February 26, 2013
“Planning is not all wrong. Just be very careful not to plan more than God intends you to plan. Let God interrupt or redirect your plan any time He wants.” from Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King
One Good Thing Every Day: February 25, 2013
The youngest has been trying out new words.
Last week, he announced, “Dad is in a predicament.” Dad thought snow plowing the bottom edge of the driveway was a good plan.
Today, he asked if he could resume his video game after I reminded him about his chores. I asked him if he knew how to spell “resume.” The middle-one piped up, “R-E-Z-O-O-M.” The youngest didn’t get it quite right either, but he knew it meant “to start again.”
The middle-one is usually my best speller, but I did not find his misspelling discouraging. It fit well with a quotation from today’s reading in Sarah Young’s Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence.
“Do not bolt into the day like a racehorse suddenly released. Instead, walk purposefully with Me, letting Me direct your course one step at a time.”
Both remind me not to sprint into the day, but that I am simply to begin where yesterday left off and resume God’s purpose for my life.
One Good Thing Every Day: February 15, 2013
(Note: Somehow I forgot to post this. Better late than never!)
While working through Experiencing God by Henry T. Blackaby and Claude V. King with my high schooler, I highlighted several key points.
Day 1: The main focus of this chapter is the love relationship between God and us. I quoted from 1 John 4:7-19 in my February 14 post because this passage appeared in several ways during my week, including Valentine’s Day.
Day 2: The theme of love continued with this chapter, but the verse I marked comes from Philippians 3:12-14:
(As I am writing this post on February 17, I share that these verses were the focus of our morning sermon!)
Further into this day, I noted that although the method of accomplishing a goal may change, the focus must never alter. I may serve God in various ways, but my purpose in serving should draw attention to His glory and not mine.
Day 3: I came to this study two days behind schedule. Within the first page, I encountered these words: “I often wonder what happens when the God who loves me comes to meet me there [for daily devotions] and I am just not there….I keep that time alone with God, not in order to have a relationship but because I have a relationship.” Clearly, God made sure I grasped the personal application for this lesson!
Day 4: I love this translation of Deuteronomy 30:6 (GNT): The Lord your God will give you and your descendants obedient hearts, so that you will love him with all your heart, and you will continue to live in that land. It reminds me of the blessing of my spiritual heritage and of God’s gift of those obedient hearts.
Day 5: I describe the practicality of my relationship with God in this way: In all the little things, He shows the bigger picture; in all the big things, He magnifies my miniscule faith to withstand the struggle.
After studying this week, I feel loved beyond description!
