Picture of Arti being sworn in as an Esquire!
Former Blessed & Barred® Christian Bar Exam Coaching Program student and now Blessed & Barred® Assistant Coach Arti Sharma, Esq. scored a 302 (when she only needed a 270 to pass!) on the Feb. 2023 Texas UBE — and as a retaker who was denied accommodations for ADHD! Glory to God!
Below is her testimony:
God will time your testimony. That’s a phrase heavily emphasized in the Christian community. And for good reason. Many characters in the Bible became great, greatly referenced, because their time–for God to fulfill His promises to them–occurred on His watch. This timing looks different from our fleshly, worldly expectations. And it is supposed to be different, especially as Believers. This is how God gets His glory. He doesn’t rush things. He doesn’t give us a microwaved tv dinner; he prepares for us a seven-course meal with unimaginable fixings. He prepares a table for us that is anointed in Joy and Ceremony. He over provides because he is a generous God—a God of love. Importantly, He gives us more than our portion so we can share with others.
So what does this have to do with my Bar Journey? Well, practically everything. God knows His daughter. He knows that I wanted to be closer to Him. He knows my heart is one that is after His—that when it is not, I feel empty and pointless. He heard my prayers to feel filled with purpose and meaning. God is aware that before my failures, I feared failure. I loathed failure. Sadly, I loathed myself. My sense of worth had been tied to accomplishments. Growing up as a child of working-class immigrants who held down multiple jobs between each parent, I felt a need to pay back my parents’ burdens. I also learned that society had a space for people like me, and if I didn’t keep to that space, I would not be accepted. Accomplishments, success—they were going to be the answer to my purpose and would redeem my parents’ story. Clearly, God had another plan.
First, he forced me to face my fears. So, I failed the Bar exam. Multiple times. Then, he taught me to trust Him. So I began to understand things would look different from me. Thereafter, God showed me I was worthy. I stopped being angry at myself. Next, He taught me to depend on Him. So I surrendered. I leaned on the resources He led me to—including Blessed & Barred®—and implemented the teachings even when it didn’t make sense or went against the grain. Still more, He showed me peace beyond all understanding. Because of this, I was able to keep focus despite the rocky times, moving one foot in front of the other—following what I could not see and calling out to the Faith of Fellow Believers to sustain me. Roberta was one of those pillars I leaned on; through Voxer coaching, I was able to share my fears and guilt. She stabilized me with the Word and Godly wisdom. Finally, He showed me His Glory. And I passed this Exam.
I not only passed. I SUR-passed. In fact, my Jurisdiction requires a 270. I made a 302. I rarely talk about this, but I had prayed for a 312. I prayed almost a popcorn prayer every-other-night that God would give me a 312. I didn’t think I would get this score at all. I knew that I could not. But I also became the type of Believer who knew God could do immeasurably, abundantly more than I could ask or imagine. So I asked him to get His Glory by giving me a score that was out of the ballpark range—to pass me with “flying colors.” I’m not trying to be too on the nose with this, but it’s a little uncanny that a 302 has at least two of the numbers I requested, in the right spaces. I believe God showed me a piece of His vision, and I held on to it not fully understanding what it would mean. I now realize that God wants me to continue to reach for more, ask for me—especially when things don’t seem like they will likely turn out that way based on my past record. God is showing me how much I have limited Him based on the past, based on my understanding of how things are working out.
I know that the Blessed & Barred® system helped retrain the way my mind thinks in terms of God. It showed me how to keep God in the studying process, versus calling on God at the end or beginning of the day. I truly leaned on God during the study journey. I had to. I invited him to my sessions; I let him know how I felt. I asked him to help me with unpleasant assignments and tasks I truly dreaded. I told him how it made me feel and how I needed His character, His strength to intervene. If I ever felt like I was off track or overwhelmed, I popped on a Blessed & Barred® MAP lesson or listened to the Affirmation playlists Roberta made available. I kept God in my mind, my ears, my heart so that they would not be prey for the enemy. I am not over-exaggerating this; in fact, I’m under-exaggerating. I spent more and more time focused on God’s character in numerous ways, which felt odd to do considering we have so much work already during Bar Prep. But I knew myself. I knew that God would show me the right way to approach studying to get the best out of it and to make sure I stayed in alignment with the plan He had for me. God does not want anything to Master me. He is a jealous God; thus, He will work to refine us in a way that makes us closer to Him. That’s why Blessed & Barred® was so critical to my Bar Exam studying. I didn’t just take the course to pass. My goal was to take the course so that I could maximize my relationship with God despite the arduous journey and regardless of the outcome.
Thank you, Roberta, for casting the vision. Thank you for your thoughtfulness, your obedience. It was the missing piece to God’s elaborate masterpiece plan for me. For this, I am forever grateful.
I cannot wait to share more of my journey with the Blessed & Barred® members as I start my coaching role here. In the meantime, know that I am praying for each one of you.
In her role as an Assistant Coach in Blessed & Barred®, Arti hosts study halls/co-working sessions, provides 1:1 strategy calls, MEE/MPT grading (she scored a 157 on the MEE/MPT portion!), and other coaching and support inside of the Blessed & Barred® Christian Bar Exam Coaching Program!
