The Voice

The Voice™ Bible translation is a faithful dynamic translation of the Scriptures done as a collage of compelling narratives, poetry, song, truth, and wisdom. The Voice calls the reader to step into the whole story of Scripture and experience the joy and wonder of God’s revelation. Created for and by a church in great transition, The Voice uniquely represents collaboration among scholars, pastors, writers, musicians, poets, and other artists, giving great attention to the beauty of the narrative. The heart of The Voice is retelling the story of the Bible in a form as fluid as modern literary works yet remaining painstakingly true to the original manuscripts. This translation promotes the public reading of longer sections of Scripture—followed by thoughtful engagement with the biblical narrative in its richness and fullness and dramatic flow.

I have been studying Romans during my personal bible study time and have felt quite bogged down and overwhelmed. Romans is full of great information on faith and grace, but also packed full of references to Jewish law and culture and I do not know as well.  I am currently using an NIV study bible, so after almost each verse I am looking for more ifnormation from the footnotes.

I decided to give another bible transalation a try to see if that would help clarify my confusion. I download The Voice transaction. It is an unusal pairing of scripture with narrative, poetry and other scripture. I read through my NIV transalation and then reread the same chapter with the Voice transaltion. The voice used language similar to the NIV, but also inserted other scripture and then followed the chapter with narrative that helped clarify some questions I had throughout the chapter. It is definitely an interested transalation, one that would be best used for personal growth and development. I think it would be hard to do a group study with the transalation unless all  the members were using the same translation. I definitely will incomporate the translation into my daily studies to help with my personal growth.

 

Living as a testimony

Often when I am reading a devotional or my bible, I find that it is so relevant to what I am thinking about or experiencing in my daily life. 

Last night I was laying in bed, praying about my friends and family that do not believe in Jesus as their personal Savior. I have been having some medical problems and for a while I was confused and frustrated that I seem to always have medical issues and why. But then last night I realized that maybe God is using my physical issues to further the kingdom. 

I was praying that if God needed my life, but it would in turn produce a relationship between God and my friends and family, then it would be worth the moments that I did not get to spend on earth. Heaven is eternity and I need these people to be in Heaven with me. Selfishly, I do not want to be without them, but completely unselfishly, they cannot be without God. 

I am studying Romans and this morning I read how Paul felt the same way that I did. Romans 9:2, "I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart.” Paul felt the same way I do not. And he was willing to be cursed and cut off from God in order for that to happen.

I have this deep anguish for my friends and family, but I have a really hard time speaking about my faith, and sometimes even just putting the great need for God into words. No matter what happens with my medical issues and if I only have one day or 50 more years, I pray that I can find the words and live a life screaming Jesus so that everyone around me will come to know how important a relationship with God really is. 

Marriage devotional

A while ago I was given a copy of the Love and Respect Devotional. I enjoyed the book by Emerson Eggerichs, so I thought a devotional would be a great way to get closer to my husband and learn more about each other. 


There is 52 devotionals, which is nice because it would be hard to do a 365 devotional with another person. The devotional can be done by the couples or just by one and shared with the other. My husband isn't so good with devotionals so I do a lot of reading and then we converse about the things I learned. 


Here is a description of the devotional:

A Devotional Unlike Any Other!Through his international bestseller, Love & Respect, Emerson Eggerichs has transformed marriages around the world with his biblically based approach to understanding the love that she most desires and the respect that he desperately needs. Now, in this long-awaited new release, Emerson has created an experience for couples that is effective, flexible and life-changing.To build this couples devotional, Eggerichs has taken the top concerns that surfaced in a survey of thousands of couples and has developed 52 devotionals around the three cycles that are at the heart of Love and Respect:The Crazy CycleThe Rewarded CycleThe Energizing CycleSome may ask, “Why 52 devotionals and not 365, like other couples' books I have seen?” The author’s research shows that married couples don’t want to deal with that much material, that often. Therefore, the specific devotionals, which can be done weekly or at any chosen pace, are specifically guided to what couples say they most need. And this is a husband-friendly devotional, written and designed in such a way that the husband can feel comfortable in the entire process.With this wealth of new material, The Love & Respect Experience will be indispensable to anyone wishing to better their marital relationship.

It was a good devotional. Great insights and spurred great conversation. You can take your time with this one and use it when you need some couple time or to help grow closer!

Tasty birthday treat

Yummy! Paul and I spent the day at home together, eating lunch at a hibachi grill and then walking around the mall. It was an awesome way to spend my birthday together. But when I got home I was craving a sweet treat!

So, I made some peanut butter and honey popcorn. Oh my is it amazing! I just had to share!

Peanut Butter and Honey Popcorn

8 cups of popcorn

1/2 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of honey

1/2 cup of peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla 

So, first off you need 8 cups of popcorn. My new favorite thing is to make popcorn with just a brown bag and kernels. No fillers, no processed junk, no chemicals. Yum! Put a 1/2 cup in a brown lunch bag, fold the lunch bag and then microwave for 3 minutes. I grabbed handfuls and put them in a large paper bag. Microwave kernels until you have 8 cups of popcorn. Just make sure to keep the kernels out of the large paper bag. 

Then, in a small pot bring 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup of honey to a rolling boil. Once the mixture is boiling remove from heat. Add 1 tsp of vanilla and 1/2 cup of peanut butter to the honey mixture. Stir till the peanut butter is melted. Pour the mixture into the large paper bag of popcorn. Shake the bag to coat the popcorn. Spread popcorn out on a cookie sheet to cool. So good and gooey, I love popcorn and this quick tasty treat makes it even more awesome!

SAP

It’s ironic that when I stopped reading my bible regularly, my blogging regularly ceased. Reading my bible caused me to write, to have thoughts that I need to express and more questions that I need answered, hence blogging.

So, I am back. I have realized how disconnected I feel when I am not in the word daily. I let myself get frustrated with confusion and instead dissolve myself in books, TV and surfing.

So, back to blogging, but more importantly, to reading my bible. As a pastor at Eagle Brook Church said it is our text message from God. I will drop anything to read a text, but I don’t even give God that honor in my life. And my life should be lived to honor God.


I get disconnected in reading and feel like I need a plan or I am off-center or unorganized. I need something to follow or a method. When I don’t have this I stop reading because I feel out of control.


I am following Eagle Brook’s plan….each week there is 5 readings. Then you follow each daily reading with journaling. You pick a scripture verse that is speaking to you, or one that you need to clarify or that interests you. Then you apply it to your life. Journal about the verse, learn more about it and delve into the verse. Finally you end your time with prayer. Praying about the verse, the application and working the scripture into my life. Not a new method, but one that is finally working for me. It is the SAP method.

I am also reading a Joyce Meyer daily devotional on my iPod each morning. I am working on starting and ending my day with God, hoping that a day sandwiched with God will help my actions, thoughts and words follow God’s will throughout the day.  

Blogging Break

I have been taking a break from blogging during the busy season of my life. I am currently working both my full time job and a seasonal job at Target. Long hours, but it will be nice to have some bills paid off.
But, these extra hours have cut into my blogging. So...I am taking a blogging break. I will be writing on my Reshaping it All blog, so please join me there until I return to Thirsty.

I wanna know

I was listening to Air1 in the car during lunch and Anthem Lights’ song “I wanna know you like that” started playing. I was singing along when I realized that these words were really a prayer for me. I really do want to know God in a personal way and to live my life in a way that Christ did while he was here on earth.

Then…the conviction hit. If I want to know God “with every breath that I breathe and I wanna help other see” then I need to work on my relationship with God. I need to grab my bible instead of my nook. I need to put down my iPod touch, not play a game of Hanging with Friends, and pray. I have so many idols…including eating, that I never realized how much I put in front of God.

I will never know God in the way I want to unless I work at it. I need an exercise schedule for God just as much as I need an exercise my body. I need to make the right choices with food to keep my body healthy and I need to make the right choices with my spiritual life to increase my relationship with God.

Read these lyrics…I hope they touch you as much as they touched me today.  

I wanna know

Just today
I heard a story of a pastor far away
Who watched his church walls fall with the rain
With tears in his eyes
Here is what he had say
"Let's reach the ones that will rebuild this place"

(Chorus)
I wanna know You like that
To live, to love
With everything I am
To give it all
I wanna know You like that
To become
A man after Your heart
And not look back
I wanna know You like that

I wanna know
I wanna know
I wanna know...

Like David did
He lived a life this world cannot forget
He'd fall so hard then get back up again
Then face the giant knowing he would win
Because You were with him

Chorus

With every breath I breathe
I wanna help others see
And I will never stop
'Til everybody's singing (X2)

Chorus (X2)

I wanna know, I wanna know
I wanna know, I wanna know
I wanna know You like that (X2)