A Post About The Camel Passing Through the Eye of an Needle, and Riches

Photo by lapideo

Part of my daily bible reading via my LifeJournal plan at YouVersion this past week included Luke 18:18-27.
There is a popular legend that explains this verse as such: One of the gates into Jerusalem in Jesus' day was called The Eye of The Needle. It was used by travelers who came to the city after hours when the main gates had already been shut for the night. The legend explains that this gate was intentionally made small so that marauders couldn’t overtake the city via its access. Yet, the stray traveler could enter this very narrow passageway and find safety within city walls during the night. To get through it, the rider had to dismount their camel, and all saddles and bags had to be removed. The rider had to carry the saddles and baggage, or rather push and pull through the very small opening, possibly even unpacking some of it, and the camel had to scoot through on its knees. So, the semi-popular teaching of this legend goes that a rich person can indeed go through an Eye of the Needle like camels and their riders enter through this Gate - “on their knees” and “without baggage.” It’s a very sensible teaching to stress such points - all of us indeed must humble ourselves before the Great God of the Universe, and get rid of the baggage that weighs us down. So you can see how the popularity of this legend has given it quite a following among many Western Christians.

I decided to do some digging, because I could never find any evidence of this particular gate in concordances, commentaries or study bibles I have. There is a reason for that, and really, it’s quite plainly there in the very passage. So let’s read it again with emphasis:

A ruler questioned Him, saying, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone. You know the commandments, ‘Do not commit adultery, Do not murder, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother.’” And he said, “All these things I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, He said to him, “One thing you still lack; sell all that you possess and distribute it to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when he had heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. And Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God! For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” They who heard it said, “Then who can be saved?” But He said, “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.”

It’s right there in what I italicized and put in bold print: If this gate was a real and common feature of the city, they would have all known it and their response would not have been “Who then can be saved?” The disciples reply might have gone something like this, “Ahh, only those who strip themselves down and humble themselves on their knees can be saved.” (Which is rather the truth, by the way, so long as it is motivated by faith in Jesus and His redemptive work.) No, Jesus was messing with the common wisdom of the day that the rich were somehow automatically blessed and approved by God. One article I read, and if I find it again (I misplaced it!), I will gladly give link and credit, anyway, the writer said something like this: If Jesus had been speaking in modern day America He might have said, "The rich will get to heaven when pigs fly" because that best explains the colloquial use of language Jesus was employing in using this saying. Jesus told them, not only was it not true that wealth=equals=God's approval, but quite the opposite, that it was a practical impossibility that the rich could be accepted by God. Wow. Re-read that again. Then recall the disciples response, “Well, then who CAN be saved?” And I remind you of Jesus’ response “The things that are impossible with people are possible with God.” There is hope.

There is always hope. Jesus perceived in the rich young man from the passage the one thing He wasn’t willing to surrender or give up. God will have no idols above Him in our lives. Some of us are the same way that young man was. If it’s not wealth, it could be a relationship, a habit, pride, comfort, whatever. Some people have hobbies, goals and even "good things" they are passionate about, but those things out-distance their passion for God. Jesus’ words here should be taken soberly and it’s best not to make light of what is being said. If you think about it, what He said about riches hits you like a very strong blow, not so much a knock-out blow to the head, as a powerful whack to the gut that leaves you reeling and catching your breath as you process it.

He’s Our Teacher and He said this for a reason. It is harsh. I think that is one of the problems I have with this Needle Gate Legend. It seems like a good and sound teaching, at first glance. But it still diminishes the severe truth Jesus was stating. Jesus also stated, The Truth will set us free (see here). The whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help us God.

I cite the following sites as being helpful and informative in me writing this post: Christianity beta; The Straight Dope; Old City Gates.

A Radical Test

Abraham and Isaac Climb Mt. Moriah by Gustave Dore

After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here am I." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you."

This is another potentially violent and disturbing passage of scripture, the Old Testament (OT) is full of them. God asks Abraham to sacrifice his beloved son. Requests like that are the stuff of lunacy - if we heard of such a thing today we’d consider schizophrenia or delusions. Why would God do that? What kind of God would do that? I'm sure Abraham had such questions, but he must of kept them to himself and reasoned it out. Maybe Abraham's reasoning went something like this:

God told me to leave my father's country and I did and it has gone well for me. God has been teaching me not to lie, or to do any other sinful activity, and it has gone well for me. God seems different from - and displeased with the activities associated with the other pagan religions I observe around me. They commit human sacrifice, among other things, and this God who has called me, and brought me this far has never before made such a request. God told me that my barren wife would bear me a son, even in our old age, and it happened. God told me that I would have numerous descendants through that son, so...I must therefore trust God.

It must've been so difficult for Abraham to obey this command, but we see that he does and all the while, he says "The Lord will provide the sacrifice." And God does! He does not require Isaac's life and intervenes at nearly the last moment. It seems fairly clear that the Lord never intended for Issac's life to be taken this way. I once heard a very inspiring teaching that the entire time Abraham and Isaac were walking up one side of Mt. Moriah, God had sent the ram up the other side, allowing it to get caught in the thicket, and thereby being the sacrifice in Issac's stead. God had planed it and provided it all along! God asks for radical faith and obedience. He was simply testing Abraham's faith and obedience AND pointing to the fact that one day, God Himself would fulfill the covenant by providing His Own Son Jesus.

This was today's reading within my yearly reading from the LifeJournal plan at YouVersion.

The first book I've read this year is....

From Touching Rock Bottom To Touching The Nations by Nick Park. It's an interesting and encouraging account of how a young, alcoholic, inhalant-addicted punk from Ireland and England turned his life around through faith. I read it with great interest because I love biographies and stories of transformation and redemption (see Keith Green’s No Compromise and Brian “Head” Welch’s Save Me From Myself). Secondly, my interest was piqued by my husband, known fondly here as Big Daddy, having heard Nick Park speak at a Men’s Conference. He enjoyed Nick Park’s message at the conference immensely! We could both relate somewhat by having been teenage punks ourselves and all that went with it - partying, brawling, and varying degrees having a malcontented attitude with our lives. And then eventually with substance abuse issues. The book chronicles Nick Park’s life and transformation, and the many challenges he faced and overcame, both before and after his sobriety and spiritual change. From rubbing elbows with Sid Vicious to dedicating the babies of Nigerian refugees - it is an interesting chronicle! I recommend this book.

I'm also reading through the bible again this year, along with our denominational initiative, although I have opted to use the LifeJournal reading plan from YouVersion, found here.

What I'm Reading...

The Book of Ezra from the bible. Good stuff.

image from Phillip Martin
I have also just read a short and sweet little allegorical book, The Precious Present, which reminded me to live in the present, seize the day and be content in my current state of affairs, as St. Paul also reminded me/us here.

For the Moms, Step-moms, spiritual moms, like-a-moms, adoptive moms, biological moms, and motherly caregivers and teachers: Happy Mother's Day, ya'll.

Sympathy for the Devils

I was going to chide my grown niece on facebook for posting about how she couldn't wait to watch the latest incarnation of Melrose Place. Then I paused for two reasons. First, because God seemed to be reminding my heart that I watch shows a lot "worse" than Melrose Place. Secondly, she deleted a post on her wall, in which I was teasing her "and kids today and their horrible taste in music" on facebook. Oh, she was going to a Brittney Spears concert for heaven's sake! (I even posted my old man smiley to emphasize the fact that I was teasing and acknowledging the generation gap, and that I was, perhaps, a fuddy-dud. I think, she didn't get it. I love her anyway!)

OK, back to TV shows that showcase naughty behaviour. Melrose Place and all the soap operas were never part of my "must see" entertainment universe. I recall watching Dallas with my parents when I was a kid and I remember the hype around all that. As a young adult I watched the same soaps or "stories" my mother and grandmother watched, and then leaned into my own tastes. I loved Star Trek, in all it's incarnations. I loved ER and Homicide: Life on the Street. Those were the shows I recall anticipating each week. I suppose besides the sci-fi stuff, I like things that are a little more gritty and realistic rather than the glamorous world most soaps are set in.

If you've schelleped around this blog, or know me, then you probably know LOST is my favorite TV show. And it isn't a "bad" show, as far immoral and illegal activity are an integral part of the show and characters, like The Sopranos, The Shield, and other shows of that edgy nature. Though there are some baddies in Lost's cast of characters. It's more of a sci-fi drama. Melrose is a soap opera, probably with adultery, fornication, ruthless power plays, and back-stabbing antics galore. But it probably pales in comparison to my other favorite entertainment du jour: Sons of Anarchy. It is a TV show about a really bad biker gang. They break all the commandments. And then some. It's definitely a rated "R" show, not for the kids and certainly not for everyone. My favorite character is the biker mama, Gemma. At first she seemed like a ruthless Lady Macbeth, but this season has seen layers and layers peeled away from her, and even some tenderheartedness toward God and forgiveness themes in her. It's a very interesting show.

So I have been mulling over the notion for quite a while now: Why do I like shows like that? Goodfellas is one of my favorite movies, and that's about gangsters, and don't get me started on The Godfather (epic & classic). Is it because I get to safely see a lifestyle that is so utterly foreign to my own? Is it because the themes of good and evil are biblical, fascinating, and it's simply a modern take on drama more ancient than Shakespeare, who is obviously an influence? Maybe it's escapist amusement. Maybe it's all of that. If you've read the bible, particularly the Old Testament, it is filled with many depictions of un-holy behaviour of all sordid sorts. So then, bonna-fide soap operas, or the "stories," as my Mom and grandmother called them, just aren't my cup of tea. But the bad behaviour of bikers and gangsters, and all the drama that unfolds around that, well put the kids to bed and pass the popcorn.

Love Hurts - God Heals part 2

Have you ever poured out your heart and soul into a friendship with someone and they betrayed you? Or maybe they just weren't there for you when you really needed it? It makes you feel so hurt and sad. Maybe angry too. You question why you wasted so much time and energy on someone that proved to be so unworthy. Sometimes this makes you hesitant about befriending other people in the future. At least it's been that way for me. It seems like the past few years have seen a few of these situations in my family and it hurts like heck. I keep hoping there will be some sort of reconciliation and healing change. But it just hasn't happened (yet?). Perhaps it never will. So, I mourn the passing of friendships.

I have been thinking lately about these types of things. And I think I have concluded this: I don't think love is ever wasted, even if it's not appreciated or reciprocated. I think when we stand before the Lord at judgment, we'll have been relieved to say that we loved lavishly even if our hearts are broken to shreds. After all, that's what He did. And then we should just keep on loving and doing our best to be an open-hearted person.

The thing is, sometimes with some people, you have to love them from afar. We can be like the father in the story of the Prodigal Son. He was already looking down the road when his estranged son was coming home. We can determine from that, he had been looking for, hoping and anticipating his son's return. I believe we should have a heart that is open, welcoming and ready for reconciliation. The other person has to be on that same road as well. It has to be mutual. Just as the father was looking for the son, the son was ready to leave his "wild living" and return home. The son couldn't have it both ways at his home. He had to leave the destructive behaviour behind to enjoy the full benefits of a close relationship. Until that time, the father had his eyes on the horizon and a heart that seemed to be free of anger, accusations, and all the other things he probably felt over his child living wild and wasting his inheritance. He was ready when his child was ready, not with a lecture, but with open arms.

That's the lesson for me. Don't get hung up on bitter feelings over everything that has passed. Let it go and be healed and free from it. Be ready for restoration of the relationship, if and when it comes. In the mean time L-O-V-E from afar, as opposed to stewing or wallowing!




Image from Barry's Clip Art.

Vid Links I Like

I know that I have posted about liking the Neil Young song "Harvest Moon" before. Sometimes when I hear that song it just takes me to a place where I ache with love for my dear husband, and think about all the love we have built, shared and grown over these years. I was hankering for that song tonight, and came across this version by Jazz artist Cassandra Wilson. I hope you enjoy:




While I was thinking about these kind of sweet and tender feelings between lovers, I thought about the Lord. What if I longed for the Lord like I longed for my husband? What if I couldn't wait for that special time alone with Him? I know I should. And in fact, I do often crave and look forward to that time alone with the Lord. There are days when I can't wait to pray and to meditate and reflect quietly on His Word. But I believe through this little instance in my life, He was calling me gently and reminding me to do so even more. I know the Bible describes the Lord as the lover of our soul (Is. 38:17). The entire Book of Song of Songs/Solomon is devoted to the aspect of God's character and revelation of Him, yet there are times when I forget. I forget that He is the Groom and all believers are his "Bride." That boggles my mind sometimes. I needed to be reminded that God thinks of me (and all believers) that way!


The following clip is about 15 minutes long, and when you, dear reader, have the time, watch it an tell me what you think. It blessed me down to my Birks!

Thinking About A Fig Tree & Other Misc. Notes about my life

Mark 11:12-26 (NASB)

12On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He (Jesus) became hungry.
13Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.
14He said to it, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again!" And His disciples were listening.

Jesus Drives Money Changers from the Temple
15Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves;
16and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple.
17And He began to teach and say to them, "Is it not written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL THE NATIONS'? But you have made it a ROBBERS' DEN."
18The chief priests and the scribes heard this, and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.
19When evening came, they would go out of the city.

20As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up.
21Being reminded, Peter said to Him, "Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered."
22And Jesus answered saying to them, "Have faith in God.
23"Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be taken up and cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him.
24"Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you.
25"Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.

26["But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions."]
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

I have always wondered why Jesus cursed the fig tree in the above passage. I am still wondering, I have no conclusions yet. Big Daddy brought it up recently and I discovered he is wondering about it also.

Why would Jesus curse it when it wasn't the season for figs? Was it a parable or a prophetic teaching for His Disciples (and us)? Was it simply to illustrate to them the kind of faith in asking the Lord for things as He went on to talk about in vs. 22-24?

Anyway, I'm just chewing this over.

In other news...
My Summer Day Camp job is enjoyable. I am spending much time with the children at pools and the beach. It keeps me busy, of course, and quite tan, despite my rigorous attempts at applying sunblock religiously and wearing a hat and sunglasses. I am now seeking to find a wonderful thing called a rash guard suit of my very own.



I am reading my bible in a year plan, of course, and loving it. I am also finally reading Hannah Hurnard's Hind's Feet on High Places, a gift from my Mother-in-law from ages ago. I am enjoying that one, by the way, and finding it timely. I am trying to keep my resolution to not buy any new books until I've read all of the ones I already have. I've collected many books over the years, and there are a portion of them that remain unread. I 'have been meaning to read them, BUT haven't actually gotten around to yet.' I think I mentioned on an earlier post I was reading James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist...", and I finished it.

Next I began Gabriel Garcia Marquez' 100 Years of Solitude, which I have had for at least 16 years, long before a certain influential talk show hostess had it on her book club. I loved Marquez' short story, A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings when I read it as a student. I have always been a fan of magic realism in fiction and fond of South American fiction in a rather limited way (Isabelle Allende). I got somewhere between one half and two-thirds of they way through One Hundred Years of Solitude. It is beautifully and fancifully written, I just grew a little weary of some of the plot and character elements that were troubling and immoral, such as incest. The book is not particularly graphic or gratuitous in is descriptions of various immoral behaviors, but I was not comfortable in going on with it, so I didn't. I loved the character Melquíades, the gypsy. And the strange land-locked ship wreck José Arcadio Buendía finds reminds me of another land-locked ship from pop culture: The Black Rock. (I miss LOST!)

And now I bid you Adieu and goodnight.

Some thoughts on Love and Fear

One of the Bible passages that rocked my world, so to speak, when I first came across it is this:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
It’s found a couple of times in the Psalms and Proverbs. It is something that seemed simple and complex at the same time, yet made perfect sense for me when I was beginning my walk with God. Right off the bat this notion of “fear” did not disturb me. This verse made me realize there was a basic reality: Good and Evil, God and the devil, heaven and hell. I understood it as this: awesome reverence for The Being who had ultimate power over the earth, and men and women.

Along with the Lord’s power over all people and things, there is also His Love. And early on I sensed and knew that, so that while the notion of fear was sobering and humbling, it was not some kind of hopeless terror. I know many people nowadays don’t want to associate God and fear together. It’s hurtful and confusing for them to do that, and they can’t fathom a compatibility in it. Maybe they have had genuine grounds to “fear” fear. Perhaps somewhere in their background they had cause to fear an authority figure or parental figure and they can’t bring themselves to associate that notion with a loving God. I can understand that, but it can only go so far, and I’ll attempt to explain why. There is a good kind of fear, and it’s a fear that keeps us alive. Fear causes us to be cautious when faced with real danger, and to avoid harm and preserve our health.

I know it’s not fashionable or popular in our current cultural climate, even in the church, to have sermons and teachings refer to hell and punishment. You know, the fire and brimstone stuff. I suspect that many in today’s culture would hold in disdain the conversion of a soul who clung to God’s salvation for fear of eternal damnation in hell. As if somehow such a conversion is not as legitimate as one who came to the foot of Christ’s cross in gratitude and recognition of His sacrificial love. I say both are saved, saved, saved and that’s what counts! After all, our faith in the Lord is not to remain some static notion. It is to be a growing relationship. So that when we initially turn to God, whether through fear of hell or realization of His Unconditional Love, we grow in our grace and knowledge of Him and begin to understand all the facets of His character, which encompass both of those notions and many others.

John explains this concept in his first epistle, chapter 4, it‘s a pretty amazing passage. God has wanted this kind of reciprocal love from mankind all along: a love relationship, not one of mere fear or robotic obedience. In love there has got to be some respect. To put it into our human relationships, in those we love the most - our spouses, children and parents - we’d like some mutual respect and appreciation. We ought not to enjoy walking all over each other! If we have a tender heart, we fear intentionally hurting our loved one. We fear it might cause a rift in our relationship and we don’t want to hurt the one we love. It’s the same way with the Lord, we ought to have a tender heart that fears a separation from Him. Reverential fear causes us to respect and preserve.

Elsewhere in the New Testament we are told by Jesus not to fear someone on earth who can cause us bodily harm, but to fear only God who has authority to cast both body and soul into hell. Then He immediately goes on to say that the Lord knows whenever a little sparrow falls to the ground, and the number of hairs on each person’s head and that each person is more valuable to Him than a flock of sparrows. And He says it just like that, in that particular sequence and order, which I think is interesting in itself. So, where there is a warning of hell, there is a reinforcement of love and grace to reassure that there is safety and rest in the Lord. But we must cling to Him, and keep our end of the bargain by believing in Him and being faithful to Him. A little fear of hell is good, if it keeps you on the straight and narrow! As long as you realize you have a Heavenly Father that knows and loves you intimately, and has provided you with a means of escaping that horrible place that was never intended for you in the first place!

In ending this post, I leave you with a quote I heard this week that got me thinking. I’ll paraphrase to the best of my recollection:
“For the Christian this earth is the only hell they will ever experience; for the unbeliever this earth is the only heaven they will ever see.”

What I've Been Reading

Somebody on a message board asked, "What are you currently reading?"

I am doing the Bible in a year plan that I linked to in a previous post. I am currently in the books of Acts, Joshua and Job. I am delighted and amazed how the chapters I’m reading seem to be so apropos to something that is going on in my day or week, or somehow relate to some question I’ve had.

I just finished Heart To Heart with Pastors’ Wives by Lynne Dugan, and added A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce to my bag. Those are two books I’ve had around my home for years and years now. I have even picked them up a time or two, but never finished them. My plan is to finally read through the books I’ve collected before I borrow or buy another!

I have also begun (again and in earnest!) the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. I have been doing my journaling as part of that book’s exercises, and in addition I have been sketching regularly in my sketchbook. This is a HUGE step for me personally, in overcoming the artist’s block I have been in for so long. I am so hopeful and pleased about this. Someone recently blessed and surprised me with a set of art pencils and other various supplies. God bless them! I have been putting them to productive use.

You might think it’s odd that I am reading two or three books at a time, in addition to a few Bible chapters. I never used to operate that way. I used to read one book until it was finished, often quickly if it was of interest to me, and then begin another. This new way of reading a couple at a time is helpful for my current condition. I like to read a ministry related or Christian theology type of book, and then a fiction or non-fiction book. I read a chapter or two at a time in each book. When I find myself a little bored, distracted, perplexed or even needing to ponder something in one book, it’s helpful to switch gears to another book. I keep a big tote bag with me, with my books, including the journal and sketchbook, and when something I read gives me an idea or an inspiration I can jot it down or draw it out. I am ready to make a note so I can study something I have a question about more in depth later.

I am trying to surrender myself more fully to the Lord in the areas of art, study, prayer and discipline. It is only by God’s grace I can do any of this. I was (and am) so sick of the procrastination and disorganization that plagued me for so long, I have been yielding to the Lord and trying to do better. I have been blessed with some quiet time on my job where I am able to read a little, and been making baby steps toward this end. So that is what I have been reading. What have you been reading?

March 2, 2009...Already?!?! Notes

I am still having small residual effects from that nasty bout of the flu. I feel better but have a bit of a cough left.

Several co-workers have been sick, so I have been working more than my slated hours to help fill in. I enjoy my new job, it’s a blessing and a ministry to the children. Some days are a challenge with troubled children. Two of my three after school students (siblings) lost their father last December. My other student’s Mom does not speak English fluently, so the primary responsibility for helping with homework is upon me.

We are having several visitors this month, and are looking forward to our time with them all. Big Daddy loathes going to go to Key West, but I think it will be fun to see and do some of the touristy things. Frankly I’m glad we’ll have the opportunity (excuse!) to do so while showing our visitors the sights.

Last night we had an unusual but good service. I feel the Lord gave me some words regarding the church and the ministry. The first was regarding where our church was at now, and the words He gave me were: sweet, rebellious and scattered. Regarding where the Lord would like us to go, I felt He said: faithful, “till the ground” and strident. Interesting, so I am thinking and praying on those things. I’m thinking that the second definition of strident is more apropos to the church ministry, although Big Daddy is a loud and demonstrative preacher.

I continue to read my yearly Bible plan, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell and Blue Highways by William Least Heat Moon. I am enjoying all of them. I went into Velvet Elvis being skeptical, and not liking it much at first, but currently I think it’s not too bad. There are good things and things that make me uncomfortable. I’m going to think on it for awhile.

Our church had a fabulous rummage sale on Saturday. I know we felt busy and stressed getting it all together, but it turned out swell! It was a fun day of fellowship for the workers, and a success that will put nice dent in the church's bills.

Notes From The Beginning Of February

In January Big Daddy, my esteemed pastor and faithful husband encouraged and exhorted his flock to get on a yearly Bible reading plan, and I must say I am not only blessed by it, but enjoying it thoroughly. I have even been keeping up with it, for the most part. You can find it here if you're interested. In times past I just kept reading through the NT, over and over. Periodically taking time to do a specific reading of say the Major Prophets, or some other theme like that; and just continually working my way through he OT. This particular plan is working well for me now in that it has a couple of chapters from the NT, a couple from the OT and a Psalm. It skips around a little too. I find that whatever I'm reading has a timely purpose for what I'm facing on a given day or week. That's not surprising, given the wonderful ways our Lord works, but it is amazing!

I begin a new job tomorrow. I am grateful for that.

Baseball season is coming soon.

Oh yeah, and I forgot to add that I finally began reading Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. I don't know how it will work into my already full reading plate, but someone loaned it to Big Daddy and I may as well try it. I will say that I am skeptical though, and unimpressed so far.