Session 6 - Fill Ins

The Reversal of Destiny also called the Reversal of Fortune

1. The beauty of the book's construction.

work to see the wonder?

The first is called "chiastic structure."

Chiastic structure is inverted parellalism.

it is a reversal of structure to emphasize an overarching point

*The "chi" that begins the word chiastic is the 22nd letter of the Greek alphabet.

written like this: X. The letter itself represents the crisscross literary structure of a chiasm.

repeated occurrences of feasts of banquets

2. The beauty of the book's instruction.

Esther's best theology is in its subtlety.

literary device called "peripety."

Peripety: a sudden turn of events that reverses the expected or intended outcome

It's tough being a woman who feels responsible for the "how"

sequence of events into a story worth telling

Session 6 - Praise & Prayer Requests

? - Prayer for Doris and her husband, Skip, who are traveling to NY and Florida the next few weeks. Also, for peace as their dog passed away.

? - Prayer for Kim and a wonderful reunion with her husband.

? - Pray that I can prioritize my Bible study above other things in my life. Dig deeper in my spirituality.

Martha - Praise! Our family is feeling better from the flu and I hae had energy to work on the weeds in the backyard.

? - Husband's health. Niece has pneumonia. Relationship with biz partner.

Kim - Praise my husband is coming home and the memorable times God gives to study his word!

Session 5 - Email

Reminder - no class this week March 16th (Spring Break)! Definitely hope to see all of you back next week - March 21st for a powerful Session 6. One of those you DON'T want to miss if at all possible!!!

Another reminder! This Saturday March 19th is the Phoenix Rescue Mission lunch drive starting at 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at the church. I encourage you to attend and help out in this wonderful opportunity to serve our Lord Jesus Christ!

This week we studied that time is one of the most important providences of God. Within the world today we can be easily caught up with so many diverse things to "fill" up our schedules that we forget that we need to keep the priority of our time with God as first! Remember to be deliberate, determined, decisive, delighted, and daily with Him!

May God bless you with your time this week in His Word! We all get an extra week to review and dig deeper still into the wonderful truths in God's word. I know Beth had us going back to Joseph's story in Day 3 of this week's homework for a few verses and how I love that I couldn't stop reading through Joseph's story. I was brought to tears seeing Joseph's reactions on seeing his brothers so many years and the whole drama being played out seeing God's use of His perfect timing again! Beautiful and precious!

God bless you with all understanding, peace and wisdom! Fill ins, prayer requests, & praises are updated on the class blog at www.estherpalmvalley.blogspot.com

Session 5 - Fill Ins

Sometimes God forces the issue of time. Amazingly, other times He seems to entrust it.

1. time
2. time to wait

a time to be silent and a time to speak
need to be silent ween when mean invites us to speak

Sometimes the words sound right but they don't taste right

3. wait for someone else's time

The time wasn't right for Xerxes
The time wasn't right for Haman

Haman's personal weakness.
Haman's misguided self confidence to mature

4. When the meantime is God-time

It's tough being a woman who can balance passion with patience.

Session 5 - Praise/Prayer

? - Praise - things getting better with co-worker
Bertha - Praise - thank you for your prayers - Gabriela's health - on her way to complete recovery - yeah God! Continued prayer for Dustin (cysts on head) and for spiritual - him to come to know Jesus Christ.
? - Pryaer for Doris who is preparing to travel to see her grandchildren and continued prayer for her dog, Penny.
? - Prayer for Anita's father who is ill this week
Rena - Prayer for a peaceful visit with my mother in law that will be visiting for 2 weeks. Also prayer for Cathy and her family for some family issues they are struggling with.
? - Unspoken requests
Martha - Please pray for healing for stomach flu our family - we are in our 3rd week.
Kim - Praise - Sarah was feeling well enough to come to class! Praise - my son turned 21 yesterday and we had a wonderful time celebrating! Praise - my husband is coming home in 2 weeks! Prayer - that I keep priorities in check!

Session 4 - Email

It was an absolutely wonderful session looking straight into Esther's life of going from self-preservation to brave determination! We took a good look at facing "fear" and looking at the definition of the Proverbs 31 "virtuous/noble" woman passage." Gideon was told, God is with you, mighty man of valor. Valor being the same as virtuous/noble. We are to be brave in whatever we might be facing! Be not afraid, do not fear - who knows? I am the Lord your God! We should know!

I love some other strong points such as the following:

We can protect ourselves right out of our calling.
You are the only person who you are and will be responsible with before God. Are you heading in the direction you want to end up?
There is no denial in courage. Face your "issues" head on!
No need to fear death - We were already dead and now we are alive in Christ.
Phil 1:6 He is faithful to complete it!
Don't live fearfully.
Don't make decisions out of fear but out of wisdom.
1 John 4:18 Perfect love casts out fear.
Ps 138:8 All things which concerns thee, He'll perfect! (All things - love that part!!!)

Remember the homework, it is wonderful so far - I've finished up to day 3! Okay, I have to share "one" thing that was awesome to see on Day One - Our conditional trust not only makes us an open target for enemy torment; it also positions us as negotiators and beggars before God instead of secure children who trust their lives to their faithful Father!

We need to trust Him - period!!! If ______________________, then God!

Blessings of God's abundant love, peace and joy rain down on you mighty this weekend!
See you Wednesday night Lord willing!

Oops, I almost forgot. Blog has been updated - Praise/Prayer requests, fill ins - www.estherpalmvalley.blogspot.com

Session 4 - Fill Ins

1. Esther had a choice.
She had to overcome herself in order

2. Esther faced the fear.

Facing any fear

And if ____________________________, then God. (You fill in the blank withwhatever you need to address with God.

It's tough being a woman in the tight fist of fear.

Facing fear of death

Freed all who cower through life, scared to death of death.

Walking in the shadow of death was as perilous as dying

3. Esther took the courage she was offered.

Session 4 - Praise/Prayer Requests

Cynthia and Sarah - Both have been ill - pray for healing and energy to return

Martha - Please pray for wisdom for a friend in her personal and business decisions. Also, please pray for confirmation on some decisions I have to make.

Lisa J. - Please pray for my mom and step-dad they are both having surgery next week! More importantly their salvation!

Jackie - Praie for Kim's husband coming home. Prayer for Doris who was recently diagnosed with a possible ulcer. She continues to have testing. Prayer for Doris and Skip whose dog, Penny, is 13 years old and very ill.

Debbie - Praise! My sister, Vera, was baptized this past Sunday! Praise God!!

Kim - Praise for God's kindness and goodness! Prayer for Saturday 3/5 for God to cover me with his strength power and words to speak at a prayer for a memorial service.

Session 3 - Email

Timing is everything as the saying goes and you are in your "prime" because it is God's time for you! "You are in your Prime!" Feels good to hear that doesn't it?

How many of us might be traversing through a season of life that certainly doesn't seem like our prime right now? We might be facing illness, loss of a spouse, challenges at work, financial issues, relationship struggles and basically feeling overwhelmed with all the pressures of life in general. These "times" certainly feel anything but prime to us. But, I love the "bird dog" illustration of Beanie, Beth's dog, where her husband would have to physcially lift up Beanie and physically turn her in the opposite direction after she would become "on point" on a squirrel they would encounter on their walk. It will often be by a crisis that God uses to "pivot" our direction. There is always human dilemma in destiny as we see in Queen Esther's life this week in homework.

We can trust in our God's providence in our "dilemma's" no matter what the circumstance or situation we might be facing. The following verses give us a little insight into His providence.

Phil 2:13 - For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.

Eph 1:11 In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory.

And, I love His promises to us when we face those delimma's in destiny!

Deut 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you!" Amen to that one!!!

Nahum 1:7 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in Him!

Don't be discouraged if you haven't been able to attend the last couple of sessions! Keep at it! Do what you can - God will bless your time with Him! Ask for a fresh new revelation that will change and transform you into a more brilliant reflection of Jesus Christ! You and I precious diamonds - diamonds in the rough - but diamonds nevertheless!

Who Knows? I pray that each of us would know that the Lord is our God during every season of life. Isaiah 43:10 "You, are my witnesses, says the Lord. And my servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before Me there was no God formed nor shall there be after Me.

Fill Ins, praises & prayer requests have been updated on the class blog - www.estherpalmvalley.blogspot.com.

Bless you with all the richness of Christ! See you Wednesday night!