August 3rd

It's actually here! In a few hours I'm heading to the Chicago airport for a flight to Beijing. I've been waiting a long time for this day, and I still feel like it snuck up on me! Thank you again for all your prayers! I can't wait to see where the Holy Spirit will lead me. I will not be able to post while I'm in China but I will give you the link to the Show Hope blog, which may have updates on our trip. And I will post my stories about the trip when I get back. http://blog.showhope.org Keep on glowing in the dark, Elora

Prayer and Preparation

Hi everyone! I'm getting ready to go to China this summer! From August 3rd-12th I will be going with a team from Show Hope to a special-needs orphanage called Maria's Big House of Hope in Luoyang, China. It has been a dream of mine for several years mow to go to China, and God has really blessed me with this opportunity.It's hard to believe I will be in China in only a few short months! The trip is getting closer and closer everyday, so I would really appreciate your prayers as I prepare for this great adventure. Thank you so much for stopping by this blog; I will be updating it as regularly as possible. Keep on glowing in the dark, Elora p.s. For more information on Show Hope, Maria's Big House of Hope and their mission, check out: http://www.showhope.org/

Off the Graph Theatre

Hey everyone, I'm back home from the Bible Bee (sigh...). It's good to be back though. Today I went back to school. I thought I'd share with you something we're learning about in Bible class.

We are talking about the books of 1&2 Samuel. When Mr. Hamilton, our teacher was talking about the crowning of King Saul, remembered a video my church made last year when we were talking about these same books. I found it quite hilarious, so I thought I would share it with you....

http://vimeo.com/12566194

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

May HE Work

One of my favorite verses I memorized this year, (I had a lot of favorites, this is merely one), is Hebrews 13:20-21.

Hebrews 13:20-21

May the God of peace who, through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing His will and may He work in us what is pleasing to Him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

So many times I think I have to do all the right things, have the right feelings and make the right decisions to please God. But the truth is, He will do what He wants done. If I seek Him, if I let Him be in control, HE will do what He wants in my life. All I have to do is let go. Put it in His hands.

It's not easy, but it's simple.

This reminds me of another verse that I've posted about before, 2 Peter 1:3

2 Peter 1:3.

His Divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness Through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.

My heart echoes the prayer of these verses. I pray that He will work in my life. That I will trust Him as I go through the Bible Bee. And I pray for you too. May HE work in us what is pleasing to Him.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

In the Beginning... Jesus

In our high school Bible class at my little tiny high school, Cor Deo Christian Academy, we are learning about where Jesus is throughout the whole Bible. Our Bible teacher, Mr. Hamilton is taking us through each book of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation and showing us where Jesus is found. I thought I would share with you what we learned in the book of Genesis, (we have already studied through Ruth. Hopefully I can share more with you later).

Genesis- Jesus Christ our Snake Crusher

In Genesis chapter three, the first people sinned, separating them from God. You would think that God would be angry because they disobeyed His one and only law. However, though God gave them their just punishment, He also promised Adam and Eve that someone would come to make them right with God again. He would be their descendant, and He would have victory over the serpent that tempted them.

Genesis 3:15

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.

As we know, Satan bruised Jesus' heel when He was crucified, but Jesus had ultimate victory. He crushed the serpent's head.

P.s. Here is a link to a video some of the boys in my small but mighty Bible class made on where Jesus is found in Genesis through Deuteronomy. It's really cool!

http://www.youtube.com/user/thecavemanful#p/a/u/0/2rDuRLJZvm4

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

2 Peter

Hi, I'm back. Today I'd like to share some things I've learned in 2nd Peter, which I've been studying for the National Bible Bee. If you have time, you can read 2 Peter to get some context for what I'm talking about, (It's pretty short, only three chapters long).

Reading 2 Peter might leave you a little scared. All Peter's talk about false teachers, lawless men and their destruction may leave you worried about your salvation.

But Christ's mercy is still evident in this book. Chapter 1 verse 3 says : "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness..."

It's true, our nature is sinful, and we are destined for destruction just like those false teachers. But Christ GAVE us what we need to live a different life. He is handing us His righteousness and all we need to do is reach out and take it. We can't avoid destruction on our own, but He has given us EVERYTHING we need.

2 Peter2:9 says :"If this is so then God knows how to rescue godly men from trials and to hold the unrighteous for the day of judgement, while continuing their punishment."

Again, we are unrighteous on our own. But Christ has given us all we need for life and what? Godliness!

I think the most beautiful part of this verse is the Greek word behind the word "rescue". It is "Rhuomai" and it means "to rush or draw, to deliver".

Not only does God give us what we need to be godly, he also rushes to our side to deliver us. Yous see, 2 Peter isn't all about condemnation, punishment and judgement. If you look closely, God's amazing grace is clear.

P.S. If you're looking for a book of the Bible to study, I highly recommend 2 Peter.

Keep on glowing in the dark,

Elora

Tomorrow

Tomorrow, the Bible Bee begins.
I have been ready for this since... maybe since the last Bible Bee ended. Check back on this blog throughout the Summer. I'll be posting my thoughts, questions and musings about the verses I'm learning and the book of the Bible I'm studying. Pretty much whatever I feel like God is showing me in His word.
I'll also be posting more about the Bible Bee: stories, frustrations, and general comments on my other blog, Behind the Stone Door.
I am so ready. Let the Bible Bee begin!
Keep on glowing in the dark,
Elora