Welcome Back

I have been working for a month on what my first blog back after a long break should be. Multiple topics half written that I still hope someday will be complete. I give on the perfect restart. I need to just dive in, jump the gun now or my head will explode. I’ll be called back to start the race over again and I can fill in the holes then. So here it is just a plain old story from my life yesterday, an evening that was inspiring for me. I just decided I would share it.

I have begun a new study at church. A Catholic Adult Education Series   on the Catholic Religion, hosted by Scott and Kimberley Hahn. If you remember I studied one of his books last spring, The Lamb's Supper. I was pushed along gently by a lady from Church, who attended the spring group. She felt we should start a study again this fall. I have been worried about the commitment since I agreed. We have so little family time already and Mondays were our one night off and that is when it falls.

I questioned my decision to add this to my plate. Will it be worth? Will it just spread my efforts more thinly? I am also participating in an email bible study already. Which so far has been great. So do I need more?

Well last night was the first night of the video study and let me tell you I DO need more. Will it be hard at times, likely, but it will be worth the time. Here is how I made that conclusion.

The email bible study I am participating in is studying 1 John. We will read the same book over and over for a month and have weekly discussions. The first video in the study at church was just Scott Hahn’s conversion story. “Just” is what I thought but it was much more. I have a page of notes on how it applies to my life and it linked right to 1 John and our discussion thus far. WOW! How does God do this time and time again, allowing subjects to piggy back on each other from two completely different sources? It just maximizes what you get out of it! This of course was the first bonus of agreeing to participate. The following story from when I arrived home is the second.

This summer we started watching a show as a family on Monday nights. It begins at 9:00, not a big deal in the summer. In hind sight not the best plan as it still has one week left and makes for a late school night. Not to mention some of the content probably not family friendly. We just deal with bad topics as they come. Everyone seems to enjoy the overall mystery of story line and the cliff hanger endings.  

My family was giving me a hard time saying I would talk after the class and miss the first part of the show. When my oldest daughter and I, who I brought along in case someone needed babysitting, got in the car it was 9:00. I told her sorry. She very sincerely responded it’s OK. So my family was right I would talk afterwards. The fun part of the story is we did NOT miss the first part of the show.

When I walked in our oldest said smiling, “Guess what Mom? For some reason Under the Dome is starting at 9:24 tonight.”  I asked why? He said, “I think God did that so you guys were home in time to watch with us.”  I spoke my thoughts. Maybe that is my reward for studying?  He said I bet it is.

All my worries and questions on my decision disappeared. God had answered it for me through his inspirational connection of the two studies and my "reward" that the show, or “our family time” started a little late that night.

I know some of you may doubt by saying it was just Monday night football, but the timing was perfect. I truly believe God is the only one that can make it perfect!