Job 18-20 So, my Internet is down. I have my devotion, nice and readily typed... But it's on the laptop, which is hooked to the Wifi on our computer, which is hooked to our family's Internet... Which is broken. Soooooo, I'm typing this on my uncle's iPhone. I love you, Uncle David. Thanks :) I'll post it early tomorrow. Have a greatttttttt Memorial Day :) Peace.
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Job 13-17 Read these chapters with the BIBLE READER widget to the left of this post, or at www.bible.com . You can also read it with your Bible, if it's handy :) You know what's really hard to grasp sometimes? Why people don't listen to you. It's hard to just get it embedded in your brain that sometimes, no matter how much you try and persuade something to someone, they just don't listen. It's difficult. In today's reading, Job was starting to get a little restless. Okay, so he's been really restless. Like, a lot. But that's not the point. He had some friends come and try and help him through his tragedy, and to me... they seemed like they were doing a pretty good job, right? They were trying to get him to see that God loves him no matter what's happening, and that God will always forgive him... I kept thinking over and over that Job would finally just listen to what they were saying. But he didn't. And it made me pretty angry. I've been ...
Job 9-12 (Read now at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the left of this post.) DON'T DOUBT. It's easier said than done. I can sit here and type a jillion words about never doubting God, or never doubting yourself... but we all do it one way or another. Sadly, doubt is just apart of us, and I don't think there's any way to simply abolish it. Having the opposite of doubt-- faith-- takes a lot of hard work. It's normal to have doubts about your faith, because you can't really SEE God, or HEAR His direct words. Us humans usually have to see things to have faith in them, which gives a lot of room for doubt. But in today's reading, it just gave me a little burst of hope. A little ray of sunshine, if you will. This guy, Job, was being tested by Satan. Satan took away his family and almost all that he owned, and Job was being a little doubtful, if I do say so myself. He blamed himself, mostly. And although sometimes our actions can come back to bite us, I ...
Job 5-8 Read now at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post! Okay, so we all have friends that have problems. In reality, EVERYONE has problems... so we definitely have a few friends with some prayer requests. You know, they're feeling sick, they have surgery, they lost a family member. Whenever you hear these misfortunes, we normally sigh and say "Gee, I'm really sorry." We DO genuinely feel bad about it... but we normally don't do anything but comfort. IS there anything other to do? PRAY. In today's reading, not only was Job REALLY sick, he lost all his sons and daughters, and lost all his livestock, and was sitting on a pile of gross wormy filth. His friends were there to comfort him. I'm not saying you're a bad person if you forget to pray for a friend, because let's face it... there are a lot of things to remember sometimes. But if you assure that person that you'll say a prayer for them, (and maybe even say a sho...
Job 1-4 Read these AMAZING chapters now with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post, or at www.bible.com . Like I JUST said, they're amazing. Okay, so there's good news and bad news for today. The good news is you get the privilege of reading a wonderful story in the Bible about a man who followed God even when the WORST of the world came to him. The bad news... it might make you feel like a bad person. But you know what? I guess that's kind of good news, if your self-esteem isn't too bad. Because once you realize that you ARE a sinner, and you DO need Jesus, you can be forgiven once you admit your need for His grace and mercy! Hallelujah! I guess you're not supposed to giggle when you read the Bible, but I couldn't help but smile when I read the first chapter. I could easily rewrite this and make it really modern and urban. Here's the modern day version: Satan: Sup, Dude? God: Hello Satan. Where have YOU been lately? Even though I already know, becaus...
Esther 8-10 Okay, so I'm kinda sad that the book of Esther is over. It was really powerful, and like I've said before, it's one of my favorites. Read now at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post. I know there are restrictions and controversies to just about everything, but I think it's pretty safe to say that Esther was smart and assertive, and she took care of business. Some may not be as assertive at I am, which I totally get. Sometimes going after what you want can result in the exact opposite of what you hoped for. It happens to me all the time. But if you pray hard enough before making those risky moves, you'll know that WHATEVER happens is God's will, and that it will all be okay one day. But by "risky" I don't mean dangerous to your health. I'm saying situations where you might lose your reputation, or a good friend. You need to set standards for yourself, and if something is against that, do something about i...
Esther 4-7 DON'T BE A IDIOT. I guess this is a pretty personal story, but oh well. Dad, if you're reading this-- no offense was initially intended. Okay, so sometimes when my Dad's talking, he doesn't use correct grammar. I mean, I guess I'm not too good at grammar either, which I'm sure you've realized by now. But what's funny about my dad is he says "a idiot" when he means to say "an idiot." Something to do with articles, and vowels... and blah blah blah. But anyway, I just think it's funny that he tries to make fun of someone by calling them idiotic, and ends up sounding pretty darn ignorant himself. I still love my Daddy, and I don't want him to be mad when I'm telling everyone this. He's trying to change, anyhow! That's a good start. THE POINT of this rampage is that sometimes we try and put someone down, and in turn, we end up being the "idiot" per say. In today's reading, (which is now my NEW F...
Esther 1-3 (Read now with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post or at http://www.bible.com/ .) GIRL POWER. First off, I'd like to apologize for all the males reading this post. Sometimes, the Bible talks pretty low about women, so in the brief time when the GIRL is the hero, I'm going to make the most of it! Her name's Esther. She grew raised by a Jew, and at that time Jews were pretty scarce and not looked highly upon. But instead of just sitting around and doing nothing, Esther followed her guardian's advice and is going to make a difference. This story really rings true to me. It makes me smile, knowing that God (and Esther) can know my pain, and can overcome it. People used to be really sexist, and women were treated really badly, as we all know. But times have changed, and I'm very happy to be in a country where women are supposed to be treated the same. But sadly, I feel as if we really aren't the same sometimes. We're put on a pedestal sometimes,...
Nehemiah 11-12 Read these two chapters at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post! These are the last two chapters of Nehemiah! As you've hopefully read, there were many things happening in today's reading. People sinned, but they also accomplished things for God. It kind of stinks, though. Not that they accomplished things, because that's always good. But they accomplished things and didn't get to see the look on God's face when it happened. Or when they sinned. It's not like the skies opened up and God shouted insults at them. (Not like God would do that anyway, but you know what I mean.) The POINT of this random rant is that people are doing things right and wrong according to the Bible's rules ALL AROUND US pretty much every day. God hears and sees everything we do, but sometimes it seems as if He's just not there for it. And what about the other people who are TRYING to do good for God? What if they don't know that God ...
Nehemiah 10-11 SIGN HERE. In today's reading, a bunch of ancient Jewish people signed a document promising to follow God and to turn from their evil ways. Not exactly riveting... to me, anyhow. But like always, it got me thinking. All these other ancient religions require people to pray a certain way, or to attend worship a certain way, to eat certain things... blah blah blah. All these religions require SO much of a person, and what does that person get in return? Please don't be offended by anything I'm saying, because I guess it's a free country. You can do whatever you want. But if you add up all the facts, it's like you have to literally fit YOUR lifestyle to a "god" that doesn't offer you anything. People refrain from eating pigs, they don't intermarry with other religions, there's all this confusing stuff they have to do. In today's reading, a bunch of people decided to follow God, which don't get me wrong, is GOOD, but there was...
Nehemiah 8-9 PS: Sorry my blog yesterday was so horrible. I was extremely pressed for time, and although that's not a good excuse, I'm not perfect. I make mistakes. CONFESS Many Catholic churches have a Sunday of "confession" where the congregation confesses their sins, and asks for forgiveness, and all that stuff that most of us are scared to do. In today's reading, the people did just that. If you haven't already, take some time and read the simple two chapters of Nehemiah 8-9 at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post. Basically, Ezra was trying to turn the people back to God, and he brought out the big book of laws that were written. When he started reading, all the people in the audience heard them, they started crying and weeping. They realized what SINNERS they were, and were feeling pretty guilty. But Ezra was all "Don't be sad! God is compassionate! We have to confess our sins and he will forgive!" This ...
Nehemiah 4-7 I literally have like NO TIME to finish devotion, I haven't even read yet. I know, I know. Not very convincing. But I'm doing the best I can. So, the message of the day is IN TIMES OF RUSH, FOLLOW GOD NO MATTER WHAT! Forgive me for the lame message, but that's all I've got at the moment. Try to follow God with spirit even when times are really fast and rushy. Peace be with you!!
Nehemiah 1-3 DEAR DIARY... Often when you read some one's diary, it's most likely about dirty secrets and crushed and whatnot. You know the drill, the whole "Today, Johnny talked to me, and I couldn't stop blushing! It was so embarrassing!" Or... something along those lines. But today's reading was really similar to a diary. Some guy named Nehemiah was telling us what happened to him, and what that led to, etc. etc. etc. This is where is gets interesting, though. Instead of Nehemiah talking about rumors that happened or him crushing on some maidservant, we can actually LEARN something from him! (Shocking, I know.) No, it won't be juicy gossip, or endless love triangles, but it's by far one of the coolest lessons that can be learned. I bet Nehemiah didn't even realize that he was doing something good, too. He probably just wrote this down for records or something. But in reality, it brought a really good lesson that definitely needs to be learned. D...
Ezra 8-10 Read now at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post. WHERE IS THE LOVE? There are tons of verses about love in the Bible, and it's even stated that love is greater than faith and hope. But sadly, the world tries to fight against our need for love, and makes it REALLY hard to be loving towards people. I short message that we could focus on in today's reading is simply to LOVE others. No matter what they've done, or continue to do... no one is perfect. If God loves US eternally, you'd think we should do the same, right? We really should. A really cool verse that was written in today's reading was this: Ezra 9:13 What happened to us is a result of our evil deeds and our great guilt, and yet, our God, you have punished us less than our sins have deserved. It kind of shows that yeah, we sin, and God still loves us. So GUESS WHAT ? We need to forgive all the sinners in this life, all the people who just plain get on our nerves. Love is ...
Ezra 5-7 Read these now with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post, or at http://www.bible.com/ . Today's reading was... I guess I should just come out and say it. It was pretty boring. All these decrees and forms and letters... got pretty confusing. Fortunately, one of the parts I DID understand happens to be a short message that can pertain to just about anyone. OUR WORLD STINKS. No offense to God, because He worked really hard on making this a great place. But humankind had to go and screw it up, and now we're facing war, and poverty, and sin, and the walls of this place that even GOD once declared as "good" are now falling apart before our eyes. How's that for a comforting message? But all kidding aside, our world is a pretty messy place. It's not what God intended it to be, and unfortunately, it won't just fix itself. We have to do something. Just like in today's reading, the walls God's house that were torn down had to be rebuilt. People...
Ezra 1-4 It's a new book of the Bible today. A new beginning. A new day... so I thought I'd try and make this devotion short and sweet, and just what you could be needing. In the four chapters we read, which you can read now at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post... there were many many many verses of straightforward names. These people helped build the temple by doing this , and these people did that . Obviously, it became a little annoying, reading all these weird names and how they helped make something (that by the way, doesn't really affect us) like a temple. But instead of talking about that-- what about today's temple? You may not know it, but the way we're supposed to live is often compared to a kingdom in the Bible. And, like the kingdom in today's reading... important parts need to be recognized in order for all of it to work. Where do you fit in in God's KINGDOM? I don't just mean how you sit with God, but how do ...
THERE AREN'T ANY CHAPTER TO READ TODAY-- ENJOY! Hopefully all of you know/are aware of my big goal I'm trying to reach this year. I'm trying to read the Bible, cover to cover, by December 31st. But no surprise-- that's a lot of words and a lot of stories that I'm going to have trouble remembering! So, everyday, I blog about what I've read. You're welcome to join with me and read a few chapters a day, and comment on what you thought, right here at my blog page. But for now, I thought I'd talk about WHY I keep posted stuff about this on Facebook, and WHY I tell others about it, and WHY I think that my "devotions" are important. Hopefully you'll be convinced and tell some people. In the last couple of books of the Bible, all we've been talking about are kings. There are dozens of dozens of them, and they all have different opinions on how the land should be run, who they should put their faith in, blah blah blah. And, sorry if the cheesy w...
2nd Chronicles 32-36 THE JOYFUL THINGS. In "The Sound of Music" Maria sings about her favorite things. All your favorite things should make you happy, make you joyful. Have you decided that yet? I guess it's not that hard to find something that makes you happy, but the REAL pain is making it useful. Sure, you like to draw. But if you just draw stuff and then hide them in your closet... they're not much of a use. I'm sorry to make today's devotion so short, I just got home from church and have to wake up early and go back! So, I'm trying to squeeze in what I can. The chapters above can help you finish the Bible this year, but I haven't read them yet. I will tomorrow after church :) I guess it's a pretty darn good thing that I have an easy message to explain today! Basically, the message is this: Find out what you like. Then, further God's kingdom in doing so. Make sense? Don't take your talent and hold it all to yourself. Don't waste joy...
2nd Chronicles 29-31 WAKE UP! I had trouble waking up this morning. I woke up, apparently, but then fell right back asleep. Only had like ten minutes to get ready, which makes a start for a pretty bad day. Now that I look back on it, it was a pretty good day-- but those few hours of adjusting to stuff after you rushed like a madman, it's pretty stressful. I know you don't want to hear all about my glorious day, so I'll skip that part and get straight to the good stuff. The Bible. If you haven't read already, today's devotion has a lot to do with the 2nd Chronicles 29-31, so read now at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post. It might help decipher my babbling :) On a more serious note, I want to get a little deep and intense and talk about some big topics. WHERE ARE YOU GOING WHEN YOU DIE? This is one of the biggest questions asked by religious people and atheists alike, because HELLO, we haven't died yet. But a fact that we...
2nd Chronicles 25-28 (Read these chapters now with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post, or at http://www.bible.com/ . CAST AWAY ALL YOUR IDOLS. Did anyone else notice that today's reading was just a bunch of repeats? It was either, "he did what was right in the LORD's eyes" or "he didn't do what was right in the LORD's eyes." And, almost 100% of the time, when a king didn't do what was right, it was because he worshipped an idol. I know this is probably a little ancient, considering most of us don't have a wooden pole in our rooms that we burn incense to. (If you do, let's have a little talk.) But that doesn't mean that idols don't exist today. They're actually very evident around us, almost everywhere we go. To me, and idol is something you put first, before God. It's something that you use or do SO much that it becomes more important to you than your faith. Almost like you're worshipping IT instead of God. Oft...
2nd Chronicles 20-24 STICK TOGETHER. It's important to stick with buddies or stick up for what you believe, but it wasn't until recently that I thought about sticking together with your Christian family. In today's reading, just that happened. If you haven't already, please read the above four chapters at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post. Sometimes, life can seem pretty failing. God's love appears as if it's showing up less and less, and instead of praying about it, we blame others, or blame the world in general. But for almost everything that you're going through, you can lift the burden by sticking together with the people who believe the same. Ask them any questions, ask them for prayer. It might sounds needy or whatever, but it's important to seek the advice of people you trust and work together to solve a problem. For instance, in today's reading, Joash was king. But this crazy lady was upset that her son couldn...
2nd Chronicles 17-20 FEELING HELPLESS? FEELING SMALL? Alright, alright. Don't jump to conclusions and think that I'm going to change your life like those creepy TV therapists. I'm not going to tell you to see a specialist, or to "tell me how that makes you FEEL" or anything. But if you really wanna know how to stop feeling all sad inside, and stop feeling like you can't make a difference, please, read on. I beg you. If you haven't already, read the chapters for today (2nd Chronicles 17-20) at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the right. You'll find that Judah was in major need for some God help way back when. They were being attacked by all kinds of strong nations, and had no where left to turn. Their kingdom was falling, and everyone living there knew it, too. But as it turns out, they actually WON the battle, AND everything that was left over without having to kill anyone! You're probably like "WHOAH!" Because, let'...
2nd Chronicles 11-16 HE LIVES IN YOU. Just one of the many great songs from The Lion King, which could be one of the greatest movies ever made. It's a great movie for kids and adults alike, with a great storyline and music... but have you ever thought of it being-- a spiritual movie? Disney isn't exactly a Christian company, it might have some good principles and everything, but I think there are a lot of hidden meanings that you might not be aware of. Until now, of course. If you've never heard of the song "He Lives in You," you should. It is, like I said a great song. But don't just listen to it to get the feel for it, look it up and listen to the lyrics. Be aware for anything that seems a little bit Christian related, anything that I might talk about today. Here, I'll even provide a handy little link to it: www.youtube.com/watch?v=apEuFdzP5ZU&feature=related How about that, right? It's like my new favorite song. I know, I know. I'm a nerd. B...
2nd Chronicles 8-10 TURN THE OTHER CHEEK. 2nd Chronicles 8-10 are the chapters for today’s reading, but I don’t have my Bible with me… it’s in the other car. We’re leaving for a tournament all day today, and everything’s so jumbled this morning, I forgot my Bible! Shame on me. But these are the chapters you can read if you’re on the plan to finish the Bible this year, I’ll be sure to read them myself once I get back to my Bible. I don’t have Wi-Fi, either, so I guess I’m at a loss. Oh well. Today’s devotion is about, you guessed it, turning the other cheek. I usually get inspired for a message while reading the daily chapters, but there are things from the outside world that I can’t help but vent a little on. I’m sure you face similar problems sometimes, we all do. It says in the Bible to “do this” or “don’t do this.” Sometimes the requests that are written seem quite silly. Don’t eat pigs, don’t wear clothing of different threads. However, these laws extinguished a long time ago, beca...
2nd Chronicles 5-7 HIS LOVE ENDURES FOREVER. It’s hard sometimes—to love God with all your heart. There are always those people who want to put you down. Or those people who claim they’re believers, and do something hateful. Plus, like I said, there are those just plain MEAN people who despise you just because you’re a believer. Maybe you’re not a believer, and that’s cool. But when people are mean because you’re a believer, it doesn’t make Christianity all that appealing, right? So anyway. Back to the reading. You need to read 2nd Chronicles 5-7 if you haven’t already, which you can do at www.bible.com or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post. In today’s reading, Solomon gave thanks to God because of all the lovely things He did for the Israelites, and yadda yadda yadda. But I guess what it all boils down to is WHY? Why should you believe in Jesus when the world blocks Him out? And that, my friend, is the answer. We follow Jesus for that exact reason. If the world was a happ...
2nd Chronicles 1-4 HAPPY NATIONAL PRAYER DAY! What's this mean, you ask? Why does our country have such a day? Whether or not you agree, this day is very important in our country and is not only practiced by the Christian faith, but by others, too. Unfortunately, this can cause some controversy. I believe this is important, because it reminds people our need for a good relationship with God. But other people and their "gods" decide otherwise. I think it's GREAT to have different opinions, because they contribute to society, and blah blah blah. But let's just all agree it stinks to be confused. When there are SO many religions and faiths out there, what the HECK are WE supposed to think? This blog should (hopefully) answer that question. For all faiths. I'm feeling that God is helping more and more as my devotions go on, because today our reading was about prayer AGAIN, which is so cool... and helps me with my devotion. Having a reading that relates to the devo...
1st Chronicles 27-29 (LAST CHAPTERS FOR THIS BOOK!) SPEECHES. I thought it was funny when I read today's chapters. (If you haven't already, PLEASE READ THEM NOW at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the right of this post!) "Why did you think it was funny, Carly? It's the BIBLE!" Good question. I have to make a speech tomorrow in order to be elected as a representative for our school, and honestly, I'm kind of nervous. I know, I know, representatives are supposed to be good at making speeches, and writing persuasive things. They shouldn't be scared! But, I'd be a liar if I told you I wasn't a little nervous about it. I think most people are, so I'm assuming it's normal. I just-- really really really want to do this, and to represent our school. I like to make a difference! And this speech thing might get in the way of it. Anyway, I thought it was funny, because going into the reading, all I could focus on is this big speech ...
1st Chronicles 25-26 WHAT ARE YOU IN CHARGE OF ? For some, it's way too much. For others, there's nothing they are responsible for. Although having too much to do can be dangerous, it's also bad to do nothing. The people in today's reading, even though they were only mentioned by their name-- had many responsibilities. Some were in charge of people, or the King. It's good to have responsibilities, but do you balance yours? If you live your life without responsibility (you know who you are :~) ) there might be a day where you HAVE to take responsibility of something, and what happens then? What happens when you are forced to be in charge of something, and you haven't been in charge of something ever? What happens when you have to be in charge of something and you're so busy there's no way you can? It's all about balance . If the chick in the above picture would learn to balance stuff, then she'd have it better off. Now, I'm not talking to lite...
1st Chronicles 20-24 You don't necessarily need to read these chapters just yet-- I haven't read them yet. But I'm pressed for time, and need to blog in the next 20 minutes. We'll see how this goes. Sadly, you'll have to realize that yes, even I am a busy person, and have to make short crappy blogs sometimes. But while we're on the subject, why not blog about being pressed for time, Carly? Why, that's a great idea, Carly. Good thinking. So, sometimes, you might feel like everything is going by way too fast. I mean, you rush through an hour, or between classes, or through the grocery line, and then WHAM-- you do something you regret. After you sit down at a desk, or in your car, or on the couch, it's natural to rethink what just happened. To... look back on the situation. I'm not the only one who does that, right? You kind of play the rushy busy scene over again in your head, because you actually have the time to THINK about it. While you're in ...
1st Chronicles 17-19 Please read these chapters now at http://www.bible.com/ or with the BIBLE READER to the RIGHT of this post! If you can't tell already, I changed the layout of the website. I'm not really sure why, I just felt it was time for a new beginning or something. I was having fun redoing the picture (above) and it was fun to pick out a theme. Everything is the same, content wise, on the site... except instead of having everything on the left, it's on the right. So, today was more of the story of David and all of his achievements. I was especially moved when he (David) had prayers for God, then BOOM-- they were answered, right there. There are many things that seem fiction in the Bible, I'll admit. We may never know if Satan was a snake, or if Moses really parted the sea. But what's important in all of the stories is that we have to believe they CAN happen, because of how great our God is. There are many things, like I said, that might seem a little weir...
1st Chronicles 13-16 Please be aware the the following blog may not pertain to the reading at all. This is because I haven't read the reading yet. I figure it's no big deal, because there aren't many people reading. I know that's no great excuse, but I just had this AWESOME idea for the topic today, and I decided to write about it. I'm the author. However------- I'd still recommend reading 1st Chronicles 13-16 and let me know if you have any questions. I'll read it after I do this post. But first, I will put a nicely prepared microwavable pizza in the microwave. It has simple instructions, which even I, Carly, can understand. "But Carly," you might ask, "what does this have anything to do with Jesus and the Bible?" You mustn't be so timid! Let me explain. Today, my mother brought home some cookie mix. They're my favorite cookies, some type of confetti themed vanilla stuff. She makes them PERFECTLY, and they're delicious. They...