Commissioned

Well, as much as "blog" has been on my list of things-to-do, I've had to get my priorities in place this week. -_-   My literature review for my graduate class is due Monday.  We had to research 10 articles on a topic of our choice.  So after much outside-of-the-box thinking on topics that I probably wouldn't find enough research, I decided to go back-to-basics and research reading comprehension.  It has since consumed my life!  Hence why I've been M.I.A. ;)


I haven't had the chance to post about my adventures last weekend! :)

One of the things I haven't blogged about a lot is my "life" outside of school and teaching.  On Friday nights this Spring semester, I joined a group of ladies at my church and their Friday night Bible study.  They have been faithful in doing this specific leader's study; some have been with her for four years!  She's a wonderful woman who is *so* involved at our church - she leads a Friday night Bible study, leads Grief Share (where a few women in the group met our leader), and she is a leader in our church's Get Connected ministry (a class new visitors can take for a semester and become a part of our church).

A lot of the Bible studies I have done for the past ten years, have been by Beth Moore.  This semester, I have had the chance to do Esther: It's Tough Being a Woman.

L O V E this song! <3 <3 <3  Beth refers to it in Day 5 of Week 4.

I love Beth Moore.  Though she was not the first one whose Bible study I've done, she was my second and I was beyond belief as to how deep she could really go in the Bible.  I've been doing Bible studies since high school, and they've all pretty much been Beth Moore with a few here and there by Priscilla Shirer.  

[Sidenote: In February, I went with a friend to see Beth Moore & Priscilla Shirer - along with Lisa Harper, Sheila Walsh, and Christine Caine - at Unwrap the Bible.  There is NOTHING like being 50 FEET AWAY FROM BETH MOORE!]

Okay, so last weekend, my mom, my friend, and I took a trip to Hershey, PA, where we saw Beth Moore live.  I can say that we came out on the other side as graduates of Beth Moore's ROTC. :)

Giant Center in Hershey, PA

(I wanted to go to Hershey Park, but Momma Dukes wanted the trip to be in and out. -_-)

This was our view of Beth on Friday night. :)

We sat in the opposite diagonal on Saturday morning, so this is our other view of Beth. :)

Beth spoke about Jesus' last 40 days on Earth - what must've happen from the Sunday of His Resurrection to the Thursday of His Ascension.  

R evelation

O bservation

T emptation

C ommission

It was pretty cool, definitely worth it.  Friday night, she spoke about Revelation and Observation.  Then Saturday morning, she spoke about Temptation and Commission.  

The best part of the whole weekend?? Seeing my mom stand up with all of the other single moms for Beth Moore to pray over them, and two women sitting in front of us turn around and lay hands on my mom during prayer.  I wish I had a picture of that, but by the time I wanted to pull out my phone, I realized I just wanted to keep my hand on my mom and pray over her too.  (I'm the oldest of 4 girls! )

During her last session, Beth went out into the audience and asked for those women who felt led by the Holy Spirit to give a brief word about how the weekend had affected them.  The first woman who stood up was a single mom, so Beth prayed over them.  We also prayed over marriages and the children in those marriages - that God would "cover them in a crazy grace bubble".  We prayed over abuse and self-condemnation.  

We also wrote prayers on banners for the women who Beth will see in two weeks 

(though now it will be one week) in Spokane, Washington.

It was a necessary weekend for me because it brings my life back into perspective.  It makes the issues in education seem so small compared to all of the other things that go on in life, some issues of which my own students may go through.  I often let teaching and my obligations as a teacher consume me, so I struggle with time management.  However, this past year, the past few months especially, have enlightened me that I do need to make time for other things.  Though God has given me this gift of teaching, He doesn't want it to consume my life so much that I forget why I'm doing what I'm doing in the first place.  There may be 24-hours in a day, but that doesn't mean I can't make time for Him... daily. <3

We are the light of the world. <3

John 8:12 - When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, "I am the light of the world.  

Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Matthew 5:14 - You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.

There's a reason why I teach in public education.  It's where I've been commissioned and called to serve Him.