Greetings Siestas! (I’ve always wanted to say that).
I can’t tell you how blessed I’ve been to be a small part of your online journey. When I heard Beth was going to facilitate “No Other Gods” this summer on her blog I was thrilled and simultaneously ignorant. I had no idea what this meant, and I can assure you I never entertained thoughts that included hair tips, how to protect my neck from the sun, or creative ways to use your oven mitt. But, alas, this is why we admire Beth – for her love for the Word and her knack for the unpredictable. So… many thanks to Beth for being the catalyst behind this amazing summer experience.
I also wanted the specific opportunity to thank all of YOU who have spent time with God this summer through the study of Scripture. Your dedication and comments have been inspiring! It has been a blessing for me to watch your fortitude in dealing with truly un-fun things like, well, idols. I understand that it’s not the feel-good-study-of-the-year but the blessings that come from obedience and surrender are immeasurable…
Several years ago when the Lord began to deal with some of the false gods in my life, I wanted nothing more than to cling to the very things He was asking me to relinquish. Perhaps you can relate. A lot of the verses and passages of Scripture that helped me let go were the very ones I used in the “No Other Gods” study – my prayer is that they encouraged you as well. Since having written the study I wanted to share something that has been a new reality for me – living in the purpose of freedom. For so long I simply wanted to be free from the things that controlled me. What I didn’t understand was what that freedom was for. Although I am still very much learning, I wanted to tell you that God frees us from our idols so we can be free for His purposes. We get free so we can move and be and do the things of God. I am now doing things that I simply couldn’t have done before because I was tied up by my false gods (and please don’t think necessarily grandiose things – they are humble and quiet things, but they are awesome and they are things I am thrilled to be part of).
I hope this makes sense, as it’s an infantile understanding that’s still forming inside me. I just wanted you to know that saying goodbye to our false gods offers a tremendous freedom that is not simply for the sake of hanging out with our “new free selves”, but it’s a freedom that allows us to engage in the moment by moment things of Christ. Keep pressing forward no matter how awkward the journey. We have a jealous God, and I will gladly take jealous over passive any day. It is for freedom He has set us free!
Thank you Siestas for blessing me so much this summer and honoring me by your presence.
-kelly
Tags: Kelly Minter
Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us Kelly! It could not have come at a more perfect time-Thank you Jesus. I have a feeling this will be one of those studies I go back to as I continue to try and MAKE ROOM for my God to be HUGE. I hope God blesses your socks off in a way you couldn’t have even imagined. Thank you again, and thanks Beth for facilitating.
Amy in TX
Thank you Kelly!
Wow!! Pretty much sums it up!
I find that God is showing me things from this study even now – 2 weeks later – that I didn’t see as I went through it! I realized last night that one of my idols was fear! Now I have to choose to give it up and walk on! Not in fear but in faith! Thanks for your transparency! May God bless you richly!
Kelly,
Thank you so much for the bible study. I did it solo and even though I would have liked a group this worked out well for a busy summer for me. It really made me stop to think about all the things in my life and what I need to change. Oh, and I loved the music. I ordered Anadara’s CD from her website and just love it. I had looked for your new one in a couple of stores and didn’t find it(I do have one of your earlier ones)but then was happy to find it this past weekend at the Living Proof conference in San Antonio. And that was great since I was going to order one. I have it going on repeat in my car right now and am really enjoying it. And what an extra treat that you were able to attend the Siesta Fiesta also. I hope you write more studies and record more music in the future. They have both added things to my life. So from one Siesta to another, thank you.
Sheryl
Fort Smith, AR
I think one of the highlights of the study was the cooking. Our group had great bonding time and laughs over our meals…they were great. It was a great study for summer and enjoyed your insight Kelly and your personal testimonies. Sometimes I wish u could have been more specific but maybe u had a reason for vagueness.
It seems I could relate to many of your examples and I appreciate your heart in allowing God to work in and thru you. Thanks for serving HIm and being used by Him.
Kelly,
What a treat it was to do your study this summer. I started off with two girlfriends and ended up doing the study by myself with my husband reading over my shoulder. Your honest writing style laced with so much truth challenged me and motivated me to dig deep and search my heart for those functional gods that hold onto me. You spoke to my husband as well and gave us plenty to talk discuss. We’ve been married for 17 years and have three children involved in everything from sports to the arts. The gods, through our children, tacked onto the gods we struggle with present a journey that only through Christ can we have victory. My plan was to bond with my girlfriends over this study but God wanted my marriage to reconnect and refocus. I downloaded your song, Fire by Night and sing this daily as a prayer. Your rendition of “I’d Rather Have Jesus” is so precious to me. Thank you for your faithfulness.
Michelle Flanagan
Williamsburg, Virginia
BTW~ I am gathering a group of college girls from William and Mary to do your study this fall. I can’t wait to see the study through their eyes.
Kelly,
Our group finishes your study tonight. As I hav been preparing for the discussion, I came up with a really cool thought and wanted to share it with you –
We leave our idols and we cleave to God. The picture of marriage! Gen 2:24 and Isa 54:5 your Maker is your Husband. Isn’t that cool?
Thank you for writing this study. We have all profitted from it. God has really used you.
Dear Kelly & Beth,
Just wanted to let you know that here in Carson City, NV at my church we had six ladies finish the Bible Study and eight ladies finish the book this summer! None of them are bloggers but I'm so proud of them that I wanted to let you know. Here's a comment I received from one of the ladies who did the study "I enjoyed so very much the Kelly Minter study, and feel that it greatly impacted my life, and that of other women in our study. We all seemed to be in places in our lives where this was so healing and encouraging." And the leader of the Summer Book Club commented "Light summer reading…are you kidding me! God worked something into our lives with each chapter. It was great!" This group ranged in age from mid twenties to mid sixties and they had an awesome time together. Everyone, whether from the study group or the book group, agreed that they really enjoyed your writing style Kelly and God used you to minister to them! So thanks to you Kelly for your book and study and thanks to you Beth for your recommendation. PS. Beth we'll be doing Stepping Up this fall for our women's Bible Study and we're all really looking forward to it. We purchased our supplies during the Simulcast which by the way was a huge blessing to the ladies in our town. May God's power and annointing continue to rest upon you both as you faithfully serve his women.
Kimberly
Kelly and Beth, I just wanted to let you know that I did finish the study. Just today. I know it took me awhile but I got it done. Now I have to start Experiencing God. I was going to lead a different study but it didn’t work out, so I’m joining the ladies at my church on Thursday mornings insterad. I really enjoyed the study, Kelly, and love your writing style and great personality. I didn’t know at first how much I would relate to a single women when I’m in such a different stage of life, with a husband and 3 elementary school children, but I guess when it comes down to it we have all struggled with many of the same things, huh! And the Word applies to all of it! Thank God for that. I’ve changed my life a lot since last spring and it’s sometimes a little overwhelming, but I’m hanging in there.
Didn’t they let you send the thing to a friend (I unfortunately didn’t see the campaign when it was live)? If so, think about the amount of names they collected. The notification emails could contain branding, offers, etc. If they requested opt-in permission, the value of generating a list that large is substantial. Is it targeted? Probably not. But, with effective drip marketing they could filter a pretty qualified list out of it.