I was just listening to an audio book while I washed the dishes and the author said that we can expect some kind of major upheaval or change in our lives every two months (on average) – that if we don’t we aren’t growing and journeying. Why didn’t someone say something earlier? Knowing that explains a lot about my life!

This month is definitely working it’s way out to be one of those moving and shaking months.

I was invited (by a friend I respect) to attend a meeting with a group of people interested in planting a house church movement in the area. I’ve been kind of leary working my way up to the meeting, mostly because the leader of the group is a pastor (how can someone trained by the old system start a new system without falling back on the old ways?), and because it’s scary – I’ve been outside of the church for something like three years now. I’m hungry for community, and the challange of conversation with like-minded people – but I have absolutely no desire at all for Church or Religion. So, my plan was to be cautiously investigative.

I left last night’s meeting…excited. Yes, actually excited. Not all hyped up, gonna get into this big project, excited like I used to get. Cautiously excited; excited about the possiblities. I’d have to say I felt a definite connection there. A like-mindedness and an open acceptence to who I was and how I approach God (often lacking in Christian circles, they mean well but…). But more than that, there was an alignment of purpose. Who they wanted to reach out to, who they were passionate about, these are the same people I love and believe I’m called to serve. I could see a parallel in our purposes, which told me that I had to at least keep giving them a chance.

So, the long and the short of it is that I may be getting involved in some sort of “church” again. In fact, if I go ahead I’m being invited to come in as a member of the Core team planting this movement. No definite decisions as yet, but it’s a very obvious shake up of my way of life lately.

On a different topic. I’m just over half way through the Bible study I was asked to write for CoffeeBreak this season. We’ve already started doing the lessons despite it’s lack of completion, but I’m planning on having the last three lessons done in the next few weeks. I was looking over it and decided that maybe I’d offer it up to all of you, just in case someone was interested. (It’s a shame to do all that work and not get it into appreciative hands.) So, if you are interested in a bible study on Ladies of the Bible, you’ll find the first few files attached below, I’ll add the others in when they are complete (don’t worry, you’ll have enough lessons to get you that far). Feel free to download them, and print them off. All I ask is that you share your feedback with me – and if you share the lessons be sure to credit me. That way I can keep improving them for the next downloaders.

Finally, I have come to a decision. I’m going to close down this blog.

Don’t panic, I’m not quitting blogging (can you imagine? Who would I talk to?), instead I’m amalgamating Living Abundantly into Flaming Renaissance – one woman so only one blog. Up until now Living Abundantly has been my “personal” blog, my safe zone for being Christian and myself, but some work I’ve been doing on my business has brought to light the foolishness of this plan. (I shared the idea with Wakizashi and he just snorted, it seems he’s always been of the opinion that two blogs is stupid.)

So, over the next few weeks I’ll be transferring these posts onto Flaming Renaissance; I’ll slowly stop posting here and begin to post exclusively there. The idea being that the feel and content of both blogs wil survive on the one blog. So, if you link to Living Abundantly on your own blogs or sites, I’d really appreciate if you could transfer those links to Flaming Renaissance.

Here are the first four of eight lessons:
Ladies of the Bible Bible Study Files

These file are best viewed with the fonts Aardvark Bold and Edwardian Script ITC
Coverpage
Lesson 1- Lot’s Wife
Lesson 2 – Jochebed
Lesson 3 – Miriam
Lesson 4 – Pilate’s Wife & Huldah