Beauty for Ashes

I'm sorry I haven't written in a while... So many things have happened. School started and I've been trying to get used to my schedule. Mondays are my longest days because I start from 10 in the morning and end at 5 at night. Before I dropped Econ, it used to be from 8 in the morning until 5. Dropping Econ was a tough decision.. but I'm glad I dropped it because now I have more time to blog, more time for small groups, and more time to sleep in! I'm starting to get the hang of school. Research is pretty good too. Not hard at all. But a lot of washing dirty test tubes and touching lots of larvas and dead fruit flies.

Small groups haven't really started yet.. But the women's small group at Newsong did. We're doing a Beth Moore's Bible study about Breaking Free. Breaking free from strongholds and from struggles and from addiction.. mostly in general oppressors that's keeping us from living out God's glory. I was pretty scared getting into the study because it was way out of my comfort zone.. I'm still kind of scared, but I know that it'll be a good stretching of spiritual growth. My own small group has not launched yet.. I'm scared about that too. Actually, yesterday was the kickoff event and I realized that it's going to be hard getting people to join my small group. In fact.. I was a little discouraged.. but! how can I be discouraged already?! I talked to Kevin and he made a really good point.. "Think of it this way.. a small number is not a bad thing. I'd rather have a small group that starts out small, but grows deeper than a small group that starts big and people leave." Kevin made a real good point..

I think I found the perfect Bible verse for my small group's vision.. I shouldn't say "my small group," but Kristen's and Yvonne's too. Isaiah 61:1-3. 

The Good News of Salvation

 ¹ “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me,

      Because the LORD has anointed Me 

      To preach good tidings to the poor; 

      He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, 

      To proclaim liberty to the captives, 

      And the opening of the prison to those who are bound; 

       ² To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, 

      And the day of vengeance of our God; 

      To comfort all who mourn, 

       ³ To console those who mourn in Zion, 

      To give them beauty for ashes, 

      The oil of joy for mourning, 

      The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; 

      That they may be called trees of righteousness, 

      The planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.”

This verse speaks out to me because that's what service is all about. To cater to the poor, to be a listener, to love.. I want to make the women in the small group feel beautiful and to plant God in them. Beauty for ashes literally means taking something that is hurtful or painful and troublesome and making something beautiful. I don't know what small groups will look like, but I truly want God to be our #1 member!