Grow Issue (January/February 2020)

volume 9, issue 1

GROW no 1

january/february 2020

JANUARY - FEBRUARY 2020

CONTRIBUTORS

- writers -

JO A. RUTH / ANGELA DAWNE / KARA LINABURG / REBECCA

CARAWAY / SARAH CNOSSEN / LISA ELIS / GHEVONT PANOSIAN /

EMILY SEAVER / MARY GRACE MYERS / JANELLE WOOD

- special contributor -

WHITNEY LOWE

- photography -

REBEKAH VIJAY / KARA LINABURG

- models -

RACHEL BROWN / EMILY CHECK

- illustrations -

KORING LINABURG / LISA ELIS / AMANDA BROWN

- design -

AMANDA BROWN

Volume No. 9, Issue No. 1

WWW.OHBELOVEDONE.COM

CONTENTS

GROW: the why and how of reading your Bible

love, paul how to get the most out of Paul's letters 08

where two are gathered a guide to small groups 13

property of 37

JOURNAL ENTRY NO. 4 40


not just

a resolution

33

listen

41

listen 41

who is Jesus 44

to thrive, not just survive 18

where 20


more than 23


translation battle 28

not just a resolution 33

who

is Jesus

44

cover: photo of Emily Check by Rebekah Vijay

visit

WWW.OHBELOVEDONE.COM

to purchase previous magazines

EDITOR’S NOTE

Amanda Brown

EDITOR - IN - CHIEF

When we were little, our Sunday School teachers asked us how

we become more like Jesus. The answer, of course, is "read our

Bible." So then why don't we?

That answer isn't enough for us anymore. We want to become

better people, to get over our anxiety and anger and fear and

irritability, but when we just hear "read your Bible" we get mad

that there's no practical five-step-program.

I am not the same person I was two years ago. I'm not the same

person I was three months ago, thank goodness. The reason? I

have discovered how important reading my Bible is. I seldom

start my weekdays without a solid 25 minutes or more in God's

Holy Book, journaling my thoughts and coming away with

applications I'd never thought of before.

If I don't read my Bible, I feel it now. God's presence doesn't

seem as noticeable; His love doesn't seem to flow through me

as much. In my conversation, it isn't natural to bring Him up.

I feel guilty (even though I don't need to) but my soul knows

it's missing something. It's like forgetting to open the blinds

in your bedroom in the morning, letting the light pour in and

wake you up make the bedroom warm for your return.

If you want to become more like Jesus, read. Your. Bible. We

get upset when people whittle it down to this, but it really is

this simple. In this issue, we're going to take those three words

a step farther, but God has made it simple on purpose. So: read.

Your. Bible. It'll change you unlike any program or printable.

amanda brown + team

weeds and flowers

grow from seeds.

which will you be?

— julia ryan

JANUARY/FEBRUARY NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 202019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM ARTICLE TITLE HERE

k i n g d o m

c r e a t i v e s

meet whitney lowe

behind the scenes of

@scribbledevos

Whitney Lowe runs @scribbledevos,

an inspiring, art-based daily

devotional on Instagram.

I basically wake up and do my

own devotional (Bible + prayer),

which I then continue to process

through writing. That writing

forms the caption for the post,

and then I make a design to go

with it. I probably should figure

out how to plan it out more than

I do! I like that it feels really

dependent on where God leads

me though.

MUSINGS

for fellow believers

My husband is a college pastor

and I also do a lot of work with

high school ministry, so I meet

with a lot of young women who

are struggling with their faith.

They don't know why they aren't

hearing from God, why He isn't

showing Himself to them.

Then I ask if they are spending

time in prayer and in Scripture,

and the answer is almost always

CREATIVE

OUTLETS

My creative outlets are sort of

all over the place, and they've

shifted in the last few years. I

used to be really into fashion

as a creative outlet, and then it

shifted to Instagram, and now

I think my primary outlet is

writing. That's where I feel the

most connected to God.

OH BELOVED ONE | 4

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM KINGDOM CREATIVES

"No." So they might be praying, but

then they don't get an answer, so they

stop. The Bible feels boring or tough

to understand or intimidating, so

they avoid it.

God gave us an entire book of Him

speaking directly into our lives! How

will we even be able to identify His

work in our lives if we don't open this

book! I majored in Religious Studies

in college, and I feel like young

women need to not only encounter

God's Word every day, but to see

how much beauty and relevance for

their lives it contains! Scribble Devos

is supposed to be an entry point for

young women who struggle to get into

the Bible.

OPPORTUNITIES

I think about this all the time! I used to

work for an "influencer" and I think that

completely changed my view of social

media. I felt really convicted that if people

are paying attention to our lives on social

media, we have a huge opportunity to put

the goodness of God on display.

Practically speaking, I learned a lot about

how the Instagram platform operates, and

how God has

prepped me for

my purpose

how we can utilize it—instead of giving

people yet another image to compare

themselves to to compare themselves to,

what if we gave them a beautiful picture

of the Gospel? I am super inspired by

this idea.

As far as the designs go, I had no idea

graphic design would ever be in the

equation, so that has been a huge

learning curve. I love writing, but I have

zero training in design, so I am learning

as I go.

I literally wake up some mornings with

no idea of what I want to write about

and no inspiration for what to create,

but when I offer it to God, He has so

far provided insight and inspiration

every single time.

OH BELOVED ONE | 5

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM ARTICLE TITLE HERE

all Scripture is

breathed out by God and

profitable for teaching,

for reproof,

for correction,

and for training in righteousness . . .

2 timothy 3:16

OH BELOVED ONE | 6

OH BELOVED ONE | 6

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM ARTICLE TITLE HEREG

ROW

G

OH BELOVED ONE | 7

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM LOVE, PAUL

love,

paul

by jo a. ruth

The first book of the Bible I was

old enough to actually enjoy

was Acts, really. And that was

because of this thing called the Visual

Bible that is seriously a cinematic

masterpiece. It takes each verse of the

NIV Bible and brings it to life, verse for

verse. It’s amazing! (You should look it

up if you can.)

Anyway, on any given Saturday, you

could see me binging the entire series

from Acts 1 to the end of the book,

hooked on every word and feeling that

I was with the apostles as they began

their adventures of sharing the gospel

and getting arrested.

But there was this one fellow my sevenyear-old-self

never really got at first:

Paul.

OH BELOVED ONE | 8


Why? Well, he was such a Pharisee.

Get a life, bro, you horrible excuse of

an overzealous religious person. How

could someone who loved God so

much be okay with people dying just

because they didn’t believe his way?

Of course, then Paul, as you know, gets

blinded, gets saved, and turns from a

zealous pharisee to a zealous pastor,

and I’m not sure which is scarier. It’s an

amazing redemption story and I love

reading it.

The thing that I can’t help but be

intrigued by, though, is Paul seems to

hijack Acts.

We see all the other apostles doing

their thing, and then after it focuses on

Paul solely. Which is understandable

because Luke was with Paul for many

of his journeys and wrote Acts off what

he had on hand, but then after Acts

ends, we have Paul with Romans and

Corinthians (A DUOLOGY!) and

other books after that. In the words of

a loved American musical,

“He’s just *n o n s t o p*!”

So . . . why?

Also, how are we supposed to even

begin to understand his letters and

teachings?

SEND HELP, FOR THIS IS IN

LARGE WRITING AND I CAN’T

UNDERSTAND IT—

OH BELOVED ONE | 9


read it like a letter

Because it IS a letter, and keeping that

in mind makes the epistles personal.

Letters can be lengthy. Letters can

be long and personal, full of quirky

anecdotes and tiny references, full of

deep things and reminders to “say hi

to so-and-so!” And Paul is a master of

weaving all of that for both individual

people and churches.

But more importantly, read it like a

letter … to you.

Galatians 6:9

And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season

we will reap, if we do not give up.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed,

but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not

forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

Romans 1:8

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for

all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in

all the world.

I would be over the moon if someone

wrote me a letter like that. And here we

have a dozen or so, give or take, for us

to read and enjoy any time.

OH BELOVED ONE | 10


context, ma dudes

Paul’s letters are an enigma. At least

some of them. And a lot of what he

says feels weird. Is he saying women

shouldn’t braid their hair? Is he saying

people shouldn’t get married? What the

what is any of this about?

That’s where context comes in.

Find a study Bible, whether it’s online

or bound and stuffed in a box, and read

through it. Ask your pastor or a good

friend (or, in my case, a geeky Bible

nerd) and look through it. There can

be a lot that’s lost in translation when

it comes to the Bible, and digging for

yourself to see what was going on when

Paul was writing what he did will help

exponentially.

memorize

memorize

memorize

I’m in Bible Bee, and something we do

a lot is memorize. Committing God’s

word in your mind helps a lot with

committing it in your heart and in your

life. Think of it like a song that you can

relate to so well, something that just

speaks to you and sticks in your mind

through the tough times. That’s how

amazing a verse like “There is therefore

now no condemnation for those who

are in Christ Jesus” can be.

OH BELOVED ONE | 11


are gathered

live it out

Oh no. The hard part. Actually doing

something.

And I’m not going to lie: A couple

times I think Paul must be crazy. He

talks about things like submitting,

being bold to share the gospel (in

chains), and respecting and even

praying for the government. Paul

wastes no time in telling us that the

Christian life means doing things, and

the rest of us sit on our couches and go

“why”?

Why?

For joy.

God, through Paul, shows us how

amazing, how hard, and how

worthwhile it is to live out what we

read in Paul’s letters—and in the rest of

the Bible.

Sometimes I still have no clue what Paul’s

saying--or any of the other authors of the other

sixty-something-or-other books of the Bible,

come to think of it. But that’s okay.

Because when you forget, you can easily go back

and read through it again. All the epistles that

end with a sweet “love, paul.”

And a sweet, “love, God” too.

meet the

author

Jo A. Ruth is currently hiding from society, but as a Filipiadian weirdo, fangeek, story enthusiast, and aloe vera plant, there's

not a lot of that to begin with. She rants about life and love and other stuff while simultaneously belting showtunes on https://

pananaw.home.blog/, and welcomes the company, if you happen to find her.

OH BELOVED ONE | 12

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

where

two

are

gathered

by angela dawne

OHBELOVEDONE.COM

I

was scared. Honestly, I was

shaking.

Sure I’d seen my parents lead

Bible studies, and I’d been in a

few myself, but leading one?

Never.

I never would have dreamed

I’d actually co-lead a Bible

study with some girls from my

homeschool co’op. I was shy,

quiet, and felt unqualified.

As the semester progressed, I

got a lot more comfortable.

God allowed this to be a

growing time for me, and He

patiently guided me as I tripped

and fell on the journey.

The Bible study only lasted a

semester, but I learned a lot.

What’d I learn? Well I’m glad

you asked. . .

OH BELOVED ONE | 13

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM WHERE TWO ARE GATHERED

1. Listen

At first I stressed out about

what kind of study we would

do. Would it be one we buy?

Would it be a book we go

through?

Maybe you’re stressing about

the same thing. All I can say

is listen. Pray and wait for

the Lord to lay a book or a

curriculum on your heart.

Actively search, but also

actively listen.

artwork: Amanda Brown

OH BELOVED ONE | 14


2. Plan

After deciding who you’re

going to invite and what

you’re going to study, it might

be a good idea to draw up a

rough outline of what you

hope the meetings will look

like.

Beginning and ending in

prayer is always a good idea.

Taking prayer requests at

the end allows people to

immediately pray for one

another as opposed to simply

putting it on paper and filing

it away “for later”.

Having an ice breaker is

always helpful. This allows

people to get to know each

other and build friendships

that have the potential to last

a lifetime. It also gets out any

extra energy and allows the

person to better focus on the

study.

Sharing praises and spending

some time in song worship

is always an uplifting time,

and it’ll warm your heart to see

like-minded believers who are

seeing God move in their lives,

and who are actively seeking to

praise Him.

And of course, you can’t forget

the main reason of the meeting:

to study God and His Word

with like-minded believers. In

your study, make sure you have

plenty of open-ended questions

that help the participants better

interact with the Word.

Oh, and snacks.

Lots of snacks.

OH BELOVED ONE | 15


3. Pray

I mentioned this aspect briefly

but kind of skimmed over it—

and it is not something to be

skimmed over! Prayer is a very

powerful thing. So utilize it!

Pray about everything. There is

nothing too small. Everything

matters to Him.

Pray for each of your group

members. Pray that He will speak

through you. Pray for wisdom

on how to guide the members.

Pray that He’ll show you what to

study.

“For where

two or

three are

gathered in

my name,

there am

I among

them.”

Matthew

18:20

Hopefully by now, you’re feeling

a bit more confident about

starting up a small group . . . but

you’re still a little hesitant. That

tiny thing called Fear is creeping

into your mind and doubts assail

you.

I get that. I’m an introvert, and

the idea of leading a group was

intimidating. So what’d I do?

A.) I asked one of my friends

to co-lead it with me. This took

some weight off my shoulders, as

well as helped her learn how to

lead.

B.) I prayed. A lot.

C.) I did some research. Asked

my parents about Bible studies.

Read a book.

D. I dived in headfirst.

I wish I could tell you the secret

to overcoming the fear of leading

a Bible study. Unfortunately, you

probably won’t like it much.

Just do it. Yep. That’s the secret. No

matter what, you will probably

always have a tiny particle of

nervousness and fear in you.

That’s totally okay.

Why? Because the way you lead

the group won’t change what

God’s going to do in it. The way

you talk isn’t going to change the

words He puts in your mouth.

You have to just trust Him, and

dive in.

He’s going to be there with you,

helping you every step of the way.

How do I know this? Because He

promised He would be.

meet the

author

Angela Dawne is a 17-year-old homeschooled MK who loves book classics, dark chocolate, and rainy days. Her

highest goal in life is to bring honor and glory to her Creator. When not working on writing projects, or scribbling

late-night poems, she can be found chilling in her hammock or researching random interests. You can find her online

at https://adawne.wixsite.com/angeladawne.

OH BELOVED ONE | 16


PLANNING A GROUP

BIBLE STUDY.

What could be the topic of your study? Is there anything

you've been wanting to learn more about? What struggles do

your friends have?

Who are you going to invite?

How often will you meet?

Where will you meet?

What will your icebreaker be?

OH BELOVED ONE | 17

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020

OHBELOVEDONE.COM

to

THRIVE

not just

SURVIVE

by kara linaburg

If you flip through my Bible, you will

see the first page inscribed, “To Kara

Linaburg by Daddy and Mommy,

December 25th 2010.” In the front between

the cover and the first page, there

lays two treasured cards given to me this

past year that I read every time I need

a little encouragement. In the book of

Ezekiel I have my 21-day plan to defeat

anxiety.

The cover of my Bible is faux blue leather,

faded and torn with dirt smudges and

ink stains. These are a testament to two

things: I breath best in nature and a pen

is never far from my hand.

I find it true in saying the Bible changed

my life, but it would be just as true to say

that reading the Bible saved my life.

Reading this book shone light on a real

and tangible love and grace, something

that I could see in the sun dipping over

the mountains, in the blue sky streaked

with purple and pink. I could see the love

of Jesus in a mother’s touch, hugs from

friends, raindrops on my nose and the

crash of the ocean.

Through reading the Bible, I saw the

love of Jesus that was unshakeable, that

did not depend on my actions or how

good of a person I was. It was a love that

saw beyond my dirt and grime and saw

potential in the person I could become.

I suddenly saw His love in so much, the

Bible making Jesus real, Someone who

loved me deeply, a Prince who bore the

scars of the cross so I would no longer

have to fear death or the grave.

A song I frequently listened to in High

School goes, “I wanna thrive not just

artwork: Lisa Elis

OH BELOVED ONE | 18

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM TO THRIVE,

survive.”

For so long I was only surviving, keeping

my head above water to keep from

drowning. I knew God was real and

could not deny His presence, but like

the song also says, “a warm body doesn’t

mean I’m alive.”

The Bible taught me what it means to

truly live.

When I opened my Bible, I saw it wasn’t

about me. Life loses its meaning when

we look for purpose inside of ourselves,

because we, unlike Jesus, cannot look

beyond our brokenness. I saw my stains

and was overwhelmed by the idea that

change was even possible. However with

my Savior I can walk free of condemnation,

of self-hatred, of allowing people’s

opinions to matter and define me. I

walk free of death and darkness and the

past, present, and future mistakes.

Because while we will never be enough

. . . He is.

While every attempt to be more loved

and accepted by the world around me

will still never gain me the love I desperately

desire.

His love soothes my weary soul.

And that gave me a reason to live, to

rise from the ashes, to be the best version

of myself and smile in the face of

darkness and say, “the Light has already

won.”

I read the Bible and learned how to

thrive, not simply survive. I learned how

to fight the voices inside of me, to look

in the mirror and see who He says I am.

i am

His

loved

(1 john 3:1)

(john 3:16)

worthy

i have a purpose

(zephaniah 3:17)

(jeremiah 29:11)

meet the

author

Kara Linaburg is passionate about finding beauty in brokenness, blogging (www.thebeautifullybrokenblog.com), and

writing YA fiction (The Broken Prince). You can often find her planning her next adventure.

OH BELOVED ONE | 19

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM WHERE

where

by janelle wood

I’ve gone through quite a few Bible study

changes in the past few months.

My quiet time with Jesus has looked

significantly different each change, and I’ve had

to adapt to that. Sometimes it’s been easy to

have my morning devotions. Other times (like

when I have to be up at 6 am) not so much . . .

Random fact about me: I have to be awake for

at least 20 minutes+ have a strong cup of coffee

in hand, before I can focus on anything besides

wanting to go back to bed.

One thing that God has been showing me

lately is where my heart is.

Is my heart wanting more of Him? Because if so I’ll

do anything, go anywhere to find time alone with

Him.

Jesus is so much more than just an obligation.

Our quiet time with Him should not be out of

obligation but out of wanting deep within your

heart to be in His presence.

One thing I realized is that if we want Jesus more

than anything else, we will find time for Him. We

shouldn’t spend our days figuring out how to fit

Jesus in, but rather how to fit our day around Jesus.

Here are a few things that are important to keep in

mind when you have devotions.

Photography: Rebekah Vijay

OH BELOVED ONE | 20

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM WHERE

Come away

and just BE. Be still

in His presence. Spend time

with God. Go somewhere quiet, away

from the drama and noise of life. It doesn’t

matter if it’s your room, a front porch, or out in the open

fields. He just want time with you. Alone.

Come Away

Be Bold

Don’t allow the devil to tell you that we don’t need

time with Jesus. That’s a lie. Don’t let him say that

it’s not important because it is. It is vital to your

spiritual life. Vital. Without Jesus, without

spending time in his presence, how can we

expect to carry his peace into our day-today

life? We need that quiet time with

Jesus! We need to soak in His words.

If we don’t fill our

mind with prayer, that leaves

room for the enemy to spread lies of

fear, doubt, and even depression.

Pray

Prayer should be the natural outflow

of the soul: you should pray because

you must pray; not because the set

time for praying has arrived, but

because your heart must cry unto

your Lord. —Charles Spurgeon

meet the

author

Janelle believes traveling, classic books and a good chai tea are some of the most beautiful blessings. She is

currently living in upstate NY (when she isn’t wandering over the earth). She has a deep love for Jesus and is

passionate about living a BOLD prayer life! Find Janelle and her well-loved journaling Bible on Insta

@exploringboldlove.

OH BELOVED ONE | 21

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM JOURNAL ENTRY

PLANNING

DEVOTIONS.

When is a good time to do your devotions every day?

How will you make sure they get done?

Where is your quiet place?

What will you study? Will you do a devotional or strike out on

your own?

Will you begin or end with prayer? How will you structure this

prayer?

OH BELOVED ONE | 22

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM MORE THAN

more than

+

by rebecca caraway

Lord just

show me

the verse

I need

right now

OH BELOVED ONE | 23


studying the Bible

just shows me the verse I need

right now,” you say as your fingers

“Lord

flip through the pages of your

Bible while you keep your eyes closed.

Sadly, studying the Bible is not this easy,

but a lot of people think they can study the

Bible this way. Studying the Bible isn’t easy.

You can sit down at your desk with a freshly

brewed cup of tea, a beautiful leather-bound

Bible, and not be able to focus for more than

five seconds without being distracted by your

phone or some weird noise outside.

In middle school my dad introduced me to a

study method that has consistently worked for

me. My dad has used it most of his life and

it was introduced to him by my grandfather

who was a pastor for over forty years! So I

think it’s safe to say this works. It’s always

helped me stay focused on the material I’m

reading and enjoy my study time!

Before I get into the method I recommend

you look into a Bible that has wide margins

that allows you to take notes or just use a

notebook and get multicolored highlighters

and pens that won't bleed through your Bible.

If you are looking into buying a new

Bible, do your research beforehand.

Ask your pastor, parents, and

church leaders what Bible they use

and what they recommend.

OH BELOVED ONE | 24


God—this verse

mentioned the

character of God,

something spoken

by God, or what He

does.

Jesus—this verse

recorded something

Jesus said or talked

about Jesus (such as

His mission to die on

the cross for our sins,

passages that discuss

his ministry, and so

on).

Love—this verse

discussed love; for

example, the love of

Christ or loving your

neighbor.

The Christian

life—this verse

gives instructions

for Christians life

and treating other

believers.

Now let's discuss this Bible studying method.

You take one specific color of a highlighter or pen and use it to identify specific aspects of the Bible such as prophecy, God’s love, mentions of

prayer, sin, etc. I have a color code key on the inside cover of my Bible so if I forget which color represents what, I can quickly check. I use the

colors blue, pink, red, green, purple, brown, black, and a yellow highlighter. Here is how I have my color code key set up.

Prayer or

thankfulness—this

verse discussed prayer

or thankfulness.

Prophecy—this

verse discussed

prophecy, such as

the birth of Christ,

Christ returning, and

the end times.

Sin—this verse

discussed the ugliness

of sin, why we need

to repent from sin,

and reminders of the

consequences of sin.

Application—

highlight any verses

that you need to

remember or apply to

something you need

in your life. For me I

highlight verses about

anxiety, loving others,

and that the things of

this world will pass

away.

OH BELOVED ONE | 25


Now let's discuss this Bible studying method.

Of course you can set up your key anyway you want; this is just how mine is set up. This method helps me focus on the

passages I’m reading so I can find what verses I can highlight. For me, having passages filled with notes and highlights is

really pretty and satisfying. Make sure your highlights stay consistent and concise; this way when looking back on your

notes you understand exactly what you were thinking, and it is easier for you to remember and understand. Be careful

not to over-highlight or else your notes won’t stick out, but also don't be afraid to mark up and write all over your Bible.

Note: Oh Beloved One understands that some believers may be convicted about writing in their Bibles. Of course we respect this

and cheer you on in your non-Bible-marking devotion efforts! There are plenty of other ways to study the Bible without writing

in it.

If you do end up using this method, make sure to take pictures and send them to us on Instagram @oh.beloved.one! May

all your New Years reading be fruitful and productive.

WANT MORE TIPS?

Amanda made a two-part video series on tips for studying your Bible better, including her own version of this superhelpful

highlighter method. Look up the user Oh Beloved One on YouTube to watch this video (and others!).

meet the

author

Rebecca Caraway is a freshman at Allan Hancock college on the central coast of California. When she’s not writing, reading, or

watching Netflix, you can find her in a coffee shop drinking a salted caramel iced latte with her friends.

OH BELOVED ONE | 26


THE POWER OF ITSY-

BITSY HIGHLIGHTERS.

Write the colors you have below and brainstorm about ideas

for what each highlighter could mean.

Grab a small sheet of paper (maybe an index card) and

write down your final highlighter guide, then tape it to a

page in the front of your Bible. You'll need it for the first

few months to remember what colors go with which topic.

OH BELOVED ONE | 27

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM TRANSLATION BATTLE

Translation

Battle

by sarah cnossen

THE GREAT

TRANSLATION

DEBATE.

*cue dramatic music*

Just kidding. But in all

seriousness, this can be a big issue

for some people. Which translation

is the most accurate? Which one

will be easiest for me to study and

dig into? Is it okay to branch out

to other translations instead of

sticking solely to one? Will I be

judged if I do? If I don’t?

Artwork: Korin Linaburg

Humans love familiarity. Because

of that, if a person was raised on

a certain translation, most likely

that is the version they will stick

to in their adult years. It’s familiar.

The words and phrases are the ones

they memorized as children. And,

OH BELOVED ONE | 28


if they are devout students

of their Bible, they probably

know the exact page and

paragraph particular verses are

found.

For those new to the

Christian faith, translations

are recommended that will be

easier to understand. Such as,

the New International Version

(NIV), the New Living

Translation (NLT), the New

King James Version (NKJV),

and the Christian Standard

Bible (CSB).

These are known for their

more modern speech and

writing style—that is to say,

the words and phrases used

are easy to understand and

most similar to how people

speak today, as opposed

to the “thees” and “thous”

of the King James Version

(KJV).

But, let’s get something

straight here.

This is one thing you must

understand: There is no one

right or wrong translation.

there is no one

right or wrong

translation.

OH BELOVED ONE | 29


That said, let's not disrespect

others and their choice of

Bible translation. God is

perfectly capable of using

their particular Bible to speak

in ways they will most easily

understand, just as He will do

for you and the translation

you prefer.

That is not to say He cannot

speak to someone through a

translation that may initially

be more difficult for them to

comprehend—on the contrary,

He can use anything to draw

His children closer to Him.

But just because you prefer

this one [fill in the blank] does

not mean you should look

down your nose on the rest.

Having worked in the

Christian retail department

(specifically LifeWay®

Christian Stores), I dealt with

many questions in regards

to the translation battle,

and I have many stories

of customers who were

adamant this [fill in the

blank] translation was the

only one worthy of time,

and others who were simply

in need of a Bible that fit

their needs and spiritual

maturity level. Needless

to say, with my job as a

LifeWay® associate, I had to

do a little research on each

version’s background.

OH BELOVED ONE | 30


fun facts

about Bible translations

There are two translation approaches: “Literal translations focus on retaining the original language by conveying

the message of the Bible word-for-word. Dynamic translations focus on the overall meaning of the original text,

translating thought-for-thought.” (quoted from the Bible Selection Guide, formerly of the LifeWay® Christian Stores)

The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is widely considered the most word-for-word translation.

Other word-for-word translations include the Amplified version (AMP), the ESV, the KJV, and the NKJV.

Both the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) and the NIV are versions that were translated with a balance between

the word-for-word and thought-for-thought approaches, making them wonderful translations for readability and

comprehension for people of all backgrounds, experience, and ages.

Only the NASB, the CSB, the AMP, and the NKJV Bibles use what is referred to as "reverential capitalization,"

where all pronouns in reference to God, His Spirit, and His Son are distinctly capitalized.

OH BELOVED ONE | 31


Personally, I love having two to three

different translations on hand when

studying God’s Word. Often, those

translations will have different words

or phrases that resonate a deeper

understanding. And if I don’t have a

physical copy of a certain version and

am curious how a verse is worded, I’ll

usually pull up the Bible app on my

phone to check it out.

How often do we take for granted

that we LITERALLY have God’s living

Word on hand at all times?

All told, if you are seeking a translation

that best fits you, or wishing to

study deeper and add a more unfamiliar

version to the one(s) you already

have, then I believe LifeWay’s® Bible

Selection Guide sums it up perfectly:

“If you’d like to go deeper in the Word with a text close to the original

languages, you may prefer a literal translation. If you’re looking for a Bible

that is readable and easy to understand, you may prefer a dynamic translation.

If you’re looking for a Bible that accomplishes both, the Christian

Standard Bible combines readability and accuracy in a text that is accessible

to everyone.”

May you learn to dig deep, my friend! God’s Word is an amazing gift to us

all—our very own instruction manual for life! And it doesn’t feature merely

teachings, but countless stories as well. It’s relevant yesterday, today, and for all

our tomorrows.

Don’t let anyone tell you differently.

And don’t be a Translation snob!

meet the

author

Sarah Cnossen is a stay-at-home wife to Evan & mama to Gabe. She’s a native Tennessean, a daughter of the King, an aspiring

writer, and avid reader & reviewer of books. She blogs at sarah-plainandaverage.blogspot.com, and is 99.9% sure she’s a Disney

princess and that she married her Beast.

OH BELOVED ONE | 32

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM NOT JUST A RESOLUTION

Not Just a Resolution

how to actually read your Bible this New Year

by lisa elis

OH BELOVED ONE | 33


Is Bible reading part of your

new year resolution in 2020?

If you're anything like me,

at least once in your life —if not

every year—you have included

a spiritual goal in your new

year's resolutions list. And these

resolutions usually follow along

the lines of doing a better job

reading our Bibles, don’t they?

(Which, of course, is a good

thing.)

Reading our Bibles is awfully

important and it's great that we

want to improve. But how many

times do our resolutions last

for only—well—as long as the

year feels new? I don't want to

presume to know what exactly

your Bible reading goal is. Maybe

it's to read the whole Bible this

year. Maybe it's to read for 15

minutes every day. Maybe it's to

make it through one book that

you haven't been able to finish

yet. Whatever it is, here are a few

ideas to help you get through the

year and slay this resolution.

PRIORITIZE.

Once upon a time, Amanda Brown, our founder

and editor-in-chief, wrote a guest post about staying

close to God during college and she said something

really wise that I still remember. She said that college can

be a really selfish time because it's all about you, and that's

why it's so important to stay close to God.

And I realized that this is true not only for college. Most of

the time we are actually focusing on OURSELVES and stuff

that's important to US. Therefore prioritizing that which is

MOST IMPORTANT is a really good idea.

START SMALL.

I think that many times we might aim

too high. Often I hear people give advice like,

"spend time with God every day, even just five

to ten minutes," and I think, yeah, right. Rather

pathetic that we can only give that much time.

So if you can do your devotions and Bible reading

FIRST in the day, it will not only help you in

slaying your resolution, but also in your

daily life.

So then I set a very high and idealistic goal for myself

and end up doing nothing because my goal is exactly

that—too idealistic and too high. I've learned that it's

okay to start at five minutes. It does not mean that you

will forever be doing only five minutes. But because

habits are important to form, it's ok to start with five

minutes and grow from there. So even if you have

a fairly big goal that you wish to attain, it’s

okay to take it slow and steady and easy in

January, and build upwards later.

OH BELOVED ONE | 34


I've learned

that it's okay

to start at

five minutes.

PRACTICE

MAKES PERFECT.

As they say, consistency is key. But it's not always

easy. Many days you may not feel like reading, but

what counts is coming back again and again and again.

If you fail on one day, don't give up.

If you fail one morning, don't give up.

If you're really too busy one week, don't give up. PICK

RIGHT BACK UP FROM WHERE YOU LEFT OFF

the first opportunity you have. This week. Tomorrow.

This evening. Right now. Forming a habit is

everything, so do it. And ignore your feelings

while you're at it, because it's important to

do this even when you aren't in the

"mood."

GET AN

ACCOUNTABILITY

PARTNER.

Or even an accountability group. This can be your

parent, your sibling, your best friend, or anyone who

understands your goal, why it's important, and shares the

same passion. Remind each other to persevere every day;

share what you have learned; pray for each other; send each

other encouraging verses. It can be great doing it with a

friend, and after all, this is what we, as a church, are here

for, isn’t it?

OH BELOVED ONE | 35


GET CREATIVE.

Pretty sure that everyone at OBO 100% approves of

throwing creativity into the mix of whatever we are doing.

It's part of who we are. And it is totally possible while

you're reading your Bible. Some examples of what I mean:

• Once upon a time a friend of mine told me that her

devotions were getting boring for her, so she prayed, and

God reminded her about how she used to highlight and

underline verses and it really helped her again.

• An internet friend of mine* once wrote a post about

different ways to Bible journal and she included ideas such

as a daily verse notebook (record a verse every day) and

• doodling Bible verses (which I love!! be free and artsy

and abstract about it!!).

• Take notes in the margins

• or paraphrase what you’ve just read or

• meditate on it.

• Write about how it applies to your life and what

questions you might have.

• Pray over it in your journal,

• Draw about what you've read (if you're the type), or

• listen to music while you read.

• Try listening to the audio version of the Bible on The

Bible App on one day when you don't feel like reading.

• Read it out loud.

• Talk about it with someone later that day.

PRAY.

This is basically the most important thing you

could do. Not that just praying will magically

make you excited about reading your Bible or

create a habit for you. But God hears sincere prayers,

and I'm sure that in His time and in His way He will

answer.

Also, it’s really good to be specific. Ask God to specifically

teach you that one thing you want to learn. To answer

that one question you have. To reveal that one truth to

you.

And don’t stop asking. Never stop asking

*This internet friend happens to be Sarah Margaret, sister

of our resident poet, Julia Ryan.

At the end of the day (or year), it’s not really the amount you achieved that counts. It’s not as if the person who read their

Bible three times this year is better than the person who only covered the Gospels. It’s not really about the numbers, the

tallies, and the scores. Goals and resolutions are only means to help us achieve our true goal – to get to know God better

and to experience him more. So keep that at the core of your new year’s resolution and go discover new truths and jewels

in the Bible through whatever plan of reading that you have in mind.

meet the

author

Lisa Elis is a busy high school junior from Canada who spends her free time chasing many literary interests. She's also into art

and design, orchids and sunshine, plus all things that grow her wanderlust. Find her scrambling to post every week at www.

thisinkwell.blogspot.com.

OH BELOVED ONE | 36


by ghevont panosian

OH BELOVED ONE | 37

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM PROPERTY OF

What comes to mind when

you think of a life verse?

What you write beside

your name when you sign a card or

email? The verse on your Instagram

profile? That calligraphed sign on your

wall at home?

I used to think if I claimed a "life"

verse, that verse would have to be

my verse for life. This made it hard

for me because there are many verses

and even whole passages to which I

run when faced with various tough

thoughts, trials, or tasks.

If you are

walking through

a difficult

chapter in your

story, find a verse

that applies.

Memorize it;

meditate on it;

claim it.

These verses switch with seasons

of life. You can have dozens over

the course of a lifetime or even

throughout a single year. I know I

have and probably always will.

So how do you pick

one?

Often, the Lord simply lays a verse

on your heart repeatedly. It could be

a verse or passage heard in a sermon,

read in personal devotional time,

shared through social media, or

gleaned from personal interactions.

If you are walking through a difficult

chapter in your story, find a verse that

applies. Memorize it; meditate on it;

OH BELOVED ONE | 38

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM PROPERTY OF

claim it.

In high school, I struggled with my

thought-life. Thus, Psalm 19:14

became my verse. “Let the words of

my mouth, and the meditation of my

heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O

Lord, my strength, and my redeemer”

became my daily and sometimes

hourly prayer to God.

Currently, my life verse is Psalm 139:

17–18. “How precious also are thy

thoughts unto me, O God! how great

is the sum of them! If I should count

them, they are more in number than

the sand: when I awake, I am still with

thee.” Every time I read this passage,

I ponder the true wonder that God

thinks about me personally and loves

me unconditionally.

Journaling provides a thrilling way to

travel back through these verses later

in life. I used to write my life passages

in the front leaf of my Bible. Now,

any time I read back through them, I

can remember God’s hand so clearly

guiding me through each painful,

purifying, and purposeful step of life.

God’s Word surpasses the limits of

time, remaining relatable thousands of

years after it was penned. Grasping the

truths within its pages helps us grow

to become who we were meant to be,

and one way in which we flourish

is through holding God’s laws and

promises within our hearts.

meet the

author

Ghevont loves Shakespeare, coffee, and traveling. She is currently training to be a high school English teacher, and you can find

her editing the BJU Vintage (yearbook) with a tight group of fellow creative minds! Check her out on Instagram @gheovanni7.

OH BELOVED ONE | 39


CLAIMING A

SEASON VERSE.

Have there been any verses, passages, or Bible stories that

keep popping up in this season?

What verses have carried you through previous trials? Create

a list if you can.

If no verses are popping in your mind, keep your heart open

in the next couple weeks for a verse that you could claim.

OH BELOVED ONE | 40

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM LISTEN

by emily seaver

OH BELOVED ONE | 41


Some biblical stories

and characters make

bigger impacts on some

people and others upon

other readers. For me

personally, the story of

Martha and Mary has

always been one of those.

OH BELOVED ONE | 42


As a child, Martha was my

favorite. She was strong, she

worked hard, and she did

what had to be done. The story of

Martha cleaning while Mary sat at

Jesus' feet always reminded me of

when my sister and I would try to

clean our room.

As the older one, I'd rush around

the room trying to obey the

instructions while insisting that my

little sister stop changing the music

and start working.

I never understood why Jesus told

Martha to stop working. According

to my little self-righteous person,

she clearly was the one in the right.

I didn't even bother considering I

might be wrong. But I was.

As I've gotten older, life has gotten

busier. Frequently I forget to

DO

DO

DO

There's

so much

toprioritize my devotion time. I'm

ashamed to admit that I've gone weeks

without even opening my Bible.

There's so much to do, do, do that I

forget the most important thing: What

He has done for me. Martha worked,

and she worked hard; but Mary

stopped to listen.

That's what I forget. I forget to stop

and listen to God. Jesus told Martha

that "only one thing is necessary."

It's easy for all of us to get caught up

in the pushes and pulls of life, and

think those are the necessary things.

We listen to the subconscious lies that

those are what matters in the long run.

Instead, we need to stop and listen.

We need to understand that the

most necessary thing is hearing and

understanding God's word.

So put your phone away, set aside the

to-do list, and sit at the feet of Jesus,

fully hearing his voice.

meet the

author

Emily Seaver lives in sunny, ever-humid South Carolina and co-blogs at growingintofriends.com. She spends her days being

creative and dreaming up impractical yet exciting ideas when she doesn't have to deal with reality. She is a freshman in

highschool, uses as many big words as she can find, and reads every book she can get her hands on.

OH BELOVED ONE | 43

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM WHO IS JESUS

WHO

IS

JESUS?

by mary grace myers

Who Jesus was yesterday, He

is also today. Jesus Christ

will never change from

what he was in the Bible times. Jesus

is who He was. The holy person that

Jesus is will never change. If anything,

He will become more powerful and

loving. And Jesus is sooo amazing. I

have spent hours and hours of my life

praying and loving and seeking God

because who couldn’t? Who couldn’t

spend their life with a God who loves

them so much that He gave His son to

die for us. Because of this, I’m a sinner

standing before the presence of the

Holy One!

I could never imagine what life

would look like without our heavenly

Father. I mean, it would be so messed

up! Our world is already so broken

and hurting and messed up already.

Who is Jesus though? Who is this

amazing person who transforms lives?

OH BELOVED ONE | 44


KING

The King Above All Other Kings to be

exact. One of my favorite things about

Palm Sunday was that my (awesome!)

Sunday School class would do a skit,

reenacting it. (I know, right? I had the best

teachers!)

Matthew 21 has the most amazing

description of Jesus as King. Get your

Bible and turn there. It talks about how

Jesus rode on a donkey through the city

of Jerusalem and how He came as a King.

Sometimes I wish I could have been there

as everyone praised Jesus together as the

King who saves and loves.

Wow. I mean, could you even imagine

that?

who would soon save their lives on the

Cross. They thought that He was being

called a King because He was going to

save the Jews from the Romans.

But, nope. That’s not what He had been

called to live out and die for. He died,

giving a chance for every single person on

earth to join Him for the wedding feast

in heaven. He didn’t come to save us from

people because people are not what Jesus

wanted to define. Ultimately, Jesus came

to save us from ourselves.

And that is why He is a King. He has

loved and cared for His people even when

they betray them. That is what defines a

King for me.

The Jews didn’t think of Jesus as the King

OH BELOVED ONE | 45


HEALER

A few weeks ago someone who my family

had known for a long time and our whole

church family had been very, very close to

passed away suddenly.

The most amazing thing that I have ever

experienced was on Sunday morning

before he passed. Our youth pastor talked

about how the man had impacted every

person that he had ever met.

Then we sang and we cried. I remember

crying and crying. It’s so, so hard to

grieve. But with Jesus, you have JESUS.

God over our youth group and church as

we grieved together.

He is the Ultimate Healer and Comforter.

He experienced the pain of grieving when

His Son was hung on the cross, bearing

all the sins of the world.

Jesus is a healer because he grieved with

us and is right now. Jesus is a healer and

comforter and He loves you so much.

I will never forget how I felt the hand of

OH BELOVED ONE | 46


SAVIOR

There are so many times I forget who Jesus

really is and why He is WHO He is. Jesus

is our Savior. And sometimes people ask

“Why is He my Savior? I don’t want Him

to be.”

It’s like the stories where the princess

doesn’t want to be saved from the dragon

or evil person, but the knight desperately

wants to give her freedom.

Jesus SAVED US! We should be the ones

who are dedicated to and living for Jesus,

not the ones who are refusing His love.

Oxford Dictionary define "savior" as "a

person who saves someone or something

(especially a country or cause) from

danger, and who is regarded with the

great respect of a religious figure." I

think that God deserves to be known

and praised with respect. It’s so hard

sometimes not to see "little things" as bad

or dishonoring to God. But my youth

pastor was talking about it and he was

saying, “If God puts that as one of the

ten commandments, then yeah, it’s most

likely (aka definitely) important to God.”

This year, make it your goal to live for

Christ because He is the Savior of the world

and He loves you like nothing else!

meet the

author

Mary Grace is a dancer, writer and blogger. You can find her hanging with her family, dancing and singing to her favorite

songs, or scratching out some poems or song lyrics. MG loves living a life full of passion for her Lord and a goal to make this

world more beautiful through the name of Jesus. You can also find her writing for her blog, https://hopesandjoys.wordpress.com.

OH BELOVED ONE | 47

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM ARTICLE TITLE HERE

All Scripture is breathed out by

God and profitable for teaching,

for reproof, for correction, and

for training in righteousness,

2 Timothy 3:16

OH BELOVED ONE | 48

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020 OHBELOVEDONE.COM CREDITS

DISCLAIMER

Oh Beloved One is not responsible for any inaccurate information in

its magazine pages. Additionally, we are not responsible for plagiarism

on the part of our writers. We accept their work assuming that it is

their own. Please contact us if you have any problems.

Current reading material in our world today has been tainted and

darkened. In our pages, we strive to share clean and positive articles

that leave readers feeling blessed.

We will not stand down for our faith; however, we will not push our

beliefs on others. You are free to accept or reject things we say and

we will not discriminate against you for any reason. Additionally, just

because our pages are filled with positive articles does not mean we will

not stand up for what we believe in. However, we believe that at this

time it is best to look at the glass as half full.

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printing

info

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with special appearances from Reenie

Beanie, Butler, and League Spartan.

All photos and art not taken by an Oh Beloved One staff member were

checked to ensure they do not infringe copyright laws. Please contact

us if you have a question.

The ESV Global Study Bible®, ESV® Bible

Copyright © 2012 by Crossway.

All rights reserved.

PRINT IS

BETTER

We offer each issue online for free

because we want everyone to have

access to solid, practical, beautiful Bible

resources. However, purchasing print

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lets us know you support what we're

doing. Please consider buying a print

copy!

DEDICAT-

ED TO

This issue is dedicated to all the

beautiful campers I had the pleasure of

meeting this summer. Many had such

a passion for learning to do devotions

better but didn't know where to begin.

May this help you and others like you.

hey

look

it's the

page

no one

reads.

OH BELOVED ONE | 49

JULY/AUGUST 2019 OHBELOVEDONE.COM ARTICLE TITLE HERE

UP NEXT

ohbelovedone.com

INTERCEDE

If we have a problem, we know that the first thing we're supposed to do is pray.

But we don't. We pick up our phones, turn on Netflix, or find someone to

complain to over a carton of ice cream. So how can we add prayer to our lives?

Find out in our Intercede issue, coming March 2020.

OH BELOVED ONE | 50

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