A Call to Be Courageous

In our Beth Moore class on Esther yesterday, the topic was around FEAR. The study this week is an exhortation to be courageous, as Esther was, when going to face the king on behalf of her and the other Jews throughout Persia.

Some of the notes regarding fear were:

• I am the biggest obstacle to myself in overcoming


• There is no denial in courage - you need to look your fears flat in the face and you don't deny it, but rather, you deny its power over you!
• You may be one brave decision from the most important turn in your entire path...
• The most common command in scripture is: "Don't be afraid"
• We tend to cherish fear and/or hide behind it
• Don't be motivated by fear!
• The enemy - Satan - knows our fears and he's all over it!
• "What If" = "I Fear"....the "what ifs" in life, usually don't even happen

I don't know of a single person who couldn't benefit from this lesson on fear - we all have them, some moreso than others, but any fear is in contradiction to God's word - he says in I John 4:18: "There is NO fear in love. But perfect love drives out ALL fear"

Let us be strong and courageous in facing our fears and come to the full knowledge and trust in the Lord that NO MATTER WHAT....God is ALWAYS with us, and will see us through...

Janelle

For Such a Time as This

Ever wonder what that statement means in your life? It is the most notable passage from the book of Esther, and we all have our "such a time as this" moments in our life.
We are all who we are and where we are for a reason, and although we might not know at the moment what that reason is, it is up to us to each search out our purpose from the One who created us.
God sees the whole picture - he orchestrates circumstances to fulfill his purposes, and wants us to be right in the middle of his perfect will, so we will know exactly what our "time as this" really is.
I so want to know more about what my purpose in life is - what has the Lord got in store for me today, tomorrow, next week, next year? Whose life will impact me, and whose life will I make some kind of impact on?
I like this statement made by Beth Moore, who wrote this Bible Study on the book of Esther: "You can't amputate your history from your destiny; your destiny is tied to your history".
To me, one who loves jigsaw puzzles, this statement helps me to see that life is like a big jigsaw puzzle - we are all a vital part of it, and each piece has it's place. When all fitted together, it makes a beautiful picture, and is signed by the Creator of Life - Jesus.

Esther - It's Tough Being a Woman

Oh I am so excited that today is the day the Bible study class at church starts!
It will last nine weeks and is called, "Esther - It's Tough Being a Woman". I'm sure there isn't a woman alive who couldn't agree with that!
I found out last night that some girls that I've known practically my whole life will also be in the class, which makes it more exciting, because who doesn't enjoy getting together with old girlfriends?
I pray that your day will be filled with the peace and comfort of our Lord....

Janelle