Since all of you know me and I know all of you but only some of you know each other I thought it would be a good idea for us to just do a quick intro post!
Since we will begin our study VERY soon (April 15th - can't wait!!!!) please take a few minutes and introduce yourself. Tell us your name and anything else you want to. Maybe tell us why you decided to join this Bible study!
I'll start us off - My name is Cindy and I will be leading this Bible study. I started it because I want to have a deeper relationship with Jesus and I have felt drawn to the Word of God recently and feel that is God's way of pulling me closer to Him. As I started my own individual Bible study I found that I wanted to have people to discuss things with to get other perspectives so God laid it on my heart to do this online Bible Study. After I posted on Facebook about doing this and a couple friends said they wanted to do it, I started to get nervous and started to doubt that I could really do this. God obviously wants me to do this because that same day in my email inbox was a devotion written by Renee Swope, all about self doubt. At the end of the devotion was information about her book "A Confident Heart" and her own online Bible study. So I looked into that but there were like 8,000 people signed up (I am NOT exaggerating) and I thought I wanted to do something a little more intimate so I suggested this book to my friends and here we all are!
Ok your turn! Tell us about yourself, whatever you want!
My name is Terri Cram, I am married to Cindy's nephew, James. We have two beautiful children. I Love the Lord and love that I don't have to leave the house to have this study. I work a full time job as a Research Assistant and run a house, so during the week it is very difficult for me to attend the ladies bible study at my church which is very dear to my heart. I hope I can contribute to this group as the Lord leads and learn from him and Cindy as she leads the study. I love to pray for other's and definetly am learning to walk this walk for his name sake. I can not LIVE without his precious hand on my life and my families!
ReplyDeletehello my name is Tammy Maynard. Cindy was my best friend in middle school and stayed my friend after but a life goes on we grew apart. now here I am years later at a crisis in my life. I grew hard, selfish, angry and controlling and I have pushed my loving husband Ricky so far away that I may never get him back. fell into a deep depression, panic, anxiety. never been that way in my life. stated meds, counseling and it helped some but one night as I lay in bed I cried ty God to please help and please forgive me for my sinful ways. as I said amen, my tears stopped flowing, my heart calmed and I was able to fall asleep in seconds. when I awoke I saw everything clear for the first time in years. my real love for Ricky, my mistakes and the pain I caused him over the years. God is with me but I know little about him or his word. next thing I know, Cindy comes up with this great idea and again I know God is with me. he has a plan and I must learn to trust him and a confident heart is what I lack most.
ReplyDeleteTammy, thank you so much for sharing your story. I wish I could give you a big hug right now. I'm so sorry that you have/are going through this. I will be praying for you. When my dad fell and broke his hip last March we realized how bad his alzheimer's had gotten and we had to make the decision to put him in a nursing home permanently. It was a very difficult time in my life (and in the lives of my brother and sister as well) It seemed like every time I was in my car on the way home from being with my dad the song Strong Enough by Matthew West would play and it would remind me that I didn't have to be strong enough to handle everything because God is with me and He will be strong enough for the both of us. Part of your story reminded me of a verse in that song, it says "Well maybe that's the point, to reach the point of giving up, 'cause when I'm finally at rock bottom that's when I start looking up and reaching out" It is such an awesome song and it became my "theme" song as I called it, it would ALWAYS play at some point in my drive home from seeing my dad because those were the hardest drives, especially at first when he was so unhappy being in a nursing home. He just wanted to go home and would always ask me to take him home and I would have to tell him that he was at his new home. Anyway, here is a link for the video of the song. Its a great song and it really makes you realize that no matter how alone you feel you are never alone, God is with you and you don't have to be strong enough, just lean on Him and He will be strong enough for the both of you. (BTW I love Matthew West, his songs always speak to my heart)
Deletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knuHDPbE5es
Awe Tammy, I really know your pain! I'm so glad you are here and we get to encourage one another! YOU are lOved by The MOst high God! There is nothing you could ever do to change that. Nice to meet you. There is hope :)
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