God 7 - Barbara Lynn Seibel

November 27, 2022November 25, 2022

What Are You Joyfully Celebrating? Part One.

Twice a day we prepare food for our pets pictured above, sharing some sunbeams.

The tortoiseshell and white cat named Tink demands her food, starting an hour or more before we usually feed her.

The gray cat named Gunny will occasionally issue a weak and pitiful-sounding meow if she thinks we’re taking too long to prep the food. Mostly, though, she just paces the room while we prep the food. Well, and sometimes tackles Tink for some unknown reason. Hmmm. Maybe Gunny thinks Tink should be quieter? Giggling…

Meghan, the canine, has a very different reaction. Her response to the sounds and smells of food being prepared for her is pure, unabashed joy. She dances and jumps while wagging her tail at the prospect of receiving her meal every time we prepare it. Her tongue hangs out with a touch of drool and a distinct sparkle is in her eyes regarding the anticipation of the tasty meal being prepared.

Seeing Meghan’s joy at mealtime always brings a smile to my face, no matter what I may have dealt with prior to that moment.

And it causes me to wonder about what stirs pure, unabashed joy in my heart.

November 20, 2022November 20, 2022

When a Nonbeliever Forgives You

Have you ever been caught lying?

Maybe it was when you were still a child, or perhaps it was just last week!

What prompted you to lie?

How did the lie get discovered?

How does God use our moments of failure to bring not only correction but healing?

Consider with me the story of Isaac in Genesis 26.

November 13, 2022November 11, 2022

Why Have You Come To Me?

Imagine what types of contexts you might ask, “Why have you come to me?”

Does a positive or negative context come to mind first? Why do you think that is?

Have you ever asked this question of someone? Or maybe someone asked you this question?

Why did the question need to be asked in either situation?

Join me in looking at a time Isaac asked this question in Genesis 26:27.

November 6, 2022November 3, 2022

Responding to Envy with Honor

What are some examples of honor?

Do you envision government or military officials that hold a high rank?

Maybe you think of students who showed superior academic abilities.

How about the privilege of going first in a sport or other activity?

One definition of honor I found is the center point of the upper half of an armorial escutcheon. Yes, I had to look up both armorial and escutcheon.

These definitions of honor aside, what does it mean to respond to envy with honor?

Join me as we consider an example from Isaac in Genesis 26:17-18.

October 30, 2022October 28, 2022

When Prosperity Brings Envy

Prosperity is the condition of being successful or thriving.

We derive success from a favorable or desired outcome, often involving the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence.

Success or prosperity characterizes thriving.

As a result, we typically consider prosperity a positive situation.

Yet, prosperity for one person or people group can stir envy from those who are nearby.

Envy is a painful or resentful awareness of an advantage enjoyed by another joined with a desire to possess the same advantage or to cause pain, injury, or distress to the one envied.

Join me in looking at Genesis 26:14-16, when Isaac’s prosperity brought envy to the Philistines.

October 23, 2022October 22, 2022

Harvest Blessings and Prosperity

My maternal grandfather was a wheat farmer. He grew other things and had some animals too, but I mostly remember the wheat crops.

After grandad passed, my mother and her sisters discovered some letters in his belongings where he was discussing why his wheat had such exceptional quality even though it failed to produce as much yield as other farmers in the area.

Turns out my grandfather was an organic farmer. He refused to spray chemicals on his land crops while also practicing crop rotation to improve the soil quality.

I have also been told that my grandfather received many offers for his land over the years, but he refused to sell it even after he could no longer farm the land himself after having a heart attack. Instead, he rented out his land to an approved farmer that would maintain the same practices he had. This was his way of continuing his farming career and providing for his family.

Why am I sharing about my grandad’s farming?

How is it related to Genesis 26:12-13?

October 16, 2022October 15, 2022

Responding to Someone’s Lie

How do you respond when you discover someone lied to you?

Years ago, my sister and I received two female kittens from our grandparent’s farm to take to our home. My sister named the all-white kitten Cinderella. I named the calico kitten Charlie. But after enjoying them at our home for a short amount of time, we returned them to the farm. I do not remember why.

We would regularly visit the farm and call out for Cinderella and Charlie, seeing them scamper toward us.

I do not recall how much time had passed until one day she and I were sitting on the fence calling for the two cats when my sister suddenly blurted out a tractor had run Charlie over months ago.

My sister further revealed that everyone had been lying to me about this for some time.

How do you think I responded?

What does this have to do with Gen 26:9-11?

October 9, 2022October 8, 2022

Caught for Truth Spinning

Have you ever spun the truth for any reason?

Children to adults are bound to have practiced truth spinning.

Over thirty-three years ago, I did some truth spinning when I missed an agreed-upon time for a date.

I told the truth about why I was not present at the agreed-upon time while leaving out the details I was late because of a date I had planned with a different person.

Oh, the webs we can weave with partial truth and lies!

What compels us to spin the truth?
Is truth spinning something we learn from others or a prime instinct for self-preservation?

What does this have to do with Genesis 26:8?

October 2, 2022October 2, 2022

Whose Advice Do You Heed?

When facing a crisis or hard decision, whose advice do you heed?

Friends?

Relatives?

Coworkers?

Professionals?

All the above?

Does your answer change depending on the type of decision you are facing?

Last week, I shared some about how my husband and I settled in South Carolina.

The motivating factor behind our relocation was my husband’s initial job loss. We needed advice regarding a variety of needs. So, our process involved talking with all the above relationships to meet these needs.

As I shared last week, we moved to South Carolina, even though we had zero friends, relatives, or previous coworkers in the area.

What does this have to do with Genesis 26:6?

September 25, 2022September 24, 2022

How do you recharge?

Several weeks ago, I dealt with some digestive issues stirred by a combination of juggling too many projects, overly rich foods, and some tainted food.

Then I traveled to a conference for my day job while still having concerns about my digestive system.

Upon returning from the conference, I have been operating in “catch up” mode.

Not just at my day job, but also at home and for my writing pursuits.

What do I do to recharge my body, mind, emotions, and spirit to sustain me and overcome stress?

What does this have to do with Bible study?