God is everywhere... Can you see him? My study of Noah part 1

April 16, 2014
I went to see Noah today....alone.

I took off after Greek class headed to the AMC theater in Qual Spring Mall . I got there at 2:45 for a 3:05 showing. I bought my ticket and headed to the theater. When I got in there I was the only one there, I found my spot, sat, and grabbed my bible.

I read the story of Noah while I was waiting. Right before the movie game I prayed to see God's work through this movie. I prayed for inspiration to get the story he wanted us to read. Here is things I noticed that was highlighted in the movie.


"3When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth. 6When Seth had lived 105 years, he became the father of Enosh. 9When Enosh had lived 90 years, he became the father of Kenan.12When Kenan had lived 70 years, he became the father of Mahalalel. 15When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he became the father of Jared. 18When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch. 





21When Enoch had lived 65 years, he became the father of Methuselah. 22After he became the father of Methuselah, Enoch walked faithfully with God 300 years and had other sons and daughters. 23Altogether, Enoch lived a total of 365 years. 24Enoch walked faithfully with God; then he was no more, because God took him away.


25When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he became the father of Lamech. 28When Lamech had lived 182 years, he had a son. 29 He named him Noah and said, “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed.” 32After Noah was 500 years old, he became the father of Shem, Ham and Japheth." (Genesis 5:3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21-24, 25, 28-29, 32) (NIV)
Then I read the story of the flood and saw something I never saw before. 
5The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord." Genesis 6:4-8 (NIV)
In the beginning of Noah my heart ached because the destruction of earth do to man. God sends a dream to Noah that he going to flood the earth. Noah is the only one he speaks to but in short dreams. Noah is from the line of Seth.  
The movie plays with this feeling rivarly between Cain and his youngest brother Seth. Seth line took care of the earth and the animals that God gave Adam and Eve as thier job in watching and protecting the earth and the animals. 




"4The Nephilim were on the earth in those days—and also afterward—when the sons of God went to the daughters of humans and had children by them. They were the heroes of old, men of renown.




To me Noah was a story of mercy and a call to believers in protecting the poor and innocent.  

I am going to try to write more later but I am uber busy. 

Love, Evynn

Praying for Ukraine shirt.

This is a really important cause to me. I believe that to support something is to think about it, support it, and talk about it. In buying a shirt you get to think about every time you put it on, show your support, and have a conversation starter ready. 

The money from this shirt goes to the churches in Ukraine that my home church has supported for years. The shirts are 15 a piece and a 5 shipping fee. I am not asking you to buy but pray and take a look. I also hope you will share this with your friends and family. The campaign is open til Saturday. 

This is the back

I have high hopes that God will work through this. Because what is happening makes me hurt physically and emotionally. Please consider and share.

This is the front and the summary

Here is the Link: https://www.booster.com/pray

--

Your Sister,
Evynn Alexander

Thirst: What makes you mad?

Family, 

We all thirst for something. Everyone does. We thirst for something to drink, thirst for something more. Relationships: this thirst can cause us problems.

A question was brought up to me in bible class. The question was: what makes you mad? Let me clarify what injustice or fact makes you mad at as Christian? My answer popped into my head silently saying "Thirst." 

Seven or so years ago the water crisis in other part of the world like Africa and Philippines was told to me. A growing thirst that the only quench by unclean water. That gives the people diseases. The only water source  for all the supply for everything. A THIRST for water. 

Four years ago in June will be the anniversary of going to Ukraine. Now a there is a thirst. A thirst for hope, for love, and spiritual growth. 

The first week of my first year there was some baptism.  A thirst to be saved. On both sides a thirst for Relationship with someone. Isaiah 41:17-18, 

"When the poor and needy seek water,

    and there is none,

    and their tongue is parched with thirst,

I the Lord will answer them,

    I the God of Israel will not forsake them.

18 

I will open rivers on the bare heights,

    and fountains in the midst of the valleys;

I will make the wilderness a pool of water,

    and the dry land springs of water."

Verse 17 states the need and in verse 18 God fullfills it.  

We all thirst. I sometimes imagine myself at the well. When Jesus confronted that Samaritan woman. I am the Samaritan woman. Yearning thirst for that living water. Everlasting taste of this water.  Now I can't turn back. I thirst to learn more about people and love people as Jesus loved me. 

For those who thirst anger me the fact there are so many thirsty.  The children thirsty pains me. "27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world." James 1:27 

One horrible thing that I don't know how to change it.  I leave my heart everywhere. We could have never spoken but I know you  through someone else. This has my heart so it gets crushed so easily. However we are meant to love one another. 

Even Israel were called in Deuteronomy 10:17-18 "17 For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, 18 who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing." To love the strangers and needy. 

We are supposed to fill a need we see among our brothers and sisters. The world is thirsty may we not invite them to drink.  

Even if we see a need in the world should strive to fill the thirst.  Cause to get you rilled up or mad. I understand your things but John 4. Really calls to my heart. Ever since, Sunday I am finding new verse that confirming a thirst/want. 

Let us thirst together in a family and body. For let us be how Paul said to the Corinthian church, "10 We are fools for the sake of Christ, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute. 11 To the present hour we are hungry and thirsty, we are poorly clothed and beaten and homeless, 12 and we grow weary from the work of our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; 13 when slandered, we speak kindly. We have become like the rubbish of the world, the dregs of all things, to this very day." 1 Corinthians 4:10-13 

For we are one body and let our thirst be know and strive for everlasting well JESUS prepared for us. To quench this thirst. 


Love, 
Your sister through Christ, 

Evynn  

Eye to Eye

Wonder what Jesus eyes are

Oh Savior of the world

What color are your eyes 

Are they blue as the seas 

You spoke on

Giving lessons for us 

To lean on

Oh Savior, Son of the Father

Eyes you sees through you

Green as trees 

You spoke about bearing fruit

What color are they?

Oh Savior with children

On your lap

Did your eyes twinkle?

As those precious children

Tell you the stories of their best friends

A spark lighting your eyes

Reaching your smile

Oh Precious Savior

Oh Savior child

Mary's son

Who traveled over the desert

To be born you in the stable

Are your eyes brown

As the sand under your mother's feet

When she walked 

With Her Lord, Your Father

Oh Savior nailed to the cross

With tears in your eyes

Asking for our forgiveness

Did you lose your sparkle?

That decorated your eye

While you gave up your life

What color were your eyes?

Red from tears 

Did your eyes brighten up

Oh Savior ascending in front of eyes

Out of the empty tomb

Jesus, Are your eyes Hazel?

Reflecting ourselves back at us

Sparkles hints

Sea of blue, green as the trees

And brown of sand

Peeking out in the sparkles

As you look upon us

Oh Savior, heart full of love

What color are your eyes?

For it is all about you

Guess we won't know 

The eye color of you, the Savior

Until You invite me

Into the Golden Gates

Seeing you Face to Face

Eye to Eye

Valentine Little Debbie's Cakes

So the year is coming to the end, Christmas has only pasted a few days ago. Guess what...I saw in Walmart today?? I spied little Debbie's "be mine" cakes in their red, pink, and white glory. The Christmas cakes just ran out in clearance section and the Valentine cakes are in their place. Go up a few aisles and half of one side of the candy section, I spied heart covered red, pink, and white candy bags and boxes. Thankfully that is the only places I spotted that in the store.

Everything in the stores and around us is about moving into the future. Think about the future what are you planning for the next day. I have never seen the movie, Click. From what I have gathered from people who have watched it is Adam S.'s character used this magic clicker (he gets somewhere) to fast forward, pause, and slow down parts of his life. He fast forwards to get a promotion after promotion. When the climate hit he realized everything he missed on by fast forwarding with his family.Where he lost all of them. I am not sure how the movie ends but I would not be surprised if he got to rewind his life and change it.  

That is... the beauty and power of movies. In the fictional world there is a chance to go back. For us there is no chance to go back. There is a question that is posed on some of the Asian dramas I watch. "What you would do if you could begin your life again?" Those questions always perplexed me for you can change something about your life now.  

A life cannot begin again with Jesus Christ and you cannot start from the very beginning. There is a warning in Jesus teachings that is not to worry in Matthew 6:34 about not worrying about the future.  Days can be spent thinking about the future wasting the perfectly good day now.

As you start the new year create a goal whether its giving up pop or soda, giving up sweets, or start reading the bible everyday. 

Take it one day at a time. 

Shopping for gifts

Brothers and Sisters,

It has been a while since I posted and I have many things running through my mind. I apologize ahead of time for some scatters. A lot of stuff happening in the world around us in the last few days with Christmas so near and year drawing to a close. 

A Food for thought: "...because the Bible says so and not because we (Christians) or Phil Robertson says so" --Karen Scism

The days till Christmas are 4 or 3 days away. Earlier this Friday evening, I was walking through Madel's looking for ideas for gifts and things were popping out at me.  The 'things' were not gift ideas but things I felt compelled to get and read.
Books like

• Bible in America by :with everything that is going on in this country from the ever-changing Obamacare, the social rampage of Social groups and the entire too silent Christian community 
• 5 Love Languages of Children by Gary:  The desire that fills me everyday to understand the people around me. I want to read all the 5 love languages books but this sparked my interest more than others. The future is unknown but learning these would prepare a heart for others.
• God has a plan for your life: Embracing Change by Freeman-Smith: For the last year or so this has been my theme through out my life and trying to make a sense of the plan from day to day. 
• He Walks Among Us: Encounters with Christ in a Broken World by Richard Stearns:  this book hit closer to home for it is a Photography along with stories a grappling sense. Things like this inspire me. 
• Kissing Kate: A story of rentless love and redemption by Katie Davis: Real life stories inspiring us to move.
• The Lamb's Agenda by Samuel R.:  

These are some of the books that popped out of me for my reading list in the future that will help shape me. 

In Christ's Love, 

Evynn

Brother...? Sister.....?

A dog pile of Christianity brotherly love. 

What happened to calling each other brothers and sisters in Christ! A new way I have been looking at those boys in church and body of Christ, not as prospective date. Some one pointed out to me that I needed to look at them as God's Creatures and Brothers in Christ. For that is what they are. When you start looking at them that way you can start a deeper relationship not only in a worldly way but spiritual one as well. 

A relationship to comfort, support, and hold each other in the walk and body of Christ. 

A giant group hug of my brothers and sisters.
I love these kids.

 I am in a time in my life where I am changing my thinking. The crushes I have liked is not the ones I like now.... Really I am not crushing on anyone. For it is a process into thinking about these boys I see everyday but don't really interact with as brothers. However I have always been friends is family person. If you were my friend then you are like my brother or sister.

Picture taken by Heather Blevins
June 2011

 Isn't this how God wants us to be? Calling each other "Brother Smith" and "Sister Smith." Our older brothers, elders, professors call us younger siblings... brother and sister.  I believe and could bet that God smiles every time these older siblings call us "brother or sister"

My daddy is my brother in Christ and he is already with the Lord asking his questions. When a sibling is struggling we are told/ called to help them, embrace them and to be God's hands and feet to our brothers. Before I was even baptized into the family, brothers and sisters wrote stories about my dad and put together books for my siblings and me.

Sisters then and sisters now through Christ sat with me at my dad's funeral an personal relationship of sisters. I know there is a time when that you ever needed something another has lifted you up.

Why can't we call brother and sister giving us a reminder of our journey does not stop here. Our Journey leads to the gold finish line.

Now, Brothers and Sisters? Are you going to call some one brother in this new blood family through Christ?

Sister Heather surrounded by kids we love.