Okay, so (unless there is anyone else out there studying along) I believe there are three of us going through the book of Esther together. You both know me, so I want to take a minute to introduce you to each other. Kristin Lynch meet Tara Smith; Tara Smith meet Kristin Lynch (lol). Kristin and I are friends from high school. We came back together through Facebook, and have become even closer friends through the last Bible study, Beth Moore’s “When Godly People Do Ungodly Things.” I love Kristin’s heart. A new student to the Word, Kristin’s honest approach and sincere desire to learn inspire me. Tara and I “met” online - both followers of Beth Moore’s online blog (http://blog.lproof.org/). Tara is a super-talented photographer (check out Darling Chaos Photography on Facebook) who also has a beautiful heart. Though we’ve never met in person, I am often encouraged by her Facebook posts and her heart for those in need. It is no accident that God brought the three of us (specifically) together. We can be sure of that! Especially in light of the subject matter we are studying right now. Remember the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary’s definition of providence? “Indeed, so all encompassing is God’s attention to events within creation that nothing happens by chance.” Nothing happens by chance.
Oh yeah, and one other tidbit I find somewhat amusing: I live in New Jersey; you two BOTH live in Texas. And if my google-map skills are correct, you only live about 2 hours and 15 minutes away from each other. That just makes me smile: a girl in New Jersey and two girls in Texas “get together” once a week for Bible study. You gotta love 2011 :)
Alright, so now that we’ve all been introduced, let’s discuss what we’ve been studying this week. First up, where are you girls? Tara got a bit of a late start and Kristin downloaded Session One before the Introduction, so I just want to check in on your status. If you are a little behind, don’t worry. I just want to get a sense of where you are because we can always slow our pace a bit (if we have to) in order to let everyone catch up. Let me know.
I just completed the second week of homework, and am still thoroughly loving the book of Esther. It really has an interesting plot, doesn’t it? I mean, I’ve read it before, but even so I feel like reading ahead to see what happens. Beyond that, I’m also getting a lot of real life application from what we’re reading: how to exercise wisdom, gain favor, submit to authority, trust God. There are gems in here!
For me, there were two things that really stood out in study this week: (1) that Esther was liked by other women; and (2) that Xerxes’ failure to reward Mordecai was part of God’s sovereign plan. Since my post this week is already pretty long, I’ll keep my thoughts on these points brief. Simple as it is, I want to be a woman that is liked by other women. Kristin made a great point during our last Bible Study. Although good in many respects, Facebook can also arouse catty, competitive, jealous feelings between “friends”. I don’t want to contribute to that or experience that myself. I want to be a real friend to my friends (both on Facebook and in real life), especially my girlfriends. Don’t you? With regard to to Xerxes’ failure to reward Mordecai, I loved Beth’s tangent about forcing a man’s ear but not his hand. Let me just say this: yes Beth, I CAN relate! Lol :)
Okay, you’re up! I can’t wait to read your comments and/or prayer requests this week. Please tell me, what is God teaching YOU?
This week, we’ll be watching video session two. The viewer guide (to be completed while watching the video session) can be found on pages 56 and 57 of our workbooks.
*** PLEASE NOTE: The Lifeway website has CHANGED! To order the “Session 2” video, make sure you choose the box that says “Session 2” in the section that says “Select Session Number.” I cannot send you a direct link to buy the session 2 video for some reason with the format of the new website. ***
http://www.lifeway.com/Product/esther-its-tough-being-a-woman-video-sessions-M00000120#
You may have to copy and paste the above link into your browser.
Our homework for this week begins on page 58 and ends on page 79 of our workbooks. Make every effort to complete this homework before next Tuesday, when I will post the link for our next video session and discuss some of the things that we learned this week.
Your friend,
Amy :)
2 comments:
Hi Tara!!!
I am right on tract, going to watch session 2 tonight. I am going back to NJ for a 10 day visit, so I'm assuming I will be really behind? I may try to get a head before I go, so then I can do extra when I come back. I hate to do it like that, but I'm trying to be realistic too...
This book is so exciting. I've finally put a "face" to my Esther. I've been trying to think of someone I know that would be similar to "know" her better. and I came up with a friend I met through work. She was very popular with girls and boys, she rarely if ever said anything bad about anyone, she would talk to everyone, but she was on the quiet side, never trying to be the center of attention, great manners, absolutely gorgeous though fashionble, but modest. Makes me realize how much I need to work on my manners and how important it is to teach them to my daughter. Girls can be mean, and with a lesson like this, I think life can be much easier if we are taught to develope these qualitites. Also, I think this is such a great lesson for the work place. Instead of groveling when I'm passed over it's great to keep in mind that sometimes it will be to your benefit later, and the truth will be seen eventually. Really great lessons in this book!!! And Amy, you are the girl that girls like!
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