The Turnaround

Our Women's Bible study group recently completed Beth Moore's study of Esther. I can't go in to how much I adore Beth (my secret best friend... Secret because she's my best friend and doesn't know it) or our women's Bible study because this will be the longest blog ever. So suffice it to say I love them both so much. Amazing women. Truly.

So a recurring theme of Esther is the idea of a turnaround. She calls it the Reversal of Destiny. It happens many times throughout the book but one of them is that Esther is an orphaned Jewish girl who ends up becoming the Queen of Persia. How's THAT for a turnaround? (side note: If you've never read the book of Esther I highly recommend you RUN, don't walk, to read it. It reads like a suspense novel with twists and turns, ironies, parties and ultimately a love story between God and his people. Good stuff. Way to Go God.)

During the last few weeks of our study my precious Leigh Jones sent me a link to this video of a church who had their own idea of a turn around. Okay. Totally Powerful. I've seen it about 5 or 6 times now and I cry EVERY SINGLE TIME. It's amazing. And totally just like God to send it to us at the perfect time. So we decided when we finished Esther we would have a dinner and have our own "turnaround" ceremony. I've been looking so forward to it and last night it finally came. We normally have about 130 women for Bible study so I was slightly disappointed when only about 50 of them showed up. But it didn't matter who wasn't there because let me tell you, the Holy Spirit WAS!

One by one 30 women stood on a platform and bared their hearts, souls, and deepest darkest secrets on a piece of cardboard only to turn it over and show us how God Turned It Around. Some of them were written too small for the entire room to see so I stood at the front and read them aloud for everyone. I was a WRECK. I realize I'm perhaps the WORST person in the world to be chosen for that job as I'm the weepiest person (other than my Melissa) in any room, but let me tell you...no one felt as blessed as I was to have the opportunity to lock eyes with those women and cry with them as I read out their secrets and reveal the blessings God has showered on them. Powerful, I'm telling you.

Some of my favorites were:

"Used to go to church because I felt I had to"
turn around
"Now I go to church because I WANT to"

Abandoned
Unloved
Lonely
turn around
He loves me with an Everlasting Love
He will never leave me nor forsake me

Tried to do everything all on my own
turn around
realized God's hands work just fine

Here was mine:
Content to serve my parent's God
turn around
Loving and Resting in Jesus MY Savior

Here is the link for the original video that gave us the idea. Bring your tissues and thank God for the "turnarounds" in your own life. What has he reversed for you? What are you waiting for him to turn? Remember that he can't "turn the tables" if there is not a table set against you. Thank Him for the storm...and watch Him turn it around.

http://www.rhchurch.org/pages/cardboard-testimonies/

testing testing

Okay so I consider myself somewhat "tech savvy" but I'm wondering if I can do all of this at once! I'm blogging from my blackberry (a sentence my grandparents will never comprehend. In fact my grandpa Ken tells everyone I'm a computer genius. How sweet. )

So I won't do this all the time, mostly because if you don't catch a mistake pretty much as you make it, it's nearly impossible to correct, but I had to know if I could do it. You know, just in case something particularly "bloggy" happens and I have to be able to post it right away.

So testing testing 1 2 3 ... Did it work? Papa, did I let you down?

not quite

so as I went back to view my shiny new profile I noticed my age was slightly altered. It said-

Age: 1927

WHAAT? Not quite. I mean, I'm feeling older every day but this made me totally laugh. At my own stupid self. Turns out if you just put the last two numbers in the year box it figures you meant that literally. So when I put 81 they thought I meant like, 81 A.D. Seriously. Who's stupid now?

Yeah, I know. Still me. (27 year old me)

Confession: This is the second blog I've started. Sometime last year I got all inspired by my precious, creative, artistic, funky cousin Lindsey and started myself a little corner of the blogosphere. Problem is I have NO IDEA which blog site I used, which cute user name I came up with or any password. I remember posting my first post feeling all proud and tech-y. I'm just so much of a spaz that I can't even go and find THAT! So today I embark on this journey. Again.

My timing is, of course, horrible. This has been one of the busiest weeks for us and it is NOT slowing down any time soon. In fact, I will probably get to relax when I get to work on Monday. Seriously. But, what better time than the present chaos to invite my family and friends along for the ride, right?

We (finally) sold our condo and are moving out this weekend. We are, for all intents and purposes, homeless as we have NO CLUE where in Fayetteville we will eventually live. We will be living with James' (wonderful) parents for a (hopefully) short time while we find a house and move in and put down some roots. Don't misunderstand. I have felt "rooted" in every home we've lived in only to be "uprooted" very quickly. We have been married 4 years next month and this is our 4th move in as many years. I'm just ready to be settled and stay put.

I hope you will find this blog cute and fun and witty and timely. But knowing the author we'll just have to wait and see and time will tell... And if it's counting on me, know that it will be about 10 minutes late. Like, every single time.