it's about me today

I've been trying to listen to the book of Genesis everyday this year.  Daniel asked me yesterday if I was up to chapter 50 (that's where we're supposed to be according to the reading plan we're following) yet and my answer was yes but I don't remember much...  In as much as I love actually reading prints on paper, at this point of my life, it seems that I need a more practical way of staying in the Word with two little ones to keep me busy and interrupt me every minute of the day and night.  So I'm trying.

Genesis has always been one of my favorite books of the Bible.  The version I'm listening to is NKJ read by famous people, I guess.  I recognize Jim Caviezel's voice but that's about it.  Anyway, it's sort of refreshing to hear it read dramatically (also, I don't tune it out so quickly like some other ones.)

Today I was remembering some of the things I heard while sitting in one of Daniel's classes at Wheaton Graduate School while pregnant with Ari.

One has to do with the Sabbath day.  I used to think that by "day of rest," it just meant disengage, empty your mind, just relax, don't work, worry, etc... because God "rested" on that day.  In class, I was shown the "why" of this command to rest... why I CAN indeed really REST and WORSHIP God.  It is because "God is in the control room."  The first six days, we are shown God's marvelous work of creation.  On the seventh day, God rests.   He has set everything in its place and now He is running it--perfectly and beautifully!  He is in total control...fully engaged.  It brought so much more meaning to me regarding Sabbath and whenever I feel overwhelmed I think about the creation account.

The other one has to do with the Tower of Babel story.  How the point/focus of the story may not be one of man's pride (trying to make a name for themselves) but one of man's distorted perception of God... in that the reason the Hebrews built the tower reaching up to heaven was because they saw their God like the pagan gods of other nations.  They thought that their God could be manipulated... that by their building the tower, God would come down to them...on their own terms.  I am so similar.  I love being shown my distorted perception of God and convicted and taught by His Spirit through God's Word.

So Ti's got whatever's going around...finally...and the four of us are all sick now.  I think Daniel and Ti are feeling the worst at this point and Ari is getting better.  I pray for strength to care for my family.

My friend Dawn's package arrived today!  Packages from the States really have been such encouragement to us here.  We are loved and thought of by our friends and family there... we are overwhelmed in a very good way...