A Year at Beer Lahai Roi

Actually, the true blogiversary was last week, while I was on the blogging break.

Sure has gone by fast.

I started the blog with the idea that I'd use it primarily for Bible study...to push myself to study as if I were teaching, then teach. And I have done some of that, although, except for the study of Ruth, none of those studies have been what I thought I'd do.

And, I'll be honest, there's not a lot of y'all reading these things. Unless there are a bunch of feed subscribers that don't show up on Sitemeter.

According to that ever-present snoop, I have three regular readers...Miriam, Terri and my mother. There are a few others that drop in from time to time, and I usually have one or two folks who drop by after searching for information on 'Beer Lahai Roi'.

Now, I'm really not all about the numbers. I taught in a small church for years, and maintain that one student deserves the same amount of effort to teach as a roomful. So don't think I'm not delighted that I've got three who come by regularly. Three was an average class for me. Really.

But, as a blogiversary celebration, I'm going to do a roll call. Just leave a comment...who you are and how you found BLR. Just because it's nice to know if I'm really talking to more than three people.

And if it's, say, six, well, six is a good class too. And that way you'll all know one another. ;)

Simultaneous Thinking

posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I had a horrible thought the other day.

There are about a bazillion blogging Christian ladies out there (just click on the 'CWO' link on the sidebar if you haven't yet and see what I mean). I've got a bare handful that I've actually read; there's just not enough time in the day to get to all of them.

But, as I was preparing last week's Bible study, I found another blogger had written on the same topic and looked at it from an angle I hadn't considered. Her post caused me to see some things there I hadn't seen...and probably wouldn't have seen if I had not happened to read it. Now what? I linked back to her post and went ahead with my thoughts on the passage. What else could I have done?

But it made me think of one of the dangers of blogging. How can I prove I didn't copy something from someone else out there in blogland? With so many blogging ladies, it's very possible that two (or more!) of us could be reading Scripture and have a similar revelation and blog about it...totally unknown to each other.

I've seen instances sort of like that amongst the sewing bloggers. In one case, one lady (A) made a statement and another blogger (B) took it personally and got offended over it...when A hadn't even seen whatever it was on B's blog and her remark had nothing whatever to do with that. It was a total coincidence, but there were hurt feelings and unpleasantnesses.

As I see it, that's just going to be a hazard of public blogging; you can kind of step on each other's mice without realizing you've done it. Maybe without even having any way of realizing you've done it.

So, let me state right here that if I *ever* see something on someone else's blog that triggers a revelation that gets mentioned here, I will absolutely link back to the original post, like I did last week. If I have NOT linked to another post, then it came out of my own head; it's not meant to be either a comment about or a plagiarism of someone else's writing, even if by coincidence it looks similar to someone else's posting.

And I guess you'll just have to take my word for that; it can't ever be proven.

Oh, and the little byline that I *try to remember to* post at the top isn't because I fear one of my Christian sisters might use my words, it's because there are folks out there who swipe whole posts verbatim and post them in their blogs as their work. They do this because of keywords in those posts that will cause search engines to hit them; they are trying to increase their hits to generate revenue from the ads on their sites. It's sad, but it happens (it happened to a friend of mine who blogged about surviving a potentially fatal illness; the illness googled, and someone plagiarized her post). Anyway, the byline is supposed to help avoid that.

Does anyone have any ideas about dealing with the likelihood of totally unrelated posts looking quite similar? It's bound to happen; we're all dealing with the same human experience and being led by the same Holy Spirit; it's only the Enemy who tries to convince us that our circumstances are unique...

Disclaimer

I suppose I really ought to make a point to say this...

There are some really, really great blogs out there (I will get links posted to more once I get a chance to consider them all better). Many are written by women who are real Bible scholars; who are researching things and posting very deep-delving Bible studies. They're profound and detailed and highly informative.

This ain't gonna be like that.

The Bible is an incredible book; no matter how deep you dig you will find gold. And I know that there are folks who are really deep-diggers; but I really want to inspire folks who are intimidated by the idea of Bible study. Those are the folks I am really writing to. The deep-digging ladies are motivated; the intimidated ones are, well, intimidated. And probably feeling guilty because they *know* they should be studying, but they're overwhelmed by The Book and the Attitudes About The Book and they don't know where to start.

So my 'Bible Studies' aren't likely to be really deep. I may look at things a little differently than the Sunday School quarterly ever did, but it's still going to be basically what can be found in the text itself.

Mostly, I'd just like to encourage everyone to start. Somewhere in the Bible; doesn't matter where. See something...anything...for yourself. Write it down. You're on your way.

It doesn't matter how deep or profound it is; it will be what the Holy Spirit knows you need at that moment. Don't let the Enemy put condemnation on you because it's not what anyone else sees.

Sure, I'll be sharing what I find in these things, but it's meant to be a demonstration of what is there to find, not the Last Word on the Meaning of the Passage, so I hope folks will make use of the comments to share what they've found in the passage, too.

That way we'll all benefit.

To Write or not To Write?

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I'm staring at the computer screen wondering if I should *try* to make myself write or just wait and see if inspiration hits and I have something to say.

Part of me says, "Don't force it; if it's supposed to come, it will."

Another part says, "You learn by doing. You write by writing. The discipline of reaching for something that you don't know is there and pulling it out is really what makes a writer."

I've been living by that first dictum for a long time and I have only a little writing to show for it. I don't think I've really even scratched the surface of what I need to write yet.

So maybe it's time to change paradigms and put a demand on that writing anointing and write *something*, even if it's lame?

My grandmother had a mirror with little dolphins on it hanging on the wall opposite the medicine cabinet mirror in her bathroom. I used to like to stand "just so" between the mirrors and see the reflection of the reflection of the reflection of the reflection. Each reflection was nested in the previous one, and I could never see where they stopped. Blogging about blogging seems kind of like that to me; also like that 'circular reference' thing that Excel complains about when I click wrong whilst doing the family budget worksheet.

But the truth is, I'm really *not* just trying to fill up space...I'm trying to feel my way along into something new and unexplored.

But I kinda suspicion that the reason I'm doing this is because I'm wanting to reach for that thing that I don't even know is there and pull it out.

And I'll be as surprised as anyone else when I manage that.

Looking for the Stepping Stones

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I suppose once I get back into the blogging habit, I'll have a rhythm and a meter to what I'm posting, but right now I feel like I'm crossing the creek and I'm not sure where the stepping stones are. What is my next step here? Will it be right, or will I take an embarrassing tumble?

You can only stand on one stone for so long before you have to make an attempt to find the next one.

Several years ago (maybe 10? 15?) I had a real stirring in my spirit to write. The problem was I couldn't find anything to write about; only a few strange things presented themselves to my conscious creativity. One was the Apple Tree parable, posted here last week; some others I've posted on the Sewing Blog at various times (Literary Efforts on Sew Random, if you're curious and missed them the first time around). But no real vision of writing.

Maybe it's just because I didn't *make* myself write. I waited until something was burning in my spirit before I tried to write it down. I waited until I felt like I had something to say.

Most of the time, I felt like I had 'almost ideas' somewhere in my brain; trying to pen them down was very much like trying to find the mosquito in the bedroom at night. Y'know: it drives you nuts until you turn on the light and try to find the little pest...and it utterly disappears.

I was bemoaning this in my prayers one day, and actually heard an answer, 'When the time is right to write, I will give you what you need.'

So I let it go, waiting.

If I had thought back then (way before we had Internet access at home...) I'd be blogging away for folks who'd never met me, I'd've been shocked. I thought the sewing blog was the sort of fulfillment of that, and I suppose it was to a certain degree, but this...this is much closer.

And I don't want to mess it up.

So, for the hardy souls who are hanging with me here in the beginning...thanks!

Now, where is that next rock?

Taking Shape

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

In my first post, I said I'd like some Bible-study related content; I've decided I'll designate Tuesdays as 'Bible-study related content' day. If I don't get any other posting done in a week's time, I will at least post something Bible-study related on Tuesday.

And I have an idea for a pilot study; something short to see how it's going to work. But I think I want to do a little foundation-laying first, so the first few weeks won't be Bible studies, but they will be related to Bible study. The stuff I taught in the Bible Study 101 class on Bible Study skills, actually. Just in case anyone's interested.

Oh, and I've found that I'm referring to this blog in my head as 'the BLR blog' since I'm still stumbling over hay/hay-eye/roy/roe-ee. And that's really kinda funny; my maiden name started w/an R, so this is also 'By Lisa (Rawlings)' ...and I didn't even realize that until this morning.

What's in a Name?

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi

I actually started thinking about writing both blogs long before I started them; do you know what held them up?

I couldn't think of a name.

The name really was a big deal to me; the name kinda sets the tone for what is going to be included and how it's going to be expressed. With the sewing blog, inspiration hit when my older daughter exclaimed, for the umpteenth time, 'That's so random!' and the lightbulb suddenly went on...Sew Random was perfect for a blog that was basically about sewing all kinds of different things and would sometimes wander off into philosophical musings. I thought that the occasional post of a reflective nature would be sufficient to express that part of who I am, but over time I realized it really wasn't. The kicker came one Sunday when we had an incredibly moving service at church...and my blog post was, by my own criteria, about what I wore that day. I struggled. Should I ditch the 'sewing' format and go with what was stirring my spirit? But I had built a number of friends through the sewing blog; how could I just drop them? And 'Sew Random' didn't work for a journal of introspection and spirituality. The solution was obvious: start a second blog. But...what on earth could I call it?

I thought of calling it after the Ladies' Bible Study I'd taught for three years... 'Bible Study 101'. My goal there was to teach some Bible study skills/methods, as well as demonstrate that the Bible is a book anyone can read and understand. Somehow, we've got the idea that one needs a seminary degree to understand the Bible, or a study guide to take us through it. 'Bible Study 101' was about learning to read/study for oneself. All I suggested was a Bible, a notebook, and a four-color pen(I'll 'splain that in another post sometime soon).

But that didn't really reflect what I wanted; I didn't *just* want a Bible Study blog, although I wanted that to be part of the content. Besides, it struck me as being kind of...arrogant...to be on the 'Web, where there are so many excellent Bible teachers doing blogs, and call myself the equivalent of a college course.

So 'Bible Study 101' was out.

And I had nothing else even in consideration.

I'm not going to try to go into what God has been doing in me in the last two months or so...it has been a pretty intense period. But I will say that the most recent 'stretching event' was Wellington Boone's Women's Conference at his church in Norcross, GA. I've posted on the sewing blog about Bishop Boone (Pinch Me), and I was really excited to be able to go to the conference this year. No,'excited' wasn't exactly the word; I was in desperate need of some time away to focus on getting some direction for what should come next.

Ok, I'm going to be real, here. I grew up in an independant Baptist church in Indiana and spent over 20 years in a Southern Baptist church in our area before we got transplanted to the charismatic, Pentecostal-style non-denominational church we now attend. I have a lot of respect for Baptists; they teach the Word (or used to, anyway) in a systematic fashion. There are not a lot of churches that do that anymore. But.
(And I'm leaving it there...I don't want to be critical or judgmental. Anyway, but.)

Now, I know I've got teaching gifts. I've taught for years. And, in the Baptist church teaching was ok. But women preachers...um, no. So I told myself that I was not called to preach. Teach, sure. Not preach. Nope. Not me.

Well, at the conference last weekend Bishop Boone busted that wide open. He actually called everyone who was called to preach (at a women's conference, mind you!) to the front, so he could anoint them. Now, if you've been in a service where you've had that spirit quickening when God is talking to you, you know what happens...the pulse rate goes up, palms get sweaty...and you're confronted with a choice. That's what happened to me. I'd gone to the conference looking for the breakthrough...the next step...and it was like I had a revelation that I had been denying what God was putting on me, for the simple reason that I was afraid of being judged ('Oh, yeah, they went to that church because she wanted to preach'). And that was something that needed repentance.

So I swallowed hard and went up when he called us. A public confession of something I did not even want to admit to myself. And the Bishop got the oil and anointed and spoke prophetically over every one of us up there. (If you clicked through to 'Pinch Me', you have some idea of what that meant to me to be anointed by someone who has been speaking into my life and marriage for several years. Wow.)

And what he emphasized to us, both that night and in his closing remarks at the end of the conference, was 'I have confirmed the call, and I have seen you.'

Even the next week, the words, 'I have seen you' were echoing in my spirit...and suddenly I saw the point... it is God who sees me.

And Beer Lahai Roi is perfect.

The funny thing is, I picked a name I didn't know how to pronounce! I looked it up in several references; only one had any pronunciation guide at all, and all it said was "beer LAhai roi". So, aside from the emphasis being in the first syllable of 'Lahai', I'm still guessing. Is 'hai' pronounced 'hay', 'hie' or 'hay-eye'? Is 'Roi' pronounced 'Roy', 'Roe-ee', 'Roe-eye'? Does it matter?

I'm at Beer Lahai Roi, getting the life-giving water from the well. And I'm blessed that a few folks are interested in joining me here.

Stepping Out

Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
After posting daily to a sewing blog for well over two years, I began to feel like I was, well, short-changing the more important aspects of life. Sewing is my avocation; something I do not only because it's necessary but because I enjoy the creative process. But it isn't life.

I did put references to my faith in the sewing blog, but I didn't feel it was the place to really get deep into what I believed or why...and that frustrated me. I wanted to share that aspect of my life with others, and I didn't feel free to do so there.

After much soul-searching and prayer, I've decided to start a second blog. Here I will go into those things I do not feel are appropriate for the other blog. I also hope to do some exploring of the Bible; probably a once-a-week post dedicated to Bible study. I taught youth Sunday School for years upon years in the church we were in previously and taught a weekly women's study through our current church for three years. While I may begin teaching in a class setting again at some point, the seasons have shifted a bit and I'm not teaching now; I miss it. I get much more out of the Word when I'm studying to teach; I think it's because when I'm teaching there's a demand on the teaching anointing that is not there otherwise. So, here's my personal demand on the teaching anointing: I will post a weekly study. I'm not sure when I'll start that at this point, but it's coming.

I may not post daily here; in fact, I'm going to release myself right now from the obligation to post daily. I can post some off-the-top-of-my-head randomness in the sewing blog daily, but I think this will be a little more thoughtful. My original intent was just to post the weekly study, but I think I may do a little more than that. We'll see.