RUTH, EPHESIANS, PSALMS - THROUGH THE SUMMER

The end of summer is approaching.  I only have so many more weeks to eat all of the banana popsicles in the frig.  They are a sign of summer!  Only a few more weekends on the lake and then "fall fishing" starts at our house.  We have a tradition every year of decorating our house, inside and out, for fall.  Fall is our favorite time of year.  Emily, our oldest daughter, celebrates big time on Labor Day weekend.  She decorates, inside and out, fixes her favorite fall dinner and favorite fall dessert and gets out the fall candles.  She goes all out. She will be visiting family in Detroit this year, so she is going to decorate early.  Maybe she already has!  I will wait until Labor Day or the week after.  Fall is a big deal at our house.  It is the beginning of football season, wienie roasts, burning leaves, golf cart rides to the lake which is now deserted until next summer.

So we wrap up our summer blog.  It has been fun.  It has kept me accountable.  I have read every assignment even if I was late posting.   Our small group will be meeting again at the mall after a get together at El Chicos to kick off the year and catch up.  I'm not sure how many years we have met at the mall. It has evolved.  God keeps bringing us together.  This semester, we have a new person signed up.  I hope she feels welcome.  Jerry and I have signed up to host a Wagoner small group on Friday nights.  I don't know where God will take that, but we want to be willing.  So let's finish out this post with the rest of summer.  If you "had" comments on Ruth (sorry I didn't get that one in) please comment.  We will finish with Ephesians and Psalms 43-50.  September will start our new list and we don't have that yet.  So just keep posting and I will keep reading!!!

AUGUST 3 THROUGH 10

I have decided that I like routine.  The same mundane routine.  Sometimes I like surprises and sometimes I get bored, but all in all, I am a creature of habit.  I look forward to routine.  It is comforting to me to know what is coming next.  I can kind of understand the Israelites' cycle.  Their routine was doing what was evil in the sight of the Lord.  It was their habit.  You know how hard it is to start a new routine or break out of an old one.  We seem to gravitate toward the familiar.  If we have no motivation, nothing changes.  I am trying to create a new routine.  A routine of exercising on a more regular basis, take my vitamins more consistently, check things off my check list sooner, drink more water, eat more summer fruit, etc.  But it is hard to stick with it everyday.  My motivation is my health and a better outlook.  You would think if Israel was being taken captive and living in bondage as much as they were, they would be motivated.  But they needed a physical leader, a role model they could see, they were in the routine of worshiping images!  So God would send a judge and they would do good for a while.  The whole picture was to show us our need for a savior.  We can only do good so long on our own without some supernatural help to give us the power and strength to persevere.  He lives through us.  So the story continues  on in Judges.   It has been extremely interesting so far.  Let's see what this week holds!!


Sunday, August 3 - Judges 17
Monday, August 4 - Judges 18
Tuesday, August 5 - Judges 19
Wednesday, August 6 - Judges 20
Thursday, August 7 - Judges 21

Friday, August 8 - Galatians 1
Saturday, August 9 - Galatians 2
Sunday, August 10 - Galatians 3