BSF Seminar - Becoming A Servant Of God

I usually attend the BSF seminars when they are offered, they are often VERY informative.  I signed up for this one not really knowing what it was, and when I heard what it was...  I almost didn't go.  But I had committed to going with a friend, it was her first seminar..  so I was "stuck".  I'm glad - this turned out to be my favorite seminar so far!  (Homiletics would be my second favorite)


It was 20 minutes in group, and hour and a half of personal quiet time, 10 min group closing. Not a normal BSF seminar. And group quiet time made me nervous- I didn't know what to expect.

But I should have known BSF would do it well. We each received a 4 page hand out for our quiet time, and it took me an hour to read all the scriptures, answer the questions, do the personal reflections, and pray on the specifics. The last half hour I spent adding some of the verses to my flashcard app for memorization, cleaning up the titles on some of my you version bookmarks, and reading this weeks regular BSF lesson notes.

The topic today was on being a servant of God. Specific categories included:

-what the bible says abt servants- 7 verses, find 1 word from each verse to descibe a servant

-attributes a servant should NOT have (5 verses)

- what may be required of a servant (5 verses)

- whom are we called to serve? (4 verses)

- what specific goals does the bible tell us servants should have? (6 verses)

- what results does the bible say I may expect if I serve God? (6 verses)

As I went through these, I highlighted all the verses in a pale green/blue and labeled them servant in my youversion app, and I titled each bookmark based on my answers. I love that feature of youversion!

The last 2.5 pages of our work was personal evaluation with questions regarding our biblical education and training, our regular communication with God (quiet time), our spiritual gifts, places of service God has prepared for me (prayer, then questions about areas where I may see a need), ending with what my response to God is and 5 more verses to examine to help guide us in how to pray to be a servant (fruitful service is preceeded by fervent prayer)

It was so practical, and applicable- I absolutely loved it!

Some of My Favorite Books In 2011

The end of year book survey didn't feel like it did my reading list justice.

Some of my favorite reads in 2011-

Gripping - Hard to put down - 

The Room by Emily Donague

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares (Yeah, not what I expected at all!)

Night Road by Kristen Hannah

These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauff

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

GOOD Mysteries

Now You See Her by James Patterson

The Sherlockian by Graham Moore

Learning To Swim by Sarah Henry (follow her on twitter too)

If Books Could Kill by Kate Carlise

Love You More by Lisa Gardner

Just Plain Fun Reads - 

The Secret Lives of Dresses by Erin McKean

My Life In France by Julia Child

Moonwalking With Einstien by Joshua Foer

Books That Inspire Me to Be Better

The Whole In Our Gospel by Richard Sterns (about World Vision)

Little Princes by Connor Grennan

Choosing To See by Mary Beth Chapman

Reshaping It All by Candace Bure

Run Like A Mother by Dimnity McDowell

The Final Summit by Andy Andrews

Out Live Your Life By Max Lucado

Series - 

Cedar Cove by Debbie Macomer.  Light, sappy, reads.

Michael Bennet Series by James Patterson - one of my favorites

Private London Series by Patterson- another favorite

Womens Detective Series Book 10 - good

Sara Partetsky's VI series, Body Work - good

Flower Shop Mysteries By Kate Collins - Light reading, a bit like Stephanie plum

Stephanie Plum 17 & 18 by Evanovich.  Good. Not great like the early ones, but good.

Books I wish I hadn't bothered with - 

The Postmistress

A Stolen Life

A Year of Fog (possibly the most tedious book I've ever read)

Turn Of Mind

Clan Of the Cave Bear by Auel

2011 End Of Year Book Survey

1. Best Book You Read In 2011? 


To try to decide, I logged into goodreads and sorted by rating. I gave 14 books 5 stars this year.  Looking them over, I'm not sure I still feel 5 stars strong about some of them..  but my favorites definitely include- 


     

• Learning To Swim By Sara J. Henry
• Reshaping It All by Candace Bure
• Room by Emma Donaghue
• Little Princes by Connor Grenanan
• Choosing To See by Mary Beth Chapman
• The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Sterns

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?

reversing the ratings sort  - I hated A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard.  As I said in my review, it's her story, and how do you say it's a horrible book when she is simply telling her story..  but it's a horrible book and I wish those things had never entered my head.  It is horrible that she had to live through all of that.

  

The Year of Fog, The Postmistress, and Lowcountry Summer are all ones I felt wasted by time.  Sometimes I should just stop reading a book and not feel so obligated to read something that I obviously do not enjoy.

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?

Learning To Swim By Sara J. Henry 

I don't even remember why I read this one - it was free, or someone lent it to me, and I didn't expect too much..  but it was one of the best books I read this year.

 

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?
  

The Room by Emma Donaghue & The Hole In Our Gospel by Richard Sterns

5. Best series you discovered in 2011? 
The Flower Shop Mysteries by Kate Collins.  "Cozy Mysteries" - but a little, little, like the Stephanie Plum series.  Funny, light, implausible.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?

 

Kristen Hannah & Kate Carlisle.  

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?

I read all over the place..  mystery, romance, drama, history, cozy mysteries.. but I don't read science fiction.  I didn't read any this year.. but I think I will try at least one in 2012.
 

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011? 
The Room by Emma Donaghue 

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?

 Explosive Eighteen by Stephanie Plum.  Yes, I was a bit disappointed.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?

 

11. Most memorable character in 2011? 

Connor Grennan in Little Princes & Richard Stern in The Hole In Our Gospel

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?
beautiful...  hmmmm..  maybe Winter Garden by Kristen Hannah.

13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011? 

Starting with The Hole In Our Gospel, Out Live Your Life came next, and then Little Princes this fall..  all three along the same theme.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read? 
?? I think everything I read was pretty current  - a lot of new releases.
 

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011? 
I don't  have that kind of memory - sorry.

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012? 
The bible.  Pretty much the only book I reread.
 

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a  moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers! 
Nothing like that..  but The Hole In Our Gospel made me want to talk to my family right away, about what we could do better.

See what others answered here - 

http://www.perpetualpageturner.com/2011/12/2nd-annual-end-of-year-book-survey-2011.html

Weekly Overview

Each week-end I plan out an "overview" of our week, including our schedules, our menu, etc.  I post it on a bulletin board in our hallway, alongside the kids weekly chores, dish chores, and white boards where we leave notes if anyone is leaving, or something needs done, etc.


This is an old version from a few weeks back - before school started - but it gives you the general idea.  (I use google docs for almost everything - including this)

Week Overview

An Overview of Our Week

	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
WEATHER	77	81	77	75	77
SCHEDULE	9:20 Luke Derm 10:30 Nate to work 3:10  Matt to FB           Meg to CG 3:30 Pu Nate        Deliver Meal 4:30 Pu Meg 6 PU Matt 6:20 PU Amy 6:45 Zumba	10:30 Nate to Work 1:15 Luke to RC 3:10 Matt to fb 3:30 PU Nate 6 PU Matt 7 Scouts	10:30 Nate to work 1:30 Meg Piano 2:00 Pu Meg 3:10 Matt to fb 3:30 PU Nate 4:30 Pu Matt 6 PU Matt 7 Dan teach BS	10:30 Nate to work 3:10  Matt fb          Meg to CG 3:30 Pu Nate 6 PU Matt 6:30 Boys BBALL	10:30 Nate to work 3:10 Matt to fb 3:30 Pu Nate 5 Pu Matt 5:30 Meg to School Dan & Me to amish sale preview
Kids Schedule (items I do not need to drive them too)	3-6 luke wk 7-10 boys to grandpas	8am run 3-6 Luke wk	3-6 Luke wk	3-6 Luke Work	8am run 3-6 Luke Work
MEALS	Breakfast - Mom - Smoothies, croissants   Lunch - hamburgs & corn on the cob     Supper - chicken, baked potatoes, corn	Breakfast - Meg french toast Lunch -  Chicken salad sandwiches     Supper - casserole - chicken pot pie?	Breakfast -  Matt - Casserole Lunch - hot dogs, leftovers       Supper  - Pasta Night - spaghetti?	Breakfast -   Luke -   pancakes Lunch - mac & cheese       Supper -    Vegetable soup, sandwiches	Breakfast - Nate - oatmeal      Lunch - leftovers, or breakfast      Supper - Pizza
WEEKLY CHORES	Bedrooms Porch	kitchen & laundry room	paperwork	living room & dining room	Top to bottom quick clean
EXERCISE	walk run zumba	walk Bike wifit 30 min	walk c25k wifit 30 min	walk Bike wiifit 30 min	walk c25k wifit 30 min

BSF Starts Soon!

This year, we'll be studying the book of Acts.  Classes start a week from Wednesday, on September 14th.

Each week we receive notes and questions.  The questions are broken into daily assignments for reading and answering.  When we attend the next week, we start in full group - all of us meeting together to hear announcements and sing praise songs.  Then we split into our assigned small groups, to discuss our answers from the daily assignments, and take prayer requests.  After that we return to the sanctuary where all of us will sing a couple more songs, then hear a lecture on the text.    On our way out, we'll receive the notes and questions to work on for the next week.

It's an amazing way to study the word of God!

From the BSF website - http://www.bsfinternational.org

During 2011-2012, BSF classes around the world are studying the Acts of the Apostles

For 33 weeks, class members have the opportunity to learn how this important book speaks to our daily lives in the 21st Century.

Each class session features BSF's Four-Fold Approach to Bible study.

While the Acts of the Apostles study lasts the full BSF year (33 weeks), new members can join throughout the course of the study — space permitting.

The classes offered (in order) are:

1. Genesis (2012-13)
2. Matthew (2013-14)
3. The Life of Moses (2014-15)
4. Romans (2015-16)
5. History of Israel and the Minor Prophets (2016-17)
6. John (2017-18)
7. Isaiah (2018-19)
8. Acts of the Apostles (2020-21)

To find a class near you and to see if it has space available for new members, click here.

Maximize Your Mornings Challenge

Sign ups close today!

http://inspiredtoaction.com/2011/08/sign-up-now-for-the-fall-session-of-the-maximize-your-mornings-challenge/

Porch Decor From The Dollar Store

This is porch week over on the Holiday Grand Plan.  I'm not quite ready to add mums..  but after all of that cleaning, I wanted to spruce the decor up a bit.  I found these fake flowers at the Dollar Tree, and made a quick swag out of them - 

A few more for in the crock, with some added peacock feathers (donated by our peacock)

and I added a fresh coat of black paint to the stand.  I got the stand for $1 at the amish sale a year or so ago.

(the flag is my daughters color guard practice flag)

The porch still needs a lot of work, but this is a start.