Faces of Grace: Mary
Mary was a young teen living in the town of Nazareth, in the hills of Galilee. She came from an impoverished but honorable family. Her family was descendants of Israel’s King David. She was trained in the Scriptures and knew that God had promised to send the Messiah, who would rescue the people of Israel and become their king.
Every Jewish girl dreamed of being the mother of the Messiah. Mary loved God and wanted to serve him with all of her heart, but she was just a young girl from a humble family, with no great expectations that her life was going to be any different from her mother’s or from that of the other women in her town.
Faces of Grace: Miriam
In the Bible, we are first introduced to Miriam in her role as a protective sister. Miriam’s childhood in the slave quarters of Egypt was one of fear and uncertainty. She and her three-year-old brother, Aaron, had parents who trusted in the God of Israel. Pharaoh was the ruler of Egypt. It came to his attention that a large number of Hebrew males were being born. He feared that one day the Hebrews would grow to be stronger than the Egyptians. so he sent out a decree that all newborn Hebrew males would be thrown to their deaths in the Nile River. Miriam's mother was pregnant when this new decree was communicated to the Hebrews.
Faces of Grace: Rahab
For 40 long and rigorous years, Moses led the Israelites through the wilderness. God delivered them from Egypt, helped them cross the Red Sea on dry ground, and defeated the enemies who tried to thwart their path to Canaan.Around 1400 B.C., the Israelites were about to enter the land promised to them by God. God appointed Joshua as the new leader of Israel. Before the Israelites entered Canaan, Joshua sent two spies to the land just west of the Jordan River, telling them to pay special attention to the formidable city of Jericho.The spies soon reached Jericho, a bustling, fortified city strategically situated in the plains of the Jordan valley. They blended in with the busy pedestrians outside the great city walls. Jericho’s massive fortifications were visibly impressive.
Faces of Grace: Rebekah
A look back to set the story of Rebekah.Her faith made Sarah able to have a child. Although she was past her childbearing years, she knew that God had made her promises that He would honor. There was no natural way she could possibly conceive a child at her age.Abraham exclaimed, “Shall a child be born to a man who is a hundred years old? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” (Genesis 17:17)She did — and named him Isaac, which means “laughter.
Faces of Grace: Rachel
This story is a continuation of last week's devotion about Leah, except today's devotion, is from the younger sister, Rachel's perspective. At the beginning of the story…Every afternoon, this young woman watered her flock of sheep at a well near Haran, an outpost of the ancient city of Ur. It is thought she was around 18 years old. At such an age, a girl might be given adult responsibility in a family that did not have sons.Wells were covered with a broad flat stone, too large for one man to move. So the shepherds who gathered there waited until there was a group to move it.
Faces of Grace: Leah
Jacob deceived his father Issac into giving him his brother, Esau's birthright. Having learned of Jacobs's deception, Esau plotted to kill him upon the death of his father. His mother, Rebekah, having heard of Esau's plan, encouraged Jacob to flee to the land of her brother, Laban.Nearing his destination, he becomes distracted by the sight of an approaching girl. She is coming to the well to draw water for the sheep.
Jane Lazenby, Arte para los niños, en español
Last week as I was in the middle of posting new images each day to be available for download, I got a comment that made me think. A sweet teacher in Honduras reached out to me and asked if I would ever consider doing these in Spanish. My first instinct was to say that I couldn`t do it, but as I thought about it, I wondered if I could do it. In talking with her, I was so impressed to hear her story.
Jane Lazenby Art at Home for Adults
With the last two weeks of digital kids art coloring pages done, I wanted to share an activity for adults to work on. Do you have a bit of free time on your hands at the end of the day when your work is done and the children are in bed? Do you want something just for fun that doesn't take much thinking?
Jane Lazenby Art at Home for Kids, Week 2, Day 4
As this quarantine continues, my prayer is the same as last week. I pray it gives you “time” to be still and see Him. I pray it gives you “time” to be with your child while they create this art page while you praise them for their work and I pray it gives you “time” to talk to them about His promises while they read the words.
Daniel 3, 4- "the fiery Furnace and the Dream"
Daniel 3, "Saved from the fiery furnace"
Nebuchadnezzar made an entire statue of gold, representing his reign and authority lasting forever. If anyone refused to worship the image, it was considered not only a religious offense but treason. It was proclaimed that when the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell and worshiped the gold image.
Daniel 2-Nebuchadnezzar`s dream
Daniel 2Nebuchadnezzar was arguable, the most powerful man of his time. He had the world at his fingertips. His power was limitless, in his mind. Even with all that power, he experienced troubling dreams that he couldn`t interpret. He threatened the astrologers, "If you don`t tell me WHAT my dream was and interpret it, I will have you cut into pieces and your houses turned into piles of rubble." 2:5
A new decade. stepping into the unknown
I don`t think it hit me about the importance of this new year as we were moving toward it until I heard someone say, “Welcome to a new decade”. A new decade? Wow. That sounds massive to me. A decade. Ten years. What happened to the last decade and how did it go by so quickly? What does this new decade hold for me? The thoughts take me back to what it was like 10 years ago as we were anticipating the upcoming decade. The unknown was about to happen.
It began in a manger
These words by Max Lucado, are so perfect for us to have and reflect on today on Christmas Day. "It could have begun anywhere, the story of the king. But, curiously, it began in a manger.The noise and the bustle began earlier than usual in the village. As night gave way to dawn, people were already on the streets. Vendors were positioning themselves on the corners of the most heavily traveled avenues. Store owners were unlocking the doors to their shops. Children were awakened by the excited barking of the street dogs and the complaints of donkeys pulling carts.The owner of the inn had awakened earlier than most in the town.
The Cradle that led to the Cross
These words by Max Lucado, are so perfect for us to have and reflect on today on Christmas Day. "It could have begun anywhere, the story of the king. But, curiously, it began in a manger.The noise and the bustle began earlier than usual in the village. As night gave way to dawn, people were already on the streets. Vendors were positioning themselves on the corners of the most heavily traveled avenues. Store owners were unlocking the doors to their shops. Children were awakened by the excited barking of the street dogs and the complaints of donkeys pulling carts.The owner of the inn had awakened earlier than most in the town.