I’m back! Yay! I get to blog again this month and I picked Friday, Yay!
Wanted to start out by saying the bible study with Bro. Josh Davis has been enlightening. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a bible class like this and even though I went to Texas Bible College I still needed this refresher course in Bible study. It makes me open my mind again to more in depth study of scripture and it fascinates me to think about all the stories in the Bible and how it came to us down through the centuries. Think about it! God protected the manuscripts and the translations through all the years so the whole world would hear the Gospel and come to Christ! Amazing!
As all of you know by now, I’m fascinated by history. If you didn’t know it before, you sure know it now. I should’ve been a history major.
Anyway, the other day I came across a pamphlet I had that talked about how we got the Bible. I have no idea where I got this pamphlet or how old it is but I thought you all would enjoy these little tidbits of history.
HOW WE GOT THE BIBLE - Ten Key Points
1. The Bible is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
2. Made up of 66 different books that were written over 1600 years (from approximately 1500 BC to AD 100) by more than 40 kings, prophets, leaders, and followers of Jesus.
3. The Old Testament was written mainly in Hebrew, with some Aramaic. The New Testament was written in Greek.
4. The books of the Bible were collected and arranged and recognized as inspired sacred authority by councils of rabbis and councils of church leaders based on careful guidelines.
5. Before the printing press was invented, the Bible was copied by hand. The Bible was copied very accurately, in many cases by special scribes who developed intricate methods of counting words and letters to insure that no errors had been made.
6. The Bible was the first book ever printed on the printing press with moveable type (Gutenberg Press, 1455, Latin Bible).
7. There is much evidence that the Bible we have today is remarkably true to the original writings. Of the thousands of copies made by hand before AD 1500, more than 5,300 Greek manuscripts from the New Testament alone still exist today. The text of the Bible is better preserved than the writings of Caesar, Plato, or Aristotle.
8. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (in 1947) confirmed the astonishing reliability of some of the copies of the Old Testament made over the years. Some variations exist, most of which involve spelling. No variation affects basic Bible doctrines.
9. As the Bible was carried to other countries, it was translated into the common language of the people by scholars who wanted others to know God’s Word.
10. By AD 200, the Bible was translated into seven languages; by AD 500, 13 languages; by AD 900, 17 languages; by AD 1400, 28 languages; by 1800, 57 languages; by 1900, 537 languages; by 1980, 1,100 languages. (source: The World Christian Encyclopedia)
Isn’t this awesome? I think it is. I hope you enjoyed this (that is, if you read it all…). What an awesome book the Bible is. From the Old Testament manuscripts to the New Testament manuscripts and their translations the Word of God has been preserved for the world!
So, the next question is why? Because the awesome LOVE of God is more powerful than anything man could ever do. Nothing anyone could do through the centuries (persecution, etc.,) could stop the translation of this great Gospel message. The Good News of Christ to the world! More than ever, especially with the way the world is going now, I want to love and appreciate this most precious of books.
Again, I hope you enjoyed this blog. Look for more next week!
Until next time, love you all,
Kimmie
Friday, July 10, 2009
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Friendship
For the month of July, I want to take some time to talk about Friendship! Someone once said that friends are the way God takes care of us. I find this to be true. My sisters in Christ are my closest friends. We share such a special bond and special goal. I have acquantainces and people that I am friendly with outside of the church but they don't "get it" totally. There are so many joys, heartaches, and goals that I can't relate to them on. I think of so many times when I have had joy or heartache. After talking to my family, my next step was to find a phone to call a sister in Christ. I ran across this great recipe for friendship with the "sister chicks":
Sisters In Christ Friendship Recipe
Shortening - Provides texture. Our fellowship and friendship with our sisters in the Lord can add much depth and texture to our lives. We blend together in unity as part of the body of Christ.
Sugar - Adds sweetness. Our fellowship with our sisters adds such a sweet taste to our lives. If we didn't have sugar in our cookies, we'd sure miss it. The same is with our fellowship with our sisters. We can't leave it out of our lives.
Eggs - Holds ingredients together. Sisters in the Lord are someone to lean on. We are held together by fellowship with them. We are stronger because of them, their prayers, and their love in the Lord. We have a special bond in Christ.
Vanilla - Adds flavor. Sisters add that flavor we need. They give us that extra sensation. Without friends and fellowship we become kind of bland.
Flour - Adds substance. We need the substance a sister in the Lord can add. They give us many things by way of mentoring us when we don't even know it. Their shared testimonies and way they live their lives has an impact on us.
Baking Soda - Leavens. Leavening agents in baking helps to lighten the dough. Friendship with our sisters in Christ lightens our burdens through their prayer and encouragement.
Salt - Enhances flavor. We know that friendships add flavor and just when we need it, they help improve the tastefulness and quality of our lives. Friends are the type of people that know just what we are going through and are there when we need them.
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips - - The kind of chocolate chips we normally add to our cookies is semi sweet. Our sister friends tell us what they feel and think and that's okay. They can be honest and truthful to us. "Iron sharpeneth iron" (Proverbs 27:17).
Nuts...Optional - Just a little craziness in a sister friend is great! Sometimes a little zaniness in our friends can be just the ingredient we need.
My intention was to talk about some of my wonderful friends but there are so many of you that make my life everyday better. I want to take an opportunity to tell you each how much better off I am with you in my life. I love reading your blogs to see what is going on in your life. I make a daily habit to see if Sis. Monica, Sis. Jess, Sis. Layla, or Sis. Kimmie have posted to their blogs. That's because you can't get enough of a good thing....we need each other! I would love to see other blogs from my "sister chicks".
In the month of July, let's take Thursdays as a day of encouragement for each other and an opportunity to stop, pray for our sisters, and tell them how much we love them. Mark your calendars...we're going to make it a day of edification for the family we've been blessed with in GP.
Love to all!
Sis. D.
Sisters In Christ Friendship Recipe
Shortening - Provides texture. Our fellowship and friendship with our sisters in the Lord can add much depth and texture to our lives. We blend together in unity as part of the body of Christ.
Sugar - Adds sweetness. Our fellowship with our sisters adds such a sweet taste to our lives. If we didn't have sugar in our cookies, we'd sure miss it. The same is with our fellowship with our sisters. We can't leave it out of our lives.
Eggs - Holds ingredients together. Sisters in the Lord are someone to lean on. We are held together by fellowship with them. We are stronger because of them, their prayers, and their love in the Lord. We have a special bond in Christ.
Vanilla - Adds flavor. Sisters add that flavor we need. They give us that extra sensation. Without friends and fellowship we become kind of bland.
Flour - Adds substance. We need the substance a sister in the Lord can add. They give us many things by way of mentoring us when we don't even know it. Their shared testimonies and way they live their lives has an impact on us.
Baking Soda - Leavens. Leavening agents in baking helps to lighten the dough. Friendship with our sisters in Christ lightens our burdens through their prayer and encouragement.
Salt - Enhances flavor. We know that friendships add flavor and just when we need it, they help improve the tastefulness and quality of our lives. Friends are the type of people that know just what we are going through and are there when we need them.
Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips - - The kind of chocolate chips we normally add to our cookies is semi sweet. Our sister friends tell us what they feel and think and that's okay. They can be honest and truthful to us. "Iron sharpeneth iron" (Proverbs 27:17).
Nuts...Optional - Just a little craziness in a sister friend is great! Sometimes a little zaniness in our friends can be just the ingredient we need.
My intention was to talk about some of my wonderful friends but there are so many of you that make my life everyday better. I want to take an opportunity to tell you each how much better off I am with you in my life. I love reading your blogs to see what is going on in your life. I make a daily habit to see if Sis. Monica, Sis. Jess, Sis. Layla, or Sis. Kimmie have posted to their blogs. That's because you can't get enough of a good thing....we need each other! I would love to see other blogs from my "sister chicks".
In the month of July, let's take Thursdays as a day of encouragement for each other and an opportunity to stop, pray for our sisters, and tell them how much we love them. Mark your calendars...we're going to make it a day of edification for the family we've been blessed with in GP.
Love to all!
Sis. D.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Summer time treats and crusader camp pictures
Well,it's Wednesday and you know what that means,It's time for some more great recipes!
It's also July here in Texas and being in the kitchen over a hot stove is not something I want to be doing right now,so,here are some easy recipes for everyone's favorite summer time treat!
Easy Chocolate Ice Cream
1 (14 oz.)sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup chocolate syrup
2 cups heavy cream
First line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with aluminum foil.In a large bowl, stir together cond. milk and chocolate syrup until color is even.
In a seperate bowl,whip cream until stiff peaks form.Fold cream into chocolate mixture and pour all into the prepared pan.
Cover and freeze 6 hours until firm.
5 Ingredient Ice Cream
1/2 c.cold milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 tsp. salt
1 pint heavy cream
In a medium bowl,stir together cold milk,vanilla,cond. milk and salt.Set aside.
In a large bowl,beat heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.Fold milk mixture
into the whipped cream .
Pour into a shallow 2 quart dish,cover and freeze for 4 hours,stirring once after 2 hours or when edges start to harden.
Serve or store in an air tight container up to 10 days.
For those special occasions during the summer why not try to make your own ice cream cake?
Easy Ice Cream Cake
16 ice cream sandwiches
1 (16 oz.) cool whip
1 (12 oz.)jar chocolate fudge topping ,room temp.
1 (1.5 oz.) chocolate candy bar,grated (your choice)
Place 8 of the ice cream sandwiches side by side in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Spread evenly with half of the hot fudge topping,than half of the cool whip.
Repeat with remaining sandwiches and toppings.Sprinkle with grated candy bar.
Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.Keep unused portion covered and frozen.
Now this last recipe I have tried with the kids and we really liked it.It's more of a chunky frozen treat.
Frozen Cranberry Banana Salad
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
1 pint sour cream
1 (9 oz.) cool whip
4 mashed bananas
1/2 c. sugar
2 cans whole cranberry sauce
First, drain the pineapple well and put in a large mixing bowl.
Add sugar,then cool whip.Add cranberry sauce and sour cream.
In a separate bowl,peel and mash bananas with a fork.Combine and stir well.
Spoon into cupcake lined muffin pan.Freeze and then store them in ziploc bag.This makes it easy when the kids want to grab a quick snack.
I had a lot left over so I froze the rest in separate containers and it lasted for a few days.
Hope you all enjoy these easy recipes on these hot summer days! Have a great Wednesday!
Love,
Sis. Monica
Oh,before I go,I wanted to share some of the pictures I took of the kids at crusader camp last week.Thank you again Layla and everyone else for all their hard work!!!
Getting ready to leave Monday morning.
Stopped for lunch at Mickey D's
Girls hanging out in their dorm.
Quin dressed and ready to go to church!
It's also July here in Texas and being in the kitchen over a hot stove is not something I want to be doing right now,so,here are some easy recipes for everyone's favorite summer time treat!
Easy Chocolate Ice Cream
1 (14 oz.)sweetened condensed milk
2/3 cup chocolate syrup
2 cups heavy cream
First line a 9x5 inch loaf pan with aluminum foil.In a large bowl, stir together cond. milk and chocolate syrup until color is even.
In a seperate bowl,whip cream until stiff peaks form.Fold cream into chocolate mixture and pour all into the prepared pan.
Cover and freeze 6 hours until firm.
5 Ingredient Ice Cream
1/2 c.cold milk
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1/8 tsp. salt
1 pint heavy cream
In a medium bowl,stir together cold milk,vanilla,cond. milk and salt.Set aside.
In a large bowl,beat heavy cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.Fold milk mixture
into the whipped cream .
Pour into a shallow 2 quart dish,cover and freeze for 4 hours,stirring once after 2 hours or when edges start to harden.
Serve or store in an air tight container up to 10 days.
For those special occasions during the summer why not try to make your own ice cream cake?
Easy Ice Cream Cake
16 ice cream sandwiches
1 (16 oz.) cool whip
1 (12 oz.)jar chocolate fudge topping ,room temp.
1 (1.5 oz.) chocolate candy bar,grated (your choice)
Place 8 of the ice cream sandwiches side by side in a 9x13 inch baking dish.
Spread evenly with half of the hot fudge topping,than half of the cool whip.
Repeat with remaining sandwiches and toppings.Sprinkle with grated candy bar.
Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.Keep unused portion covered and frozen.
Now this last recipe I have tried with the kids and we really liked it.It's more of a chunky frozen treat.
Frozen Cranberry Banana Salad
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple
1 pint sour cream
1 (9 oz.) cool whip
4 mashed bananas
1/2 c. sugar
2 cans whole cranberry sauce
First, drain the pineapple well and put in a large mixing bowl.
Add sugar,then cool whip.Add cranberry sauce and sour cream.
In a separate bowl,peel and mash bananas with a fork.Combine and stir well.
Spoon into cupcake lined muffin pan.Freeze and then store them in ziploc bag.This makes it easy when the kids want to grab a quick snack.
I had a lot left over so I froze the rest in separate containers and it lasted for a few days.
Hope you all enjoy these easy recipes on these hot summer days! Have a great Wednesday!
Love,
Sis. Monica
Oh,before I go,I wanted to share some of the pictures I took of the kids at crusader camp last week.Thank you again Layla and everyone else for all their hard work!!!
Getting ready to leave Monday morning.
Stopped for lunch at Mickey D's
Girls hanging out in their dorm.
Quin dressed and ready to go to church!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
The Seaton Wedding
Hello, All!
Beautiful pictures of the wedding of Jamie Seaton and Courtney Boone this past weekend. I am anxious for them to come "home" to Grand Prairie and know the youth are anxious. Love you all! Sis. D.
Beautiful pictures of the wedding of Jamie Seaton and Courtney Boone this past weekend. I am anxious for them to come "home" to Grand Prairie and know the youth are anxious. Love you all! Sis. D.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Raising Thankful Children
Wow! This is the third month of our ladies blog. I am so grateful to all who have posted, commented, and read the blog. I'm excited about a new month of blogging....
As you know, on most Mondays, we talk about Family and Home. I ran across an article by David Swihart that I wanted to share with you about having thankful children.
In the midst of this materialistic society, parents often see in their children a lack of appreciation for what they have. Here are 10 ideas that can help your children become more thankful people.
Begin to model an attitude that says, "This thing isn't mine, it belongs to God and he is letting me use it right now." With this attitude, you can begin to convey not only that God is the creator and owner of everything, but also that we are entrusted with caring for God's possessions.
Limit the number of things you give to your children. If you are constantly giving things to them, they lose their appreciation for a gift when the next one comes along. Instead of having one prized possession, they will simply have lots of stuff to occupy them. Over time, this breeds a lack of appreciation for things. In short, you spoil your child.
Don't make giving toys or presents the primary way of showing love in your family. Love is a spiritual act, and is best communicated through speech, touch, facial expressions and attitudes.
Take time regularly to be thankful and to give thanks together. Let your children see you telling them and others, "thank you".
During family prayer time, go around the circle and have each family member tell God "thank you" for something.
Plan family activities that involve ministering to other people. Through this a child can see how blessing others produces thankfulness.
Incorporate into discipline the removal of certain things and activities your child likes but may take for granted. This will give the opportunity to "miss" it, increasing his appreciation for having it.
Acknowledge when your child says, "thank you" by looking at him or her, smiling and clearly saying, "you're welcome'. Let them know how it makes you happy to hear them saying, "thank you".
As your children grow old enough to comprehend it, make clear distinctions between "rights" and "privileges", first in your own life and, by application, in theirs. A good example for adults is having a driver's license.
Over time, make the connection for your children between thankfulness and worship so that they can truly grow to worship the Lord out of a thankful heart.
We have awesome children in our church and I want to do my part to be sure they have the resources and training to become powerful ministers of the gospel. I love each of you and hope you have a fabulous Monday.
On another note...the wedding of Bro. Jamie and Sis. Courtney was beautiful. I will try to post some pictures later.
Love you all! Sis. D.
As you know, on most Mondays, we talk about Family and Home. I ran across an article by David Swihart that I wanted to share with you about having thankful children.
In the midst of this materialistic society, parents often see in their children a lack of appreciation for what they have. Here are 10 ideas that can help your children become more thankful people.
Begin to model an attitude that says, "This thing isn't mine, it belongs to God and he is letting me use it right now." With this attitude, you can begin to convey not only that God is the creator and owner of everything, but also that we are entrusted with caring for God's possessions.
Limit the number of things you give to your children. If you are constantly giving things to them, they lose their appreciation for a gift when the next one comes along. Instead of having one prized possession, they will simply have lots of stuff to occupy them. Over time, this breeds a lack of appreciation for things. In short, you spoil your child.
Don't make giving toys or presents the primary way of showing love in your family. Love is a spiritual act, and is best communicated through speech, touch, facial expressions and attitudes.
Take time regularly to be thankful and to give thanks together. Let your children see you telling them and others, "thank you".
During family prayer time, go around the circle and have each family member tell God "thank you" for something.
Plan family activities that involve ministering to other people. Through this a child can see how blessing others produces thankfulness.
Incorporate into discipline the removal of certain things and activities your child likes but may take for granted. This will give the opportunity to "miss" it, increasing his appreciation for having it.
Acknowledge when your child says, "thank you" by looking at him or her, smiling and clearly saying, "you're welcome'. Let them know how it makes you happy to hear them saying, "thank you".
As your children grow old enough to comprehend it, make clear distinctions between "rights" and "privileges", first in your own life and, by application, in theirs. A good example for adults is having a driver's license.
Over time, make the connection for your children between thankfulness and worship so that they can truly grow to worship the Lord out of a thankful heart.
We have awesome children in our church and I want to do my part to be sure they have the resources and training to become powerful ministers of the gospel. I love each of you and hope you have a fabulous Monday.
On another note...the wedding of Bro. Jamie and Sis. Courtney was beautiful. I will try to post some pictures later.
Love you all! Sis. D.
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