Week 1: {Reflection}

Hi, Ladies!

So...how did your week go?  Did you make it through all of the first 14 verses of Ephesians?  I hope that you did and that you found much knowledge, encouragement, refreshment, and renewal of faith in them.  If you did not make it through all of them, don't be discouraged.  Be happy with the verses you did get to read and study and just pick up where you left off. 

As part of the study guide (if you printed it out and are following it or not), there is a reflection time where we are challenged to reflect over the whole week we just completed.  The 3 points of reflection to ponder are as follows:

1.  One important lesson I want to remember from this week's reading would be: ___________

2.  I feel God wants me to learn: __________

3.  I am going to put my faith into action by: ______________

I must say I have been blown away over this past week.  The encouragement I have received through God's Word and through my fellow sisters who are walking through these verses with me have been beyond anything I ever imagined.  As I've read through and dug a little deeper in these first few verses, I have just fallen more and more in love with our Lord.  God is so good and loves me (and you), even in spite of who I am and how I am.

For fun, I wanted to share some highlights of the comments everyone made this past week.  If you are reading this and are on the fence as to whether to join in this study, just hear some of the encouragement you would have found this past week.  The Lord has used these women's words and hearts to encourage me and bless me SO MUCH this past week, and I know He will use and bless you the same way.

• I have been bursting with excitement to have some direction/focus in my devotion time.  How refreshing to start anew this morning with purpose in His Word.
• How freeing to live a life designed by God!
• Do I listen to the Holy Spirit all the time?
• ...when we as believers are going to be gathered up together makes me think of all my family and friends who don't know Jesus as their Savior...I pray for more boldness and courage in my faith to share it with others.
• Good morning!
• What a great reminder that nothing we do can earn God's salvation or make us deserve it.  It's something that he knew forever ago and already covered our sins.
• Reading you ladies' comments gives me the goosebumps!
• God's challenge for me today...do I ooze those same words of encouragement [love, pleasure, glorious grace, freely given, beloved] to all I encounter?
• I pray today that I will learn to trust in the Lord more and not to lean on my own understanding.  Help me to bring glory to your name Lord!
• I will strive to have a pez dispenser of grace type of day today.
• He knew all of our flaws and sins that we have committed and have yet to come, and still chose to adopt us.
• ...my favorite word today is LAVISHED.  It isn't just grace that is LAVISHED upon us, but the RICHES of His grace.
• Help me to live a more Holy life for you Lord!  Thank you for choosing me.
• Press on fellow princesses as we go about the daily "cinderella" tasks of our homes looking up to heaven knowing our king loves and cares about us...
• Have a wonderful weekend ladies!

Now, tune in tomorrow for an announcement and a few more "fun" questions!  Grace and peace to all of you this weekend!