so far, so fabulous:::

is anyone out there loving this study as much as i am?

day 2 and i'm already completely absorbed in beth's engaging and applicable teaching. what a fantastic woman of God. each page of the book is laden with piercing lines and heavy thoughts. i've been utilizing my sharpie pen like it's going out of style. so i couldn't help myself but to get on the blog and release some of this pent up inspiration!

on the first page of day 1's lesson, we see a very powerful statement:

"God overtook a human hand and scripted a
young woman's story into His own"

whew. shouldn't that be the goal and nature of all of our hearts? that God would script us into His own story? that we would be willing to hand Him the rights as scribe to our life? i love writing. and i love a fabulous pen as much as the next gal. so i know how scary it can be to withdraw your personal authorship, especially in regards to your own life. i mean-- we all know how WE want our story to end. we all have lists and dreams and aspirations. if we're not in charge of writing our story, how will those things come to be? and there's the catch. perhaps they won't. perhaps, when giving full copyright over to the Almighty, we'll get an ending better than anything we ever could have imagined. i savor the thought!

in day 2, beth shares that studying the scripture is her "lifeline". oh, that God would instill in me the discipline to make His precious words my source of strength and vitality. it shames me to admit that i don't read my Bible nearly as much as i should. and it often takes a study like this to really make me wonder, "why?" God's words are so full of encouragement, beauty, hope, conviction and teaching. He provided us the Bible for a reason, and i do myself an unfavorable injustice by slacking off on my dissection of it.

take for example the brilliant description of King Xerxes garden. (am i the only one who never pictured it as a garden?!) the pillars. the cloths. the goblets. the furniture. what a tangible view of biblical times. what glorious writing. how much we have to learn and gain from God's Word never ceases to amaze me.

in these early lessons, we are encouraged to look for something of ourselves within this study. it is my sincere prayer that each of you are doing just that!

here's to a continued week of digging in!

WEEK 1:: a royal mess

this week, our bible study commences in the book of Esther--one of five books that comprise "The Five Scrolls", or in the original Hebrew--the Megillot (MEG-eh-lote). we are transported in time to 483 BC, under the rule of King Xerxes. and are given an exceptional- and in depth- look at a very perilous time in the life of a woman named Esther.

i loved this story as a little girl, mostly because of its raw girl-power. but as i've grown, i've come to love it as a precious example of how God can use us, and move through us, in our day-to-day lives.

Esther is not a "red-letter" book. God's name and words aren't smeared over every page. but that doesn't mean He isn't mightily present among them. it's a beautiful reflection, and needed reminder, of our current lives. so often we cannot seem to see God. we cannot find Him, or His will for us, or His plans, or His reasoning. all that is tangible to us are ordinary events. and, i know from experience, that this can be discouraging. but if you look at the book of Esther, you see that, while God didn't speak in a loud booming voice--or withdraw all trial and tribulation-- He quietly, but powerfully, showed His grace, mercy and divinity. He worked through the ordinary--proving that even when we cannot seem to locate Him, He is definitely there.

in the intro session of Beth Moore's audio lessons that correspond with our study (available on itunes & worth every cent!), she spoke something that resonated with me. she said:

"Nothing can keep God out...there is NO place that God cannot go--especially with a willing, scared-half-to-death, ill-equipped vessel. i wonder if we'd be willing?"

wow. you have to ask yourself, "are we?" are we willing to be God's vessel? to be poured out in His name? are we willing to step out in faith, as an Esther, and make a move when the way isn't clear?

it's my prayer that the commitment to dig into this study is a good indication that we're all hungry, willing vessels--eager to learn more about our Lord. and i can't wait to see what He has for us.

this week's study is broken down into 5 sections. feel free to work through them at any pace--but make it your goal to have finished the readings and commented your thoughts/questions by sunday, as the new lesson starts Monday, October 12th. If you haven't had the opportunity to obtain the workbook, have no fear. each lesson in the book focuses on a single chapter in the book of Esther. this weeks study is taken entirely from Esther Chapter 1. so feel free to read that chapter, break it down for yourself, and share what God reveals to you---even if you don't have the additional text.

i am so excited to get started! here's to a fabulous week of growing in God together.