Moore, please.

Last March my friend Cathy, (who, by the way is in seminary) asked me "You really don't know who Beth Moore is?"  I was back home for my baby shower and she drove me home that night after all us girls ate dinner.  I told her, no, I had never heard of her.  She said, "I really can't believe you've never heard of Beth Moore."

Fast forward to this past fall when I decided that I should start going to 4W, our weekly women's Bible Study program. It's a bit unusual for me to just up and go to something where I don't really know anybody, especially a room full of women!  JM had gotten over the evil colic and acted pretty good for his church nursery caregivers so I thought I'd give it a go.  They have child care (a definite plus) and muffins with coffee and Beth Moore was one of the studies to choose from.  I thought, Oh, I've heard of her. 

We did Loving Well and I liked it so much that I decided to get Beth Moore's study on David, 90 Days With a Heart Like His.  Actually, I'm still on that one...it's been a little more than 90 days.  I try to get that study in everyday, but sometimes I don't succeed. 

I digress.....back to our new Beth Moore study, Esther.  Quite sadly, I missed the first few sessions due to being back home over Christmas, then the stomach bug for JM, then the ice storm, then another cold for JM, then last week we missed because JM slept until 9 am so we didn't make it to church then, either.  Today was only my second session of the study and I am in loooove. 

Picture courtesy of lifewaystores.com

I SO am in love with me some Beth Moore Bible study.  As Cathy said, I can't believe I had never heard of Beth Moore before.  I love her Texas hair and cutesy outfits with denim or sparkles on them.  You feel as if everything she is saying she is saying it to you.  It's like she knows what you've been through and is speaking to what you need to hear.  This Esther study has been just wonderful every single time.  I really had never heard too much about Esther and I am still a bit behind in my study but it is so good.  So much drama!  If you're looking for a way to get plugged in somewhere with a study, I strongly suggest shopping around for basically anything she has written. 

Here are a few of my favorite quotes and sayings from the studies I have done or am currently doing:

*  Do you realize I knew everything about you the day you were conceived?  I anticipated your life and planned for it!   --wow

*  My eyes and my affections are on you right now.

*  Quit trying to be so strong.   Let me be strong for you.  --That's a really hard one, to LET God be strong for us.

*  I am for you.

*  Do you think you need to prove yourself loveable to me?

*  I alone know how to prosper you through this.

*  Do you have any idea how much I love you?  -- Do we really have any idea how much God truly loves each one of us. 

-Excerpts from Loving Well Small Group Facilitator Guide

Now, my next favorite saying that's been such a help the last few weeks.  Think of the worst thing that could happen to you.   IF that happens...then what?  It's what you think upon, it's your worst fear for yourself or your family, it's the IF that often sits at the forefront of your mind, it's just sitting there hanging out in your mind.  Everyone has an IF.  IF ___happens, then I'll just die.  I'll curl up in a ball and just never live life again.  Worry is so hard to overcome.  Who isn't a worrier?  I know I am.  This next little, teeny tiny sentence has helped me so much and freed me, too.

IF _____, then  ____.   Think about it.   What would YOU fill in the blank with?  I know exactly what goes in my blanks.  It's that diagnosis or phone call that's been trailing myself and my family, haunting me, and filling my every waking second with worry for the last 8 years or so. 

Now, replace it with

IF ____, then G-O-D.   That's it.  Just like that, the IF is just gone....along with so much worry and anxiety about my ifs. If that does happen, then  GOD.  I love it! 

Excerpts from Esther, It's Tough Being a Woman.

The Living Proof Ministries blog:  ch-ch-ch-check it out:  http://www.livingproofministries.blogspot.com/

A link to Esther with excerpts and video samples: LifeWayEsther

A link to our church's 4W website.    http://fbcb4w.blogspot.com/

I'll step off of my soapbox now.  Off I go!  Y'all know how I love to step up on it from time to time.  Some days I just have it in me to write a big ole post like this instead of posting precious pictures of John Michael.  Don't worry, I'll be back tomorrow with cute pictures and fun sayings, but for today, I needed this and I needed to share it with y'all....as if anybody is reading down to the last sentence of this long post!!!!

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Jordan and I are going to celebrate our belated Valentine's dinner at a secret location!  I love surprises.  Gran and Gamps are going to take care of John Michael tonight (I'm sure they're so upset about that) and we'll get a great dinner with great dinner conversation with just the two of us!  Wonderful!  Have a Happy Tuesday!