Z is for Zany Friends

I have some zany friends.  Maybe it is because I am more on the serious or reserved side and I need a little zany in my life to keep balanced. Or perhaps I am actually zany too but just hide it well.

One thing about having zany friends is that you can find yourself in some interesting situations and there is usually a lot of laughing involved.

In the picture below, this zany friend and I were on a road trip and found ourselves at the American Gothic house. She insisted that we dress up as if in the famous painting. She and I have had many adventures together, not all of them zany but all of them memorable.  I am blessed to have my friends, zany or not.   

Do you have zany friends or are you the zany one? 

Who ever thought I would celebrate Purim?

I've been meeting the last 6 weeks with some fantastic women for an evening Bible Study. We are going through the study Esther done by Beth Moore of Living Proof Ministries. (www.lproof.org or their blog at http://livingproofministries.blogspot.com/ )

Purim is a Jewish holiday that is fanciful and partylike. It reminds me of Brazil's carnval and Greece's Apokries. Purim derives from the Old testament story of Esther and celebrates the reversal of destiny for the Jews. In Israel, people dress up and party to celebrate the uplifting of oppression during the time of Esther. They publicly read the book of Esther, cheering when her name is read and booing when the antagonist Haman is mentioned.

This year Purim fell on March 9, around the 3rd or 4th week of our Bible Study. We brought treats, and took onthe party-like atmosphere of Purim as we discussed the week's lesson in Esther. Our table brought leftover Mardi Gras beads and we each had tiaras that lit up.

We had fun :)

Don't ever let someone tell you that Bible Study is boring!