December 29th Bible Reading Review

Charles Spurgeon's "morning" devotional focused on 1 Samuel 7:12 - "Hitherto hath the Lord helped us".  He mentions a focus on the past - "Through poverty, through wealth, through sickness, through health, at home, abroad, on the land, on the sea, in honour, in dishonour, in perplexity, in joy, in trial, in triumph, in prayer, in temptation, 'hitherto hath the Lord helped us'!"

Proverbs 29:25b (kjv) states "whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe."  In Jeremiah 1:8 (net), the Lord is encouraging Jeremiah - "Do not be afraid ... for I will be with you to protect you."

A caution is provided in Jeremiah 2:17 (net) "You have brought all this on yourself ... by deserting the LORD your God when he was leading you along the right path."  In verse 19 (kjv), some results of "backsliding" include: evil (sin), unhappiness (bitter), and the fear of the Lord is gone.

1 Corinthians 16:13 (net) states - "Stay alert, stand firm in the faith, show courage, be strong."

Ski Trip 2013 - Durango, Colorado

We safely arrived last night to our home base in the Durango, Colorado area.  We decided to try something new this year and stay up on the mountain close to the ski resort.  The residence is wonderful!

And the views of the mountains are even more wonderful!

The younger children played in the snow.

We ended the evening with a nice dinner in Downtown Durango at Steamworks.  I enjoyed the meatloaf with some mashed potatoes.

Blackhawks Win 2013 Opener

Our Chicago Blackhawks went on the road and defeated the defending Stanley Cup Champions 5-2 in the 2013 season opener.

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 19: NHL season opening puck drop between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on January 19, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Kane, Hossa, and Frolik each scored in the first period.  Toews added the 4th in the second period, and Hossa scored his 2nd of the game in the 3rd period.  Crawford stopped 19 of the 21 LA shots.  It is great to have hockey back!

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 19: Patrick Kane #88 of the Chicago Blackhawks celebrates his goal with teammates for a 1-0 lead over the Los Angeles Kings during the first period at Staples Center on January 19, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Congratulations USA Hockey! 2013 World Jr Champs!

Team USA players and staff celebrate with the championship trophy following a gold medal win over Sweden at the 2013 IIHF Ice Hockey U20 World Championship. Photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images

The Impact of our Words - 2 Thoughts

During the week, a few Bible verses jumped out on the topic of how we should use our words.  Here are a few thoughts:

1)  Our words should result in the ENCOURAGING of others.

Ephesians 4:29, 32 (NET) - You must let no unwholesome word come out of your mouth, but only what is beneficial for the building up of the one in need ... be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you.

2)  Our words should aid in the EVANGELIZING of others.

While His disciples went into the city, Jesus remained outside of the city and visited with the Samaritan woman at the well.

Painting by Giacomo Franceschini (17th-18th Century)

She believed on Him and aggressively shared the good news with her friends and family.  As a result, "many Samaritans from that town believed in Him because of the report of the woman who testified".  (John 4:39 NET)   We need to "always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope" that we possess.  (2 Peter 3:15 NET)

Remember, Forget, and Look Ahead

As the new year begins today -

We should take the time to REMEMBER the wonderful things that the Lord provided to us in 2012 - some Bible verses to reinforce this include:

• Remember His marvelous works that He hath done  (Psalm 105:5 - KJV)
• Remember what the Lord thy God did  (Deuteronomy 7:18 - KJV)

We should also FORGET those struggles that challenged us and move forward:

• Forgetting the things that are behind and reaching out for the things that are ahead (Philippians 3:13 - NET).

Happy New Year!

Steinhaus Christmas 2012

Christmas Picture taken in downtown Greenville