She Laughs. She Prays.

Last night I gave my breast milk and sleep away to my infant.

I handed my last piece of sausage and last pair of socks to a pre-teen.

I used my last gallon of gas to drive my eight-year-old to the doctor giving up my weekly Bible study.

A favorite blanket and some late-night television choices went to this very sick child.

Midday I spent my waning energy helping another child develop and finish a school project.

My young hands turned into wrinkles after I washed the sink-full of dishes.

Tears wetted my cheeks as I cried in disappointment over the lies of a child.

Three meals a day for a family of seven means volunteering my time and our money, so much that neither belongs to me.

My house looks lived in with loads of dishes and laundry.

I’m giving up on keeping it clean.

As a mother, I ultimately give. I am made to give, asked to give, and overwhelmed by giving.

How can I make time for myself? How can I fulfil my dreams? What is God desiring of me?

I cry one more time, “God, I feel forgotten and alone. Don’t forget me. God use my talents.”

--Valerie Burgess, 1999

Happy Mother's Day to all the giving Moms! We sometimes feel this way as parents, but giving is worth it. God sees. God knows. (Flower painting by Zane Burgess)

Our One Year Bibles finally arrived at Bristol Bay Church, Dillingham, AK. We have decided to start on March 17, 2024, which means it will take until next March 17, 2025, to finish reading all the way through. If you asked for a soft cover copy or would like one, please see me on anytime this week or on Sunday. I have about 10 of these. You can also purchase the electronic copy on Christianbook.com The One Year Chronological Bible NLT - eBook: 9781414361628 - Christianbook.com I will have a few journals and notebooks as well in case you want one to keep your answers in to the questions below in a notebook. And/or send them to me and we can stay in contact: pastorval@bristolbay.church

For those who want to read along in your own Bible, I will publish the passages for the week in a special column to check off. I look forward to reading with you. Each week I will also send some study questions to go with your reading if you choose to use them. Reply with questions and answers. I look forward to reading God's Word with you daily.

May 6

I Kings 2

2 Samuel 23:1-7

I Chronicles 29:26-30

Psalm 4-6

Psalm 8-9, 11

May7

Psalm 12-17

Psalm 19-20

May 8

Psalms 22-26

May 9

Psalms 27-32

May 10

Psalms 35-38

May 11

Psalms 39-41

Psalms 53, 55, 58

May 12

Psalms 61-62

Psalms 64-67

May 6

1) I Kings 2:2-3 describes how David told his son to "Take courage and be a man." What can we learn from these verses?

2) In 2 Samuel 23:1-7, how are the righteous described or compared to?

3) Psalm 5:7 and 6:4 speak of God's unfailing love. What does this mean?

May7

1) What can we learn from Psalm 12:5-6?

2) According to Psalm 15, how should our character be described if we want to worship God with pure hearts?

3) According to Psalm 20:7, who do we boast in?

May 8

1) In Psalms 22-24, what parts point us to Jesus?

2) Some of these are prophetic. Which are prophetic and where in the Bible are the prophecies fulfilled?

3) What does Psalm 26:2 mean? How does that apply to your life? Are you willing to put yourself to the test?

May 9

1) What verse or verses resonate with you in Psalm 27? Why?

2) David refers to the sanctuary in Psalm 28:2. The King James Version calls it the "holy oracle." The NIV calls it "Most Holy Place." The NIV capitalizes it. What is David referring to with these words?

3) Psalm 29 refers to the strength of the voice of the Lord. Read and then describe the strength of his voice. Where else does God's voice show him strong?

May 10

1) Psalms 35: 22-25 use words as if someone is on trial. Discuss who is on trial? Why did David use these words.

2) Find the promises in Psalm 37. Which one do you need to remember? What is asked of us to see the promise fulfilled?

3) In Psalm 38:18, David gives an example of something we need to do daily. What is it?

May 11

Psalms 39:7 describes our hope? Who is our hope? Are there any other words that describe our hope in today's reading?

Psalms 53 speaks of an atheist. How is the atheist described?,

Psalm 58:11 speaks of the opposite. What does it describe?

May 12

1) In Psalm 61-62, what words does God use to describe how he protects us?

2) In Psalms 66:5-6, What post miracle does these verses point to?

April 29

1) 2 Samuel 17:14 gives interesting information and foretells what the ultimate fate of Absalom will be. Write down what this verse says about Absalom's fate? How does this make you feel? Although we don't know Absalom's fate at this time, we know that God allowed them to choose the way of the advisor who would lead to Absalom's defeat. We need to stay close to Jesus, so we can make good choices that don't lead to our defeat.

2) After reading 2 Samuel 17:15-19:30, tell how Absalom died. Absalom's hair got a caught in a tree and he could not get down. He was shot with three darts from Joab and killed by Joab's men. Then he was put in a great pit with stones laid upon him. What was David's response? And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!

3) Find the lie in Psalm 3. Have you heard a similar lie from the devil? “God will never rescue him!” I hear this daily as I try new things, as I move about my work. I hear from the evil one, that God doesn't care.

April 30

1) What is the argument in 2 Samuel 19:41-43 about? The divided kingdoms of Israel and Judah were fighting over who had a greater right to accompany King David into Jerusalem.

2) How does it relate to the statement made in 2 Samuel 20:2? Judah proved their faithfulness by marching with him all the way to Jerusalem.

3) In I Chronicles 20:4-8, what happens to the Giants of Gath? They were all killed.

4) Speculate on who Cush of the tribe of Benjamin might be from reading Psalm 7? Is he a friend or foe of King David? He was a foe of David. From the poem, Cush was trying to kill David over something he had been accused of but did not do. He was asking God to preserve his life out of justice and truth.

May 1

1) Consider 2 Samuel 22:1 and the opening to Psalm 18. What does it say David did during times of need? During this time of need was he feeling victory or distraught? David would sing after a victory, when God would rescue him during times of need. He always reached out to God, whether he was in the midst of battle, hiding, or finally victorious. Psalms records his songs.

2) In 2 Samuel 22:20-30, for what reasons does it say God rewarded David? God delights in him because he did right which lead to his innocence; He kept God's ways and did not follow evil; He kept God's laws and decrees; God saw David as faithful, pure, and honest.

3) What happened to the giants of Gath and what does that mean for the future of giants in Israel? The giants were all killed for the safety of Israel. Perhaps that is why we do hear of the giants.

4) Find a way to encourage yourself in the Lord using Psalm 7. One suggestion would be to copy a favorite verse on to a note card. Then hang it up somewhere where you can see it.

May 2

1) Compare 2 Samuel 24:1 to I Chronicles 21:1. How would you discern the differences in these verses? There have been other times (such as Job) where God allows, for various reasons, Satan to have a looser reign over the decisions of man. In this case, Satan planted the idea of a census in David's heart, according to these verses. But God allowed this to happen.

2) Read these verses in light of Exodus 30:11-16. How does this help you identify the sin? God said a census should not be taken unless everyone had atoned for the sin of a census by presenting a half a shekel as offering to the Lord. David evidently did not give this opportunity or instruction to the people. If he had, no plague would have struck against them. See I Chronicles 21:14.

3) Compare 2 Samuel 24:9 to I Chronicles 21:4-5. Why is there a difference in numbers recorded for the census? It's hard to know why the difference as the literature given was not written from an accounting standpoint. We do know that one counted all who could handle a sword and the other capable warriors. Was there a difference? Perhaps even older men could handle a sword but not counted under capable warriors. One says he went through all of Israel accept Levi and Benjamin and another went to a certain geographic marker.

May 3

1) Read I Chronicles 24:5. Why did they "cast lots" for the positions in the temple? To make the choice fair and impartial. But beyond that was the belief that God was behind the practice. “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD,”

Our New Living Translation says this, "We may throw the dice,
but the Lord determines how they fall." Proverbs 16:33

2) Define cast lots. Using sticks or random objects to point to a decision or choose a direction for a person's life or distribution of property.

3) Which position in the temple would you prefer? Is there something in your church that is similar where you could serve? (personal choice)

May 4

1) Describe the role of gatekeeper for Israel. Can we make a spiritual application for the term gatekeeper? Consider the Holy Spirit and your conscience as gate keepers in light of Psalm 141:3.

For an interesting reading, The Holy War by Paul Bunyon illustrates the need of a spiritual gatekeeper. This famous town of Mansoul had five gates, in at which to come, out of which to go; and these were . . . impregnable, and such as could never be opened nor forced but by the will and leave of those within. The names of the gates were these: Ear-gate, Eye-gate, Mouth-gate, Nose-gate, and Feel-gate” (chapter 1, p. 62–63).

2) John 10:9 says who is our gatekeeper? Jesus

May 5

1) In I Chronicles 29:10-16, what do these verses tell us about giving to the Lord? Everything we have has come from you, and we give you only what you first gave us!

2) Who does God say can build the temple? Solomon

3) In I Kings 1, who is Adonijah? David's son who made himself King in his father's stead.

4) How does King Solomon treat Adonijah? He treated Adonijah as a loyal servant sending him home.

Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?

all the days of her life.

Proverbs 31:10-12

Volume 1, Issue 7, April 29-May 5, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/rvg50

Volume 1, Issue 6, April 22-28, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/ke6mfb

Volume 1, Issue 5, April 15-21, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/ht0j9

Volume 1, Issue 4, April 8-14, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/ehqns

Volume 1, Issue 3, April 1-7, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/ehqns

Volume 1, Issue 2, March 25-31, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/buyf6

Volume 1, Issue 1, March 17-24, 2024 https://secure.smore.com/n/buyf6

As winter and darkness cover gently yet completely the strong lands of the Nushagak River, the Wood River, the Egigik, Cinder, Igushik, Kvichak, Meshik, Naknek, Togiak and Ugashik. As the lakes ice over and the tides roll in and out with frozen blocks.

Bristol Bay mothers live strong and bold raising children with equal tenacity.

Yet still, today one mother lays a child to their eternal rest.

Other mothers wrestle in prayer to stop the seemingly never-ending winter of alcoholism

and drugs that destroys homes.

God knows. God cares.

Tomorrow in strength and resilience,

Bristol Bay mothers look for signs of Spring,

Wild celery shoots, beach greens, and fiddle heads.

Salmon spawning in the rivers. Herring and smelt filling buckets. The beluga whales returning.

Berries growing on the tundra, on the mountainside and in the forests.

Bristol Bay lands yield life for the gatherer, fisher and family. Life for the river and the bay. Life.

Abundant life bearing fruit, producing leaves for healing, and multiplying marine life for sustenance.

Spring yields children running on the beach searching for Japanese glass balls and shells.

High school graduates aiming high with college dreams and workforce jobs.

Bristol Bay mothers advocate for the future of their families through prayer and actions.

They turn the heads of legislators and society as they present their culture, their lifestyle, and fight for the protection of the land that yields life.

They continue to teach their children the values and culture their parents passed down.

They pray much for the change from winter to Spring.

Bristol Bay's people live and work in an environment of harsh winter climate and joy yielding Spring.

They owe their stamina to the mothers of Bristol Bay who create loving homes. These mothers are “Bristol Bay Strong.” Pray these mothers are "Jesus Strong."