First of all, I would like to apologize for the delay in a new topic for this blog. I’ve been without internet for almost three weeks now but am finally back online. With this site just getting started I’ve been trying to think of some topics to cover. Thank you to those who have commented on the topics thus far and I encourage those who read these to leave your thoughts.
My topic for this entry is from one of my Bible study classes that I’ve been participating in over the last few weeks. The study is called “To Live is Christ” and is a Beth Moore study. Anyone who is familiar with Beth Moore will know how wonderful this study has been so far. It follows Paul on his journeys in the book of Acts.
In my last class the teacher challenged us to come up with our story. Because of that challenge I decided to tell my story for the class and also share it here in this blog. I encourage you to share your story with all who read this site as well.
Picture two cliffs roughly 20 miles across. On one side you have me as a 16 year old high school student getting ready to go through her confirmation class. On the other side is God and I’m just learning how to build the bridge across the cliff to reach Him.
When I was 16 the year was 1995 and I was a sophomore in high school. I had attended the same church my entire life. I had been active in Sunday school, junior youth groups, choir, and various musical productions. This confirmation class was the next logical step for me. I attended the class with two other students and week after week we listened to our pastor lecture on various topics. We worked from the same work book my brother had used three years before. The majority of what I had written was copied from his book. I finished the classes, put on the robe, and took my first communion in front of the congregation. Never once did I question anything. This was simply the process I was to go through.
I finished high school in 1997 and headed off to college. Being away from home, I never considered finding another church. I just figured that if I was home I would attend but being away I didn’t need to.
That year I met the first person I had ever seen who was committed to the Lord on a daily basis and lived her life to serve Him. She was my roommate and I would see her daily reading from her Bible and writing in her journal. At the time I didn’t realize the impact that memory would have on my life. At the time, I didn’t appreciate what she was doing or ask her why she was doing it.
After that year we parted ways for the summer and I think both of our lives changed. By fall we were on very different paths and living across campus from each other. After the first semester she left our college and, although we kept in touch, we didn’t see each other much.
I want to jump ahead to my senior year of college when she came to campus to visit and attend a worship service. She came by my sorority house and invited me to attend with her. I went along more to spend time with her than to worship. It was my first experience seeing people sing with their hands raised. It was overwhelming for me and I felt very out of place. After the service we went back to my room and just talked about things that were happening in my life. Before she left she gave me her Bible. I didn’t want to accept it and even sent her an email later telling her I shouldn’t keep it. I knew how much it meant to her. It had her notes, markings, pressed flowers, and inside the front cover it said that her grandparents had given it to her. That Bible is now what I consider one of the most precious gifts anyone has given me.
For a long time that Bible sat in a box with a lot of my other items from college that were stored in my parents basement. My husband and I moved from Kentucky to Alaska. When my husband deployed to Iraq in 2005 I moved home and my son and I lived with my parents. During that year I started attending church again and eventually dug out that Bible. Looking back now I realize that I had always been searching for something more and not really knowing what it was I was searching for.
I was interested in Bible studies and when we moved to Washington in 2007 I became a part of a group that has changed my life. Before I got here I had everything planned out that I was going to do and right off the bat my plans changed. When that happened I decided to attend a meeting I had seen advertised in our post paper. I had never gone to anything by myself before but I just really felt drawn to attend this meeting. They offered free child care so there was no excuse to pass this up. The first week I went with the attitude that I would just try it once and see how it went. Again, this meeting started with singing and people raising their hands. I immediately felt out of place and that all of this was way over my head. However, when the program started the women I was sitting with were very welcoming and I felt like I had been around them forever. When the lady that was leading the program started talking I felt inspired. She was someone around my own age and you could just feel the excitement for the Lord coming through her. I found myself surrounded by women my own age, each somehow connected to the military, all raising children, and truly ladies I could relate too. Through them I have grown in my studies and truly started on my own journey.
My journey across the bridge has begun and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me. God has placed many people in my life that have inspired me in my faith. It's amazing to me to see how God works and how he places people in our lives.
My prayer: Lord, I praise you and I thank you for bringing these amazing people into my life to lead me on my journey. I have been blessed continuously on many occasions through family and friends. I’m excited about the support I have around me as I study your Word and grow in my relationship with you. I pray that everyone who reads this sees the people you have placed in their lives to help lead and inspire them on their journeys. In your name I pray, Amen.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12
Check out this website: http://www.sudieniesen.com/ My cousin is on an incredible journey and I admire her courage
My topic for this entry is from one of my Bible study classes that I’ve been participating in over the last few weeks. The study is called “To Live is Christ” and is a Beth Moore study. Anyone who is familiar with Beth Moore will know how wonderful this study has been so far. It follows Paul on his journeys in the book of Acts.
In my last class the teacher challenged us to come up with our story. Because of that challenge I decided to tell my story for the class and also share it here in this blog. I encourage you to share your story with all who read this site as well.
Picture two cliffs roughly 20 miles across. On one side you have me as a 16 year old high school student getting ready to go through her confirmation class. On the other side is God and I’m just learning how to build the bridge across the cliff to reach Him.
When I was 16 the year was 1995 and I was a sophomore in high school. I had attended the same church my entire life. I had been active in Sunday school, junior youth groups, choir, and various musical productions. This confirmation class was the next logical step for me. I attended the class with two other students and week after week we listened to our pastor lecture on various topics. We worked from the same work book my brother had used three years before. The majority of what I had written was copied from his book. I finished the classes, put on the robe, and took my first communion in front of the congregation. Never once did I question anything. This was simply the process I was to go through.
I finished high school in 1997 and headed off to college. Being away from home, I never considered finding another church. I just figured that if I was home I would attend but being away I didn’t need to.
That year I met the first person I had ever seen who was committed to the Lord on a daily basis and lived her life to serve Him. She was my roommate and I would see her daily reading from her Bible and writing in her journal. At the time I didn’t realize the impact that memory would have on my life. At the time, I didn’t appreciate what she was doing or ask her why she was doing it.
After that year we parted ways for the summer and I think both of our lives changed. By fall we were on very different paths and living across campus from each other. After the first semester she left our college and, although we kept in touch, we didn’t see each other much.
I want to jump ahead to my senior year of college when she came to campus to visit and attend a worship service. She came by my sorority house and invited me to attend with her. I went along more to spend time with her than to worship. It was my first experience seeing people sing with their hands raised. It was overwhelming for me and I felt very out of place. After the service we went back to my room and just talked about things that were happening in my life. Before she left she gave me her Bible. I didn’t want to accept it and even sent her an email later telling her I shouldn’t keep it. I knew how much it meant to her. It had her notes, markings, pressed flowers, and inside the front cover it said that her grandparents had given it to her. That Bible is now what I consider one of the most precious gifts anyone has given me.
For a long time that Bible sat in a box with a lot of my other items from college that were stored in my parents basement. My husband and I moved from Kentucky to Alaska. When my husband deployed to Iraq in 2005 I moved home and my son and I lived with my parents. During that year I started attending church again and eventually dug out that Bible. Looking back now I realize that I had always been searching for something more and not really knowing what it was I was searching for.
I was interested in Bible studies and when we moved to Washington in 2007 I became a part of a group that has changed my life. Before I got here I had everything planned out that I was going to do and right off the bat my plans changed. When that happened I decided to attend a meeting I had seen advertised in our post paper. I had never gone to anything by myself before but I just really felt drawn to attend this meeting. They offered free child care so there was no excuse to pass this up. The first week I went with the attitude that I would just try it once and see how it went. Again, this meeting started with singing and people raising their hands. I immediately felt out of place and that all of this was way over my head. However, when the program started the women I was sitting with were very welcoming and I felt like I had been around them forever. When the lady that was leading the program started talking I felt inspired. She was someone around my own age and you could just feel the excitement for the Lord coming through her. I found myself surrounded by women my own age, each somehow connected to the military, all raising children, and truly ladies I could relate too. Through them I have grown in my studies and truly started on my own journey.
My journey across the bridge has begun and I can’t wait to see what is in store for me. God has placed many people in my life that have inspired me in my faith. It's amazing to me to see how God works and how he places people in our lives.
My prayer: Lord, I praise you and I thank you for bringing these amazing people into my life to lead me on my journey. I have been blessed continuously on many occasions through family and friends. I’m excited about the support I have around me as I study your Word and grow in my relationship with you. I pray that everyone who reads this sees the people you have placed in their lives to help lead and inspire them on their journeys. In your name I pray, Amen.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave nor forsake you.” Deuteronomy 31:6
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12
Check out this website: http://www.sudieniesen.com/ My cousin is on an incredible journey and I admire her courage
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