OUR CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE JOURNEY 2011 - DAY 2

Genesis 4:1-5:32 ~ 1 Chronicles 1:1-4 ~ Genesis 6:1-22
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~ 


In Genesis chapter 4, we read about the first murder of humankind - Cain killing his own brother Abel in a premeditative way.  This is a clear demonstration of The Fall and how sin lives in the hearts of men and women, and that redemption and forgiveness can only come through faith in Jesus and through God's grace.  So why didn't God look with favor on Cain's offering?  Maybe because it was a careless or thoughtless offering, whereas Abel's offering was a choice or generous offering.  God saw the motivation and heart attitude of both men as they brought their offerings.  It seems that God was looking straight into Cain's heart as he says this in verses 6 and 7: "Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked him. "Why do you look so dejected? You will be accepted if you respond in the right way. But if you refuse to respond correctly, then watch out! Sin is waiting to attack and destroy you, and you must subdue it."  That is a scary thought - sin waiting to attack and destroy.  In the NIV it translates "sin is crouching at your door."  Let us be watchful and prayerful to not be overtaken by sin, but to respond correctly to the grace and strength given us through Jesus.  Below is a modern image by an unknown artist of Cain just after killing Abel.  Do you see the contrast of light & dark and which way Cain is facing? This is a powerful image to consider...:

In Genesis chapter 5 we read about the genealogy from Adam to Noah.  The long life spans of people are often interpreted to be either literal or symbolic.   Those who believe these ages in this genealogy are literal believe this is the case because of a few reasons: 

1. The human race was more genetically pure in this early time period, so diseases did not shorten life spans;
2. No rain had yet fallen on the earth - until the next chapter - so the expanse of water above the earth protected people from environmental factors; and/or
3. God gave people longer life spans so they would have time to fill the earth - per Genesis 1:28.

Chapter 6 verses 5 & 6 states: "Now the LORD observed the extent of the people's wickedness, and he saw that all their thoughts were consistently and totally evil.  So the LORD was sorry he had ever made them. It broke his heart."  I think it was this last sentence that really stood out to me - It broke his heart.  God's heart was broken over our behavior.  I love realizing that God has this type of compassion and care for what we do.  What we do matters to God!  When we are obedient and faithful and loving, God rejoices!  When we are not, it breaks his heart.  I hope it encourages you to know that God did not just create you and doesn't really care whether you do well in this life - he is rooting for you!  He wants you to run the race well and receive the prize!

"Noah's Ark" by American folk painter Edward Hicks, 1846.

Prayer Point: Pray that you won't ever be overtaken by anger. Pray that you do what is right. Pray that you won't ever let the sin crouching at your door have you. Pray that you will rule over it, through your saving relationship with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.

Today's readings in Genesis about Noah and the flood reminded me of the older Jars of Clay song called "Flood." Above is a live version of this song.  God bless you!


Adapted with permission from The Chronological Bible Blog.

OUR CHRONOLOGICAL BIBLE JOURNEY 2011 - DAY 1

Above is a fresco of "The Creation of Adam" by the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo, from the year 1510.

GENESIS 1:1-3:24
~ Click here to read today's Scripture on BibleGateway.com ~


~Genesis~
Author: Moses
Date: ~1420 B.C.
Content: The book of Genesis was written to explain how everything began; in fact, the very title Genesis means “origin” or “beginning”. It explains that God created the universe, how man was created and placed in a perfect environment, how sin began, and how God provided salvation for lost man. The beginning of human history is described, the beginning of arts and crafts, how human languages began, and where the various nations came from. The focus then shifts to the beginning of the Hebrew people with Abraham, followed by the histories of Isaac, Jacob and his sons, and the book ends with Joseph in Egypt.
Theme: The main idea that runs through the book is that although God made everything good, man’s sin has spoiled it. God has not given up, but is now in search of man to save him. The overall control of God is stressed, and special attention is given to how God directs history for the good of his people and their salvation. (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers “The One Year Bible Companion” p.)

 This is a marble statue of Moses, the author of Genesis, made in the year 1515 by Michelangelo in Italy.

Moses is the author/compiler of the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Pentateuch, or the books of the Law.  It is believed that these five books were written by Moses during Israel's 40 years in the desert after the exodus from Egypt - which was likely between 1446 B.C. and 1406 B.C.  The book of Genesis is foundational to understanding the rest of the Bible.  It is a book of relationships - between God and his creation; between God and man; and between people themselves.  In Genesis, God pledges his love and faithfulness to man through covenants.  It is a narrative that continually demonstrates faith.


In today's Genesis readings we read about the Creation account and Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.  The 6 days of creation have two main lines of thought by various scholars:  

1. They were 6 literal 24 hour days; or 
2. They were 6 figurative days of an undefined timeframe.

Today we read this incredibly powerful verse in Genesis chapter 1 verse 27: "So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them."  Do you believe that you are made in the image of God?  Is this a powerful thing to reflect upon? What might this mean for your life this new year, knowing that you are made in the image of God? Does this give you a sense of possibility for your life?  A sense that you are made for a great purpose in this life


Prayer Point: Based on Genesis 1:27 above, will you pray today for your family, friends, and others in your community, that you will see the image of God in each of them?  Also, pray for those you know who are made in the image of God, and yet are not in a saving personal relationship with Jesus, that they will come to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior this year.
Today, reading about God's creation of our world in Genesis reminded me of the Third Day and Caedmon's Call song, "God of Wonders." Here's a great live version of this song, introduced by Michael W. Smith, and then wrapped up with a beautiful version of "Agnus Dei."  Enjoy, and don't be afraid to Worship God right now along with this video!

Adapted with permission from The Chronological Bible Blog.

Our 2011 Journey through the Bible Begins!

The Chronological Bible

I have been blessed to have read through the whole bible in a year about three years ago, and I believe that I am being called to do it again this year, as well as take my eldest son along with me.  By God's grace, I found this website, The Chronological Bible Blog, and thought about using it for our journey this 2011.  To encourage my son, I asked Mike, the owner of this blog, if I could "reblog" his site with a few tweaks, mostly shortening the posts by zeroing in on one specific concept at a time.  Mike has so very kindly agreed, so Mike, if you're reading this, thanks so much from the bottom of my heart.
If you're here looking for a way to bring your child, or even yourself, closer to God, you might want to check out The Chronological Bible Blog first, then come back here, to see which "version" would be more suitable for you and/or your family.  May we all be blessed by the mighty power of God's Word!  We look forward to having you with us on this exciting journey! =)

Freebie of the Day » Blog Archive » The Cinnamon Bear!

Freebie of the Day » Blog Archive » The Cinnamon Bear!

It's December 1 already? Whoa, time really flies when you're having fun! My kids and I have finished our homeschoolyear, and are on a break this month, which is good for me, since I do need time to do all the tasks on my Christmas list. Unfortunately, being on "vacation" isn't always a good thing for us. Why? Because I have more difficulty keeping my kids occupied with creative and worthwhile things to do when homeschool's out! Well, should be no surprise to me...who needs a career when motherhood is a 24/7 job?
While we're on break, I need to fill my kids' schedules with activities that don't include any screen time, i.e., TV, computer, Wii, Nintendo DS, and whatever screen gadget doo-dad's they've got out there! Then I remembered about this Christmas story in audio format that I downloaded sometime ago, but I completely forgot its name, and consequently, I had no idea where on our external drives I've backed it up. When lo and behold, I open my Firefox and out pops "The Cinnamon Bear" on the Homeschool Freebie of the Day website, which, as you've probably guessed by now, is one of my default pages, he he! It's a 26-episode audio story that will certainly liven up the holidays for the family, especially children. Each episode is 15 minutes long, which is good especially for the younger ones with short attention-spans. What's more, there's a free downloadable printable coloring book to go with the story, which will give the kids more fun time. I'll be starting our family with this tomorrow, and I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, I'd LOVE to find out from all of you out there what kind of activities you've done with your families during the Christmas season! Hope to hear from you! =)

Sesame Street Parenting Magazine

 Sesame Street Parenting Magazine

I'm back! It's been some time...we've been busy with life, from reconnecting with my balikbayan siblings who've come visiting to spend precious time with our elderly parents, to my daughter's debut party cum concert...we're also hunting for a house...all this is happening while we're homeschooling. By God's grace, we're ending our homeschool year within the next 2 weeks. So I hope you'd forgive me for not posting as much as I'd like...my blog isn't my life, anyways, he he!
Getting back to this post, here's something I'm sure most parents will like, especially those who are currently raising preschoolers! I have to say, I'm probably part of the first few generations of children who grew up watching and consequently learning English from "Sesame Street". These were the days when there was no Elmo and Mr. Snuffleupagus was supposed to be just a figment of Big Bird's imagination. Modesty aside, I have been told numerous times that my communication skills, especially in the English language, are impressive, and many have even asked how I acquired them. Besides having role-model & nurturing parents who passed on an appreciation for reading and gave me access to a wide variety of reading materials, and schooling in institutions with high standards for their English language education, "Sesame Street" would be part of that list. Some of their short, creative animation clips used to present concepts such as letters or numbers exist in my memory now. Why? Simply because they were cute, funny, and they're part of my happy memories. I'm again reminded, learning needs to be a positive experience so that it sticks. Over-all, I'd say "Sesame Street" is positive learning, as you will see in its magazine here. Though its written for an American audience, the many activities you will find inside can be adapted for kids from anywhere in the world. There's LOTS of stuff in here to keep the little ones busy that you might want to keep this one for those days when they come to you complaining that they have nothing to do. Better yet, you can also save some money by making this a special "treat" you got for them instead of something you have to buy. Browse through it ahead of time, and you will see that you should splurge just a little by printing this in color, for maximized brain exercise! Make sure you bookmark this link and come back to it monthly, so that you'd know when a new issue comes out. Enjoy! =)

Want a Free Worksheets Directory?

 

Join the Heads Up list!

If you're a true-blue homeschooling parent, then the image on this post is practically calling out to you!  Yup, this guide is ABSOLUTELY FREE, BUT...you need to become a subscriber to the "Homeschool Freebie of the Day" FIRST.  Subscribing is also free, of course, and you're having spent a precious five minutes of your time will be well worth the effort, I assure you!  Click on the link above to subscribe, then wait for the link to be sent to your mailbox.  Enjoy! =)

Web Wonder Alert: Schoolhouse Expo!

Here's something to look forward to - the Schoolhouse Expo!  It is a "webinar", which is (for those who are internet newbies) an online conference.  Think homeschool convention via the internet, & this is it.  This particular event is not the first I've "attended".  I paid to attend one called "Charlotte Mason for the 21st Century" by Cindy Rushton last year, when I decided to learn more about the CM method for our homeschooling.  The investment was well worth it!  Why?
Firstly, you don't have to "attend" the webinar according to its schedule if you can't, because recordings of the sessions were made available to all attendees for downloading.  I chose to download the recordings instead of attend the convention's sessions live.  Even better, in case I wanted to listen again to something a speaker mentioned, I could!  A few clicks and I could do that.
Secondly, if you do the computations, it's really economical.  Sure, we ourselves in the Philippines would be more than capable to organize our own convention, and it has been done successfully in the past.  Inviting experienced homeschooling resource persons from abroad, however, will be the challenge.  This is exactly why online conventions make so much sense.  Practically anyone from whatever country can join the convention, live!  Have broadband, attend the conference, he he!
Thirdly, remember how you'd get so excited about all the freebies? Well, the freebies are still there online, but there's usually a time-bomb caveat to it, just like the Schoolhouse Expo. Browse through the freebies available to help you decide if and when you'll join the conference.
Lastly, and this is true of the Schoolhouse Expo only, the speakers' presentations during the conference will also be made available for download. This feature wasn't available with the CM convention I paid for last year, so I think it's a pretty good thing the Schoolhouse Expo included this now.
Should you decide to pay to attend and you're in Manila, let me know if you'd like to get together to attend the conference, be it live or on our schedule. Hope to hear from you! =)