A Beginning

Thirteen years ago, Jesus changed my life. When I gave Him control of everything, He began to re-vamp how I saw things and what I did with my time. Instead of just knowing about Him through church services and a haphazard reading of the Bible, I became consumed with Him. I read the Bible more consistently and was always doing some type of Bible study. Whether in a structured group or on my own, I had some type of learning going on. I would write verses to memorize on 3x5 cards, and they would be everywhere. Even though I was in my late 40's, I became involved with the youth group at my church, and together we grew in our walk with the Lord.

Since deciding to let Jesus run my life, He has taken me on a wild and action-packed ride. I have done some white-water rafting, and my walk with Him has at times reminded me of being in the middle of a Class IV rapids, with Jesus as my life jacket. Only as I cling tightly to Him can I be secure & know I will arrive safely @ my destination. On this ride, I have experienced many different things. Mission trips from South Dakota to New York City. Idaho to Mississippi. Even to Bolivia two times. Leaving family and friends and moving from Pennsylvania to Tennessee, not knowing what the Lord had in mind for us. The death of my dad, the birth of my grandchildren, and many things in between. In all these things, I kept growing in my relationship with Jesus, secure in the fact He is my life jacket.

When we moved to TN in 2003, I was able to retire from real estate, and look for new ways to invest my time. Within weeks, the Lord led me to Women at the Well, a Christian residential program for women with life-controlling problems. Although I had no experience in this field, He quickly showed me that we have a universal need for a walk with Jesus, and He would use me there if I would just be available for Him. I have worked there in many capacities, and being a part of that ministry is one of the joys of my life.

Through all of this, I continued to read and study and pray. I think it was 2000 when I first read through the Bible in a year. I continued to do this until 2004, when my pastor, Steve Best, gave a challenge to read the Bible in a month. "Impossible!" was my first thought. But Stan, my husband, had just given me The Message for Christmas, so I gave it a try. I gave up the news, some TV, and my mystery novels, and in about 30 days, I had made it through! The Message is so contemporary that its language added another dimension to my understanding. It sparked my interest in study, not just reading, and I began to take more classes. From Kay Arthur to Beth Moore, I underlined and read my way through many studies and loved it.

A couple of years ago, I found a "Read the Bible in 90 Days" program. The first year, I did it by myself. Last year, I challenged some friends to join me, and 2 or 3 did. So, at the end of 2009, I was gearing up to challenge some more of my friends. In fact, in my own subtle way, I gave out about a dozen copies of the "90 Day Reading Schedule".

But I began to feel that the Lord wanted me to do something different. I felt that He wanted me to put away all of my schedules, put the latest Bible Study on hold, and spend my time with Him completely. My Bible, a notebook, some study tools, and a willing heart. I gave myself my normal arguments that I needed structure to keep on track, and I wanted to make a good use of my time, but the Lord didn't seem to be convinced. So, I took a deep breath, and told the Lord I wanted to plunge in over my head, and learn about Him in a way that was not familiar.

So, on the first of January, I started a new path on my walk with Jesus. I know He is going to show me more of Himself than I have seen before, and also some things about me. I plan to blog what He is teaching me, and share this ride with others who are ready to try something different.