Got up this morning... got ready... went to BoW. Helped Mom get ready for her classes... went to Study Hall... erased most of the WW 12 book that Hannah half used... talked to Julia&Sean, moved into a different room because there was an art class in there... did personal finance and physics, ate lunch outside (it was actually HOT outside!), came in and talked to mom/ate fruit snacks, went to Literature, then ACT (that's going to be a good class!), and packed up and came home! Thennn I sorted my binders out and got everything sit-e-ated and then went up to get Nathan off the bus. The bus was late. So I talked to Wendy and Mrs. Lori both for a while, got Nate a snack and we watched TV for a while b/c he was exhausted, didn't have any homework, and had football. Then I came home, went upstairs to charge my phone (which has been dying mysteriously) and read The Wedding by Nicholas Sparks for a while... came downstairs and ate dinner, then went to the Fullers so we could finish our T-shirts for Kayt.
On the front, they say "I ♥ the keeper. She's a keeper!" and on the back mine says "Best Friend" and has a 1 on it because that's her number and my name, Abby. And a bunch of polka dots. I went to say bye to Katie at around... 8:15? I left around 8:40. We take forever to say "bye" to each other. It turns into having a convo about whatever. :D
Then I came home and attempted to read more of the Scarlet Letter... hard book to read.
And then I read some blogs and am now blogging/eating the perfect bed-time snack: Peanut butter and graham crackers. YUM.
So that's my day in review.
NIPTO!
Acts 20:13-38
13We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
Travel, travel, travel. That's about it. Honest.
17From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. 18When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19I served the Lord with great humility and with tears, although I was severely tested by the plots of the Jews. 20You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Paul sent for the elders of the church in Ephesus. They got there and Paul starts talking to them about how he lived when he was in the province of Asia. He was tested by the plotting Jews, but he was still confident and didn't hesitate to preach anything that would be helpful to them. Paul didn't discriminate between the Jews&Greeks. Both needed to turn and repent and have faith in Jesus.
22"And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.
Paul was a called man. I saw a quote today... I'm not sure who said it, but it was something like "God doesn't call the qualified, he qualifies the called." And that's a great quote. God called Paul to go to Jerusalem. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he did know that prison and hard stuff was facing him wherever he went. And he accepted that!
24However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
WOW. This might be a favorite verse... "my life [is] worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task that ... Jesus has given me."
Commitment. Determination. Those are two qualities that I see in Paul. He wasn't going to let anything stand in his way!
25"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.26Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
Paul knew that he wasn't going to see some of these people ever again. Because he wasn't going to see them again, he proclaimed his innocence. He wasn't guilty of any blood of any other man. He was innocent because he took every opportunity to proclaim God's whole will.
28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
29I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.He's saying to be observant! Watch yourself and your brothers and sisters. We are to "[b]e shepherds of the church of God." There are people who want to tear you down and rip you apart. They will be merciless. Even other Christians will "distort the truth" for their own benefit.
Be careful! Watch out. Be on your guard! Paul watched and warned them day and night for threeee years. Be careful.
32"Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold or clothing. 34You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' "
Paul blessed them and encouraged them. He basically cleared his name by saying that he had provided for himself and for his companions and by living out "it is more blessed to give than to receive." Unlike how we "like" to translate that verse (as a complete joke!): "It is more blessed to... receive." Hah. Yeah. Joke.
We need to work hard too. I need to work hard in school. Meh. Don't necessarily like it, but there will be a long term pay-off.
36When he had said this, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.
He prayed and then they all said goodbye. They were most saddened by the fact that he had said that they would never see him again. Then they took him to his ship. (Plane now-a-days, eh? haha)
Well. That do-be it. I'm going to go to bed now. Maybe read another 5 pages of The Scarlet Letter. The intro is hard to get through. But I'm making it by reading out loud to myself.
Meh. My eyes are blurring b/c of my contacts, which means it's time to take them out and sleep.
School again tomorrow. Wait, I have school again tomorrow? I thought that was just for fun! haha.
I'm really going to bed now. g'night!
No comments:
Post a Comment