FAITHFUL FRIENDS

Rachel and Molly at the Dead Sea

This morning was our last Women's Bible Study for the Spring 2008 IBEX semester. It was definitely bittersweet. I so love studying the Word of God with these fellow believers in the Lord. This semester we studyed the faithfulness of God and used Cynthia Heald's book Becoming a Woman of Faith as a guideline for our studies and discussions. It was a wonderful time of seeing God's faithfulness to us and encouragement for how we too can grow in faith. One of the ways the Lord has helped me to grow in is recognizing my sin and my weaknesses of character. I find myself often wanting to do better, yet hesitant to pray for the Lord to show me my sin, probably because I know it is there and don't want to see the ugliness of it. Yet the Lord is so faithful, knowing the thoughts of our hearts before we even want to utter them. He has blessed me with a true friend and sister in the Lord who has been one of the few people outside my family to call me on my sin in a loving way, pray with me about it, and hold me accountable to change. Thank you, Molly, for being a true friend, for not being afraid to say the things I need to hear. I also have four wonderful godly women/wives in my life right now from whom I've learned so much. They have been faithful to the Lord - faithful to love me, teach me, instruct me...they've showed me the true meaning of Christian hospitality, of giving of one's self, of training up the younger women. Thank you, Phyllis, Stephanie, Johanna, and Becky. I love you all. Thank you for being faithful friends.