Today's Bible Class

The kids and I are trying to memorize James this school year.  In fact - what it has turned into is a bible study of James, and every once in a while we memorize a verse.  Or the first few verses of a chapter before we get bogged down with the memory work - but we continue to study it every most days. 

Today's study...   Amazing how God works.  James - wonderful book for me to be studying right now.  chapter 3...

¹³ Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
¹⁴ But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
¹⁵ This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
¹⁶ For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
¹⁷ But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
¹⁸ And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.

David Roper wrote in his book Growing Slowly Wise, "The wise don't have to press.  They don't have to fob off or foist their faith on anyone.  They just leave it behind.  Wherever they go and whatever they do, they sow seeds of righteousness that spring up in others to eternal life.  This is the last legacy of the wise.  It is the way they  make their mark on the world.  'The only way to make people good is to be good,' mused George MacDonald.  'Remember the beam and the moat' (Matthew 7:3-5)"

The wisdom that is from above...
is first pure
then peaceable
gentle
and easy to be entreated
full of mercy
and good fruits
without partiality
and without hypocrisy.

Yeah... that.  The wise don't have to press.  Especially when they start out by saying, "we will not pressure you." The wise don't have to press..... they just leave it behind.  :)  Like an aroma. 

My friend Jill just joined the church Sunday night - and in her testimony - how she got saved... she wanted what her friend had.  Her friend didn't have to press.  She just left Jill wanting what ever it was that she had.  No pressure.  If you want to make someone good - be good.  FANTASTIC food from the word today.  Praise God for that!

Wednesday, 2013 Colorado Trip

Today was a biking day. 

Grandma and Grandpa borrowed two more bikes, thus ending up with enough bikes for all the kids and grandpa to ride bikes today.  They took a 6 mile trip to a park. Grandpa rode a bycicle built for two with Wayne.   Grandma and I then met them at the park and we had a picnic lunch. 

While at the park we played a little catch with a baseball.  Mansel, Wayne and Grandpa took turns hitting the ball and some of us chased and chased the ball around. 

They rode back toward home, and on the way stopped to swim in the Big Thompson river. 

I headed home and read some more.  What a relaxing day for me. 

We went to church tonight and ate supper with them at church.  Shepherd's pie.  I wonder which shepherd it belongs to?  It was delicious.

Church was good for me.  I plan to memorize James with my kid at home and in my Sunday School class this school year.  Well - my teacher talked about James tonight.  That was a blessing.

Church was good for the three youngest as well.  I had asked the kids this morning to serve someone today, but not tell anyone about it.  Tonight in their class, they learned about serving others using their individual talents.  In their class they made encouragement cards. 

After church was popcicle time.  Yum. . .

Tomorrow - hiking.  :)