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Showing posts from March, 2023

Women of the Word: Mary Magdalene #8

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  Hi Sisters, I hope you are having a blessed day so far.   Our journey with Mary Magdalene is almost over.  She is at the foot of the cross with Jesus' mother, aunt, and Mary of Clopus.  However, I have decided to extend Mary's story an extra week, as the timing with Easter is much too compelling to deny!  So for today .....  Imagine being there next to Mary.  Sand under your feet that are clad in sandals. The wind blowing through the tunics that you are wearing, probably made of linen. It's crowded and noisy. Some people are openly weeping, and others are shouting and chanting in anger. Darkness falls from noon until three during Jesus' death. There is no eclipse in the sky, the darkness being a reflection of God's sadness. You hear Jesus tell his mother that his disciple John is now her son, and to John that she is his mother. You are in awe that Jesus is still thinking of others while he is suffering in unbearable pain. You feel anguish i...

Women of the Word: Mary Magdalene #7

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  Hello and welcome to today's post where we will learn more about Mary Magdalene.  We know that Mary followed Jesus and the disciples during their travels. Another noted inclusion of Mary is at the cross of Jesus. There is no way to imagine, to understand, to empathize with what she went through, seeing her very beloved healer, teacher, and FRIEND being condemned for saying who He was.  For telling the truth.  Some of this may be difficult to read. But we know what is coming here.  Was Mary present when Jesus was flogged? When they placed a crown of thorns on his head? When the people were shouting "crucify him! crucify him!" When he carried his own cross the 1/3 mile to The Place of the Skulls?  She was with Jesus' mother, his aunt, and most probably her close friend by this time, Mary wife of Clopus.  Were these women who loved Jesus present for the actual nailing to the cross? When Pilate posted the sign "Jesus of Nazareth The King of the Jews"...

Happy Homemaker Monday

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  Please join Sandra at Diary of a Stay-at-Home Mom for Happy Homemaker Monday! The Weather:::    Anywhere from mid-40's up to 60.  Rain here and there.  Typical weather for this  time of year.  As I look outside my window::: I wish!  Hahahaha  But it's Sunday when I'm typing this up and it is sunny - so I will take it!  Going to be in the low 50s today.  Right now I am::: Hanging out with my Ollie Bear in my bedroom typing up this post.  Thinking and pondering::: I've done nearly no reading in 2023.  I have at least a half dozen books going right now and not one of them is beyond half finished.  I made a goal of reading one hour per night before bed.  I will have at least one book finished by next HHM!  On my bedside table::: I'm looking, I don't see anything new!  Booklight, headphones, lots of journals and books. Lots of pens, glue sticks, pens. A bag of salted almonds!  On my tv this week::: Th...

Mary Magdalene Lesson #6

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Hello beautiful sisters!! I hope that you are having an amazing week so far.  Today I want to tell you about a new way to study a Bible Verse - and I will demonstrate below.   Since we are studying the women of the Bible, I thought it only apt to make a W.O.M.E.N. study!  Please see the template below!  Since we will be spending the rest of the month discussing Mary's part in the crucifixion and resurrection, today we will continue to use Luke 8:2.  W: " and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene)  from whom seven demons had come out;" O: What do I observe from this scripture that may pertain to my life directly? Well, they may not be literal demons, but I think we all can be filled with bad thoughts, depression, bad habits, anxiety, worry, etc.  Our very own "demons".  Jesus can help us with all of these things.  We have to trust as Mary M trusted Him and put our "demons" in His hands....

Happy Homemaker Monday! Happy Spring!

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  Please join Sandra for Happy Homemaker Monday! The Weather::: Monday  - 50 and sunny Tuesday  - 55 and sunny! Wednesday  - 51 cloudy Thursday  - 51 rainy  Friday  - 42 partly sunny Saturday  - 38 rain snow mix 😭 Sunday  - 53 partly sunny As I look outside my window::: It's sunny! There's still snow on the ground but by the looks of this week, it will be gone in a few days.  Right now I am::: Watching Days of Our Lives, working, and typing up this post.  (Always a multi-tasker)  Thinking and pondering::: On Saturday I was sitting up in my bedroom and from far off I heard a scream and crying.  I knew in an instant it was one of mine.  I threw off my slippers and got down those stairs so fast.  I had no idea I could still move that fast.  We live in Detroit and my first though was that someone was attacking her or she was shot or stabbed. I KNOW this is terrible - but it could happen.  Halfway down the ...

Wow for March: Mary Magdalene Lesson #5

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  Hello sisters!  I hope you are having an amazing day.  We left off yesterday talking about the women who were accompanying Jesus on His travels and helping to support his ministry financially.  The Book of Luke is the only Gospel to give a narrative about Mary Magdeline outside of the last week of Jesus's life, so we will focus on his account for today.  Luke starts by mentioning that she joins Jesus and the 12 as they traveled "from one town and village to another, proclaiming the Good News of the Kingdom of God".  The next paragraph mentions again that they visited "town after town" and more and more crowds gathered.   Did Mary M hover the outskirts of the crowds with the other women?  Was she by Jesus' side? Did she talk about God with others? As we mentioned before, this was a time when women's opinions were not appreciated or respected.  Luke mentions in his account that Jesus' own mother and brothers could not break through the c...

WoW March: Mary Magdalene Lesson #4

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  Mary is noted to have joined the disciples and Jesus after he had brought back people from the dead, healed many of the blind and lame.  It was after Jesus was baptized and he had his feet washed in perfume with the sinful woman’s hair.  There are some who believe this sinful woman IS Mary Magdalene; however, most say this belief was brought about by Pope Gregory the Great in 591, when he stated that three different Marys in the Bible were all one woman - and she was the woman who washed Jesus’ feet with her hair.  Are Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany one and the same? The name Mary was the most common name in Hebrew culture, so it is not surprising that there would be several Marys mentioned in the Bible.  There were so many people that Jesus ate with, healed, talked with who were NOT named in the Bible.  Mary Magdalene was mentioned by name 12 times.  When she was named along with a group of women, almost every time she was mentioned first! This ...

Happy Homemaker Monday

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   I will be joining Happy Homemaker Monday with Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom!    The Weather:::    Monday  -  Pretty snow, low 30s Tuesday  - Partly cloudy 35 Wednesday  - Sunny 45 Thursday  -  Showers 51 Friday  -  Rain 53 Saturday  -  Cloudy and mid 30's Sunday  -  Partly cloudy, upper 30's As I look outside my window::: Tiny snow flakes falling.  Everything is covered in white.  The sky is a very light gray. I'm ignoring the construction cones.  Right now I am::: Multitasking!  Watching Heather Baxter do a Bible Study on YouTube and taking some notes.  Updating here and working.   Thinking and pondering::: On my bedside table::: The bookshelf is working well.  All my journals, studies, writing books, laptop, Kindle, books, chargers, stickers, etc etc On my tv this week::: Days of Our Lives K-Drama with bestie (not sure which one yet)  YouTub...

Women of the Word, March: Mary Magdalene #3

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There is a lot of speculation about Mary Magdalene in the Bible about many things.  One of these is her possession.  Some scholars believe that she was not possessed, that unbelievers embellished the truth to discredit her testimony.  However, the Bible says clearly that seven demons or devils were cast out of her.  Strong's Concordance defines the original word as meaning: demon, evil spirit, or a heathen deity.  It is said that started traveling with Jesus shortly after he cast out the demons. I suppose this would have strengthened her trust in Him and His abilities!  Please find our Bible memory verse below:  “Mary Magdalene is among Jesus’s early followers,” says Robert Cargill, assistant professor of classics and religious studies at the University of Iowa and editor of Biblical Archaeology Review. “She was named in the Gospels, so she obviously was important. There were apparently hundreds, if not thousands, of followers of Jesus, but we don't kn...

Women of the Word, March: Mary Magdalene #2 - Mary's Playlist

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This playlist was fun to put together.  Classic and new songs about Jesus, faithfulness, Mary Magdalene, and the Resurrection.  Here is the link to listen on Spotify See below for songs from YouTube.  Enjoy!  In the Garden - Johnny Cash                                           Turn Your Eyes - Lauren Daigle                      Just a Closer Walk with Thee - Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline                                        Blessed Assurance - Cece Winans                                      Jesus Paid it All - Kim Walker-Smith                         ...