Jacob longed for a wife. Rachel longed for children. What do you want more than anything else?

For a very long time, and I know that I'm not alone, I've longed to have a full-time job.  I remember being told words along the lines that I would find a job right after I would finish college.  Well these words were told to me about two and a half years ago.  About a half of a year later from that point, we all know that the economy just dropped, now I'm one of thousands of thousands of people that are desperately looking!  The education world is one of the toughest to find a job.  Thousands of people apply but only a margin of those people get selected to be looked at further.  Throughout this period of unemployment, I've only had two interviews; one each year.  I know I'm not the only one that's crying out and wanting to be heard as we still live with our parents, wanting to just get out and live on our own, if we are not already and working for Wal-Mart or some other company.  In the end, they day will soon come for me and others, and we will be finally satisfied.

What is the best way to respond when someone tries to cheat on you?

This could possibly depend on the situation at hand.  But what I will say is that I think the best way to respond to the individual at fault is not to go in with your guns blazing and raising some hellfire and brimstone, but to gently, as possible, ask them why they commited this act.  Depending on their response, there will probably be other questions that will come up but if you are going to defend yourself, do it in a calm and civil manner.

Why do you think God chooses inperfect people like Jacob? Why did he choose you?

Esau said, “Isn’t he rightly named Jacob? This is the second time he has taken advantage of me: He took my birthright, and now he’s taken my blessing!” Then he asked, “Haven’t you reserved any blessing for me?” 

~Genesis 27:36



 Here are two interesting questions for you.  I think God chooses imperfect people because we all kind of need to learn something from one another.  Maybe we'd do something different than what another person is doing and they both could be the right way and they both could be the wrong way to do something.  But the second question is a little bit more tricky to answer.  I mean. what do you think the question is talking about?  Is it asking why did God choose you to live?  or is it asking why did God choose you to be a Christian?  I guess if we want to be really general, God choose me because he thought I could be an inspiration to another person.

Lot's Wife



The two angels arrived at Sodom in the evening, and Lot was sitting in the gateway of the city. When he saw them, he got up to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground.  “My lords,” he said, “please turn aside to your servant’s house. You can wash your feet and spend the night and then go on your way early in the morning.”

“No,” they answered, “we will spend the night in the square.”

 But he insisted so strongly that they did go with him and entered his house. He prepared a meal for them, baking bread without yeast, and they ate.

~Genesis 19:1-3

Lot invited these men to stay inside his house without even consulting his wife.  What sort of home do you think Lot's wife made for him and his children?

• This is an interesting question.  In a way, I would like to assume that since Lot was very welcoming to these men, that he very well knew that his wife kept a tidy and well organized home no matter who would show up in their city.

How do you respond when someone you live with invites a guest over unexpectedly?  Are you gracious?  Frazzled?  Antagonized?

• If I was not expecting any guests over and all of a sudden my spouse brings one over, I would probably respond with some suprise.  Granted, I would prefer knowing beforehand that someone would be over for a time, but if he give me a good reason as to why someone else is there, then I'm most definitely sure that I would be pretty gracious about the persons presence and make them feel welcome.  The only time I can think that I would feel even possibly frazzled about it is if I was in the middle of cleaning a room the unexpected guest might see and it would still be a total and complete mess by the time they got there.  Otherwise, I can't see how I would feel antagonized by a guest being there, unless I was very much suspicious of something, which I would think would be a very rare occasion and would probably never happen anyway.

Before they had gone to bed, all the men from every part of the city of Sodom—both young and old—surrounded the house.  They called to Lot, “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us so that we can have sex with them.”

  Lot went outside to meet them and shut the door behind him  and said, “No, my friends. Don’t do this wicked thing.  Look, I have two daughters who have never slept with a man. Let me bring them out to you, and you can do what you like with them. But don’t do anything to these men, for they have come under the protection of my roof.”

~Genesis 19:4-8

What do you think of Lot's suggestion that he give his daughters to the raiders rather than his guests?  What reaction do you think Lot's wife might have had? 

• I think he's absolutely crazy for even thinking of giving his daughters away just for pleasure!  I mean, what kind of father is that?  I think he should have just told these raiders to just hit the road! 
• If I were Lot's wife, my reaction would be the same as I stated above, but I'm pretty sure she might have the same feelings.

Why would Lot offer such a thing?  Keep in mind that, according to ancient culture, in opening his house to these guests he guarenteed not only their comfort but their safety.

• Well, if this was all to guarentee these things, then his suggestion was all in protection.  Afterall, these men were messangers of the Lord.

Do you think the time you are living in is more or less degenerate than the times recorded here?  Why?

• I think we still have a lot of sinful things still around that happened in the times of Sodom.  However, in a way, I think I might see our times today a slight bit less degenerate from back then because you don't hear about people having consentual incest because that is more or less seen as taboo these days.

With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.”

  When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.

~Genesis 19:15-16

Why do you think Lot hesitated?  What might have he been thinking? 

• He might have hesitated because he wasn't sure if the men were just joking or he could have been scared thinking if there was anything precious he couldn't possibly leave behind.

When have you hesitated to do something you know God wanted you to do?  Why did you hesitate?  What happened?

• I would say that I have done some hesitation within the past couple days!  Why did I do it?  Well because I was afraid of getting someone mad or defensive at me and then I thought if that happene di would not know how to handle it, eventhough I was not in the wrong.  Well, with all the hesitation on my part, my parents pretty much forced me to do what I really needed to do so I took care of the situation at hand.

As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!”

But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.

~Genesis 19:17, 26

Even though warned not to do so, Lot's wife couldn't resist looking back.  Why do you think she turned?  Was she sad?  Scared?  Curious?

• I think she turned because she was curious as to what was going on behind her.  I think she wanted to know why the wrath of God really looked like.

In Lot's wife, we can see ourselves looking back, regretting decisions made, mourning lost opportunities, yearning for ended relationships.  Because we are looking behind us, we can't see what is before us.  we may not turn into a pillar of salt, but we'll end up stuck in one place.  Do you spend a lot of time looking back?  How can you leave the past behind, enjoy the present, and plan for the future? 

• I think there are times that I do spend looking back at the things I wish I would have done differently.  But how I can changed that and leave the past behind is thinking about how I can improve myself, use those ideas, and as long as they work, enjoy the time I have and keep working at doing even better if necessary.

When can initiative like Rebekah's be helpful? Under what conditoins can it lead to trouble?

I would say that an initiative like Rebekah's would be helpful when there is some kind of emergency, whether it be someone in need of some major medical assistance, or if there is a group project that needs to be complete within a matter of three or less days.  However, some people can be overly initiative.  They might like doing a lot of work, but it won't look good if a one  member of a group does not allow the other members of the group to contribute their ideas.

Think of an organization or cause you consider important. How many of those involved could be described as "ordinary people"? What do they contribute?

Well here, I think I need to clarify that what this question means by "ordinary people" is people that are pasive.  You know, people that just listen and follow orders; they don't really have ideas of their own.  Issac, from the Old Testament, was a person like this.  When I was in a women's music fraternity, I probably could think of maybe a couple or a few people that would just kind of sit back and watch what happens, possibly myself included, mainly because I didn't have all that much experience with funraising ideas and business like that.  Sure, I had a job in the group, and I did well with that, but that would take me off topic right now.  People that are seen as "ordinary people"  don't really contribute a lot.  If they continue to be like this, they may find themselves less likely moving up in the world.  In short, "ordinary people" nned to take some initiative and I know that is something that I need to and am continuing to work on now.

What kind of promises does God make today? What longings does he fulfill?

Surely, God always makes the promise to be there for us when we are in need of his presence.  There are also many longings that God can fulfill for us.  I believe that when we long for something to happen, we must ask for it in the right way and also be patient for when that time will come.

Are any catastrophes from our time punishments from God? How would you know?

The two men said to Lot, “Do you have anyone else here—sons-in-law, sons or daughters, or anyone else in the city who belongs to you? Get them out of here,  because we are going to destroy this place. The outcry to the LORD against its people is so great that he has sent us to destroy it.”

~Genesis 19:12-13



I don't believe that any incident, natural disaster, etc is in any means a punishment from God.  God is very slow to anger.  It is like he gives us all the time we need to realize our wrongs and that he will forgive us when we ask for forgiveness.  This may not answer the second question, but I leave the rest of this post open for other comments.  Feel free to give me your opinions.

Hagar

Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian slave named Hagar; so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave; perhaps I can build a family through her.”

   Abram agreed to what Sarai said.  So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian slave Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.  He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

   When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

~Genesis 16:1-4

Sarah's proposition was a customary one of that day.  Hagar had little say in the matter, but she must have had some reation to it.  What do you think Hagar's reactio nmight have been? 

·         I think she may have been a little suprised by the matter and she must have also been hoping that she would not be the one to bear a child that would come from Abram's seed.

What sort of reaction do you have when you find yourself in a possition over which you have no control?  How can God help you when you are in such a possition?

·         I guess it kind of depends on the situation.  One recent account could possibly be where I was going to my local library to find something new to read, but it ended out happening that someone else was picking out something for me to read and I didn't really get a say in the issue.  Needles to say, I wasn't all that happy.

·         I think a way God could have helped me in that situation was if I told that person that they should be showing me these books so I can see for myself what they are like, and then I probably would have been a little more calm about the whole thing.

He slept with Hagar, and she conceived.

   When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.  Then Sarai said to Abram, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my slave in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me.”

~Genesis 16:4-5

Why do you think the pregnant Hagar  began to despise Sarah?

·         The only thing I can think of is that she may have felt used.

 “Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her.

The angel of the LORD found Hagar near a spring in the desert; it was the spring that is beside the road to Shur.  And he said, “Hagar, slave of Sarai, where have you come from, and where are you going?”

“I’m running away from my mistress Sarai,” she answered.

~Genesis 16:6-8

The area to which Hagar ran away was probably pretty barren and sparsely populated.  Describe how desperate she must have been to run away from a difficult but safe situation to the "desert".

• She had to have been pretty fed up with her current lifestyle to do such a thing and be all of a sudden completely on her own.  I mean, who would enjoy being a slave?  However, there could have been some major consequences had she stayed in the desert.

Have you ever been that desperate?  What were the circumstances?

• I think a lot of times I can feel pretty desperate.  For example, I like to have a lot of time to myself.  It's not that I don't like being around people, I do!  A lot of us need some space to ourselves.  There are definitely some days that I just feel like everyone around my immediate vicinity wants me one minute after the other and I just want a moment of peace and to do what I want to do

Then the angel of the LORD told her, “Go back to your mistress and submit to her.”  The angel added, “I will increase your descendants so much that they will be too numerous to count.”

 The angel of the LORD also said to her:

“You are now pregnant
   and you will give birth to a son.
You shall name him Ishmael,
   for the LORD has heard of your misery.
He will be a wild donkey of a man;
   his hand will be against everyone
   and everyone’s hand against him,
and he will live in hostility
   toward all his brothers.”

~Genesis 16:9-12 

  God's words to Hagar here are words of assurance but also of prophecy.  Her descendants would be "too numerous to count," but the son through whom those descendants would come would "be a wild donkey of a man."  What picture of Ishmael does that put into your mind?  What kind of man do you think he was? 

• It would seem to me that Ishmael could be considered the "black sheep" of the family
• If you read a little further, perhaps we could see him being ruthless and going against his parents, or even God's, wishes?

Do you have family members who, like Ishmael, "live in hostility"?  How do you respond to them?  What can you do to improve your relationship with them? 

• There really isn't anyone in my imediate family that I can say is like that, however, when it comes to my extended family, I beg to differ.  I have a cousin who, I have realized over the past several years, has been sort of neglected by his family.  So when he feels like he isn't being paid attention to, he would act out at times.  Even his language can be pretty filthy. 
• Sometimes when you see him talk about something online, the language can be so crude, that hardley any response, even with words do it justice! 
• When I was very young, I did have a great relationship with him.  Everytime I went to his house, we'd hang out and play video games.  But as he got older, he became more distant and now we have completely different interests in totaly opposite things.  We don't get to see eachother much anymore, I'm probably lucky if I see him once a year so getting to improve our relationship is going to be pretty tough.

The child grew and was weaned, and on the day Isaac was weaned Abraham held a great feast.  But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking,  and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.”

  The matter distressed Abraham greatly because it concerned his son.  But God said to him, “Do not be so distressed about the boy and your slave woman. Listen to whatever Sarah tells you, because it is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.  I will make the son of the slave into a nation also, because he is your offspring.”

  Early the next morning Abraham took some food and a skin of water and gave them to Hagar. He set them on her shoulders and then sent her off with the boy. She went on her way and wandered in the Desert of Beersheba.

  When the water in the skin was gone, she put the boy under one of the bushes.  Then she went off and sat down about a bowshot away, for she thought, “I cannot watch the boy die.” And as she sat there, she began to sob.

  God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What is the matter, Hagar? Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.  Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

  Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. So she went and filled the skin with water and gave the boy a drink.

  God was with the boy as he grew up. He lived in the desert and became an archer.  While he was living in the Desert of Paran, his mother got a wife for him from Egypt.

~Genesis 21:8-21

Even though Hagar and Ishmael were outcasts and alone, God lovingly cared for them.  Describe how you think Hagar felt when she laid Ishmael down and went away because she  "could not watch the boy die."  How did God meet her needs?

• clearly she loved her son so much, but could not bear to see the child suffer.  She had to have bed pretty distressed about her tremendous decision. 
• God told her "Do not be afraid; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there.  Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”  Then he provided her with water.

In what ways has God met your needs when you were despairing and alone? 

• I definitely believe that God meets all our needs in his own time when we pray to him.

Are you in a desperate situation right now?  Read Genesis 21:19 again.  Might there be a "well" to which you can go to fo rsustenance, if only you could see it?  Ask God to open your eyes to the way out of your situation just as he opened Hagar's eyes and aided her in her desperation.

• I do at times feel like I am in a desperate situation rght now.  I have been graduated from college for a little over two years now and the search for a job is a ver tideous one!  To make matters worse, some of my student loans, I can no longer defer on so I have to start paying them up, even without a job! 
• There is no other "well" to go to but God and we recieve our sustenance  from him through prayer.
• Oh God, our Heavenly Father, I ask that you guide me through this tough time of mine.  I know there are times that I do fall short and don't always tend to listen, but I ask that you give methe strength to keep my trust in you and that you will lead me out of this valley of darkness that I am wandering in.  Help me to open my eyes to see the truth that I must face.  In your name, I pray, Aman.

When a person has deep longings that seem impossible to fulfill, what should he or she do?

I believe that the best answer for this is that that person should pray.  They should ask God for patience, most of all, in their time of waiting.  For instance, I've been longing to have a full-time job for about two years now.  I pray about it, but that doesnt mean that if I just pray about it once that a job will just fall into my lap the next morning!  I have become frustrated on this very long wait and so every now and then I need to ask God to give me strength and patience as I wait for the right thing to come along

Have you ever tried to "help God out" when you thought he couldn't possibly help you in the way you wanted? What was the result?

I don't think I would have thought about it as trying to "help God out".  Yes, I do pray to him a lot, but I've never said antything like "I'll do this more often if you help me to earn something."  I think that when you pray about something, you should just let God take care of it.  There's absolutely no need to help him!  I believe that when someone prays in the fashion that I made an example of above, you are not necessarily going to get what you want, unless you pray in the right fashion.

If someone offered you a comfortable, successful possition in a morally questionable situation, would you accept? Why or why not?

I think that if I questioned the morality of a situation I would porbably have second thoughts on accepting a possition because if it involved me dealing with any kind of risky business, I would be scared to get myself in trouble somewhere in the long run of things, and I'd much much rather have a clean record, no matter how "cushy" or successful something might be.

God asked Abraham to leave his home and family and go to a far-off foreign country. If you were in his place, how would have you responded? Has God asked anything hard or risky of you?

“I will make you into a great nation,
   and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
   and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
   and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
   will be blessed through you.”

~Genesis 12:2-3

If I were in Abrahams's possition, I probably would have been a little sad or maybe even scared to all of a sudden leave my homeland and adjust to a totally new life, culture and people.  But, I would also have prayed to keep my trust in God that he would take care of me and protect me every and anywhere I go.  I am having a hard time thinking of a time where God has asked me to do something that may have posed as a challenge to me.  Maybe it's not the greatest example, but I keep thinking of the time where I had an interview in Philidelphia for a job, and in a way, I wasn't looking as forward to it as I probalby should be because I was a little scared to have a job in a big city, if I had a good interview, and if they accepted me.  I'm from a more rural area and so if I had to move to the city, I'd have to get used to something completely different that would be slightly out of my comfort zone.

Sarah

God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.  I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.” 

~Genesis 17:15-16

Both Sarai and Sarah mean "princess," revealing sarah's place as a mother of a nation.  Do you know the meaning of your name?  What significance does its meaning have for you?

• This made me chuckle when I read the first question. My name is Sarah, so I don't have to go into much research to find out its meaning.
• Well, I don't really feel like I'm a "princess" or even "Chieftaness" as the the title of this section also said what it's meaning was, and I don't know if I'll even feel like I'm either of those when I am married and have a family of my own.

If you were to ask God to change your name, what would you want your name to be, or mean?

• Actually, I like my name!  I don't know who would want to not be called a "princess" or "chieftaness".  Kind of makes me feel like I might have some power or control in life.  But, if I really have to choose, I think I would either have God change it to either Elizabeth, whcih means "God is my oath", or Rachel, whcih means "Ewe"

 Then one of them said, “I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son.” 

   Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him. Abraham and Sarah were already very old, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.  So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

  Then the LORD said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ‘Will I really have a child, now that I am old?’  Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year, and Sarah will have a son.”

  Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

   But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

~Genesis 18:10-15

Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.  Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.  Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.  When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.  Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

  Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”  And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

~Genesis 21:1-7

Put yourself in Sarah's possition.  Do you think you might have laughed also?  Why or why not?

• Even though everything that god does and provides for us is no laughing matter, if I were as old as Sarah, I probably would have laughed too because a woman of that age is usually not able to bear children.

God fulfilled his promise to Abraham and Sarah in his time.  Describe how you think they felt about God's timing.

• I think that both Abraham and Sarah, both being believers of God, may have felt anxious for the time to arrive, but also trusted that God's promise woudl be fulfilled.

As you reflect on the story of Sarah and Abraham, how can you best wait for God to fulfill his promise to you?

• The best way I can think about waiting for God's promise for me is by praying to him, and asking that he will give me the patience and strength to get through every day until that promise is fulfilled.

“Your slave is in your hands,” Abram said. “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 

~Genesis 16:6

So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought, “After I am worn out and my lord is old, will I now have this pleasure?”

 Sarah was afraid, so she lied and said, “I did not laugh.”

   But he said, “Yes, you did laugh.”

~Genesis 18:12, 15

and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that woman’s son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” 

~Genesis 21:10

Choose five adjectives that describe Sarah.  In what ways are you similar to Sarah?  In what ways are you ulike her?

•  mean, spiteful, full of pride, jealous, doubtful
• I would say that I can tend at times to be either full of pride or jealous.  Sometimes I find that I want to be so good at something, that I might try to sell myself a little over the top when maybe I would be that great at something.  As for jealousy, if someone wants something that I also want really bad, then I might be a little less friendly towards someone (which I know is wrong).
• Most of the time, I'm really not mean to anyone.  If I'm angry, then that could tend to be the case.  The same would probably go for being spiteful, I guess.  I very much try to not stay in doubt.  I'm still looking for a job right now and of course I've had my doubts now and then if I ever will have one.  The important thing is that I need to keep listening to those who do have hope in me. 

God used Sarah in spite of her failings, her impatience.  How can God use you in spite of your imperfections?

• I think I could say, in spite of my visual impairment hardships, God has used my memorization skills to become a good musician

Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.  Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.  Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.  When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.  Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.

  Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”  And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.”

~Genesis 21:1-7

What did Sarah say when she gave birth to Issac?  Why do you think she said this?

• “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
• I believe she said this because when she also talks to her friends that believe in God, they will laugh because she doubted what God said what would happen to her.

Describe a time in your life that God "brought you laughter".

• God brought me laughter when one time I was doubting something would happen the way I hoped it might, and then in a moments time, that hope actually came true.

If you were given an assignment like Noah's, how would you respond?

Well, first off, Genesis 6 is where God gives his commands to Noah, and after God finishes with what he says, Noah gets right to work; doesn't even say a word!  My guess, and it's probably true, is that Noah was probably a God-fearing man!  Now if I had received an assignment as colossal as what Noah got, I'd probably at first question why this must be done and why I was chosen to do it, but since I am a God-fearing person (I have no wishes to die anytime soon!), I'd probably get right to work as well!

Which of Cain's reasonses to God - anger, defensiveness, fear, shame - do you identify?

I think we all could identify with each of these reasons.  We all get angry, we get defensive against one another, we most definitley feel fear at times, and by the end of it all we have shame.  How angry do I get?  I would say that I'm kind of on the slow end of anger.  A lot of people think I have a great amount of patience, and I would say that that is probaby true.  Now of course, when I do get angry, I'll say some things that I don't really mean and can be hurtful.  We all do that.  I know that when something not right comes out of my mouth, and it's already too late to take it back, not only does the other party get defensive, but I'll get defensive too at times.  Those are times that you have to be really careful, because, sometimes, being defensive, probably even to an extreme point, can be very nasty!  Now when your argument is all over, you might have a fear that that person might not want to speak with you anymore.  I know I've had that happen a lot of times.  That's what makes me reflect on what I said to the other person.  When I find out where I made my mistakes, then I feel shame, which then makes me want to deeply ask for forgiveness for all that I have caused.  I generally don't want to hurt anyone's feelings.  I can really be a nice person to everyone.  But of course, I'm human, so I'm not perfect at all!  But in all my wrongdoings, I am bound to find the error of my ways and ask whoever for forgiveness and hope for the best that they will forgive me out of the kindess of their heart.

Are you ever in a possition to set an example for others? What can you learn from Adam and Eve's experience?

As a teacher, I must set a good example to my students so that they know how to behave and act in the real word.  We must teach them that everyone deserves the same amount of respect, that no bullying is tolerated, and other various rules.  Adam and Eve were the very first people to set an example for everyone i the entire world!  God gave them a set of rules to follow while they were in the garden of Eden.  But like every normal human being, they disobeyed, and were banished from that glorious paradise.  Teachers aren't perfect either.  We even have rules to follow in our daily working lives.  We have ethics to follow.  As a teacher I'm sure I have fallen victim of possibly losing my temper with a group of students, all because I gave them a simple task to accomplish, but all they did was goof around, and I was tired of all that.  If/when I have lost my temper, I'm sure an employer would not like to see that.  Thankfully that has not happened, but I know the one thing I am thankful for is that teachers get some reflection time at the end of the day.  So there is always time to think "ok, where did I go wrong, how can I make this better the next time I'm here?"  I kind of see that as a time of repentence to one's self.  And sure, if you're stuck on how things can be fixed, then you can always go ahead and pray about it to God.  That's where all our answers come from anyway!

Eve

So the LORD God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh.  Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.

  The man said,

   “This is now bone of my bones

   and flesh of my flesh;

she shall be called ‘woman,’

   for she was taken out of man.”

~ Genesis 2:21-23

Describe Adam's situation.  In this paradise, what need did he have that was not being met that only a woman could fulfill?

• I believe that the answer here is simply so that history could carry on in bodily form by conceiving children with a  female partner.

That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.

~ Genesis 2:24-25

What does being "one flesh" in a marriage mean, both physically and spiritually?

• Being "one flesh" in a marriage, physically, I believe (I'm not married), would mean that a man and a woman would be sexually connected or committed to each other, whereas, in a spiritual sense, it would mean that you would keep a special commitment with God by, for instance, keeping your vows that you have pledged to keep towards your spouse.

Think of a couple who truly seems to be "one flesh."  What is their relationship like?

• A couple that would truly seem to have "one flesh" would have a very positive relationship.  I imagine that they would have great communication about everything and be fully open and honest about each other, what they think, and what the feel about certain topics, whether they be intimate or non-intimate subjects.

Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”

 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

~ Genesis 3:1-5

This is one of the saddest passages in scripture, but also the one that sets the stage for all that is to come.  How easily do you think the serpent deceived Eve?  Do you think she ate of the fruit the first time he approached her, or did he wear her down over a period of time?

• Considering that the following verse mentions that she had taken a bite of the forbidden fruit, and gave some to her husband as well, I would think that the serpent had deceived Eve fairly easily. 
• I would think that if it took a period of time for the serpent to convince Eve and wear her down, she would have had a lot more to defend on what God had said.  So I think she partook on the first time she was approached.

When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.  Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

~ Genesis 3:6-7

What three reasons for eating the fruit are given in verse 6?

• (1) good for food, (2) pleasing to the eye, (3) desirable for gaining wisdom

Eve is rationalizing her sin here.  Even though she knew it was wrong, she could come up with a variety of reasons for eating from the tree anyway.  What sorts of reasons do you come up with to rationalize yor sin?

•  This one's a little tough to think about.  I'm not saying that I've never sinned, because i know I have!  One thing I can think of is when I've been hungry for just a little snack to eat, since we are kind of on the topic of food/eating, and my parents told me that if I wanted anything, I should ask for permission.  Well, obviously, there have been times that I have not asked for permission and I'd just take what I wanted, all because I just thought it was a small and harmless portion that I thought could tie me over until the next meal time.  Lately, too, I would be thinking "hey, I'm an adult, not a child."  But did I pay for the food? No I didn't. 

 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.  But the LORD God called to the man, “Where are you?”

He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.”

Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?”

The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

~ Genesis 3:8-13

Adam and Eve produce a classic scene of passing the blame: Adam blames Eve; Eve blames the serpent.  Is any one of the three participants any more or less to blame?  What do the curses God pronounces on each tell you about who is "at fault"? 

• I would think that each of them would have a responsibility in the blame
• In verses 14-15 the serpent was told  “Cursed are you above all livestock and all wild animals!  You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."  In verse 16, Eve is told  “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children.  Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”  And in verses 17-19, Adam is told “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life.  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.  By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living.

  The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.  And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”  So the LORD God banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from which he had been taken. After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

~ Genesis 3:20-24

What is the first thing God does for Adam and Eve after he declares what their punishment will be? 

• God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.

Making clothing for Adam and Eve is a very practical but also a very thoughtful act.  What does this tell you about God?  What do you think he is willing to do for you after you have sinned and repented? 

• This act that God did for Adam and Eve definitely tells me that God is definitely not all forsaking but also a forgiving God.
• After I have sinned and repented my wrongdoings, God is willing to forgive me and shower me with grace and love.

Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man.”  Later she gave birth to his brother Abel.

   Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.

~ Genesis 4:1-2

Whom does Eve acknowledge as the source of life?

• She acknowledges God (the LORD) as the source of life.

Eve now has two sons.  Cain's names is Hebrew for "brought forth," while Abel's name means "breath" or "temporary" or "meaningless."  It is the same Hebrew word that is is used in Ecclesiastes 1:2.  Certainly, Abel's life was ot meaningless, but it was short, and his name suggests what was to come.  Compare Abel's name here and the verse in Ecclesiastes.  What connection can you see between the two? 

• Ecclesiastes 1:2 states this: “Meaningless! Meaningless!” says the Teacher.  “Utterly meaningless!  Everything is meaningless.”  Abel's name maybe be referring to a short life, but I think what the latter verse is trying to focus on is that the word "meaningless" is referring to material things. 

Creative people often find ways to transcend the limits put on them. What do you feel hemmed in by? How can you achive God's will despite obstacles?

The man said,

   “This is now bone of my bones
   and flesh of my flesh;
she shall be called ‘woman,’
   for she was taken out of man.”

~Genesis 2:23



I'm not totally certain that I would call myself a creative person, then again I might be being modest, but I have over come limits in the past.  I'm not sure of what limitations I have right now, but I know that when I was in college I had some.  What held me back then was people that didn't want to see me succeed.  But in the end I had proved them wrong;  I showed them that I was successful and they couldn't stop me.  How did I, or how does one do that?  Well, I certainly did a lot of praying and asked for guidance as to how I should handle a situation that I felt might be a mile-high obstacle to come over.

People say they can see God Reflected in stars, forests, sunsets. What about people? How can you see God's artistry in them?

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

~ Genesis 2:7

I believe that we can see God's artistry reflected in everything, including people!  For one thing, we are all unique, that's why we all look and act different from one another.  Most individuals, when they think of God's artistry in people, probably think of more possitive acts that are committed.  But also we need to keep in mind that God not only reveals himself in acts of kindness, but also can show his wrathful side, especially when we disobey him.  We too, as humans, can treat other people with  either kindness or with cruelty.  As a Christian, I know that God would want us all to treat each other with loving kindness, even if we are at odds with someone; we must "love our enemies" as the scriptures teach us. 

One major thing I can see God's work in people is when a inbdividual is compassionate.  Whether that means that they help someone out on a project or if they share something with another person, or if they love someone and care for them so much that they put themselves last before even worrying about their own needs.  Another way to see God's artistry in individuals is by observing the talents one has.  You could be a good musician, or you can be realy good at writing papers, and maybe even be a good speaker at a large conference.  I know I've heard people say "I don't have any talent whatsoever."  But. I don't believe that's the case.  We are all good at doing something, whether it's in the arts, sciences, or maybe we're just good at using our hands!  We are all able to do something in life because God has made it possible.  We can do anything that our heart desires if we just put our minds to it..

Welcome!

Hello there!

Starting this year, I would like to start a blog that explores many different questions.  Some of these questions will have absolute answers to them and some will have answers that will be open ended.  In my blog I open it up to all my visitors to, not only read what I post but please feel free to comment on how you would think you would answer the question.  I do request though that you keep your answers clean.  If you disagree with what I have to say, then I will agree to disagree with you.  Fair is fair, right?  Anyway, the materials that I would like to explore are a devotional book that I will spend the year reading, the bible, where I'll read it from cover to cover (my bible is a study bible tha tI had when I was confirmed so I'll be answering some "life questions" that are stated in paragraph or two long blurbs)  Also, not only do I have an interest in my own religious practice, but I am also interested in the fundamentals of music.  Eventually I will add a music book that consists of some "critical thinking" questions.  I studied as a music education major in college, so it's little bit of a no wonder why I would like to explore this topic a bit deeper as well. 

Anyway, be on the lookout in the next couple of days for the next post to come!