New Scripture Study Beginning in September!

I'm some great blogger, eh? Seeing that March 2009 date of my last post is truly embarrassing. I believe so much in what the scriptures can do for our lives that I REPENT, and will try to mend my slack and laggard ways!

September gets me in the mood for starting over. It is the time I loved best as a child, when you got a new book bag and school supplies and the school year stretched out ahead of you with so much hope and promise. Even nature cooperated, with crisp fall weather that gave you energy and excitement.


So in the spirit of that old September magic, let's get energized for a new season of scripture study. Coming up:

"Judges, Kings & Prophets: Israel in the Promised Land"

That's right, we are back in the Old Testament again. I love this book!!! Do you think that's weird? Does anybody really love the Old Testament?

Let me count the ways: 1) Everything starts in the Old Testament. There is no spiritual truth that does not have its 'genesis' or roots, in the narratives and writings of the Old Testament. It is the story of God dealing with mankind as if 'it,' the whole lot of us considered collectively, were a child of His, needing to be raised and tutored and strengthened. So naturally, if you go back to the beginning, you will find God introducing things--concepts and principles and truths--to us, the human race, bit by bit, as we could take it in, and as one thing built upon another.

2) This leads to number two. If God tells us, His children, the truths we need to know, and if he does it through the Old Testament, then these are the truest of all stories. They are the stories of how men and women really are, and how they often fail and what they need and and how they learn from their failures and grow. Yup, they are stories about us.
And they are also the true stories of who God is and what he wants for us and from us. Pay attention children of the human race! These are your bedtime stories, like the one's your parents (and grandparents) read to you to teach you things.
2) If you see the order that God teaches the world things, you will begin to understand the order that makes the most sense for you to learn things in. (Note: Look for this natural learning progression in the temple ceremony too. First things first, second things second, and last things last. These concepts are everywhere in scripture and in spiritual life.) Learning to walk before we learn to run. It works for babies and it worked for mankind.



2) Such fascinating stories! And about such real people. Not figures that have had all the blemishes airbrushed out of them. But real people....like Gideon and Abigail and Rahab and Jael and Jabez. And, of course, the 'biggies' that we already know something about--David and Solomon and Ruth and Esther. This is really interesting and fun stuff that you will enjoy reading...we promise. There is way more in the OT than can possibly be covered in one year of Gospel Doctrine class. So Sisters at the Well is going to take you to some of those little known, engrossing, thought-provoking hidden treasures of the Old Testament. Got you hooked yet?

(This is Jael--no shrinking violet. A super-heroine of the Old Testament.)

So look for the first files to be up in time for a start of the third week in September. See the sisters at the well.org site for details.

Let's renew the weekly exercise of putting God at the center by drinking in His word. What a blessing He has given us, and which we in turn can share with others.

Letter from a Sister at the Well

We would love to hear about you and your scripture study group.  If you will email us at 

sistersatthewell@mac.com

I can turn it into a post on this blog.  Not that I'm promising to post EVERY email.  I'm not that organized.  But we like knowing what people are doing .

The following comes from Sister Michelle Waddell from the El Cerrito Ward in Corona, CA where they have two groups meeting.  Once you hear their idea you say, Why didn't I think of that!  Great idea:

"I think that it has been very beneficial- there are some of the sisters that felt that they were not as spiritually smart as some of the others and were quite relieved when they came up with the same answer- it def. gave them confidence. We rotate who is going to lead the discussion. But we keep the meeting place at the same persons home and they are the one who sends out the reminder to each sister. So far that has been working well for us. There are some that never want to be the one to lead the discussion which is fine but I think that all feel comfortable to speak up and voice what they feel. For me it has helped me to really think about what I am reading and how I can apply it. We read every day with my 3 young children but this is something that is just for me plus it shows them that Mommy also studies the scriptures on her own." Michelle Waddell

We're Blogging!

Dear Sisters at the Well--

This Blog's For You!

We want to start blogging so we can get to know each other and share ideas. Please leave your comments and/or send ideas that we can post as blog entries by emailing them to us at sistersatthewell@mac.com 

The first contribution is from Michelle Waddell from the El Cerrito Ward in Corona, CA where they have two scripture study groups going.  Michelle writes:

"I think that it has been very beneficial- there are some of the sisters that felt that they were not as spiritually smart as some of the others and were quite relieved when they came up with the same answer- it def. gave them confidence. We rotate who is going to lead the discussion. But we keep the meeting place at the same persons home and they are the one who sends out the reminder to each sister. So far that has been working well for us. There are some that never want to be the one to lead the discussion which is fine but I think that all feel comfortable to speak up and voice what they feel. For me it has helped me to really think about what I am reading and how I can apply it. We read every day with my 3 young children but this is something that is just for me plus it shows them that Mommy also studies the scriptures on her own. "

Please write with your own experiences and comment on what you see here.  We are now an on-line community!