Even Ground

Last night I started another sweet
journey with Beth Moore. Over the
last several years I have taken many
of her courses and enjoyed each and
one. This is the longest period of time that I've gone without being in  a bible study and I have missed it a lot. This study couldn't be more perfectly timed for me as the last year or longer has been a very dark and lonely place..... Especially spiritually. As the video began last night, I could feel the little God bumps rise on my arms in excited anticipation as to what he would reveal to and in me during this study. Every time I take one of her courses, I feel like a dry sponge just soaking up fresh water for my soul. That's not saying I don't sit under wonderful leadership and teaching on a regular basis at my church, there is just something about the way she gets down to the nitty gritty of a woman's heart. She approaches each study with wit, charm and a humility that few bible scholars could even imagine much less convey to the ordinary person they are speaking to. That's why I love listening to her, she's just a woman on a journey who invites her girlfriends along for a great adventure in the word. I read a quote by her that said.... "True intimacy with God always brings humility." I have learned to appreciate humility after being raised in a denomination with little, if any. One thing I truly believe is those who are intimate with God never sit on a pedestal, but rather sit under the foot of the cross where everyone is on even ground and where the turf is well watered with the tears of their repentance. Yes, I'm looking forward to a wonderful journey.

Broken People

One of my favorite authors is Beth Moore. I've done several of her bible studies and few people can break things down to real life like she can. She is animated and hysterically funny because she is so female. A friend sent me a text yesterday saying she had just started her new book titled "So Long Insecurity, You've Been A Bad Friend". I don't typically consider myself insecure, or let me say any more insecure than most woman. But let's face it, women deal with a lot of stuff. Some of the stuff comes from our childhood, some of it comes from being a woman. Some women cover their stuff up with arrogance and pride, while others cover their stuff up with shyness and impenetrable walls they've built around them. Some of us boldly display our stuff right out there in the open, others hide it deep inside, and others pretend that they don't even have stuff or had it and have totally overcame it. Yep, we've all got our stuff and we've all got our ways of dealing with the stuff we got. I downloaded the book onto my blackberry and I'm only on like the 2nd or 3rd chapter, but I highly recommend it to every woman, I can just tell it's going to hit the nail on the head and help me where I hurt. I'm not paralyzed with insecurity, but after reading a couple of chapters I know that I have enough that it hinders me from being the person God made me to be. I'd like a little help getting past my stuff so that I can get on to the next thing he has for me. I'm certainly not going to hesitate to reach out for help in being a better woman, wife, mother or christian. After all a big part of my personality is to fix things (usually things that I myself have broken or caused to be broken), some times I feel like I should be able to fix other people but the truth of the matter is I have to fix myself before I can help someone else. I've said this before, we are all broken people being put back together by a loving God.