Lasso of Truth

Wonderfully Distracting

There is another Bible Study that has been distracting me—in the best way—from our read-through-the-Bible series.  Since I now live within 1 hour’s drive of EIGHT female family members, I thought it would be neat to pull them all together for a Bible study.  I’ve always felt close to the girls in my family, but it hasn’t always been a spiritual closeness.  I am looking forward to this changing in the next 9 weeks, as we indulge in the study of Esther.  We are in our second week, and already we have been amazed at the depth of the study.

If you are interested in doing this study, check out some of the churches near you. It’s a fairly new publication, and is very popular right now.  I would suggest finding a group that will show the Beth Moore DVDs, since it will take you much deeper than the workbook alone.  Books are available at Lifeway Bookstores.

I appreciate your continued prayer and patience as the read-through entries are few and far between.  That should change if and when we get internet at home, but there is no sign of that in the immediate future.  We don't even have a phone line in this house, so an internet jack is a little too hopeful I think! 

Judges 14-15

Chapter 14

The story of Samson’s life is a strange one.  He misbehaves over and over, and there is no indication that God is angry about it.  It’s like they have a special connection through the Nazirite vow, and as long as that is in effect, Samson can reek havoc  however he chooses.  His character leaves much to be desired, and it makes me wonder.   Were his parents so wrapped up in the legalities of raising a Nazirite that they neglected to teach him principles of character?

Verse 3 “Get her for me, for she looks good to me.  He seems to have some kind of spoiled child syndrome—maybe because his parents were without children for so long.

Verse 4 God used his misguided actions for His own purpose.  This is a reassurance to me, since most of my own are misguided too.

Verse 6  He tore the lion as easily as if he’d been holding a weapon or tool, and the lion had been a goat.  But it wasn’t a goat.  It was a ferocious angry lion.  And he ripped it in two with his bare hands.  “The Spirit of the Lord came upon him mightily.”  My note says “rushed upon him.”  I wonder what that felt like.  Overwhelming, I’m sure.

Verse 8  Sounds like he changed his course to go back and admire his handiwork.  Since a Nazirite was to avoid dead bodies, this was way out of line.  It’s one thing to protect yourself from an attacking lion.  It’s quite another to seek out its long-dead carcass.  And eating honey from it?!  It seems like this guy can get away with anything.  I think God plans to use this character flaw to His own advantage.

Verse 9 He shared the honey (and now the guilt) with his parents.

Verse 12  These were sent as companions to him, and he wants to trick them out of their possessions.

Verse 16 Samson’s wife was threatened, and she felt like she had to betray him to save her life.  She could have told him about the threat and let him protect her, but instead she manipulates him with her tears.

Verse 17  Samson’s great weakness.  Women.

Verse 19 Samson has a debt to pay, so he goes and kills 30 men so he can take their clothes and give them to the Philistines.

Verse 20 He left her behind, and she was given to his best man.

Chapter 15 

Verse 1 Samson comes back to his wife. He wants her back, at least for a night.

Verse 2  He father offers her sister instead.  What a dad.

Verse 4  How long did it take to tie 300 foxes together? 

Verse 6  This is turning into an ugly feud.  Now his wife and her father are dead.

Verse 7  He sure has a way with words, doesn’t he?

Verses 10-11  When the Philistines and Samson are each pleading their case to the tribe of Judah, they each think their own position is right.

Verse 14 This time when the Spirit rushes upon Samson, his arms are “made like burning flax” and the ropes melt away.  This is more than just physical strength.  This is a super-natural phenomenon.   Can you imagine how the Philistines must have felt when they saw that?  Uh oh.

Verse 18 Samson goes from being a hothead, out of control, to being very needy and dependent on God for something as basic as water.

Judges 12-13

Chapter 12

Verse 1 The tribe of Ephraim got left out again.
Verse 6  Local dialect worked in their favor.  The men of Ephraim couldn't say the "sh" sound!
Verse 7 Part of the job of the judges was to calm "civil unrest". 
Verses 8-15 The successors of Jephthah.  All relatively short reigns.

Chapter 13

Verse 2 It amazes me how many barren women are used in the Bible for God's greater plan.  God uses our natural weaknesses to reveal His own incredible strength and Glory.

Verses 4-5 The Nazerite vow is a serious one--this one initiated by God before conception.

Verse 6 The angel went directly to the woman, not through her husband.

Verse 8 Dedicated parents, seeking the will and instruction of the Lord in the upbringing of their son.  We don't have to parent a Nazirite to follow their example.  Notice they seek His leading before the child is even conceived!  They believe the promise God has given them.

Verses 9-23 The encounter between the Angel of God and Samson's parents is a surreal, supernatural experience.  In verse 20, the angel ascends into the heavens in the flame of the alter.  AWESOME!

Verse 24  The promised son is born.

Next time:  Judges 14-15

Judges 10-11

I know that some of you got the word that I lost my internet connection at home.  It's true!  I was using my Sprint phone as a modem, and the company decided I was getting it for too cheap, and blocked the connection.  So for now, I'll be typing to you from the comforts of my nearest Chick-fil-A, complete with indoor playground and free wifi connection.  Cheers!

Chapter 10

Verse 1 I love the wording here.  Tola arose to save Israel.  It really speaks to the fact that his work as judge over Israel was completely orchestrated by God.  Planned to the smallest detail. 

Verse 3  The nation gets through two successive judges without falling away.
Verse 4  Thirty sons, 30 donkeys, 30 cities.  Jair was a famous and wealthy judge.

Verse 6  After 2 great runs, the nation goes downhill again.
Verse 8  For 18 years they afflicted Israel.  God will not tolerate his people's love going to false gods!

Verse 10-15 Dialog between God and His people.  In verse 14, it looks like the nation has reached the end of God's love and patience.  But they cry out again, this time accepting whatever punishment God has in store.  They are truly broken, and can't stand separation from Him any longer.  This is true repentance.  Agreeing that you have sinned, and that you deserve correction,  And God, our merciful Savior, always forgives and delivers in the face of true repentance.

Verse 16  "So they put away the foreign gods from among them and served the Lord; and He could bear the misery of Israel no longer."  God's mercy is quick, and He does not hold grudges.

Chapter 11 The beginning of this chapter names many of the characteristics of Jephthah, our next judge.  He is the son of a harlot. He is hated by his family. He's an embarrassment. He has no money or inheritance.  He has worthless friends and keeps bad company.  On the other hand, he's a valiant warrior!  This guy has one thing going for him.  He's strong and brave.  God uses all kinds, doesn't He?

Verse 9  He seems skeptical.
Verse 13  The king of the sons of Ammon wants Israel to peaceably give the land "back" to them.
Verse 23 Jephthah warns them.  "God gave us this land.  Are you sure you want to try for it?"
Verse 27  One of the great names of God, the Judge.

Verses 30-31  Jephthah makes a bargain with God.  Why would he do that?  He had the Spirit of God fighting through him.  There were set offerings in place to offer God after a victory battle, and yet here is Jephthah, in a word, bribing the Lord for a victory. 

Verse 34  The "thing" that came out was Jephthah's daughter.  His only child.

Verse 35 He projects the blame onto his daughter.  "You have brought me very low."

Verse 36  She bears the burden of her father's deal with God.  She is noble and responsible. Such a contrast.  She doesn't hate him for it, and there is no bitterness in her reply.

Verse 37 She and her friends are mourning fact that she will never marry, and that her family will never have an heir.   Not did Jephthah lose his beloved daughter, but his bloodline will be stopped cold.

I struggled with a life lesson to take from this chapter.  At first glance, it's a horrible gory narrative, with no "...and the moral is..." at the end.  But here's one thing I will be taking with me.  I sincerely hope that I am never desperate enough to make a bargain with the Lord.  Everything I have, He gave to me. On loan.  He already owns it--I'm just a tenant on the Lord's property.  If He gives me victory over my enemies, it'll be because it was His plan, not because I offered Him something in return.  When we bargain with God we take the perceived power away from Him, and put it onto ourselves.  I guess this was how He proved that He is the only one with true Power.  I pray that He never has to prove that to me.

Next time:  Judges 12-13

Judges 9

Chapter 9

I don't know why, but I keep having to take Judges in smaller and smaller bits in order to be able to understand it, and what I need to take from it. Chapter 9 is one of those chapters that contains so much information, that it just needs to stand on its own.

Before we jump in, we might need to get a handle on who Abimelech is, and how he is able to cause so much destruction in his story.  First, he is just one of the 70 sons of Gideon, the last judge.  Gideon was his father, and his mother was the maidservant of one of Gideon's wives.  So, in the hierarchy of this family, Abimelech would have been pretty low in rank.  The kinsmen he goes to in verse 1 are his mother's brothers. Since their sister was a servant, we can assume that they are a low-class bunch, probably living on land owned by Gideon's sons.  That's why he had any kind of power over them.

Verse 2 The first lesson we can learn from this story is "beware of the smooth-talker."  Abimelech was one of these.  He twisted reality, telling them how terrible it was to be ruled by 70 men (the current government), and wouldn't they rather be ruled by just one man (the proposed, big change government)?  He smooth-talked his way into their good graces, and then added, as a clincher, "remember that I am one of you!" 

Verse 3  The men of Shechem didn't really think through Abimelech's proposal.  They took what he said at face-value.  He said to them, "I know you and how you live.  I know what you need.  How could I not?  We are relatives!"  And instead of really thinking over his "campaign" statements..."How does this man plan to get rid of the other leaders?" or "Is this man's character the kind we want to give unchecked power?"...instead of thinking it over, they accept his flashy promises of change, and fork over the money he needs to carry out his plans.  My guess is, if they had known the kind of destruction he had in mind, they would not have been so eager to give him that power. 

The next lesson I'm taking from this chapter is this: We need to be very careful how we pick our leaders, and who we chose to support with the money God has entrusted to us.  It is our responsibility as people with God-given intelligence, not to fall for the sweet words of would-be leaders like Abimelech.  Look at character.  That is much more important than a relationship invented to persuade you into following.

Verse 4  These guys, these men of Shecham, didn't use discretion. And they handed the money over to Abimelech. His character was revealed right away.  He went out and hired worthless and reckless fellows.  Where did he find these men?  My guess is that he knew them all along.  You can tell a lot about the character of a man by who is friends are.

Verse 5  He pays these disgusting men to assassinate his brothers.  They are methodically slaughtered one by one on the same stone.  Sacrifices on the alter of Abimelech's vanity.

Verse 6  They make him king.  I don't know if they approved of Abimelech's recent actions, but at this point they had no choice.  I tend to think that they were scared, because they went straight to Jotham, the only brother who escaped the executions.

Verse 8 Jotham gives an interesting speech.  Remember when the people went to Gideon and asked him to be their king?  And when he wouldn't, they said they wanted his son.  I think Gideon and his son represent the trees in Jotham's speech.  And who would be the bramble?  Abimelech.  Gideon and his son, Jether, refused to take the position of king, because the throne was already taken by the Lord.  But the men were determined to have a flesh-and-blood leader, so when Abimelech agreed to lead them, they didn't even consider it carefully.  They might have even thought that he was the answer to their prayers, a gift from the Lord!

This leads to another lesson that we MUST take from this story.  When you ask the Lord for something great, and He says no, wait for Him to bring along something even better than what you asked for.  (The Israelites already had the "something better" in their Lord and King--if they had just opened their eyes to it!)  God loves us and wants HIS best for us.  He will not withhold the "olive tree" and send you a "bramble!" So when that bramble shows up, disguised as an answer to prayer, turn the other way.  This goes for jobs, politicians, potential mates--everything.  God wants HIS best for us, not our second-best!

Verse 20 Jotham warns them that there is trouble in store.

Verse 22 Three years!  Not worth the lives of 70 men!

Verse 25 They are regretting the power they so readily handed over to him.

Verse 31  Wicked men employ wicked men. There is no way to trust each other.

Verse 48-52  The man has become a barbarian, burning his own relatives alive.  Men, women, and children.

Verses 53-57 Abimelech finally meets his demise.  It is interesting the way that God governs us.  His punishment doesn't always come right away.  Abimelech and the people who made him king were destroyed by their own greed and poor judgment.

Next time:  Judges 10-11

Pray for me

I thought I'd ask a quick prayer request from all of you following along with me.  I am having the hardest time settling into a routine and building habits in our new home.  Part of it is the impermanence of the place, along with the distance from our many responsibilities and loved ones.  (Most destinations are at least 30 minutes away.) 

Anyway, I am completely committed to finishing this journey through God's Word with you here on this blog, but my new life has made me very slow at it.  Please bear with me and pray that the Lord would help me order my days to accomplish everything He has inspired me to do. 

(I actually just finished an entire post detailing almost all of the books, activities, and endeavors I want to accomplish these next few months, but it was lost in cyber oblivion.  I guess that was Lord telling me to lay my burdens at His feet, not yours!)  Thank you for your continued support and encouragement.  I will get in touch with each of you soon.  Remember me in your prayers, and I'll do the same for you.

Love, Anna

Judges 7-8

Judges 7
Verse 2  God's concern is the glory of His Name.  He would deliver His people, but not by human strength or incredible odds. 

Verse 3 The men had reason to be afraid.  They were facing a terrible enemy. This is another indication to me that fear is not a sin.  But if you can get past it and truly trust in the Lord with everything, then you really LIVE.

Verse 5  It is interesting to me that God is communicating with Gideon in the form of "signs," the same way that Gideon sought the Lord's will with the fleece.  God could have easily said take these 300 men, but he communicated with Gideon on Gideon's level.  God know us and speaks to us in the ways we understand.

Verse 6  As Gideon watched his enemy dwindle from 32000 to only 300 men, I wonder what he was thinking.  Do you think he was disappointed in them for being afraid?  God told him to separate the "lapping" men from the "kneeling" men before He told him why.  On one side was a group of 9700 men, and on the other was a group of 300.  And God gave him the smaller group.  I bet he was shocked!

Verse 10 Again, we see God making a provision for Gideon's fear.  He said if you are afraid to go down, take Purah with you and listen to what they are saying about you.

Verse 11 He was afraid!  He took his servant with him.

Verse 15 God demonstrated His divine control over a situation that made Gideon's hands shake.  (Verse 11 says that after he heard what they were saying, his hands would be strengthened.)  The enemy, as it says in verse 12, was as numerous as locusts, or the sand on the shore!  But when God opened Gideon's eyes to His divine plan, Gideon bowed in worship.  It was as if he suddenly saw the fiery chariots of God's army.  That he looked down and saw the glowing armor of the Lord's protection around him, and he was a changed man.  I pray that God would open our eyes to the Truth of the battles we are facing.  He has fortified us to carry out His will by His strength, not ours.  When Gideon finally realized this in his situation, not only was he ready to fight, he was ready to lead!

Verse 16.  The men were given trumpets for one hand, and lamps for the other.  There were no weapons. Their hands were full!  I wonder if they were worried about this lack of weaponry, but my guess is they saw Gideon the way God did. They would follow him anywhere.

Verse 20-22  This story is amazing.  I mean, truly I am awestruck.  God won this battle for His people, and He used their own weaponry and power against them.  Our security cannot be in the things of this world, because there will always be someone bigger, faster, or smarter to come along.  We trust in the Power that holds planets in orbit, who is a Light brighter than the sun.  A word from Him can send a mountain crashing to the ground or the sea to rise up and cover the earth.

Chapter 8  This si the wrap-up of Gideon's dealings with Midian. 

Verses 1-3.  Gideon was wise in his dealings with the men of Ephraim.  They didn't understand what God was doing, for His own glory, and they felt left out of the story.  If Gideon had been boastful, they could have become contemptuous. 

Verse 6 The leaders of Succoth were skeptical that Gideon would succeed, as were the men of Penuel (verse 8).

Verse 10  There were "only" 15,000 Midianites left, because 120,000 of them had already been killed.  Gideon's odds were much improved, although he still had just 300.

Verse 15  Gideon takes the captured men to show the taunting leaders of Succoth.  Uh Oh. 

Verse 18  After he deals with Succoth and Penuel, he must deal with the last kings of Midian.  They die by Gideon's hand, just as God had foretold it.

Verse 22  The people want a human king, but Gideon gives the true glory to the Lord, at least for now.

Verse 26  Did this part catch you off-guard?  Why did Gideon need this gold earrings on top of everything else that was rightfully his?  It surprised me that he would make such a foolish decision, right after he was so wise about not being crowned king!  Greed is dangerous, and too much of anything is rarely a blessing.  The gold became a thing to worship.  They honored the spirit of war, rather than the One who led them to victory. It really saddens me that Gideon would leave this last indiscretion as his legacy to his family.  We have to remember that what we do in this life is studied and emulated by those around us--especially our children.

Verses 28-35  Gideon dies, and Israel is forgetful again.

Next time:  Judges 9-10

Judges 6: 25-40

Chapter 6, verse 25-27
"Now on the same night."  Sometimes the Lord gives you a vision of your place in the kingdom, and then makes you wait a while to start working.  This time, there was no time to waste.

I want to make sure you get the gravity of Gideon's first assignment from the Lord.  First of all, the alter he was supposed to pull down belonged to his own father.  He was also using his father's livestock to do it, so this was no small structure.  It was big, and had taken money and labor to construct it.

After that, he was to cut down another structure of the gods, the Asherah pole, and use the wood to burn an offering to the True God on top of the old spot.  This was going to have consequences.  People were going to be angry.

So Gideon did what God asked him to do.  And he did it at night.  Did I mention last time that Gideon was maybe not such a brave man?  Yet when the angel of the Lord came to him, He called him a vailiant warrior.  God doesn't wait until you are at your best before He uses you.  It's the task that makes you who you'll become.

And what does this whole tearing down the alter thing tell us about the god we serve?  He used the wood from the Asherah in an alter to Himself!  He is a jealous God.  And it's a jealousy that will tolerate no other gods.  His gesture here was to demean these other gods.  Ficticious gods who were invented by the Enemy to distract the people who belonged to Him.  His bride.  Some are turned off by the idea of a jealous god, but I am not one of them.  If I were tempted away from my marriage to another man, would I want a husband who would stand idly by, twiddling his thumbs and hoping that maybe I'd change my mind?  No!  I'd want him to fight for me.  Remind me of my place with him, and that all others are hollow, filthy imposters.  And that's what our Lord was saying here.  He loves His people fiercely.

Well, the next morning, after the destroyed alter is discovered, the men of the city are ticked off.  They saw the insult to their gods for what it was, and they wanted revenge.  I thought Gideon's dad would feel the same way, but he really comes through in verse 31.  He say's "If Baal is a god, let him contend for himself, because someone has torn down his alter."  I love that!  And as we know, not only did Gideon survive, but he suddenly had a serious reputation and bad-boy nickname because of his defiance of the false god.  Not bad, Lord.

In verse 34, "the Spirit of the Lord came upon Gideon" and he began to gather men against the Midianites.  He was now someone they respected enough to follow.

Verses 36-40  Have you ever heard someone say, "We put a fleece before the Lord?"  This is where that comes from.  It it asking God for reassurance that He is the one behind a decision in your life.  Now, I have never asked for a sign as bold as the one Gideon asked for.  (Do you get the idea that maybe he was trying to get out of it?)  But I have definitely done this in my own way.  When we traveled from Texas to Indiana for the first time to check out the church there, we asked God to make it obvious what His will was in the situation.  I personally prayed that the people of the church would either like us or not like us.  He came through in a major way.  When we met the people of Franklin Road, as I've mentioned before, we recognized them as old friends.  It was a prayer answered in an obvious way.  A couple years later Donnie was offered a position at a church in Michigan, and again we laid the same "fleece" before Him.  And this time it was just as obvious to both of us that it was not the right move.  We didn't know it, but He'd already begun preparing a place back here in Texas for us.

Here is one thing to keep in mind. When you are seeking the Lord's will, remember what Jesus said to the devil during the tempation.  Be careful not to test the Lord with miraculous signs.  When I was little I used to pray that God would prove He was real by writing my name on the inside of my Bible.  Every time I opened it the page was still blank. Did that mean God wasn't real?  Of course not!  But He would prove Himself to me in His own way.

Next time: Judges 7-8

Judges 6: 1-24

I have been pouring over the Gideon chapters for days now, trying to decide just how much of my personal insights to share, and how much to do in a single sitting.  I have read and re-read the chapters, and feel really excited about the applicable lessons that we can take from Gideon's life.

So here's my take of the first half of Chapter 6

Verse 4 shows just what kind of warfare the enemies of God's nation were using against them.  It was vicious warfare. 

Verse 6 I keep wanting them to realize that they are bringing all of this suffering on themselves.  At least they eventually remember who to go to when everything falls apart.

Note in verse 11 where we find Gideon.  He is threshing wheat in the wine press.  The enemy has stolen or destroyed all the food they can find, so Gideon's family has found away around it.

Verses 12-24 bring me to my knees, and here's why.  When the Angel of the Lord first appears to Gideon, he addresses him as "Oh Valiant Warrior."  But up to this point, who is Gideon as far as anyone can tell?  He's nobody.  He's somebody's kid.  The youngest of many brothers.  We find out later that he's old enough to have a wife and a son, but beyond that, he probably has no wealth, no fame, no inheritance.  We also find out later that he isn't even brave!  So what could the Lord possibly mean by calling him a valiant warrior? 

Here's what I believe.  God knows Gideon.  He knows who he has been and he knows who he will become.  God isn't bound by time like we are.  He knows what will happen on any given day, as if it already has.  And I believe that's the way he sees us, too.  He doesn't see us as what we've done or what we strive for, or the little mistakes that keep us constantly struggling day after day.  I truly believe that He sees us for our overall, complete impact in the Kingdom. To me this says, stop worrying about those failures, or who you wish you were, or which talents you wish you had.  Allow yourself to imagine, given a whole lifetime, the impact that you could make on this world for the Kingdom.  How would the Lord address you? 

It's hard to think about, I know.  But I have a cool story to help you along.  When I was in 10th grade, I was in a Sunday School class with all girls.  At the end of the year, our teacher, Cheri S., went around the room telling us what she thought of us.  I was nervous when she got to me, wondering what she could possibly say.  She looked at me and said, "Anna, you are a mighty woman of God."  Alright, in context, I was a 10th grade girl.  Not in the least mighty--not really yet a woman.  I was kind of embarrassed, too.  What in the world could she have meant by that?  While I still have no idea what prompted her to say that of me, I have never forgotten it.  I have used those words as if they were spoken to me directly from my Heavenly Father.  I have striven to make those words true.  And sometimes I have failed miserably.  But those words have been in the back of my mind every time I've had a victory over my own flesh.  Every time I have gotten up the nerve to tell someone I meet about Christ--or persevered with this journal, when sometimes it's the thing I want to do the LEAST--or when I'm able to call out the Enemy head-on and expose his lies in the lives of my friends.  I think about those words, and I pray, "Lord, make me that mighty woman in You."

And someday I will be.

Think about your own life.  Your own strengths and talents and gifts.  Ask God to show you who you really are in Him.  Your true Identity.  Has He already revealed it to you in some way?  Strive for it.

Next time : Judges 6:25-40

Judges 4-5

Chapter 4
The story of Deborah is amazing and inspiring.  Read the description of her in verse 4.  She was a prophetess, and a judge...and a WIFE.  God expects us, even when we are married to find our identity in Him.  She was a mighty woman of God, with an identity separate from her husband's. 

Verse 8. Barak knows who the leader is, and who God has ordained to lead them. 

Verse 9.  It would be humiliating for their enemies to lose the battle to a woman, and all the more victorious for God's people to win under a "weaker vessel."  Have you noticed this trend in the judges that God picks?  Someone who can truly showcase His power.

I just love this in verse 14:  "The Lord has gone out before you."  We are fighting our own spiritual battles to win the hearts of our neighbors for Christ.  Sometimes we can get so scared when we know that God wants us to approach one of them with the good news.  But remember, God has gone out before you!  He has been working in the hearts of the lost, and has prepared them for the very moment that you walk into their lives.

Verses 17-22  Again, God is giving us an example of a woman that had a serious, down-and-dirty role in His plan.  Jael was a woman, someone's wife.  Those of us who are hiding behind our husband's spirituality in the name of submission, need to step up and ask God, "What do you want from ME?"  You have talents, personality, and relationships that no one else has.  There are people that only you can reach, because you are the one that God has strategically placed in their lives.  Role up your sleeves and get in the game!  Pray that the first one would knock on your door, just like Sisera knocked on Jael's.  But in your case, instead of taking someone's life, God has called you to show someone Life.

Chapter 5
I just have a couple comments about this beautiful song that Deborah and Barak sing to the Lord.  Song is a natural response to the provision of the Lord.

Verse 5.  The mountains quaked at His presence.

Verse 28  Sisera's mother could not have imagined his fate.  He was impossibly strong.  We also cannot imagine what God has in store for His people.  He loves impossible odds.

Verse 31 The land was undesturbed for 40 years.

Okay, I know I said we'd do 3 chapters today, but I want to group the entire Gidian story as one unit.  So, I'll meet you back here next time with chapters 6-8.