Joseph study day 2

Joseph Study: day 2 (sorry for the delay)

Reading

Mathew 1:20-25, 2:13-14, 2:19-23

Questions

• What is the recurring theme of these verses?

Joseph is visited by angels in dreams & follows their directions to carry out Gods plan & stay safe

• Are you now, or have you ever been in a season of uncertainty? How did you handle that time?

Our transition to our current church ( which will be 5 years ago next month) was very uncertain & hard for me. There were lots of tears, but I had to just pray through & trust God.

• Describe a situation where you waited patently. What was the benefit?

(Answer is very similar to above) during that transition time I had to be patient. That patient trusting & waiting helped me to grow & develop many friendships at the church.

Please share your answers in comments

Joseph study

Day 1

Reading- Matthew 1:18-19

(18) Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise:When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. (19) Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away  privily.

Questions

• What does someone who is in " right standing" with God ( a righteous person) look like to you?

My best example of people in right standing with God would be my pastor & his wife ( Chris & Christa Griendstead). You can tell everything they do is led by God. Pastor Chris faithfully prays & seeks the vision of God for our church, & Mrs. Christa supports him all the way.

• According to Mathew 1:20 ( But while he thought on these things...) Was Joseph hoping for answers in a seemingly desperate time? What is hope to you?

Yes, I believe Joseph hoped for answers to his & Mary's situation. But even more importantly, I believe Joseph prayed for answers.

To me, hope is a reminder never to give up but to always keep pressing on because God is still in control.

• Have you ever been misunderstood or really had to stand up & suffer for what you believe as Mary & Joseph did? 

Yes I've suffered some tough persecution similar to that which Mary & Joseph faced. It really tested my strength to stand up for what I believed in. It was my 2nd grade school year- just weeks after 9/11/01. I placed some patriotic print gospel tracts on my desk & carried a small handful to lunch to offer people each day. One of the lunch monitors grew angry one day, & spoke hatefully to me all day at lunch punishing persecuting & threatening me if she saw the tracts again. When I returned to class after lunch the principal was waiting for me. He said he'd received a complaint that I was carrying & offering bible tracts & told me I couldn't do that anymore. I continue do offer them, but much more subtly. To this day I still struggle with nerves & anxiety when carrying tracts in the open in public.

Please share your thoughts & responses to these questions!

The family of Jesus by Karen Kingsburry

Story & study #1-Joseph-Protective Stepfather

Tonight I read the fictional story (mini novella) Karen wrote on Joseph. The story was strongly rooted in scripture with some fictional liberties taken as would have fit biblical times regarding details. Tonight I want to share a couple of favorite quotes & then each day this week I will share my daily study (found at the end of the stories) on Joseph. Please feel free to comment with thoughts & input!

As Mary is explaining to Joseph her visit from the angel, she tells him the angel came when she was in the valley behind her house. Then she says I needed to pray " & the valley, that's my favorite place. Just God & me."- now I know for most of us valleys seem like bad places in our lives. Tonight let me encourage you- use the time in the valley where it's just you & God to draw closer to Him.

My favorite quote from Joseph was on the journey to Bethlehem as a laboring Mary tells him she's feeling dizzy. He says to her "see that cross?" {referring to the cross on their donkey's back} Mary says "of course" Joseph says "look at the center of that cross & hold on. Then you won't fall" Let me encourage you, whatever you're going through hold on to the cross & you won't fall.

How do you know "Where the Heart is?

This is an intriguing story I've just finished. Heroine Novalie Nation takes a journey to answer the question I posed in the title & watching her grow & develop on the journey was heartwarming. I will warn my fellow Christian readers that as a Christian who prefers clean & Christian writing, some scenes & language were a little much for me but if you get past that it's a wonderful read.

So with the theme of this story in mind I would love to hear from some of you my readers:

Share a story of a time you followed your heart to a positive end...

Welcome Back for a New Year With " My Life in Stories" Everyone!

I am very sorry for the lack of posts recently. This is all new to me & I hope to bring many positive new things to the blog this year! Please bear with me!

So to start things off let's have a reader check in post!

Comment with where you're from & some little thing about yourself as well as something you would like to see on the blog in the future. 

Need a good patriotic read for Veteran's day?

Need a good patriotic read for Veteran's day?

New Owner

The owner of this blog has moved out of the state, and is now given owner ship to a new person, who will be changing the name and taking this blog on a new journey.