Salty Zebra

   When I heard that Love God Greatly was going to do a six week study covering Genesis to Revelation, I laughed out loud! Then I became intrigued. I've always been a fan of seeing the overarching story of scripture, and I guess this is how you do it!   This study starts us of in the beginning, Genesis. The first week explores how history started out in the Garden of Eden and then looks at the fall, the flood, and the Tower of Babel. Next, we'll get to know some of the Patriarchs. Week 3 has us focusing on Moses, the Exodus and the Old Testament Law. In Week 4 there's a lot to cover from Israel's kings to it's Exile and return from Babylon. Finally, in Week 5 we'll get to meet Jesus and learn about His pivotal role in the history of humanity. And lastly, we'll look at the New Testament Church including the role of the Holy Spirit as well as end times prophecy in the final week of the study.  As always, I'd love for you to join me in this study! You can f...

 The MSC Yacht Club is their version of the ship-within-a-ship concept made popular by cruise lines in recent years. Cruise ships have gotten bigger and bigger, and consequently filled by more and more people. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, currently the largest operating cruise ship, has a gross tonnage of 248,663 and accommodates nearly 10,000 people between guests and staff. As you can imagine, this creates some level of chaos and crowding. For people like myself, introverts and those with sensory processing issues, that can be a nightmare. Enter the ship-within-a-ship idea. MSC cruise line actually pioneered this feature in 2008 on the MSC Fantasia. In the Yacht Club, you have a private area that cannot be accessed by the general population of the ship. Things are quieter. Staff are friendlier. Food is better. You get the idea. You still have full access to the features in the rest of the ship if you want to go to a show or enjoy some of the specialty dining, but you have ...

 This has been an interesting study! I've had a massive family situation this summer which sort of derailed my usual routine. You may have noticed that my posts were more sporadic and less varied than normal. I'm happy to say I completed the study though before the next one starts tomorrow! I'm looking forward to writing this recap on the plane home from Florida tonight. I'm hoping the 10,000 foot view will put this study into perspective 😉.  We started our the first week in chapter one of Ephesians. Paul addresses this letter to the "saints" in Ephesus,  and identifies himself as an apostle, which motivated me to learn about these words . I am so encouraged by Paul's statement that we were chosen in Christ before the beginning of the world ( Ephesians 1:4 ). This taught me that no matter what I'm facing or how impossible it seems, God already has it worked out  ! Continuing on, I explored the darkness of slavery to sin that I was trapped in before Je...

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel. Ephesians 6:19  I've shared on this blog about many of the diseases and conditions I face, like Elhers-Danlos Syndromes and a Pilocytic Astrocytoma brain tumor , but the one that hits the hardest, that I dread the worst, is foot in mouth disease. That is to say, I have always found myself saying the wrong thing! It's a little better here because I can think through and review what I say before it goes out to the world, but that review and editing process does not seem to function well in my brain in real time! This has been compounded as of late by my struggle with impulse control and my apparent loss of filter. I'm told this is common in women my age, so I try not to stress over the thought that the brain tumor is causing it, but I do wonder sometimes. When the importance of this is most on my heart is when I have opportunities to ...

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.   Ephesians 6:13 As I mentioned in my last post , we have a very real enemy and we are engaged in an active battle. This is not a fight we can see with our eyes, but we sense it with our spirit. Accordingly, we must have both a good offense and a good defense in this battle.God did not drop us into the middle of a war with no weapons or armor. No! On the contrary, He has provided us with everything we need for life and godliness ( 2Peter 1:3 ) according to His riches in glory ( Philippians 4:19 ).  Many more capable than I have broken down the armor of God, but today what stands out to me is the ending of this verse – “and after you have done everything, to stand.” In my life, I often feel like I am looking for the next thing I should try, the next job to do. I go through my checklist, and add to it reg...

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Ephesians 6:12  All my life I've been a fan of fiction, and much of it has been in the fantasy genre. C.S. Lewis * has taught me more than a few lessons, and Frank Peretti *, Bryan Davis *, Gilbert Morris * and Ted Dekker * have added their voices to this narrative. I used to think that reading fiction was just for fun, but I've come to realize that we can learn so much more through stories than through direct teachings. I'm sure this is why Jesus taught the people in parables. We can read the account of Christ's sacrifice for us on the cross and be deeply impressed by the logistics of what went into the provision for our salvation in the Gospels, but experiencing Aslan's gift of himself to Narnia through Lucy's eyes and heart adds layer upon layer of depth to my ...

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people. Ephesians 6:7  You may have heard the quote, “Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” I'm not sure who said it originally, neither is the internet, but most all of us have come across it at one point or another. Depending on your perspective, this quote could be encouraging, convicting, or down right annoying!  These words fit in well with my approach to life. I've never been one to do things half way, I'm an all or nothing person. As I've gotten older, this has changed up a bit in that I now have to prioritize what I do since I have less and less energy to do it with. Still, though, if I'm going to do something, I'm going to give it my best effort. And that includes things that only God will ever see or notice. When I make the bed each day, I often notice that the sheets are coming untucked at the bottom. I could just straighten the blankets and call it good enough – my husband...