Keep on Keeping On

Hello Bible Study Buddies! We are currently at Week 5 in our study ... and this week we are reminding ourselves to "...forget none of His benefits". This is an egg-cellent time to deliberately place GOD smack in the center of our thought closets! What with Easter eggs and spring break trying to steal our attention ... let's make a deliberate effort together, shall we?

Girlfriends, I encourage you to keep on keeping on in the bible study! Only one more week to go after this lesson. The enemy would love to have an opportunity to wiggle into your mind just enough to make you feel defeated. I pray, for the love of Jesus to keep us going strong! If you find it hard to finish your lessons during this busy season ... don't get discouraged ... come to class anyway! We'll do it together! Ladies, do not let the enemy in. Satan is the father of lies and he will do whatever he can to keep you away. I'm praying hard for you, and for the victory that we girls are going to receive through the teachings in this bible study!

Now then, in this weeks lesson I love love love the exercise on page 122 where we were asked to write statements all over the walls of our thought closets based on scriptures that describe how God values each one of us. That's SO very cool -- "art" on our very own closet walls! In case you don't have your book (or if you are visiting us here on the ole' blogaroonie) here is a list of the suggested scriptures:

Isaiah 43:1; Isaiah 43:4; Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 15:7; 1 Cor. 6:20; Eph 1:4; Eph 2:10; 1 Peter 2:9. Let's speak those truths to ourselves today! They are not "feelings" ... they are facts!

1. God calls me by name.
2. He honors and loves me.
3. He has unfailing love for me.
4. He accepts me as I am, not for who I wish I was.
5. Jesus bought me for a very high price.
6. He chose me.
7. He created me as a masterpiece!
8. He chose me as royalty.

I am so humbled when I meditate on these verses. So much so, that I've turned it into a letter written to me from God - see below. I hope you, too, will allow God to craft His letter to you during this week. Meditate on His Word, girlfriends, and spend time at His letter-writing desk. See you Thursday evening!

LETTER FROM GOD:

My Dearest Kay,

The fact that you've come to Me shows that your heart is responsive, and I love you for it. Because love is so central to who I am, it must be central to who you are as My child. I will help you live out My definition of love.

Kay, I love you so much that I could not bear to be without you for eternity. So I sent my only son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and die for your sins. It was a high price that was paid for your salvation ... Jesus endured the painful death of the cross and the separation from Me that came with bearing your sin. My dear child, I love you that much.

In order to tap into My incredible strength, all you must do is come near to Me. When you take just one step toward Me, just as you are, I will run to meet you with open arms and a loving heart. You are my masterpiece! I made you and all of creation!

How pleased I am that you are learning the true meaning and source of joy. As you take My Word into your heart, My teachings will always be a source of joy to you. My power and My Word are at work in you this very minute. I chose you, Kay. You are worth everything to Me, My child.

Your God of Love

A Wise Thought Closet

Where on earth would we be without God and His Word? Lord, have mercy! If you've been able to stay on schedule with the Me Myself & Lies bible study, you should be almost completed with your Week Three homework. Did you discover your track from emotions, to thoughts, to actions? I did ... and all to often I think with my feelings! And thinking with your feelings can make you fall into all manners of false conclusions! Oops - major bummer.

So off I went to find wisdom, over the river and through the woods, to God's House we go! When I face life's struggles, big or small, I truly want to be led by the Holy Spirit's guiding. But, learning to hear His voice requires effort on my part. The Holy Spirit will not shout down the noise of our busy world to counsel you. He won't try to silence all the racket in your thought closet to be heard. To hear His counsel, we have to quiet ourselves and really listen.

I'm not much on being quiet, talking is kinda my "thing" but I do dearly LOVE the Word of God and I absolutely positively treasure my quiet time with the Lord! And the best news about that is this: (it's good - so hold onto yer' hats) The Holy Spirit's guidance always lines up with the Word of God! Now that's just deserving of a real shout out -- Hallelujah!

What say you, you wise self-talking, soul-talking, women friends of mine? (insert big smile here)

Label Makers

Hello Bible Study Buddies? Lesson 2 talks about labels -- you know, those sticky little things that get slapped on a myriad of stuff? What labels are in your thought closet? Does the enemy try to tell you lies and stick his lying-labels on you? Do you allow it? Is it a FACT label ... a FATE label ... or a FAITH label?

This week I am in the re-labeling process, as part of my closet cleaning! I'm sorting out the facts from the fates that I have assigned to them, and (get this one ... listen carefully) I am saturating myself in scriptures to bolster my faith labels!

How about THIS for a super fantastic label ... 2 Timothy 1:7: "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." Now that's a label loaded with strength, and power, and victory! No matter what FACT or FATE we might start with, this verse allows us to walk away with a nice bright shiny sticky label of FAITH on our foreheads!

What labels are you dealing with this week ladies? Are they truthful? You must tell yourself the truth about who you are, no matter what anyone else says! My closet is full of yellow sticky labels this week (for real! ... my sweet man wondered why, and he actually started to ask, but then he just shook his head and allowed me to yellow stick his clothes too - now THAT's the Holy Spirit working, I'm here to tell ya!).

Your Father, God, wants to be the Label Maker for your life! Ask God to help you receive His labels and reject other labels as you go throughout your days! Ladies, let's wear our FAITH labels and fix our eyes on the unseen!

Now let's hear it from you ... leave a comment and let us know how your re-labeling process is going! Encourage one another! I'll see you Thursday night at bible study ... you'll know you are where you should be if you see a bunch of FAITH-LABELED friends! Who's in? Got label?

Welcome From the Very Start ....Commit and Rely

It's an overcast morning here in Indy, but my soul is full of sunshine from this week's bible study lesson! I understand we will NOT have 19 flakes of snow this weekend for a change, and the temps are expected to hit 50. Hmmm, bible study and signs of spring ... two very good reasons to smile! Can anyone say Amen?

All you bible study girls out there ... we loved hearing from each other's prayer partners this week! If you haven't yet made contact with your gal, there's still time! Shoot her an email or pick up the tellyphone. In the words of Lesson One, Day Two:

If one of your Bible Study Buddies calls and asks "Whats Up?" you say, "I'm committing my way to God and relying on His words, not mine!"

Don't assume it's a small task just because it's two little words. As you talk to yourself today, tell yourself to commit your way to God - one word, one thought at a time - and tell your soul to rely on God's word more than your words.

One of my favorite things that happened to me this past week was hearing from my prayer partner. I give all you prayer partners a big shout-out for coming out of the wood-work (as granny would say), because it totally made my week! That delight got me right in the spirit! Thank you for making each other feel welcome. That's so important in a group like this!

If you or your friends do not currently have a bible study in your area, come have bible study with us at Outlook Christian Church on Mount Comfort Road on Thursday evenings. Come get a word with us. Let us make you so glad you came!

I know I also speak for Laura and Marcia when I say, we are so honored to take this journey with you. Jesus is life, girlfriends! Jesus is life! Let's run after Him with every ounce of energy we have!

Today ... commit (your way to GOD) and rely (on GOD's word more than your own words)!