The best decision I almost never made.

Published on by Bree Martin

She said “you should join this online Bible study called IF:Equip“.

I respond “me, a Bible study? I’ve hardly ever even opened a Bible. What good would this do me? What would I have to offer? I’d be a kindergartner in a college class. No, I can’t do that.”

She kept encouraging me. I kept saying “no”. I said no 10,000 times (approximately) before I finally said “OK”, and I signed up for the online Bible study IF:Equip – http://www.ifequip.com.

I get one email a day with scripture to read, a short video to watch, and a place to leave comments.

I thought surely these Christian women, who had been raised in church, would laugh at me and scoff at my lack of knowledge. But they didn’t. They welcomed me with warm virtual hugs, positive and uplifting words, advice, explained the confusing things and helped me. The accepted me. They took me in like one of their own despite my flaws, my age, and my sins. I had become a sister in Christ. 

I credit IF:Equip with bringing the Bible alive and relevant to my life. I am blessed, daily, with the women I spend each morning there with discussing the scriptures and life in general. We lift each other and pray and share our stories. It’s amazing!

I miss it on the weekends. I’ve made so many new friends through that site that I cannot keep track. When I first accepted Jesus, I had one Christian friend, now I have hundreds. A God given gift. And to think I almost didn’t join the site.

Right now I’m in the process of trying to retrieve my posts from the site because they chronicle my life as I came to know Jesus. They are like gold to me and I wish I’d written them in a journal instead of on an online site that can be changed; losing my posts forever.

If you’re a woman, and you haven’t joined IF:Equip yet, please do. You won’t regret it. In fact, for me, it was the best decision I almost never made.

Right now I’m trying to go back and retrieve my posts all the way back to when I started in December 2013. I’m doing this to help me remember what I was learning, feeling, and going through, during my budding relationship with Jesus. Priceless words, comments and advice from other readers. I’d like to use them to add to this blog.

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IF changed my life.

16 thoughts on “The best decision I almost never made.”

  1. Bree, i totally love the courage you took into writing your story, it’s awesome. This has also encouraged me to write more and tell people about the love that Jesus gives to those of us that have carried pain for so long. I totally love your post and i am glad that I came across it today. God bless you real big!

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      1. You ARE amazing! I suspect that a lot of folks will say that I’m your dad and that a “dad” would obviously claim that you are “amazing”. Well… I own that. BUT… you ARE light years beyond “amazing”. I “lost you” for decades… your ‘re-birth’ has brought you back. You are now alive and aware of your surroundings and your own life-path. I love you & I am so grateful to have you back. *massive hugs*
        *Hugs* Pops *Hugs*

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  4. I love this!!! IF changed my life too… isn’t it amazing the things that happen when we truly let go & let God?!?! He leads us right where we need to be!!! So happy I found your blog, I look forward to it daily 🙂 ❤

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    1. Thank you Kris! I don’t know if I’ll write daily, but please do check back often. I’m going to write about my story of coming to Christ at age 36, almost 3 years ago. It’s her really great story with lots of hardships and miracles, happiness and tears, and laughter and crying. Is an awesome story and I can’t wait to share it with you all. I’m hoping it will encourage others who may be in the same situation I was. Maybe someone who’s never been to church, like I had never been to church, or maybe someone who had stepped away from their faith because of one reason or another. Thank you so much for reading my blog I really appreciate you. 🙂

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  5. Thank-you Bree for writing this blog. I am excited for you and also inspired by your words. Keep on using your God-given gifts for the world to see through your eyes who Jesus Christ is and who He can be for each of us. I’m so happy that you found your way to Him and are now being blessed and also being a blessing to others through sharing your story. There are so many hurting people in the world and once you have found God in your own life, you almost explode with excitement in wanting to share Jesus Christ with others! I have family members who, I know in my heart, could turn their sad, depressing, lonely-addictive worlds into a completely new life through knowing Jesus Christ and accepting His gift to us. But, they are too stubborn to listen or too set in their ways to take a step towards change, a change that can bring a new life and end all of their sadness from living in this world. I’m planning on sharing your blog in hopes that it will break through that hard shell that some of them have surrounded themselves with for so many years. Wasted years. God bless you and keep on keeping on, you got this!!

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    1. Keep on keeping on! That’s exactly what my dad said the other day. 🙂
      It is like I’m exploding, wanting everyone to find out what I know about Jesus! Thank you for reading the blog. 🙂

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    2. Wow, Debbie, what a great honor and blessing for you to say that you’re going to share my blog with other people you know that might benefit from it. I only came to Jesus about 3 years ago at age 36. I had never been to church, never read the Bible, and my life was a complete disaster. One phone call to a friend changed all that when she told me about Jesus. I immediately fell in love with Jesus and all of what the Bible has to say. If it were not for IF:Equip I do not know that I ever would have read so much of the Bible that I have. Thank you so much for your support and for sharing my blog with your friends.

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    3. Debbie, I forgot to tell you thank you for sharing my blog with others. That means a lot to me. I wasn’t sure anyone was going to want to hear my story. That’s what took me so long to get started because I’ve been thinking about writing this for so long. Thank you. God bless.

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