It's TRUST that turns it around!

It's tough being a woman ... it's trust that turns it around! Are you filling in your "Turn It Around" sheet? as well as writing out your index cards? What great visual reminders that we have an all-knowing and perfectly loving God whom we can completely trust! What good news!
I've thought that the homework from this past week has been especially rich and I so hope that you are spending time alone with God and your Bible as you work through these lessons. These statements in the Week 8 homework made an impression on me; how about you?
*To accomplish our call, we must be humbled far more than exalted, though God certainly lifts up His faithful servant in due time. (page 178)
*Sometimes God wants to show us what we can do rather than let us find someone who can do it for us. (page 184)
*God's timing is perfect. (page 186)
*Covenant children of God are marked - even dressed - in ways obvious to both heaven and hell but invisible to man. (page 189)
*He wants to show you what He can do with your life and your negative conditions, but He wants you to know without a doubt that He alone is the author of reversals. (page 197)

What If?

Hello Friends!
We are halfway through this amazing study on the book of Esther and I am so grateful for all that we are sharing and learning together! I thought that Beth's comments on fear were especially helpful! I never thought about IF in the way she brought it to us - I FEAR, I FEAR, I FEAR! And wasn't it helpful to be reminded that "IF _________, THEN MY GOD WILL TAKE CARE OF ME! You are all in my prayers as you try to find time each day to read, study, and pray!

On to Week Two!

Good for you, Girlfriends! You made it through the first week of homework!Now you have a new candle to put in your special place and I pray that your time alone with your Creator is rich and blessed!

What a powerful video session we are viewing this week! This thought stays with me, "You cannot amputate your history from your destiny. You cannot become the person God plans for you to be without your history. That's God's redemption." Wow! That's something to think about!I'm praying that each one of us will be able to look at some of our life situations with new eyes of understanding and faith.

Beth concludes this week's session with three Bible passages that she keeps close by so that she can read them each morning. They are great - I've put them on an index card for myself - you might want to think about it! These are simple phrases for each one:
Colossians 2:10, "I am complete in Christ."
Song of Songs 7:10, "I am my beloved's and His desire is towards me."
Psalm 90:17, "Let the beauty of the Lord be upon me."

I love sharing this study with you! There are 78 of us all together! Thank you for being part of it!
I'm praying God's blessing on you today!
Love to each of you!
Denise

Esther Lesson

This past Saturday Denise took the time to give us all a "lesson" on Esther and what the world was like while she was alive. Since not all of us were able to attend that meeting, we thought it'd be good to include the basic information on the website. This may also come in handy as we work through the Esther program and questions come up, so please feel free to reference this at any point over the next 10 weeks!

Vocabulary:

Xerxes - the Greek name for the King of Persia
Ahashwerosh - the King's name in Hebrew
Ahasuerus - the King's name in English
Mordecai - Esther's cousin
Hadassah - the name for myrtle, the Jewish name for Esther
Hegai - the king's eunuch
eunuch - a castrated man employed to take charge of the women of a harem and act as chamberlain
concubine - a wife of secodnary rank, a woman residing in a harem and kept for sexual purposes
Megillah - the scrool containing the biblical narrative of the book of Esther; a lengthy, detailed explanation or account
diaspora - the scattering of the Jews to countries outside of Palestine after the Babylonian captivity
Purim - a Jewish festival celebrated on the 14th day of Adar in commemoration of the deliverance of the Jews in Persia from destruction by Haman

Characters

Xerxes - Persian's 5th king, ruled from 486-465 B.C.
Vashti - the Queen and wife of Xerxes
Haman - second in rank to King Xerxes, hated the Jews
Mordecai - a Jewish official who became second in command to Xerxes, adopted Esther
Esther - a Jewish orphan who won the favor of all and became the Queen

Summary of Events

It all began with a 180 day banquest ... there was feasting and drinking, and an exorbitant showing of wealth. It is recorded that Xerxes had a very bad temper, so when Xerxes was "in high spirits from wine" and summoned Vashti and she refused, the king banished Vashti!

After a time, a search for a new queen began, and Esther became the new queen! Meanwhile, Mordecai, her adopted father, saves the King's life, and it is recorded in the annals of history.

Haman, the King's second in command, hates all Jews. One day while out on a tour of the city, Mordecai refuses to bow in front of Haman. This enrages Haman and he casts the pur and the edict is issued that all Jews are to die. Mordecai conveys this information to Esther and asks her, "Who knows but that you have come to a royal position for such a time as this?"

Esther decides to go uninvited before the King, which could result in her death. In preparation she fasts for three days. On the third day, she goes before Xerxes and he extends his scepter to her, sparing her life. He asks what her request is, and she invites him to a banquet, but at the banquet does not ask Xerxes to spare the Jews but instead invites him to a banquet scheduled for the next night.

After the banquet, Xerxes cannot sleep, and an aide comes to his bedside to read the annals of history to lull him to sleep. They read the story of Mordecai and the King decides Mordecai needs to be thanked for his life-saving efforts. The next morning the King asks Haman what should be done for the man the King delights to honor? Haman, thinking that the King would like to honor him, has many suggestions. Haman is very insulted when instead he has to give all of the honors to Mordecai, a Jew.

That night Esther's second banquet is held. Esther finally asks the King to spare the lives of the Jews. There is no erasing the previous edict that was issued, but the King issues an edict that the Jews are allowed to fight to defend themselves. Much blood is shed, but the Jewish population is not annihilated! Haman's fate is to be hung on the same gallows he was building to kill the Jews.

Welcome to the Website!

Welcome to the St. John Lutheran Church Women’s Ministry blog! Please join us as we journey through Beth Moore’s Esther Bible Study over the next 10 weeks.

Some of you may be very familiar with blogs, while others may not. A blog is simply a website used to share information. Each week we will post information on the Esther Study. You may choose to simply read the postings, but it will be much more fun if we all participate in an online conversation. To do so, you will need to “comment.”


1. It is very easy to post a comment on a blog! At the bottom of each post, you will see, in bold text, the number of comments already posted, for example “4 comments”. Click on those words.
2. This will bring up a list of all of the comments already posted, listed in a chronological order. As you read through the comments, you will be reading the online conversation that has already happened. The more who are participating in the conversation, the better! At the very bottom of the list there will be a section called “Post a Comment.”
3. In the text box (white box), type what you want to have posted on the website.
4. When you are done typing your comment, move to the drop-down box underneath the “Comment as.” Click on the little down arrow on the right hand side and a list should appear. For purposes of our website, please select either the “Name/URL” or “Anonymous.” If you select “Name/URL,” an additional box called “Edit profile” will open. Under “Name:”, type your name! (First names and last initial only, please!) If you choose to post Anonymously, no additional box will open.
5. Last step – click “Post Comment” and see your own words published to the web!

This may seem a little tricky and detailed, but we promise if you try it once you’ll see how easy it is! We are so excited to have this great opportunity to share our learnings, thoughts and struggles over the next 10 weeks! We encourage you to just play around with this website and explore it!