NIPTO, Day 260

Yesterday marked the 37th week that  I've been blogging.
Amazing.

I'm sitting at school. I don't really have anything to do (except Geometry, and I want to do that with mom and she's still teaching for another 20 minutes) so I thought I'd get started on this.
It smells SOOO GOOD in here today. They made applesauce in cooking/bible class this morning. And right now I smell ozone. (Bread baking haha)
I could totally be making up the fact that they're making bread because I can't smell anything. <-- that was  false statement, because I can obviously smell. But I can't smell very well.
Better.

So... not a lot has happened since I blogged last.
Although I was an emotional wreck yesterday. The paper that I was revising for lit was stressing me out a whole lot. I have multiple people who can attest to this. I just felt like I couldn't stop crying. And in some ways it felt good to just cry, and in others, it was horrible because I just couldn't stop crying!
But I'm a little better today. Although I'm still semi-volatile. Except for the fact that that doesn't really make sense. Because I'm not violent. Just emotional.
Little things have been making me cry and I have noooo idea why. It's weird.

And on that note, I'm going to do NIPTO.
This is the last day of Hosea! It's been interesting. Not exactly what I thought it would be, but it's still good. I think I'm going to do Ecclesiastes next. I think that'll be interesting too.
So... onward-ho?

Hosea 14:1-9
¹ Return, O Israel, to the LORD your God.
       Your sins have been your downfall!


God calls Israel to return to him. Their sins have brought them down. It's their downfall. And our downfall too.


 ² Take words with you
       and return to the LORD.
       Say to him:
       "Forgive all our sins
       and receive us graciously,
       that we may offer the fruit of our lips.
 ³ Assyria cannot save us;
       we will not mount war-horses.
       We will never again say 'Our gods'
       to what our own hands have made,
       for in you the fatherless find compassion."
God told them to go and ask God for forgiveness. "Forgive all our sins and receive us graciously, that we may offer the fruit of our lips."
That is a beautiful prayer for forgiveness. 
"Assyria cannot save us" -the people around us can't save us.
"we will not mount war-horses. We will never again say 'Our gods' to what our own hands have made, for in you the fatherless find compassion." -War is not a substitute for anything. What we make with our hands isn't anything to be praised or worshiped because God is too great for that. 
I love the last line of this though. "for in you the fatherless find compassion."
It makes me think of Compassion International. The fatherless, the poor find compassion through God and his people. 


 ⁴ "I will heal their waywardness
       and love them freely,
       for my anger has turned away from them.
If and when they repented, God would heal them in their waywardness. He would love them freely because he wasn't angry with them. (Repentance is a wonderful thing!)


 ⁵ I will be like the dew to Israel;
       he will blossom like a lily.
       Like a cedar of Lebanon
       he will send down his roots;
 ⁶ his young shoots will grow.
       His splendor will be like an olive tree,
       his fragrance like a cedar of Lebanon.
 ⁷ Men will dwell again in his shade.
       He will flourish like the grain.
       He will blossom like a vine,
       and his fame will be like the wine from Lebanon.
When Israel asked for forgiveness and repented, beautiful things would happen. Israel would blossom and flourish. They would put roots down like the ginormous cedar trees of Lebanon. They would be splendid like the olive trees and fragrant like the cedar trees. They would grow to be so big that people could rest in their shade. They would flourish and blossom. They would be famous because of their love for and from God.


 ⁸ O Ephraim, what more have I to do with idols?
       I will answer him and care for him.
       I am like a green pine tree;
       your fruitfulness comes from me."

God told Ephraim that he would care for them. Idols would not care for them. But in God's care, they would become fruitful. "Your fruitfulness comes from me."

 ⁹ Who is wise? He will realize these things.
       Who is discerning? He will understand them.
       The ways of the LORD are right;
       the righteous walk in them,
       but the rebellious stumble in them
Then God questions them. "Who is wise?" Whoever is wise will realize what he just told them. Whoever is discerning will understand the things.
They way of the Lord is right. The righteous walk in the way of the Lord. The rebellious stumble in the way of the Lord. Interesting. 
An interesting note to end Hosea on...



Before I go, there is something you have to see. Or listen to. Read. Go here. And listen and read. Adam Young (Owl City) is an amazing guy. And I would really like to marry him. =P 

Adios my blog reading friends! Onto the next thing...