Hey, Siestas! It’s time for summer Bible study! For the sake of rich fellowship and vital accountability, we hope as many of you as possible are meeting with small groups and on every other Tuesday or as close to Tuesdays as possible. You are absolutely welcome to join us solo but try to stay as involved as possible in the discussions so that you’ll feel plugged in. This is what you’ll do every other Tuesday:
1. Watch the video so you’ll have your instructions for your gathering or for your solo experience. I will always put the bare bones of the instructions in writing on the post just in case there is a video malfunction.
2. (You will find these instructions reiterated in this post because it’s fundamental to the experience.) If you are in a small group, designate one person who will write a comment to this post briefly telling us about your group and your discussion. It can be a different person each week or the same. START THE COMMENT WITH THE CITY, THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS AND LOCATION THEN DESCRIBE YOUR GROUP AND ADD SOMETHING ABOUT YOUR DISCUSSION. For instance, I am meeting with my Monday staff members so my comment will begin with:
Houston, Texas; 8 of us; Meeting at Living Proof Ministries. Our group is primarily made up of…The main part of our discussion was about…(And so forth).
3. If you are going solo, your comment will become the way you complete the assignments. In other words, you’ll see that I ask you to describe this season of your life in one word. In your comment, tell us what that one word would be.
Make the length of it one good, descriptive paragraph. Try not to write too much or readers will tend to skip over it.
This clip is to give instructions for your first gathering – the one you are hopefully having today or in next 24 hours. You can watch this together or your leader can watch it and pass on your instructions.
Summer Bible Study – Week 1 from LPV on Vimeo.
I so hope that makes sense! Now, here are the written instructions for your gathering just in case you can’t get the video to work. Welcome aboard! May God take us on a journey that we’ll treasure for many years. Let’s find the Ruth in us, Siestas!
Today in your small group, here’s what I am asking you to do:
1. If you don’t know each other, spend a few minutes finding out some basic biographical information about one another. (Single, married, still in school, or in a career. Children, no children. The regular stuff. Keep in mind that everybody fits in Bible study. You don’t need to all be alike. In fact, the more alike you all are, the less you may sharpen one another.)
2. Each of you in your small group characterize your life in this present season in ONE WORD. Have the leader record these.
3. Each of you in your small group share one specific goal you have this summer for being in Bible study. Have the leader record these, too.
4. Look at the very last verse of the Book of Judges (Judges 21:25) because of its placement just prior to the book we’ll study together this summer. Discuss several specific reasons why doing what each of us sees fit at any given time could be dangerous. After several minutes of discussion, read Jeremiah 17:7-14 and talk about how this segment relates or contrasts to Judges 21:25.
Leader: this is very important. You get back on within 24 hours of meeting and write a brief summation of your group time as a comment to this post. Tell us how many came, your city, and something about your group or your group discussion.
*UPDATE*
Here’s a link to the first chapter of Ruth in case you don’t have your workbook yet.
http://www.lifeway.com/lwc/files/lwcF_Ruth-Sample-Chapter.pdf
Hi, y’all from Elizabethtown, KY. There are going to be at least 5 of us studying toegether. So far it’s a family affair, mom, 2 aunts and at least one cousin. We won’t get started until tonight (Wed.). We just heard about the study on Sunday. I had seen the book in Lifeway and was considering doing it on my own when another cousin (male) e-mailed us girls and we jumped right on the Siesta wagon! I’m sure I’m not alone when I say summer is really a hard time to stay in the Word without the structure of a Bible study. Also, if there is anyone in E-town who is going solo and would like to join us give me a holler at [email protected]. The more the merrier.
Yesterday I had wrote that I couldnt just name one word to describe my life at this present season and well I thought about it and its CHAOS!!!! I am being hit from every side. Through it all though I am trying my hardest to hang on and hold tight. I know that through this study I will be learning so much. We had spent 4 years living in ND and we truly felt that time was a Valley period and finally moving to our new duty station we felt that this would be a time of renewal and it hasnt happened yet…I know we have only been here for 4 months but I have a problem with wanting things to happen right away and thats not how the Lord works. Its been one disappointment after another but in reading my Bible, spending time in prayer and now with this study I know the Lord is going to move and work…Thank you Beth for all you do and I cant wait to sit down and read Day 2 in Ruth today
Praying for you April.
Hello to all, from Sheboygan, Wisconsin – 6 to start but hoping for 9. We will be meeting at various restaurants/coffee shops on different days. Last night, five of us met over dinner and one participated by e-mail. We range in age from mid-20’s to late 50’s, from expectant moms to grandmas and everything in between (having young kids, grown-up kids, no kids).
Our words:
MM – pregnant
LH – challenged
KT – inundated
SW – healing
MW – overwhelmed
DC – transitioning
Our goals are similar to others’. Almost all of us attend the same church and wanted an additional, more in-depth study than the “lighter” (no homework!) study we are doing at church this summer. Some notable goals:
– Strengthen women-to-women relationships with one another through Christ.
– Learn more about scripture and what God has to say.
– Stay “in the Word” (with the accountability of homework) while dealing with the day-to-day busyness and challenges of life.
– Deepen our connection to God in a community of others, so we don’t feel alone.
– Find our faith again (or for the first time?) in the midst of a “dry season.”
– Search God’s word and be open to His will for us, while enjoying one of God’s great gifts, the friendship of other Christians.
Everyone agreed that the verse in Judges presents a picture of our current society, and the Jeremiah passage offers us the perfect perspective for finding the right way. Some concepts really hit home: the idea that our own hearts are deceitful and wicked and we need a king to show us what is right; that our trust in the Lord and our Christian life is like roots that help us stay strong and grow, even in difficult times; and that we should let ourselves heal and trust in Him, to live the lives he intended for us.
Looking forward to writing those letters to God and starting on our homework!
10 in our group from Alpharetta, Georgia. We met last night for wonderful food, fellowship, and study. Most of us have know each other for years and have been through many studies together (including the previous 2 Summer Siesta Studies)! Although we are all around the same age, married, and have children, I was surprised at how different our one word answers to where we are in life were. Words like “tired”, “busy”, “overwhelming”, “content”, “growing”, “waiting”, and “stormy” easily flowed from my sweet sisters’ mouths. I love the way God opened up each of our hearts to one another with just one word, feeling empathy for the one who is busy and the one who is tired, compassion for the one who is overwhelmed and the one who is waiting, and praising God with the one who is content and the one who is growing. I can’t wait to see what is in store for us next! Ruth here we come!
Holland, MI; 5 of us; meeting at my house. Group of 50-something women – only I know all so everyone else made some fast new friends last night! Theme: we’re all eager to stay accountable to be digging into the word this summer. As our leader, I’m thrilled I asked only 4 women to join me on this journey and all 4 accepted. I’m blessed with some awesome friends!
Hello Siestas. Greetings from Niceville, Florida. I’m flying solo because we just moved here. My one word for this season of my life: transition. The goal for this Summer is to dig into God’s Word and hear from Him. It is dangerous for me to do what is right in my own eyes because on top of my sinful nature I am ditzy and forgetful and things get ugly fast when I rely on my flesh. The passage from Jeremiah is so refreshing; HE is to be where I place my trust and hope. When I place myself by Him, He will plant me, water me, draw my roots down deep into Him, anchor my soul, refresh me, cause me not to fear and to be green with growth and a continual yielding of fruit. I want to be fruity in Him! 🙂 Bless you Siestas!
Three of us in Springfield, MO. This is our second summer Bible study, and we love to have an “excuse” to spend time together in the Word!! We talked about how all true change begins in the heart. It’s not enough to try to get rid of the old/bad/destructive responses; we must replace them with God’s truth. Looking forward to getting more of that truth in the depths of our hearts!!
Hello Siestas!
Chicago, 8 (All brand-spankin’ new Siestas- I had to explain the term and it was especially funny bc one lady is from Colombia :), from 25-70 yoa, and we all attend the Salvation Army Norridge Citadel We all “know” each other, but we did the bio section anyway and learned so much more about each other! Here are the one word self descriptions, “handing-off”, “balancing”, “transition”, “anticipating”, “chaotic”, “relational”, “anxious”, “evolving”.
Kelly, those enchiladas ROCK, girl! Got so busy eating that I forgot to ask #3- specific goals. Next meeting. So stinkin’ happy to be a part of Siestaville and growing together with y’all in His word!
Wow! Julie, Michelle, Holly and myself had a great time together last night! We all live in the small town of Ridgefield, WA. We are part of a new church plant and all serve in leadership roles there. So this is kind of a siesta from responsibility to focus on us:) Is that selfish? We all know each other quite well, but I think we will be able to go to a new level of friendship during this time of studying Ruth together. Like…we didn’t know that Holly was an avid Princess Diana fan as a teenager or that Julie graduated from high school when she was just 16…she was even living by herself in a rented room! Unsettled, searching, content and busy are the words that describe our lives right now. As to reasons for summer Bible study…we all need the accountability of other sisters in the Lord and love to be in the Word. Through the study of scripture we were able to pray that the Lord would teach us His truth and that we would be strong in Him – not doing what seems right in our own eyes, but looking constantly to Him and His desire for us.
Brentwood Ca, there are 21 of us meeting at Jennifer’s house we range in age from 18 – 80+. We enjoyed dinner and a time of fellowship. We had a good discussion last night around what happens when we do what we want. Jennifer and I are very excited about the wide range of ages in our group and the experiences they will all bring to the study. Thank you so much for doing this. Kathy
Whitney, Sunray, Texas, Solo I’m so excited to partake in the journey of this study. This is my first Siesta study and is just where I need to be! I am a new mother and had my first baby boy on May 12th. I have recently resigned from my job to be a stay at home mom. As I’m learning to be a mother, this study is a practical way I can stay in the Word and accountable. With all the current adjustments of my life, I’m doing the study solo. However, a dear friend who mailed me the book is up for some long distance discussion time together. I would describe this season of my life as “NEW”. I’ve been so needy and desperate minute by minute for God to give me the wisdom and strength I need to be the mother He’s called me to be. As my baby has cried out to me, I’ve cried out to the Lord…dependent upon HIs direction for this new journey in life. So, Jer. 17:7-14 so made my heart jump because I want to be that tree on the riverbank. I want my roots to reach deep into God’s Holy water! I want the faith to know He’ll care for me in the heat and drought that life on Earth can bring.I want to stay green and bear fruit. I want my actions to be based on God’s heart. So, Ruth…here I come!
Rochester, MN; 6 of us meeting in the home. Our group is made up of friends and co-leaders from our Side by Side bible study. We are all moms, having 2-5 kids each (21 kids in all!). A common goal for the summer was to continue growing in the Lord, rooted in Him, through this study and our personal bible reading. Especially as moms with husbands who work long hours, most of our time and energy can be spent on the day to day demands of the kids. Our desire is to honor the Lord with our parenting and with how we daily live out our lives. And to support each other in doing it! Much of our discussion involved the truths of Jeremiah 17:7-14. We put our trust in the Lord and not our own hearts (and desires)as they can lead us astray. We want to be like those mighty oaks firmly rooted in the truth!
Hi Beth and everyone! We have a group of 5 ladies from FBC in Russellville, AR. We are all secretaries here at our church (except for one)! We range in ages from 50ish to 30ish. Because of our various ages, we are all in different stages of life. We are all married to awesome, Godly men. Some of our ladies have grown children who have blessed them with grandchildren and a couple of ladies still have kids at home ranging in age from 16 to 4.
Due to crazy schedules, we “met” via email yesterday and here is a quick overview of our responses:
1. CONTENT, CHANGE, GROWING, BALANCING are our 1 word descriptions
2. Our goal for this summer study is to be held accountable to stay in the Word, to learn as much as possible about Ruth and to FINISH!
3. We all also agreed that doing things on our own without the Lord’s leadership can cause us sadness and regret, not just for us but for our family and friends as well. In addition, doing as we see fit isn’t based on an accurate picture because God can see the BIG picture whereas we can’t. We all agreed that we want to stay within God’s plan for us and to do that we must stay planted firmly in His Word. We want to be like the trees planted by the streams . . . so that we can continue to bear fruit in good times and bad.
Hi,
This is my first Siesta Bible study also. Going solo since I’ll be traveling some this summer. A description of me at present would be “unfocused.” There are way too many decisions at this point in my life, but my goal in this study is to listen to God for direction. So excited to be a part of Siestaville!
Castle Rock, CO…solo
One word…refining.
Did my first lesson this morning….I needed it! I think I have already had too many weeks off from Bible study. So glad to have a community for the summer!
Hey Siesta Mama
I’m goin’ solo this summer! I’m married with 2 boys and life is pretty hectic right now. This Bible study is one way I hope to get even closer with my best friend, Jesus. The one word that describes my life is ANXIETY!
Thrilled to be doing this study.
Blessings
Pam
Portland, OR
Greetings from the GREAT state of Alabama! I am a 43 year-old single and blessed mom (widow for 4 years) of 2 girls – ages 6 and 11 in Winfield, Alabama. I am starting the study solo but hoping to have some friends join in with me. One word to describe my life right now is GROWING! As I am sure everyone here is experiencing or has experienced, it seems I find myself at times making decisions based on what “feels” good or right at the time instead of turning everything over to Him in prayer for guidance, wisdom, answers and love. I do know that I can trust Him and He will never forsake me but I must pull myself out of my own selfish motives and views based on the worldly views of good and bad and focus on His views. Thanks for doing this study! I am so excited to see what He has in store for me! Blessings!
Glendale, AZ. 5 women meeting in the living room of a siesta. Our ages and words were:
16 – Dissatisfied
37 – Lonely
42 – Loss
55 – Hungry
82 – Curious
The 16 year old is red hot on fire for Jesus and determined to win her H.S. for the Kingdom. The curious 82 year old is my Gramma and this is her FIRST Bible Study. She’s not been interested in the Lord in the past and we were surprised she joined this study. She was so excited that after we all left, she asked my mom to find her late daughter’s Bible so she could get started reading it right away!! Beth – thank you so much for addressing first time studiers in the video. It validated her place and encouraged her to continue. I love that Jesus pursues the heart of an 82 year old widow!!!!
Our goals ranged from wanted consistency in the Word to receiving peace of mind to finding a certainty of purpose to deepening our relationship with Christ.
That is a precious truth – I’m so glad your G-ma is joining your group!
Ginny Schenectady NY
I am solo again this year. I haven’t been on the blog much lately. Lots of things going on I could use some prayers for. This morning I was about to log off the computer and I felt the Lord tell me to go check the blog so I did and saw the study. I felt in my heart that this is where I’m supposed to be. Thank you Beth for doing another summer study.
My one word description of my season; Change
Ginny, I’m so glad you’re going to join us.
1)Green Valley Baptist Church Tues nite Women’s Bible study in Hoover, AL (suburb of Birmingham)
2) Our group is comprised of 15 ladies – some married, some single, all stages of life represented- small children, teenagers, grown children, aging parents, etc.
3) One word to describe our season of life: limbo, transitional, worn-out, exciting, stress-free, serene.
We related these words describing our season of life to how Ruth and Naomi felt at one time or another in the book of Ruth.
4) Judges verse- this is a perfect description of our world. Everyone does what they decide is right in their own eyes, no matter the consequences to themselves or others!
Jeremiah verse- We love the illustration of the tree planted by the river with a deep tap root that will sustain in the “drought” periods of our lives! Also, in today’s world we MUST stand out and show the world that sin is sin in the context of GOD and the Bible- that we cannot, and must not, be tolerant or explain away the consequences because that is easier. We are to be “voices crying out in the wilderness” like John the Baptist, and the voice of GOD like Jeremiah- even though it is hard, this is what GOD expects of us! Tough, tough stuff to do!!
I’m going it solo this Summer in Bellingham, WA.
My one word is “waiting.”
My goal this Summer is hoping to hear God’s voice and see his direction in my life.
(I have to admit that I got this study in the mail a couple of weeks ago, and have devoured it from start to finish. I needed it so badly! But I’m going to try to follow along with this group still.)
Blessings,
Sasha
Hi Sasha,
I’m just north of you in Aldergrove, BC I going solo too, if you’d like to get together to chat sometime my email is [email protected]
In Christ,
Cassandra
1) Hartwell, GA
2) 9 of us
3) Rotating homes
4) One thing we all have in common: we are mothers and love Jesus. We are different in age, stage of life, and careers!
5) We talked about circumstances in our lives and how many of us are trusting and surrendering to God. We all agreed that we need to be filled with God’s peace. We had similar goals for the study – to grow in community with one another, to learn more about God, and to apply what we learned to our lives and share it with others.
We are a group of 5 maybe 6 siesta sistahs from Ocala, Florida. 3 presently married and 3 single and we range in age from late 30’s and up to ?. We mostly got to know each other through church or work. 3 of us even went to high school together. We ultimately unite through Christ. Our season and goals are:
1. hope-growth
2. trials-What is His plan in this?
3. tired-growth
4. blessed-knowledge
5. obedience-explerience more
We are excited to be a part of a different way of doing a bible study and it is so cool how connections are being made through blog responses.
Littleton, CO
Doing the study solo as we are new to the area and I don’t know anyone!!
Early 30’s, 10 month old daughter, stay at home mom.
One word- tired!!
This is my second Bible study and my goal is to deepen my relationship with God and seek His purpose for my life.
Looking forward to this!! Thank you Beth!!
I know a great church in Littleton where my granddaughter and her husband are on staff. Calvary Chapel of South Denver. Her name is Caroline Geraci and she is about to have her first child next month. You all need to meet! I will pray for that for you and her!!
Thank you, Midge! I will have to locate that church. I am a “new” Christian and have been praying about finding a church to attend.
Sweet Beth Amanda, Melissa,
I see that the computer/tech glitch has been corrected!
THANK YOU!!!
Truly humbled and loving the RUTH STUDY by KELLY MINTER!
I am touched,heavy-hearted,encouraged and appreciative by the love you share to all of us Siestas. WE LOVE YOU!
When I read words like depleted,hurting,lonely, etc.. I want to climb into my car and drive to my Siesta’s home and hold them in my arms! We all need that once in awhile! Beth, Your words touch and encourage us!
Thanks for bringing this safe haven and blessed blog to us. Let’s STUDY THE WORD ~ RUTH
Our Savior comforts us in the season we are going through.
Well, I’ve never commented on a blog, but I can not think of a better time to start. I am doing this summer Bible study, because I have great respect for Beth Moore and I am excited to read Kelly’s Bible study. Even more importantly, I am doing this because one of my niece’s has invited the ladies of family to join her in this study. We are located from L.A., to Chicago, to Toledo, to Cleveland. What an awesome way to share some time together!!
My season of life? ..healing and learning.
My goal?…to continue to learn more about God, His word, and to be more in the flow of His Spirit.
The study so far reinforces my desire to be content with where I am and that I live alone. God is always with me, I have many amazing people in my life…and God has a very specific plan for me, in His time. God is my rock! You ladies are an amazing inspiration!
Hi! I decided at the last minute to join you all so thanks for putting the first session on line. I will receive the book in a few days. I am from Andover, Kansas, a suburb of Wichita. It was about 100 degrees here yesterday, so I can appreciate your 102. One word to characterize my life right now would be: “unsettled”.
Going at this alone, and my goal would be to find another piece to the puzzle.
Looking forward to learning more! Kathy
Central Ohio – solo
one word – investigative
goal – healed heart and to grow to love Him more!
when connected to the vine (john 15) He produces His fruit. When I go my own way, following my heart which is deceitfully wicked – I produce my own fruit which is not lasting and does not taste good!! His does!! Allowing Him to search me – always brings great rewards!!!
Love love love John 15! That chapter has become my favorite since Jan/Feb. And why do we bear fruit, so by that the Father is glorified 🙂
Rebekah: I just have to say hi! I’ve been meandering through all the posts this morning and keep seeing your sweet face and comments. At first I thought, “Oh, there’s Rebekah again!” – and in no time I found myself looking forward to finding you again. I love your presence here. : )
[that was “there’s Rebekah again!” in a happy way! : ) ]
joan: i love your word, investigative. what a fun mindset to have when starting a study of God’s word. I pray your heart will be healed and restored beyond all you could ask or imagine.
Awww THANKS Linda! 🙂 I love being here. It’s been REALLY slow at work the latter half of this week (praise the Lord because before that it was so busy!) and I figured I’d encourage people when I can. 🙂
I think it is so ridiculously cool that we are all connected in this big wide world through a blog and that God chooses to bless us through reading other’s comments. 🙂
And I figured the ‘there’s Rebekah again!’ was in a happy way 😉 HA!
Thanks for saying hey! 😀 That really made my Friday afternoon! 🙂
Wow. That is a LOT of smiley faces. :S I may need to tone it down!! 😉
We are four women in our late twenties in Abilene, TX. Three of us have toddler boys and one of us is praying for God to give her the gift of a child. Our discussion time was fun and meaningful. At the end we all laid hands on M and prayed for God to open her womb.
We described our lives in this season as Chaotic, Blessed, Happy, and Healing.
Two of us set goals of just getting and staying in the Word this summer. One of us set a goal of greater accountability. And one of us desired to get a better prayer life.
We are so excited!
Marci from Amsterdam – I live close to Mansfield!!!!! How do we connect??
Humboldt, Iowa; 10 ladies present, 19 in our group; Zion Lutheran Church; Some of our one-word life characterizations were hungry (for God’s Word), pulled (as in many different directions), blessed (praise the Lord) and adventurous. We discussed how only God and seeking Him can bring us peace and contentment, and the challenges of staying in the Word during a busy summer. We’re excited to study the Book of Ruth!
Hi, I’m in Houston, Texas and I will also be studying Ruth solo this summer, but it doesn’t really feel “solo” since I know there are so many other women all over the country doing this as well 🙂
1. I am 27, single, no children, unemployed – looking for a job in office administration, but really open to anything. I’m unsure of what the future holds or even of what God wants me to pursue right now (except for Him obviously!). I feel a tad bit lost.
2. Waiting or Unknown.
3. Just to be closer to God. Ideally, I would like Him to speak clearly, obviously, and greatly and to do something NEW in my life. I am ready for a new, more life-giving season to be initiated by Him. I hope and pray. But more than anything I just want to be close to Him and obedient.
Shorewood, IL, doing the study solo. I am 42, married with two teenage boys.
One word that describes my current season in life: IN NEED
(Ok, that’s two words, but really, after making a list of words to describe me now, from fearful to blessed, it all seemed to come down to this one thing – I am in need of drawing closer to the Father!)
My goal for this study is to get into His word and lean into Him.
I’m new to this whole bloggy thing, but so excited to be a part of this study!
We are from a little town in Denver, NC. There were 7 of us at our group. We are meeting at a very cool coffee shop in Denver. The coffee shop is letting us stay an hour after they are closed…how cool is that!!
We have an awesome group of ladies and our ages range from 24-40 years old. We had a great time of laughing, sharring and honesty. We all love the “red shoe” idea…look our Dorthy here we come! Beth, we love you and thank you for having such a fun filled spirit and evident love for our Lord. Can’t wait to meet again!!!
Susan B. & Stacy C. from Chapin, South Carolina. We are meeting at local restaurants. (May have 2 more coming.) Our seasons are “dry” and “confused.” Both of us have a goal to seek God’s direction for our lives. We each feel like we are at a crossroads. We had great discussion about what’s going on in our lives right now. When we finished with the reading of Jeremiah, we were blown away by the way these verses spoke to each of our seasons. We are looking forward to how God will continue to speak to each of us as we journey through Ruth.
1. 30, married, mom to a toddler + one on the way. studying this one solo.
2. blessed
3. continued growth & accountability
4. I recently fell in love with these verses, which seem to summarize my thoughts on our discussion of Judges/Jeremiah: Unless Your law had been my delight, I would then have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Your precepts, for by them You have given me life. Psalm 119:92-93. think about it, His ways are LIFE to us. anyone else have goosebumps?
Monroe,Ga. Five ladies meeting together in each other’s homes. Four of us are in Sunday school together and the other gal is my best friend. She and I consider ourselves Siestas even though we don’t know how to blog–we have followed the blog for the last few years. Our ages are 30’s-40’s some single with kids, married with teens and another married with step kids and one of her own. One of the ladies is a new Christian and we are excited about this being her first Bible Study. We can’t wait for her to get to know Beth.Our words were Content…Wisdom…Painful…Change…Hopeful.
West Chester, OH; solo; my one word right now would be “frustrated” (my husband is unemployed); my goal this summer is to keep studying…I’m new (baptized February 2010) and love to study; if we are rewarded by our conduct and we do as we see fit, we may not like how we are “rewarded”
Going solo in Southern California. One word for my life right now would be scattered! My goal with this study is to bring some much needed spiritual discipline into my life. Looking forward to being immersed in Ruth this summer. Thanks!
Is anyone near Clinton Township, MI? I would love to join a group instead of going solo.
Edinburg, TX, 3 women this time (I think we have about 10 total), meeting at my house. I’ve been reading the blog for a couple of years, and did the Me, Myself & Lies study on my own last year. Last summer my family moved across the country to the southernmost part of Texas (we’re only a few miles from Mexico). So I’m hoping to build relationships and re-establish good self-discipline for Bible study through this study. Our group includes several young moms (mostly via MOPS) and some older, experienced moms and grandmas from our church. Thanks for suggesting this study! We have a lot of women who have recently moved long distances, and Ruth seems a timely and appropriate book to study. 🙂
HI!
Our study: Just 2 of us. Kelly and Theresa. We actually have never met in person – but have been talking and sharing and praying together for like 4 years and are kindred spirits in many ways!
About us: We are both turning 40 this August. (Oh boy!) We both have older teens. Theresa lives in Sacramento area. Kelly lives in Houston area. T is very active in missions, bike riding, and even NASCAR with her hubby. Kelly is a computer geek that loves baseball, movies, and sleeping late!
We plan to chat about the study daily in our accountability blog and especially apply it to our quest to honor God with our body and our health.
Goals: To spend the summer in the word daily. Will be nice to be on the same study at the same time.
Take care everyone!
Kelly
Russell, KY. Doing the study solo, but several woman from my church doing it also, so we will be talking about it. Summer schedules, vacation, kids, jobs made it difficult to pick a time to meet, so we’ll catch up with each other as we “do life together” in our regular way!
Got to hear Kelly M at Lifeway Women’s Conf in Nashville in Nov. What a cool, Godly woman. Anxious to get started with her study!
Hey, Paula… I’m not too, too far from you… I’m in Breathitt County… glad to see some other KY people on here! Blessings to you!
University Place, WA, 11 of us (8 last night) We meet regularly throughout the year as a group at church for ladies bible study. We decided to not take the summer off this year and are meeting with all of you! The main part of the discussion was sharing where we are all at in our lives. Most of our “one words” had to do with feeling overwhelmed, behind, frazzled etc. Probably pretty normal for ladies with small and school aged children. We are really looking forward to the study. We all talked about how God had really put this together for us to meet. We are anticipating a word from God in this season!
My Bible Study partner and I are from St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.
It is the first time for both of us to take part and we can’t wait to see what God has in store for us!!!
I had been looking for someone to team up with since I found out about the study and I was surprised when I ran into my “partner in the Word” in the grocery store and she said she would like to do the study with me!! God has amazing orchestration!!
Her season of life right now is “Fulfilled”. Mine is “Waiting”.
We both have a desire to stay in the Word this summer and this seemed like the perfect way to do it. I am hungry for more of God and my partner wants to go further and deeper into Him.
Siestas Sticking With God (SSWG), Greenwood, SC (Small but we do have our own Starbucks)
Three friends who’ve known each other long enough that we met in our pajamas last night. Married,53, no children; divorced, 54, two grown sons; divorced, 60, two grown daughters, two son-in-laws, four grandchildren.
Current seasons, anxious, crossroad, blessed (one with grandchilren :))
After a meal and lengthy discussion, we summed up that when we do whatever we please (Judges 21:25 NIV), it separates us from God and we want to be “women who stick with God” (Jeremiah 17:7 The Message).
Tallahassee, Florida; group of 6; different home each meeting; our group is mothers of young children (8 and under) and we all attend the same church. We had great discussion last night. We all shared our hearts as to what is going on in our lives right now and what God is doing. We all desire intimate fellowship and to grow more in the love and knowledge of our Father.
I hosted last night and we had the chicken enchiladas from the book and the cinnamon whipped cream. We decided to ditch the ice cream and go straight for the whipped cream in the coffee. Everything was delicious! Attempted the sugared almonds, but did not turn out so good.
Thank you Beth Moore for your passionate heart for God and for seeing women experience His glorious presence in their lives!
Our group had 5 ladies in attendance, a range of ages (fun), we all decided to join the group (do the study) to expose ourselves to more fellowship opportunities.
We discussed how a lack of leadership may or may not lead to a need for someone to step in to show the way. Sometimes the situation exist because of transition in ones life or in the life of an organization. It can also be chaos which is in need of a loving hand, or other times we can but pray about the situation and remain faithful. Great start, we are taking turns cooking each session.
Huntsville, AL. Going solo! I am currently working on my Master’s in Speech Language Pathology. This is my first Siesta Bible Study and I am super excited about it! The word that describes this season in my life is waiting. Waiting to be done with school, waiting to start a real job, waiting for my prince charming, waiting for the cookies I just put in the oven to be done… My goal for this study is to get deeper in the word! I constantly struggle with a desire to crack open my Bible and read it. I am always blessed when I take the time to read, but more often I get busy and then it just doesn’t sound as good as other things I could go do. But no more excuses. When I do as I see fit I often find I am ruled by my emotions and not by the Lord’s guidance. My decisions are not thought through and there are usually big consequences for that! Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful above all things” how true! I must rely on the Lord. He will not deceive me.
Leslie-solo
Word to describe this season-change
What I hope to gain-learn to trust
Judges/Jeremiah reflections-doing as we see fit is a totally self-centered place to be & does not encourage us to build relationships, explore ways to help others or get outside our own comfort zone.