Moved

I've moved the reading list over to my personal blog at rhughes.wordpress.com

Feel free to follow along there and I hope to do more regular posting of comments on the readings.

New Format

As you can tell I have been tweaking the blog. I hope you will find some of the new format helpful. A few things to note:

- The reading list is now at the top of the page. The links aren't active on our page right now, but if you wish you can go to the One Year Bible (linked to the left) and click on the daily reading there. You can just click the link and BibleGateway does the work for you. I like to read the Bible in print so I can feel the paper in my hand and mark the text, but sometimes the computer is a just a little simpler.
- There are some helpful links on the right side of the page. I included many One-Year Bible resources as well as Jacqueline and my blogs. Our personal blogs will be a way to keep up with the family. We would love to hear from you there.
- You obviously have already figured this out, but be sure to scroll down and read the articles and comments now down here below the reading list.

Enjoy!

Forever

I am still here! Sorry that I haven't posted anything in a while. I haven't quite gotten it from my journal to the computer lately. How is the reading going? I wanted to say how good it has been for me to do this challenge with you all. It really holds me accountable to know that we are reading and jorunaling together. Several people have asked me if we can continue this format after the 30-days and I say, YES, Let's do it. If you are "in" comment below and let me know.

Let all the people shout..."His Love Endures Forever!" - Psalm 118

Living Water

John continues to write about the experience of knowing Jesus. It is a life giving experience that spills out of a person's soul and touches others around them. He says, "I am the living water. Whoever believes in me, streams of living water will flow from within him."

I suspect that we don't really get this imagery the way Jesus followers did. I suspect that we have never really thirsted the way that they had. I suspect we haven't been in a place so dry. I suspect that if we had to draw water out of a well and then never be sure whether it would kill us, we might be able to hear Jesus' words differently. I suspect that living water was the basic need that a person spent much of their time trying to get. Hey, maybe today in America Jesus would have said, "Whoever believes in me, streams of Starbucks Cinnamon Dulce Latte will stream from them." Na!

If you want, use www.biblemap.org and look at a satellite image of the Holy Land to get a picture of the arid land that Jesus is preaching in.

Mother's Day Poem

Mary Lou shared this poem with me that her father wrote.

Mom
Another name for Angel
ministering to those who will inherit salvation
Selfless in their daily lives
A true testament of Christ
With out my mom
I could not be
One day by far not enough
to honor you special mothers
So let today be the start of many
We men wish to honor you
Our actions may not show
Our words could never do justice
But in our hearts we know
we would never choose
to live with out our mom

A prayer
We pray the Lord will bless you
and not forget your selfless ways
We ask God to take you new places
and show you secrets of his heart
to put his angels around you
and cover you with his blood
May blessings flow from your house
to all who pass through your door
that your hospitality would usher in
Souls to the Kingdom
And your love would bind your family
in unity all of their days
In Jesus name we pray

Thomas Cross Hoopes II

Jesus Wants Me to be a Cannibal

OK...not really. But, isn't this passage (John 6:25-71) interesting. Many commentaries have debated whether Jesus is looking ahead to the Eucharist. I want to instead focus on Peter's question, "to whom shall we go?" We can get lost in the debate over what exactly Jesus means by eating his flesh and drinking his blood. What is evident is that some people could not handle this hard teaching of Jesus. Whatever the symbolism or mysterious message, it is a difficult calling and many of Jesus' followers leave. But, Peter and the 12 have been with Jesus, they have just witnessed the feeding of the 5,000 (which leads us into this passage, a point that should be noted) and his walking on water. Because they have been close to Jesus and have tasted and seen the "soul food" he offers, they can think of going no other place.

Sometimes Jesus teachings are hard. If we approach the Bible from a purely cognitive perspective, some of the teachings of Jesus may make us want to walk away. But, Jesus calls us to a deeper experience of His life-giving presence. Read the Bible and pray as a means to encounter the living God. Jesus, the experience of Jesus and following His way, is the bread of life. Eat of it and you will never go hungry! Like Peter realized, where else would you go when you have experienced this manna from heaven.

Bible Gateway

As I briefly noted, Bible Gateway, is a great resource for Bible Study. It is free, and you can view multiple verses (such as the daily readings) in one window. Also, notice the many translations, topical index, keyword search and commentary. It is a great ways to copy and paste text from the bible for teaching as well.

The downside is that you don't get the context in the same way that you do holding a printed Bible. But, I do find it very useful as a secondary tool to study the Bible.