Religious Post! Don’t Read if you Don’t want to Know!

Bible Journal Revisit:

I have been arting in my bible. Journaling as I research the Bible study I’m working on about biblical marriage. While most everything is out of my workroom, one of my past journaling bibles was on my desk. I’m not sure where the others are, as I’ve worked though several. I’ve obviously packed them away already.

What I noticed while paging through this most recently journaled in bible is the differences I see in my focus and thought process. Most of the entries were involving women. But the difference is in the way I am approaching what’s written about them. Before I focused on the individual stories of these women. Now I’m focusing on the “big picture” of their stories put together. Because with each story there is meaning, insight and clarity. One by one, piece by piece, the truth is being revealed.

After I finish the research for the woman part of the study, I’ll have to do the same for the men. But, surprisingly enough, I’m beginning to think this study will take a different path than I thought it would. I sort of had an idea of where the study would go and what would be in it. As I delve deeper into my research I see there’s more which should be covered. For example, the cultural relevance is incredible and vast. This will provide enough information for a bible study on that topic alone, should I want to write one.

This study will not include the roles of women in the church. That is a study all by itself. Although the research does include information on this, I’m separating it into categories. The reality is my research is providing information to create a bible study for all of these topics. I suspect more will be revealed as I continue.

I’m really hoping this doesn’t turn into a book, rather than a bible study.

It was fun looking through the other bible. I saw lots of interesting and unusual entries. Some very colorful and creative, others simple and to the point. But my thoughts and feelings at that time are evident. Which I found very interesting. There are some entries which show struggles and challenges, others thankfulness and still others peace and acceptance. It’s like a visual picture of what was happening in my life at the time I did the art.

Before you think my only form of bible study is bible journaling, it is not. I have another (or several) bibles which I use for in depth study. These hold notes, questions I might have which I need to research, word studies, character studies, etc. There is often a notebook used as well, leaving the most important, and brief, details for the Bible itself. I also reference an in-depth analysis-within the notebooks-for more information on the passage or verse.

Many people take the Bible at face value. Whatever translation they use is what the Bible says. I do not. When I realized, with great shock and disappointment by the way, that what I was hearing preached on Sundays didn’t always take context into account, I had to find the truth for myself.

Once this thirst for the truth started, there was no quenching it. It became a passion. A mission. A vital purpose. May I humbly suggest, if you are a Bible believer, that you take the time to dig into the Word. Find out the truth for yourself. Because you need to know what you believe and why you believe it. If what you believe is based upon incorrect interpretation…Well, then what you believe isn’t actual truth.

It’s important to note, many evil things have been done using the Word of God as justification. Cherry-picking verses without context leads to really bad stuff. And, for myself, what is written about women and their role in both the home and church has been a source of deep depression in the past. It wasn’t until I began using Kay Arthur’s Inductive Study method that my spiritual life turned around and blossomed. My personal relationship with the Lord grew deep and intimate once I realized God didn’t actually hate women. (And while many won’t understand my relationship with the Lord, which is unlike most people’s I’m guessing, He and I are just fine. He gets me. He understands my process, listens as I vent, and loves me just the way I am. It’s great.) And I began to see what I’d been told in every church I’ve attended isn’t actually what the Bible says about women.

In fact I’m beginning to see a whole lot of the rules and regulations about women in ministry and her position within the church has been deliberately misrepresented. There can be no other explanation for the focus on just a few verses which can be interpreted in several different ways. It is upon these few verses that church doctrine is based. And since these few verses seem to put women under the authority of men and limit her areas where she can serve, it’s to the benefit of men. There is no benefit to this for women whatsoever.

It’s also apparent these instructions were for a specific purpose for the believers at the time. The context in these few passages is based upon the cultural norms the people were living with. That pagan beliefs were prevalent at the time of these writings indicates a recognition of what those beliefs were and how Christianity countered them. It is only though the lens of context these verses even make sense.

Back to my original purpose of the post: bible journaling revisited. If you are a bible journaler please date your pages. I try to do this with each of mine and it’s been a very interesting trip through the past reviewing one of the Bibles. Lots of different things strike me in those same passages I journaled. Different points from the same text. The Holy Spirit reveals new things all the time and I love that.

2nd Covid Shot and Other Ramblings

While I feel very strongly about getting the Covid vaccine, this second dose has kicked my butt! Combining this with my other health problems has equaled a viciously crappy day. My hope is tomorrow will be better.

My mother-in-law moved into her new place at the senior living center. She has a lovely studio apartment. She has her microwave and a small refrigerator, but the meals are all taken care of. Truly, it’s a charming place which doesn’t feel at all “nursing home”. They have other buildings which the resident will be moved to as their health needs increase. It’s a lovely place. I hope she’s very happy there.

Because Mom moved, she told all of us if we wanted anything to come and get it. Well, I did that this afternoon after my nap. I had wanted the pink Depression glass, which I got. Her kitchen is much better stocked than mine so I took some huge soup pots, utensils, and mixing bowls. I also took her recipe box, it’s filled with recipes she wrote out herself. Several of the things I took were for my kids. Each one will get two or three things from their grandmother.

Yesterday, after my Covid shot, Laurie and I stopped by an estate sale. I found some really great stuff there. Nothing was priced, so you just made an offer on what you wanted. We found a box which held what I thought was a stack of vintage ladies hankies. I bought the box for 10 bucks.

As it turns out, that box held far more vintage hankies than expected. Far more. There were 137 vintage linen and cotton ladies hankies. Laurie had wondered if perhaps the family had owned a store at one point in their lives and this was extra stock. This seems a reasonable thought as many of the hankies had price tags on them: 43 cents. So you can tell they were very vintage.

After washing them, I spent over an hour ironing them all. Three didn’t make it though the delicate wash cycle in my machine. These were purchased for art journals, so I can still use them. Just in different ways than I planned.

There was a large mat cutter, which the husband had used to mat his photographs. I bought that, along with a ATG tape gun. Both will be huge helps in matting my paintings. There was a bunch of other stuff too. I nearly bought a samurai sword, but realized we’d just have to pack it up anyway. But it would have looked spectacular with my dragons.

A week or so ago, Laurie and I went to Michaels. I bought a rolling three tiered cart with additional storage hanging from each tier. There is also a peg board and a small metal divided box which hangs on that too. This has been an outstanding purchase.

One side of hanging pieces are intended to hold wrapping paper. So the top and center are rectangular metal bars attached to the side of the cart. Since that’s not what I needed, I altered Velveta cheese boxes. I cut one shorter and made the end from the side piece. Then I covered both with black and white contact paper. (I added glue to the boxes before I wrapped them.) They fit perfectly in the open space in the center. These are held in place with binder clips onto the bar. I’ve filled them with additional glue sticks, tape, ink pads and blenders, and other odds and ends. The top bar holds my blow dryer and heat tool. The lowest part, which has a bottom, holds my mediums and liquid glues.

While I’m not finished with the painting I’m doing of the house, it is coming along. Some dry brushing and details and up it goes. I can’t remember a painting which has taken me longer.

Seriously.

It’s freakin nuts.