Daily Sheet: Day 132: Self-Control
Family Book: “Separate Is Never Equal”
Travel: Kiribati; Nauru; Tuvalu
Daily Sheet: Day 132: Self-Control
Family Book: “Separate Is Never Equal”
Travel: Kiribati; Nauru; Tuvalu
Daily Sheet: Day 125: Mercy
Family Books: “My Favorite Food”, “Mrs. Katz and Tush”
Travel: Slovakia
Video: “I Will Sing” – Rich Mullins
Video: “Different Child” – Roo Panes
Daily Sheet: Day 121: Forgiveness
Family Book: “The Lord’s Prayer”
Travel: New Mexico; Arizona
Song: “Find Me In These Fields” – Phil Keaggy & Brian Zahnd
Video: “Peace Be With You” – Roo Panes
Daily Sheet: Day 116: Truthfulness
Family Book: “The Day Jimmy’s Boa Ate the Wash”
Travel: Bolivia
Video: “Different Kinds of Happy” – Sara Groves (live, with introduction)
Daily Sheet: Day 94: Discernment
Family Book: “Babu’s Song”
Travel: Mozambique; Malawi
Song: “Turn Your Eyes” – Jadon Lavik
O soul are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There’s light for a look at the Savior, and life more abundant and free.
Turn your eyes upon Jesus; Look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His Glory and grace.
Through death into life everlasting He passed, and we follow Him there; Over us sin no more hath dominion – for more than conquerors we are!
Video: “Painting Pictures of Egypt” – Sara Groves
I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt, leaving out what it lacks, and the future feels so hard and I want to go back but the places that used to fit me cannot hold the things I’ve learned. Those roads were closed off to me while my back was turned.
If it comes too quick, I may not appreciate it. Is that the reason behind all this time in the sand? And if it comes too quick, I may not recognize it. Is that the reason behind all this time in the sand?
Verses about the Will of God:
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. -1 Thessalonians 5:18
For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. -1 Peter 2:15
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. -2 Peter 3:9
He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? -Micah 6:8
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. -Jeremiah 29:11-13
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. -Matthew 6:33
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. -Proverbs 3:5-6
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. -Romans 8:28
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually! -1 Chronicles 16:11
“This is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” -John 6:40
For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil. -1 Peter 3:17
No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. -1 Corinthians 10:13
Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. -Psalm 37:4
For this is the will of God, your sanctification: …that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust… -1 Thessalonians 4:3-5
Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, …but be filled with the Spirit. -Ephesians 5:15-19
And he said to all, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” -Luke 9:23
“Peace I lead with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” -John 14:27
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” -Matthew 28:19
This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. -1 Timothy 2:3-4
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. -Philippians 4:8
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. -James 5:16
Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men. -Colossians 3:23
In Christian circles, people like to talk about “discerning God’s will for their lives,” as if God has a very specific itinerary mapped out for each of us and it is our job to guess correctly what we are to do next. This theology is largely based on the above passage from Jeremiah (“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord!”…) However, if you continue reading that passage, you come across the following promise, if you are calling upon Him and coming and praying to Him: “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.” The emphases there are mine. Note that the passage does not read as follows: “You will call upon me and come and pray to me and I will hear you. You will seek the correct path and find it, when you seek it with all your heart.” Nope, God tells us that we will find him! Read over the above verses again and look for the answers to these questions:
It is interesting to note that in nearly all of the above verses, God explains that there are good consequences attached to doing His will. Only the passage in Micah uses the word “require.” God is specific about His will but he gives us the freedom to choose our response.
Daily Sheet: Day 93: Kindness
Family Book: “The Watcher”
Travel: Zimbabwe
Video: “All the Ways You Wander” – John Spillane
…And if you take the long way, if you take the long way home, down where the magicians and the dreamers roam, through the mountains of morning, through the valleys of night, searching for the island of your heart’s delight,
I’ll wait for you, like a true friend. I’ll wait for you, ’til the very end.
Video: “Kindness”
Video: “12 Year Old Boy Helps Homeless People in Los Angeles”
“I might only have one match, but I can make an explosion.”
Video: “12 Year Old Boy Helping More Homeless People in L.A.”
Video: “14 Year Old Boy Helping More Homeless People in L.A.”
Elliot Katz, the boy in the last three videos above, was inspired in part to form his charity organization, ReachingOutCalifornia, by the following verse:
“And whoever saves a life, it is considered as if he saved an entire world.” – Mishnah Sanhedrin 4:9; Yerushalmi Talmud.
Put in context, the passage reads as follows:
…We find in regard to Cain, who killed his brother, “The bloods of your brother scream out!” (Genesis 4:10) – the verse does not say blood of your brother, but bloods of your brother, because it was his blood and also the blood of his future offspring [screaming out]! [The judges’ speech continues] “It was for this reason that man was first created as one person [Adam], to teach you that anyone who destroys a life is considered by Scripture to have destroyed an entire world; and anyone who saves a life is as if he saved an entire world.”
Questions:
If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. (New Living Translation – NLT)
Daily Sheet: Day 89: Empathy
Family Book: “The Long March: The Chocktaw’s Gift to Irish Famine Relief”
Travel: Oklahoma; Texas
Song: “Why It Matters” – Sara Groves (with lyrics)
Sit with me and tell me once again of the story that’s been told us, of the power that will hold us, of the beauty, of the beauty, Why it matters.
Speak to me until I understand why our thinking and creating, why our efforts of narrating about the beauty, of the beauty, And why it matters.
Like the statue in the park of this war torn town, and its protest of the darkness and the chaos all around, with its beauty, how it matters, How it matters.
Show me the love that never fails, the compassion and attention midst confusion and dissension, like small ramparts for the soul, How it matters.
Like a single cup of water, How it matters.
Questions:
Daily Sheet: Day 88: Vision
Family Book: “On the Oregon Trail”
Travel: Idaho; Oregon; Washington
Hymn: “Be Thou My Vision” – Chelsea Moon
Be Thou my vision, oh Lord of my heart. Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.
Be Thou my wisdom and Thou my true word. I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord. Thou my great Father, I Thy true son, Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.
Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise. Thou my inheritance, now and always. Thou and Thou only, first in my heart. High King of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, my victory won. May I reach heaven’s joys, oh, bright heaven’s sun. Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, oh Ruler of all.
Video: “Be Thou My Vision” – Fernando Ortega (set against images from the Hubble telescope)
Consider the following three translations of Proverbs 29:18:
Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained, But happy is he who keeps the law. (New American Standard Bible – NASB)
Where there is no revelation, people cast off restraint; But blessed is the one who heeds wisdom’s instruction. (New International Version – NIV)
Where there is no vision, the people perish: But he that keepeth the law, happy is he. (King James Version – KJV)
Questions:
Daily Sheet: Day 67: Gratitude
Family Book: “Moonlight on the Amazon”
Travel: Brazil
Hymn: It Is Well
Video: “Something Changed” – Sara Groves
Song: “Grace For Me” – Gungor (with Portuguese subtitles)
Listen for and discuss the following lyrics:
“Valleys come and tears are drying. There are things I don’t yet see. But I’ll rejoice in spite of hardship. You’ll watch over me. Your grace for me is all I need; all I need is here.”
Video: “How Great Thou Art” – The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir (This takes the Cheesiest Video Cake. My kids love it, though.)
Daily Sheet: Day 64: Courtesy
Family Book: “Plume”
Travel: Puerto Rico; St. Kitts and Nevis; Antigua and Barbuda; Dominica; St. Lucia; St. Vincent and the Grenadines; Barbados; Grenada; Trinidad and Tobago