Just like college

Or high school either for that matter. On Wednesdays, I have a women's bible study and prayer group that I attend. We take turns watching little ones in the nursery so that the rest of us can meet together and do a Bible study and have a prayer circle. I really really really appreciate this in the middle of my week. Its my sanity break. This spring we're doing a Beth Moore study called "Breaking Free". Now, Beth Moore is a wonderful speaker and author. This study has a video segment that goes with it each week, that we watch and discuss together. And it has a workbook with five days worth of homework....which is often material I find very interesting and insightful.

But.

You know its a true me story when the conjuction "but" enters the tale.

When we first decided to do this study, no.... let me back that up. When the workbooks were first available for this study, we had already overspent in the month and I decided to be financially responsible and wait until March to get a workbook. We weren't starting the study till March (since we had a couple of snowdays in February...or maybe we started on the last wednesday of February. If you really need to know, I guess you could pull out a calendar. If Feb 28th is a wednesday, that's when we started.)

So, I waited until the start of the class to get the workbook. And...guess what? The workbooks were sold out. The bookstore said they expected a shipment in on April 1st. I said, you meant March 1st, right? No. No. They meant April 1st. But, I could, they told me, place and individual order for a book, since those often shipped before the big group shipment. Fine. I did that.

Now, I didn't ask for the first week of the workbook to be photocopied for me. I think I was pouting instead. I did ask for the second week to be photocopied, and one of the women in the group did that and gave it to me. I, of course, didn't do it. Why? Not because I wasn't interested...but because I kept waiting, hoping that MY workbook would come in and that I could do the assignments in my workbook rather than on the photocopied pages.

It didn't come in.

So, now, it Tuesday. I've done three days of the five days during the course of the day. I have two more days to do. And I'm having flashbacks to all my years of schooling. Of course, I started it this morning instead of at bedtime or midnight....so I guess in that respect its different from my high school and college days.

Now, I could have taken this opportunity to share with you some of the really neat insights that are in the workbook so far...but I didn't. I'm not sure what that says. I think it says that I didn't really internalize any of the really cool insights.

Or it says, I just spent all day on the really cool insights, and can't possibly sum them all up. I will leave you with the coolest one though. End of Day two's session (which I wrapped up during lunch.)

The day begins with Isaiah 43:7 "Everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." The day is spent studying what does it mean 'created for his glory'? What does 'glory' mean in different contexts and scriptures in the Bible? But...here's the coolest part. The day concludes with John 17:9-10...where Jesus is praying to the Father at the last supper "I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours. All I have is yours, and all you have is mine. And glory has come to me through them." Beth Moore writes "In this context, Christ used the word glory to indicate wealth and riches He had received. No matter where you are on this journey to the glorifying, liberated life in Chirst, you are His treasure."

And finally, there is a space at the end of each day to write either a prayer, or a response, or a summation of what was revealed through that day's study. Here is what I wrote, as if I could hear the Father speaking to me...

"Be still, little one. You are my beautiful one. My treasure. My lovely one. I delight in you. Be still. Do not be anxious or afraid. Let me lead. Take my hand and trust in me."