I have changed the name and location of my blog to www.homeschoolblogger.com/mychara.  I changed it because "chara" means joy in Greek.  God is really showing me amazing things.  When it is God I've found he really brings things together full circle.  Everything seems to confirm what I heard before and everything fits together like a puzzle.  I mentioned I started a Beth Moore Bible Study.  It has been great and painful.  Growth is always painful.  Thru my growth it seems every bible teaching, bible passage, christian article or book I read confirms what I am studying in Beth Moore's study guide.  God wants to give me Joy.  The Greek word for Grace is Charis, which is very close to Chara - Joy.  As Beth Moore states, "Joy is literally written into grace!"  How much better my life will be if I remember this!  Joy is more than a feeling. Joy is a choice to trust in God.  Joy is a gift from God that cannot be forced but can be given to us when most needed.  As I learn to trust even more in God I want to remember the Joy of a surrendered life to Christ.  Surrendering is where I find Joy/Chara.  Surrendering is painful.  NOT a happy, feel good feeling the world describes.  Does it make me feel good?  Sometimes.  Sometimes it is just a peace that God is there and gives me the grace to carry on despite circumstances. "Joy is the second characteristic of the fruit of the Spirit."  Gal. 5:22-23

I find that I draw closest to God when I find time to have quiet time of prayer and a serious time of study.  For example, I am learning all kinds of Greek words.  I love that!  I also found out that the church of Galatia is located in modern day Turkey. More importantly, it goes deeper into issues I know but, it is good to revisit and dig deeper.

John 17 tells us Jesus demonstrates His love for us in this:

1. He reveals to us the Father.

2. He gives us the Father's Word.

3. He prays for us.

4. He protects us.

5. He sanctifies Himself.

6. He gives us His glory.

7. He places us in Him.

8. He makes the Father known to us.

9. He desires for us to be with Him and to see His glory.

John 17

The High Priestly Prayer

 1Jesus spoke these things; and ^(A)lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; ^(B)glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,

 2even as ^(C)You gave Him authority over all flesh, that ^(D)to all whom You have given Him, ^(E)He may give eternal life.

 3"This is eternal life, that they may know You, ^(F)the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom ^(G)You have sent.

 4"^(H)I glorified You on the earth, ^(I)having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.

 5"Now, Father, ^(J)glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had ^(K)with You before the world was.

 6"^(L)I have manifested Your name to the men whom ^(M)You gave Me out of the world; they were ^(N)Yours and You gave them to Me, and they have ^(O)kept Your word.

 7"Now they have come to know that everything You have given Me is from You;

 8for ^(P)the words which You gave Me ^(Q)I have given to them; and they received them and truly understood that ^(R)I came forth from You, and they believed that ^(S)You sent Me.

 9"^(T)I ask on their behalf; ^(U)I do not ask on behalf of the world, but of those whom ^(V)You have given Me; for ^(W)they are Yours;

 10and ^(X)all things that are Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine; and I have been glorified in them.

 11"I am no longer in the world; and yet ^(Y)they themselves are in the world, and ^(Z)I come to You ^(AA)Holy Father, keep them in Your name, the name ^(AB)which You have given Me, that ^(AC)they may be one even as We are.

 12"While I was with them, I was keeping them in Your name ^(AD)which You have given Me; and I guarded them and ^(AE)not one of them perished but ^(AF)the son of perdition, so that the ^(AG)Scripture would be fulfilled.

The Disciples in the World

 13"But now ^(AH)I come to You; and ^(AI)these things I speak in the world so that they may have My ^(AJ)joy made full in themselves.

 14"I have given them Your word; and ^(AK)the world has hated them, because ^(AL)they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 15"I do not ask You to take them out of the world, but to keep them from ^(AM)the evil one.

 16"^(AN)They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 17"^(AO)Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.

 18"As ^(AP)You sent Me into the world, ^(AQ)I also have sent them into the world.

 19"For their sakes I ^(AR)sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be ^(AS)sanctified ^(AT)in truth.

 20"I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word;

 21that they may all be one; ^(AU)even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, ^(AV)so that the world may believe that ^(AW)You sent Me.

Their Future Glory

 22"The ^(AX)glory which You have given Me I have given to them, that they may be one, just as We are one;

 23^(AY)I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that ^(AZ)You sent Me, and ^(BA)loved them, even as You have loved Me.

 24"Father, I desire that ^(BB)they also, whom You have given Me, ^(BC)be with Me where I am, so that they may see My ^(BD)glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before ^(BE)the foundation of the world.

 25"O ^(BF)righteous Father, although ^(BG)the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that ^(BH)You sent Me;

 26and ^(BI)I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known, so that ^(BJ)the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

More to come soon...