Living life on purpose
Saturday, April 01, 2006
LBY Intro post delayed.....
This should be my intro post to an awesome Bible study I started Monday with 28 other bloggers. I think Satan had it in for me this week since this is something I really need at this point in my life.
It's coming, I promise. Right now my proiority is trying to retrieve my Sunday School lesson off this computer beast who seems to have lost it!
In the meantime, read what this great bunch of bloggers are saying about Beth Moore's "Living Beyond Yourself" Bible study:
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Edit:
Late? That always seems to be ME!
As promised, my take on the first week of LBY.
I think when you're doing a Bible study, you tend to pull the pieces that fit with where you are RIGHT NOW in your life. At least I do.
I have a friend who lost her nearly 4 year old son in a choking accident last August. He stuffed his mouth full of pancakes and jumped down to hurry off and watch a video and choked. He died about 2 days later.
She's been grief stricken. I've really kept my distance from her because being around her is painful for me. Right now, she seems to be "stuck". She's assoctiating with other grieving parents who are "stuck". I want so much for her to find the peace that only He can bring but she doesn't seem to be searching for it.
A verse this week stood out for me - Acts 14:22 - ".....we must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God......"
When does the bad stuff stop happening? Well, I guess it doesn't. God uses pain in our lives to show us the substance of our faith. He uses sorrow and pain to strengthen us.
Hardly seems fair, but it's right there in the Bible. We were never promise a "fair" life. We were promised He'd carry us through the hard times. Rain falls on the just and the unjust equally - no one is immune.
My heart hurts for my friend right now. Grieving is such hard work. I've been praying for her strength to increase and that her heart will be comforted.
Another verse from this week's Bible study: Jeremiah 29:11-13 - you know the first verse, The last one got me - you must seek with all your heart to find Him. It's hard to put your whole heart into something. Especially when it's in pieces.
Grieving is very much done alone. Not even my wonderful husband can help me through some of the roughest points.
From the Bible study - "In the midst of some of your deepest difficulties, have you ever looked around and thought, "Where is everybody?"
Sometimes God reserves the right to withhold others and to pull you aside with Him so you can experience what David did in I Samuel 30:6, "David found strength in his God."...."
Even Jesus prayed alone when He was struggling facing His death. He took two disciples with Him, but He prayed alone - he sought the face of God and the peace only He could bring.
For me, I realized that only the Father can bring my friend the peace she doesn't even know to seek. I want to scoop her out of the grief she's in and help her see all that God may have waiting for her on the other side. But I can't. And I shouldn't.
She needs to do this herself. She needs to make the first step towards Him and he'll run to her and scoop her up.
I've stepped outside of myself. I've relived my own grief to try and help her. My role now is to pray and pray and pray for her.
I know this is different from what the others got from this first week. But God meets you where you are and gives everyone what they need right then. This is what I needed this week.
I have to admit, this Bible study is more involved that I anticipated and I fell behind. I'm making it a priority not to let this happen thsi week. It's an absolutley AWESOME study and I'm so excited to get more into it. I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.
It's coming, I promise. Right now my proiority is trying to retrieve my Sunday School lesson off this computer beast who seems to have lost it!
In the meantime, read what this great bunch of bloggers are saying about Beth Moore's "Living Beyond Yourself" Bible study:
********************************************
Edit:
Late? That always seems to be ME!
As promised, my take on the first week of LBY.
I think when you're doing a Bible study, you tend to pull the pieces that fit with where you are RIGHT NOW in your life. At least I do.
I have a friend who lost her nearly 4 year old son in a choking accident last August. He stuffed his mouth full of pancakes and jumped down to hurry off and watch a video and choked. He died about 2 days later.
She's been grief stricken. I've really kept my distance from her because being around her is painful for me. Right now, she seems to be "stuck". She's assoctiating with other grieving parents who are "stuck". I want so much for her to find the peace that only He can bring but she doesn't seem to be searching for it.
A verse this week stood out for me - Acts 14:22 - ".....we must endure many hardships to enter the kingdom of God......"
When does the bad stuff stop happening? Well, I guess it doesn't. God uses pain in our lives to show us the substance of our faith. He uses sorrow and pain to strengthen us.
Hardly seems fair, but it's right there in the Bible. We were never promise a "fair" life. We were promised He'd carry us through the hard times. Rain falls on the just and the unjust equally - no one is immune.
My heart hurts for my friend right now. Grieving is such hard work. I've been praying for her strength to increase and that her heart will be comforted.
Another verse from this week's Bible study: Jeremiah 29:11-13 - you know the first verse, The last one got me - you must seek with all your heart to find Him. It's hard to put your whole heart into something. Especially when it's in pieces.
Grieving is very much done alone. Not even my wonderful husband can help me through some of the roughest points.
From the Bible study - "In the midst of some of your deepest difficulties, have you ever looked around and thought, "Where is everybody?"
Sometimes God reserves the right to withhold others and to pull you aside with Him so you can experience what David did in I Samuel 30:6, "David found strength in his God."...."
Even Jesus prayed alone when He was struggling facing His death. He took two disciples with Him, but He prayed alone - he sought the face of God and the peace only He could bring.
For me, I realized that only the Father can bring my friend the peace she doesn't even know to seek. I want to scoop her out of the grief she's in and help her see all that God may have waiting for her on the other side. But I can't. And I shouldn't.
She needs to do this herself. She needs to make the first step towards Him and he'll run to her and scoop her up.
I've stepped outside of myself. I've relived my own grief to try and help her. My role now is to pray and pray and pray for her.
I know this is different from what the others got from this first week. But God meets you where you are and gives everyone what they need right then. This is what I needed this week.
I have to admit, this Bible study is more involved that I anticipated and I fell behind. I'm making it a priority not to let this happen thsi week. It's an absolutley AWESOME study and I'm so excited to get more into it. I can't wait to see what else is in store for me.
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| Jenn | Amanda | MamaB | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| GiBee | Boomama | Maria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Blair | Heather | Nancy | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Janna | Flipflop | Robin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sherry | Patricia | Tara | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Lauren | HolyMama! | Faith | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Christy | Eph2810 | Karin | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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posted by Life with Pzazz!!! # 7:13 AM 
Comments:
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Hang with us! Stomp around and pray out loud that God will get the enemy off your case so you can get back on track with the study. Read the other study members' posts for a shot of encouragement! Don't let you-know-who have his petty little way.
Looking forward to your insights next week!
Looking forward to your insights next week!
Hold up ... you forgot verse 14!!!
Jer. 29:14 -- ... I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
If we seek God sincerely, He will COME AND GET US from our exile and BRING US BACK!!!
Your friend is in her own exile right now... one of very fresh pain and anguish that I can not begin to fathom... but may be preventing her from seeking God sincerely... She might need the love and care of a friend that has "walked a mile in her shoes" to help pull her out of her despair. Someone who can lovingly and bravely say... "Okay. I know the pain you're feeling ... it's real pain ... but you must allow God to wrap his arms around you ... don't pull away from him during your time of need."
Woa! That's frightening! And I know very painful for you ... but, you have been down that dark path and have come out again with your faith in God intact. And she might need to see that.
Just a thought... And I hope I didn't step on your toes...
Blessings to you.
Jer. 29:14 -- ... I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile."
If we seek God sincerely, He will COME AND GET US from our exile and BRING US BACK!!!
Your friend is in her own exile right now... one of very fresh pain and anguish that I can not begin to fathom... but may be preventing her from seeking God sincerely... She might need the love and care of a friend that has "walked a mile in her shoes" to help pull her out of her despair. Someone who can lovingly and bravely say... "Okay. I know the pain you're feeling ... it's real pain ... but you must allow God to wrap his arms around you ... don't pull away from him during your time of need."
Woa! That's frightening! And I know very painful for you ... but, you have been down that dark path and have come out again with your faith in God intact. And she might need to see that.
Just a thought... And I hope I didn't step on your toes...
Blessings to you.
Thanks for your insight. I've tried. She doesn't seem to WANT that right now. Right now she's hurting, angry and empty. But she's not ready to move from being there.
I want so much for her to know I can understand how she feels. Our situations are different, but I know how it feels to read your own child's name on a death certificate. She won't hear it. She told me herself that I cannot understand since my daughter was a baby and her son was a preschooler.
Thank you so much for your thoughts on this very sensitive matter. If you think of it, please keep my friend in your prayers.
I want so much for her to know I can understand how she feels. Our situations are different, but I know how it feels to read your own child's name on a death certificate. She won't hear it. She told me herself that I cannot understand since my daughter was a baby and her son was a preschooler.
Thank you so much for your thoughts on this very sensitive matter. If you think of it, please keep my friend in your prayers.
My heart goes out to your friend...I pray that God will give you discernment and wisdom to know how you can best minister to her! Thanks for such a real-life reminder that God meets us right where we are.
Christy, my heart aches for you and your friend - may Christ meet both of you in your place of need and provide the wisdom you need to minister to your friend. I am so grateful for this study and the opportunity to meet you!
Patricia
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/PatriciaWHunter
Patricia
http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/PatriciaWHunter
I feel a strong sense of sadness for your friend. But while reading your post I thought about what I learned this week, how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us when we can't do something. Something like that. I'm still digesting week 2.
I am so sorry about your friend.
I love your post. Very touching. Very real. thanks for sharing.
I'll be praying for you and your friend.
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I love your post. Very touching. Very real. thanks for sharing.
I'll be praying for you and your friend.
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