Living Beyond Myself

Well... I've started the Living Beyond yourself Bible study by Beth Moore, and frankly... I have nothing to say.

NOTHING TO SAY QUIETLY, THAT IS!!! Cause, I am the poster child for EXCLAMATION LIVING!!! I so love this expression that Beth Moore used... and I think you'll find a whole lotta women that agree with my sentiments! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;-)

You see, in my relationship with my husband, we have always said (and even laugh about it) that I am the GAS, and HE is the BRAKES ... which just proves that I have always been an exclamation... In fact, so is he ... but that's another story for another time.

So... First, I just have to share how I have struggled. I did not realize how difficult it would be to work full time (40 hours a week), be a full time wife, a full time mom, and care for a house (as in clean it), wash dishes after dinner, blog, pay bills, keep the check book from bouncing (as in not spending money) AND do a Bible study each night.

But out of all of those things, being a full time wife and mom is the most rewarding for me (okay... blogging is too) but NONE of this would be possible with out Jesus Christ, my Savior, my Comforter, my Strength, and the EXCLAMATION in my life. None of it. So, the Bible study is THE MOST important TOOL in my life -- and I'm so excited about it that I can't keep my mouth shut about it. Surprise, huh? Yeah, well ... my mom (who is doing a different Beth Moore study) is probably sick and tired of hearing me talk about it. And my in-laws. And definitely my husband. I was even talking about it at church on Wednesday. Basically... you just can't shut me up about it. Yet another surprise, huh?

First, what I want to do is to share with you five of Beth Moore's quotes from the intro segment of the videos...

1) "GOD IS STILL HAPPENING!" (Amen, Hallelujah ... and Praise the Lord for that!)

2) "When you learn to walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you will be walking in Power."

3) "We have a NOW God! You don't have to wait to become spiritually mature before God can work in your life... We are constantly placed in positions of where we are in immediate need, and we can go to God and tell him "Oh, God -- I need it NOW!" And an outpouring of God comes over us that not only makes us ultimately different, but immediately different! "

4) "God can change our moods! We don't have to be ugly or in a bad mood. God can change that!"

5) "Every time you throw your hands up and say... "You can't" ... Oh YES you can! With the infiltrating power of the Holy Spirit ... YOU CAN! And THAT'S when you know ... GOD IS GOD."

I also want to share some points I've learned ... (only 9, because I have yet to do tonight's study... and will do it after I'm done with this post) --

1) The filling and subsequent gifts of the Spirit won't just change my life... It will CHANGE MY DAY!

2) As women ... we are very influential ... and therefore, must be very careful with this "skill."

3) One of the clearest proofs of God's power is the evidence of a transformed life... MY transformed life.

4) Few things on earth cause as much unhappiness as trying to win the approval and affirmation of people.

5) I am normal... Really, I am ... because everyday, even the disciples fought temptation -- and sometimes lost. Even after they were filled with the Holy Spirit. But, they were never beyond confrontation and accountability.

6) I must (owww -- this one hurts...) abandon my own will and my own agenda so that God's will won't be thwarted in me.

7) Intense times of alone-time with God are required!

8) The greatest risk we'll ever run into is growing casual with the basic precepts of "so great a Salvation." (Trust me, I have been there!)

9) God's specialty is making impossibilities possible (Oh YEAH ... As I said to Janice in an email earlier... God is so good... he's the best thing in the whole world ... better than chocolate, and that says a lot!!!! He answers prayers, and performs modern day miracles. He is the God of yesterday, today and tomorrow... and having [and holding] my son and having frozen embryos reminds me of that constantly ... daily.) And by the way... I am Beth Moore's precious friend ... uuuhhuuuhhh ... she said so in the second (or third) to last paragraph on page 22 ... OH OKAY ... YOU'RE her "precious friend" too -- Wa, wa, wa.... Man... MUST you BURST my bubble like that ALL THE TIME? Ha! Just kidding.

Now, I must close, because there are a gazillion other women commenting about this week's study, and I don't want to steal ALL their thunder.... but before I go... I will leave you with this one last quote... My FAVORITE quote of all times by Beth Moore, because, honey... it's me! Uhhh Huuuuhhh!!!

"You can still like lipstick and like the Word"
Well, Praise God for that!!!

Have a blessed weekend in the Lord, and please... click on some links to the left and see what God's doing in some of the other women's lives!

[Note from the editor: I have tried, and tried to make the linking and banner codes work... but frustratingly enough... I have no idea what I'm doing... And I keep getting a lot of gray spaces AND it messed up my entire template. Sorry for any technical inconveniences this may cause.]