When Grace Abounds

Hello, dear blog readers. 

Yes. I know. Long time no blog post. Well, life, as is often my "excuse," has been busy. Very busy. Excitingly busy. There are changes in my life and in my family's life. We have had a busy winter, and it doesn't look like it's going to slow down any time soon, as we are looking at a very full, very busy spring/summer!

A couple of weeks ago, one of my Bright Lights girls told me, "I'm a faithful follower of your blog." Well, that was enough to get me thinking that I need to get some updates on here. Thanks, dear young lady, for spurring me on! And, thanks for not giving up on me after such long breaks between posts! :) This post is dedicated to you! :) 

Monday was my last Bright Lights meeting, my last meeting as leader. I am getting married in August!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, indeed, I have fallen in love with the most amazing man in the world! I am the most blessed girl in the world! We are planning and dreaming and beginning to plan our life together. 

That being said, I had my last meeting with the Bright Lights group. 

It went so well. And as my blog is titled, His Grace Abounds, I am reminded of how unlimitedly that grace truly does abound. 

Looking back, the Lord's hand has been so evident in Brights Lights over these last two years. He's been so faithful, even when I'm not. Like Monday morning, the day of Bright Lights, when I hadn't prepared the lesson at all (maybe I had a few ideas in my head but hadn't sat down and planned.) So....after lack of sleep on Sunday night, I found some time to put some stuff together before work and then spent my lunch break at work finding verses and throwing some more lesson plan together. Finally, thinking I was totally unprepared, I said, "Lord, you're going to have to take over here, because I don't have much to say on my own."

And He did.

Over and over last night I found that I wasn't the one talking. I prayed, "God, use me to communicate Your message. Not mine. Yours."

In my human depravity, my emptiness, my unpreparedness, He took over and I was only His broken, empty vessel, being filled with the message that He wanted the girls, and me, to take home.

I thought, "this is pretty bad, it's my last meeting! I should be more prepared!" And in reality, yes, I should have been. But God again is showing me that He is all I need. He is enough, and He will fill in the empty spaces.

It is only in utter dependence on Him that we find rest, confidence, and strength. Not in our own strength!

Leading Bright Lights has been such a blessing. I am going to miss all the young ladies, I am going to miss leading the group. But there are a lot of things that are changing. A wonderful answer to prayer is that Grace has decided to take over leading. Elisha is going to help her in any way she can and eventually take it over in the years to come. I am so thrilled that they will have this opportunity, as it has been a huge, wonderful growing experience for me. I always took so much more of the lesson than any of the girls. It was more for me than it was for them, and even then, there have been so so many testimonies to God working in their hearts through this. It got me studying the Word. It got me leaning into and depending on the Lord for strength. I remember when I first began teaching Bright Lights in 2013, I was so afraid to speak to a group. I couldn't get over my nervousness! As time went on, I had more and more of a peace, and the nervousness dissipated.
God has used this time to grow and stretch me, and to make me more like Him.

Here are some snapshots from over the years of Bright Lights.

Above is our first group picture, taken in late Spring, 2013. 

We were thrilled with the number of girls who came!

This picture was taken at our Bright Lights "costume party," 

where each family chose a time period to dress from.

We often drew out illustrations to make the lessons 

more real to the girls. 

This is the group picture that we just took this past Monday. 

What a lovely group of young ladies seeking after the Lord! 

 More posts to come, I promise! And I won't make you wait months and months for more updates. :)
God is good, God is wonderful! What an amazing God we serve!

Blessings to you all,
Maddie