30 Days of Thankfulness- Bible Study

There are so many wonderful things about belonging to a Bible study group.

First, you get to study the Bible, or do a work book that focuses on a specific part of the Bible, or maybe sometimes you just read a good book on Christian living (as my local bookstore would call it.) Whatever you do, your relationship with God is better for it. Strengthening your relationship with your Savior is definitely something to be thankful for.

Second, I'm thankful that I can meet my Bible study group, either in a reserved room at church or in someone's home, without fear of persecution from my government.Sure, you run into the odd news story here and there about couples being fined by their HOA for hosting 35 or 40 people in their home on a weekly basis (I understand that, especially if they're taking up all the parking and blocking the streets.) But we have brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world who have to meet in absolute secrecy, sometimes in the dead of night, and are OVERJOYED for this opportunity. That's definitely something we take for granted here in the US.

Third, being a part of a small group is just wonderful. Obviously God is the whole point of going to church, but being connected to a small group is so important. How strong is your church if it is just made up of people who show up for an hour each Sunday, sit anonymously in a pew, and then leave? How strong is the church if the members of the body aren't connected with each other? Small groups mean connection with other believers, and they allow for discussion and exploration of the Word that you can't really get just showing up for the sermons every week.

Lastly, I am so incredibly thankful for my Bible study group. I am thankful for the group of women I meet with on Tuesday nights, to talk about the week's "homework" and share prayer requests and praises with each other. It is so nice to have a group of friends that are excited to see you, and that you get to see regularly. It is so nice to know that if you need prayer, as I have so desperately needed several times in the past few weeks, they've got your back. It is so nice to sit in a cozy room full of people you care about and who care about you. I love my Bible study group. I am so thankful that it exists. We are an ever-changing group: some people have had to sit out entire studies, some folks miss a few weeks here and there, some people are there every week. I wish everyone could be there every week, but it's ok if they can't be; those who aren't present are dearly missed. Dearly so.

Let me tell you about some specific people in my Bible study group. Once upon a time, everyone was connected through the Christian bookstore where my mom works- there was my mom, a couple of her coworkers, her boss's wife, and me. And then the group grew, and shrank a little, and grew some more. We used to meet in each other's homes, but our group is too big now, and reserving a classroom at my mom's church is more accessible anyway. My mom is kind of the leader of our group (it didn't start that way, it just happened.) I'm glad I'm able to attend Bible study with her. There's Mary Jane, who has worked with my mom almost forever (since I was little) and has just a ton of Biblical knowledge. There's Helen (who works with my mom and has for some time) who knows everyone and is the most hospitable person I have ever met. There are her two lovely daughters, Amanda and Joanna. Amanda is currently serving in Japan, teaching English there. Amanda and Joanna are both really sweet and friendly, and I love talking to them. There's Darlene, who is one of the sweetest people I've ever met, and is such a crafty person- she has brought me so many ideas and supplies for crafts to sell to raise money for our adoption efforts. There's Pat, who knows every song about God ever written, and is basically the best pray-er in the universe. There's Betty, who is such a dear, sweet lady, and I like to share my sponsor kid's letters with (and we both love animals and share cute animal pictures with each other!) Bekah is hilarious (and a bad influence on pets- Glitter and Cupcake are from her house and they are wild.) Ashley and I think so much alike; she has shared some really great authors/bloggers with me and we care about so many of the same things. My wonderful mother in law Denise joined us over a year ago, and I'm so glad she comes. I'm glad I get to spend extra time with her, and I'm glad that she and my mom are friends- they probably wouldn't know each other very well if it wasn't for Bible study! Liz is perpetually cheerful and fun to spend time with, and Jamie, who was pretty quiet the first few weeks she joined us, usually has the deepest stuff to say! Blaire joined our group three studies ago or so, and she is so enthusiastic and fired up- it's refreshing and I wish I had her energy. She's so friendly and kind, and has brought several new people to our group, including her aunt Michele, who is so sweet, and other family members and friends who have visited for a few weeks here and there. Leah joined us a week or two into this study, and she is warm and friendly (and helpful- she and Blaire both gave my mom some crazy shoulder rub last night which really helped her with a lot of this intense pain she has been experiencing lately.) We have had others come and go, and I'm sure our group will continue to evolve and grow in the "semesters" to come. I look forward to making new friends, and I hope that our old friends are able to join us when we start a new study in January.

We finished our last study about a month ago, and are technically taking the rest of the year off because most of the members of our group work in retail (many of them at the same place), and it can be a really crazy time as we approach the holidays. We reserved a room at church one day in November and one day in December so we can still get together and have fellowship before we start a new study in January. I'm glad we are having these evenings of fellowship. It refreshes my spirit and just feels good to see friends when I spend all my time either at work or puttering around my house by myself. We all got together for a Thanksgiving dinner. We had crock-pot turkey, crock-pot stuffing, broccoli salad and broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, two kinds of rolls, and pumpkin cheesecake. Everything was delicious- no exaggeration, no polite "this is so yummy" white lies. : ) It was all amazing, and we even got to Skype with Amanda in Japan (she was having oatmeal for breakfast- not nearly as exciting as  casseroles and cheesecake, if you ask me!) I am so thankful for my Bible study group and the opportunity to grow in my faith alongside them.