Shameless Promotion

I'm back home from SAMmy's! We had a great morning - studied the Good Samaritan. It's amazing how many times I can read the same thing and get a fresh Word or new thing to focus on.
I mean, I've read that parable a bazillion times (that's an actual number you know!) lol and I've been inspired to love my neighbor more, to not be so pius, to go the extra mile...today it was the importance of asking the right question. The question in the beginning of the parable is "Who is my neighbor?" At the end, we are left asking "How can I love my neighbor better?" It sparked great conversation in my small group!
And, my small group is made up of the most interesting personalities (I know a couple of them are probably reading this - so, girls, see if you can figure out who I'm talking about.) We have a unique chemistry in our group - it could only have been arranged by God, because it works PERFECTLY, and we love each other so much. I wish all you bloggy buddies could be part of it, because it's almost magical. There's this Scripture in Proverbs that says "There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." These are truly my sisters! We're all gut-level honest - which is why this works. We say things like "I need prayer because I don't like ___________, and I'm spending three days with him/her." And we mean it - we want prayer, because we want to be the best person we can be! It's so cool. It's interesting dynamics - one of us is from a different country, and a different pagan religion - we gave her her first Bible a few weeks ago - today we told her what Easter was (nobody's ever asked me THAT!). Two others came to Christ through SAMmy's a few years ago. One woman was prayed here - her neighbor was in SAMmy's and the neighbor's SAMmy's small group prayed for the "neighbor who lived next door with small children." The next Wednesday, this girl called her neighbor and asked if she could go to the mom's group with her! One girl came this year with her 10 day old first born. One has older kids, like me. A new girl joined our group today who is having her first baby - tonight! We have a single mom who loves Jesus deeply. Two of these women own their own businesses. Another works full time. Some of us are stay at home moms. And that's just our small group - there are two other small groups in our SAMmy's chapter. We're as diverse as we are similar. It is beautiful and interesting.
Can you tell this connecting and growing in our relationship with Jesus is really what gets me excited?
That's what I get for blogging right after SAMmy's!
I wish you all had a group like this in your hometown.
Maybe, some day you will! That's my plan, you know. Some day I'd like to have groups all over the U.S. (For now, there are 8 groups in Wisconsin and Minnesota.) I'm not sure how that's going to happen, but I feel like it's going to. I can't really explain it. But, I feel like it's going to.
And, when that happens, I'd like for you to check a SAMmy's group out. Give it a few weeks and see if you can find some great friendships and see what happens.
Of course, it hasn't happened yet. But, it just might. Actually, I'm pretty sure it will. And, when it does, remember this post...and check out a SAMmy's group!