SS22: Final Thoughts on Meditation & Some Updates

An Invitation to Sit in His Presence

Our Sister Circles topic and spiritual practice for this month is meditation. I have spent time reflecting on the idea of meditation and practicing meditation more than my usual, and I am noticing the concept more often in scripture as well as in conversations and media around me.

Meditation is teaching me to slow down and listen, to my own heart and to God.

It never feels like there are enough hours in the week to take care of all my responsibilities AND take care of my soul. Last Sunday night, already feeling pressure as I anticipated the coming week, I decided to try listening to a peaceful podcast while I washed dishes. Instead of feeling more peaceful, however, I grew more and more stressed and annoyed as my son kept trying to talk to me. I finally recognized God wanted me to stop what I was doing. Though I was tempted to finish what I had started, I needed to leave the dishes undone and retreat to my room for a while and let God restore my soul before I caused damage to my son’s heart with a stress-filled, impatient response to his simple desire for my attention. I turned off the water and walked back to my room. A minute later, there was a knock on the door. (Of course.) I told my son I needed to stay back there alone for a little while and would be out eventually. He may not have appreciated it, but I have no doubt that when I came out later with a fresh attitude, our relationship was in better shape than it would have been if I hadn’t stopped and retreated when I did. A few minutes of meditation and quiet prayer gave me the victory as I resisted the enemy’s lies that I couldn’t quit.

The next morning I was reminded of Psalm 23. Verse 5 says, “You prepare a feast before me in plain sight of my enemies. You refresh my head with oil; my cup is completely full.” Do you see? The enemy pays attention to us when we sit at the feast God has prepared for us. Satan does not want us refreshed, anointed, and filled by the Holy Spirit, so if he can get us to stop before we sit, he will do just that! But he is too smart to intimidate us outright. He doesn’t jump out and yell, “BOO!” to scare us away like a neighborhood bully. Instead, he sneaks up behind us and reminds us of all the things we haven’t done or the tasks we are doing later. He reminds us that we need to be worried about this, that, and the other thing. He disguises his whispers as our own ideas so we won’t notice when we think, “Oh, I’ll just quickly check Instagram (or facebook or my email) first…” The rest of the day, if he can, he will weigh us down with worry and inspire us to wear ourselves out with activity so by evening, we don’t even think we can concentrate on prayer because we just want to collapse.

James 4:7-8b “So submit to God. But resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.”

Like we are taught in James 4:7-8, I am finding I have to actively resist the enemy and reject the lies that I don’t have enough time to sit and be still before God. If I think I don’t have time to meditate – sitting in God’s presence, drawing near to Him – I am believing the same lie Martha believed in Luke 10. God gives me enough time to sit in His presence, but I admit I too often spend that time doing other things. If the Lord is my shepherd and has provided all I need, that means He has provided the time I need to sit with Him. I just need to let Him lead me to the green pastures and still waters of His presence. Work can wait. Chores can wait. Social media can wait. Netflix can wait. Even the kids and the hubby can wait!

Time spent abiding in the love of Christ, listening to the Spirit’s wisdom, seeking the Father’s strength, reading the Word and receiving the Lord’s peace is an investment that will we will not regret. And thankfully, unlike many earthly investments, time spent in the Lord’s presence often offers an immediate payoff in addition to an eternal one. What a gift!

Sisters (and brothers), may our ears hear the Spirit when He calls and may we rejoice and grow as we learn more and more to sit quietly and meditate in His presence.
Amen.

&&&&&&&

RESOURCES:

A friend shared this podcast with me and I have really loved it! It's called The Presence Project and the host shares about the same kind of ancient, soulful practices we are discussing in Celebration of Discipline while connecting the practices with modern brain science. (I love how modern science is proving that spiritual disciplines have been good for humans all along!) She teaches a bit and then leads listeners in a quiet, meditative practice of prayer, meditation, or other reflection. I encourage you to try it out if you can.
https://thepresenceproject.libsyn.com/ (all episodes)
https://thepresenceproject.libsyn.com/trust-in-god-built-one-gratitude-after-another (Especially perfect as we reflect on Thanksgiving and move into December)

BIBLE READING PLAN UPDATE:

Back in January, some of us began working together on reading through the New Testament chronologically. We haven't gotten through the whole thing, but I have thoroughly enjoyed reading the books in order based on when they were written. It's been fascinating to me. If you are interested in reading along, here's what we've read so far:

• Luke
• Matthew
• Acts 1-15
• Galatians
• James
• Acts 16-18:17
• 1 & 2 Thessalonians
• Acts 18:18-19:22
• 1 Corinthians
• Acts 19:23-20:1
• 2 Corinthians

In order to allow time for anyone who needs to catch up AND to allow some extra time to reflect on the Advent season (the weeks leading up to Christmas) I'm taking a break from the NT reading plan and will resume in January with the book of Romans. For now I'll personally be reading along with the (in)courage website's Advent reading plan, focusing on 25 Christmas Promises. YouVersion has  many Advent reading plans to choose from as well. I hope you will take time to sit with God's Word, allowing God to speak to you as you meditate on His truth this month.

DECEMBER SISTER CIRCLE GATHERINGS:

Our December gatherings will take place on December 8, 11, & 13. We'll be discussing PRAYER. If you have the book Celebration of Discipline and would like to read chapter 3 before we gather, please feel free to do so! I'll share the video and study guide soon, as well.

Thank you all for joining me on this journey! I learn so much more when I'm not learning alone. May God bless you all this Advent season with a renewed sense of wonder at the coming of Jesus Christ.

Blessings to You!
Melissa

SS19: Proceed to the Route

Hey, Sisters! Today's video is a little bit longer than usual (oops!) but there was a lot I wanted to go over. It has been such a different experience for me tracking along with the journey of Paul through Acts. In the video I review his second missionary journey and three things that stood out to me as I read the end of Acts 15 through the middle of chapter 18. I'll share them here in case you don't have time to watch the video! (click here)

1. Paul (almost) never works alone. 

Except for when he is in Athens, we don't see Paul on his own. He always has someone with him. Either Silas or Timothy, or Priscilla and Aquilla... whether we realize it or not, Paul is not a lone ranger off conquering the world for Christ on his own. I think we (ahem, I!) can learn something from that.

2. Women are recognized and acknowledged more than I expected - often by name!

"Quite a few prominent women..." "He began to speak to the women..." "A woman named Lydia... a God-fearing woman..." "Quite a few prominent Greek women..." "A woman named Damaris..." "with his wife Priscilla..."
There is no shortage of references to the women who were part of the faith communities started on Paul's second missionary journey. The women were important in their cities and in the churches just as they are today. Maybe I was surprised by this because when we think of women and Paul, we (I?) often think of the places where he advises head coverings and for women to be silent in some settings. If we don't realize there's more to Paul's perspective on women, we are missing out.

3. Paul was wrong several times about where he was going, and about who he was going with.

At first, at the end of Acts 15, Paul thought he and Barnabas should go visit the churches they had started to see how they were doing. He was right about it being time for another journey, but he was wrong about traveling with Barnabas. It seems God had other plans for Barnabas and this time Paul ended up traveling with Silas. Then on the way he met Timothy and took him, too. But not to visit the churches he had already started. They headed to new territory. Along the way, Paul thought they would preach in Asia, but the Holy Spirit didn't let them. Then they tried to enter Bythinia, but the Spirit of Jesus wouldn't let them. It wasn't until they got quite a bit further that they received the confirmation they hoped for and ended up on Macedonia.  It encourages me to see that even the apostle Paul didn't get all of the instructions in advance. He, too, had to rely on the Holy Spirit to lead and guide and open the right doors and keep closed the wrong ones. I believe when we are seeking guidance from God, He will do the same for us.

By the way, we have some exciting announcements coming soon about Butler women's ministry this fall, so stay tuned! 😉

In the meantime, if you are reading along on our New Testament journey, we'll be reading a bit more in Acts before we read the book of 1 Corinthians, written to the church in Corinth that Paul started during his 1.5 year stay there toward the end of his 2nd missionary journey.

9/16-9/20	Acts 18:18-19:22; 1 Corinthians 1 & 2
9/23-9/27	1 Corinthians 3-5
9/30-10/4	1 Corinthians 6-8
10/7-10/11	1 Corinthians 9-11
10/14-10/18	1 Corinthians 12-14
10/21-10/25	1 Corinthians 15-16; Acts 19:23-20:1

Father God, keep us seeking You and trusting You even when we encounter unexpected road closures and delays or the path we think we are on goes a different way entirely. You are our Shepherd and You are so much better than any GPS could ever be. Help us choose to trust You, to walk together and not alone, and to remember that we as women matter to You. We love you, Lord!
In Jesus' Name, Amen.

SS18: Welcome Back!!!

Hello, sisters! What a wild summer I had. I hadn't intended to take the rest of the summer off from creating new Sister Studies, but it happened anyway. I got home from helping my daughter move into her freshman dorm in Oregon (!!!!!) last Friday, though, so I'm ready finally to settle into a new school year - fresh, shiny, new routines and all! (It's like a Happy New Year in August!)

If you happen to be new around here, let me tell you what Sister Studies is about. Last Thanksgiving I believe God gave me the idea to start a site where the women from Butler (and our friends in other places and countries even!) could study, learn, share, and grow together - even though meeting together physically all at once on a regular basis is nearly impossible. I jumped in head first and created this blog site, where I attempted to post something approximately every other week, either a video study or something written. While we haven't had as much conversation in the comments as I had originally hoped, and while I also haven't posted as often as I had hoped, enough of you have told me you appreciate it that I 'm going to keep going. (Yay!)

The studies/posts/videos have been about a variety of topics... Grace, gratitude, Christmas, and reading the Bible. Several of us have even been working (albeit slowly!!!) on reading through the New Testament this year. (More about this below...)

I have really enjoyed the challenge of creating the studies and am grateful for all I learn while preparing. (There is never enough time to share everything I learn with you!) When summer came around and my three kids were all home from school though, especially with the impending departure of my daughter for college, it was hard to find the quiet space I needed to create anything new.

BUT finally my daughter has started her college classes, my boys are back in their school routines, I'm back at my part-time teaching job, and IT'S TIME to get started with Sister Studies again!

Like I said, we started early this year reading through the New Testament. We aren't just reading from beginning to end in the order you'll find it in your Bible, though. We're trying to read the various books in the order they were written! It's kind of hard for me to believe that in all of my years of going to church (over 4.5 decades!) until this year, I've never attempted to sort out when the different New Testament books were written. I don't know for sure about anyone/everyone else, but I've found it fascinating to look at the timeline and history as it's presented in the book of Acts and then to read the letters that were written to the various churches based on when they were written. In some cases, the experts out there don't agree about when certain books were written, so it's impossible to know for sure, but even getting it close has been a new experience for me.

Because we are going fairly slowly, it's not impossible to keep up AND if you're just joining us, I don't think it would be too difficult for you to catch up with us - especially if you jump ahead to Acts. Here's what we've read so far:

The gospel of Luke

The gospel of Matthew

Acts 1-16

Galatians

James

I won't deny that I'm a bit of a Bible nerd, (okay, more than a bit!) so I have loved following along on a map as I've been reading about Paul's journeys and the new churches as they were started. Yes, it takes a bit more time than just reading (and if you only have time to read, then just read!) but if you do have time to check out a map as you go, it helps it all seem more real. This site here has a really nice New Testament timeline including when the various books were written, AND some really neat maps that show the journeys Paul and his companions took as they traveled.

One more thing? When we started this journey back in early 2019, I had no idea Pastor Scott was going to do a series in Common Ground going through the book of Acts. Just this week, he preached a message on Acts 15 and Acts 16 is right where we are about to pick up again! (So cool!)

So jump on board! It's not too late and whether you go back to the beginning of Acts and start there or jump into where we are now, I really hope you will consider joining us - especially if you don't already have a Bible reading plan. 

Honestly, I have gone in circles a bit about whether or not I should keep pushing the reading plan, because I know not everyone is participating in this part of Sister Studies. I've worried that you might stop reading/watching if you aren't reading along or that you'll get tired of it. But the thing is, the Word of God is LIFE. God speaks to us through His Word. God nourishes our hearts, minds, souls, and spirits through His Word. God transforms us through His Word. Why would I ever think my words (even about God's Words) would be better? So, when I realized Scott's series now is exactly where we left off, I knew I just had to go for it and pray you'll stick around for the journey.

By the way, if your favorite posts are the ones where I share my mistakes and mess-ups and whatever else God is teaching me, fear not! Those posts will be back, too. I've already got at least one great story to share with you about an epic goof I made last week.

So here's what's next. You can review Acts 1-15 to get a sense for what's been happening or refresh your memory if you need or want to. Then join us reading Acts 15:36-18:22 (Paul's 2nd missionary journey) and the two letters to the Thessalonians probably written while Paul was in Corinth.

	Review Acts 1-15
Paul’s 2nd Missionary Journey
8/26-30	Acts 15:36-18:22
9/2-6	1 Thess. 1-5
9/9-13	2 Thess. 1-3

Whether it's through reading along with us or reading on your own or with another plan, may you be transformed by the renewing of your mind as you fill your thoughts with God's word and his truth this week. 

Blessings to you, Sister!

Love,

Melissa ♥️

SS17: Keep Walking in the Light

I can't remember a time when I didn't have Psalm 119:105 memorized. And, being a child of the 80's, when I think of the words, Amy Grant's voice immediately comes to mind.

"Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."

It's straight out of Psalm 119:105 in the King James version of the Bible that many of us grew up hearing. Years before Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant wrote the song, my mom taught me the verse. As a child and later as a teenager I knew the words, but it wasn't until I was old enough to struggle with making decisions (like where to go to college and who to marry!) that I truly started depending on God's Word to light my path and guide my steps.

God's Word has been a guide and comfort to me ever since.

Sometimes God brings words from a scripture passage to mind for me. Sometimes it's a specific book of the Bible or chapter that I think of and look up. But over the years, the best way I've found to hear God through the Bible is to just keep reading. And when I have a plan I'm much more likely to read than when I don't have a plan and wonder what to read next.

If you would like to join those of us who are reading through the New Testament this year, it's not too late! You can jump in any time. But whatever plan you follow, let's keep reading. Let's keep asking questions and seeking answers and applying the truth we read in the Bible. Our hearts and souls and minds need the truth God's Word contains as much as our bodies need water. (And we here in Fresno in summertime know that's a lot.) Let's keep seeking the light.

"...come, let us walk in the light of the Lord." 

Isaiah 2:5b

Sister Studies New Testament Reading Plan Update

While I knew the New Testament wasn't organized chronologically, I'm surprised I've never wondered more about it. I'm learning, though! The New Testament we use is organized into the Gospels, History, Paul's letters (in order based on how long they are!), other letters to the church, and prophecy. Because a timeline and dates weren't included in the actual scriptures as they were written, we have to depend on historians and scholars to put the timeline together for us. There are still question marks.

So far this year we've read the gospels of Luke and Matthew, and Acts 1-16. (Slow and steady, right?) We've read about the first years of the early Christian church and one of the things that strikes me is how quickly we can read through 20 years of history. That's approximately how much time passed between Jesus's crucifixion and ascension to heaven in Acts 1 and events of Acts 15. 15 chapters cover more than 15 years! It's really easy for me to read it as if things happened faster. (God is patient!)

The Jerusalem Council that takes place in Acts 15 was held around the year AD 48. According to many scholars, the book of Galatians was likely written by the Apostle Paul between AD 48-52, though there is some debate about whether Galatians was written before or after the events in Acts 15 took place. There is even debate about who exactly he was writing to. Galatians could refer to either an ethnic group or a political region where we know Paul planted churches. (If you're curious to know more, check out this post. Who knew?!)

No matter exactly when it was written or even exactly which people it was addressed to, the themes discussed in Galatians are closely related to what was discussed in Acts 15, and it was written around that time, so it makes sense for us to read Galatians now. After Galatians, we're going to read the book of James, written by one of Jesus's half-brothers, as it was very possibly also one of the earliest letters written.

Here's the plan for this week and the next two weeks as we read Galatians and James. If you want to read an intro to each book check out this link.

6/24-28	Galatians 1-3
7/1-5	Galatians 4-6, James 1
7/8-12	James 2-5

Blessings to you, sister, as you keep walking in the light of God's Word!

Love,
Melissa

SS15: Continuing our New Testament Journey & Some Extra Thoughts

After a longer than expected spring break, I'm back with the next part of our New Testament reading plan. (We'll continue in our Grace series next week!) I'm going to start posting the reading plan updates separate from the other posts, and probably several weeks worth at a time, so nobody is left wondering what to read next!

Even though I've read all of the Bible at least a couple of times and much of the New Testament even more often, I find something new every time. Reading God's word feeds our souls and spirits, even when we don't feel like we have discovered something amazing or like we've connected with God through what we've read. Filling our minds with truth and light will always bless us. And we never know when the Holy Spirit will remind us of something we read just when we need it later.

Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the point of dividing soul from spirit, and joints from marrow; it is able to judge the desires and thoughts of the heart."

We will never know what God would speak to us or show us about our own hearts through His Word if we are not reading His Word! Even if we aren't doing an in depth study, we can read. If we have time to scroll on our phones, we have time to read.

Dear Sister, can I say one more thing? 

I strongly suggest you do your Bible reading - whether with our plan or another plan - in a paper Bible. I have a couple reasons.

1. Studies are showing that more and more of us are ADMITTING to struggling with the amount of time we spend on our phones. I'm one of these people. (I'm positive that there are even more who aren't admitting it!) For me this means that every time I pick up my phone, I feel a bit of tension about not wanting to be on my phone for too long. I can be reading the Bible on a phone app and still feel the same tension because my brain associates my phone screen with the struggle to not use my phone too much. If I'm reading in my paper Bible, I can relax, focus, and enjoy it much more without the added internal tension of trying to avoid my phone.

2. When we are reading the Bible (or doing anything) on a phone, it is SO easy to click over to another app without even thinking about it. One moment we're reading Proverbs, and the next we're somehow on facebook without even knowing how or when it happened. The subconscious pathways in our brains are powerful and it's effortless to tap over to another game or app we use all of the time because our brains associate our phones with those other activities. When you are reading a paper Bible, your brain isn't quite as easily tempted to start doing something else. The temptation will likely still come - especially if your phone dings or rings - but at least you have a few more seconds to stop yourself and think about what you're doing before you pick up your phone and move your eyes away from the pages of your Bible. (You'll buy yourself even more time if you don't have your phone right next to you!)

I'm speaking from experience here. Just while I was writing this post I was distracted several times - sometimes by important things. We have a fight on our hands and in our hearts and minds if we want to really sit with God's life-changing Word on a regular basis. Let's do everything we can to give ourselves all the advantages we can.

(If none of this happens to apply to you, be blessed and carry on! I won't try to stop you from doing something that's working for you.)

So, let's do it!

My goal for the rest of the New Testament is to read it semi-chronologically. While there isn't a right or wrong way to read the Bible, reading the books/letters in the order they were written in will give us a different perspective. I have never read the New Testament in any kind of chronological way and I think it will be really interesting! We won't be reading all of the books exactly in the order they were written, though. Acts wasn't completed until after AD 62, but we'll be using it as a framework or timeline while interspersing the rest of the letters (i.e. Epistles) in the approximate order they were written, based on what was happening in Acts (or after).

Hopefully that makes some kind of sense! I don't know how much I'll be commenting on what we're reading as we go along, but if you'd like to, please feel free to add your thoughts or comments here on this post. Or send them to me by email. Or chat with me about it at church!

As some of us have already started reading the book of Acts, we'll tackle 5 chapters this next week and 4 chapters each week for the rest of May. (We've already read Luke and Matthew together. We'll come back to the gospel of Mark and the gospel of John at some point, but I haven't decided yet exactly when. You'll have to wait and see!)

May 6-10	Acts 1-5
May 13-17	Acts 6-9
May 20-24	Acts 10-13
May 27-31	Acts 14-16

In June we'll start with the book of James and Galatians, thought of as the earliest books written in the New Testament to the early church.

Ready, set, go!

SS7: Passing the Test (Luke 4)

Hello! In this week's study, we're looking at Luke 4 and what we can learn from the temptations that Jesus faced and how He faced them. I hope you can take some time to watch the video or listen to the audio!

You can also watch the video by clicking here.
You can listen to the audio recording here.

The next readings for those of you who are reading along are Luke 8-14. You can join here on the YouVersion website or with the Bible app or just follow along here on the blog.

If you'd like to share in the comments or by email or on facebook, I'd love to hear what you've been learning in your time reading the Bible - with us through Luke or on your own. You can also share how this passage from Luke 4 encourages you to endure temptations!

May you remember that God delights in you this week.

Much Love,
Melissa 🎔

SS6: Walking Together Through the Word

I have tried a couple of times to create a video for this post, but things keep not working right - so rather than delay any longer, I'm just going to write this time! (I don't know why I forgot I can do that. Haha!)

I really appreciated what Pastor Scott shared a couple of weeks ago about the importance of reading the Bible. The tools he shared gave me an idea!

I want to invite you on an adventure walking through the New Testament this year.

I like comparing studying the Bible to studying the world. If you look at our planet from outer space or even out the window of an airplane, it is breathtaking!

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

You can also zoom in and look at something tiny and it is equally as beautiful.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

We can look at the entire word of God and see a breathtaking Story of sin and redemption, love and salvation, and the past and a future filled with glorious hope. Zoom in on a single verse or word in a verse, and we can see nuances and details about God's character and promises that we would never see if we just looked from a distance.

I feel like trying to read the Bible in a year (or less!) is like flying in an airplane. You get a wonderful overview of the Big Picture, but if you want to stop and visit someplace in particular, there isn't really time or you'll "fall behind." It's true that when you keep going, you'll get through it all and hopefully understand how it fits together - which is an accomplishment! This pace works for some people, but not everyone.

Studying the Bible a verse at a time is more fun for me. (I know - I'm a nerd.) It's like looking at a leaf or a flower under a magnifying glass and I almost always find something fascinating. The problem with that approach is it can take a really long time to get through the Bible! And it's easy to miss the Big Picture if you don't already understand it.

Another option? Let's not fly over too fast, or stay too long in one spot. LET'S WALK.

Photo by Ashim D’Silva on Unsplash

I would LOVE for you to join me on a trek through the New Testament, one chapter a day. It's fast enough that we'll get through the whole thing in about 9 months, but not so fast that we won't be able to keep up or enjoy some stops along the way. As we read together, I'll share each week in our Sister Studies post about something that stood out to me. You'll be able to share what you're learning in the comments and whenever you're together with other Butler sisters. (Or maybe I'll drag invite you into a video with me sometime!)

What do you say? Are you in?

I'm so excited about doing this together. We will all be more likely to get to the end if we are walking together.

(If you already have a Bible reading plan that's working for you that you want to stick with, please feel free to do that! You can still join the conversation here or on facebook. No worries!)

I'll post the reading schedule on the blog each week on the sidebar or you can visit the YouVersion site or use their app and join the plan there if you want to use their tracking. (It's kind of fun! And I think we'll be able to see each other's progress and cheer each other on!) Click here to check out the YouVersion group plan or click on the image above.

I'll close with this passage from Psalm 1:1-3 (CSB) and a prayer.

1 How happy (blessed) is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! 2 Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. 3 He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.

Father God, THANK YOU for your Word. Thank You for the truth it contains that sets us free. Thank You for its power. Thank You for how You speak to us through it, Holy Spirit. Thank You for how You show us Your heart through it. Grant us wisdom, insight, and understanding as we seek to walk together through the pages of scripture and let us encounter YOU. Thank You for this opportunity to journey together. May Your Kingdom come and Your will be done in each of us. In Your name Jesus, amen!

Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash

Much Love,

Melissa 🎔

PS. Please don't think you have to do this to be part of the Sister Studies community. You don't. It's just going to guide our conversations for the next months. You're still wanted whether you are reading along or not! I promise.