Up Date

So far the study has been taking almost all free time I have but I'm also trying to make up for the ones I missed being as how I didn't start on the 1st. I've been doubling up and then some. But tomorrow I will do two and then I will be at the correct study from then on out and should finish at the end of the month. So after tomorrow all I will have to do is just one study a day. I don't know how much time I'm going to need for each study. There are around 14-16 pages in the textbook for each study so that portion of the studies will stay about the same. Mostly it all depends on how much Scripture I have to read before I do the textbook pages. Some of the studies have an enormous amount of Bible reading, some don't. I sat here tonight and read through the Scripture passages relatively quickly for tomorrow's two studies (I thought maybe I could get them done tonight instead of watching TV and have less to do tomorrow.) Then I will really be able to tell how much free time I'm going to have for blogging. I started in Genesis and I'm already into 1Samuel and found out something I didn't know: The pairs of 1&2Samuel, 1&2Kings, and 1&2 Chronicles were originally one book each. But they were split in two to make for easier handling. That's not exactly big news but it was something I learned that I had never heard before.

One thing I realized as I studied the chapter that dealt with the Law and most specifically the Ten Commandments, is that I don't really give them the respect they deserve. Oh, I know that my salvation does not rest on keeping the Commandments but I should be trying to live up to them in my Christian walk. They are good for me and good for those around me and very surprisingly, they are good for God in that they bring honor and glory to Him. Some of the Commandments make only common sense (I guess in all honesty they all make sense) and give rules for relationships. Don't lie, don't cheat or steal, don't murder, etc., etc. These are things that most of us don't need a Commandment against; we just automatically refrain from doing these things. But where it gets difficult for me are the ones that touch on my vices. Those that make up my want-tos. If I keep all the Commandments but one, I am guilty of breaking the entire law. And if none of the others gets to you. I guarantee the 10th one will. Covetousness. Because it deals with our want-tos. Oh, I've never stolen anything, but have I ever wished I could? I've never murdered anyone, no, but have I ever wanted to? That gets to the heart of the Tenth Commandment. Keeping all the laws but wishing I didn't have to keep them. That pretty well sums up the Tenth Commandment. Which makes me a law breaker. Condemned without the blood of Christ.

So while I am not required to keep the Law, I should want to (and I do) and I should strive to. It's the lesser evils that trip me up. The unkind words. The me-first attitude. All the things that go into wrecking a relationship whether it's between me and my brothers and sisters, between me and my husband, or between me and the Lord, it doesn't really matter. What matters is that I am a relational being because I was made in the image of God and God is a relational Being. Therefore relationships should be very important to me. Do I work at those relationships with all the vim and vigor necessary to keep them healthy? Do I work to keep the peace? To help someone else get ahead? To make someone else's life better? To give others the benefit of the doubt? To make someone else's day? Do I care more for others than I do for myself? If the Ten Commandments were kept by everyone on planet earth it would be a perfect world. And although I can't do anything about others keeping the commandments, I can certainly do something about myself. So the next time I slam my finger in the door am I going to say, "Oh, God"? That's my weakness. Using that expression. Saying "Oh God" when there's a surprising turn of events. I don't really know if this is a problem or not. It is not really using the Lord's name in vain but I don't care. I've decided to break that habit. It will be a hard one to break because it's been a habit for so many many years and I say it without any forethought. It just slips out. But I have confidence that with the Lord all things are possible and I can and will break that habit! But it will take time. That's okay. The Lord has all the time in the world, right?

Tomorrow is the Executive Board meeting and I'm going to meet Joann early so we can go over the membership roll a little bit in preparation for next month's Deacon meeting. That's still a long ways off but she wanted to meet and go over it so that's what we'll do. I am always eager to meet with people when they are as excited about an event or project as I am. Never extinguish a flame no matter how small it might be. That's my motto.