Wild Ride

Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations,so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated to you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

~ The Book of Common Prayer.

The above comes is quoted in the book I am reading (also noted above).  I stated to a friend of mine in a chat the other night that I needed to get back into reading and study of the Word. And as ashamed as I am to admit it, I didn't really know where to start.  So I did what I knew I could do.  I picked up two different Bible studies that I have around here.  Both of these I have because I am supposed to be doing them anyway.  The first one is Experiencing God.  Steven and I joined a nearby Corps for their young adult Bible Study, though because of holidays, trips and summer schedules, we have only been once, they are doing this study.  Because we joined a couple of weeks into the study, I was going to start where they were.  However, because I haven't been faithful in even that.  I decided to start at the beginning for myself.  So I did that earlier this week. 

The second book I picked up is Me, Myself and Lies by Jennifer Rosthschild.  I am actually going to do this one along with readers of the Living Proof Ministries Blog.  Yes, that is a blog written by Beth Moore and her daughters and one son-in-law.  Anyway, I haven't actually started this one yet because the kick off has not happened yet. I think it is supposed to happen next week.

I think that both of these studies are timely for me.  The last memory verse for my second graders this year was Matthew 5:13-16. I have been drawn repeatedly to verse sixteen.  "Let your light before men so that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in Heaven".  That verse, going hand with my personal memory verse for June (Matthew 10:18-20).  Though this is talking about Jesus' arrest and trial, the same reassurance, "you will be given what to say, for you will not be speaking, but the Spirit of the Father speaking through you", can be ours as well.  However this all can only be achieved by remaining in and with God (John 15:5), through His word, prayer, and meditation.  I want to experience God in such a way that He is visible through me all the time.  And in order to do that I must work on myself, cleaning up His temple (1 Cor 16:19).  And, with the bouts of depression that I have suffered in recent months, caused by listening to the lies of the enemy. I know a study about lies and self talk is in order.

I invite you to join me on this wild ride.  Because I know it will be.