Hospitality

I'm still on cloud nine from bible study last night, so I figured that maybe you all would enjoy hearing about what we talked about! We had another great, great turn out despite the rain....which had me oh so worried! I know I shouldn't be focused on that, and I'm truly not, I just wanted as many women to hear the neat things that God had shown me through his words this week!

The fourth principle of the book, A Woman's secret to a balanced life, is this: "The Proverbs 31 woman is a disciplined and industrious keeper of the home who creates a warm and loving environment for her family and friends."

I was SUPER excited because I am a little less talk and a lot more action kinda girl when it comes to God's word. It's great to study it, talk about it, blog about it and teach about it.......but there is nothing more exciting to me to see people, especially women, putting God's word into action in their lives. So, the Lord had shown me some verses and people to touch on and I knew my friend Anne would be able to take care of the decorating part.....she did a little presentation at the end which you did good girl!!!! I'm so sorry she didn't have enough time!! But before she came and shared, I wanted to get at the heart and they why's of hospitality and what God says about it, and it's alot!!

I spoke about the Shunamite woman and Elisha, found in 2 Kings 4:8-10. The amazing thing about this woman was just her plain simple obedience to God through her acts of hospitality to Elisha. Through her obedience to God through Elisha, God completely bestowed upon her blessing after blessing. And although our hearts should never be one that does things to receive the glory and blessing from it, through this woman's humbleness we can truly take to heart that God DOES bless obedience. She first became pregnant with a child and THEN the child died and God through Elisha raised that child up from the dead! AMAZING stuff!!

Then, it got good......for me at least. The next two women I wanted us to look at were Mary and Martha. And how amazing was it that here we were the week before Easter studying about Mary and Martha when in fact, one of Jesus's last stops was at their house on the way to the cross. We talked about the busy, busy, busy, factor......we talked about what it is that God really wants from us, just simply our time. We talked about Mary and Martha and the difference between them. It was powerful...I was tearing up at one point and asked the Holy Spirit to PULL ME TOGETHER!! I am very passionate when I speak.....guess I get that from my dad. =)

It's great to serve, it's important to serve and we as the body of Christ have got to use our gifts in the way the Lord sees fit. If I get so caught up in teaching and don't spend time alone with God each day.....that's not bringing Him glory. If I get so caught up in this ministry or that ministry and I'm doing "good" for the kingdom....but I don't spend time with him alone daily, there's no glory for God in that either. So, hospitality isn't about how beautiful we can make our homes, or what type of incredible meal we can make. It's about fellowship with Christ FIRST that is naturally going to flow through us in our "acts" of hospitality. But hospitality without Christ is simply, "entertaining".

I know this is a very "abbreviated" version, but hopefully for the few that missed this week they can catch up here!

I just came home last night, not feeling proud of myself of anything like that, but just amazed at what God had shared with me.....I felt like no these are not "new" passages in the bible to me, but I felt like God made it come alive for me. And I hope I in return did that for those sweet women. I just LOVE teaching, I LOVE speaking, I LOVE studying and preparing for this. I'm so sad that there are only two more lessons from this book. But, I've already met with the women's minister again and we are working on something for the summer time!

On a very side but AWESOME side note.....and I know my man despite his funny comments on the last post, won't care about me sharing this..Kris had his colonoscopy done yesterday and ya'll.......He was diagnosed with Chron's disease a few years ago, and guess what? The doctor took me back and had this "oh so puzzled" look on his face and said to me......"I see know signs of Chron's disease, it's very strange." I said.....STRANGE???!!! NO WAY!! That's GOD!!! I shared with this doctor how many people had prayed for Kris and I just knew GOD had touched him and made him well!!! Power in prayer........SO much!!!!

Ok, well long post, sorry, just wanted to share all this stuff from bible study, I hope you enjoy it, I hope it makes sense, I don't really have time to go back and tweak it this morning!! Have an awesome, awesome day!!!