Around mid-September, our church’s Bible study groups started up for the new school year. This is our 3rd year with (approximately) the same crowd–here we are the first year:

Our second year we took no pictures. Blast! I accept full responsibility . . . or maybe I’ll share it with Carrie, who also has a nice camera. If she agrees to be half a scapegoat, that is.

A few weeks ago I broke out my camera to record our third year together, thus ending the photographic drought.

It was Carrie’s birthday the next day, and Halloween was forthcoming. Girlfriend loves to dress up (remember when she conned us into that Regency Ball? More about that very soon), so she decided to put on a costume. How I love that girl.

Our Bible study leader (and my wonderful web admin) David also, um . . . dressed up.

And under the hat . . .

David? Why are you wearing that frightening cap on your head?

Don’t call me David. My name is Holy Streaks of Fire.

While all this was going down, his lovely wife served treats:

Freshly baked apple pie!

I’ll take two.

Our group meets every Thursday, alternating between David and Beth’s house and our apartment. We converge at 6:30, and everyone brings their own dinner. We spend the first half an hour eating together, and then move into prayer and study of whatever passage was just preached on the previous Sunday. I love how we get the chance to go over the same Scripture, because so frequently different themes emerge. Hearing the different perspectives of the people in the group really sheds light on the depth of the passage. We’re going through the book of Esther this fall (the series is called “The Hidenness of God” since Esther is the only book in the Bible in which God’s name is not mentioned) and there is so much more there than I ever thought.

I love when there’s so much more there than I ever thought.

In fact, it happens almost every time I open the Bible. Huh.

Anyway, I’m so glad we’re hosting every other week and am enjoying it thoroughly, in part because it forces me to clean the house on a very regular basis, and in part because when the study ends, my husband and I get to stay put in our cozy little abode instead of trekking our chilly way home on the El. I’m also glad for the chance to grow my hospitality skills–and what better way to practice than by having people over consistently?

But, if I’m honest, I’m also excited because of this:

Pies.

And other things. Like cakes.

Or cupcakes. Or brownies.

See, living with only my husband, sweet treats go a long way. If I chance to make a cake (I admit, a rare occurrence), we rarely get through the whole thing before it has to be tossed in the garbage. And remember those Peanut Butter bars and how it took us from April to September to consume 1 single batch?

And let’s talk about appetizers for a minute. I adore stuffed mushrooms. I love fried onion rings, dips, hummus, pot-stickers. I love little bite-sized savory snacks.

I even enjoy the lovely Velveeta-based treat, Queso.

But again, as with the dessert problem, when there are just 2 people in the equation, you can’t exactly go about making large batches of appetizers, because they just don’t keep long enough for us to get through them.

So in conclusion: I am excited about studying God’s Word. I’m excited about sharing our lives with our group, praying with our friends, sharing our joys and burdens, tears and laughter, answers to prayer (be they ‘yes’s or ‘no’s or ‘wait’s)–but I’m also excited because now I have an excuse to make cakes and appetizers that I otherwise wouldn’t be able to make.

Does that make me sound terribly superficial?

You know what, who cares how it sounds! I heretoforth embrace it! And I embrace myself! Everyone should embrace themselves and and do a jig on a rainbow. Do it! Do it now. I’ll be jigging right beside you . . . in spirit.

Tomorrow, Chile con Queso! With Velveeta. Gird your loins! And gird ’em well. They’ll need it after chowing down on this snack.