notes from inside my head…

Character of Job is being blameless and  upright.

He feared God and shunned evil.

He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

He cared about his children - to the point of fearing for their salvation.  I wonder what Job did to have them purified - if it’s the burnt offering or anything else beyond what was mentioned in the Bible.

Job also didn’t leave anything to chance.  For him to say “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts”, means that he realized the possibility exists that they rejected God.

So Satan decides to show up on God’s doorstep.  I don’t think God was surprised when Satan showed up - He knew what Satan was up to - so I’m curious as to why the question was asked.

At any rate - God and Satan have a discussion about Job - and how Satan thinks that Job loves God because God has made Job prosperous.  Satan believes that if Job didn’t have all his riches, then Job would reject God.  So aside from taking Job’s life, Satan is allowed to do anything else.

Satan launches an all out attack on Job (loss of family, sickness), and yet Job manages his state of perspective and recognizes his humble beginnings.  He recognizes that Satan is working through his wife to tell him to reject God.

His friends see him - and their hearts are touched and they weep and tear their robes.  They don’t even say a word, they just sit by him for seven days and seven nights.

Application Thoughts
1) Do I care about other people’s salvation like Job does for his children?
2) Do I live a life like Job does?
3) Do I care like Job’s friends care?

-brian

JOB READING GUIDE

JOB 1:1-2:13

JOB 3:1-26

JOB 4:1-5:27

JOB 6:1-7:21

JOB 8:1-22

JOB 9:1-10:22

JOB 11:1-20

JOB 12:1-13:10

JOB 13:11-14:22

JOB 15:1-35

JOB 16:1-17:16

JOB 18:1-21

JOB 19:1-29

JOB 20:1-29

JOB 21:1-34

JOB 22:1-30

JOB 23:1-24:25

JOB 25:1-6

JOB 26:1-28:2

JOB 28:3-29:13

JOB 29:14-31:40

JOB 32:1-33:13

JOB 33:14-34:15

JOB 34:16-37:24

JOB 38:1-24

JOB 38:25-39:7

JOB 39:8-41:34

JOB 42:1-6

JOB 42:7-12

JOB 42:13-17

Wednesday (7/9) - High School Water Wars
Friday (7/11) - Jon Duey and his youth group is coming to BT - going to have lots of fun reconnecting!
Saturday (7/12) - driving middle school students up to Silver Birch Ranch.  Frisbee golf with my brother in law in the afternoon.
Tuesday (7/15) - Premarital counseling session #4
Thursday (7/17) - High School Bible Study
Friday (7/18) - picking up middle school students from Silver Birch Ranch.
Saturday (7/19) through Friday (7/25) go with high school students to Silver Birch Ranch
Thursday (7/31) - High School Six Flags Great America
Saturday (8/2) - Felix B-Day celebration, although I’d much rather go to the AirSoft Tournament on Saturday
Monday (8/4) - Thursday (8/7) Vacation Bible School
Friday (8/8) - Saturday (8/9) Middle School Lock-in
Thursday (8/14) - Warren Dunes
Sunday (8/17) - End of Summer Picnic
Tuesday (8/19) - Middle School Water Wars
Thursday (8/28) - High School Bible Study
Tuesday (9/2) - Middle School Start
Thursday (9/4) - High School Start

I’m also going to school for my masters of information systems.  During the fall, Monday nights will be bible study, Tuesday middle school and Thursday will be high school.  That leaves Weds / Fri / Saturday and Sun open.  Any ideas what I should do then?

-brian

During my drive into work today - I was just wondering how often people feel like that they are in a rut, that they are running into circles, and it seems like it’s the same thing in and out everday.  And then later on this afternoon, a coworker told me he was fed up with work, that the one spot of sunshine in his day was just “chillin with me”.

This brings up a Brian-ism…. “We are all puppets and puppeteers”.  What I mean by this is if you ever take a look at a marionette, you will notice that there are strings attached to it’s various parts.  You pull a string, a part of the marionette is affected.  I made a marionette with my dad’s help when I was very young - I still remember it to this day.  Going back to the point - our attitudes, actions, thoughts affect others (puppeteer) as other people’s attitudes, actions, thoughts affect us (puppets).

Sometimes life seems to whiz by, other times it seems to slow down.  It’s during the slow down parts that you really get to see what was done during the fast times, and evaluate a new path for the fast times.  The question is - can you change a path successfully, and if so, how?

-brian

going to see the inlaws this weekend… and “sleep out” in the tent in my inlaws backyard.. that should be fun sharing sleeping space with some mosquitoes…

oh, and i started school for my masters degree in information systems.  perhaps once i get done with that, i will get started with my ministry certificate…

hope all of you have a great and happy safe 4th of july honoring those that have died for our country’s independence from england.

-brian

finally done with a major coding project that allows HL7s to be submitted to the FDA.  I just want to take a deep breath… and go to my happy place…

-brian

Those that read my blog and go to BT and have kids interested in signing up, here is the link to register your kids.

The full URL to the site is:

well - I got done with my work report - but that doesn’t leave me much time to blog.  Have to find stuff and make sure things are squared away, as we leave here at 3am CST (1 more hour left).

Just pray that Guatemala works out.  We’ve already had to deal with a change in flights (leaving earlier than expected).

Love you guys,

-brian

In a few hours - 4 to be exact, I’ll be headed out to Guatemala.

I’ll post my thoughts once I get done with my work reports. 

-brian

haven’t been interacting online as much.. felt burned out…

going to Guatemala… if anything - could use prayer in that…

-brian