We have compiled three video lessons into one great, free DVD sampler, featuring a session from The Organic God 6-Week Bible Study, The Sacred Echo 6-Week Bible Study, and Scouting the Divine 6-Week Bible Study.
If you are looking for a Bible study for this fall for your church or small group, email your name and address to jessica at margaretfeinberg.com. We will mail you the free DVD sampler!
My dear friend Carol has been telling me about Troy of Drum Hike fame. A Iraq veteran, he’s committed to walk 7,000 miles across America (and back). Today, I went out with Carol and her hubby Marty to walk a mile along side of Troy. (Not sideways–that’s just the pic so the shadow looks upright!) One mile rolled into two and into three. By the end of the day, we had hiked 11.2 miles from Bailey, Colorado, to Grant, Colorado. We had the privilege of cross the 2,000 mile marker with Troy today (you go!).
I listened to Troy share passionately about the troops who come home and face financial ruin when they discover their jobs aren’t available and the PTSD takes its toll. Troy is raising hundreds of thousands of dollars in conjunction with the Soldiers Angels foundation that serves the needs of military families. He says one of the highlights of the journey has been handing one family a check that wiped out their debt. One hundred, yep, 100% of the proceeds go to military families in need.
A few lessons from the road today:
-Walking across America is dangerous. No one ever talks about that aspect, but when only a foot of pavement and a white painted line separate you and a string of traffic including semis and campers pushing 70 miles per hour, well, I got a little nervous. Stopped. And stood sideways. (As if that would make a huge difference!)
-Walking across America is loud. I had no idea how loud traffic is until I listened to it whiz by for nearly four hours today. I couldn’t help but worry about Troy’s hearing and celebrate the days he takes the road less travelled.
-Walking across America is filled with sights and smells that exceed all expectations. I expected the heat and I had a hunch the beauty of the mountains would take my breath away (both of which are true!). But I didn’t think about all the smells–from fields of wildflowers to the deer carcass on the side of the road.
The biggest lesson I learned is that walking across America isn’t for the faith of heart. Around mile 9, Troy said, “You guys are something. Most people wait for a break and then find an excuse to peel off, but you’re still with me.”
I thought, “Buddy, you served in Iraq and you’re giving up two years of your life for a noble cause. I’m not going anywhere.”
I’d like to invite you to join in helping Troy. How can you make a difference?
-Visit Drumhike.com. Check out Troy’s route under Maps. Right now he’s headed on 285 toward Buena Vista and then toward Grand Junction through Moab, Utah, and toward Las Vegas before heading to Los Angeles. Are you on his route or know someone who is? If you know someone who can offer a free meal or free hotel stay or free camping along the way, please contact them. Please note that their team receives many contacts and sometimes struggles to keep up, but send an email!
-Make a donation on the website. Even $5.00 can make a big difference! Today, we took a break in Suwanne, Colorado, at a tiny tea house. When others in the restaurant discovered what Troy is doing, they pulled out money to donate. Every dollar makes a difference!
-Do you have unused points or miles or gift certificates for hotels? Troy and his team are extraordinary. I came home to a hot shower. They headed to camp site and won’t see a shower for another day or two. A hotel room that offers his team privacy and a shower makes a huge difference when you’re literally living on the road.
-Become a fan on Facebook. One click does make a difference! Click “Like” on Facebook. When troy reaches 125,000 fans, he’ll shave–which at this point would be a good idea! You can also follow him on Twitter @drumhike.
Did you know that the translation of your Bible has a reading level? In other words, some translations are moreth difficulteth to readeth. 
Here’s a list of translations and their suggested reading level:
King James Version (KJV) 12th grade
Revised Standard Version (RSV) 12th grade
New American Standard Bible (NASB) 11th grade
New Revised Standard Version (RNSV) 11th grade
English Standard Version (ESV) 10th grade
New International Version (NIV) 8th grade
Holman Christian Standard Version (HCSV) 8th grade
New King James Version (NKJV) 7th grade
New Living Translation (NLT) 6th grade
God’s Word (GW) 5th grade
The Message 5th grade
New Century Version (NCV) 3rd grade
Which translation to you enjoy?
I’ve been spending some time exploring the far edges of the universe, the online universe that is, and discovering some things that I can’t help but wonder, Is the World Better Off With…?
Is the world better off with the shark sleeping bag? Yep. Now you can crawl inside Jaws for a warm night’s sleep or have one heck-uv-a scary pillow fight with a four-year-year old who will need therapy for years to come.
Is the World Better Off With…? You tell me!
Another great item that makes me wonder is Jim’s Pancakes. No, London Bridge is not falling down (in case you were wondering). But it is making Jim’s daughter smile and squint for the photo! Jim has mastered the art of creative pancake making–including pancake burgers, jewelry, towers, and more.
Is the World Better Off With…? You tell me!
And finally in today’s edition of Is the World Better Off With…?, we have the bed ladder. Nope, not kidding. For only $14.98, you can that little extra help you need getting out of the bed in the morning.
Is the World Better Off With…? You tell me!
Thanks Bag of Nothing for the inspiration for this post.
This is another great group from FUMC Tuscaloosa. They used The Sacred Echo DVD Study as part of their Lenten Study group. This group in particular called themselves the Lee Class.
Send us your pictures from small groups or Bible studies participating in The Sacred Echo, The Organic God, or Scouting the Divine. Email them to jessica at margaretfeinberg.com.
I’ve been wrestling lately with what it means to hunger for God. What does it mean to desire Him? To ache for Him?
What stirs the hunger for God in your own life?
When you don’t feel hungry, when you don’t desire God, what do you do?
Earlier this month, I announced a special giveaway: A necklace made by women from Kampala, Uganda.
The winner of this beautiful necklace is Imaginated!
On Monday, I will begin a 3-part series with Scot McKnight, author of the book and blog Jesus Creed, about something Scot callsthe “biggest challenge facing evangelicals.” Tune in to find the out what the challenge is–and the questions it raises for our faith. You won’t want to miss it!
There have been great preachers in the past who were in demand all over the world. I think of one of the greatest, a recognized divine in New England. We still may think of him as an evangelical, but he was not primarily as a Bible preacher. He expounded on such subjects as nature and science, literature and philosophy. His books had instant sales and his pulpit oratory attracted great crowds.
But when that preacher died, the bottom just dropped out of all the work which had kept him so busy. The work of the Spirit of God had been given no place in directing all of that natural talent and energy. God’s eternal work had not been furthered.
We may recall, however, that when Spurgeon and G. Campbell Morgan passed away, their work and outreach went right on. Both of these well-known preachers had built their lifetime ministries on the Word of God and the power of the Spirit.
You can write it down as a fact: no matter what a man does, no matter how successful he seems to be in any field, if the Holy Spirit is not the chief energizer of his activity, it will all fall apart when he dies.
–A.W. Tozer, Tragedy in the Church: The Missing Gifts
Tozer’s challenge: What are you doing, building, and leading that is infused with God’s Spirit and will live beyond yourself?
Father, Give me the strength to keep my eyes on you, building your kingdom, and that which will last into eternity. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Do you ever feel like you’re the last person on the planet to get the memo when it comes to what’s going on online?
I think I’m going to coin a new word: e-behind. Yep, that describes anyone who is, has been, or feels that they’re behind when it comes to anything you have to plug in.
Yesterday I asked by web designer why I couldn’t upload a picture to account on my own website. You may wonder, “Why didn’t you ask that months ago?” Well, I’m e-behind.
He explained that there isn’t a place to add a picture to my account on the site. Instead, I needed to use Gravatar. Nope, it’s not an X-Box game, a gravity defying tunnel, or a grumpy avatar (in case you were wondering). It’s a site that allows you to upload a picture–and then it’s used anyplace you post a comment that uses WordPress or other sites including www.MargaretFeinberg.com.
Pretty nifty.
I just visited Gravatar and in under 3 minutes I had a pictures everywhere I’ve posted. Pretty cool. They describe a gravatar like this:
“Your Gravatar is an image that follows you from site to site appearing beside your name when you do things like comment or post on a blog. Avatars help identify your posts on blogs and web forums, so why not on any site?”
Check it out: www.gravatar.com. Then post a comment on this site. Can’t wait to see your smiling pic!
Recent Comments