Great memories

Laure and me

I can hardly believe that Laura--this young, beautiful bride--was sitting in my basement just four years ago, doing Bible study with me and a great group of girls. Laura, Cara, Rebecca, Stephanie, Katie and I spent the entire year studying. laughing, and sharing every Monday night. 

Laura, Cara and I had been meeting together for four years. I wasn't planning to lead a study their senior year of high school, but they ask and I reluctantly said yes. My own son had just left for college and I thought this might be the time to break from high-schoolers. 

Looking back, I am not sure how I would have managed the year without these dear gals. Every Monday night they happily showed up and almost always asked me how I was doing. Lots of times, I was sad because I missed my son. But these young friends rallied me every Monday and offered me something I didn't know I needed--girl time.

Laura, Cara & me

Now that they've graduated and moved into the next phase of their lives, I've had the chance to watch them from afar. And I love how God makes things so wonderful. He not only gave me a chance to know these amazing girls, but to also to see them become incredible women.

Jumpstart!

If you were to ask me, "What's one of the best things about co-authoring a Bible study for women?," I would answer by saying, "Just look at this photo."

This is a shot of eight really cool gals who participated in the launch of our newest Jumpstart Bible study. They did the study together and then, for graduation, they celebrated by having lunch together. I love that! It represents so well what Becky (my co-author) and I feel Jumpstart is all about. 

Jumpstart is a short study that can be done as a group, or with just one girlfriend. But however you choose to do it, it's a relational approach to how God wants us to interact with others in His world. 

If you participated in the study but didn't have the chance to go to lunch with someone afterward, let me challenge you. Take another study of some kind! Then--invite someone to lunch with you. Celebrating is half the fun!

If you're interested in doing Jumpstart with a friend, go to our website and click on Jumpstart. There, you will find our first study: Jumpstart your Heart. Soon, our new study--Jumpstart Your Relationship with God and Others--will also be available online.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a friend (or two!), set aside some time, and jump into Jumpstart!

My favorite things...

One of my favorite things are people. Every Tuesday morning for the past seven or eight years, I have had the pleasure to learn about Jesus while enjoying the wonderful company of these awesome women. Each year we take a Christmas photo of our gang. And every year, there are one or two new faces along with a few absent ones. Whatever the case, they all mean the world to me. My life was pretty hard the past couple of years as I took care of two very sick, aging parents. And these gals (along with many other of my favorite people), were the life raft that kept me afloat.

My favorite things: Bible study and friends. Done together, life doesn't get much better than that for me. By the way, we always have an open chair. Join us if you like.

My OSU buddy, Cara

(me with my friend Cara in front of my all-time favorite pizza shop -- Hideaway Pizza, Stillwater, OK)

Cara didn't start out as my OSU buddy. We first met when Cara was in 9th grade. She participated in a Bible study that I led in my home. The Bible study began as a 10-week, one-time study. But Cara and a couple of other young ladies asked me to keep it going.

I didn't realize that the 10-week study would turn into a four year wild & wonderful journey! But along the way, I had the incredible privilege to get to know Cara. She is an amazing gal and I have learned a lot from her over the years.

Now she is in college at Oklahoma State University, my alma mater. Our friendship remains strong. I try to visit her at least once a year at college. And she stops by to see me during her breaks. I love having a friend that is twenty years younger than me. She keeps me hip (or at least I'd like to think I'm hip)!

To my other friends who might be reading this blog... be sure and have a lot of girlfriends. And equally as important, have friends that vary in age, size and personality! It will keep you young, wise, fun, serious, and well-rounded.

So thanks, Cara! I never thought that seven years ago we would have such a fun and great friendship all these years later.

Jumpstart video shoot

Last week, More Than You Imagine Ministries made its second Jumpstart Bible study video, planned for launch in January 2012. This was totally made possible by two Michelles: Michelle L, videographer, and Michelle F, Women's Ministry director for Church of the Resurrection (and director of the video shoot).

Turns out that working outdoors on a video during the middle of a fall day is a bit challenging. One neighbor was having a tree stump removed -- noisy. Another neighbor was having three trees replaced -- less noisy, but the workers talked really loud. And, we had to work around barking neighborhood dogs, scurrying squirrels, and Archie, my cat, climbing all around the set. Somewhere along the way, we prayed and the Holy Spirit took over the day. We were grateful.

What I learned from this video shoot:

• Let the experts do their jobs (Michelle and Michelle)
• Prayer does not replace practice (I spent many hours memorizing the talk)
• Prayer does replace perfectionism
• A video shoot has some stress, but is mostly fun
• Work is always more fun with friends - Becky, Kathy, Michelle and Michelle
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P.S. Video and study materials for the first Jumpstart study are available on the More Than You Imagine website for free! You can do the study in your own home with friends or family. Be sure to let me know what you think.