What's up with the Whittingtons

Rick is busy with work but finding time to ride his bike and go to football games. Now that the Hokies have won two in a row things are looking up! He is teaching Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University at church.

Steph started Beth Moore's Bible study on Revelation and is LOVING it! She is enjoying having some "Mama and Andrew" time now that Abby is in school.

Abby is loving First Grade (except for doing homework). She started GA's at church this year and can't wait for the bake sale on Wednesday. She is very excited about her Halloween costume--an Egyptian princess.

Andrew goes to childcare at church while Mama is at Bible study and enjoys playing with his friends. He also goes to the peanut shop to play with Whitt on Thursdays. His favorite "DVDV" right now is Elmo Goes to the Firehouse.

Guess Who!

Last night was back to school night at Abby's school. Her teacher had covered up the names on their desks with a Guess Who! sheet. Of course, Abby couldn't wait to let me find hers on my own--she just took me right to it.

1. My hair is blonde.

Yes, this is true.

2. My eyes are blue.

Again, true.

3. I love to eat eggs.

Well, yes, but we never have them since Andrew is allergic. Interesting choice.

4. I love to play ball.

Really? She refuses to play both T-ball and Upward Basketball.

5. I have a dog.

Okay, I totally missed us getting a dog.

I guess it's a good thing she showed me which one was hers because I'm not sure I would have guessed based on her answers. Especially the dog one.

THE game

On a cold and rainy September day

The Dukes went to Blacksburg, some football to play

Even JMU fans believed it would end

with orange and maroon securing the win

But the purple and gold put up a good fight

and overcame that great Hokie might

A house divided we were for a day

But now that it's over, I really must say

A diploma makes me a Duke for life

but I'm proud to be called.....a Hokie wife!

Remembering....

A few words from Psalm 37 that give us hope:

¹ Do not fret because of those who are evil
or be envious of those who do wrong;

² for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

³ Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

⁴ Take delight in the LORD
and He will give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in Him and He will do this:

⁶ He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn,
your vindication like the noonday sun.

⁷ Be still before the LORD
and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when people succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

⁸ Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

⁹ For those who are evil will be destroyed,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

¹⁰ A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

¹¹ But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy peace and prosperity.

¹² The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

¹³ but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for He knows their day is coming.

Lord, be with those who are still grieving. Nine years have passed but for many the wounds are still fresh. Be with all of us as we remember the fear, and remind us that this world is not our home. Amen.

Beginnings

Beginning First Grade

Beginning football season

Beginning a new Bible Study

Beginning Fall

Beth's Message

I had the privilege and pleasure of getting to see and hear Beth Moore speak right here in Richmond a couple of weeks ago. I took lots of notes and wanted to get them on here, thinking I might lose the notebook someday! I'm sure this will not do justice to her message, but it's a try.

If you don't know Beth, I urge you to check out her website at www.bethmoore.org. She is a phenomenal Bible teacher.

Beth's topic for the weekend was John 1:1-18. It is the prologue to the gospel of John. A few tidbits of information about John's gospel: it is 90% unique, meaning that only 10% of the content in John's book is found in the other 3 gospels. It was written about 90 AD. At this time, the church is emerging with Christ as it's center. John had probably had the opportunity to read the other gospels.

John's theme is all about belief. He uses the word 98 times, compared to Matthew, who used it 14 times; Mark, 11 times; and Luke, 9 times. John wanted us to know that there is no life in Christ without belief. Abundant belief equals abundant life. John's purpose is found in these two verses:

³⁰Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. ³¹But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

Beth told us that John gathers belief around eight miracles of Jesus. John also refers to Jesus by eight different titles in John chapter one (the Word, the Life, the Light, Only Begotten Son, Lamb, Messiah, King, and Son of Man). Several commentaries she used likened John's gospel to musical compositions, which have eighths or octaves. Using the musical analogy, Beth reminded us that in music you begin with middle C. As Christians, we need to get back to our middle C, which is Christ Jesus.

Following the eight or octave theme, Beth gave us eight ways to get back to our middle C.

1. We need to get back to the word.

Word meaning two things: the Word of God and Christ as the living Word. The Word is eternal--it was with God before time began. We can't hear God in a physical sense, and we can't see His nonverbal communication, so His Word is of utmost importance to us. It is how He communicates with us. Christ, the living Word, is the full expression of God to man.

2. We need to get back to the genesis.

Back to the beginning. In Genesis 1:1, it says, In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. God "WAS" before the creation. God's word does not seek to prove God's existence. It doesn't need to do so--God "IS". The burden of proof is on nonbelievers--to prove that God "IS NOT". Colossians 1:17, And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist.

This also goes back to our new life in Christ. When we give our hearts to Him, we are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

3. We need to get back to the exodus.

Beth gave us four ways that John 1 refers to the Book of Exodus.

1. Verse 14: And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The wording of this is the same that is used in Exodus when referring to the Tabernacle--when God came and was with His people. In other words, Jesus literally "pitched his tent" among us as God had.

2. Verse 14: and we have seen His glory. In the original language, this word for seen is more than merely seeing, it means a sense of wonderment. The disciples had seen God, as a man. All but John were executed for giving their lives to Him and spreading the good news of salvation through Him. John died of natural causes while in exile. This word for seen also refers back to Exodus 33, in which Moses asked God to show His glory.

3. Verse 17: For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came throughJesus Christ. The law has been fulfilled.

4. Verse 29: The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. In the time of Moses, a lamb was used as a sacrifice for the sins of the people. Jesus was the sacrifice for us.

4. We need to get back to the ultimate exegesis.

Exegesis is the interpretation of a text. But if we want to interpret God, we simply need to look at Jesus. John 1:18 says, No one has ever seen God, but the only begotten Son, who is at the Father's side, has made Him known.

5. We need to get back to grace and truth.

In John 14:6, it says that Jesus came from the Father, full of grace and truth. Beth talked about needing that balance between those two. Most of us tend to lean one way or the other. If you lean toward truth, you might tend to be legalistic. If you lean toward grace, you might take license with God's commands. The whole book of John is about grace, though he only uses the word two times. Grace is the not only unmerited favor, it is the opposite of merit.

There is a difference between The Truth and a truth. The Truth is Jesus Christ. A truth might be factual, but it is not The Truth until it has His word on it. For example--a truth about me might be that I am an alcoholic, but The Truth is that Jesus has brought me from that pit. Beth said, "The Truth makes a truth a testimony". The darkness of your life cannot overcome the light of Christ. John 1:5 says, The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.

Jesus is The Truth, and The Truth cannot be detached from grace.

6. We need to get back to the gospel.

We are God's children. Jesus died on the cross for us. We cannot save ourselves, we need Him. John 1:12: Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, he gave the right to become children of God. This is the essential element of our faith.

7. We need to get back to one blessing after another.

In the Greek, blessing can be translated grace upon grace. It is like the phrases used in the Old Testament for emphasis: holy of holies, song of songs. The Word promises us that His grace is sufficient for us. 2 Corinthians 12:9: My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Jesus asks, "Do you want to be whole?" It is not just to experience the healing, but to know Your Healer.

8. We need to get back to the future.

But don't go back the same. Get back to middle C. Know Christ. Know His Truth. Know His grace.