Lessons from Joshua

I am going to admit to you flat out that I have missed two days of reading my Bible but honestly, I thought I would have missed more.  What I like about having this as a public deal (again, whether people read it or not) is because I don’t want to fail you or myself.  Maybe that’s why at 10 o’clock last night, instead of laying my head on my pillow, I picked up the Bible and read a chapter from Joshua.

I am not to far along in the book but that’s because I want to make sure I am really getting a picture of what I read.  I don’t want to read just to say I’ve done it but I want to understand what it says about God.  I want to see how I can relate to these people and their situations and think about how I would respond to things they went through.

The book of Joshua follows the exodus of Moses bringing the Israelites out of Egypt.  Moses was told he was going to be leading his people to the land God promised them.  However, after 40 years of wondering in the desert, Moses dies.  After being a faithful servant of God while others created idols, Moses was not even able to see the promise land.  Instead, Joshua was appointed by God to lead his people across the Jordan. 

I won’t go into more details of what I have read but I am only 5 chapters in and I have so many questions and thoughts....like did Moses know he was not going to see the land God had promised his people and was he bummed?  Or was he stoked because he knew heaven was going to be so much more than that land?  I honestly think I would be a little bummed.  Who would be okay turning their project or their “baby” over to someone at the last moment so they get the glory instead?  I think Moses was a different breed though and knew perfectly well that he was getting the best reward for his faithfulness.  In steps Joshua...how old was he and was he nervous about taking on such a huge task?  My assumption was yes because in chapter 1 alone God and his people told Joshua 3 times to be, “strong and courageous”.  Then Rahab enters the scene.  Rahab is a prostitute who houses Joshua’s spies and lies to the men who come to her house looking for them.  To me, it is so fascinating that God uses prostitutes, men with stutters etc. to do his will. 

I have never been excited about reading the Bible before but I no longer feel like it’s an obligation.  Instead, it’s something I want to do.  I am no longer leaving my Bible in the backseat of my car so it will be there for church next Sunday but I make it a point to make sure it’s by my bed.  Oh I am excited for what else I am going to learn!

Half Marathon update!

Training is going well.  Slowly but surely I will get there.  I am running 4 miles on a consistent basis and each day is different.  Monday I felt like I was never going to make it home and wanted to call and have someone pick me up.  Today, I felt like my energy would last forever.  Next stop...6 miles!  Oh and I need to be careful where I run....I almost ran into that little sucker.  They are everywhere!

Vietnamese update:

Unfortunately there isn’t one.  I got discouraged because it jumped from, “hey I get this” levels to, “what the heck are they even describing.”  I know that’s not the attitude I should have but I need a little kick in the pants and I will be back with it again!

Getting a Dose of Daily Bread

It is the 8^th day into September and I am starting my challenge of the month!  I guess the 8^th day in is a little better than the 21^st right?  As I was thinking about what I could do for this month, I entertained the idea of picking up horseback riding or learning guitar.  Actually, I probably would have picked either of those options over the one I have decided on, but they are not possible at the moment.  So what have I chosen for the month of September you ask? 

This challenge is just that...a challenge and I honestly thought about not putting this on my list at all because I know it’s going to be tough for me to do.  The saddest part is that it shouldn’t be challenging at all, it should be something I am excited to do every day. 

Reading the Bible has always been difficult for me, especially on a daily basis.  It has never seemed exciting to me and I have never known where to start.  I enjoy going to sermons on Sundays and I feel like that is enough for the week.  I can reflect upon it and talk about it until next Sunday right?  However, while I do get a lot out of the sermon on Sunday, it is silly to think that can sustain me for an entire week.  God’s word is our daily bread.  From it, we gain understanding of who God is and what it reveals about God helps us grow.  Now think of it like a true piece of bread, one you can actually consume.  It is ridiculous to think that someone can live off of a single piece of bread for an entire week!  How is it any different with reading my Bible?  One sermon can’t really sustain me for that long.

What I love about my church is that they do not tell us every Sunday to read our Bibles.  What they do instead is deliver messages that apply to our daily lives so when we read the Bible, we already know how to relate it to what we are going though.  I can’t remember what it was about the message I heard today that the lit the fire in me but afterwards I felt like there was no greater challenge I could choose for the month of September!  Hopefully I will get into a routine that goes past this month and I pray that my excitement to learn more about who my God is only strengthens.  I can’t wait to share this journey with you!

Language learning update!

While I am taking on this new challenge, I am continuing my commitment of learning Vietnamese and let me tell you...it is still freaking hard! I can describe a picture to you if there is a boy standing under or is sitting on a plane.  I can also tell you that there are two girls chasing after a boy.  And I am pretty confident I could tell you that a guy and a girl are dancing in the picture...for some reason the verb changes hen two people are dancing as opposed to one person dancing alone.  I feel like I have learned and actually retained a lot but I have a lot more to learn!  I was really encouraged when I talked to one of my best friends the other day, only to have her laugh at my attempt to say, “there is a boy and a dog”!  hahah oh well!

In other news: I plan to run a half marathon in January, a bucket-list item I will be checking off for January but I just wanted to give you a heads up since my training process might pop up in later blogs!