We worked on our travel plans for Spring Festival. Our school has a week off and we will go to Harbin to see the ice festival.
I sat up straight around 4am, dreaming I was dieing or something. I keep trying to remember the feelings origin, the actual dream or the way it evolved, but have struggled to get beyond the feeling. I don't believe every dream has great meaning or purpose, but I like to remember and try to understand what was happening, since it was happening in my head.
I have begun going through all my Chinese materials. I am working on being more studious. Jaime is planning on returning to the States for a month and I'll be focused on studying Chinese. Our team is going to be traveling throughout this time as well, so it will just be me here in Wangjing. Of course our Russian friends the Sviridorvs and Sal (USA) will be here, so I will have some bonding time with them.
The Daily Bible - Genesis 29-30
Jacob arrives in Haran, meets Rachel and works for seven years so she will be his wife. Laban deceives Jacob, give Leah, then Jacob works seven more years for Rachel. 12 sons and 1 daughter are born to Jacob through Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, and finally Rachel. Laban and Jacob make arrangements for severance pay so that Jacob can return to Canaan. Laban and Jacob deceive one another.
Humanity just seems to struggle. The entire way through the Bible people are shown as real people, everything comes out. The Bible would not get a PG rating, it is too long to be any kind of modern love story, it is too difficult and interwoven to make it as a guidebook, and I am not sure it could fly as a motivational or self-help book. Yet it is the best book for children, teaches love throughout, it is a perfect guide for life (and partly because life is complicated and messy, much like the Bible), and it is the original motivational and self-help book. For all these reasons, it has been a best seller and the most read book throughout the ages. Of course the greatest reason to read the Bible ... it shows us God's love and how to be a part of his family.
Boundaries in Marriage - Applying the Ten Laws of Boundaries to Marriage
Law #9: The Law of Activity
This law establishes the need for being active in solving problems. Both spouses must be active, Hebrews 5:14 shows that active people are learning and growing, making mistakes and testing boundaries is a part of that, this is why we have grace. Hebrews 10:38 states the God is not pleased with people who "shrink back" in passivity.
When one spouse is active and the other passive, the imbalance can result in these problems:
- The active spouse may dominate the passive one.
- The active spouse may feel abandoned by the passive one.
- The passive spouse may become too dependent on the active one's initiative.
- The passive spouse may resent the power of the active one.
- The passive spouse may be to intimidated by the active one to say no.
Being active in marriage, making the first move is very important. If no one is willing to change or grow, then the marriage will become weak and dull. One must be an active person in marriage and in life.
Take initiative, be the first to strike out into new territories, finding new boundaries and blessings.
Prayer
Father of heaven and earth, you are so amazing. You show us purpose and meaning in life, giving beautiful design to the smallest things and making the largest things beyond our counting and comprehension. You have given us the desire to search for answers, meaning, and purpose, while blessing us with the ability to find you, know you, and have those answers fulfilled in you. We have not seen the smallest or largest things of your creation... we have only seen a small piece of all that you prepared for us. We are so limited, yet you soar throughout all the galaxies and the inside of the atoms. God prepare our hearts to know your limitless love and share this greatest of blessings with our neighbors.
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