1st Apr

:D
such a co-incidental way of lamenting from my 2 classmates. :D

3 more years of teaching and then I will quit and go sell Otak Otak
3 more years of teaching & I'll go sell fishballs..

:D looks like this Teaching Practise is really having its toil on us.

hmm... think now is in the husband and wife season. :D cos I got an inspiration yet again about husband and wife... :X

we're reading from 1 Samuel 25
-
Once there lived a rich man, having 3000 sheeps and 1000 goats, shearing for a living. He goes by the name Nabal, Crude and Mean was the meaning. With him is his wife Abigail, Sensible and Beautiful.
The day comes for celebration, and David sent his man to Nabal for some offerings. That Nabal may spare some meat and good cuts for the celebration.

“Peace and prosperity to you, your family, and everything you own! v7 I am told that it is sheep-shearing time. While your shepherds stayed among us near Carmel, we never harmed them, and nothing was ever stolen from them. v8 Ask your own men, and they will tell you this is true. So would you be kind to us, since we have come at a time of celebration? Please share any provisions you might have on hand with us and with your friend David.” said David's servants.

and Nabal replied:
“Who is this fellow David?” “Who does this son of Jesse think he is? There are lots of servants these days who run away from their masters. v11 Should I take my bread and my water and my meat that I’ve slaughtered for my shearers and give it to a band of outlaws who come from who knows where?”

David's anger aroused greatly. so gathered together with him were 400 over as a strong army.

Then came one servant to Abigail
"David sent messengers from the wilderness to greet our master, but he screamed insults at them. v15 These men have been very good to us, and we never suffered any harm from them. Nothing was stolen from us the whole time they were with us. v16 In fact, day and night they were like a wall of protection to us and the sheep. v17 You need to know this and figure out what to do, for there is going to be trouble for our master and his whole family. He’s so ill-tempered that no one can even talk to him!”

Wasting no time, Abigail gathered good supplies and of considerable amount, v19 and said to her servants, “Go on ahead. I will follow you shortly.” But she didn’t tell her husband Nabal what she was doing.

David was riding in the valleys towards the house and Nabel when he said "21b A lot of good it did to help this fellow. We protected his flocks in the wilderness, and nothing he owned was lost or stolen. But he has repaid me evil for good. 22 May God strike me and kill me if even one man of his household is still alive tomorrow morning!”

When Abigail saw David, she went ahead of David and bowed low, crying out, she said, "Oh please David, spare me your ears. I apologize on Nabel's behalf, I know Nabal is wicked and ill-tempered man, please don't pay any attention to him. I am not aware of the young lad that you've sent."

And Abigail gave him a well carved speech to not take vengeance into his own hands, and present him with the goods he had asked for for his celebration.
"When the Lord has done all he promised and has made you leader of Israel, 31 don’t let this be a blemish on your record. Then your conscience won’t have to bear the staggering burden of needless bloodshed and vengeance. And when the Lord has done these great things for you, please remember me, your servant!”

"David replied to Abigail, “Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who has sent you to meet me today! 33 Thank God for your good sense! Bless you for keeping me from murder and from carrying out vengeance with my own hands. 34 For I swear by the Lord, the God of Israel, who has kept me from hurting you, that if you had not hurried out to meet me, not one of Nabal’s men would still be alive tomorrow morning.” 35 Then David accepted her present and told her, “Return home in peace. I have heard what you said. We will not kill your husband.”"

When Abigail arrived home, she found Nabal to be in a celebration. Abigail chose not to tell him that night. In the morning when she broke the news to him, his heart broke and suffered a stroke. The Lord strike him ten days later and he died.
-

A typical scenario of a wife being married to a man who could be better. and because of what she did, her quickness, the family was saved except the man who speak against the man of God.

Really its about covering the mistake of the other. Not running away behind a divorce.
From the AMP Bible
"... Abigail, the woman whom God has specifically held up as a pattern of right behavior in an unfortunate marriage. Here a dozen vital questions are answered through Abigail's example. She could not have known that thousands of years later people in similar circumstances would become "more than conquerors" because of her, but God knew." ... "Never let the evil disposition of one mate hinder the devotion and grace of the other. Never let the difficulties of your home lead you to abdicate your throne. Do not step down to the level of your circumstances, but lift them to your own high calling in Christ. "Be not conformed... but be ye transformed (Rom 12:1,2 KJV).""

Imagine if instead of what she did, she lamented and had a fit with the husband.
:D
Which once again is very typical. "Why you want to buy that new sound system... why the new car... see la, now the bank wants to come and claim our home..."

on the lighter note:



Be Bless!

Love,
Amanda