I-L-L….I-N-I <3
Thank you to those who either sent comments or stopped me in person yesterday to let me know you laughed. I debated if that one was a little too off the beaten path, but you are my people. One person said she would chuckle in the future when she hears one of those expressions. My mission is accomplished. Laughter is good medicine <3
Now for today’s post:
Russ and I have enjoyed going to a few basketball games at the University of Illinois this year. Thanks to watching multiple games with the grandchildren playing at all levels, I have finally gained a little bit more of an understanding of the game. This is amazingly helpful as you can only people watch for so long in your life when your husband enjoys attending sporting events on a regular basis like mine does.
The new level of knowledge, as well as repeated times of watching this team play, have made me a legitimate fan. I have donned blue and orange for the day since they have their first game of March Madness this afternoon.
I call the players by name, often using their last names as a sign that I really know who they are. I can identify them from a distance because I have watched them enough. I know who is who. Pretty much. Oh sure, I call them by the wrong name occasionally but I do that everybody I love.
And it hasn’t taken much effort.
A few games here and there on TV and in person and I have learned enough to be attentive when watching games. I am excited about their prospects this year for the brackets and I can carry on a somewhat intelligent conversation with other fans.
If you don’t see where this is headed, you must be new to the Journey.
This is why I read through the Bible every year. This is why I take notes during sermons. This is why I attempt some kind of a study on a fairly regular basis to glean more from Scripture. With all I have done up to this point, I am always learning more.
The current sermon series at our church has given me deeper insights into two characters, already, who I thought I had tapped deeply into knowing. One is James, the brother of Jesus and other is the apostle John.
As I took notes during the sermons and later captured the highlights in a new format I have been taught to use in journaling class, I feel like I know these two important men of the early church even more. I have found myself pondering the lessons gleaned. Other Scripture has deeper meaning as James and John’s stories have made a way into my thoughts.
If you have reached a place where you feel you know everything there is to know about Jesus and His teachings, the Church and Christianity, maybe it’s time to dig a little deeper. We are blessed with a rich supply of study tools, Bibles with footnotes and extra information from research, studies and teachings on podcasts, videos and in person.
May the Lord bless you as you seek to know Him more. One of the prayer prompts I picked up from the sermon on James was this:
Help me to experience You, Show me who You are.
I know that is a prayer He would love to answer.
Blessings and here are the links to the sermons I referred to <3
https://www.firstdecatur.org/messages/this-changes-everything/