Finishing Well-Women's Bible Study

Although I am so excited for God's new season of ministry and growth in each of our lives, I am sincerely grieving the completion of our women's small group. The consistent and authentic friendships of each person who came into my home has blessed me as I struggled to grow and learn; as I grieved and rejoiced; and as I knelled to pray for them and felt the prayers in reciprocation.

Our History:
Desiring to be a part of a women's Bible study that would offer authentic fellowship centered around Christ, yet never too full to "close" our group to visitors, I sent out an e-mail inviting women in the young adult Sunday School at College Park to join me for the study at my home.

August 18, 2004 we started studying "The Power of Femininity: Rediscovering the Art of Being a Woman" by McKinney Hammond and continued on to study:
Experiencing God by Blackaby (Spring 05)
Holiness: The Heart God Purifies by DeMoss(Fall 05)
Celebrating Life by Swindoll (Spring 06)
Extracting the Precious from Isaiah by Partow (Fall 06)

Each season we would seek God's direction for our group and our role in it. Every season God led some women away and led some women near.
Our group has consisted of:
Natasha Kempson (Boyce)
Kim Brown
Bethany Gee (Foland)
Kara Glascock
Nicole Hatfield (Kuhn)
Katie Anderson (Ramsey)
Amy Grissom (Standish)
Ginger Reed
Heather Boyce
Alicia Fishers
Amy Stowers
Jen Weigle (Fox)
Crystal Walter
Colleen Rodriguez (DeShong)
Lori Anderson
Kristi Dearing
Shannon Gardiner
Laura Reinhart
Lindsey Roberson
SooAnn Fox
Darcy Wiley
Julie Moline
Me-Gretchen Corn (Landon)

As our group exploded to 15 women this fall, my heart grew burdened for God's direction for our group again. Surprised at where He directed, I realized that this was a season to die AND to be born.

In John 12:24, Jesus says "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds."

As the rich time of growth, friendship, learning and blessing is coming to an end in the form of my women's Bible study, I am THRILLED that both Kara Glascock and SooAnn Fox have prayerfully accepted responsibility as the shepherds of two new women's Bible studies! The baton has been passed and both women exemplify the character and knowledge necessary to facilitate these growing groups.
Although I hate goodbyes, I am excited for the new season God has opened in my life with my perfect provision: Ryan Corn. As we desire to grow as husband and wife to reflect Christ's love to each other and the watching world, we realized IT'S A LOT OF WORK! :) Being interdependent doesn't "just happen" and we continue to grow in our recognition that we need Christ's power and truth daily to develop our marriage into a reflection of Him and His love and unity. Thankfully, we are not alone in this! We both have dear friends that desire to walk this new journey with us and (after we catch our breath), we'll embark on a couple's study based off of Campus Crusade for Christ's marriage ministry's (Family Life) curriculum.

I am comforted by the truth in

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance, a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them, a time to embrace and a time to refrain, a time to search and a time to give up, a time to keep and a time to throw away, a time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speak, a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."

I will miss our Tuesday ladies night very much and thank God for the blessing of walking alongside these women during the last 2 ½ years of my life.