"Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:12)

I was baptized when I was a baby, but we only went to church a handful of times growing up & that was just to appease my grandmother. It was usually on Easter or Christmas Eve. Otherwise, religion was never spoken about, and in turn, I never gave it a second thought. I started to in college, but not enough to open a Bible or ask any questions. After Chris & I got married, the Holy Spirit started stirring inside me & I started to read the Bible. Grant you, I never got past the first couple chapters of Genesis, but it was a start. 

My spiritual journey truly started in 2003 when one of the other moms in our kids’ kindergarten class (Stacey) invited me to a Bible Study at her mom’s house (Karen). I just realized in typing the last sentence, that is nothing I would normally say yes to. In fact, it had to have been the Holy Spirit encouraging me to say yes, because that is a nightmare environment for an introvert. But saying yes that one time has changed my life. Stacey has been one of my good friends for years & the ladies in that Bible Study helped pave my spiritual journey. The Lord was truly with all the ladies in that group. It didn’t matter how long you knew Jesus, the ladies were welcoming & loving & supporting. The Lord provided an unbreakable bond at that table where we deepened our knowledge of the Bible, shared personal trials, laughed, cried & prayed for each other. That was my church. 

It wasn’t until our second son was born, in 2005, that everything started to change. While in the hospital, I had a pregnancy related seizure. Our son was born at 28 weeks, weighing only 2 pounds 5 ounces (a micro-preemie). He was cared for at Children’s Hospital for two months. Not once was I worried about his health or whether he would make it. There was always a voice telling me he was going to be okay; he just needed to grow. It was a calm that was produced by the Holy Spirit. I had a feeling it was back then & have no doubt when looking back. That 2-pound 5-ounce child is now taller than me. He’s doing fine. But that wasn’t all. Chris can look back on a couple instances. Both occurred while he was giving our son a bath. He was no older than 2 or 3. Both times our son told Chris that God was here, He was watching over him (Chris), and everything was going to be okay. That shook Chris on a couple levels. Not only regarding his faith, but Chris & I were going through a very difficult trial. One that lasted several years. For God to work through our son & let Chris know he was not alone still amazes us. 

Through all these years Karen’s Bible Study was a constant. Year after year we would meet Tuesday night at her house. It was automatic. Ladies would come & go, but whoever needed to be there was there. That Bible Study lasted over ten years! What a blessing for everyone who was part of it. The Lord gave Karen the strength to host us week after week, even when we were a little rowdy. That amazing experience left such a positive spiritual impact on me. 

Towards the end of 2018 the Holy Spirit started guiding my heart more towards Him & less towards hobbies which took up a lot of my time. I needed to get into the Word of God. Turns out the Holy Spirit was also working on my dearest friend Amy. She was feeling the same way. So, we decided to start up a Bible Study. During our first meet-up, two of the ladies were a bit quiet. More quiet than usual. Turns out they were newer believers and felt a bit uncomfortable. Praise God! What an amazing opportunity to speak with those two and let them know, from first hand experience, it was okay. I knew exactly how they were feeling & wanted to make them feel as welcome as the ladies did for me over fifteen years ago. 

That is how Basic Bible Study was formed. We all must start somewhere, no matter what age or situation you are in. Amy & I want to welcome all who stop by Basic Bible Study in the same loving & supporting atmosphere. We are just two normal people who want to help you become familiar with the Bible. We pray the Holy Spirit will guide us in helping you understand the basics of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation. 

“You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head”      (Psalm 139:5)