esther
So I love the book of Esther. Annie led a bible study on it with me and my 6 housemates in college and it was and I think ever will be the best bible study I have ever been a part of. I LOVED every week of it and I just love learning from Annie - she is one of the wisest people I know and I will be like her - its my goal in life :) Now I am re-doing a bible study of it that I am a part of and another one that I am leading. It's interesting to be a part of a bible study and then lead a bible study of the same thing. I get a lot of different insight on it doing it from two different perspectives.
Esther's story is just an awesome example of how God is in the background of our lives ALL THE TIME. We get to be a part of this amazing story of what God is doing and I just love that. There are so many themes that are just perfect for where I am at in life - God's sovereignty, his providence, his wisdom, his timing, each of our "such a times as this" - so much that just speaks to my heart right now.
Lori said something tonight - it was my bible study I'm in, not leading, tonight - and it is just really sticking with me. She was talking about how when you're in your 20s you're kind of where you are and who you are by life circumstance. There wasn't a ton of control that we have on who we are as people and where we've ended up in life. I definitely think we have had some control, but a lot of our backgrounds and childhoods, etc., have sort of played out where we are in our 20s. When we're in our late 30s we've dictated who we've become. We started making choices in our 20s...now...for who we will be in our 30s. What kind of character we'll have, what we'll be about, how much more in love we are with Jesus. We get to pick different paths every day. We make choices everyday. Those choices can either bring us closer to Christ or take us away from him. All those choices added up give us ourselves in our 30s. So we get to pick today who we want to be. We get to start down the path we want to be about. What we do now determines our future.
This sounds like such a mundane, yada yada thing. I've known this for a long time - you control your destiny, blah blah, but we do get to play a role in who God wants us to be. I love that. It's scary as crap, but I love that. I choose loving Jesus. I choose to be a girl who loves people around her the best way she knows how and I choose to be compassionate, trustworthy, empathetic, selfless, reliable, and genuine. I want the choices I make today, right now, to help my life reflect Christ when I'm 35.
Ok, I need to go grade some papers. Grades are due and I'm going to Texas this weekend. I just can't wait to see my family!!
Esther's story is just an awesome example of how God is in the background of our lives ALL THE TIME. We get to be a part of this amazing story of what God is doing and I just love that. There are so many themes that are just perfect for where I am at in life - God's sovereignty, his providence, his wisdom, his timing, each of our "such a times as this" - so much that just speaks to my heart right now.
Lori said something tonight - it was my bible study I'm in, not leading, tonight - and it is just really sticking with me. She was talking about how when you're in your 20s you're kind of where you are and who you are by life circumstance. There wasn't a ton of control that we have on who we are as people and where we've ended up in life. I definitely think we have had some control, but a lot of our backgrounds and childhoods, etc., have sort of played out where we are in our 20s. When we're in our late 30s we've dictated who we've become. We started making choices in our 20s...now...for who we will be in our 30s. What kind of character we'll have, what we'll be about, how much more in love we are with Jesus. We get to pick different paths every day. We make choices everyday. Those choices can either bring us closer to Christ or take us away from him. All those choices added up give us ourselves in our 30s. So we get to pick today who we want to be. We get to start down the path we want to be about. What we do now determines our future.
This sounds like such a mundane, yada yada thing. I've known this for a long time - you control your destiny, blah blah, but we do get to play a role in who God wants us to be. I love that. It's scary as crap, but I love that. I choose loving Jesus. I choose to be a girl who loves people around her the best way she knows how and I choose to be compassionate, trustworthy, empathetic, selfless, reliable, and genuine. I want the choices I make today, right now, to help my life reflect Christ when I'm 35.
Ok, I need to go grade some papers. Grades are due and I'm going to Texas this weekend. I just can't wait to see my family!!
posted by jmjana @ 10:18 PM
3 Comments:
At 12:37 PM,
Anonymous said…
I LOVE this and at the same time it is scary. It is scary in that in an instant, the choices we make can change our jobs, our marriages or future marriages, our friendships, our children. Choices that seem so not a big deal or choices that have been led up to by a series of other not great choices can all lead to life altering results. My so smart husband talks about the frog dropped in boiling water versus the frog that gradually gets the temp turned up, either way, the frog dies, our choices can do the same thing. But the love part and the most exciting thing is that in an instant, our eternity can be changed forever. I love that. And I love Esther and wish I could name our daughter that. Sean said if she comes out 80 years old, we can name her Esther.
At 12:33 AM,
jmjana said…
Annie, I think you can pull off Esther. What do they call her in veggie tales, esse or something. I can see it. Esse Elizabeth Marie Murphy. Has a good little ring, dont you think? :)
At 2:41 AM,
Anonymous said…
Really amazing! Useful information. All the best.
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