Bible study---Peace

 During advent I decided to do a Bible study centered on what each of the candles represent. A while back I posted my "hope week summary". Today I will write up my peace week. 

Currently I am reading a devotional put out by the Methodist church on our advent mission. I am really enjoying it. Today's read emphasized my hope study. He said Peace or Shalom is what we lost in Eden and can only be found again through Jesus. 

The Bible has a different definition of peace than what is generally assumed. It is not necessarily the absence of fighting, although that is important. The peace the Bible generally refers to is the deep soul satisfying peace that lets you feel ok even though life is crazy. There are a lot of references to peace in the concordance so I just picked some at random so I would be reading about 7 a day, from those I  picked what spoke to me most at this time in my life.

Judges 6:24, 2 Kings 9:17, 1 Chronicles 19:19, Psalm 29:11, Psalm 34:15, Psalm 37:11 

In the old testament, when the Jews followed the law they had peace, when they didn't they died or were enslaved. God gives us peace when we look for it and are meek. 

Psalm 119:165, Proverbs 12:20, Proverbs 14:30, Proverbs 17:1, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 26:3, Isiah 32:1, Isiah 4:18

When we have peace, we are healthy and joyful. To have peace, we must fix our minds on God because only Christ brings peace. 

Isiah 59:8, Zechariah 8:19, Matthew 10:34, Mark 9:50, Luke 1:79, Luke 19:38

There is no peace for the wicked, but Jesus will guide up to peace. When we follow Christ we will find conflict in the world but Christ will bring us peace. We must keep peace with other Christians when we are tested and we have to recognize God's way to peace. 

John 14:27, John 16:33, Romans 2:10

You get peace through the word of God and allowing Him to make you righteous, then you are to spread His peace to others. Live in peace, encourage others, rejoice. 

Ephesians 6:15, 1 Thessalonians 5:13, Hebrews 12:11, 1 Peter 3:11, Revelations 6:4, 1 Timothy 2:2, James 3:18

When you seek righteousness and wisdom you will have peace. Pray for peace and all to be saved but in the end days God will give permission for peace to be removed from the earth and people will slaughter each other. 

My summary is that while there won't be peace in the world, we can find peace within ourselves. We must fix our minds on God, seek out what He wants us to do and how He wants us to learn to be more like Jesus. When we do what He wants we can have peace which brings us joy and we can spread that to others. 

Cornell, October 9, 1921

 Dear Mother,

Life here is simply one fine thing after another. Last evening Mr. Johnson brought me a big apple. This morning, Mrs. Johnson invited me to a breakfast of coffee and cream, toast, buns, pie, and grapes.

To keep on par with the breakfast, the sermon this morning was paramount. It was upon a subject seldom discussed.As a strange coincidence, the text was from the very chapter I read this morning. Matthew 1:1-14.

First the pastor compared the pliable, plastic body of the child with the minds of adults who have fixed, unchangeable, prejudices. Christ ment that unless we have the childlike faith and simplicity, we are lost. The pastor then spoke about the imagination of a child. He said that because of these characteristics, much thought should be given to child training. Most diplomatically he denounced the theater. He brought out the fact that more money is spent on the adult organization, function, and equipment of the church where it is of little benefit that upon the children's departments.

A child expects correction, teaching, etc. He is modest, has faith, is simple. Whereas the adult, the passing citizen, and retiring soldier of the cross is just the reverse. So he brought in the usefulness and value of the Sunday School and children's' organizations. There upon, he concluded that we should not become childish but childlike.

I can not do him just in writing; but I assure you it was good.

It's been raining today but tis clearing up now. Probably I shall go for a walk.

Love, prayers, and blessings.

Son.

A Draw of Kings by Patrick W Carr

 You know a book is good when you have read it before, remember the storyline but still get so engrossed in it you stay up til 2am because you can't stop reading it. That is what I did a couple nights ago with Patrick W Carr's book "A Draw of King's". It is the third in a series. I read the entire series about a year or so ago, but checked this one out of the library on my kindle because I wanted a break from nonfiction and Harry Potter wasn't available. I did want an engrossing book. The series is popular in the library for good reason. I will reread the series and read more of his books.

It is a "coming of age" story with some war and romance and fantasy thrown all together. There is also a lot of mystery. Nothing in this book is crazy graphic, neither the romance or the violence so it is goo to recommend for teen and up. The heroes are great characters and get into and out of a lot of trouble. None of the heroes got into trouble by making dumb choices and there is none of the annoying miscommunications that are so common in romance stories. It is tempting to tell you the story line, but you gotta read it. If you like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings you will like this series.

 

Goose Island Birding

 There were a lot of birds on this trip. We went to the "Big Tree" which was an amazing tree. The oak trees there have a lot of character. This tree was 700 years old I think. We imagined what all it had seen. My sister decided each of the trees should have a name. The way they grow is amazing and each has it's own personality.

I had seen on birding posts that there was a pair of whooping cranes wintering in the pasture across the street from the "Big Tree". I wanted to see them. We parked by some fisherman and I walked across the street to the pasture. The birds were far away, but I saw them. Birding pushes my camera to it's limit so the photos are really grainy when I crop to get close enough to identify the birds. The white pelicans and the brown pelicans have very different behavior. White ones swim in the bay a lot and steel the fish or the bait from the fisherman's lines. It is kind of funny to watch, but the fishermen get frustrated, they put out a lot of rods and go through a lot of bait. The brown pelicans hang out on the piers and at the fish cleaning stations. When the boats come in in the evening, the brown pelicans mob the fish cleaning counters like a bunch of dogs looking for treats.

We also saw snowy egrets, big egrets, green herons, sanderlings, sea gulls, sandhill cranes, ducks, grackles, roseate spoonbills. Maybe some others, I am still learning what they all are called.

March 22 1951

 Dear Dad,

How are you? How is the weather in Tokyo. We are all breathing and healthy. The weather here is quite nice. Well I just finished a letter to Bob and I still have to write to Grandma and Grandaddy. Well it is about time I wrote some letters isn't it. Well I guess I never told you about my grades last time, did I? Well, here they are (Ugh!) Latin -C

Geometry - A

English - B

Mech. Draft - B

Gym - B

Well, they aren't bad are they? Net time I hope to raise them. I am going to order an orchid tomorrow morning. I thought I would get her an orchid so it would still be good for her birthday. Good idea, huh!

Well Sunday is the day Ginger is going to be baptied. Boy will I be proud. Well time to say so long

Your son with hugs and x's

George

Ithaca New York, November 13, 1921

 This is a letter my granddad wrote his mother while he was in college.

213 Mitchell St

Ithaca, New York

November 13, 1921

Dear Mother,

When I awoke this morning the whole country landscape was white with snow. Off in the distance the white on the mountains showed in bright patches among the pine forests. To set everything off,, the sun arose in all its glory.

To continue the glories and purity of the day, Reverend John D.W. Fetter preached the morning sermon on the Peace equivalent of War. I can truthfully say that sermon is the best I heard yet. It is the first time I heard him too.

The text 1 Corinthians 13 was well chosen indeed. He quoted many writers on the need of war to uplift a nation. War they said was necessary to give a common aim, it bred unselfishness, heroism, loyalty, co-operation, etc. The present peace conference was a tinny step toward universal peace. Why? Because it was a negative factor. It put forth a restriction, but did not remove the cause. It offered nothing in place of war. No peace pursuit was as universal as war. Agriculture,, commerce, industry, all were local forces and bred selfishness.

But there was one thing that excited universal effort. Christianity. Mr Fetter then discussed the qualities of Jesus Christ showing his love, mercy, sympathy,, courage, etc. "Christianity", he said, "was universal and brought forth every good quality."

His sermon was good indeed.

The Sunday school comes after the service and this Mr. Fetter teaches or rather leads the discussion in the men's class. This Sunday it was concerning the "flood" There were thirty-two young men present in the class.

Everything OK here, Love to all

Son.

 

Spring, TX Oct 22, 40 (or 10)

A transcript of a letter written by by grandmother's brother. Not sure who to. 

 Dear Miss Willie:

And you never heard of Sellers? It wouldn't do to tell these people that. You ask what kind of a place it is. That is not a hard question to answer, We have a telegraph office, one boarding house and about five hundred box cars. It was hard for me to decide where I wanted to board but when dinner time came I went to the Womack hotel. The city is just one mile north of here called Spring. Never heard of that either? That's funny, Better get your geography and look it up. Spring has about twelve stores two thirds of which are saloons. They have a large dancing hall and have a big dance nearly every week. They have no church or Sunday school. Think this would be a good place to send missionaries don't you?

Was surprised to hear Joe going to Dallas so soon but think it is a good thing for him. He will mind Rowena better than anyone and she doesn't live in a rough part of town. It is like a country village. It will do him good to be in town where he can see and learn things. So you are playing chess every night, am glad you like it so well. Can you beat Bob playing? Am afraid I will not be able to win any games from you when I get back. Wish I could be there to play with you. Haven't played any since I left Mumford, but will get some men and find some one to play with when I find a place to stop. Will be here about a week or ten days longer, but can''t say where I will go then.

Am going to Houston Monday morning and return in the evening. Want to get some books to read while I am in this lonely place and will see about having your umbrella fixed up. Don't know what books I will get but if they are any good will mail them to you as soon as I read them. Reading is about the only way I can pass the time away here. I can sleep half of the time but not all of it.

I will expect one of those post cards soon, hope they are good. You mustn't tear them up. I hope they are just like you. They should be ready for you this trip home.

If you expect to paint many pictures for your students, am sure you will be kept busy from now until Christmas.

If you don't have time to write long letters, I will be glad to get short ones. I don't write very long letters myself.

Yours,

Roy