How to have family devotions

I just saw this from Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church and I think it's GREAT info. I thought I'd share it.

Step 1. Eat dinner with your entire family regularly.
Step 2. Mom and Dad sit next to one another to lead the family discussion.
Step 3. Open the meal by asking if there is anyone or anything to pray for.
Step 4. Someone opens in prayer and covers any requests. This task should be rotated among family members so that different people take turns learning to pray aloud.
Step 5. Start eating and discuss how everyone’s day went.
Step 6. Have a Bible in front of the parents in a translation that is age-appropriate for the kids’ reading level. Have someone (parent or child) open the Bible, and assign a portion to read aloud while everyone is eating and listening.
Step 7. Parents should note key words and themes in the passage and explain them to the kids on an age-appropriate level.
Step 8. Ask questions about the passage. You may want to begin with having your children summarize what was read—retelling the story or passage outline. Then, ask the following questions: What does this passage teach us about God? What does it say about us or about how God sees us? What does it teach us about our relationships with others?
Step 9. Let the conversation happen naturally, listen carefully to the kids, let them answer the questions, and fill in whatever they miss or lovingly and gently correct whatever they get wrong so as to help them.
Step 10. If the Scriptures convict you of sin, repent as you need to your family, and share appropriately honest parts of your life story so the kids can see Jesus’ work in your life and your need for him too. This demonstrates gospel humility to them.
Step 11. At the end of dinner, ask the kids if they have any questions for you.
Step 12. If you miss a night, or if conversation gets off track, or if your family occasionally just wants to talk about something else, don’t stress—it’s inevitable.

Adapted from “Family Dinner Bible Studies” by Mark Driscoll in Trial: 8 Witnesses from 1 & 2 Peter, a study guide. (Mars Hill Church, 2009), pages 69-70.

Would you like to win a FREE Calfskin ESV Study Bible??

Oh man, I would!! DH has this Bible in the regular bonded leather and it's amazing. The notes in it are solid and it's such a great resource for any Christian. For the first birthday of the blog, the owner of "A Boomer in the Pew" is giving away a calfskin ESV Study Bible!! So head on over to enter.

Wanna see a video of my boyfriend?

Here's an excellent "booklet" on Bible Versions

I just read through this and find this to be a VERY good booklet (that's what he calls it - maybe it was printed up as a booklet?) on the Bible version debate. It's easy to follow and pretty concise.

King James and Other Versions by by George Gunn, M.Div., Professor of Biblical Languages, Shasta Bible College

A couple more pictures now that I can....

These were a few pictures that were on Robby's camera (yeah, he has the old family camera and that's what I use - I SO get the leftovers around here).

First up is a picture of Nicole on our boat trip last summer. There's a cushion we have for the "captain's seat" that is like a 1/2 of a cylinder and we were all having fun with it. Nicole decided to put it on the seat with the curve side down and sit on top. We were joking around that she was trying to find her "center" so she posed in the meditation pose - and promptly fell over - but Robby apparently got it on the camera before she went down (note her hands thrown out):



Then we have a picture of JoJo and her cousin from Florida. Garrison is a year and a half younger than JoJo but you'd never know it from the picture - they're the same size!



Finally, a pic showing off Joanna's incredible eyes:

I CAN DO PICTURES ALL BY MYSELF NOW!!!!!!

All my computer years, I had to ask someone else to process photos for me to put them on the computer. But now I'm on a "new" Mac (2001 model) and I have the cable that can plug the camera right in. So, as my very first picture post, I will introduce you to my latest find.

We moved into this home 17 years ago and it was a MAJOR fixer upper. Like beyond horrible. Over the years, we've done a lot of work and now it's getting to be time to do things again but now we don't have the money, so I'm trying to do things frugally somewhat. Well, DD and I went shopping today and I found the prettiest table and had to figure out where I'd use it if I was to get it. I decided where I wanted it, bought it (with 10% off because of the scratch on the top which doesn't matter much to me) and cleaned my den to put it in. Here's the before:



And here's the after:


MAN, that felt good!! It's so much prettier now! Of course, you don't see the laundry that I need to fold on the other side of the room..... LOL

A word from Mrs. Spurgeon

I saw this on another blog and love it:

When my soul is tossed on the rough waves of the troubled sea of this life, if I can but cast out the anchor of hope into the depths of God's blessed will, it holds fast at once and the winds and the waves are rebuked...

God's plans and purposes for me, and for you, dear reader, were all made and determined on from the beginning; and as they are worked out day by day in our lives, how wise should we be if, with joyful certainty, we accepted each unfolding of his will as a proof of his faithfulness and love! When once I, as a believer, can say from my heart, 'This is the will of God concerning me', it matters not what the 'this' is - whether it be a small domestic worry, or the severance of the dearest earthly ties - the fact that it is his most blessed will, takes all the fierce sting out of the trouble, and leaves it powerless to hurt or hinder the peace of my soul.

Susannah Spurgeon, Free Grace & Dying Love

Very interesting read: A Mole in Walmart - Is it really that bad?

http://www.nypost.com/seven/02072009/postopinion/opedcolumnists/fly_on_the_wal_154007.htm?page=0

Oh really Mr. President?

At the National Prayer Breakfast, President Obama stated the following:

"There is no doubt that the very nature of faith means that some of our beliefs will never be the same. We read from different texts. We follow different edicts. We subscribe to different accounts of how we came to be here and where we’re going next – and some subscribe to no faith at all. But no matter what we choose to believe, let us remember that there is no religion whose central tenet is hate. There is no God who condones taking the life of an innocent human being. This much we know. "

Well, that is except the god of this nation. The god who says it's OK if the mother doesn't want the child - the "product of conception". Do we see the god that President Obama knows? It's certainly not the God of the Bible who formed us in our mother's womb. Who placed rules in place for causing a woman to lose a child from the womb. Who has fearfully and wonderfully made us.

Let's continue to pray to the true God of all creation that He would touch President Obama's heart and draw him to Himself.

*The transcript of the speech can be seen here.