All too soon it seemed, 12 weeks of Bible study in my home, with a dozen or so other ladies, ended during my sojourn of being still (taking a break from blogging).
We learned plenty about practicing contentment during our time together studying God’s Word, but we discovered a good bit about each other as well. Some of the ladies I knew well, some fairly well, and one was a newcomer to our church.
I opened each session with what’s called an “icebreaker question.” Sometimes it was serious, sometimes not. Each participant took her turn at answering the question and many times, we found ourselves laughing heartily.
Other times, we shared things from the heart. Gratefulness swelled within me as I realized that each lady felt safe in sharing, trusting each other with some of the hard things we encounter in life, encouraging one another, and feeling welcome in the group.
Each week after the conclusion of our sessions, we lingered for a while in fellowship, chatting while partaking of tasty snacks – sometimes sweet, sometimes salty, sometimes healthy, sometimes not.
After our last session, we planned an ice cream sundae party. Two gals brought ice cream (some homemade) and the rest of us provided different toppings. And then these lovely ladies surprised me with a thank you gift and the fun cupcakes pictured above.
To say we grew closer to one another was the absolute truth. We formed a bond of friendship and sisterhood in Christ during those 12 weeks of study and sweet fellowship, and it seemed we were reluctant to end our time together.
And so, I’m working on a new study to commence in the fall. And I’m guessing that most, if not all, of those dear ladies will appear at my door once again ready to dive into God’s Word.
My time of being still proved fruitful for my spiritual life and I’m so thankful for the fellowship of this dear group of women.
“The fellowship of true friends who can hear you out, share your joys, help carry your burdens, and correctly counsel you is priceless.” ~ Ezra Taft Benson
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Mama's Empty Nest 
How thoughtful of them…and an adorable arrangement of cupcakes!🍦
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Those cupcakes fit our ice cream sundae night and they were tasty too. 😉
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Sweet!!! (And not just the cupcakes…)
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Weren’t they cute? And perfect for our ice cream sundae night. 🙂
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The ladies from the church I attend meet once a month and have a devotional with snacks. They take turns going to a different home each month. They also ask questions and learn about each other’s lives. The fellowship is so special. I know you had a wonderful time at your home. God bless you.
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That sounds wonderful! There is a ladies fellowship group at my church too that meets once a month, but it’s a large group so they meet in the church fellowship hall. Any time spent with other believing women is important and encouraging. My Bible study group is smaller (about 12 people) and we focus more on studying God’s Word first, then we have a short time of fellowship. It’s proven to be so sweet.
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Sounds wonderful. Studying God’s Word is the most important thing we can do.
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