Still Waters

In case you're tired and feeling like you can't pull it together for another week, here's good news!  In the Great Exchange, the Lord gives us His strength for our weakness.  I'm drinking at this well today!
"The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace."  Ps. 29:11
"Your God has commanded your strength; strengthen, O God, what You have done for us."  Ps. 68:28
"Let the weak say, 'I am strong.'"  Joel 3:10
"...the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold."  Neh. 8:10 (Amplified)
"As for God, His way is perfect...It is God Who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect."   Ps. 18:30, 32
"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart.  Wait, I say, on the Lord."  Ps. 27:14
"He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength--causing it to multiply and making it abound...those who wait for th…

It's a cold, drizzly, gray day here, with snow falling in the high country.  Seems like summer was just in its fullness and yet here's the evidence that fall is really upon us!
I looked out the kitchen window this morning and saw that our aspen trees are edged with gold.  Their changing is so subtle, a bit every day, and yet within a few weeks they are transformed into a mass of brilliant gold.  It reminded me of something I've been pondering recently--the concept that most things with God follow the Law of Progression.  We want quick change, immediate answers, instant fruit, but that's just not how He's set it up.
Whether it the need for healing in our bodies, or character issues that cause us to stumble, the building of a business or the discipling of a new believer...it's all progression.  We homeschooling moms are doing this everyday, building precept upon precept, line upon line, academic and spiritual, until one day we see that "it came to pass." …

For the past couple of years we have been using a wonderful character curriculum I wanted to share with you.  Some of you may already be involved with this.  It's called "Bright Lights," developed by Sarah Mally who has also authored "Before You Meet Prince Charming" and "Making Brothers and Sisters Best Friends."  This is actually a program that is conducted in home studies with groups of young ladies ages 10-14, and Sarah offers conferences as well to provide further training and encouragement.  You can read more about it at their website.
We attempted to do it as a group but it didn't work, so SweetPea and I have been doing it as part of our morning devotions.  I highly recommend the studies!  Sarah writes in a very conversational manner and includes lots of testimonionals from girls who have learned something valuable from their Bright Lights studies that has changed them.
The program is written in sets, each centered around a theme such as &quo…