A Reluctant Good-bye to Esther...

This week marks the end of a wonderful 10 week journey into the book of Esther with Beth Moore as our tour guide.

I was privileged to be part of the leadership team that brought this study to my home church ladies group. We had 27 women gathered into three small groups that met each week to discuss what we had learned in our week's lesson and to view Beth Moore's weekly message on video.

We learned together, we prayed together, we laughed together, and we even cried together as we were challenged to grow to new heights in our faith. Our small groups bonded as we followed up on one another's prayer requests week after week. And when prayer was answered, and it was, then we rejoiced together and praised the Lord together.

And so it with some sadness that we reluctantly parted ways at the end of the evening on Tuesday. The sadness felt somewhat silly because it wasn't as if we would never see each other again. Many of us attend church together, some of us work together, and many of us are friends outside of both church and work. But it was the end of a journey, a life-changing journey.

That is the beauty of Bible study. You don't come out of it the same way you go into it. You come out wiser, more at peace with the world and more in love with God than when you went in. And with Esther, perhaps more than any other study, we came out feeling more beautiful. More royal, and more significant.

If you have never taken a Beth Moore Bible study, I wholeheartedly recommend that you do. You will not be sorry. Check with your local church and find out if they offer them. If so, join in. You will not regret it. If not, offer to facilitate a study. You can easily find the resources online. And there are leader guides to help you know exactly what to do. It will be well worth every minute of your time and every ounce of your effort.

So it is that I am already counting down the weeks until we start the next one in the fall. :)

Meanwhile, I would like to offer to pray for you, dear Readers. I would be so honored to lift you up in prayer. You can submit a prayer request by clicking on comment below.

What may I pray for you?