Day 1: Welcome

March 11-12, 2014

Welcome to:

A 16-Week Reading and Reflection on the Book of Luke:

My Journaling Memoir

TEASER FOR A 4-BOOK SERIES TO HELP US LIVE A LIFE OF JESUS:

DO YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW JESUS MORE?

Do you want to know Jesus?

Do you want to get to know the Bible more?

Do you want to live a life of Jesus?

If so, then check out this new series of four books that starts tomorrow on this blog.

Book 1 is the Book of Luke and will last 16 weeks.

Book 2 is Matthew and it will last 15 weeks

Book 3 is John will last 12 weeks

Book 4 is Mark and it will last 10 weeks

= 53 weeks or so for all 4 books.

I guarantee you’ll get to know Jesus and the Holy Bible more—as you learn how to live a life of Jesus.

THE PLAN FOR THIS BOOK

This is a reflection on the Bible’s Book of Luke, the gospel, as I read about sixteen verses per day for the next sixteen weeks or so, or approximately 80 days. The plan is to have five-day weeks, so two days can be for catch-up and review.

WHAT IS THIS BOOK EXACTLY?

It’s:

1 A way to draw near to Jesus Christ and life a life of Christ through getting to know Him

2 A reading of the Book of Luke

3 My Reflection of the Book of Luke (my thoughts, ponderings, questions, etc.)

4 A Bible Study

5 A Prayer Journal

6 A Life Application Study (How does this apply to my life today? And, what about tomorrow?)

7 My journaling memoir

8 My Traveling Journal of my life of faith as I read, reflect on, study, pray, and journal about the book of Luke in the Bible

9 My interaction with the text of Luke

10 A character study of Jesus

11 To get to know the life of Jesus through the eyes of Luke the physician

12 A review of what I’ve read and learned so I can remember it

13 How to live a life of Jesus

WHY SHOULD YOU READ THIS BOOK?

Why should you read this book? Did you like any of the thirteen items in the list I listed just before this section? If so, that’s why.

Do you want to know Jesus? Really know Him?

While this is the story of my journey through the Book of Luke, it’s also one that applies to you. I recommend you pull out your favorite three versions (at least) of the Bible (I use nine, by the way), along with a Message Bible. The Message Bible will be my version or translation of choice for this reading, studying, reflection, and application of the Book of Luke in my life as I try to live a life of Jesus.

MY FOCAL POINT

Here I sit at Barnes and Noble. It's supposed to be seventy-four degrees (F) today, so I felt compelled to get out of the house. I haven't been since Sunday morning. I've been dealing with sinus stuff since Saturday afternoon. Ugh.

I sit here, having my favorite no water Grande Chai Tea, as I hope to start again with the writing of my journaling memoir, with Jesus Christ and the four gospels my focus. After all, this focus, changes everything for me and what I will do with my life. It gives me focus and a centering point. It gives me a compass point and a True North. Jesus is my focal point and is my Way. He is my path. And, He is the Word, so that means the Word of God, the Holy Bible, is also my center. The four gospels are, right now and for the next year at least, are my particular focal points.

In other words, Jesus and the Word of the four gospels are my bull's-eye, my nucleus, my centralizing force, my hub, and is my root and marrow--for at least the next year.

I cannot help but sigh. Isn't this how I should have been living all along? Granted, I have at points throughout my life. Some more than others, sure. Therefore, for the next year, I want to make Jesus and the four gospels my focus and a daily part of live. After all, I want to live a life of Jesus.

THIS JOURNALING MEMOIR IS MY TRAVEL JOURNAL AND PRAYER JOURNAL: A SNAPSHOT

This journaling memoir I'm in the process of writing is meant to show you the journey I am on. I love to travel, I don't know about you. I love to go across country or stay in my own state. In fact, some of my most favorite trips are the ones closest to where I live. For instance, Historic Jamestowne is about thirty-five miles or so away from where I live in Virginia, USA.

I love to take a several hundred to thousands of pictures of each trip. It doesn’t matter where B (what I’ll call my husband and best friend in this series) and I go. I will still take lots of pictures. Snapshots of memories. I am a shutterbug—and thank God, B is quite patient with me. The snapshots, you see, become a journal all of their own.

However, there is a journey even closer to home that can be the most scenic and memorable. It certainly is the journey that should be most treasured. It's the journey of the heart, mind, and soul. It's using the compass to point me in the direction of the journey with the most beautiful scenery and is the most difficult to make at times. It's a journey in which just should make millions... billions... trillions... no... quadrillions of snapshot memories each and every day. After all, it’s the internal journey that leads us to eternity with the Lord.

The closer journey is the journey of my faith (and your faith, for that matter). It's my walk with Jesus and the four gospels.

How can I take those quadrillions of snapshots? Through first of all, opening my eyes, mind, and heart to them. Then, picturing them. Then painting the picture of each of the most treasured snapshots on the page of what is really my travel journal. My prayer journal. My journaling memoir.

Snapshots of each blessing in my life.

Snapshots of each memory.

Snapshots of every interaction with God and His Word in prayer.

Snapshots of living my purpose, which is to bring God glory.

Snapshots of applying the Word, the Holy Bible, to my life.

Snapshots or prayers and answered prayers.

Snapshots of quiet moments with God.

Snapshots of being still.

Snapshots of listening to the Lord.

Snapshots of applying His Word to my life.

Snapshots of remembering what He has done.

Snapshots of understanding the Word.

Snapshots of memorizing Scripture.

Snapshots of applying the Bible to my life.

Snapshots of pieces of my day.

Snapshots are all around and at all times. We just need to look and make sure we capture the moment with our internal camera and then get each of the most important snapshots of the day down on the page in our prayer journal, where we remember.

WHERE AM I IN MY JOURNEY OF FAITH RIGHT NOW?: THE UNVARNISHED SNAPSHOTS

In order for me to be the most honest, and the deepest, I need to pull the camera back and show the snapshots of my life from one week ago. This is, after all, where the latest leg journey really begins. Let me paint the picture for you the most accurately. I will paint it in an unvarnished, no round-up, brutally honest way.

SNAPSHOT #1: MY FAITH EIGHT DAYS AGO

My faith eight days ago was strong, but not intentional.

I could say a great deal more, but why do so? It's the truth. I will say this, though, and then move to snapshot two.

I didn't pray consistently. I wasn't in the Word consistently. I wanted to do both, but didn't. Oh, how I wanted to. So, you see, I had a strong faith but I wasn't intentional.

SNAPSHOT #2: IT SIMPLY ISN'T WORKING

I wanted to deepen my faith even more, but wasn't sure how. I knew intentionality would help. But, again, how could I really deepen my faith and intentionally go deeper and become more mature more each and every day? Get in the Word, pray, listen, and apply--sure. Nevertheless, there had to be something more to faith. My faith just wasn't working. It would off and on, but not consistently, if I were honest.

It just isn’t working.

For years, I’ve searched for the answer as to what really works with faith. Years. Decades.

Any time I think I’ve found out the answer as to what really works with my faith, something changes. I change. My life changes. I lose focus. I stop being intentional. But, why do I do all of that? What gets me so sidetracked? Is it a lack of discipline? You bet. It’s a lack of self-control and intentionality. But, what if there’s more?

And, there is. Oh, there really is. I see it clearly now. It’s so obvious it’s absurd.

How could I not have gotten this? That’s my question. I shake my head. I can’t help but do this since the answer to what’s not working about my faith is so simple. (I’ll talk more about this in a bit.)

SNAPSHOT #3: LATER THE SAME NIGHT AND THREE DAYS LATER

Then, something happened to change my perception of life and of my faith. It made some things quite apparent in my mind and I was able to look at my life in a fresh way, Thank God and to Him be the glory.

I’ve been working on some genealogy and family tree stuff and discovered something I had never seen before on my family tree. Somehow, I missed it before—and/or God just revealed it to me. I found out I’m a direct ancestor to a biblical figure.

But, was I really? Am I really?

I promptly started a new family tree to see if I could trace that line again. I set all of my other notes to the side and started it anew—and my research revealed the exact same thing three days later. I worked like a madwoman, morning, noon, and night during that time.

Let me be frank. I’m 75% sure at this point it’s true. But, want to trace it once more. But, I will wait six months, so I can make sure I look at it with fresh eyes.

What I learned, frankly, I’m still trying to process and grasp, it’s so unfathomable. I’m a direct ancestor of Joseph of Arimathea.

Do you recognize the name?

He’s the rich man who went to Pilate to request Jesus’s body so he could bury Him in his tomb. Pilate said okay. So, Joseph and Nicodemus claimed the body from the cross, prepared Jesus’s body for burial, and buried Jesus in Joseph’s tomb.

Joseph is mentioned in all four of the gospels and in Isaiah.

This realization of even the possibility has been so striking I realized something right away. My immediate thoughts were how if this was true, it changes everything in my life. The next thought was how it shouldn’t. I should be doing everything I can each and every day to live a life of intentionality and a strong faith. I should always be living a life of faith, every minute of the day, without fail. But, I am human. I am sinful and deserve death. However, I can still try to live more intentionally each day.

So, those were the thoughts that went through my mind

SNAPSHOT #4 ON MARCH 08, 2014, SATURDAY

I decided on March 08, 2014 to devote my life to learning as much as I can about Jesus and grow even closer to Him. And, how better to do that than to read, study, and immerse myself in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? After all, each gospel is about the life of Jesus.

I want to live a life of Jesus.

Needless to say, I’ve started this blog.

While I went to the seminary… I know I will not likely ever become an expert of the four gospels like some biblical scholars out there, but I hope to become on in my own life.

This is where the simplicity comes in. I want to know Jesus more and in the process get to know the Word more. He is the Word, after all. How better to live a life of faith, a life of Jesus, than to study the four gospels?

SNAPSHOT #5 ON MARCH 11, 2014

I realized the answer of living the best life possible was to live a faith of seeking Jesus and getting to know Him more. Is there anything more important in our lives?

Yes. It really is that simple.