It's tough being a woman #2

Good morning, ya'll!

I had a great weekend with my Mom, who was in town to see me and Nick for the weekend. We shopped and got my office set up to really start working on my Etsy shop. I haven't had the tools that I needed to really get in there and take care of business. The next few weeks I am going to work on pictures and descriptions since that is what really makes an Etsy shop! For now its so-so, but I really want to expand and do some neat things to bring in the big bucks....kidding on that! Here is the link, or you can use the link above that says "My Etsy Shop".

I got a little emotional during the time my mom was here. I wanted her to stay longer. That's it, plain and simple. We had such a good weekend and in the back of my mind, I knew some big changes are heading my way. I will be heading to California where it is a 2 day drive....not 8 hours. I will know only my husbands friends. We will start to search for a church home (HARDEST THING EVER). And I will have to wait and see where God wants me to invest and what big plans he has waiting on me 2,000 miles away.

But God has been preparing me. Though I have studied Esther before, He put it right back in front of me. He knew I was needing a little refresher on total dependence on Him. He showed me that I needed to trust Him even when He only gives me enough light to see one step in front of me. That is all the light I need. I'll be honest and say sometimes I have to tell myself that more than I believe it, unfortunately.

He's not showing me what's ahead. But from what He has shown me so far, I already know He is faithful. 

We started this bible study with faith that God wanted to show us something whether there were 20 girls or just my friend and I. We posted it all over the internet. We are both in a military spouse Facebook group and that was where we got the most feedback. I was a little nervous to put it up. In today's world, you never kow what someone is going to say when you "talk Christian". But then I thought about what it means to be bold. And if that's one of my words for the year...I was going to have to start somewhere. I want to be BOLD for Jesus. Right here where I know people. I was also waiting on the message telling me that sort of post is not allowed in the group. That message never came. Only positive feedback came our way. We had girls signing up within the hour!

Two weeks later, there we were in my living room. Praying, eating, drinking coffee. Seriously, there is nothing better. Through the weeks, we added more and more girls. I thank the Lord I am able to stay home.  But I do believe that God is allowing me to be a stay at home wife at this time for this very reason. To serve ladies I don't know. To serve Nick when he is working 12 hours a day. I love this season of my life. It won't last forever. Children will come and I will think back to how easy it was. But I am THANKFUL for this season.

The bonds in this study will not be easily broken. I saw one friendship bloom more and more each week. They will be sweet, lifelong friends. We prayed for one another, rejoiced for our husbands passing the next test, and stayed and talked for hours after the study ended. It was so sweet. Though most of these girls will never see each other again, I know when we pass our bookcase and see that green workbook, we will think back to the sweet faces that brought us encouragement each Thursday morning. I pray this group will continue to grow as we all go our different ways. I pray that each of us starts a new study with new faces that just want to fellowship with another sister in Christ. And hopefully with those who don't know Christ, and that they would come to know the Sweetest Face of all.

 Esther Bible Study Group (minus a few)!!

Here is the link to the post about one of my favorite weeks of the study. This was my second time to do Esther. I plan on doing it again in a couple of years!

Victoria