From our family to yours…
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Merry Christmas!
Merry CHRISTmas!
I had a little time to do this graphics “just in time.” One of my favorite Christmas hymns (though there are several ;)).
What is your favorite Christmas carol?
Word Wednesday #86
Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men. Hosea 10:13
Read backwards: “because didst trust in thy way, ye have plowed wickedness, reaped iniquity, eaten the fruit of lies.” It is rooted in trusting in our own way–not God’s way.
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Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog! Did you post on your blog? I’d love to see — share your link in a comment!
Merry Christmas — free on Amazon!
I’m having another eBook for free on Kindle! Fitting the season, “Noelle’s Gift” is a Christmas story–short and sweet, about a little girl who desires to give her mom a special gift for Christmas. Why does her mom need happiness? Well, I guess you’ll have to read the story and find out.
Grab a copy for yourself and be sure to tell a friend about it!
Biblically Speaking – Diverse Weights
Part 7 in my study on what is abomination in the sight of God.
Recap:
Many believers have fallen into accepting that which is abomination in the sight of God. Unless we study God’s Word to learn His Mind on what is abominable, how will we know to purge ourselves from abomination? Lord willing, I will be posting the fruits of my study on the word “abomination,” but feel free to leap ahead of me and study it for yourself. What is an abomination to God?
Divers Weights
Deuteronomy 25:13-16 – Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee. For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God.
Proverbs 11:1 – A false balance is abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight.
Proverbs 20:10 – Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.
Proverbs 20:23 – Divers weights are an abomination unto the Lord; and a false balance is not good.
When dividing money, grains, or other materials, a system of balances and weights were used. To have a scale calibrated lighter or heavier than “true” would give the seller unjust gain and profit. God, being the God of order, does not smile at the unjust gain of one. Rather, He lists it in what He finds utterly distasteful.
Today we might find it difficult to identify with this issue unless we think hard. I personally find it applicable in issues such as owing money–do I owe $10.10 to a sibling and try to round it down to $10 without their knowledge? Do I divide the restaurant bill so that I pay less than the others with whom I’m splitting? Am I honest in my tax returns? Those are a few areas that come to mind that parallel with the thought of false balances. What are your thoughts?
Orphan Journeys
Imagine yourself as an orphan, struggling for survival in dirty New York streets, where disease and crime run rampant. Journey from these wretched streets to a temporary lodging in an overcrowded orphanage and then to the train station. After riding the train for hours, picture yourself lining up with other children, waiting as adults look you over. Would they choose you–or would you have to hold onto the hope that maybe, at the next station, someone would want to bring you home?
Charles Loring Brace had a vision for New York orphans that brought them through the journey from streets to homes. He began his orphan work in 1853, then in 1854, because of lack of orphanage space, Brace sent the first orphan train to Dowagiac, Michigan, where the children could be sheltered by local families. The orphan train continued until 1929, bringing at least 150,000 children to new homes.
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| Pictures via my Pinterest Board |
Brace desired to place children in good, Protestant homes but this did not always happen. Siblings were often separated and some couples would take orphans for cheap labor. Though many orphan train riders ended up as successful men and women, not all of them turned out to be trustworthy citizens.
Such is the preface of Orphan Journeys, a fictional novella series based off of the American Orphan Train saga, following orphans not only as they adjust to a new life, but also as they travel a spiritual journey. The first installment of this series, Journey to Love (which you may remember a little from here and here), is on its last leg of the journey and should be open to the public in winter 2016. I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I submerge into editing. I have some pretty amazing beta readers who are not only encouraging, but also aren’t afraid to be bold in their critique. Keep your eye out–I might give you more of a peek into Marie’s life in the next few weeks.
Have you heard of the orphan train before?
What projects are you working on this winter?
The Daughters of Jim Farrell | Book Review
“How do I know I can trust you?”
Joshua Adams glanced at his razor case. “I think the better question is, how do I know that I can trust you?”
Living in the shadow of her father’s assumed shame, Kate hires a detective from Pinkerton to clear the murder of which her father was accused. She has persuade her sisters to agree, but as Mr. Adams searches and digs up information around town, will it tear the family apart? Above that, will each of the girls be able to solve their own, very different struggles?
Let’s just say that in less than a week, this book was read by myself, one of my sisters, and my mom, and we all loved it. Ms. Bambola chose a very unique setting and researched it well. I could easily see how things ran in the coal mines and the prejudices of the richer society. In a way, it made me think of Elizabeth Gaskell’s “North and South.” I personally liked how Ms. Bambola portrayed the girls learning how all people are on the same level in God’s eyes, though they may be on different levels socially.
I also enjoyed the very different (and likeable) personalities of Kate, Virginia, and Charlotte. I was interested in each of them and the choices they would make. This book definitely mentions God and seeking Him, but I didn’t find the message quite as strong as I would prefer. However, it is a very clean book.
Younger readers might want to know: there are mentions of prostitutes, but nothing is gone into detail. There are several kisses in the book and characters fall in love; I found it more mentioned than detailed, emotions and feelings were not the foundation of the story.
Disclosure of Material: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through the BookCrash.com book review program, which requires an honest, though not necessarily positive, review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s CFR Title 16, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
About Sylvia
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"When the House is Built"
Some of you probably laughed when you read this title–or maybe you rolled your eyes. Yes, this is the #1 Tero phrase going around right now.
“When the house is built, we’ll have to have you over.”
“When the house is built, maybe we can meet up for coffee.”
“When the house is built, we’ll plan on that.”
“When the house is built, we’ll have some free time!”
“When the house is built…”
You name it. Almost everything has been tagged onto that one phrase.
It is best to accept the long house-building process with good humor, so we laugh at ourselves about it (yes, as one of our church friends suggested, we’ll probably be having Jessica make us a sign that says “When THE HOUSE IS BUILT!!!!!”).
One thing I have begun to notice, though, is that this attitude of “When the house is built” started to seep into my spiritual walk. “Ah! I’m behind on memory verses. Oh well. When the house is built, I’ll do them more faithfully.” Now, instead of being faithful to do what I could, I was tempted to just do enough to “get by.” Yes, there have been (and will be) seriously busy days in which I will only be able to spend a few minutes in God’s Word, but because I started waiting for “when the house is built,” I missed those less-busy days in which I could have done more.
Thankfully, the Lord brought my attention to this attitude and has helped me to be more faithful untilthe house is built. This is not the first time something like this has happened in my life. We all have those times of thinking, “When ____ is over…” You may not be waiting for a house to be built, but is there something that has tempted you to pause in your spiritual walk instead of continually climbing forward? I encourage you to take a moment and ponder your spiritual walk.
Word Wednesday #85
But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen. Hosea 1:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God. Psalms 20:7
I will go in the strength of the Lord GOD: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. Psalms 71:16
Reminder after reminder of having the Lord as our strength, the Lord as our “weapon.”
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Share a verse that God has given you today or copy the button if you’d like to join in Word Wednesdays with your blog! Did you post on your blog? I’d love to see — share your link in a comment!
Biblially Speaking – adultery (whoredom, remarriage after defilement)
Part 6 in my study on what is abomination in the sight of God.
Recap:
Many believers have fallen into accepting that which is abomination in the sight of God. Unless we study God’s Word to learn His Mind on what is abominable, how will we know to purge ourselves from abomination? Lord willing, I will be posting the fruits of my study on the word “abomination,” but feel free to leap ahead of me and study it for yourself. What is an abomination to God?
The Hire of a Whore
Deuteronomy 23:18 Thou shalt not bring the hire of a whore, or the price of a dog, into the house of the Lord thy God for any vow: for even both these are abomination unto the Lord thy God.
God will not accept a monetary offering from funds gained by adultery.
Remarriage after Defilement
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 – When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house. And when she is departed out of his house, she may go and be another man’s wife. And if the latter husband hate her, and write her a bill of divorcement, and giveth it in her hand, and sendeth her out of his house; or if the latter husband die, which took her to be his wife; Her former husband, which sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife, after that she is defiled; for that is abomination before the Lord: and thou shalt not cause the land to sin, which the Lord thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.
For a woman to be divorced, remarried, divorced again, then come back to her first husband, is abomination in God’s eyes.
Amanda Tero Books 