I Will - Lisa M. Russell (fiction book recommendations .TXT) 📗

I was selected to be a summer missionary the summer after my freshman year in college. I was to go to Northern California to do resort missions near Yosemite National Park. Just before leaving, I discovered that I was in love with the boy from my home church – Swamp Creek Baptist.

It was hard to leave him for 10 weeks. Our phone bill was embarrassing and dangerous. This was before cell phones. I had to find a pay phone in the campground late at night to accommodate our time differences and phone rates. I called him collect and talked for hours late into the night standing outside and alone in bear country. After a few phone bills, his mother had to pay, and after he realized I was in a dangerous situation, we supplemented our calls with daily letters.

We wrote to each other every day for over 8 weeks. Thousands of miles away for a ten week stretch, before the invention of cell phones and limitless minutes, we wrote letters—every single day. Each one of those letters was precious. I read each word over and over until they were well worn. I never would think of just tossing that precious mail aside unopened, gathering dust. NO! I tore them open and chewed them up. How sad and unloved he would have felt if I had treated his letter that way. We still have those letters in our attic, still wrapped in ribbons and stuffed in the shoebox I shipped homemade chocolate chip cookies to him.

Is that how we view God’s love letters to us? What do we do with His Words of love? Do we read them out of obligation or do we passionately read them to learn more about our Beloved? Do we tear into them or lay them aside like junk mail. In this over saturated digital age, it is easy to put it aside – know I do.
It may be time to fall in love all over again, not with the Book, but with the Author. My heart’s desire is that you become passionate about these love letters, maybe for the first time.

Here is my prayer for you:
Oh great Teacher! You said in your word, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding and He shall direct your paths.” You also said in Isaiah 30:18-21 that you are MY GREAT TEACHER who will whisper directions in our ear. God, give us the answers as we study Your Word – your Love Letters! In Jesus Name I pray. Amen.

Read with Purpose and Passion

The each study of each of these Strong Willed Women concludes with three ways to digest your study. To say, “I Will!” and mean it, involves your mind, your heart and then your will. Therefore, this study will have three distinct parts:.
1. I Know
2. I Feel
3. I Will

I Know

Paul told the Philippians to “abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment.” (Phil1:9) In Romans 12:2 he tells us to be “transformed by the renewing of our minds.” Paul encouraged the Colossians to “increase in the knowledge of God” (Col 1:10). We are to study and know what the Word of God says not just for knowledge sake, but for His sake.
I Feel

As we grow spiritually, it will affect our emotions. We will find our love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control growing in our hearts. (Galatians 5). Then we will be able to say “I Will!” In the “I FEEL” section, you will be given an opportunity to write how you really feel - in private. Open up to God in authentic heartfelt emotions. Until you feel it in your heart, it will not change your will.


I Will

This is where your mind and emotions meet the will. Here is where you will decide whether or not you will do what God has brought to your mind the things He is gently guiding you to do. You will write your own “I Will” Statements for each lesson. By the end of the 8 weeks, you will have a list of things that you have added to for the entire study. Do not rush through this section. This is the relationship building part of the study. Buy a nice journal or use your computer and record your responses instead of using this book. It will mean more to you later and you can pass this book along to another without sharing too much.

Time to Meet the Strong Willed Women

There are so many wonderful women that we could have studied. I struggled with who to write about and who to leave out. I asked God to show me and show me how they all fit together. There are some obscure women you may have never met and those you know well. You will recognize yourself in at least one. Each one of these women, though different, all knew God, felt Him move in their lives and said “Yes” to Him with passion. That is the purpose of, I Will. Will you?


TO READ MORE CONTACT RUSSELLINK@GMAIL.COM

Text: Cover Photo by Pixel This Photography Callie Messerschmidt in photo on her wedding day
Publication Date: 08-28-2009

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