Not Alone Series: Single Scriptures

What is your relationship with Scripture? Do you read the Bible every day? What is your favorite translation or edition? Do you use Scripture for prayer (a.k.a. lectio divina)? Do you play Bible roulette (flip to a random verse)? What are some Scripture verses that speak to you as a single woman?

This is my first time actually linking up since we restarted but not my first topic to write, Life has just been kicking my butt so I never got to finish the other one.

Scripture is very close my heart I love spending time reading my Bible. Even before I fully embrace my Faith, I started reading the Bible. I have read the whole Bible but not in a year, I have never been able to follow one of those plans. I do memorize scripture verses though sometimes I remember the words but forget where it's from.

I own five physical Bible so far, I like the different translations for better understanding. I also have an app or two on my phone. I love reading over different books and getting a different understanding from the last time. I highlight, underline, write notes and questions. I do read my Bible everyday but I do not "read" my Bible everyday. There are days I just go through the motions and there are days when I am so excited I read way more than I had planned.

My favourite Bible, pictured above is the NSRV translation but I also love the NABRE. I also own a New Jerusalem Bible which is an English, as in England, translation and spelling which I prefer for the Psalms.

I have used the Scripture for prayer and also right now I am trying something I am calling "Living Sripture". Example this week my verse is 1 Thessalonians 5:14 " And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them." I am challenging myself to how I can realistically living this out in my daily life. I can't say that I've admonished any idlers besides myself  but I can say that I have done some encouraging and helping and there have definitely been instances where I have been patient when I haven't wanted to be. When a co-worker asks me once again to help her because she just doesn't get a task but I'm so over it I remind myself that I am asked to encourage, help (one translation has support) and be patient.

Verses that speak to me as a single woman

The first is not a whole verse but just the first three words: "But if not..." Daniel 3:18
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego are about to get thrown into a burning, they give their speech about how great God is and His ability to save them and deliver them, then they say But if not (God chooses not to deliver them) they still refuse to serve and worship the idols. I feel called to marriage, I want to be married and have kids, lots and lots of kids. I pray about it, I dream about it but if God decides that is not the plan He has for me He is still God, He is still good and it is His will that I seek.

"Be still and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10 for those times when I think I can "fix" things. Get them to go my way.

"This is the day the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 for really bad days when all I can think about is what has gone wrong

"For I know well the plans I have in mind for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for woe, so as to give you a future of hope" Jeremiah 29:11

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer." Romans 12:12

What is your relationship with Scripture? What are your favourite verse?

Visit Rachel and Lindsay for the link-up, check out what everyone else has to say.

7 Posts in 7 Days The End

It's 11:30ish on Sunday night. The last day of this last day of the 7 posts in 7 days challenge. I did it, I made it to the end. I don't think I did it too well all the time. I'm learning to be okay with that.

I don't need to be perfect all the time. It's okay to have flaws and for people to see those flaws. It's good to ensure that you do you best at what you do but sometimes your best is not the greatest and that is okay.

I went into to this without any real plans. I had two link ups and the other five days were up for grabs. I had some ideas and I wanted to clear up my drafts a little bit. However except for the link-ups and one other posts that did not happen.

I do hope this little challenge has broken me out of my rut a little because I do want to write a little more. We shall see.

Well I better hurry this up or I'll miss my cut off time.

Lent starts this week and I have two days off work to prepare for it, maybe I'll get some writing done in between sleeping, cleaning, reading, sleeping and preparing for Lent.

It has been fun checking out new blogs. Can't wait to get to know some of you better through your writings. Welcome to anyone who is new, hope you stick around.

It's been swell. Have a good week.

7 Posts in 7 Days

I must be crazy.

I have not been much of a blogger since the year started, writing just one post a week most of the time yet I have committed myself to writing 7 posts in 7 days this week.

Jen of conversion diary threw out the challenge and I decided to take it up. I did manage the last time she had this challenge and it was what I needed at that time to shake me up a little so maybe I need it this time too.

I have a few drafts that need to be finished, I have some ideas that I have been thinking about writing. I have a mini plan and I still have no idea how I want this to go.

I am a perfectionist (a little more than a little anal) about some things but I am going to try to let go of that for this week. Gonna see where this week takes me.

Any new readers this week, welcome. Hope you stick around.

Most Posts of 2013

As we count down to the end of 2013 I am joining with Sarah of amongst lovely things to take a look back at my most posts.

I am not very good at looking at my stats so some of these may come as a surprise to even me, so lets see what I like and others have liked about what I had to say this past year.

Post with the most clicks

The Seven Petitions of the Our Father
This is definitely a surprise to me. I really liked it when I wrote it and still do although there is so much that I could to it now. It wasn't new to me when I had written it since I had read and heard much of the message before but it really stuck with me then and even now it has changed the way that I not only pray the Our Father but how I pray in general. I believe that my pray time has really grown and continues to mature.

Post with the most comments

Not Alone Series: Patience
Not Alone Series: Preparing for My Vocation NOW
Not Alone Series: What I love About Being Single
The Gifts in My Little World
This one is a tie and most are from the Not Alone Series, this does not surprise me. I'm new to the blogging world and have not really been a high comment blog. I have gotten some great comments along the way but with the start of the Not Alone Series (thank you Jen and Morgan) I made some blogger friends, found topics that were close to my heart, some that I had previously been afraid to share. I found encouragement and support that has really allowed me to open up in ways I didn't think I was ready for. A few of the comments made me cry happy tears, many made me think and all made me feel encouraged in some way.

Post with the best picture

7 Quick Takes Friday #30
This is NOT a picture heavy blog so I am just going with the post with the most pictures. Most of my blog pictures are also taken on my phone so quality is not always max.

Post that was the hardest to write

I should probably say this one since I have been writing it for a week now but keep having to put it down before I could finish to do something else. I can't actually pick just one because quite a few have been hard to put down in black and white. I have quite a few post in drafts because I struggle with sharing them. So I'm just going to go with the whole Not Alone Series for expediency, where I really have to reach in, get personal and put it out there for others to read and judge, there have been a few.

Post that was my personal favourite

The Wedding At Cana
I love this scripture (even more since I read Walking with Mary) and it is one of my favourite rosary meditations. This January when I read it to write something on it I saw so many things that I had previously ignored or simply didn't notice. It was a great reflection to start my year with and it really stayed with throughout the year.

I look forward to what 2014 will bring to my life and to my writing. It has been fun and interesting looking back and I hope some of you will move forward me to see what will come in 2014.

Merry Christmas
Happy New Year
God Bless