Lauren Sparks

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Praying God’s Word Wednesday #40: Purim

March 16, 2022 by Lauren 8 Comments

The celebration of purimToday marks the beginning of the Jewish celebration of Purim.  This holiday commemorates the saving of the Jewish people from Haman.  The biblical book of Esther tells the entire story.

 

In my daily office (time with the Lord) I am currently studying the book of Esther.  I love this story.  I have read it before, but only recently came to know that people still celebrate it today.  And celebrate big!  Folks dress up in silly costumes, lavish money on the poor, send gifts of food to friends, eat a sumptuous meal and drink too much.  It is a time of gaity as Jewish people denounce plots to destroy their people and remember the resilience of their ancestors.

 

What a great time to pray one of my favorite scriptures from the OT book of Esther.  It is probably Esther’s most well known passage as well – especially if you parented during the Veggie Tales craze.  

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“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?”

Esther 4:14 NASB

 

Queen Esther’s cousin Haman was pleading with her to go before the king and inform him of the plot to kill the Jews while asking him to spare them (and herself – she was Jewish).  In his appeal he indicates that maybe she was made queen in order to save her people in this very moment.  None of my relatives have royal blood, but I still see parallels.  My prayer:

 

the celebration of purim

 

 

If you have never read the story of Esther for yourself, study it this week (it’s not long).  And while you’re there, look for ways the story points us to Jesus – even though it happened hundreds of years before His birth.  You will be blessed.

 

Replace the pronouns with the appropriate ones for the person (or yourself) that you are praying for.

 

Praying for you in this.  And don’t forget to share on social media or with a friend who could benefit.  It would mean so much to me.  And if you don’t want to miss a Praying God’s Word Wednesday, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page.

Lauren

 

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On Black History Month…and Grace and Truth Link Up

February 19, 2021 by Lauren 22 Comments

Well…best laid plans.  I intended to write a post on Black History month and continuing to educate ourselves on this important part of American history as well as the fight for racial justice.  But instead, snowpocolypse hit much of the south and Texas faced unprecedented (man, I weary of that word) power outages leaving us and millions of others without electricity, heat, and in some cases water.  All the while temps reached only into the teens and dropped to single digits every night.

 

Hotels booked quickly and roads were not safe to travel since the Lone Star State doesn’t have many sand trucks nor other equipment to clear the roads.  Sweet friends living just around the block blessed us with their electricity and extra beds.  Grateful can’t describe our feelings.  So grateful in fact, that upon finally moving back home, we returned the favor to another family without power.

 

We enjoyed great fellowship and some laughs, but not any alone time to work or write.  So here I sit – safe, sound and warm.  But out of time.  So I will simply simply share the things used to learn from in honor of Black History Month.

 

  1.  I’m Still Here:  Black Dignity in a World Made for Whiteness by Austin Channing Brown.  This book is hard to read.  But not nearly so hard as it was and probably still is for Ms. Brown to live.  And after hearing some of what can constitute a microaggression, I am more convinced than ever that I have more work to do personally.  I believe this author will continue to be a powerful voice in the battle for racial equity.
  2. How to Fight Racism with Jemar Tisby.  Since I already had my February read picked out, my husband joined me in watching this series based on the book of the same name.   Tisby lays out his ARC method – Awareness, Relationship and Commitment as a means of battling racial injustice.  He packs each 20 minute episode with eye opening, helpful and challenging information.  While episodes on Amazon cost $4.99 each (well worth it), if you have access to RightNow Media you can watch for free!
  3. Africa Before Transatlantic Enslavement and 5 Unsung Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement.  The folks at Be the Bridge reminded me that Black History Month is not just about the struggles of people of color, but their contributions.  They recommended these two articles.  I’m almost not smart enough to read the first.  It took some concentration.  But both taught me a lot!

You’ve still got time to commemorate this month.  And keep learning for months to come.  For more resources I recommend (books, movies and podcasts), click here.

 

And now for this week’s featured post!

I can’t think of a better thing to read this week of Valentine’s (and any week, really) than words straight from God’s word on “love”.  Visit candidlychristian.com for Heather Hart’s 6 Bible Verses About God’s Love.

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1. Share 1 or 2 of your most recent CHRISTIAN LIVING posts. (No DIY, crafts, recipes, or inappropriate articles.) All links are randomly sorted.

2. Comment on 1 or 2 other links. Grace & Truth linkup encourages community.

3. Every host features one entry from the previous week. To be featured, include this button or link back here on your post (mandatory to be featured, but not to participate).

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We encourage you to follow our hosts on their blogs or social media.

MAREE DEE – Embracing the Unexpected
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LAUREN SPARKS
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About Me

I love Jesus, my husband and caffeine. The order of these can change depending on how tired I am. When my two daughters, stepson, and 4 grandchildren get to be too much, I practice yoga. God graciously allows me to share our adventures, victories and flub-ups from my laptop. May He be glorified here.
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