Ezra Bible Study - Traveling: Weighty Matters

Early in his ministry in Montgomery, during the final difficult months of the bus boycott in 1956, Martin Luther King Jr. preached a sermon to encourage his congregation to live hopeful lives. "Lord, help me to accept my tools. However dull they are, help me to accept them. And then Lord, after I have accepted my tools, help me to set out and do what I can do with my tools.” -MLK  (Source: Michael Hyatt)

The priests were given some tools that were weighty as part of their pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In Ezra 8, after Ezra prays for protection, he distributes the treasure from King Artaxerxes (Ezra 8: 24-30), Ezra and thousands of Jews arrive in Jerusalem safely (Ezra 8:31-32), they perform a delivery check (Ezra 8:33-34), then worship God (Ezra 8:35) and finally relay King Artaxerxes' orders to the local authorities (Ezra 8:36).

Notes From My Daughter - Letting Go of the Time Constraint

Notes From My Daughter are occasional notes from my second daughter. I never know what to expect when she writes but I am always blown away. Did this child come from me? Read on

It’s the beginning of a new year, and many of us are reflecting. There's wisdom in reflection. 2018 has felt like one of the longest years ever which got me to thinking, "what makes time meaningful?" It’s a question I ponder often, and some of those answers I want to share with you.

1. Community makes time meaningful. Comparison is only the thief of joy because it robs you of a sense of community. When you come to understand who supports you and the mutual commitment each has to see the other thrive, there is no need to compare anyone's journey to your own.

Where I Belong

Being hit with feelings of introspection recently, I penned the following as a guest post for The Journey.

It was another long bicoastal airplane ride, this time to help my daughter relocate; a joyful yet taxing time combined with the stress of traveling. Usually when I travel, if anything can go wrong it does. So I make my lists and check them twice: leave at least 2 hours in advance, check in online, and print out my boarding pass. Also, I double check that I have my ID, charge my phone and ensure that my toiletries are the right size. I also won’t wear a belt but will wear easily removable shoes. Once at the airport I wind my way through slow moving lines. Finally, as I go through TSA, my hair and back are routinely patted adding to my agitation. So many things to keep in mind and so many things to overlook that without meaning to, traveling becomes a stressful event.

My treat, once I’ve made it to the gate, is to purchase a popular women’s magazine to read in flight. I’m drawn in by the sleek elegance of the cover with its promise of unexplored worlds between its covers. I look forward to absorbing these insights as we make our way through the skies; a peaceful oasis regardless of turbulence or touchy neighbors.