A holy habit, #44

Last night my Monday Night Bible Study started the book Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow.

Oh geeze.  It's good.

I had started it sometime back but for some reason I didn't finish it. Now that I pick it up again, it's like it's the perfect time for me to do this study with my group and grow with them. Everything has it's reason and it's season.

Anyway, since I have been trying to learn my intentional thanks prompted by Ann Vosberg's book One Thousand Gifts, what we studied last night fit right in with this new intentional habit of thankfulness. And that is the holy habit of contentment. They go hand in hand but do take some practice an much daily surrender.

Surrender, full and complete, is something God is teaching me still. It's been the theme of my last two weeks (also, my entire life!) in many ways. I even sang a song about it at church, and the words resonate..

All to Jesus, I surrender;

All to Him I freely give;

I will ever love and trust Him,

In His presence daily live.

I surrender all, I surrender all,

All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,

I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;

Humbly at His feet I bow,

Worldly pleasures all forsaken;

Take me, Jesus, take me now.

All to Jesus, I surrender;

Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;

Let me feel the Holy Spirit,

Truly know that Thou art mine.

All to Jesus, I surrender;

Lord, I give myself to Thee;

Fill me with Thy love and power;

Let Thy blessing fall on me.

All to Jesus I surrender;

Now I feel the sacred flame.

O the joy of full salvation!

Glory, glory, to His Name!

So this week (also, the rest of my life) I am working on being thankful by full surrender and contentment NO MATTER the circumstance. Not just singing about it. Not just teaching about it. But doing it with the leading and strength of the Holy Spirit. It's not going to be easy but it will get easier with practice.

This list was given in our book that I thought was a fabulous set of standards to live a life of full of thankfulness, contentment and surrender.

It's called "Ella Spees' Holy Habit of Contentment"

v  Never allow yourself to complain about anything-even the weather.

v  Never picture yourself in any other circumstances or someplace else.

v  Never compare you lot with another's.

v  Never allow yourself to wish this or that had been otherwise.

v  Never dwell on tomorrow-remember that tomorrow is God's, not ours.

#44 I have more content days than not lately. That's an accomplishment and an awesome work of God. And I am thankful to be learning it still.

All the difference in the world

About 8 months ago I felt an intense desire to be a part of something bigger.

I craved depth in relationships and needed more godly friendships in my life.

After much thought and a lot of 

"are you sure, God. I don't think I will be able to do this"

"Just do it, Missy" conversations with my Jesus, I started a home study and invited a few of my closest friends, some promising acquaintances and some strangers to start in a journey of growth through friendship and Bible study. 

YAY! I am so glad I listened to God. 

WHAT A BLESSING THESE WOMEN ARE TO ME!

Holy Cow. 

Mondays are never ever dreaded again to me!

Through silly ice breaker games and topical questions we have gone from superficial and guarded to deep and vulnerable. What a transformation I have seen in so many of these girls and in my own heart!

Don't friends make all of the difference in the world while getting through your day? 

Don't friends make all of the difference in the world when you have a crisis?

"Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep." 

Don't friends make all the difference in the world when you have someone to rejoice with you about the blessings that are given?

 Don't friends make all of the difference in the world when you struggle and need a prayer or a hand to help?

"Let love of the brethren continue.  Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it."

The answer is... 

a thousand times, YES!

Two are better than one, 

because they have a good return for their work:

If one falls down, 

his friend can help him up. 

But pity the man who falls 

and has no one to help him up!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

I venture to say  10 -12 are better than one too (wink, wink)

My life has been enriched these past few months. It's not a temporary  or convenient social circle that is elite or exclusive.

It's a web of friendship that is proving to be quite  strong and intricate. Each woman contributing to the strength of our group, adding beautiful perspectives,  cherished encouragement, and faithful support to each other. There are a few quiet and gentle spirits in our group and there are a few bolder women. We all are learning from each other.

While it may take a long while to grow an old friend, I think we are doing pretty well at making the most of each Monday together. I'm in this for the long-haul!

I have seen girls serve when it wasn't convenient, give when it wasn't affordable, sacrifice when it wasn't easy and grow when the enemy was pressing them down on every side. Our God is wonderful. That's all there is to it. 

We are 6 weeks into "A Woman After God's Own Heart" by Elizabeth George and it's kicking our butts into high gear! Wow.

Together we are learning to be the women God designed each of us to be. We are learning to embrace our differences and  lay our insecurities at His feet. Serving our husband's and families to better serve our God...TOGETHER.

  We are learning that God is ready to show us and provide "exceedingly abundantly above all that we [dare] to think or ask."  The list of answered prayer and praises continues to grow! 

So, while friendships can sometimes be awkward and tricky, I am finding that the awkward and tricky phase is definitely worth getting past to finding the deep connection that is true friendship. 

I am so grateful to have deepened my friendships and to now have other women who are passionately pursuing their God along side of me. To lift my arms when I am tired, to urge me to finish the race when I don't see the end in site, to share in my joy and to just laugh and be silly with.

(girls, I'd say we are all headed to level 5   :o )

And let there be no purpose in friendship save the deepening of the spirit. For love that seeks aught but the disclosure of its own mystery is not love but a net cast forth: and only the unprofitable is caught.

And let your best be for your friend. If he must know the ebb of your tide, let him know its flood also. For what is your friend that you should seek him with hours to kill? Seek him always with hours to live. For it is his to fill your need, but not your emptiness. And in the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed."

-The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran