Have you ever come to the end of a season in your life that you believed you have worked very hard, you were sincere in your efforts, and believed you were productive but to find no gain or reward? Then you know how it feels when the pursuit of excellence is merely a pursuit.

Heavenly Father, we ask for humble spirits. As we study your Word may we gain wisdom. May our heart and mind desire to pursue what is good and acceptable to you, Lord. May we always be thankful for your many blessings. In Jesus name. Amen.

Really in this life what pursuit is profitable?
Jesus asked this question to his disciples. In Matthew 16:24-27 Jesus is explaining the paradox of discipleship; to lose life is to find it; to die is to live. To deny oneself is not to assume some false, external self-discipline, but to put the interest of God’s kingdom first and foremost in one’s life. To take up the cross does not mean to endure some irritating responsibility, but to give up self-centered ambitions. Such sacrifices result in eternal life and the fullest experience of kingdom life now.

The Study 

Complete p.7-12 which gives insight to the motivation that drives one to excellence. This is a tough lesson. I discovered things about myself….well lets just say God is not finished with me yet. Many things are not easy, there are few things in life you really enjoy doing that don’t require practice to be proficient. So don’t be discouraged. Be motivated to be the woman of Proverbs 31, a woman of excellence. 

Identify what inflated expectations, unrealistic dreams, difficult seasons and unfair consequences that have emerged into your life  hindering you from experiencing the abundance that God has for you. A life of purpose, hope, and fulfillment.

Read the story of Eve in Genesis 1-3.

Identify what motivated Eve. What did Eve hope to gain? Author Anne Graham Lotz wrote a devotional thought titled ‘Consider the Consequence’. She speaks of Eve’s sin and the consequence she endured.
“ There are serious consequences to sin. Always. Without exception. Adam ate the forbidden fruit his wife had offered, ‘Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked’ (Gen. 3:7, NIV).
Satan had told Eve her eyes would be opened and she would be like God, knowing good and evil. In one sense he had been right. Eve’s eyes were opened, but in a grotesque way. She knew good, but also that she was separated from it. She knew evil because now she was saturated in it. She knew good and evil in a way God never intended her to know — through her own experience. And she was deeply ashamed.”

Scripture tells us that we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God. We have to concede that many times it is our actions, our choices and our reaction to life’s experiences that bring about disappointment, lack of purpose and unfulfillment in our life.

Excellence, Simple,  Elegance       Write their definitions down, and grasp the impact these principles can have on your life when fully embraced.

The principles of Excellence will change your perspective, your outlook, your plan and how you operate on a daily basis. This commitment to excellence can shift your thinking and bring about drastic change, not only in your own life, but in the lives you serve.

1. Identify your day-to-day activities
2. Identify the big things that matter to you and God.
3. Are the activities that occupy your day taking you away from what really matters?
4. Are you using your influence to further God ‘s kingdom?
5. Are you truly experiencing the kingdom life in your day-to-day activities?

“If you know God’s purpose for your life and focus your energies into fulfilling it, you will run your spiritual race with excellence.” John Osteen

Promise       

“delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desire of your heart..”

Blessing
“The Lord bless you, and may you see the prosperity all the day of your life.                                                                                                                                                                                   

Both books can be purchased at Amazon.com 

https://a.co/d/dJlm5zG

https://a.co/d/5G6L0Rq

Good Morning. I am so excited to begin this study with you.  I know for certain that it will be a good day when the morning  welcomes you with a good cup of coffee and God’s Word.

Dear Heavenly father, I pray that you will guide us and provide strength and wisdom as we pursue to live a holy life, one of excellence. You have called us to be holy, because You are holy. We are made to mirror and to reflect Your holiness. We are made to be Your ambassadors.  Holy Spirit, we recognize that we need you to accomplish this in our life. And we welcome you in this moment of learning and sharing. It is my desire that everything written would be honoring to You Lord.  In Jesus name.  Amen.

If you have not had a chance to glance at the study please do so now. Briefly glance at the table of contents noting there are 24 lessons (these blog posting are a supplement to your workbook), which you may complete at your own pace. So if you desire, you can complete 2 lessons per week with me and we will finish in 12 weeks. After the completion of 12 weeks, I encourage you to lead this study mentoring others in the principles of excellence.

My purpose for leading this study online is to provide an opportunity for many to participate, to accommodate everyone’s busy schedule, to give insight and to encourage.   It is my prayer that your participation in this online study will provide you with some guidance so that you may lead this women’s study with ease.  This little study can be a tool for mentoring others. As the introduction states, this is a companion workbook to my first book, Excellence with Simple Elegance. It is best to have read the book first before tackling the study or at least read the chapter from the book  first that relates to the lesson. Welcome to the the journey of pursuing of excellence.

One Woman four parts

God uniquely made us with four parts: spiritual , emotional, mental and physical. These four parts need to be healthy for us to experience and to live in excellence. This study will assist in showing us how we can accomplish it simply.

Scripture memorization

Memorization of literature is a wonderful exercise that develops new synapse connections in the brain. It promotes higher level thinking and intelligence. This practice of memorizing sustains a healthy brain.

Scripture encourages us to hide God’s word in our heart so that we may not sin against God. The Word of God guides, strengthens, and protects.

Memorize 1Peter 3:3-4.

In this verse we have 2 key words: merely and precious.

Merely means that our physical adornment exists. Absolutely, our physical presence and appearance should be attractive but  merely means its not the only thing that exists. There should be more to us than our outward appearance.  This scripture says that the most important is a gentle and quiet spirit which flows from the heart. A woman of excellence keeps her clothing, jewelry, and hair appealing because it is a reflection of a beautiful heart.

When I read this verse five years ago my reaction was ” Oh my goodness, Lord, gentle I am but there isn’t anything quiet about me.”

Precious in the sight of God.  The condition of heart, my inner person , needs to be gentle, it needs to be quiet Why? because it is so precious to God. We woman of excellence will strive for this gentle quiet inner person because we so want to be all that God desires for us. But what are you willing to sacrifice to be there??? Mathew 7:14 tells that the gate is narrow, the path is difficult and only few ever find it. This pursuit of excellence we embark upon is not easy–but so worth it. 

I am  drawn to the stories of  women especially women of the Bible.  I love reading and learning from their life’s story.  The lessons are timely and personal. Mary’s, mother of Jesus, story is a one of those stories worth reading. Lets learn one thing from Mary today.

Luke 1 (The Message)

“the angel assured her, ‘Mary, you have nothing to fear, God has a surprise for you. You will become pregnant and give birth to a son and call his name Jesus’.”

“And Mary said (listen to this ladies) Mary says Yes, I see it all now. I’m the Lord’s maid, Ready to serve. Let it be with me just as you say.”

Lesson–We desperately need to have a willing heart.  We need  to be a willing vessel to bring about God’s purpose in our life and in our world.

THE STUDY                                                                                              Complete  pages 1-5

Here is where you will identify your responsibilities, needs, disappointments, successes, scriptures, and desires. You need to know where you are at so you can take measured steps that will lead to living a life of excellence.

You will discover what an undesirable woman looks like according to scripture(Proverbs 11:22) and what a woman of excellence looks like(Proverbs 31).

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

As a woman of faith, I cannot accommodate myself to the patterns and model of this world. Even apparent or superficial conformity to this world or any accommodation to its ways would destroy the consistency of my walk of faith.

Scripture instructs us to be transformed. This means we are to rise above the form or patterns of this world. RC Sproul shares in his book,The Holiness of God, that we are not to follow the world’s lead but to cut across it and rise above it to a higher calling.

This pursuit to excellence demands that we live intentionally. We must live having a routine that has a higher standard of discipline and a commitment to living God’s way.We need to value the things God values. We need to despise things God despises. We need to have the same priorities as He has. But we cannot possibly know God’s ways or His good acceptable, perfect will unless we commit to reading His Word.

Don’t be satisfied with a superficial understanding of God. Read God’s word daily and be transformed by knowing who God is. This is a call to excellence.

It would be beneficial for you to read over the Author’s Premise for writing Excellence with Simple Elegance.

I truly love you and care for you, my treasured friend.  My desire is for you to experience the abundance that God has for you in a life that lives intentionally and lives under the Lordship of our Heavenly Father.

Promise: Each promise is a promise from your heavenly Father who adores you.  Biblical promises are usually preceded with instruction that guides to a promise.

“Be very careful to act exactly as God commands you…you will have a good life.” 

Blessing :  Speaking a blessing over children is a Jewish tradition. It is a tradition that  we should embrace.  Use this blessing that God spoke over Abraham as act of love, an expression of  favor and adding value upon your family.

 “I will bless  you and you will be a blessing”

ps. don’t forget to comment here on this blog site or on the facebook group page  titled ‘excellence with simple elegance’. Ask questions? Have conversation with others. For private conversation  with me,  email at bliabenow@live.com   I will answer.

Both books can be purchased at Amazon.com

https://a.co/d/dJlm5zG

https://a.co/d/5G6L0Rq