This Weeks' WORD

...as the LORD commanded Moses.

Exodus 39:1,5,7,21,26,29,31 and 40:32

I finished reading Exodus this week and couldn't help but notice as I read the final two chapters that the Israelites did everything to build the temple "as the LORD commanded Moses." There were the eight statements referenced above, and ten others in chapters 39 and 40 that used slightly different words, but all said the same thing.
Yes. Eighteen times in two chapters it is recorded that the Israelites did everything just as the LORD had commanded.
Coming off of several chapters of the same people grumbling about what God was doing and where Moses was leading, this obedience seems pretty remarkable to me. And since He bothered to mention it eighteen times, I think the obedience was also pleasing to God.

Makes me wonder what my life would look like written out. How many times could it be written that I did "just as the LORD commanded"?
Something to think about this weekend!

Show Him MY Heart

So, the posts for the previous two days have been rather light-hearted and fun. In reading them, one might begin to think that life at the Hossink household is nothing but smiles and good times.

One would be sadly mistaken if one thought such a crazy thing.

We have had our grins, to be sure. However, lest you start to imagine the unthinkable, let me shed some light on another - more typical - moment I had recently.

By now you know that Joshua and I struggle with each other. He can be tender beyond belief, and I cling to those moments. But when he is upset, oh, it's best to walk carefully around him.

He arrived home late for dinner. Again.
Yes, he had called (when he was already late) and given his excuse. But this was one time too many. His reason for being late never seems to be "his fault" and although he clung to the same story this time, Brian and I decided he needed to be disciplined or he was going to get into a very bad habit. So we grounded him for a few days.
And he wasn't very happy with us.
Oh, well.
Hope he learns to watch his time better!

At bedtime the same night both Joshua and Matthew were in rare form. And I repremanded them both several times. But Joshua kept pushing me, kept doing what he knows he should not do, kept moving closer to the edge, and finally he went over it.
Got his computer time taken away for three days.
I started by taking away one day, but he kept going. So I did, too.

Then it was time to say goodnight.
I visited Elizabeth and Matthew first, to give Joshua a little time to cool off. In retrospect, I think I would have needed to wait until the morning to have a rational conversation with him. But I didn't have retrospect at the time (Think about that one for a minute! *grin*) so I went into his bedroom to say goodnight.
And I listened to him ranting about how I had ruined his day, how it was unfair for me to ground him from leaving the yard, and from the computer, and how I was not doing a good job of raising him.
He proceeded to tell me that my discipline was NOT going to teach him anything. He said he would NOT learn from it, and that it would NOT change his behavior. He said it would only serve to make him NOT like me more.

And he re-affirmed that I am NOT a good mother.

I tried to tell him that I understood him not liking my decisions, but I hoped he would learn from them and that one day he would understand I am trying to do what is best - trying to raise him to be responsible and respectful and all that stuff.

He wasn't interested in listening and I realized I wasn't doing anything to help the situation, so I said goodnight and left his room. As I walked out I prayed that God would help Joshua understand - I am for him, not against him.
And that is when God led me to a new prayer.
For quite some time I have been praying - in the middle of my struggles with Joshua - Lord, show me his heart. This prayer came at the suggestion of a speaker I heard once, as she was encouraging the audience to seek understanding in the midst of conflict. And as I prayed that prayer again, I added to it, And, Lord, show him MY heart.

Yes, Lord, show him my heart!

And Girls Will be Girls

Yesterday I was amused by boys being boys, and today I'm grinning because of girly things.
That would be my daughter.

Every year her school has a Winter Wonderland Dance before Christmas break, and she has already started thinking about what she wants to wear next year. She really likes one of the shirts I wear when I speak (this one) and she asked me a few days ago if she could wear it to the Winder Wonderland Dance next year. I thought it was cute that she was thinking so far ahead and told her that, Yes, she could borrow it.
Then Monday she asked me what I usually wear with that shirt and I told her I wear black or gray slacks. But she wondered if I thought a black skirt would look good with it, and I said yes.
"In fact," I told her, "I have a black skirt you could wear if you'd like to."
So she tried on the entire outfit Monday night and, convinced that she looked cute, she asked if she could borrow for the Dance next December. Of course, I said she could.
And her brother wanted to know, "Why are you thinking about what you're going to wear already?"
My husband and I smiled at him and said, "That's just what girls do."

And thinking not soooo far ahead, she is also contemplating what to wear on the last day of school this year.
She wants to dress up and has been going through my closet looking for something nice enough, that isn't too nice, that fits her perfectly, and that suits her taste.
No luck.
But I think she may just come back to one option.
We'll see.
Anyway, for as much as I am amused at her desire to "dress up" in my clothes, the thing that really has me giggling is the bigger picture of her plan. Before she will officially plan to wear something dressy to school, she MUST call and recruit at least two of her friends to also get dressy.
Because, that's what girls do, you know???

Boys Will Be Boys, I guess!

Matthew and his friend were outside playing punt-catch when I heard the scream and saw Matthew running to the door. When he came inside he was crying and I did my best to comfort him and find out what was wrong.
Through a series of winces and gasps for breath I got the story. Matthew had been standing on the picnic table punting the ball. Only the last time - he was a little too close to the edge. He punted and fell right off the table, hitting his back on the way down.
His back was hurting. He was having trouble breathing. He was sweaty and itchy. In general, he was not a happy boy.
I sat him down, rubbed his head, got him a cold cloth and a drink of water. And he seemed to be feeling a little better.
At this point his friend came inside to check on Matthew and we took a look at his back. Wow. He had a pretty big scrape where his back had connected with the picnic table, so Matthew and I went into the bathroom to look for a bandage.
Once in the bathroom - where he was in front of a big mirror - Matthew saw the rather large scrape on his arm, too. And he turned himself around to look at the mark on his back. Let me tell you, Matthew was quite impressed with his wounds. So much so that he didn't care that I couldn't find a band aid.
He went back out to the other room to show off the mark on his arm to his friend. And I stood and watched the two of them admire the scrapes. Matthew's friend said, "Let me see your back again!" And Matthew willingly lifted his shirt.
With that, Matthew's friend said, "Wow. That must have really hurt."
"Yeah, for about a second."
I smiled, remembering the scene when Matthew first came in the house.
And he adjusted his story, "Well, maybe for about a minute."
And the boys agreed the scrapes were cool.

So there I stood - listening to two nine-year-olds talking with admiration about falls and scrapes and blood, remembering just moments before when one of those boys ran into my arms like he did when he was two, marveling at how quickly the pain had been forgotten, finding only one reasonable explanation for the whole scene: Boys will be boys.
Yep. I think that's it.

Yes, you can. I'm right here.

This Weeks' WORD

When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, "If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt." So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea.
Exodus 13:17-18

Does the same thing stand out to you in this passage that stood out to me?

God did not lead them on the road...that was shorter.

God knew that road held the potential for danger, and could keep His people from fulfilling the plan He had for them. So He led them on a different road.

Oh, friend. What road are you traveling today? Does it feel too long? Are you tired of walking? Do you wish God would show you the short-cut?
He knows what He's doing. Keep following where He leads!

I pray the peace of Christ will cover you this weekend. And I'll see you back here Monday!

At Which Point I Realize...Part 2

If you missed yesterday's post, please click here to catch up.

OK, so I was sitting in judgement upon the Israelites because I was appalled by their grumbling and lack of faith. In spite of seeing God perform miraculous works, even though they saw Him deliver and provide in perfect time - still they allowed themselves to fret whenever "trouble" arose.
And as I sat there looking down on the Israelites, God began a conversation with me. It went something like this:

Karen, darling, what was it you were asking Me about just a few minutes ago?
Huh? God, how is it that You put up with these people wandering through the desert? Didn't You just want to give up on them?
No, dear. I'm not talking about the Israelites. I'm talking about you. What is it you were asking me about for your situation?
Oh! You mean when I was asking You to help my children grow in their faith?
Karen...
Not that? Um, do You mean that little worry I had about money.
Little?
Well, maybe it was a little bigger than little.
Yes, sweetheart. That's what I mean. Karen, do you remember times in your past when you have been unsure of how you were going to be provided for?
Well, yeah. There have been lots of occasions.
Remember the deficits we faced when Brian was on staff with InterVaristy, and how You provided donors at just the right time? And those times when the kids needed clothes and our friend from church brought over bags and bags of hand-me-downs? Oh, and what about the day when You led my grandma to hand me a $50 bill instead of $20 to pay for her groceries. And she let me keep it, because she knew it was Your Hand?
Yes. You have always, always taken care of me. You're very creative, God. It has been amazing to see You work things out!
Thank you. So, Karen, why are you worried now?
What? Huh? Who said I'm worried?
Karen.
Oh. I guess I said that, didn't I.
Yes, dear.
Sorry.
I forgive you, darling. Sweetheart, I have always taken care of you. I am bigger than your concerns and I can handle them. All of them.
I know you have a lot on your mind. I know you cannot see the things I see, and you do not know how it will all work out - as I know. And I'm glad you talk to Me about these things.
Please keep coming to Me and asking Me to help you with your children. Tell Me your needs - even though I already know them. Ask Me to give you wisdom. Tell Me about your concerns and fears. And then, darling, trust Me.
Remember My faithfulness to you in the past.
Remind yourself that I do not change.
And trust Me, darling. Trust Me.
I do, Father. I will.
Good. And now, Karen? One more thing.
Yes?
Tell your blog friends that I love them!
I will!!!

Friends, God does love you. So very much! And I pray you will hold that knowledge in your hearts today!

At Which Point I Realize, I Might be an Israelite

OK, so I am reading through the book of Exodus right now. And I am more than a little appalled by the Israelites.
Have you ever read Exodus? I know I read it last year when I did this read-thru-the-Bible-in-a-year thing the first time, but I had forgotten about these antics of the Israelites.
Just so we're on the same page, I'll give you a recap of where they've been.

*First, Joseph's brothers were ticked off at him, so they sold him into slavery.
*God redeemed the situation by using Joseph to save them when there was a severe famine in the land, and the whole family of Israel moved to Egypt.
*They were fruitful and became very numerous, such that the new Egyptian king got worried and decided to deal shrewdly with the Israelites. They became oppressed with forced labor.
*The order was given for Hebrew baby boys to be killed, they continued on in slavery, and they cried out to God for help.
*God heard their cry for help and used Moses to lead the Israelites out of Egypt.

Which brings us to the Exodus:
The act of getting them permission to leave Egypt was, in itself, an amazing thing. And it seems to me that display of power should have been enough to carry the Israelites through to the Promised Land.
But as they looked and saw the Egyptians pursuing them, they freaked out at Moses and thought they were going to die.
Moses told them to hang tight - that God would deliver them. And God displayed even more power.
*He parted the Red Sea and allowed Moses and the gang to cross over on dry ground. But the Egyptians who followed in pursuit were all drowned.
*And Moses and the Israelites sang a song to the LORD, praising Him for this display of strength and power.
Amazing, huh? You'd think that would be enough to convince them God could be trusted at all times.

But if you thought so, you would be mistaken.

Because next they traveled for three days without water, and the Israelites began grumbling again.
But God provided water.

Then they started walking through the desert some more and were grumbling again (even saying it would have been better if they had died in Egypt, where they at least had food...), because there was no meat.
And God provided bread and meat.

When they set out traveling once more, there was no water. So the Israelites quarreled with Moses yet again.
And, yet again, God provided.

So, here I sit, reading this plight of the Israelites, thinking to myself, Oh, come on! How many times does God need to show His faithfulness to you guys before you'll finally get it? You can trust Him to provide exactly what you need, precisely when you need it. What is it going to take to get through to you???

At which point I realize, in many ways I am just like them.

Come back tomorrow and I'll explain.

A Letter to my Son

Dear Joshua,
I am sorry we were fighting on the way to school this morning. I don't like fighting with you and I wish we never did it.
However, I know we cannot avoid conflict. I know you will not like everything I say or some of the things I require of you. And I understand, Joshua. Remember - I was a child, too. I didn't like a lot of the things my mom said, either. Believe me - I understand you!
But now that I am the mom, I also understand that my mom was trying to do what was best for me. She had knowledge and experience that I did not have, and she was trying to help me walk on the best path. That's what I am trying to do for you. That's my job as your mom.
Joshua, I am not perfect. I won't do everything "right" as a mom. But I will always love you. You can count on that!
Love,
Mom

I wrote this letter to my son and put it on his desk when I got home from walking him to school.
After school we walked home together in peace, and I didn't mention the letter I had left in his room. Upon arriving home, I needed to leave right away to take my other son to the doctor's.
As we were pulling into the driveway after the appointment, Joshua and my husband were pulling out - on their way to a Boy Scout camping event. Didn't even know if Joshua had seen the letter, or not.

Until...

I went to bed that night and found a note on my pillow. It said:
Sorry for the conflict as well. I hope we don't get in another fight. :) Love u!
Love, Joshua

Needless to say, I went to bed smiling that night.

Oh, I know there will still be conflicts between us. But God has given me a tremendous peace recently as He has helped me understand more about mothering. I'm still processing, but I will certainly share about it here one day!

Then HE Broke the Loaves

***Just a note: In watching this video, I had to coax it along at times. It kept stopping and I had to slide the button forward a second or two. My computer has been a bit feaky with videos lately, so maybe it's just me. But if it gives you trouble, too, I hope you'll endure and watch the whole devotion. Thanks. Love you!

This Week's WORD

Finished Genesis. Now I am in Exodus. God spoke to Moses through a burning bush, told him He wanted Moses to go tell Pharaoh that he was going to lead the Israelites out of Egypt, and Moses responded with:

"Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh and bring the Israelites out of Egypt?"
And God said, "I will be with you..."
Exodus 3:11-12

Did you see that??? God didn't even answer Moses' question.
Moses asked, "Who am I?"
God said, "I will be with you."
In answering the way He did, I belive God was saying, Moses, it really doesn't matter who you are. What matters is that I am with you. And I AM.
Oh, do I ever need to hear this WORD! How often I ask, Who am I to be doing such and such? Who am I to be going here and there and saying this and that? Who am I???
But today God reminds me, who I am simply doesn't matter.
It's all about HIM!

May the wonder of knowing who I AM is, fill your soul this weekend. See you back here Monday!

A Gift from Heaven

Do you know Heaven? You may have seen her commenting around the blogosphere as God's Girl. I first came across her path in a funny way - saw her leaving lots and lots of silly comments on MyADHD's blog and I had to go "meet" her for myself. (So glad I did!)
I had no idea that the woman God used to make me giggle that morning would also be a woman He would use to speak to me of His love.
But He did.
Because He's good that way.

Shortly after I met Heaven, I learned that she has a gift from God of something she calls name pictures. She prays and seeks God and draws what comes to her around a person's name. In fact, she started a blog just for these pictures and when I read of her offer to draw a picture for anyone who wanted it, I jumped at the chance.
I had already grown to admire Heaven and her love for God, and I was eager to discover what He might say to me through her drawing.
So I asked.
And she drew.
No. She PRAYED and she drew. And that is what I was so excited about. I knew as Heaven was drawing my name picture, she was going to be praying for me and asking God what He wanted to say to me.
What a blessing it was to receive this picture in the mail:
Along with the picture, Heaven included a letter in which she shared the things she sensed God telling her as she drew. I spent a couple days looking at the picture, reading her letter, and seeking God myself.
And the overwhelming sense that came over me as I listened to Him through this picture is Peace. You can't see it very well in the image above, but there are rays of yellow coming down from the "sky" and that seemed like God's glory covering me. I feel like He is holding the storm and the darkness at bay - that He is protecting me. I haven't gotten a clear sense of whether the drops are tears He has cried for me, or sweat He has poured out while protecting me, but either way I am confident of His love.

Oh, I could go on and on. And I honestly expect God to do the same. That's why I am not finished looking at this picture. Not finished listening to God. But I am resting in His peace today, knowing He has got me in His mighty hand, and I have nothing to fear.
If you have been around Surviving Motherhood for much time at all, I trust you know that I treasure the ways God speaks through His Word. But I am also confident that He speaks through other means, too, and this picture is most certainly one of them. Heaven is still drawing name pictures. If you are willing to invest time seeking God and listening to Him, I would encourage you to click here and ask for your name picture.

He Still Needs Me

OK, so yesterday I told you about the card Elizabeth made me for Mother's Day, and how it blessed my heart. Well, Jessica - having only boys - wanted to know what my boys said in their "cards." She wanted to know what to expect when hers are a little older.
And in responding to her, I had to laugh.
Matthew was entirely too excited about his Mother's Day gift. When he came out of school Friday he was jumping around and gave me my gift right then. No waiting until Sunday for him! It was a cute pen his teacher had made to look like a flower. There was also a card which he made on the computer and it says: (By the way, I am entering it JUST LIKE Matthew did - lack of punctuation, and all. *grin*)

Happy Mother's Day. Hi mom you rock and I'm proud of it!!!!!!!!!!!!
I hope you have a very good mothers day this fine may day please enjoy this card I made for you I worked very hard to make this card.

All the flowers bloom in May...To honor you on mother's day:)

I love you with all my heart I hope you never forget that!:)

So, that was charming, and I enjoyed Matthew's gift.

Then came Tuesday morning, and Joshua's gift. He picked up his backpack, took a package out of it, handed it to me and said, "Here," as he walked into the other room.
I chuckled to myself at the lack of enthusiasm my eleven-year-old was displaying, and made sure I thanked him for the pad of paper when he walked past me again to head off to school.
I had a meeting at school Tuesday morning, so rather than turning to go home at my "usual" spot, I went into the building with the boys. Joshua suggested I could enter through a different door which would be closer to my meeting room. And I realized he didn't want to walk into school "with" me, so I just stayed a few steps behind and called out, "Goodbye! Have a nice day!"
And I reminded myself Joshua is getting older and needs to start detaching from Mom.

But then I remembered Friday.
Joshua had a doctor's appointment - annual check-up. He was very uptight because he didn't want to get any shots. But he was due for a couple boosters and, for all my words of wisdom, I could not seem to get him to take his mind off the subject.
When it finally came time to receive his shots, I stood right next to my big eleven-year-old boy. He put his right arm around my waist and I held his left hand, as I quoted Joshua 1:9 for him, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (I added, "Even when you're at the doctor's office getting a shot.")
Let me tell you, that boy squeezed me hard! But he made it through.
And I smiled because I realized, for as big and tough as Joshua is, for all the times he doesn't want me to hug him in public, or even walk in the same door as him, for all those times - He still needs me sometimes.

And I am going to be there.

Bless My Heart

I hope you all had a lovely Mother's Day on Sunday. We were pretty low-key around here. Brian took the kids to do some work with him so I could make my weekly menu and grocery list in peace and quiet. And our small group came over for dinner. Nothing fancy, and I liked it that way.

The highlight of my day wasn't fancy either. It was a simple card my daughter made for me, and it absolutely blessed my heart. She wrote:

Mom,
I am so glad that you are my mom. I think you do a good job of mothering. You cook great meals, you keep the house clean, and most importantly, you try to help us grow toward Christ. I love you!
Love,
Eevee

I thought it was nice that Elizabeth recognized my efforts at cooking and maintaining the house, but it was her understanding of my desire to point my children toward Jesus that really blessed me. With every passing day He becomes more precious to me, as I increasingly recognize my need for Him, and His amazing grace. And I just want my children to know Him, too.

Oh, that I may fully and effectively share my Savior with my children!

May His grace be real and evident in your life today.

Give Thanks

If you missed last Monday's video, click here to catch up.

See you back here next Monday to wrap up this series!

Hey, voting is open today until 10:30pm for Amanda's Awesomest Blog Awards. I have been nominated in the Inspirational category. If you'd like to cast a vote for me, click here! *grin*

This Week's WORD

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 19:16

This verse comes from the scene when God's angels were urging Lot and his family to leave Sodom before it was destroyed.
It just struck me that Lot was hesitating but God, in His mercy, grabbed him and his family by the hand and led them out of the city. I wonder if at the time Lot was upset with the angels for forcing him out. I wonder if he thought they were trying to harm him in some way, or that they might be trying to steal his home. I wonder if he thought he couldn't trust them.
I wonder how amazed and thankful he was after he saw what happend to Sodom.

And I wonder how many times God, in His mercy, has grabbed me by the hand and led me away from danger when I hesitated to go. I may never know how God has protected me in my life, but I am sure He has. And I am thankful.

Let us hold tightly to His hand every day of our lives, trusting Him to do what He knows is best.

Amazing!

AMAZING

That's what God is.

He is AMAZING.

What did I tell you yesterday? That I had nine openings for readers for the Bible reading marathon? Yeah. By the time I went to bed Tuesday night I had less than nine. Was going to update the blog, but I didn't have time.
And Wednesday morning I was still confirming readers. Seriously. I was on the phone calling people back while I was walking to the Capitol building.
Even when I sat down with the first readers at 11:00, I still had four, maybe six, openings. But I only read ONCE. People came and stayed longer to read. Some people just came - that I didn't even know would be there. God provided and it was a delight to see.
Not only that, but most of the reading segments didn't take the full 15 minutes, so we spent our "extra" time singing praise songs and praying.
And now I can't wait to go to the National Day of Prayer prayer time at the Capitol. Our God is so good and I am excited to watch Him move. (Here, and in Kaz, Greta! *grin*)

May His peace rest upon you today, and may His JOY fill your soul.

It's Happening

A couple weeks ago I told you about the New Testament reading marathon I am coordinating around the National Day of Prayer.
Now it is time to testify.

God is faithful, friends.

He is so faithful!

I am excited about the opportunity to have the entire New Testament read aloud in the city of Lansing over the next twenty-four hours. I know His Word is powerful and it will not go out and return void. As we speak God's Word in the Capitol Building, in a downtown church and even in private homes around the city, He will be honored.
And, believe me, I am thrilled about that fact.

But before we even get to that point, I am fully convinced God has done an amazing work in my heart once more, as I have had the opportunity to trust Him in the planning.
Oh, more than once I have wished God operated according to my schedule. If He did, we would have had this whole deal planned and put to bed two weeks ago. That's the way I like to work - control freak that I am.
But God does not work according to my anal quirkiness schedule. He works in His perfect time, and when He does that I learn I can trust Him.
As of Monday night I still had 19 readers to find, plus several more for the over-night shift. My poor team captain for that shift was getting nervous and I (in my flesh) was afraid we wouldn't find people and I would be up all night reading.
But Tuesday morning as I was driving to speak for a MOPS group I got a voice mail from a woman who had come up with a group of five people to cover that overnight spot. Whew!
And throughout the rest of the day Tuesday, up until right now as I am typing this ahead of time to post Wednesday morning, more readers are surfacing. Such that I only have nine openings, and the overnight is covered.
I will be at the Capitol all day tomorrow. I can read during the times when no one else is there. It's covered. Even so, I am still confident God is going provide more readers.

Honestly, I have given in to stress more than once over the past week - even as I have maintained the knowledge that God would work things out. Now I am simply giddy with praise and delight as I am witnessing Him coming through. He is so good. Do you hear me???

Please join me in praising God for His faithfulness and power.

What's On Your Mind '09? - What's it about? edition

What's on Your Mind '09 is a blog carnival Shane started to challenge writers and encourage conversation. And this month's topic is Mythbusters!
This week's myth is: Christianity is all about being a good person.

Christianity is all about being a good person.
Really?
If that statement is true, then I must not be a Christian. Because I am not feeling "good" at all. I have been stressed by lots of stuff on my plate and looming deadlines. I have been frustrated by my little guy's ADHD exhibition, angered by my pre-pubescent son's smart-alec attitude, and flustered by my teenage daughter's incessant need to talk.
I was trying to be patient in the midst of it, and honestly - on the outside I was doing quite well. Wasn't stomping around. Didn't yell at anyone.
But before I fell prey to pride again, God's Spirit caused me to take a look at my heart.
Ooooo.
Not good.
Not good at all.
The outside might have looked OK, but the heart was a mess.
So I stood there with tears welling up in my eyes and I sang my favorite song for just such an occassion. Do you know this one?
And that is what I think Christianity is all about. I know I am not a "good" person. I pray through every moment I live, God will make me more like Him.

Becoming more like Him - that's what I think it's all about.

Look Up!

Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all.
Mark 6:41

This Week's WORD

I just finished reading the book of Job. If you have never read it, or just haven't read it in a while, I would recommend going through it. My reading plan took me through it in 12 days and I thought that was a good pace.
I was surprised by the variety of emotions that welled up in me as I read - sometimes feeling sorry for Job, and sometimes feeling admiration for him. I felt defensive for God because He seemed so misunderstood. Elihu really irritated me with his attitude and big mouth. And then God spoke, and fear was stricken in me.
In the end, Job spoke with understanding and humility and I admired him again.

Then Job replied to the LORD:
"I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.

"You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
My ears had heard of you but now my eyes have seen you.
Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

Job 42:1-6

God's WORD is amazing, and I pray you are finding time to join Him in it!

May His love cover you today. See you back here Monday!