I'm a middle-aged lady from Arkansas who married a Marine, traveled the world, got a degree in history, rescued some dogs, made a bunch of friends, and fell in love with the Bible. I also like to write things.
Last Christmas, I decided to purchase new bibles for my mother-in-law and a dear friend. I had just spent the previous year falling in love with Scripture, and I wanted to spread the excitement. I knew these two women would receive a Bible gift with pleasure, and after extensive Bible browsing, I landed on the … More A New Bible for a New Season
Chapter 3 of the book of Ruth dives right into the point. If you haven’t read chapters 1 & 2, go do that so you can catch up. They’re very short chapters, and the context is pretty important. Now that Naomi has really experienced her daughter-in-law’s loyalty and been reminded of the kindness and justice … More First Reading of Ruth: 3, A Widow’s Proposal
Looking Through History’s Dark Glass I saw this photograph of a young Pakistani shepherd and I thought, “I bet this is exactly what David looked like.” How crazy cool is that? Maybe it’s just because I’m a history freak, and maybe you find this sort of thing obvious or boring, but indulge me for a … More Dealing with David #2 – The Shepherd Boy
King David. Sigh. What can I say? The guy gives me heartburn. I loved David when I was a kid. He was the boy who beat Goliath by being brave and believing God. Veggie Tales taught my daughter that “little guys can do big things, too.” The felt board stories in Sunday school taught … More Dealing with David – Introduction
I have been away too long! My husband got very sick for three solid weeks, and our household has been in chaos. But let’s get back in where we left off. Just open your Bible to Ruth chapter 2 and read through it. It’s quite short. Come back when you’re there and let’s go through … More First Reading of Ruth: 2, Abundance, Respect, & Support
There seems to be a prevailing opinion in the US that big churches are successful, little churches are failing, and megachurches are bad. I will start by acknowledging that some big churches are big because they are successful. Some little churches are small because they are failing. Some megachurches are so mega that they … More A Successful Church
One of the podcasts I discovered in my study of Leviticus, which is ongoing, was the Naked Bible Podcast with Bible scholar, Dr. Michael Heiser, and his layman assistant, Trey Stricklin. Heiser is one of the many voices I listen to about biblical questions and context, and his actual passion and faith are things I … More Reblog from Dr. Michael Heiser: Why You Don’t Learn Much Bible in Church
When I was a kid, before I ever had any crises of faith or started asking any of the big questions, some adult or other out there had the honor of being the first to tell me: “You shouldn’t read the Bible in order from cover to cover. It’s not meant to be read that … More I’ll Read it From Cover-to-Cover if I Want To
Originally posted on Think Biblically!:
Ruth 1:20 “… Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara, she answered, for the Almighty has made me very bitter.” (HCSB) Bitterness is a funny thing. Perhaps funny is not the right word, because there really isn’t anything funny about bitterness. Bitterness is destructive. Bitterness leads toward rebellion. Bitterness rips…
As I approached writing a First Reading post on Ruth, I believed it would be easy. The book of Ruth is very short, tells only one story, and contains nothing that will upset or frustrate the reader. Unlike literally every other book of the Old Testament before it, Ruth gives us only good examples. The people … More First Reading of Ruth: 1, This is What Love Looks Like
