Hey, Siestas! Thank you so much for your compassionate and diligent prayers for the Chapman family. It will be the difference between day and night for them. If you keep a prayer journal like I do, let’s write their names intermittently in the blank pages ahead of us so that we’ll have reminders to pray for them off and on for the next year. What seemed like random timing to us when we jotted the reminder to pray will be used by God as perfect timing for them.
OK, Girls, so what’s the plan for V-I-C-T-O-R-Y this summer? A more leisurely pace is terrific for the summer months if you have the kind of job (in or outside the home) where your schedule loosens up. Goodness knows, all of us could a huge let-up on the schedule and the stress. We need a vacation in the worst way. BUT, if you’re like me, 3 months outside the Word is roughly 2½ months inside a pit. I’ve found that if I’m going to live in victory, I’ve got to plan for it. Summer brings a whole new set of demands to many women’s lives so here’s a little encouragement to keep our heads covered with the Word.
If you’ve already got a Bible study planned for the summer, let us know in a comment what it is and where you’re participating…or if you’re just doing it solo. Our blog could offer some fun accountability. If you don’t have a plan, however, I’d like to propose one. This summer I’m going to facilitate an 8-week Siesta summer Bible study on:
I’ve told you before that I consistently do other authors’ Bible studies so that I can receive spontaneous words from God through other teachers. I have no idea how many I’ve done through the years, but for the last month I’ve been doing Kelly’s “No Other Gods.” I’ve gotten a ton out of it and have really enjoyed her writing style. The homework is not long and drawn out like other authors we know (let’s not mention names) and we won’t involve lecture-driven sessions, so it may be just the thing for some of you for summer. Not too much. Not too little. Kelly’s emphasis is on discussion, spending some really meaningful girl time together, and how about sharing some good food? Here’s my vision for how we could implement her study in Siestaville:
*We will launch on Tuesday, June 17th and “meet” EVERY OTHER TUESDAY (July 1st, 15th, 29th, August 12th) until we conclude our eight weeks of homework and accountability on Tuesday, August 12th.
*We will each need to get our own copies of the workbook (not the regular trade book version but the workbook!) “No Other Gods” by Kelly Minter and have it well in your possession by the time we launch. (We aren’t able to get it for you through Living Proof but I wish we could.) Please don’t wait till the last minute to get it or you may not be able to start on time! If you have a LifeWay Christian Store, you should be able to find it on the shelf but the easiest way may be on line through the LifeWay Website. Here’s the link: http://www.lifeway.com/e2/shop/?R=797560
*You can participate solo but since such an important part of Kelly’s purpose through the study is fellowship, try as hard as you can to enlist three or four other women to meet with you in one of your homes every other Tuesday night as scheduled. Five meetings this summer shouldn’t be too overwhelming and we can rotate houses if we like. Make sure that the women you invite to participate know that the evenings will be low on stress and high on much needed fellowship and rich discussion. Kelly calls this approach “The Living Room Series” because of its emphasis on a relaxed and refreshing atmosphere where we can develop some wonderful relationships in Christ. In this superficial culture that surrounds us, where friendship take place through text message (I’m guilty, too!), we have a huge deficit of pure depth in women’s relationships. Let’s make this real. The goal is to have those two weeks of Bible study finished each time you meet (after the launch) but the fellowship will still be worth your while if you couldn’t get all your homework accomplished. Let’s have lots of encouragement without loads of condemnation.
*On each of our meeting days (every other week starting Tuesday, June 17th to Tuesday, August 12th), I will “facilitate” by posting discussion questions or activities I’ve come up with based on our previous two weeks of study. You will then implement them into your gathering. (I will make sure the post is up first thing on those Tuesday mornings in case your meeting times are morning or noon rather than evening.) Your way of checking back in with me will be by telling me something about your gathering afterward in a comment to that same post. It will be left up all day Wednesday for your feedback.
(For those of you not participating, it is important to know that we will not hog the blog all summer with this Bible study activity. It will only require a post or two every other week. We will have plenty of other things going for all our Siestas.)
*Several days before our every-other-Tuesday meetings, we will post a recommended recipe (of our own – probably from Melissa) for a dish to be prepared by one of you and served at that gathering. THOSE OF YOU NOT PARTICIPATING IN THE SUMMER SIESTA STUDY WILL STILL ENJOY HAVING A RECIPE IDEA. Recent posts and comments have been proof to me of that. For those who will participate, one of the really fun elements of Kelly’s series is great food. Talk about Biblical! Much New Testament community took place around the table in a long, leisurely meal. You’ll love the recipes Kelly’s included in the Bible study even if we pitch you some of our own ideas. Inviting all the participants to have a common dish every other Tuesday night will be just another way to fellowship as a large on-line Bible study group. It’s the beauty of the common table.
So, what do you think? I’m really pumped about it! It’s kind of experimental but I think it has great possibilities! Here’s what comes next regarding our summer Bible study: I’m going to give you till Tuesday, June 10th to decide if you want to participate and also see if you can pull together a small group. (Remember, you can do it solo but the goal is for us girls to have some meaningful fellowship and accountability. Try thinking outside the box on participants!) On the 10th I’ll make a post for sign-ups and the only comments that day will be the names and locations and proposed groups of those who will be participating. It will be so much fun to see all the different locales our Siesta Tuesday Summer Bible Study will include. I can’t wait!
Got your own plan for summer Bible study? Then let’s hear it! Let’s plan some victories, Sweet Things. Let’s have our souls refreshed and our minds renewed. God has a word for us this summer. Let’s go get it!
I love you to pieces and I’m so honored to be your servant.
beth
We start Stepping Up at my church next Tues. I’m facilitating so I’m already into it and it is wonderful and intimately challenging. I’m really looking forward to it. God is so cool! I’ll be interested to see how the blog study goes, what a great idea!
Sherri in tx
I can’t wait to join you. Hopefully, I can get a group of friends participate. If not, I’ll be here solo.
My husband and I are finishing (just this week) the Patriarchs study and we had been commenting on “what do we do next?”
so thrilled to check your blog today and find this study proposal.
I will be including my hubby in this. Don’t know how many men study your stuff Beth, but my Martin says he has been really blessed by you.
Also we have a very broken friend who needs fellowship right now. I sent her an invite to do this study with us and she agreed immediately.
That *has* to be God at work because she is normally very private and quiet.
so yes, we are “in” and will also being going to the LivingProofLive simulcast in August as a group.
I am very interested in being a part of this – not sure if I will have anybody to do it with but I’ll be interested to learn along the way.
My MAIN study for summer by myself is “Believing God” I facilitated this with a group two years ago but I just know that I need to do it at a slower pace and digest every single truth.
I am very interested in being a part of this – not sure if I will have anybody to do it with but I’ll be interested to learn along the way.
My MAIN study for summer by myself is “Believing God” I facilitated this with a group two years ago but I just know that I need to do it at a slower pace and digest every single truth.
Beth,
Our ladies group is just starting a summer Bible Study by Martha Lawly- “Attending the Bride”, but I love your idea and hopefully will be able to attend if you do it again! Our group just finished doing “Stepping Up” PRAISE GOD for how He uses you to touch all our lives…thank you Beth, for being His faithful servant.
We are doing Priscilla Shirer’s Can We Talk, starting June 10th.
Thanks for this message though. I am feeling so down right now. Just finished a study Patriarchs, and my heart is broken over the Chapman family (I have my own 4 1/2 yr old daughter from China), and just feeling scared in this big world, single mommy…. just moved my whole house and babies to a new home…and everything feels scarey and out of sorts and what is God doing?
Need to be in the word.
Thanks! Don’t want to be in the pit!
The ladies of my church will be doing Tianne Moon’s study, Enjoy. We’ve got 6-7 ladies around the city opening their homes for this summer’s study. I can’t wait to see how God moves in us and through us.
Oh, this sounds sooo fun!!! I can’t wait to talk with some of my friends to get a group together!!!
BEBE
Thanks what an answer to prayer, my husband and I have taken a physical leave from our ministry Rapha Christian Home (60 bed Christ Centered drug Alcohol rehab, we use Dale’s Conquering Chemical Dependence with emphasis on the 4 False Beliefs. The guys are doing one of your studies Breaking free on their own I was so surprised when they told me, I have in the past used some of the videos but not with this group.) We still come 3 days a week to minister, living off the campus for the 1st time in 11 years about 50 miles away from my Bible Study Group. I look foward to doing the study. Thanks you and we continually pray blessings on you and your family
I am THRILLED to be in my 3rd week of Daniel, it’s a rockin’ study and I am immensely enjoying it!! I do have a hand full of friends that want to do something together this summer and if it’s every other week, I believe we can swing this study with all of you! I will get the word out now!That would be “so special”! For those of you who have not had the privilege of studing Daniel please do yourself a huge favor and indulge sometime this year!!! Thanks, Beth for yet another amazing journey in God’s Word!!Yes, we will continue to pray for the Chapmans.
HokieGal123…If you see this comment, e-mail me!!!
I just realized that your church is the one that my church, (Highlands Fellowship in Abingdon, VA)partnered with after the horrible shooting at Tech last year.
Jim Pace has spoken at our church at least twice since then!
Wow, really small world!
T
I’m facilitating a 5-week Bible study in my home beginning June 3–Kay Arthur’s Lord, Teach Me to Pray. My son is getting married in July so I chose a short one. I’m also leading a study on Acts in Sunday School, so I have my work cut out for me. Although I can’t participate in Kelly’s study, I’ll look forward to the recipes, discussion questions, and others’ comments. Sounds like a wonderful idea!
I was hoping to do a study this summer, and I need to do it on Tuesdays…so this works perfectly! I’m going to try to round up some ladies, and will meet you back here in a couple of weeks.
I recently came across your blog and have been reading some of the older posts to “catch up” on the happenings. I can hardly wait to try some of the recipes!
This study is JUST what I was looking for and have ordered my workbook so I’ll be ready…just need to get some of my friends on board and we’ll be set.
Count me in. Anyone out there near Springfield, TN that would be interested in meeting together?
Rita
Am going solo this Summer with your devotion~Jesus, The One and Only. ;o) I am beginning to homeschool 4 little ladies this Fall and need all the Jesus I can get my hands on!
Ok, I’m in! What a great idea. I am so excited b/c my church isn’t doing a summer study. (We just finished Living Free this Spring.) We are doing a ladies book club instead with Jennifer Rothschild’s book Self Talk, Soul Talk.
I just went to Lifeway last week to peruse for a summer study to do on my own and actually had The No Other Gods book in my hand, but was interrupted by my impatient 4 year old who had watched enough Veggie Tales and had to go… so I was headed back there this week anyway!
What a great idea! Thanks so much for your care and involvement with us out here in siestaville! You are dearly loved right back!
You are so on the money! Any time my schedule slows down enough for me to get distracted I end smack dab in the middle of a pit! I am thankful to be part of an awesome church and friends with an incredible group of siestas to keep me accountable.
Starting June 2, I am leading our women’s home group in “Living Free: Praying God’s Word”
I am so excited to see what God is going to do! We’re meeting every Monday night for 6 weeks (with a break for summer camp and one for July 4th)
I appreciate your prayers!
This is great!! The ladies have been hounding me about what we’re going to do this summer. Ok, not really, but several have expressed interest in doing something, since we just finished Stepping UP!
I’ll be sending out an email this week to find out about interest, so count us in.
I’m the only blogger in our group, so I guess I can be called your liason! 🙂
Sounds so fun! I am hoping to get my prayer & accountibility to join in the fun! You are so fun, Beth. I love you so very much. Thanks for your encouragement to keep our faith & Bible study up during the Summer.
Count me in. What an awesome idea. Siestaville will have an “online” class to the mighty glory of God.
I have already ordered my member workbook. I will check with others who may want to join us.
I love how creative and outside the box thinking takes place in siestaville. I too am excited. This will be so much fun. I can’t wait to see what God reveals through this class.
Blessings,
~Maddy
Can’t wait to get started on “No Other Gods”. What a great idea, Beth!
I’m leading a group of college girls in your “Living Free” study for their summer break. Enlisting participants now and will begin Sunday afternoon, June 8th.
If any of you siestas have a “spare prayer”, please ask God to pull this group together and speak -oh so lovingly, to these girls. This will be the first Beth Moore study for most of them- though they’ve heard me talk about our women’s group studies and Beth quite a bit!
Blessings to all as this summer begins. So looking forward to studying with you on this blog!
Terry
Too Cool!! I’ve been praying for about 6 weeks as to what the Lord had for me this summer. This study opportunity is a perfect fit!! I’m going to pray, asking the Lord if this is it, but I sure hope He says yes. I also have a few college gals to include which will be great fun- they did Daniel last summer and already have been asking what study by Beth we would do this summer…:)
Becky in MI
I love that you don’t want to take the summer off! I have 2 daughters, 1 is going into th 9th grade and the other into 6th. You can just imagine the issues we are dealing with so we decided to do Girls of Grace!! They have invited some girls in our neighborhood also. It is wonderful getting started and I think it will be just what the girls need to get their minds set on Christ before they enter new battlegrounds. Thank you for your encouragement and accountability!
I’m writing a Bible Study this summer to lead my MOPS group through next year. It’s on the book of Ruth. I’ve buried myself in commentaries and resources. I think I have about 30 pages of notes on the first two chapters! Who knew all that good stuff was hiding in little ol’ Ruth?
I feel sort of like Jeremiah 20:9 about the whole thing. Otherwise, I would love to do “No Other Gods”, and I will be sure to note it for another time.
Our bible study group is taking a bit of a break and doing a book club format. We’re reading “The Shack” this summer. I rarely read fiction (always a slippery slope into the pit for me) but I think this book will be okay. However, it is not the Word so my next door neighbor and I will be joining you in this study as well. We both agree that a vacation from the Word is a one-way ticket to Pitsville! Excited to share this study with all the siestas!
I’d love to do this. I’m going to have to scramble to get the materials (missionary, working in W. Africa and mail is rarely on time and hardly reliable) here in time, and I’ll probably be going solo just because of the reality of life, but I hope to participate.
Great idea, and I’m looking forward to it. Thanks, Beth!
I just got my No Other Gods book! I saw the Lifeway store and went for it! I am also hoping to be able to participate in Stepping Up at a church in my area, if my work schedule allows it. I can’t wait to get back into Bible study this summer and then lead my sorority sisters in one this fall semester!
Hi Beth!
The ladies at my church are going to do your Hebrews study on Wednesday evenings throughout the summer. I cannot wait!
We just finished Stepping Up and before that..Daniel.
May the Lord richly bless you as your words from Him richly bless us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your faithful sharing.
Deb G. from Berea, Ohio
I just bought my book online. :0)
I’m on day 76 of Jesus-The One and Only…almost finished. This new bible study came at the perfect time! I’m looking forward to it.
Going to do it solo! But also going to do The Beloved Disciple at our church starting June 5th – have done half the Daniel study solo, but will save the last half for the fall since we are not having Tuesday Beth nights until January (well for those of use who are over 25 that is . . . !) —- looking forward to this Siesta study and —- August 22nd!!!!
We (Bethel Baptist, Bradenton, FL) are going to be doing “When Godly People Do Ungodly Things” starting July 3rd,ending August
14th. We’ve never offered a summer Bible study but when we ended this spring the ladies did not want to wait until fall for another Bible study. Thank you Beth, for making some of your studies short (7 weeks) which is the perfect length for summer!
The spirit is moving. I sent a link of this blog to a sister in christ. She called me and told me she had been praying about this exact study and whether she should lead up a summer study or not. Needless to say, she will be leading the study. Her news gave me the chills!
Beth,
A group of ladies at our law firm are meeting during our lunch hour for bible study. We just started “A Heart Like His” and will be listening to session one cd tomorrow and then we will meet again on Thurs. to discuss the past week’s homework. We are so blessed to work in a place that allows us to meet together for bible study. We have done several of your studies along with some other author’s studies. You studies are so meaty and I have never enjoyed homework so much!! I love digging and finding treasure in God’s word. He has already shown me several of his treasures in this past week’s homework. I have such a hunger for his word right now and pray that I never lose that hunger! Will keep everyone posted on the treasures we are diggin’ up down here in Mississippi! Love to all y’all!
Bethie 🙂
Sounds like a plan…like a good plan! 😉 I’ve ordered my workbook and I’m praying about whether I could teach this in Sunday school or propose to have it at my house. Still considering taking a class for school for 6 weeks this summer. So, I’m a prayin’ about it. The study does look good, though, so I can’t wait to dig into it and share in a study with you Siestas this summer!! Love, Missy in SC
A friend and I are starting a young adult women’s study in her home, studying Dr. Emmerson Eggerich’s “Love and Respect”. I must admit, I’m a little nervous but I know God has been working in both of us to prepare us for this. It was about a year of “nagging” until I finally listened and now we’re planning on at least 10 women, but probably more. I’m so PUMPED to see what God has in store for our marriages through this study and fellowship with our sisters. OH, and I’m SURELY joining the Siestas study, too. I am so excited about the idea of being in the Word with sisters TWICE a week! Woo hoo!
Oh, the Love and Respect study we are starting will begin June 15th and we will meet every Sunday evening.
I can’t tell you what a blessing this is! Summers are crazy for me, and I will probably have to do the study alone because of my travel schedule, but I am mad excited!
I so need this!
Love ya!
Kristi B.
I would LOVE to do this bible study! Is there any way that we could know “where” some of the small groups will be? I’m in Richmond, TX – and I drive to Beth’s Tuesday night studies at FBC (so I don’t mind driving a bit to get somewhere), and although I’m not new in my community – all of the women at my church are older. I’m 30, mom of a 2-year old – and just don’t have Jesus-loving friends my age in my neighborhood…
That sounds pretty pathetic – why don’t I just say “i need friends..!” – but seriously, if there was a small group anywhere in north/west, south/west Houston -I would love to know about it.
p.s. and hey, Beth – don’t know if you’ll remember this at all (but I’m the girl w/the box of marlboro light 100’s! I’ve been reading the blog for the last two years…but rarely post comments. Anyway- still not completely free from smoking..and yes, dealing with guilt at times – but I know that Jesus is the ONLY true satisfaction…and the best days of my life are the ones where I am completely surrendered to Him (and smoke-free…)
I’m facilitating Priscilla Shirer’s “He Speaks to Me” on Thursday nights.
I’ve just sent an e-mail out to some girls to see if they’re interested. This could be a powerful summer!
This is such a sweet idea! I can’t participate this time around, but I’m psyched about reading the feedback every other week!
If anybody is looking for another shorter Bible study to carry through the summer (and can’t do this one for some reason), I would also recommend a study called Feast by Derek Leman. He takes six weeks to walk through some of the feasts the Jews celebrate. From what I understand, Leman is a messianic Jew so that adds so much to the work. This study is seriously blowing my mismatched socks off. It isn’t split into a day one, day two format (which is tough for type a’s like myself 😉 but it’s still easy to divide into a week. Even though it’s less verbose than some studies (not that verbose is bad! Wordiness rocks! :), I think about it off and on all day long. As juvenile as this may seem, I’ve always kept the old testament at arm’s length. I love the classic Bible stories (David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, etc.) but some aspects of Bible culture (particularly OT) seemed to odd to even try to wrap my mind around. The more I read about Jewish culture and history, the more I get it. The Bible feels so whole to me now. I don’t really know how to describe it. My faith just feels more rooted. It is WILD to read about these feasts and know Jesus participated in them. I love the symbolism and tradition and the juxtaposition of celebration and reverence when it comes to living in relationship with God. When I read how the resurrection mirrored the passover, I almost flipped my lid. It is crazy beautiful. Plus the book is also cheap and pretty, and that’s ideal for broke 20somethings like myself 🙂 Kelly Minter’s study is next on my list. It’s so cool to have such a variety of study material out there. Here’s to making the summer matter! 🙂
Thank you for sharing yourself with us over the summer. I bought books and am praying for God to bring a group together.
We have our last night together of Believing God on Wednesday. I will present this suggestion to the ladies and see if any one is interested, other wise I will be doing this solo. If anyone is interested, The church is Lakeside Community Church in North Waterboro, Maine 207-793-9300. If there are any siesta’s in my area who would like to get together just call. We will lock arms across nations and do this together, Glory to God!
We will keep the Chapman family in prayer. My heart goes out to them.
Judy
Oh how I wish I could do this! My small group has always talked about how long the summer is and what could we do about it, but family schedules always get in the way. How small minded I’ve been – start a new group for summer, Duh!@@! However, I’ve been on the road for 3 weeks already and will be gone into July with my husband and 2 girls (8 1/2 and 7) in an RV touring the USA, well some of it anyway… Said a prayer for you and Living Proof as we passed by Houston on the way to Corpus (my birth city!!) I’m still struggling just to do a “bible study” with the girls each morning much less an something involved for myself. But so grateful for this blog as a connection!! Can’t get to it at every stop as we don’t have internet, but love to catch up! Have a great summer and study!! BLESSINGS!!
Amy
Count me in! What a great idea!!!
I just completed “Stepping Up” solo, so I may do this one solo as well.
I just moved to this area, so I’m hoping that there will be some Sietas out there that I can join in with! 🙂
Our group just finished Living Beyond Yourself tonight and all I have to say is WOW!!! God is awesome and great all the time. He spoke to me so much throughout this entire study. Our leader is praying about our next study and I can’t wait! It is such a joyous time of fellowship and growing in Christ when we get together! Beth you are so real and we all appreciate your service and dedication (hanukkah) to our Savior.
Our Wednesday morning group, ages 20something-80something, just completed Stepping Up twice (12 weeks), then 3 weeks of Wising Up. We had decided to take a summer break, but food, fellowship and Bible study is too appealing to skip. We’re “in”. We’ll change our day to Tuesday for the summer, and you can read about us at http://stringsunlimited.blogspot.com .
We have a group of 7 women starting “Believing God” tomorrow night as our summer Bible study! We have already seen God working on great things for this study/group. Please pray for us. So excited to have a focus and an anchor this summer! Love your idea.