Sunday, February 26, 2006
More about blessings
For a really good poem and commentary on God's blessings and the way that we see them vs. the way that He sees them, go to my cousin's site: starlightstarbright.wordpress.com and read Feb 20, 2006 "Life Can Be Sad." She talks about how things happen in life that aren't supposed to happen in our way of thinking--they really are part of God's plan, though we can't figure out how they could possibly fit into a plan for a normal healthy life.
Saturday, February 25, 2006
Pour You Out a . . . Blessing
Yay! I figured out how to give myself a title line for my blogs! That's a great accomplishment for someone as "websavvy" as me.
OK, so the dumb thing is that by the time I get to my own blog site, I'm so brain dead that not much makes sense and random things make me excited . . . oh, wait! that's normal for me. Anyway . . . What was I going to write about?
Ah, yes. Malachi 3:10
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
My 5th/6th grade students are learning about poetry these days, and we've been studying the lines of poetry and the way that they make certain words stand out to be noticed. So I let them try their hands at it with Malachi 3:10--they were to divide the prose verse up into lines of poetry wherever and however they chose to. The result? 6 different poems that emphasized different aspects of the verse.
As I read their poems to them, they wrote down the words in each that stood out and we talked about what made them stand out. We got the giggles over the fact that no matter where the word "meat" was placed in the poem, it always got the emphasis. But even that had a message too (one that was, perhaps a little over their heads at this time)--God's Word is to be meat to us, and the pastor's job is to feed the flock of God: how else is the pastor going to be able to give us meat if we do not supply God's house with the tithes and giving that we ought to?
By the last poem, I was very touched by the beauty of the poems and of the verse itself and of the promise given in it and, most of all, touched by the God who wrote that verse to begin with--wrote it so that everyword would have significance and beauty and power ("Every word of God is pure" Proverbs says!). The last poem brought tears to my eyes. The student (K. Montgomery) wrote the poem so that the word "blessing" would stand out
"and pour you out a
blessing.
That there shall not be room enough
to receive it."
That's about how it was, I think . . . if my memory serves me right.
Well, when I read it, the line endings require that the word "a" be drawn out a little and the word "blessing" be paused after (I know this is getting technical--please stay with me!). So it reads as follows: "pour you out a . . . blessing . . . That there shall not be room enough to receive it."
And as I read it to the class, I was struck by the realization that I often wonder what God will pour out for me. Pour me out a . . . flat tire? Pour me out a . . . headache? conflict? failure? I shudder and cringe at what God might pour out from those windows of heaven. But it's a blessing.
"Of course!" my brain realizes in relief. "A blessing! Isn't that what God promises? Why do I always doubt Him?" I wonder. And the tears come to my eyes as I remember that He does bless me over and over again--sometimes through tough times, yes, but always always blessing me. And it's always, somehow, a surprise.
OK, so the dumb thing is that by the time I get to my own blog site, I'm so brain dead that not much makes sense and random things make me excited . . . oh, wait! that's normal for me. Anyway . . . What was I going to write about?
Ah, yes. Malachi 3:10
"Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be meat in mine house; and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven and pour you out a blessing that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
My 5th/6th grade students are learning about poetry these days, and we've been studying the lines of poetry and the way that they make certain words stand out to be noticed. So I let them try their hands at it with Malachi 3:10--they were to divide the prose verse up into lines of poetry wherever and however they chose to. The result? 6 different poems that emphasized different aspects of the verse.
As I read their poems to them, they wrote down the words in each that stood out and we talked about what made them stand out. We got the giggles over the fact that no matter where the word "meat" was placed in the poem, it always got the emphasis. But even that had a message too (one that was, perhaps a little over their heads at this time)--God's Word is to be meat to us, and the pastor's job is to feed the flock of God: how else is the pastor going to be able to give us meat if we do not supply God's house with the tithes and giving that we ought to?
By the last poem, I was very touched by the beauty of the poems and of the verse itself and of the promise given in it and, most of all, touched by the God who wrote that verse to begin with--wrote it so that everyword would have significance and beauty and power ("Every word of God is pure" Proverbs says!). The last poem brought tears to my eyes. The student (K. Montgomery) wrote the poem so that the word "blessing" would stand out
"and pour you out a
blessing.
That there shall not be room enough
to receive it."
That's about how it was, I think . . . if my memory serves me right.
Well, when I read it, the line endings require that the word "a" be drawn out a little and the word "blessing" be paused after (I know this is getting technical--please stay with me!). So it reads as follows: "pour you out a . . . blessing . . . That there shall not be room enough to receive it."
And as I read it to the class, I was struck by the realization that I often wonder what God will pour out for me. Pour me out a . . . flat tire? Pour me out a . . . headache? conflict? failure? I shudder and cringe at what God might pour out from those windows of heaven. But it's a blessing.
"Of course!" my brain realizes in relief. "A blessing! Isn't that what God promises? Why do I always doubt Him?" I wonder. And the tears come to my eyes as I remember that He does bless me over and over again--sometimes through tough times, yes, but always always blessing me. And it's always, somehow, a surprise.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
A Good Name
Proverbs says "A good name is better to be chosen than great riches; and loving favor than silver and gold."
Well, it has taken me forever to come up with a name for this blog! And now I have one finally =) OK, maybe a cheesy name, but still a name that I can work with and that is unique (I suppose the unique factor is highly overrated, but it is still a factor, I'm afraid).
Having the name Joy, people naturally make my name into puns and turn to look at me when songs that have word "joy" in them are sung sometimes. But it also means that I have nicknames that elongate my name rather than shortening it. Hence, the name Joybells. So, here's a nod to those who have dubbed me with that apellation. I thank you. And I sincerely hope that you might get some joy from reading the little nothings that I post here now and then.
Proverbs says "A good name is better to be chosen than great riches; and loving favor than silver and gold."
Well, it has taken me forever to come up with a name for this blog! And now I have one finally =) OK, maybe a cheesy name, but still a name that I can work with and that is unique (I suppose the unique factor is highly overrated, but it is still a factor, I'm afraid).
Having the name Joy, people naturally make my name into puns and turn to look at me when songs that have word "joy" in them are sung sometimes. But it also means that I have nicknames that elongate my name rather than shortening it. Hence, the name Joybells. So, here's a nod to those who have dubbed me with that apellation. I thank you. And I sincerely hope that you might get some joy from reading the little nothings that I post here now and then.
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