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How are you doing?  Did you say, “fine”?  Oh sweet girl, I know that there’s more to that answer.  Really, how are you doing?

I know Week One was a huge adjustment period.  Learning a new schedule and cracking open a book that asks a lot of hard questions.  Whoa, just whoa!

I want to tell you something.  I felt the chaos too.  I felt the “you’re not good enough, don’t even bother trying”.  I felt the “this is too much, just give up now”.  But I felt the tug of the Lord saying, “you can do this, with ME all things are possible”.

And I know that is what the Lord wants you to hear as we enter into a brand new week.  You can do this!  All things are made possible with Christ. {Matthew 19:26}

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. {Hebrews 12:2}

This week’s scripture is very fitting as the leadership team has developed a new approach that we fell will help each of us settle into a more meaningful and intentional time together.  Our intention is to take the focus off of the “busyness” of keeping the Facebook feed full of engaging content and instead getting back to the basics of why we’re gathering, Jesus.

I know, it’s the standard Sunday school answer, Jesus, but that is why the Intentional Filling was developed in the first place, as a desire to get to know Him better and allow Him to be the one to fill up the empty spaces of my life and your’s.

 What you can expect

• Weekly Schedule – Bree will share the weekly schedule which will be pinned to the top of the Facebook Group page for easy access.  This post will be updated daily with links to the most relevant information and where they can be located in the group.  This will be a great way for you to catch up at the end of the day on information you may have missed, all at a centralized and easy-to-locate location.You can also download the full Spring 2015 Study Schedule to use as a reference for all seven weeks of the study!
• Prayer & Praise – Becky will be sharing a post in the Facebook group where any and all of you are welcome to share prayer requests or praise reports throughout the week.  This post will be easy to find by accessing the Group Photos (found in the top toolbar of the group page), in case you need to share or want to go back and spend some time in prayer over what others have shared.
• Photo Challenge – Amy will be sharing a video of this week’s photo challenge.  This challenge is OPTIONAL, but a fun way to connect with fellow community members in sharing what you’re learning through the weekly reading.  Share more than once throughout the week using the hashtags included in her video.
• Study Buddies – Now that the Facebook group has settled on an even number of members, Study Buddy assignments have been finalized.  Be sure to check in with your buddy periodically throughout the week to provide encouragement as we begin this journey in making things happen!  If you need a reminder of who your buddy is, visit the Group Photos (found in the top toolbar of the group page).  New buddies will be assigned Monday, May 4th.
• Verse Mapping – As a way to be intentional in focusing on growing our faith, we want to provide you ample time to work on your verse mapping.  This week’s scripture is Hebrews 12:2.  Bree will be sharing a video tutorial as a reminder with tips of how to break down this particular verse on Thursday.
• Facebook Discussion – What a blessing it was to gather with sixteen of you this past Thursday!  This time together, sharing and learning from one another is really the heart of the Intentional Filling and I pray that it will continue to be a blessing to you in the weeks to come.  We’ll be gathering again this Thursday at 9 p.m. EST for a more in-depth look into our reading assignments (hopefully everyone will have their books soon), how we can apply what we’ve learned and a fun giveaway!
• Fill Me Up Friday – At the end of the week, we sometimes feel depleted of energy that has been used up in our various responsibilities of life.  Fill Me Up Friday is a great way to restore some of that fire inside of you through sharing of inspirational images, scripture, YouTube videos, blog posts, etc. This is also a great time to catch up on what you may have missed earlier in the week.

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Remember: you will NEVER be judged or made to feel unwelcome to participate in activities or our weekly discussions if you have not completed the readings.  Though the book is valuable, your time spent with community and learning from others can be just as valuable, if not more.

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This week our journey in surrendering fear will continue.  We will learn more about what a life surrendered to Christ looks like and what power there is in making the decision to accept the title of being a child of God.

Before we head out on the next leg of this journey, take a few minutes and listen to the words of this powerful song by Bethel Music.

[divider type=”dashed” color=”grey”] [row-start] [three-fourths]Bree Blum is a 32 year old cardigan-wearing blogger who loves Jesus.  She lives in Wheeling, WV where she serves in her church as a sign language interpreter and works full time as an Administrative Assistant for a technology firm.  She has a passion for women’s ministry and speaking life into others despite her own introverted tendencies.

You can connect with her on Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest.[/three-fourths] [one-fourth][/one-fourth] [row-end]