2012 - Week 1

Hey, M&M'ers!

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful 2012 so far. Just so you know, this blog is OPEN this semester! That means that there will be no more logging in, no more having to get special permission to access it... it is completely open for you and for you to share with others if you desire. That being said, if you have something personal you want to share, you may not want to do that in a comment here since it will indeed be "public".

Yes, this blog is usually pretty closely tied to the email, but I found that it was a great reference (for me anyway) if I wanted to go back and review something because i wouldn't have to hunt through my pile of emails. Hopefully it has been a benefit to you as well!

Here is the note from Barb for week 1! All of the quotes and cards she referred to can be found here. For this week's lesson, click here (or right click and "save as".) Have a great week!

Leslie

~~~~~~

HAPPY NEW YEAR M&M-ERS!

We're back together again! I've really missed you! We had a good first week of classes in our new quarter of M&M! If you are new to M&M, welcome! We are so glad you've joined us! The theme this time is "Thy Kingdom Come". It's all about being Kingdom Women or World Christians rather than being deceived into living for the glamorous "American Dream". I shared this quote by Josiah Bancroft:

I’m not going to live my life for safety. I want to see God use me somehow, for something other than feeling better. This isn’t about me just getting better and doing better at what I am doing so more and more people like me. There is a Kingdom, and God has a call on your life. Grace moves me out of myself to love God and to love others. It moves me out of me.

I also am asking the Lord that it will be a time of all of us growing in the area of PRAYER...yes, actually pray the verses as we meditate on them and attempt to memorize them. As I said in the class, I want so much to become much more of a pray-er than I am now. I think a lot, but often it's just my thoughts going round and round and I don't turn to my Father. How foolish! I shared this quote that has challenged and inspired me by Jack Miller:

Prayer is the means appointed by God to become increasingly God-centered and self-forgetful. Through prayer, the Kingdom of self is broken down and the Kingdom of God is lifted up. It is the heart of Kingdom Power.

I am so excited about our 13 new verses! Some are very familiar and well-loved; some may be new to you. Our first one is very familiar if you like to listen to Handel's Messiah at Christmas time:

#1 ISAIAH 9:6,7 TO US A SON IS GIVEN

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

I can't wait to memorize and meditate on this one and all the others. As I said in the class, be prepared for it to be a fight to do M&M! It will be a fight to be quiet with the Lord, meditating on His Word. But so worth it! Let's pray for each other as we try to carve out time here and there to chew on God's Word. I think our M&M Life Verse should be: "Your words were found and I ate them; and Your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by Your name, O LORD, God of hosts." Jeremiah 15:16

You will be receiving your CDs and verse packs soon. Online Sisters, please write out for yourself the verse for the week (it's a good way to meditate on and memorize the verse) until your packet arrives.

May the Lord bless you richly as you seek His Kingdom first!

For His Kingdom's sake,

Barb