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Week 1 Hey, OBSers! Hope everyone had a safe holiday weekend as we paused to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Freedom isn’t free. Print this, post it to your fridge or tuck it in your study book. This is your   SUGGESTED guide for the week to help you keep up in the Bible study! What We’re Reading This Week... Eve  (pp. 13-23 in study guide) Memory Verse “ Do not be anxious about anything,   but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.   And the peace of God,   which transcends all understanding,   will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ” Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) Hashtags #12Women, #OBS – When you post on social media about the study, use these hashtags! If you want to see what other OBSers are saying, search these tags to connect! Blog Posts, Bible Study & Discussion ● Weekly study email/blog posts, so check your email...

J is for Jay … Blue Jay that is! The blue jay is a passerine blue in the family Corvidae, native to North America. It is resident through most of the eastern and central United States, although western populations may be migratory. A song bird familiar to many people, with its perky blue, white and black plumage; and noisy calls. Blue Jays are known for their intelligence and complex social systems with tight family bonds. Their fondness for acorns is credited with helping spread oak trees after the last glacial period. Blue Jays make a large variety of calls that carry long distances Most calls produced while the jay s perched within a tree. Usually flies across open areas silently, especially during migration. Stuffs food items in throat pouch to cache elsewhere; when eating, holds seed or nut in feet and pecks it open. Blue jays are birds of forest edges. They are often found near oaks in forests, woodlots, towns, cities, and parks A bold and curious ...

Many of you have ask, so wait no longer! Here it is...   Part 2 of  Twelve Women of the Bible  online Bible study!  Listed below are the incredible women that we will be studying in  the remaining   6 of 12 Women of the Bible . Just like the first 6, each one these ladies also have their own unique life-changing story that we can learn from as well. Week 1 –  Eve :  Finding Lasting Contentment in the Truth               Friday Video Week 2 –  Leah: Overcoming Rejection and Insecurity               Friday Video Week 3 –  Hannah:   Surrendering in Waiting               Friday Video Week 4 –  Abigail: Dealing with Confrontation in Relationships               Friday Video Week 5 –  Mary, Mother of Jesus: Moving from Comfort to Courage ...

What's the Big Deal? Why Is It Important? Quiet time can be so difficult to prioritize. It's tempting to make excuses or just not bother. Preparing our hearts to hear from God requires a focused effort. Noise, whether outside or inside, distracts us. If we fail to understand the importance of having a regular, committed quiet time with God, we are not likely to hear His voice…the one that whispers, "This is the way; walk in it" ( Isaiah 30:21 ).   God longs to spend time with us. Consider what He was willing to do for us, in order to reunite us with Him. Is it asking too much that we devote daily time to Him?   Jesus set the example for us concerning quiet time. He took time to connect with the Father regularly, as the following Scriptures tell us:   "Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, 'Sit here while I go over there and pray'" ( Matthew 26:36 ).   "Very early in the morning...

From the Bible, we understand how to spend quiet time with God. Jesus gave us examples in the Gospels where He stepped away from the limelight, retreating to a quiet place to commune with His Father. These quiet times spent with God had some very important elements in common.  Jesus understood the importance of truly knowing the Father:  "Very   early   in   the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left   the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." (Mark 1:35, NIV) The elements of how to spend quiet time with God are threefold: The place is free of distractions, use of prayer and thanksgiving, and use of God’s Word. An Area Free of Distraction  – Each time Jesus wanted to spend time with His Father, He always retreated to a secluded area free from distractions. He could talk with God, and listen to Him as well. The same is true of us. Our quiet times with God should be in a place where we are alone with n...

I ... is for Ibis The Glossy Ibis  f orages mostly by wading in shallow water, probing in soft mud for food. Also picks up insects and other visible items from surface of water or soil. Diet consists m ostly insects and crayfish. Feeds on beetle larvae in soft soil, also adults and larvae of many aquatic insects. Crayfish may be main food in some areas. In Florida, reported to eat many small snakes. Also may eat leeches, snails, crabs, frogs, small fish. Breeds in colonies, sometimes associated with other kinds of wading birds. Nest site is in shrubs or low trees over water or over land, or on ground on island. Nest (built by both sexes) is bulky platform of sticks and marsh plants, with a shallow depression at center. Adults may continue adding to nest throughout the period of incubating the eggs and feeding the young. Be blessed and be a blessing!

 What Exactly is a "Quiet Time?" A "quiet time" is simply being intentional about having a conversation with God. This usually means listening for God's voice by reading the Bible of devotions, and speaking to God through prayer. Jesus did this numerous times in the Gospels, sometimes slipping away all night or in the early morning to spend time with His Father. Very  early   in   the  morning , while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left  the   house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. (Mark 1:35, NIV) For most people, including myself, the hardest part of a quiet time (after actually finding the time) is fighting wandering thoughts..= "A good prayer need not be long or drawn out, but rather it should be frequent and passionate." - Martin Luther. Quiet times must be in the morning. Quiet times must last a certain amount of time. Quiet times must follow a specific routine. Quiet time should be a two-way conversa...

H ... is for Heron The Great Blue Heron Whether poised on a river bend or cruising the coastline with slow, deep wingbeats, the Great Blue Heron is a majestic sight. This stately heron with its subtle blue-gray plumage often stands motionless as it scans for prey or wades belly deep with long, deliberate steps. They may move slowly, but Great Blue Herons can strike like lightning to grab a fish or snap up a gopher. In flight, look for the widespread heron’s tucked-in neck and long legs trailing out behind. The Great Blue Heron’s massive size and white in the face separates it from other dark herons ; they are not likely to visit a typical backyard. Great Blue Herons fly with their heads pulled back against their shoulders and have smooth, deliberate wingbeats, barely raising their wings above horizontal. Great Blue Herons travel solo, except if you catch them during migration when you might see up to 10 together.   Little Blue Heron A small, dark ...

G...is for Gator - The American Alligator that is! The American alligator, sometimes referred to colloquially as gator  or   common alligator, is a rare success story of an endangered animal not only saved from extinction but now thriving. State and federal protections, habitat preservation efforts, and reduced demand for alligator products have improved the species' wild population to more than one million and growing today. One look at these menacing predators—with their armored bony plants (osteoderms or scutes), lizard-like bodies, muscular tails, and powerful jaws—and it is obvious they are envoys from the distant past. The species, scientists say, is more than 150 million years old, managing to avoid extinction 65 million years ago when their prehistoric contemporaries, the dinosaurs, died off. American alligators reside nearly exclusively in the freshwater rivers, lakes, swamps, and marshes of the southeastern United States, primarily Florida and Louisiana...