I’m late writing my blog today because I’ve had a busy morning. For a few weeks on Wednesday mornings, I’ve been meeting with some friends for a bible study on Paul’s epistles. This study’s been so beneficial to me in many ways. Far above the biggest blessing of being in God’s Word is, of course, being in God’s word and that certainly is deserving of a day of thanks. But I will delay that post for another day, instead I want to mention the two friends that I get meet on Wednesday mornings.

The study started out with my friend Amanda and me deciding to study the book of Galatians together. When we first started I don’t think either one of us knew what to expect. We just knew we wanted to do a study together, so we dove into reading Galatians. Each week we would read a chapter, meet together and discuss it verse by verse. About four weeks into the Galatians study, my friend and occasional guest blogger Lisa joined us. Now the three of us have made a regular thing of studying on Wednesday mornings and I’m actually really enjoying it.

Now let me clarify the actually in the above sentence. I am a full-time homemaker that’s homeschooled for about 16 years, so getting out of the house before 8 is not in my normal routine. I was not excited about the 8 a.m. time (unbeknownst to Amanda until now), but I went ahead and committed to the eight-o’clock morning hour because I knew it wouldn’t affect my family’s schedules and overall it would be easier to meet with regularity. While I was right that the 8 a.m. time would not interfere with my family’s schedule, what I didn’t expect is how much I would love my morning bible study. Not only do I benefit greatly from reading God’s word, but I am blessed to talk about it with two wonderful friends, Amanda and Lisa. It is because of them, I look forward to leaving my house at 7:45 a.m. on Wednesdays. Because of them, I am spending more time in my bible. Because of them, I am gaining in my knowledge and understanding of the scriptures. Because Amanda and Lisa are giving me an hour of their week, I am blessed immeasurably.

So for today I give thanks to God for blessing me with Amanda and Lisa and our Wednesday morning study. Because of Him, I have these two precious friends in my life to strengthen, encourage, and edify me and make 8 a.m. look appealing.

“Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;” Romans 12:10-11

“For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.” Matthew 18:20

“As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.” Proverbs 27:11

“In friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another…the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting–any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of ceremonies has been at work. Christ, who said to the disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian friends, “Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you for one another.” The friendship is not a reward for our discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties of others.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves