Volume 2, Issue 9

January 7, 2025

One of the things my husband and I have talked about a lot is that we want our children to WANT to come home after they are out on their own. We’ve made sure there will be room for them even when they have their own families, we’ve tried to develop solid relationships with them, and we’ve included them in the conversation. 

 

While I would love to always have my kids (and their kids) here for holidays, I never want them to feel obligated to come home. I want it to be something they look forward to. I want our home to be a soft place to land, a place where they are comfortable to be themselves. And throughout the years, we’ve done things with that goal in mind.

 

Well, we now get to find out if we were on the right track. Last week we moved our son out to his own place. I was privileged to get a couple more years with him at home than most parents do since he chose to do aviation instead of college. And to be honest, as he has become more independent, he and I have butted heads quite a bit. So I know it was time.

 

While I shed a few tears, I’m actually pretty excited for him. And I have a feeling he will appreciate our home more when he realizes everything that goes into housekeeping.

 

And so a new chapter in our lives has begun.

 

And just in case you are worried about his younger sister, she wasted no time in claiming his room for her sewing room.

 

**Update: Since writing the above, we discovered that the situation Micah moved into wasn’t a good fit, and we moved him back home (though Lauren has not relinquished her claim to his room). It is only temporary, though, as we look for a new place for him to land.

If you are following a chronological reading plan to make it through the Bible in a year, you began reading the book of Job last week, and you will be spending this week and part of next finishing up the book.

 

The book of Job can be a bit confusing with all of the speakers and topics discussed. Last week I sent you a link to a blog post that detailed how to read the book of Job. This week, I have two more blog posts for you that will help you understand and maybe apply what you are reading. Click the links below to read them.

I would love to know what you think of your reading so far, First name / friend! Just hit “reply” and let's talk about it.

As I’m diving into a book of the Bible, I like to choose a passage to memorize. For the book of Hebrews, I’ve chosen Hebrews 10:19-25. You can download a PDF of the passage in the ESV to take with you throughout your day. 

 

I’ve also written a blog post that explains why it is important to memorize Scripture and gives some tips for how to do it. You can read it at the link below.

As you are diving into the book of Hebrews, it may be difficult to move past the first four verses since they are chock full of important information.

First, there are a series of contrasts that set up the differences between the old covenant and the new covenant:

Then we are given an incredible description of Jesus. These verses tell us that Jesus

What an incredible way to start this epistle! The author wanted his audience to realize that Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the Levitical laws and traditions they were so familiar with. If you never make it past the first four verses, you still have so much to hold onto as you navigate the turmoil in this world.

Let me know what you're learning in your study, First name / friend! Let's learn from each other. Just reply to this email to share. 

 

And in case you want a place to record important themes and ideas presented in the letter to the Hebrews, check out my Book of the Bible Study Sheets.

If this is your first Faith FULL Echoes newsletter, you can access previous issues by clicking the button below. Feel free to reach out to me to let me know what topics you would like discussed in the future.

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