Welcome to Week 6!
To all my faithful readers, I gotta tell ya, I can't believe how this blog has been my prayer to help each of you in some little tidbit of a way! I love you dearly. To my girls at church, you have stolen my heart. There is nothing I would rather do than to be on this journey with you. *sniff.
Ok....I purposely didn't post day one yesterday. The good Lord was dealing with me about a certain something, I had to prayerfully consider every answer throughout my homework and wanted to search my heart and mind before lamelessly posting.
"Where the Spirit of the Lord is; There is freedom!"
Day 1
SO this afternoon as I was sitting in my front yard watching the kids play baseball,
I let my bible fall open to Isaiah 61 and began reciting the memory verse for the week.
Isaiah 61:3...
to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes!
A few years ago, I made the above bookmark and printed the words to the song
At the Foot of the Cross (Ashes for Beauty)!
Girls, this very verse, this very song based on this verse has helped free me from various past struggles of bondage. I prefer the KJV. It works, this is a powerful verse, a true word that the Lord is just waiting for our bibles to fall open to. Cling to it and remember you and I are Princesses of the One and Only King!
Now to the homework....
1. Mordecai
found out the plan to kill Jews
2. Job
look down about himself, but continued to be strong in faith and pray.
3. Vision
of Jerusalems 70 yr. desolation
4. personal
I think we will always immediately be cautious and after experiencing a wounded heart, the chances of gaining complete trust again is for the Lord to accomplish alone! I am the result of this truth.
I believe that what we think we can control by being heavily guarded and hateful....
The Lord turns into healing, trusting and belief.
5. her brothers advice
Shock!
Total sadness ... evenually the brother gets revenge for the mistreated sister, but none the less the pain and despair she lived with is heart pounding.
"The Lord will fight for the broken hearted!"
6. virgin daughters
7. desolate woman
8. sex slavery
rape, abuse, peer pressure, models
9. bottom line the enemy
rulers
authorities
powers of the dark world
spiritual forces of evil
10. all of them
11. respond to the lesson today
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Day 2
"I delight greatly in the LORD,
my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest,
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels."
Isaiah 61:10
1. read, write, make your own bookmark, memorize
Isaiah 61:3 in your favorite version.
2. personal
Just using my imagination here...but....
A feeling of unspeakable joy,
contentment, peace, love, security,
a garment made from array of pinks,
a blooming state of "happy" feels the air,
A robe of flowers like spring,
the aroma of a garden,
walking among jewels clear as glass with the reflection bouncing of a waterfall.
3. Father,
I am in awe of YOUR word,
YOUR truth captivates me.
May you surround me continually until
I meet you face to face.
Amen.
4. a bride
doesn't carry the wife role and responsibilites until the home is created.
She is fresh, pure, and new with beauty.
5. devotion
completely safe and secure following her groom
Isaiah 41:18
Rivers flow in desert places, it will turn into pools of water!
6. personal
without details if I were to describe ....
(two words)
restoration and joy
7. From Psalm 45:1-15
I encourage you to print out these verses....
read them in prayer as a way to remind yourself....
you are a Bride of Christ.
(the four blanks)
words
humbled
peace
unspeakable restoration
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Day 3
To Be Beautiful!
"How beautiful you are, my darling! Oh, how beautiful!"
Song of Songs 4:1
1. 4 girl dreams
bride
beautiful
fruitful
live happily ever after
2. personal
From a very young age, I knew I was different than 'everyone else's normal'.
Not only was I an unmatched, uncoordinated, no sense of beauty or fashion little girl. I knew without a doubt....I had a calling on my life. Unfortuantely a broken home stole my chances of fulfilling that calling, whatever it was. I had no idea, I just knew that 'chance' had been ripped straight from my heart.
{As I look back I wish I could know what I know now!}
3. my lover
beautiful one
dove
4. beautiful
Chapter 2- vs. 10 and 13
Chapter 4- vs. 1 and 7
5. a horse
6. Ephesians 5:32
Christ and the Church
7. Yes and No
Glorified body will be perfect.
But there will be jewels, crowns. A perfect dress up Princess I will be.
8. My husband
His love
actions
devotion
security
9. like Christ
10. Song of Songs 5:10-16 MSG
My dear lover glows with health—
red-blooded, radiant!
He's one in a million.
There's no one quite like him!
My golden one, pure and untarnished,
with raven black curls tumbling across his shoulders.
His eyes are like doves, soft and bright,
but deep-set, brimming with meaning, like wells of water.
His face is rugged, his beard smells like sage,
His voice, his words, warm and reassuring.
Fine muscles ripple beneath his skin,
quiet and beautiful.
His torso is the work of a sculptor,
hard and smooth as ivory.
He stands tall, like a cedar,
strong and deep-rooted,
A rugged mountain of a man,
aromatic with wood and stone.
His words are kisses, his kisses words.
Everything about him delights me, thrills me
through and through!
10. mountainside
hiding, longing to see your face and to hear your voice.
11. Ecclesiastes 8:1
"Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance." NIV
Who is smart enough
to explain everything?
Wisdom makes you cheerful
and gives you a smile. CEV
12. respond to todays lesson
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Day 4
To Be Fruitful
Isaiah 54:1
"Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child;
burst into song shout for joy, you who were never in labor;
because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband says the LORD."
1. Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.
2. fruitful
have children
3. she was upright in the sight of God,
observing all the Lords commandments
4. delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart
5. Yes
To make my answer a bit confusing but I pray it will somewhat enlighten you.
When desire and the Lords will DO NOT colllide, that is the feeling I believe we are discussing here.
However, when we have that feeling, we MUST pray, pray, pray and pray until the LORD answers.
The enemy is always at work and will use anything he can to hinder that collosion from every occuring and reoccuring.
6. children...
sense of fulfillment
to give to something other than self
to care and nuture
caring on family name
7. Isaiah 54:1-5
a woman that never had children...
may very well have taught and mentored many instead, and the result is having many more 'spiritual' children than a married woman.
8. compare and contrast
fruitful-multiply ....... disciples of many-training and teaching them
fruitful-mulitiply ...... there was a persecution against believers however teaching, mentoring and miracles took place.
9. older woman
mentor the younger ones
10. personal
Me, I have many names I could write down whom have influenced my spiritual walk all my life.
11. Yes
My church girls...(YOU)
My children
My siblings (I'm trying here...)
12. respond in a heartfelt prayer girls about todays lesson.
Psalm 103:17
Father,
Your word says that,
From everlasting to everlasting the Lords love is with those who fear Him,
and His righteousness with their children's children!
Amen? Amen!
Praise the Lord!!
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Day 5
To Live Happily Ever After
"Come and share your master's happiness!"
Matthew 25:21
1. I believe
we all could list many miracles and stories of hope and just plain 'God' moments in our lives. He is always with us even when we don't realize it.
1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV
However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
2. mourning
praise
spirit of despair
3. the Lord has shown gladness?
I am fasinated with the word and its truth.
The Lord began to reveal things to me ...
in turn,
molding me into the perfect plan he has for me.
Always a work in progress.
Nothing will be at complete fullness until we meet him face to face.
4. They will be blessed
5. personal
For me, releasing a heavy weight around my neck, that had been there for way to many years...
yes years...I wasted so many years to the defeat of depression, despair, and fear.
So forgiveness, renewing a broken relationship was a blessing and was all God and part of his ultimate plan for my life--but let me say...it was the most difficult experience...God's way isn't always the easiest, but this I know..IT IS THE BEST!
6. Joy.
So that my joy will be with you.
7. happiness and joy differs...
happy...a state of happy isn't unbreakable
joy...a state of joy is unbreakable {this type of joy is an everlasting gift}
8. Sing songs of praise
9. share in my masters happiness
10. respond to this lesson
"Arise,
My Darling,
My beautiful one,
and come with Me.
See!
The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone..
the season of singing has come!"
Song of Songs 2:10-11
Closing in prayer...
Lord-
Let your light shine on me.
You have filled my heart with greater joy.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for You alone,
O Lord,
make me dwell in safety!
Ps 4:6-8
I cannot wait to see you girls.
~Melanie
To Live Happily Ever After
"Come and share your master's happiness!"
Matthew 25:21
1. I believe
we all could list many miracles and stories of hope and just plain 'God' moments in our lives. He is always with us even when we don't realize it.
1 Corinthians 2:9 NIV
However, as it is written:
"No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him"
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV
For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
2. mourning
praise
spirit of despair
3. the Lord has shown gladness?
I am fasinated with the word and its truth.
The Lord began to reveal things to me ...
in turn,
molding me into the perfect plan he has for me.
Always a work in progress.
Nothing will be at complete fullness until we meet him face to face.
4. They will be blessed
5. personal
For me, releasing a heavy weight around my neck, that had been there for way to many years...
yes years...I wasted so many years to the defeat of depression, despair, and fear.
So forgiveness, renewing a broken relationship was a blessing and was all God and part of his ultimate plan for my life--but let me say...it was the most difficult experience...God's way isn't always the easiest, but this I know..IT IS THE BEST!
6. Joy.
So that my joy will be with you.
7. happiness and joy differs...
happy...a state of happy isn't unbreakable
joy...a state of joy is unbreakable {this type of joy is an everlasting gift}
8. Sing songs of praise
9. share in my masters happiness
10. respond to this lesson
"Arise,
My Darling,
My beautiful one,
and come with Me.
See!
The winter is past;
the rains are over and gone..
the season of singing has come!"
Song of Songs 2:10-11
Closing in prayer...
Lord-
Let your light shine on me.
You have filled my heart with greater joy.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for You alone,
O Lord,
make me dwell in safety!
Ps 4:6-8
I cannot wait to see you girls.
~Melanie
