Week one of BRAVE

So... I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed my first week of Angela Thomas' "BRAVE" study!!! 

I am dumb and didn't put 2 and 2 together!!! God really blessed me this week.

So... I am a "devo leader" for a women's group at church. I don't know why I was asked to be the leader b/c I feel like the other women have SO MUCH to offer and I want to learn from them, but here I am... the leader. Our last meeting of the semester was in May. I was feeling REALLY WORN OUT! You know the feeling - overwhelmed, exhausted, want to lock yourself in your closet and cry for a while kind of feeling?? And I suspected I wasn't alone. I came up with a devo that could have turn into a sermon very easily about being WORN OUT.  I even blogged about it here.  Then I started this study and didn't realize that the topic "I AM WORN OUT" would be exactly what God was leading me to talk about to the ladies group at church!!! I even used ANGELA THOMAS' 8 PROVISIONS FOR THE WORN OUT WOMEN!!! HELLO? Anyways... when my distracted mind FINALLY realized it... I got really excited! How fun that I was being leading to teach a small group of women this devo and the leaders of this Bible felt the same guidance to teach more women about it!!! Oh... my God is always up to something!! I love it!! :) 

But the week was so RICH!! Here's some quotes: (italicized = my emphsis/thoughts)

Day 1: Maybe some women are more organized. Maybe some live inside stronger (hotter) bodies.  But the truth of our humanity is that NO SUPERWOMAN EXISTS ON THIS EARTH. (what a HUGE reminder to my over-active brain!). We each have been created by God, fully human and walking around with human needs and human frailties.

I AM HUMAN! HE IS ABLE! 

The man declares, I AM WEARY, O God;

I AM WEARY, O God, and WORN OUT! Proverbs 30:1

Day 2: God knows that good work makes a good woman good and tired. WIPED OUT. Flat as a pancake. Work is supposed to make you tired. It's how we're supposed to feel when we've given all we have to take care of our families or to finish a big assignment or to get to the other side of final exams. We're supposed to be tired... You see, we won't EVER get to some spiritual place where we balance just right and delegate just right and never experience weary or worn out again. Honestly, I think if you get there, YOU MAY BE FORSAKING SOME REALLY GREAT WORK GOD IS CALLING YOU TO DO!!! 

Day 3: May of us are doing great worldly things to care for ourselves and yet not living with an INSIDE STRENGTH to counter our SOUL WEARINESS!!!!! - Getting deep here ladies!!! Don't just depend on your coffee (of frap for me), pedicures, and shopping for rest - HE IS OUR STRENGTH! ouch! 

Isaiah 40:28-31 (also used in my previous WORN OUT blog!)

A HOPE FIRMLY CENTERED ON THE LORD RENEWS OUR STRENGTH! 

Day 4: YOUR CREATOR GETS YOU!!! (I love this!! I love when people GET me - I don't think many people truly understand me, but WHAT COMFORT to know that my Savior and Sustainer GETS me!! AHH!) He understands your crazy life. (at least one of us does! ha!) He knows that you work until exhaustion. He SEES how many people need your time, your input, and your energy.  He is COMPLETELY aware of your design. God cares for His worn-out girls. Really and truly HE DOES! 

Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened and I WILL GIVE YOU REST!!!  Matthew 28:11 

Day 5: This day was a lot of Scripture that relates to the last 3 provisions. All Scripture is wonderful and refreshing but I loved this thing that I'm about to tell you. This was under provision #8 Godly friends refresh your soul.

When Paul wrote to the church in Corinth he said that his friends Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaicus (my friends don't have very interesting names) "have refreshed my spirit and yours. You should recognize the value of people like these!!!!" 1 Cor. 16:18. 

Maybe we meet two or three people who refresh our souls. 

As I read this, I just wanted to call my besties and have a cuddle fest!!! I have WONDERFUL women in my life who ASBOLUTELY refresh me like no one else!! I am so grateful for my mommy and my closest friends!! :) You refresh me everytime I talk with you.

But think - Are you a soul refresher?????? 

I pray I am. O... I pray I am. 

That was just a snapshot of my week.  During the video session Angela said something so powerful. If you know me, you know I'm awful with quotes so I can't promise it's accurate but this is what it meant to me:

I WILL NOT LIVE AFRAID OF BECOMING WORN OUT. I WILL LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, BECOME TIRED, AND BE RENEWED BY HIS STRENGTH. I WILL HAVE PERFECT AND ETERNAL REST WITH MY SAVIOR IN HEAVEN!! 

Yay for the first week!!! Hope you were blessed by it too!!!