Thursday, March 26, 2015

(Guest Post) Community Bible Studies

Hello dear readers! 

I apologize for being so quiet lately....Things have been slightly crazy and I feel like I'm behind in everything and probably the most stressed I've ever been in my life. lol and I usually don't get stressed out too easily. (You all can pray for my continued sanity and that things start moving along better if you would like ;) ) 

Anyway, the lovely Sophia from Someplace in the Midst wrote this amazing guest post for me and I am so, so appreciative. You all should check out her incredible blog right now! Thank you Sophia!

xx Lorraine

About this time last year, my family and another one decided to start a community group Bible study. A community group Bible study is basically just a group that meets to have a Bible study. Our church had been encouraging these groups to start, and so we decided to jump on in and wing it.

Well, not really wing it. We got a list of people who live in our "neighborhood" and go to our church and then emailed them and set up a time to meet and fellowship and discuss starting a community group Bible study. (We don't really live in a neighborhood, so it was basically just all the people who live on our side of town.)

Pretty soon we were meeting bi-monthly, sharing a meal potluck style and then discussing Sunday's sermon, and then ending with prayer requests and and prayer.

Simple, but so effective.
Here's why intentional community is so important.


1. It's modeled from the early church.
I like to think that the apostles shared meals and discussed scripture somewhat like how we do it now. :)

2. It's multi-generational.
The only general similarity about our  community bible study is that we all live in the same part of town. We have young and old, and this leads to certainly interesting conversations.

3. It goes deeper than Sunday School.
I can't really explain it, but our little group shares a bond that's really strong. We've shared so much of our lives in this past year, it's really quite great.

4. It's encouraging.
Obviously, there might be "funner" ways to spend Friday night, but by recharging and preparing for the weekend, it is so much more than just fun. We laugh, we cry, we encourage each other.

5. It's challenging.
Our pastors preach great sermons. But the hard part is actually living out what we're hearing and learning. By meeting with our community group, we are challenging ourselves further to walk the talk.

So that's why I think a community Bible study is so great! Are you part of a Bible study? Do you have other ways of having fellowship and community? If you have any questions about starting, you can contact me on my blog at someplaceinthemidst.blogspot.com.

Thursday, March 12, 2015

Pride


my heart was so high as i looked all around
the thoughts in my mind
of comparisons that should never be made
i felt like i could do this all on my own
i felt like i was more qualified than anyone else
but my lessons weren't over
in fact, i would soon learn
that i needed them now more than ever
because i am as nothing
when i look around and
i see the stars and
feel the beating of a new little heart
miracles all around me and who am i
to think that i can do this
all by myself
only by God's mercy and strength
will i ever make a difference
for i am not qualified
except through His blessing
i must trust in His grace
and on myself no longer rely

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

They Made Me Feel


There are some moments
I very distinctly remember from my past
Moments of triumph and failure
Moments that are burned in my mind forever

"Why are you so quiet?"
"We're just making her bored."
Their (albeit playful) disdainful words
Cut through me like a sharp knife
As if I wasn't already painfully aware

Their words made me feel 
like I was an estranged alien that would never make friends.

"You'll never know how much this means to me."
She whispers as tears stream down her cheeks
But the look in her eyes makes it perfectly clear
No question left in my mind.

Her actions made me feel
Like the biggest hero that ever existed. 

"Sorry" I murmured
After accidentally brushing past her
A derisive glance and rolled eyes in my direction
Fulfilled their job and
Quickly reduced me into a pile of ashes

Her actions made me feel 
Like I was a worthless waste.

"You're the nicest girl I've ever met."
Seven words scrawled by a young boy
That went to a camp with me
I shamefully recalled thinking that
He was one of the most annoying boys I'd ever met
Thankfully, a fact that my eight-year-old mind had kept to itself

His words made me feel
like I was worth a million dollars. 

Monday, March 2, 2015

Soon


Things I am looking forward to:
Feeling the warmth of the sun caressing my cheeks
The gentle breeze glide over my skin
The way the soil crumbles between my fingers
The earthy smell of new life and growth
The cheerful melody of songbirds 
The dewy grass beneath my bare feet
The quiet solitude of the forest in spring
The shy new kittens trying to figure out what you are
The bold vision of flowers radiating their simple and elegant beauty
I love all the seasons, but the promise of spring is so breath-taking
Promise of warmth and hope and new life
Promise of summer and barefoot freedom and color
Time spent with friends, and parties and celebrations
Soon. In the very near future.