How do you start your meal?

My fellow sippers,

It has truly been a while since I last posted. I must say that I am definitely in a transitioning season that has me. feeling like I am wacky and all over the place. However, my trust is in God and I will wait patiently for Him to get me through this transition.

I wanted to share some enlightenment today, because I started a new devotional on my Bible app called Prayers of Jesus. I am thoroughly enjoying the close reading of Jesus' prayers. One of the things that I noticed is that anytime Jesus had dealings with food, He blessed it. I was raised with the practice of blessing my food as well. As a young child I was taught the traditional:

God is great.

God is good.

Lord we thank You for our food.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen. 

However, as I grew up I began to actually pray a prayer of thanksgiving and of blessing, but it was still very traditional. Now, I am one of those people at the family dinner who gets easily annoyed with the person who wants to pray for what seems like 15 minutes over the food. But as I read the prayers of Jesus, I am beginning to see my thankfulness differently. I think that our "grace" or "food blessing" is not suppose to necessarily be about us begging God to rid the food of germs and that the food would be nourishing to our bodies, because the simple fact that He has provided the food is already a given that it will be nourishing. Instead, and this is solely my opinion, I think that we should spend more time thanking Him for the provision of the food. Think about how many individuals that we don't see who aren't able to access food as easily? We should be thanking Him for our jobs, our tables, our fellowship and gathering. I hear my food blessings be about releasing germs and the things that may be harmful to our bodies, instead of them being about thanking God for the availability of and access to food.

So here's my challenge to you my fellow sippers, before you begin "blessing" your food, consider the many things about your food that you can be thankful for. Are you thankful for the food being blessed in advanced? Are you thankful for the food being germ free in advanced? It's not necessarily about God needing to rid the food of what may be harmful, but we should be thanking Him for ridding the food of the harm. IT IS DONE! In Jesus' name!

Signed,

The King's Daughter

Confessions of a LOST me... Total Truthness

Today I am writing because I need to let some things off of my chest. I am unsure if anyone actually reads my blog, nor do I care...well actually I do care because I do want to reach at least one person. But that is definitely not the point of this post....

Lately, I have been feeling hungry and thirsty for more of the Lord, and it just seems like He isn't near. I'm praying, I'm reading, I'm fasting.... my quiet time with Him are some days hit and miss. Some days I am totally enthralled in worship, and other days it's not there. I personally don't think that my Father would want me to bring an obligated sacrifice to His altar without a pure heart.

To be even more honest, I have been feeling like my Father is turning His back on me. Yes I read all the cute little quotes that float around social media, but those mean nothing when I'm desperately seeking to hear from my Father. It's like I'm calling Him repeatedly, I've sent a thousand text messages, e-mails, tweets, FB messages, etc., BUT I feel like His response is .... "I just don't wanna talk right now!" Have you ever felt like that? I'm tired of this feeling!

This morning I posted a scripture on my refrigerator as a reminder to myself and my husband which says, "We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps" (Psalm 16:9, NLT). Surely this verse comes at a time where I am feeling lost. By age 16, if someone were to ask me how my life would be after high school I could give them every detail down to the address that I would be living at by age 25. Sadly, I have only accomplished two of those things and they are definitely not in the time frame that I had intended. So what do I do? Do I throw myself into overdrive and see how much I can accomplish by 30? Do I re-evaluate my timeline and see what I can scratch off the list? Hmmmmm.... none of these are necessarily the answer. In fact, this morning I had to tell myself that it's OKAY! Here's the thing... life NEVER goes as we plan, simply because WE are planning. I know for a fact that not planning life out is one of the hardest things to do. I just want to be able to sit in the back seat and say, "Okay Lord I'm going to chill and let You do what You do!" Seems nearly impossible....but I'm sure that He can and will give us the strength!

I guess I will end my random rambling here...

Sincerely,
The King's Daughter

Confession: I was mad at God...

My Fellow Sippers,

It has indeed been a couple of months since I have last posted, mostly due to the chaos that the Lord helped me to overcome. I come to you guys today writing from the purity and honesty of my heart. I must confess that I have been walking around angry at God. I don't say that to brag. In fact, I am writing this because it may be of encouragement to someone else, or it may be helpful insight to someone.

Starting in February, two months before I was set to marry the love of my life, I encountered what I now understand as the beginning of life's craziness. At the moment I did not realize that the craziness would soon intensify in a matter of weeks. As soon as I felt relief from February's madness, the real March madness occurred when I was involved in my first accident ever in life. For legal reasons I won't delve into the details of what happened; however, I'll say that at that moment is when I should have been feeling happy and thankful for being alive, but instead I felt pure anger. I wasn't sure how to communicate my anger, I just know that I was walking around feeling sorry for myself and as though my Father did not love me as much as His word says He does.

April came... I got married and life began to pick up. Only six days after saying our "I Do's" I was sitting in a testing center taking yet again another important test. I left out feeling as though the world had fallen on my shoulders. I was trying to figure out exactly why God would even allow me to take that test, knowing that I wasn't fully prepared. Can I just pause and say that those thoughts were not of the Lord? Maybe two weeks after going through my testing ordeal, something hit me (I tend to believe it was my Father knocking some sense back into me). I heard a still, small voice whispering to me, "Stand still and know that I am God! I am here! I have not left you and never will I leave you!"

The Lord does not cause us to suffer, but he allows our suffering to remind us of how big our faith should be. I am a person who is big on FAITH! More than likely you will often find me preaching and teaching faith to someone, because I believe that without faith NOTHING is possible. Instead of walking around angry, I grabbed my boots by the straps and declared that I will remain faithful. I begged for forgiveness and I believe that I have been forgiven.

For those of you who have lost your faith and you're feeling like the Lord has abandoned you, I challenge you to take a few days or a few weeks and meditate on the Book of Job. The story of Job's unfailing faith is truly remarkable and worth the read for a reminder of how faithful our God is. Write on your mirrors (with dry erase markers), post sticky notes everywhere, post a reminder wherever you need it that YOU ARE MORE THAN A CONQUEROR! You were born to conquer. You are a child of the King; therefore, you are considered royalty. Royalty reigns and my dear you shall reign! Don't concentrate on the bad, but praise
Him for the good. If you are still alive, then your purpose has not yet been fulfilled. Get up and walk into your purpose. Cry out to God that He will reveal His perfect plan for your life, that you may be able to bring glory to His kingdom.

God loves you and He has not and will not fail you!

Signed,
The King's Daughter

D-Day: The Johns

My Fellow Sippers,

With all that has been going on in my life within the past week, I am glad that I am still able to dedicate some time to doing our D-Day. I always look forward to spilling the tea on each of the books that we've read. More importantly, I always look forward to the response.

I know that I skipped all over Galatians, but I'm so excited to get into the Johns. Therefore, I will discuss Galatians at the end of this month's challenge. Let's jump straight into it....

1 John 1
I love how this book opens up in verse 5 with "God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all." John makes it clear to us that we can't live in the light and still have darkness reside in us. In order for us to have true fellowship with each other, and to have the blood of Jesus cleanse us of our sins, we have to remain "in the light." 

I like the reference of light and dark, simply because in literature light represents good and darkness represents evil. To relate it to our spiritual being, if we have light, then we have good, and this good is a representation of God. If we have darkness within us, then there is still evil. Not to say that it is inevitable to rid our spiritual body of evil, but as long as evil is within us, then there is still representation of Satan. In order for us to be completely tied to God, we have to allow ourselves to fully be cleansed by the blood of Jesus. 

This brings me to my next point, where verses 8-10 backs up the aforementioned. 

⁸ If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. ⁹ But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. ¹⁰ If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts.

We all have sin. There is not one of us who is without sin. We are born into sin, (this came about when Adam and Eve sinned in the garden); therefore it resides in us (the darkness that is within us). But by confessing our sins, we are cleaning out the darkness and purifying our spiritual body. 

1 John 2
In this chapter, John tells us that when we sin, we have an advocate who pleads on our behalf (Jesus Christ). Verses 4-6 says:

⁴ If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person is a liar and is not living in the truth. ⁵ But those who obey God’s word truly show how completely they love him. That is how we know we are living in him. ⁶ Those who say they live in God should live their lives as Jesus did.

We should be a reflection of Christ. To "know God" is to be like Him, living righteously. He has given us the perfect example to follow in order to be like Him, when He gave us His Son, Jesus. Therefore, Christ has laid out the path in which we should follow.

Then in verses 15-17 we are urged against loving the world. We can't love the world and love our Father. Our flesh = the world. If it fills the desires of our flesh, then we are living worldly.

¹⁵ Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. ¹⁶ For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. ¹⁷ And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever.

Verses 28-29 pretty much says to LIVE OUT LOUD FOR GOD! Be bold. Be confident. Be faithful.

1 John 3
Again in this chapter, we are compared to the world. The world doesn't recognize us as children of God because they (the world) lack the knowledge and understanding that it takes to know that to be fully committed and wholeheartedly love God, is to be His child. Once we fully commit ourselves to God, we are purified. Once purified, our sins are no longer existent. To continuously sin after proclaiming your commitment  means that you are not as fully committed as you think you are.

We should not be deceived by the teachings of the world. It is not okay to claim "Christianity" while living a life of sin. Righteous living = RIGHT LIVING! Therefore, we should always strive to live righteously, or live right!

We don't truly love God if we don't love His people. To be truly in love with God means that His Spirit reigns over our flesh. Spirit says to love even when we aren't loved back, because God has an eternal love for us that will never disappear.

1 John 4
In this chapter, we are warned against false prophets. Although to a certain extent it seems as though we are judging, when we are fully in engaged with God, we are given a spirit of discernment. It is our duty to use discernment in filtering the truth and the fake.

Also, we are reminded yet again that we should love others. If we fail to love others, then we do not truly love God. I love verses 9-10... 

⁹ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. ¹⁰ This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

How is it possible to love an invisible God, but hate a visible person? We've never seen God, yet we have deep love for Him, but He has given us people to love and we find it absolutely impossible to love some of them.

1 John 5
In this chapter we are given the following information:

• Spirit = truth
• Water = Baptism
• Blood = the Cross or the Sacrifice

To believe in God, we must first believe that He gave His Son, Jesus. Christ died on the cross so that we can have eternal life <------ We must believe and accept this. We must also believe that eternal life is found in Christ.

Furthermore, verse 21 tells us to keep away from anything that takes God's place in our hearts. This is one reason why we should be consistent with fasting. When we find our flesh overpowering our spiritual being, we should then consecrate our bodies.

2 John & 3 John
2 John is only 13 verses long, and simply reiterates what 1 John says.

• Love one another!
• Beware of false prophets!

In 3 John, although John is writing to Gaius, as a reader I walk away understanding that I should be mindful of the way I treat servants of God. They should be treated with gentleness and care. After all, they are serving our Father.

** As always I look forward to your responses. Below is the reading for our last few days of February! We will pick up in March!!

 February 25 - 1 Peter 1
February 26 - 1 Peter 2
February 27 - 1 Peter 3
February 28 - 1 Peter 4 & 5
March 1 - No Reading
March 2 - No Reading
March 3 - D-Day (Discussion Day)

-Signed,
The King's Daughter

Lost & Found

My Fellow Sippers,

Lately I've been compelled to share my story, and to encourage others who are on the borderline of fully surrendering their lives to Christ. Although it is still a journey for me, I will begin by saying that the best decision I've ever made was getting to know the Lord firsthand, and not to allow religion to dictate my relationship with Him.

Here's a little background information for you to build the picture (don't mind me I'm a visual person).
I grew up in the church. I came from a small town in South Carolina, where religion was heavily influenced in my family. Both of my parents were heavily involved in the church. As a young girl I was enthralled at the sight of the adults being fully engaged with the Word. I absolutely loved to hear preaching. In fact, I wanted to be a preacher. Even funnier, in the seventh grade I was nominated to most likely be a preacher.

As a preteen and a teenager I didn't see church the same anymore. I started to dislike it heavily. Church to me seemed more like an obligation, rather than a spiritual choice. During my freshman year of high school my parents made the decision to leave our former denomination and we became members of our present church. Although the atmosphere was different, it still took me a while to like going to church again. I then became involved with the youth ministry, which gave me another perspective of spirituality. I was captivated by watching other young people succumb to the presence of God. It was awesome! Our youth pastors were great! I loved church again. Then something happened (I choose not to go into detail). When this happened, I was hurt and many of us felt abandoned. I went away to college and tried to live the innocent Christian girl life... until I chose to engage in premarital sex and became pregnant.

Pregnancy changed my life. I'm not sure how most 21 year old single women handle pregnancy, but for a period of time I felt like I was in a depression. I was mad at myself. I knew better! I disappointed my family, especially my parents. Most of all, I just knew deep within my heart that the Lord was absolutely angry with me. I was so deep in bondage that I didn't want to go to church anymore. I didn't want people to look at me and see me wear my sin. I felt like Hester Prynne from the Scarlet Letter, except I wasn't wearing a scarlet "A". My scarlet letter was the baby bump that I walked around with until my delivery date.

During my pregnancy, while feeling alone and as though the worst thing happened, the Lord spoke to me. He reminded me that He loved me regardless. Yes, I disappointed Him, but I asked for forgiveness and I believe that He forgave me. Something we as Christians often forget is that our Lord loves sinners. If we were all perfect, there wouldn't have been a need for Christ to die on the cross. He died so that we could have life and have it more abundantly. How could I not love the One who sent His Son to die for me?

After having my daughter, I felt more free in Christ, which is when I began this blog. I felt restored with purpose to share God's love with others. I'm not where I want to be spiritually, but each day I see growth. I surround myself with others who desire to be captivated by the love of God. Does that mean that I can't have fun anymore? No! Something that young adults will realize is that surrendering your life doesn't mean that the fun is sucked out of you. In fact, you find life to be more fun because you are free. Of course you won't continue living like the world, so your fun won't be like the world's definition of fun.

I choose to let the light shine within me and through me. I don't allow religion to control me. I'm not saying that church is the worst, but I'm saying that the church is full of sinners striving to be saints. I choose to have a true relationship with my Father. My duty as a Christian is to lead others to the Kingdom, not to chastise them for being imperfect. I strive to be like Christ, and for others to gravitate to His love that flows through me. When I die, I want to die assured that I will be able to run into the arms of my Father and that He will say to me "Job well done!" I don't think that I will ever be perfect, but I love a perfect God who loves imperfect me perfectly. Try Him!

Signed,
The King's Daughter

Confession of a Godly Wife: My Testimony

My Fellow Sippers,

Recently the Lord has laid upon my heart to incorporate a segment known as "The Godly Wife" and use the authorship of my dear sister in Christ Mrs. Tanesha Lester. Tanesha is the leader of our Godly Wife group, which has been such a blessing to me as a soon to be wife (51 days away...YIKES!). I can go on and on about how God is using her, but I'll let you find out for yourself. Without further adieu, I present to you the Confessions of a Godly Wife.

Confessions of a Godly Wife: My Testimony
By: Tanesha Lester

 My relationship with God became even stronger after I was married. I have always had a relationship with God, but I just kept failing at it. I didn't put as much effort into it. I made excuses to not go to church. I didn't study the Word, I just read it. God was blessing me tremendously and what was I giving him in return?
Once we moved and my internship was over, I found myself without a job. I became depressed and began to question God. Long story short, I was broken. I have never been so low in my life. I kept reading my bible and praying, but I also kept contradicting it. I wasn't believing what I was reading. I knew I couldn't go on like that and that God had something in store for me so one day I just cried out for Him. I poured my heart out to Him with hopes that He'd hear my cry. I began a consecration with my church for the new year and begin studying my bible and praying more. On the 9th day of January, God blessed me with a job. I couldn't stop thanking Him. I decreed and declared increase and He blessed me. To those of you who may be suffering or broken, just know that God has something in store for you. 1 Peter 5:10 says "And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will Himself, restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. Sometimes we need to be broke down to truly experience God's love. Being unemployed may not seem like a big deal, but to me, being unemployed made me feel lost. It was definitely a humbling experience and it made me realize just how much I value working or making money. You don't have to necessarily bow down to something in order to worship it. God will tear apart what He is not involved in. Everything I have is because of Him and I was too selfish to see that before. I thank God for that experience because it helped me to grow and become closer to him and my husband.

Right now, I challenge you to cry out to Him. Just begin to pour your heart out to Him. He's waiting for you.

-Signed,
The King's Daughter

Ephesians

My Fellow Sippers,

As with Philippians, I've read Ephesians a few times but not to the depth that I've read it this time. I wanted to be a little more creative with dissecting this book; however, my creative instinct has taken a vacation this time around. Therefore, I will list my favorite scripture from each chapter instead of dissecting the entire chapter.

Here it goes..........

Ephesians is a letter written by Paul to the Church in Ephesus. Again we find Paul praying for his brothers and sisters in Christ. I love the fact that nearly every Book written by him opens with a prayer for his fellow believers. How often can we say that we lift our fellow believers up? We pray for our family members and our friends, but how often do we pray for our Christian family? I know that it rarely crosses my mind to pray for my siblings in Christ; however if I learn nothing else from this challenge, I've learned to pray for fellow believer as Paul has done.

Ephesians 1
 ⁷ He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. ⁸ He has showered his kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding.

I like these two verses because I have recently began studying and truly understanding grace. Grace is unmerited or undeserved favor. When I mess up over and over again, I know that I am forgiven because His grace is showered upon me. Grace saves us. God is RICH in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom when He sent His Son to die on the cross for OUR sins to be forgiven. Christ's shed blood was FOR ME?! The person who occasionally loses her temper and flips out on people. Me?! The person who sometimes fails to be a reflection of Christ. As the song says, I'll never know how much it cost to see my sins upon that cross.

Ephesians 2 
⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

As I read these two verses, reality hit!!! We aren't saved by grace because we're perfect and without sin. We're saved because He knows that we need Him to rescue us from our sinful nature. Sin = death. We're saved in order to live. We live when we do good for the Kingdom of God. 

Ephesians 3
 ¹⁸ And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. ¹⁹ May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

Have you ever had someone who seems to love you no matter how ugly your attitude is, or how flawed you are? Have you ever questioned why this person loves you so much? They can't explain it... they just know that they love you for you. That's Christ's love for us. It's indescribable. It's unexplainable. He loves us more than we will ever experience in our physical bodies. We can't compare His love for us to ANYTHING. It's bigger than the oceans combined. His love is higher than the sky above. You know something that's even more crazier to imagine? He loves us even when He knows that we have impurities in our hearts. He sees our hearts, knows our thoughts, but yet He still loves us the same. His love is unconditional.

I don't know about you, but I want to be able to love like Christ. I want to love despite the many flaws. As a matter of fact, I want to love because of your flaws. I am AMAZED by His love for us.

Ephesians 4
²⁶ And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.”^[d] Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ for anger gives a foothold to the devil.

I STRUGGLE with my anger. This is not to brag, but more than anything brings recognition to my faults. I am the one who will shut down and not speak to you for days if possible because I am angry. However, Paul reiterates that we should not allow our anger to control us. Saved for another post, I'll say that we allow anger far too much control in our lives. I am good for getting angry over something petty and not even worth my anger. I just want to be transformed in general. I definitely want the Lord to help me to gain control of my emotions. I need Him to help me divert my anger and rage. 

Ephesians 5
²² For wives, this means submit to your husbands as to the Lord. ²³ For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. ²⁴ As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything.

In our Godly Wives group, we have discussed the topic of submission quite a few times. We can all attest to struggling with submission. I think for myself, as a woman, I have this idea of being independent (in the sense of depending on NO ONE). Combine that with my STRONG personality and there you have a mess. I don't think that this verse means that women should be treated like slaves (I know people that believe submission to be bondage), but I think that the emphasis, especially when relating to today's society, is that we have to respect our husbands. We have to acknowledge him as the head of our homes, and the head of our families. Not to say that he is equivalent to Christ, but we are to respect our husbands the same way we respect Christ. We should be more willing to serve him, the same way that we serve Christ. 

Ephesians 6
¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we^[c] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

These two verses are self explanatory; however, I don't think people understand the depth of evil that is among us. We should ALWAYS be clothed in the armor of God. There is evil everywhere we go. Sometimes there is even evil within the church; however, when we're clothed in the armor of God, we are equipped with the strength to be firm in our faith. 
____________________________________________________________________________

Overall, I once again enjoyed reading Ephesians. I look forward to you spilling the tea on Ephesians with me. Leave your response below. Don't forget that this week we will be focusing on Galatians.

 
February 11 - Galatians 1
February 12 - Galatians 2
February 13 - Galatians 3
February 14 - Galatians 4
February 15 - Galatians 5
February 16 - Galatians 6
February 17 - D-Day (Discussion Day)
February 18 - 1 John 1
February 19 - 1 John 2
February 20 - 1 John 3
February 21 - 1 John 4
February 22 - 1 John 5
February 23 - 2 John 1 & 3 John 1
February 24 - D-Day (Discussion Day)
February 25 - 1 Peter 1
February 26 - 1 Peter 2
February 27 - 1 Peter 3
February 28 - 1 Peter 4 & 5
March 1 - No Reading
March 2 - No Reading
March 3 - D-Day (Discussion Day)

-The King's Daughter
 

Reading Challenge Discussion: Thessalonians

My Fellow Sippers,

I know that my initial plan was to post discussions on Sundays; however as I went back to work from winter break, reality set in that I would not be able to post as I had intended. Furthermore, this week we were to finish reading Thessalonians, and I must be honest by saying that I was very lost as I entered into reading this book. Therefore, my discussion will not be as in depth as previous discussions, as I believe that I need to do more background study in order to be effective in my dissection of this book.

1 Thessalonians
As aforementioned, I went into this book very confused as to what was going on. I do know that Paul, Timothy, and Silas are writing to the church. Something that struck out to me how adamant they (Paul, Timothy, and Silas) were about the church's faith remaining strong. They were holding the church accountable for remaining faithful despite the terror and extremity that surrounded them. One of my favorite scriptures is also found in this book, which is 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18,

¹⁶ Always be joyful. ¹⁷ Never stop praying. ¹⁸ Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

This was found in Paul's final advice to the church, which I think is imperative to instill in our minds today. It is essential to pay attention to the Always and Never. Always meaning at all times, despite the circumstance. Never meaning not ever, despite the circumstance.

In chapter 4, the church is told to live holy and pleasing to God. When we go against how God has instructed us to live, then we are causing ourselves to be impure in heart and in nature. One thing about the Bible is that it is consistent with teaching us how to live a life that pleases our Heavenly Father.

2 Thessalonians
This book begins by telling the church to avoid persecution, which I believe is an important reminder today. It is not our duty to seek out justice. OUR GOD is a God of justice. He will punish those who are unjust towards us.

I also love how chapter 2 describes the coming of the Lord. While I read this chapter, I was reminded of all the "prophecies" and predictions about the outcome of 2012. So many people had exact dates and times that they claimed was the end of the world. People sold all of their belongings, emptied their bank accounts, and even purchased the doomsday preparations. (Sidebar: If it is the end of the world, do you REALLY think that it will be necessary to have bunkers and other things that would allow you to be left behind?) 

² Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. ³ Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.

Conclusion
A sincere THANK YOU to those of you who participated in the reading challenge. Whether you read along with the challenge, commented, or simply read the posts, from the bottom of my heart I thank you. Of course I there is always an opportunity to join in on our next reading which will take place starting this week. Below will be a schedule of the upcoming readings. Also don't forget to fast for 14 days this month. You can choose the dates that you want to fast, just make sure that you are giving up something that will cause your Spirit to be nourished by removing the distraction. You can choose food, social media, tv, your phone, anything!! While you're fasting, ensure that you are spending more time in your Word and in prayer. 

February Reading
February 4 - Ephesians 1
February 5 - Ephesians 2
February 6 - Ephesians 3
February 7 - Ephesians 4
February 8 - Ephesians 5
February 9 - Ephesians 6
February 10 - D-DAY (Discussion Day)
February 11 - Galatians 1
February 12 - Galatians 2
February 13 - Galatians 3
February 14 - Galatians 4
February 15 - Galatians 5
February 16 - Galatians 6
February 17 - D-Day (Discussion Day)
February 18 - 1 John 1
February 19 - 1 John 2
February 20 - 1 John 3
February 21 - 1 John 4
February 22 - 1 John 5
February 23 - 2 John 1 & 3 John 1
February 24 - D-Day (Discussion Day)
February 25 - 1 Peter 1
February 26 - 1 Peter 2
February 27 - 1 Peter 3
February 28 - 1 Peter 4 & 5
March 1 - No Reading
March 2 - No Reading
March 3 - D-Day (Discussion Day)

I look forward to your responses!!

-The King's Daughter

Fasting Your Addictions

My Fellow Sippers,

As I sit here in the warmth of my home, I can't help but to take a moment to pray for all of those who did not enjoy the warmth of their home last night. I also pray for those who are still trying to get home today. I pray for the parents and children who were reunited today, after the children had to spend the night at school. The severity of this snow/ice in Georgia is something that many people can't understand. Many are trying to figure out who to blame. Instead of playing the blame game, I recommend we just stop and thank God for the blessings of being home and off the icy streets. We fail to realize that in the midst of treacherous circumstances, that our Father is trying to reveal something to us. We're still blindsided and distracted to see what He's trying to reveal.

This brings me to my post for today...
I spent 21 days fasting this month. From January 5-26, I gave up what I thought was my biggest addictions.....SODAS and INSTAGRAM. I don't know, nor do I understand why I am addicted to Instagram, but I would find myself spending a good portion of my day refreshing and scrolling. So here's some things that I learned on my fast.

-My soda addiction was mental. I had gotten to the point where I was jeopardizing my health just to have a soda (sometimes multiple sodas) every day.

-Water isn't as bad as I had convinced myself. In fact, I found myself not even wanting sodas. Drinking water all day for 21 days was refreshing. I didn't struggle those first few days of the fast. To be perfectly honest, it took me a few days to want a soda after my fast ended.

-Drinking nothing but water is good for weight control. I lost inches! I can't say pounds because I refuse to step on a scale for a few months. I knew that I lost inches because all of my clothes were falling off of me. It got to the point that I could just pull my dress pants straight down, without unbuttoning and unzipping. (TMI?)

-Instagram creates jealousy. I officially despise the sublime brought forth through social media. Instagram for one has caused people to become someone else. Everyone is trying to be better than the next person, but they are going about it the wrong way. You are a "nobody" if you don't have at least 1000 followers (I guess I am a super nobody). You are a "nobody" if you don't have the latest fashion, the latest cars, you don't spend countless hours in clubs or bars throwing money that you should be saving to invest in your future. Indeed I officially hate social media for such reasons. It has caused so much hatred, and I am sure that it is the cause behind a number of murders and robberies. But of course, we're blinded by this addiction to portray to be something that we aren't, that we won't even admit how evil social media is.

I've decided to use my social media outlets as sources to spread inspiration, love, and more importantly Christ. So what that I don't have what everyone else has? Guess what? So many people don't have what I have, which is JESUS CHRIST as their Lord and Savior. They don't have the personal relationship and endless faith. They aren't so radical for Christ that they're willing to lose the fame that social media has brought them. But I am! I've learned from my fast that I'm OKAY being YOUNG, BOLD, & FREE!

With all of that being said, I am also excited about what the Lord has revealed to me during this fast. He has instructed me to fast every month. Therefore, I am inviting all of my fellow sippers to fast every month with me. Some months the fast will be longer or shorter than other months. February's fast will begin February 1-February 14. I encourage you to fast something that is distracting you from spending time with our Father, or even an area in your life that you need to learn discipline. For myself, I will be giving up sweets!

Don't forget, Sunday is our last discussion for January. We will be discussing Thessalonians, and what I've learned thus far is that a contextual study is essential in order to understand why certain things are being said. The February schedule will be posted by Sunday as well!!

As always, TAKE A SIP WITH THE KING!

-The King's Daughter

Reading Discussion: James

My Fellow Sippers,

I know that I am a day late, but I am definitely not a dollar short. Charge it to my head and not my heart. I will jump straight into this week's discussion on the Book of James. I have read this book several times before, but this time as I read I found myself understanding and grasping more than I did previous times before. Here it goes...

James 1
I will begin with verses 2-6 which in the New Living Translation is entitled Faith and Endurance. Surely, this is something that we can always attain knowledge on. I love how James begins this section by saying that when we face troubles that we should consider it great joy. Let's pause right here... How often do we find our troubles to be joyous? If it were something to rejoice about, then we would not consider it troubling right? Well he continues with verses 3-4 by saying,

³ For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. ⁴ So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.

Passing the "faith test" means that you have endured. As with our patience, our endurance has to be strong in order to withstand some of the coming things that life has to offer.

Continuing with verses 5-6...
I love how James adds,  ⁵ If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. ⁶ But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. 

Verses 13-15 bring light to temptation, and I often hear people blaming the devil for their temptations; however, I believe that in doing so we are giving the devil too much credit in our lives. These verses, however, say that we shouldn't even blame God for our temptations. He does not tempt us to do wrong. Temptation comes from our fleshly desires, and balances with our sinful nature.

In verses 19-24 we are instructed by James to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. First of all, anger is something that I struggle with. Relating this to some of my personal experiences, when something hits that ONE NERVE I don't want to listen and by the time I speak, I'm already angry.
Then James indicates that we shouldn't just read the Word, we should absorb it and obey it.

James 2
This chapter opens with a warning against prejudices. I believe that this section is especially essential for today's society. We often judge others based on their appearances and what they have to offer us, instead of loving others the way that God has instructed us to. We shouldn't favor the rich over the poor, because the poor has been chosen to be rich in faith. We are committing a sin if we favor some over others!

This chapter ends by declaring to us that faith without actions is dead!!! I love how James breaks it down in verse 15, Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing, ¹⁶ and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do? This goes along with the command to love everyone. Our faith should be reflected by our good deeds, and serving our dear brothers and sisters in Christ. 

How often do we see people in need and we ignore their plea for help? I'm guilty! I can see someone who is needy, but I most times allow my pride to stop me from serving them the way that God desires us to. For me it is not selfishness that hinders me, as much as it is me analyzing their neediness. I typically question the validity of their need. However, my "Christ-likeness" does not show when I do this. It is not for me to decide how needy someone is.

James 3
James begins this chapter by describing the power of our tongues. I often forget how powerful my tongue is and that the words that I speak are a reflection of who I am. My prayer lately has been to Let the words of my mouth be acceptable in the sight of God. I often pray that when I open my mouth to speak that others will only hear "Christ-likeness."

James then ends this chapter by saying that our lives should be honorable in the sight of God. We should not be jealous and selfish and calling ourselves Christians. He says that these are "earthly, spiritual, demonic" (v.15).  Yes! Demonic! What? Again something else that I have been steadily praying about is that the Lord will help me to be more selfLESS and less selfish. I don't want to be demonic and unspiritual. I want to be seen honorable by God.

James 4
One of my favorite parts of this chapter is verses 7-9...

⁷ So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. ⁸ Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. ⁹ Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. ¹⁰ Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.

We should be humble... practicing humility before God. Admit to our Father that we have done wrong by Him. We should not be proud about our wrongdoing. Instead we should be sorrowful and remorseful. WE SHOULD BE HUMBLE!!

James then warns again about judging others. This is important... Again in this this book we are warned against prejudices. This shows how imperative it is that we LOVE others!!

James 5
This concluding chapter is another indication of how there is growth of our endurance. This time James says that patience will help our endurance to grow! When I find myself in a season of tested patience, I frequently remind myself that my greater is coming. This is merely a test to see how much I am willing to endure, and to see how long I am willing to wait. In such a fast-paced society like today, we fail with practicing patience. We grow hostile in rush hour traffic. We nearly push people out of our way in grocery stores. We simply rush with everything we do, not realizing that patience will bring about something greater.

Lastly, I love how James tells about the power of prayer. I am a firm believer in asking so that it can be given, and knocking so that the door can be opened. We should pretty much be in constant prayer, whether it be for ourself or someone else. I think that we have forgotten that miracles do happen. If there is illness in our bodies, we should pray for healing. If there is a need in our lives, we should pray that the need is met. We should be commanding the Heavens to open up. Our harvest is reaped when we PRAY!

Let me know your response to this book below. Next Sunday, we will pick up with the Thessalonians!

With Love,
The King's Daughter

Reading Challenge Discussion 1/13-1/19

My Fellow Sippers,

I pray that you all are still enjoying the reading challenge. This week we focused on Colossians and began the Book of James. Along with continuing this reading challenge, I started my first week of my Masters program. Although it has been challenging keeping up with the readings for school, the readings for this challenge, the Prayer Project, and hearing from the Lord during my fast (which I will discuss in another post), I am determined to finish. A song came to my mind as I wrote that last sentence and it says, "I know that I'll have a strong finish because I have strong faith!" *sigh of relief*

I know that we were to read the entire book of Colossians and begin James; however this discussion will only focus on Colossians, as I feel that our discussions can be complete once we read an entire book. I'm wondering if anyone caught on to the pattern of books that we're reading. If not, I'll break it down. We're reading ALL of the short books in the New Testament. In February we'll kick it up a notch and begin reading the longer books. Don't ask why I'm doing it this way, I'm just following the directions that the Lord gave me.
 (BTW... I frequently switch my versions but I mostly read from New Living Translation. Sometimes I'll read from New King James Version or Message.)
Here we go...

Colossians 1
Again in this book we find Paul (and Timothy) praying for their fellow brothers in Christ. For me, it is another indication that we (the body of Christ) have to constantly pray for and be thankful for our brothers and sisters. The verse that stuck out to me is verses 9-14:

⁹ So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. ¹⁰ Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.¹¹ We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,^{[c] 12} always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. ¹³ For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴ who purchased our freedom^[d] and forgave our sins.

Then we get down to verse 15-20 which in the NLT version is labeled as "Christ Is Supreme." This label is quite accurate and fitting for what these scriptures say. We are given an in-depth explanation of who Christ is to us. The scriptures say:

 ¹⁵ Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,^[e] 16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see—such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him. ¹⁷ He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.¹⁸ Christ is also the head of the church,which is his body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead.^[f] So he is first in everything.¹⁹ For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, ²⁰ and through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.

Some people can belittle Christ, and even some Christians understand the concept of God but don't truly understand the depth of Christ and who He really is. I love how verse 15 says that He is the visible image of the invisible God. This means that God reigns over the Heavens and the earth, but He sent his Son, Jesus, to be the physical image (a replica, a reflection, a physical representation) of Himself. Let that marinate. He is first in EVERYTHING! Not some things, but ALL things.

Colossians 2
This chapter begins by touching on our new lives in Christ. Verses 6-7 says,

⁶ And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him. ⁷ Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.

Then we jump down to verses 13-15 which brings light to our new life, our sinLESS life.

 ¹³ You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. ¹⁴ He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ In this way, he disarmed^[d] the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.

He made all things new about us. The reBIRTH. We're born again. All of our debts (sins) are canceled. They were canceled when He (Christ) died on the cross. All is forgiven through Him. When we surrender our all to Him, our lives are made whole and new.


Verses 16-23 pretty much say that we are not to follow the rules of this world. Even within some churches and denominations there are rules and we are instructed in verses 16-23 not to fall victim to these rules. For some of these rules are merely of human desire and have no connections to the rules of Christ.

Colossians 3
Chapter 3 continues with living new in Christ, or the reBirth. We are now given instructions in verses 5-10 which state,

⁵ So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. ⁶ Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming.^{[b] 7} You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. ⁸ But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. ⁹ Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. ¹⁰ Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.

I don't know how much more explanation a person may need for those verses because it hit home the first time around for me.

When we get to verse 12-15, we are once again faced with being Christlike, being a reflection of Christ, being a representation of Christ.

¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.

First of all, I KNOW that I struggle with verse 13. Sometimes it is extremely hard to forgive others when they have done wrong against me. Often when I find myself in those situations, I am reminded that I am forgiven daily. It is my duty...I am obligated to forgive others. No matter the seriousness or the extremity of what has been done against me I should forgive because, MY FATHER IN HEAVEN forgives me no matter the severity of my wrong against Him. Verse 14 says that we should clothe ourselves with love, meaning that love should abide within us every second, every minute, every hour, every day. Again, something else that I struggle with. It is hard to love the person that I struggle to forgive. .

Lastly verses 18-25 instructs us on how we should run our households. For all of my Godly Wives, we are instructed to SUBMIT! SUBMIT! SUBMIT! Verse 18 begins with "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting for those who belong to the Lord."

Colossians 4
Our final chapter in Colossians ends with encouragement for prayer and instructions from Paul. I highlighted verse 2 which says, "Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart." This means that when we pray our minds should be clear of all distractions. Often times when we pray, our minds are racing a million thoughts per minute. We can't focus on praying so rush through our prayer so we that we can focus on our thoughts. We need to reverse that. We need to rush through our thoughts so that we can focus on our prayer.

I will end with my highlight of verse 6 that says, "Let your conversation be gracious and attractive^[a] so that you will have the right response for everyone." Reminds me of what Psalm 19:14 says,

May the words of my mouth
    and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
    O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

What we speak should be of Christ. Our words should be of love, of kindness, of humility, of grace. When we speak, others should hear Christ in our voices. Just as we are reflections of Christ, our words are reflections of who we are.

I hope that you will continue to enjoy James this week, and we will discuss next week! In the meantime here's an updated schedule to keep you on track for the week. Please note the changes that were made. Be on the lookout for a new post soon on fasting!

January 20 - James 3-4

January 21 - James 5/ 1 Thessalonians 1

January 22 - 1 Thessalonians 2 & 3

January 23 - 1 Thessalonians 4 &5

January 24 - 2 Thessalonians 1 & 2

January 25 - 2 Thessalonians 3

January 26 - No Reading/Discussion Day on James

January 27 - Catch up on readings

January 28 - Catch up on readings

January 29 - No Reading

January 30 - No Reading

January 31 - No Reading

February 1 - Discussion Day on Thessalonians

-The King's Daughter

Reading Challenge Discussion 1/3-1/11/2014

My Fellow Sippers,

As I've been reading along on this challenge, I am amazed at the different aspects that I've been reading. Usually I will read for a good heartfelt word (am I the only one to admit that?), but this time I've been paying more attention to who's writing and truly analyzing the words that they are saying.

I'll begin with Philippians...

I've read Philippians several times before, but again I'll confess that I typically only read out of desire to receive a word from the Lord. This time I understood that it was Paul who was writing, which is something that I'll admit to struggling with. I've always admired when individuals can say "(So & So) writes/says in the book of _______________." I never truly understood how they knew who was writing until I actually paid attention this time. Here are some of my favorite verses from Philippians.....

Philippians 1:20 For I fully expect and hope that I will never be ashamed, but that I will continue to be bold for Christ, as I have been in the past. And I trust that my life will bring honor to Christ, whether I live or die.

- I DESIRE TO BE BOLD FOR CHRIST. I DON'T WANT TO HAVE ANY SHAME IN PROFESSING MY LOVE FOR MY SAVIOR!

Philippians 2:2-11  Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,  to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:13-16 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 

-HAVE A CHRISTLIKE ATTITUDE! Something that we ALL struggle with is living a life that reflects the attitude of Christ. I know for sure that this is something that I have to constantly remind myself.

Philippians 4:6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

-Self explanatory... WORRY ABOUT NOTHING! PRAY ABOUT ALL THINGS! TELL GOD WHAT YOU NEED AND THANK HIM FOR ALL HE HAS DONE!

Philippians 4:19 And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

-ALL OF MY NEEDS HAVE BEEN SUPPLIED!

Now let's go to Titus...

I thoroughly enjoyed Titus. My favorite chapter out of the book was chapter 2. Prior to reading this book I've desired to be like the Proverbs 31 woman, but after reading I want to be a replica of the Proverbs 31 AND the Titus 2 woman. 

³ Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers.^[a] Instead, they should teach others what is good. ⁴ These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, ⁵ to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes,^[b] to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.

I believe that something we lack now is the promotion of right teaching. Many of us have the "She can read the Bible like I do" mentality and refuse to guide other men and women of Christ into living right. I pray that I can have a change of mind and a change of heart, and that I can gain a mentality of "This is my Sister in Christ who needs guidance."

On to Philemon...

Although this book is only one chapter in length, that one chapter spoke a great volume. I loved what Paul said to Philemon in verse 4-6,

 I always thank my God when I pray for you, Philemon, ⁵ because I keep hearing about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all of God’s people. ⁶ And I am praying that you will put into action the generosity that comes from your faith as you understand and experience all the good things we have in Christ.

We are instructed to pray for another, and Paul prayed for Philemon, thanking God for him. How often do we thank God for our brothers and sisters in Christ? How often do we pray for them? How often do we pray and thank God for our friends?

Lastly Jude....

I've never read Jude, and to be honest I often forget that this book exists until now. Again another one chapter book that contains so much. What stuck out to me in Jude was his call to remain faithful, especially verses 20-23

 ²⁰ But you, dear friends, must build each other up in your most holy faith, pray in the power of the Holy Spirit,^[g] 21 and await the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will bring you eternal life. In this way, you will keep yourselves safe in God’s love.²² And you must show mercy to^[h] those whose faith is wavering. ²³ Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. Show mercy to still others,^[i] but do so with great caution, hating the sins that contaminate their lives.^[j]

 I interpreted this as Jude instructing us to lead others to Christ. By doing this, we are remaining faithful to Christ.


Let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
Here's the schedule of what you have to look forward to...

• January 13 - Colossians 1
• January 14 - Colossians 2
• January 15 - Colossians 3
• January 16 - Colossians 4
• January 17 - James 1
• January 18 - James 2
• January 19 - No Reading/Discussion Day
• January 20 - James 3
• January 21 - James 4
• January 22 - James 5
• January 23 - 1 Thessolonians 1 & 2
• January 24 - 1 Thessolonians 3 & 4
• January 25 - 1 Thessolonians 5
• January 26 - No Reading/Discussion Day
• January 27 - 2 Thessoloninans 1 & 2
• January 28 - 2 Thessonolonians 3
• January 29 - No Reading
• January 30 - No Reading
• January 31 - No Reading

Be blessed as I am being blessed through the readings.

-The King's Daughter

Feeding Your Spirit

My Fellow Sippers,

I pray that you are feeding your spirit on this reading challenge, and that you are truly being nourished. I have truly enjoyed reading the Book of Titus. It is my desire to be the Titus 2 woman! I have decided since I could not find a way to do the live chat that we will hold our discussion this Sunday via GroupMe. If interested in joining the discussion, then comment your e-mail address that is associated with your GroupMe and I will add you to the Coffee With The King group or use the following link to join: https://groupme.com/join_group/6780021/xzO6to

To catch you up with the reading plan....

• January 10 - Philemon 1
• January 11 - Jude 1
• January 12 - No Reading/Discussion Day
• January 13 - Colossians 1
• January 14 - Colossians 2
• January 15 - Colossians 3
• January 16 - Colossians 4
• January 17 - James 1
• January 18 - James 2
• January 19 - No Reading/Discussion Day
• January 20 - James 3
• January 21 - James 4
• January 22 - James 5
• January 23 - 1 Thessolonians 1 & 2
• January 24 - 1 Thessolonians 3 & 4
• January 25 - 1 Thessolonians 5
• January 26 - No Reading/Discussion Day
• January 27 - 2 Thessoloninans 1 & 2
• January 28 - 2 Thessonolonians 3
• January 29 - No Reading
• January 30 - No Reading
• January 31 - No Reading

Continue being blessed through the Word.

-The King's Daughter