first saturday of lent...

scripture:

Jesus went into galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “the time has come,” he said. “the kingdom of God is near. repent and believe the good news!”
(mark 1:14-15, niv)

questions about the scripture:
believing that repetition is often a great tool for learning, why is repentance important???

were the galileans accepting of JESUS and His teachings???

what is "the good news"???


my answers to yesterday's questions:

as Jesus was coming up out of the water,
He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit
descending on him like a dove.
and a voice came from heaven:
"You are my Son, whom I love;
with You I am well pleased."
at once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,
and he was in the desert forty days,
being tempted by satan. He was with the wild animals,
and angels attended him.
(mark 1:10-13 niv)

do you think this was the first time the SPIRIT had ever descended upon JESUS??? i'm torn with this question... part of me believes that, with JESUS, everything was timed out just right and that GOD may have indeed waited to send the SPIRIT to him after he was baptised... at the exact time JESUS was ready to receive that kind of power and boldness as a human being.
then there's another part of me that thinks HE'd always had the SPIRIT and that what the people saw and heard at JESUS' baptism was more for them and fulfillment of the scriptures.

what do you think was the significance of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert at that time??? if JESUS had indeed just received the SPIRIT for the first time (and after having just study paul in depth), JESUS may have needed this time to come to terms with the change that had occurred within HIM. paul said in his letters that it was important for new recipients of the SPIRIT not to preach because of conceit (paul actually spent quite a bit of time in tarsus after his conversion.). or, if this was only a symbolic conversion for CHRIST, HIS time spent in the desert was also a fulfillment of scripture.

today??? the 40 days is the basis of lent. we either choose to give up something important (hence the temptation) and/or we choose to do and extra something positive in the eyes of GOD... all the while fasting in some way.


memory of the day:

i found out today that my friends' little girl/granddaughter, elisabeth, is very, very sick. i hope she will be made comfortable by the doctors tonight and that she will feel much better tomorrow.

saying grace:

my Father in heaven,there are no words to express who You are and what You mean to me. You never EVER cease to amaze me with Your work in my lives and in the lives of others who call on Your name. there is no better feeling than to be empty and have YOU fill me up with YOU through Your HOLY SPIRIT. thank YOU for this most precious GIFT; and please bestow it on whoever may be reading this and seeking more of YOU... that they may know and love You like i do:)
here am i, send me:D
ALmighty Father, please point out our sinful nature through Your Spirit that we may not forget the wrongs we have done against You and be able to ask forgiveness for each and every one. i know that a cleared path is the only way to You. please allow Your SPIRIT to help us to maintain our lenten covenants with You as well as all others around the world who are acknowledging the season in this same way.
GOD as prayers of intercession if it be your will...
please allow both dawn's and my johns to realize that they can give their stresses over to You when they become too much for them to bear that they can lighten their loads to be able to breath and enjoy all the blessings You have bestowed upon them (to be able to see the forest for the trees).
Father, i lift up m'lea's family to You that You may provide them with Your love and Your peace in this time of loss.
again, i lift up tabitha's mum and sister to You. show them that nothing is bigger than the love with which You have blessed us. soften both of their hearts so that one may reach out to the other and the other will be accepting of the sentiment. please don't allow any more time of animosity to separate them (for, time is so precious; and life is so short).
as an added prayer, please comfort sweet little elisabeth that she may rest. and let your presence be felt by lisa and thedonald:) also, i ask that lisa and her husband figure out what is going on with their little dino and in the meantime receive more support from dino's current school.
Father, i lift up the pardue's to You as well as hannah, cora's parents, the gaddises, the skaggs, the blandfords, and all others i am forgetting who are suffering... whether it be through loss of loved ones, war, loss of jobs, sickness, divorce, having hard decisions to make, etc... i know all You have to do is lay your healing hand on them and bring them the comfort and peace they need to feel Your breeze and follow Your light to the window You have opened for them, respectively.
in Jesus' name i pray.
amen

love,
dani

ps. if you have any prayer requests,
please let me know in your comment.
i will add it to my daily prayer list.

first friday of lent...

scripture:

as Jesus was coming up out of the water,
He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit
descending on him like a dove.
and a voice came from heaven:
"You are my Son, whom I love;
with You I am well pleased."
at once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,
and he was in the desert forty days,
being tempted by satan. He was with the wild animals,
and angels attended him.
(mark 1:10-13 niv)


questions about the scripture:

do you think this was the first time the SPIRIT had ever descended upon JESUS???
what do you think was the significance of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert at that time??? today???



my answers to yesterday's questions:

all the ways of the LORD are loving and faithful
for those who keep the demands of his covenant.
(psalm 25:10, niv)

was there ever a human who kept ALL the demands of GOD's covenant with man??? Jesus

who seemed to be the first, most righteous man biblically??? noah

"he/she is older than methuselah." is an adage. how old was methuselah when he died??? 969 years how did he die??? though it doesn't say... he was 369 years old when his grandson, noah was born; and the flood came in noah's 600th year. so, it seems that he either died right before the flood or was killed by it?

memory of the day:

i indulged myself with donuts (my first since october) for breakfast, and i've paid for it with a stomach ache:(

saying grace:

Father, you are such an awesome GOD!!! please fill me and those reading this up today with Your SPIRIT that we can remember all Your Son taught and be more like the person HE was when He walked the earth. and, as always, lead us to pray in accordance with Your will that we may remain in accordance with YOU.
here am i, send me.
God, i ask that You forgive us for all our sins that we have a clear path to YOU. please allow Your SPIRIT to help us to maintain our covenants with You as well as all others who are acknowledging the season.
further, help those others who are reading in the areas they need help and Your strength; hence, help us all to give our yokes over to You and be able to walk in Your light unburdened with the new ability to forgive and move on in our walk.
GOD as prayers of intercession if it be your will...
please allow both dawn's and my johns to realize that they can give their stresses over to You when they become too much for them to bear that they can lighten their loads to be able to breath and enjoy all the blessings You have bestowed upon them.
Father, i lift up m'lea's family to You that You may provide them with Your love and Your peace in this time of loss.
again, i lift up tabitha's mum and sister to You. show them that nothing is bigger than the love with which You have blessed us. soften both of their hearts so that one may reach out to the other and the other will be accepting of the sentiment. please don't allow any more time of animosity to separate them (for, time is so precious; and life is so short).
please, GOD, i ask that You also help those who are suffering... whether it be through loss of loved ones, war, loss of jobs, sickness, divorce, having hard decisions to make, etc... i know all You have to do is lay your healing hand on them and bring them the comfort and peace they need to feel Your breeze and follow Your light to the window You have opened for them, respectively.
in Jesus' name i pray.
amen

love,
dani

ps. if you have any prayer requests,
please let me know in your comment.
i will add it to my daily prayer list.

first thursday of lent...

scripture:

all the ways of the LORD
are loving and faithful
for those who keep the
demands of his covenant.
(psalm 25:10, niv)


questions about the scripture:

was there ever a human who kept ALL the demands of GOD's covenant with man???
who seemed to be the first, most righteous man biblically???
"he/she is older than methuselah." is an adage. how old was methuselah when he died??? how did he die???

my answers to yesterday's questions:

have mercy on me, o God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
(psalm 51:1 niv)

what does "blot out my transgressions" mean to you??? to me, it means, "forgive me for sinning."

why is it important for you to ask God to do this??? it is so important for me (personally) to ask GOD to forgive me because, after a while, my sins really tend to mount and become a "road-block" (if you will) standing between GOD and me. our communication comes to a halt, and the only way to open the way back to Him is to clear the road-block one prayer of forgiveness at a time.
once it is cleared, i feel like a new person and worthy of reconnecting with my FATHER:)

memory of the day:

katherine REALLY gave up her laptop for lent. she played her ps2 for several hours last night but never opened her laptop. WOW!!!

saying grace:

GOD, You are all that is good!!! please fill me and those reading this up today with Your SPIRIT (like to overflowing!!!:) and lead us to pray in accordance with Your will.
here am i, send me.
God, i ask that You forgive me for all the unrighteous things i have thought, SAID, or done that stand between us. please allow Your SPIRIT to stop me from uttering gossip and complaining especially throughout this lenten season, and help amanda and katherine with their covenants with You as well as all others who are acknowledging the season.
further, help those others who are reading in the areas they need help and Your strength; hence, help us all to give our yokes over to You and be able to walk in Your light unburdened with the new ability to forgive and move on in our walk.
GOD as prayers of intercession if it be your will...
please allow both dawn's and my johns to realize that they can give their stresses over to You when they become too much for them to bear that they can lighten thier loads to be able to breath and enjoy all the blessings You have bestowed upon them.
Father, i lift up m'lea's family to You that You may work there in whatever areas they need You. You being the omniscient Father You are already know what those needs are.
also, i lift up tabitha's mum and sister to You. show them that nothing is bigger than the love with which You have blessed us. soften both of their hearts so that one may reach out to the other and the other will be accepting of the sentiment. please don't allow any more time of animosity to separate them (for, time is so precious; and life is so short).
please, GOD, i ask that You also help those who are suffering... whether it be through loss of loved ones, war, loss of jobs, sickness, divorce, having hard decisions to make, etc... i know all You have to do is lay your healing hand on them and bring them the comfort and peace they need to feel Your breeze and follow Your light to the window You have opened for them, respectively.
in Jesus' name i pray.
amen

love,
dani

ps. if you have any prayer requests,
please let me know in your comment.
i will add it to my daily prayer list.

ash wednesday...

scripture:

have mercy on me, o God,
according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
blot out my transgressions.
(psalm 51:1 niv)

questions about the scripture:

what does "blot out my transgressions" mean to you???
why is it important for you to ask God to do this???

memory of the day:

katherine told me she is giving up her laptop for lent.

saying grace:

thank you God for being an awesome, unconditionally loving Father and allowing me to be one of Your children.
please show me what You want me to do to further Your kingdom today; for, here am i, send me.
God, i ask that you forgive me for all the unrighteous things that i have thought or done that stand between us. further, help me to forgive others... as You know this is the hardest thing for me to do.
lastly, Father please bless those that are reading this...
in Jesus' name i pray.
amen

love,
dani

ps. if you have any prayer requests please let me know in your comment... as i will start a lenten prayer list starting tomorrow.