Hello friends!  I have been so blessed to hear from some of you, that you will be joining me in our new study, Embracing Your Strengths.  If you would like to join, and have not gotten your book yet, there is still time.  One of the benefits to our online study is that you can move at your own pace so you can “join the conversation” at any time!  The book is available via Amazon Prime with one or two day shipping as well, so you can get it in a day or two and jump right in.  I have been working ahead in the book to prepare my heart for the study and I am really encouraged that this is do-able by spending 10-15 minutes per day (about 2 questions each day).  Add that to your prayer time and you have a great start to the day.  I find that I like the slower pace of moving through the questions a little at a time because it allows me to concentrate on the individual scriptures more and also keep my mind on the study throughout the week.  Here are some helpful reminders for getting the most out of the study:

• You can do it all at once, early, and ruminate over it till we are ready to post about it
• You can do it all at the last minute, or even late, and still weigh in on it
• Or, again, you can do what I am doing: 2 questions each morning.  Since some of the questions are so packed with bible verses, I can concentrate on them better if I limit myself to two questions.  It also keeps the topic in the forefront of my thoughts through the week
• I am using Biblegateway.com Passage Lookup to make my time more fruitful.  Some of you are kinesthetic learners and like the soft feel of and whisper of turning pages in your Bible so you can ignore this suggestion!  But others of you (like me) find it distracting to flip back and forth between books to find the verses.  Here is a godly use for the internet!  For example, click here to see how I have entered the maximum number of passages for the first verses in chapter 1 (this is all the verses for question 1 and 1 verse for question2), and hit “Lookup Passage” at the bottom.  I just use the answers as I reach them, going through the questions.  In this way I have had more time to actually write the entire verse if I want to spend more time on each scripture.  Or, on some days, saving time means the difference between doing, or not doing, the study.
• Please get in the habit of checking out the end of the chapter at the beginning of the week (that’s like letting yourself have dessert first!).  The last sections are called Strength Training, Ponder and Pray, and Bonus Activity.  Sometimes these require you to do something related to the topic throughout the week so saving them till the end of the week would be kind of pointless!
• Please check the Calendar Page or the right sidebar on the Bible Study Page for assignments if you get off schedule.
• Please, please commit to participating in the conversation.  God means for us to be in fellowship with each other as we study together! 

I am longing to hear from you who are participating.  I would love for those of you who are planning to join us to chime in today, or this week, and introduce yourselves to the group.  When you post a comment, you are asked for your email address, but it will not be published or used for any other purpose than the bible study.  Also, if you prefer to remain anonymous, pick a nickname or pseudonym – I use one!  Your comments need not be lengthy or thought-provoking…just a few words are fine.  The bottom line is: if we don’t join in the conversation together, we are missing a key component of bible study!  So here is what I am asking of you, please, please, please!

1. Today, click “Comment” below this post
2. Introduce yourself (the first name or nickname that you plan to use whenever you comment) and tell something about yourself – remember it is totally anonymous – you have nothing to lose!!!!
3. Tell me where you are in the study at this time – haven’t gotten the book yet, starting tomorrow, finished the first week already…the plan was to post tomorrow as though you all had completed the first week, but I am totally flexible.  If the majority of you are starting tomorrow, rather than finishing the first chapter, I am happy to use tomorrow to introduce the chapter rather than wrap it up.  Please do respond as this will help me decide how to proceed!  Of course I am praying about it too 🙂

Here are some bible verses about friendship that may inspire you to connect with me and others, here at GirlsGrowingwithGod!

Two are better than one, 
   because they have a good return for their labor: 
If either of them falls down, 
   one can help the other up. 
But pity anyone who falls 
   and has no one to help them up. 
Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. 
   But how can one keep warm alone? 
Though one may be overpowered, 
   two can defend themselves. 
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. Ecc 4:9-12

And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Heb 10:24-25

As iron sharpens iron, 
   so one person sharpens another. Prov 27:17

See you tomorrow at bible study!

JustaGirl…just like you!