So we need a book...

So last night I ventured down to Washington Court House for a Bible study my friend Tiffani was holding.

Stop! I must tell a brief story:

I left my house at 4pm so I could make it to her house by 430. But I desperately needed gas so I stopped at the Turkey Hill (always cheaper than everyone else, yay). I got out in the bitter 9 degree cold weather (probably nothing to complain about with the Sullivans reading). I opened the little gas door and tried with all my might to open the stupid fuel cap. (side note I have been driving this car for over two years now and I am very familiar with how to unscrew the fuel cap). I couldn't unscrew it. Alas I was too weak to get it to turn the right way and I ended up being very frustrated--you see this winter different parts of my car have frozen at different times---my trunk froze shut, my doors each have frozen shut and my driver door has also frozen open (literally it would not close). Needless to say I am sick of frozenness. So after a long 20 minutes of trying to unscrew the cap a kind gentleman walks over and helps. Once he is able to get it unscrewed he then proceeds to school me on how I have to unscrew until it clicks. Ding ding ding ding ding!!!! Hello I know that I couldn't get it that far moron. But thanks for the help goodbye.

The End...hardly brief...

So onward I went on my trek knowing I would not arrive until a late 5pm. No worries I was still the first to arrive. Anyway, one of the guys named Lee brought this like essay thing he had written after a long study and devotional in the word of God last week (alone) and it was cool. So since they don't have a book they study through he thought that maybe we could all go through it. So we did. It was on Spiritual Purity and he had a lot of good things to say.

I was impressed because Lee has only been a christian for a solid year but he has so consumed himself in the Lord that he is very inspiring. (However, he does need some help on certain subjects). We got into some pretty heavy debates about once saved, always saved and also the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Lee believes that none of us have been baptized by the Holy Spirit yet and I had to

SHUT

HIM

DOWN...

Just kidding but we debated for a good 45 minutes on it and I was trying to persuade him otherwise since....welll.......he's W R O N G ! It was funny because toward the end he was like "I know I don't know a lot about this subject so I am not trying to persuade you otherwise." And I was like, "Well good because you won't. But believe me, I AM trying to persuade you otherwise." I can't get into to details of why he thinks we haven't been baptized yet because I left my notes in my car and I am sitting barefoot in my PJs. But basically it is because there is a verse in Hebrews that speaks about people who have been saved and willfully sin have given up Christ's sacrifice and they cannot have it again. And he says that he hopes he hasn't been baptized in the Holy Spirit because he has willfully sinned since being saved and he is like then I don't get to go to heaven. Whoa! This kid seriously needs discipled! (by my father because he is the smartest) just kidding about dad being smartest, he's not but Lee really likes dad and it would be a good idea. It just sucks cause Lee lives in Chillocothe.

It was really cool to be in that atmosphere though. I love being around peers who love the Lord as much as me. There was a total of 7 of us and I am going again on Saturday. I really think we need to use a book though just so we can stay centered and someone smarter than ourselves aka the book author can keep us grounded.

I love Lee a lot but he just doesn't know quite enough and he has strange convictions to be in charge of a Bible Study. I just don't know quite what to do because, Lee for one doesn't like using books because he thinks that the Holy Spirit can give us what we need to know and we shouldn't rely on other men to help. ( which again is semi right but really just wrong--it's not reliance on men's thoughts---we use people who are smarter than us to help guide us and teach us how to use and study the Bible properly so we can properly listen to what the Holy Spirit has to teach us)--besides um Paul to Timothy--that's all I have to say.

And also I am at a crossroads. I am still trying to find where a woman's place is in the church. Can I lead the Bible study with men there who are older than me? I don't know if this is okay since I am a woman. I see my mom helps lead the young adults sunday school but she helps my dad---a man. And Aunt Ana helps lead the Young Adults at her church but she helps Uncle Jim---a man. Where do single women fit? Can I be the leader of this group even though there are men or can I only lead a women's study (just background on the group, Lee--baby christian, is the only guy who comes all the time other than Tiffani's husband who doesn't get home from work until 9pm so it's either baby christian or me). This is how I grew up and I just don't know what I should do--let me know what you think. (I guess now that I really think about it in the Young Adults thing we did that Tommy led at our house we each took turns and women would teach a lesson so is that the same thing?)

So we need a book and if anyone has suggestions other than Crazy Love (because so many of us have already done it) than please leave a comment.

Sorry I dragged this on for so long. I am super excited to have a group to go to for Young Adults during the week. Pray for us as we try to get more organized and learn more. Also some other prayer requests:

Pray for Lee because like I said he has some strange convictions and he really needs some discipleship

Pray for another guy in our group Chance--he has been a Christian for a few months now and I got to know him better last night. He really has a thirst for knowledge, he just doesn't know how to obtain it. I encouraged him to dig into the word and pray as much as possible because God can reveal things to him and I encouraged him to get involved at a church. He hasn't been going to one because life has gotten in the way. (Chance has been dealt a crappy hand of cards in life so also pray for him to remain strong in his faith even though he is surrounded by nonbelievers in everyday life).

Pray for my friend Katie too (another person in the group) she is dealing with some heavy life stuff and just needs the grace of God.

Thanks everyone! God Bless!