random raves : #SheReadsTruth

I love randomly raving about things that bring me joy and deepen my relationship with Jesus. 

My current love is #SheReadsTruth, a great Bible Study resource for women that is available through YouVersion's Holy Bible app. 

You click on "Plans"-->  "Browse Plans" --> Keyword: "She Reads Truth"

Some of the Bible Plans that are listed:

* Philippians

* Thanksgiving

* Galatians

* Songs of Ascent (I LOVED this one!)

* Women of the Bible (I loved the 1st plan. 3 more to go!)

* 1 Peter

* Ephesians

* Daniel (I'm currently going through this one & LOVE it!)

I love reading through their "What We Believe" page:

It is all about women being in the Word and being changed by the Word. 

 The Word of God is 100% true and relevant. 

The Word of God is relevant for today. 

We should be doers of the Word, not just hearers. 

As strong as the law is, as hard as the tough words are to swallow,  His grace and goodness and love are stronger still.    

* * * 

In the past few weeks, I became very aware of the effect of neglecting prayer and studying God's Word. It reminded me of the importance of placing God first in my schedule, no matter how many tasks are on my to-do list. 

Ever since my European vacation last month, I have been playing catch-up at work and home.  Late hours at work, dusty kitchen floors that need sweeping, and catching up with friends over dinner or phone chats have taken the majority of my waking hours. I have been feeling a step behind and anxiously trying to pick up speed to feel back on track. This has led to cutting vital things short, namely, prayer and Bible reading/studying. I didn't think too much of it at first. I mean, I was still praying, just not really putting my heart in it. And I was still reading through my Bible Plan, but I was reading just to cross off another thing off my list. When I really think about it, I realize this has been going on even before Europe, really. 

Within a few days, I started realizing the change. I was becoming negative, cynical, and apathetic. I was also allowing myself to worry about things that I had come to have peace with. I was feeling lonely. 

I couldn't figure out what was wrong at first. Life was good, right? I just came home from a great vacation, so why did I feel so uneasy, anxious, and overwhelmed? 

Then one night, I prayed about it. I told my Father God that I didn't like what I was seeing in myself and was confused why I was feeling this way. I drifted off to bed and wondered what new worries the next day would bring.

The next day was a tough day at work, but I drove to a nearby Thai restaurant to meet with one of my dear friends. We chatted about silly topics, then dove into the topic of work. Soon I was explaining my current emotions and confusion. She reminded me of Biblical Truths. A few hours later, while sitting by a lake near by apartment, I had a long phone chat with one of my other best friends who lives in another state. She too reminded me of God's faithfulness and helped me see that my emotional exhaustion were mostly due to not treasuring and nurturing my relationship with God. 

After praying that night about this, I challenged myself in the lat week to being more conscious about making God the priority in my day. Some days were better than others, but I immediately saw a change in my mood. It was like a switch was turned on. Peace and joy were returning to my weary heart, and I was becoming more hopeful and positive. My circumstances (dealing with heartbreaking social issues in the pediatric setting I work in, feeling behind in charting and paperwork, and cleaning my apartment) didn't change, yet my heart did.  I was making an effort to journal and read Bible Study material in help me understand the #SheReadsTruth study I was working on and was noticing that my thoughts wouldn't wander off when I was praying like it had been for so long. This is definitely not being written to somehow show that I did this in any way. No. Instead, it showed me how faithful God is in revealing to  His children how helpless we are without placing Him first in our daily lives. He is full of grace for forgiving me for allowing His creations to distract my eyes from the Creator. He is patient in waiting for my heart to feel the stirrings of the Holy Spirit to make the changes needed. 

"The more you read the Bible, the more you love it's Author" (Unknown)

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How about you, ladies? What are some resources for your daily walk with God? What are some ways God has stirred your own heart when your feet were on a path leading to anxiety and apathy?