Bible School

There have been many times in Jeremy and my life when the Lord has told us exactly the same thing, separately, and when we come together and begin talking about it we find out that the Lord spoke the same thing to both of us!  What a confirmation when that happens!  For example, when we were seeking the Lord, separately, before we were even married, about what Bible School He wanted us to attend after we were married (We already knew that was the plan. We just weren't sure where.), the Lord told us both on the very same day.  Jeremy worked the evening shift at Walmart, and the Lord had told him that morning while he was praying. I worked the morning shift at a daycare, and the Lord had told me that evening while I was praying.  Wow!  We hadn't talked all day.  Yes, this was way back in the Dark Ages.  There were no cell phones and definitely no texting.  You just had to wait to talk to people until you saw them, or until they were home where they could be reached by phone.  I was so excited for Jeremy to get off work so I could tell him what the Lord had told me!

He showed up at my apartment that night after work, and I excitedly said, "Guess what? The Lord told me where He wants us to go to Bible School!"  I was so full of anticipation to tell him my news, I told him the second I opened the door to the apartment!  He was still standing outside the doorway when I said that!

And, much to my surprise, Jeremy said, "The Lord told me where He wants us to go to Bible School today, too!"

We just stood there looking at each other, and I remember thinking, "I hope it's the same place." Ha!  Ha!  God does have a great sense of humor, that's for sure!

And, glory to God, I'm thankful to say it was!  He told us both that He wanted us to go to Rhema Bible Training Center in Broken Arrow, OK.  Now, you may think that of course that would happen because we had already been thinking about going to Rhema, but that was not the case.  As a matter of fact, I did not even know where Rhema Bible Training Center was in Broken Arrow, even though my dad, step-mom, step-brother and half-sister had all lived in Broken Arrow for years.  When I saw the Rhema campus for the first time, I couldn't believe it!  I had always thought Rhema was a children's hospital, for some reason.  Maybe because they decorate so pretty at Christmas.  I don't know, but that's what I had always thought.

And, I had never even heard of Rev Kenneth E Hagin, the founder of Rhema.  I didn't know a thing about him, and I wouldn't have recognized him if I was sitting right next to him on an airplane.  I didn't know his testimony, his story, nothing.  So, unlike a lot of people that attend Rhema Bible Training Center, when we got there, we knew absolutely nothing, well, pretty much about anything.  But, we did KNOW that we were supposed to go to school there.  We were 100% sure of that, and that was all we needed!

When I look back over that time in our lives, it is so precious to me!  Jeremy and I were just spiritual little babies when we went there, and we grew up together at Rhema.  How could I not cherish such a special time in our lives?  We learned so much spiritually, and we also learned a lot naturally, too.  We were pretty young when we got married.  I was 21, and Jeremy was almost 21.  Yes, I am about eight months older than Jeremy, and trust me when I say, he never lets me forget it either!  I am so thankful the Lord let us grow up together like that.  So, very, very thankful!

Yes, it is wonderful when things like that happen!  I've also learned since then that sometimes when things like that happen, it can also mean that it's going to be a challenging road ahead.  And, going to Rhema was pretty challenging in a lot of ways, but that's OK.  It was worth it, more than worth it, and still to this day words can not express how thankful I am for the years we had there.

Rhema actually means an "utterance" or "thing said" in Greek.  I heard it said many times while attending school and church there that Rhema means God's Word for you today.  That's what you always need to know, what God is speaking to you today, what He has for you to do today, what will help you today.  It's great to think about what you did yesterday, or what you will do in the future, but the only thing you can actually do, you have to do today.  And, while at Rhema we definitely learned to hear God's voice more clearly, and know Him more intimately.  Life changing.  That's exactly what it was.  Life changing.

Well, I thought this blog was going to be about me telling Jeremy my idea about going back to college, but I guess it's not.  This story is much more interesting anyway! :) God always knows the perfect word for today, and I guess this one was it, not the other.  So, be blessed my friends, and know that God is leading you today, too!  And, maybe I'll share the other one another time...probably next time.  Love you all!