Showing posts with label Thanksgiving to Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thanksgiving to Christmas. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Thanksgiving: Holidays with Jesus by Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy

Thanksgiving: Holidays with Jesus

Blog Post #3 on 24 November 2009 Wednesday
Before Thanksgiving

NOTEBOOK OR JOURNAL
Please note how in this book, there are no lines to use to write your answers to the questions. However, you need to know that's because I personally find lines rather confining. I don't think that in most cases, lines provide adequate space for us to respond to thoroughly not just now but in the future. Furthermore, if you write on the lines, it means you may never return back to this book in the future. The ideal is that you'll return to this book periodically in order to see how much you've grown or where you might need to review and try to relearn the lesson missed or forgotten. Furthermore, I'm a firm believer that every time you re-read something, you get more out of it. Consequently, it's important to re-read things from time to time.

Since this book does not have lines, please purchase a notebook or journal to answer all the questions in this book or answer on your computer and keep a permanent digital copy where it's easy to add comments to at a later date. Just make sure to write the date of each time you answer a question so you can see over time how you grow. Every time I ask a question, please write your answer in a notebook. That is of course unless I put a (x) behind the question. That means it's something you don't need to write. For example: What do you think about this study so far (x)?
Reflective Questions
When was the last time you intentionally spent an entire day in prayer and thanking God for what He's done, is doing, and will be doing in your life? Yes. An entire day.

Have you ever taken the time to do so? If so, when did you take a day to offer God thanksgiving?

How about half a day? Four hours? Two hours? An hour? Ten minutes?

Why has it been so long or not so long?

Why would this be important?

How meaningful is thanking God in your opinion?

Take a few minutes and think about these questions. Evaluate your life and where you are with bringing God the proper respect He deserves through thanking Him for what He has done, is doing, and will do in your life, through your life, and around you.

Do not feel guilty about what you may not have done. Acknowledge it, ask God for forgiveness, repent, and change your course of action today. Don't wait. While you may not be able to take an entire day for thanksgiving, you can give what you can now and for the rest of your day whatever you are able. This is what matters most. It's what you choose to do now. You can't change the past, but you can learn from it and make your every today and tomorrow better than your yesterdays. That's what you can control.

So, start thanking God.
A Sacrifice of Thanksgiving
We just asked ourselves some very difficult questions. I'm sure they were rather weighty. They were meant to get you to think before the big Turkey Day. Take some time to thank God and think about these things.


By Stacy Duplease
of Stories by Stacy

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Holidays with Jesus #2: Thanksgiving to Christmas: Book 1 by Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy

Holidays Blog Post #2
22 November 2009 Sunday


Book: Thanksgiving to Christmas:
A Bible Study Journey with Jesus
Book 1 of the Holidays with Jesus Series

Holidays are a mixed period of time. They are both curses and blessings. They are busy and we wish we could take the time to enjoy them more. They tend to make us feel stress and/or anxious. They have the potential to bring our hopes up, only to have them dashed. They make us long for what was or what could be. They hurt. They bring great joy. Never mind how they can cost us a great deal in emotion or in the wallet.

Do you want to know the biggest problem with holidays? We tend to focus more on me and what we wish could be rather than on what really matters. We've lost sight of the real reason to celebrate the holidays.

How can we reshape our thinking about the holidays?

We can learn new ways to look at the holidays be focusing on what is really important and the only thing that really matters.

God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit.

He's the only reason why we should ever celebrate.

Jesus lived and died for us. He (God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) should be the only real thing we focus on and live for in this life. He is the only way we get to heaven. He teaches us how to have eternal life and how to overcome this world.

How do we survive the holidays? By focusing on Him.

We do not live for us, we live for Him. It's not about us at all and is all about Him.

How do we survive the holidays? Focus on Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. This book is to help us accomplish this endeavor.


By Stacy Duplease
of Stories by Stacy

Friday, November 20, 2009

Holidays with Jesus: Thanksgiving to Christmas: Book 1 by Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy

Holidays Blog Post #1

20 November 2009 Friday

Book: Thanksgiving to Christmas:
A Bible study Journey with Jesus
Book 1 of the Holidays with Jesus Series

Over the next year, I'm going to do a blog about Jesus. Here's the start of the first chapter.

Day 1:
Two Days before Thanksgiving
Introduction to the Series, Holidays with Jesus


Holidays
I don’t know about you, but sometimes (more often than not) the hustle and bustle of the holidays gets to me. I can’t help but wonder why we’ve made the holiday seasons so chaotic and why we thought it was important to take away the real meaning of them. What purpose has this served? I want to get rid of the stress and get back to the basics and the real meaning of the holidays. How about you?

The holidays are supposed to be a magical time of rest and relaxation where you’re able to receive refreshment and renewal to help you get by until your next vacation.

Every Day
It’s also a concern to me that I worship Jesus every day, not just the holidays. However, the holiday seasons can give us different emphasis to focus on Jesus when our faith might seem a little stale, or if we want more and want to draw nearer to Jesus.

Is Jesus the Messiah?
I also want to discuss throughout this series how we know Jesus is the Christ, Messiah or Savior. I will show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecies, which proves He is indeed Jesus Christ the Messiah and Savior. There are approximately 300 prophecies which show how Jesus is the Messiah and are fulfilled in the New Testament. I will discuss all of them throughout this series.

By Stacy Duplease
of Stories by Stacy

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Whew! My NaNoWriMo Status by Stacy Duplease of Stories by Stacy

Whew! I am four days ahead of schedule on my novel for National Novel Writing Month of November. It's also called, NaNoWriMo.

Four days!

Throw the confetti. This is huge. I'm quite thrilled to be able to say that. It's taken a lot of hard, but quite enjoyable work.

I've had a blast writing that novel and feel quite comfortable with it. I'm not having to fight it and am finding it quite easy to write. (Glory be to God!)

I also have come up with a new idea for a new Bible Study series. It's called:
"Thanksgiving to Christmas:
A Bible study Journey with Jesus"

and is part of the "Holidays with Jesus Series".

I also have picked up an old novel I started writing in July 2008 and am working on it again. It's called, "4.14.14" and spins off from the idea of what if the world ends on 12.21.2012

How are you? What's new?

Take care.

By Stacy Duplease
of Stories by Stacy