Hey, my Dear Siestas! It’s time for our second gathering of SSBS3! As promised, below are your written instructions in case you have trouble with the video greeting. REMEMBER, your comments to this post are meant to come AFTER your small group gathering or your solo experience to tell us how your time went. We hope all of you participating will check back in with a comment at some point over the next several days. (One leader checks in per group and each solo participant checks in.) This is part of the accountability process and will immensely help you stay with it through the very last page. As always, please put your city at the beginning of your comment. Thanks so much for joining in!
Summer Siesta Bible Study – Week 2 from LPV on Vimeo.
Your discussions in this gathering will revolve around different points in your homework. Two from Week One. Two from Week Two:
1. Look back at the middle of page 12 where Kelly had us look up Deuteronomy 23 and Judges 3 to get some background on the Moabites. Read Deuteronomy 23:3-5 together if you’re not watching this as a small group. In your small group, I want you to talk about a few things that have happened in your lives that Satan would love to use to curse you. You can think of it conceptually more than literally if that helps. At the end of class today, I want you to claim that fifth verse together in prayer and believe God to turn those curses into blessings!
2. Turn to the middle of Week One, to the bottom of p.21 and the top of p.22. I loved Kelly’s discussion about her friend “weeping forward.” What do you think that means? Several of you share a season in your life when you feel like you wept forward and several others might consider sharing a season in your life when you wept backward. Most of us have done both at some point in our lives.
The next two are from Week Two:
3. OK, Day Two has a portion that is vintage Kelly Minter and one reason why I love her writing so much. Look at the second paragraph on p.42 where she tells about her sister, Megan. If you were writing a novel that was secretly about yourself right now and right in this season and you had to name it in the form of a question, what would it be?
4. Turn to p.45 and review the part of your homework concerning Psalm 126. Please read the psalm together then discuss your answers to the “Personal Response” question: Practically speaking, how can you sow in your weeping? Don’t miss how much this section has to do with your second discussion question today.
In closing, one of you read the Elizabeth Barrett Browning quote at the end. Let it lead you into prayer and don’t forget to claim those blessings from our first discussion question today!
For all of you participating in the fellowship meal, consider the recipes on pages 62-63 and either do them or some Italian equivalent.
I am so happy to study with you! Stay in the Word and I’ll see you in two more weeks!
St. Louis, Missouri – stayed out of the heat and enjoyed lunch at Panera Bread
Brooke and Lois, obviously still a week behind schedule. But we decided today that we would rather savor the richness of the study than to hurry through it, since both of us are enjoying it so much.
1. In Brooke’s extended family, Satan could have used a history of divorces. In mine, it was the sudden death of my first husband. God has used both of those situations to bring about blessings that we could have never dreamed possible.
2. Both of us have experienced times of weeping forward and weeping back.
3. “I’m midway through life; what is the end of life really going to look like?” and “Why have I been so blessed?”
4. The passage from Psalm 126 has had special significance in my life. Shortly after my husband died, my attorney shared a devotional with me that was based on sowing in tears, reaping in joy. During those first painful weeks and months, God gave my kids and me opportunities to be a blessing to other people in our lives. And believe me, we have definitely experienced reaping in joy!
We LOVED “All About Vangie!” Congratulations, Evangeline! We hope you are finding time to enjoy this exciting time in your life!
Lois, where in St. Louis do you meet? I’m in the Metro area and would love to meet some fellow Siestas!
Psalm 126:5-6 meant a GREAT deal to me. God is bringing me through a season of tremendous humility and “pruning.” I have lost almost everything that I believed was my future, but I am seeing how God is blessing me with more than I ever had. Financially things don’t make sense on paper, but He’s providing. I planted a massive vegetable garden this spring, and He’s speaking to me through my work in the garden. I thoroughly enjoy going out each morning to “walk” with Him.
How can you “weep forward?” I believe it’s trusting God to make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear! And He is doing just that with me, and I praise Him with every fiber of my being.
He loves me and has a good plan for my life. And His promises are for me as well as anyone else who trusts and believes in Him.
Barbara, there are just two of us, and we meet at the St. Louis Bread Co. on New Ballas in Creve Coeur on Wednesday mornings at 10:30. (We aren’t meeting this week because I’m on vacation.) We are a week behind. We will meet next week, July 28th, and watch the “Week 4” video and discuss the questions for Week 3 and 4. Let me know if you can join us!
P.S. In our discussion, a question came up that has me puzzled. (We are behind; the question is from Week 1.) In Deut. 23:3-6, the Israelites were told that no Moabite or his descendants could enter the assembly of the LORD, and that they were not to seek friendships with the Moabites as long as they lived.
Given this instruction to the Israelites, how was Boaz or any other Israelites able to associate with Ruth? Was it allowed because Ruth had begun following Yahweh?
If anyone has any insight on this, we would appreciate it! Thanks!
That’s a good question!
Columbia, SC Newlywed ladies group
We met tonight, July 14. There were 4 of the 9 attending tonight. We missed the other ladies, however we had a very intimate sharing time tonight. It was really nice. Our group really loves this study.
I’m writing for our group in Wichita. We had our second meeting tonight, and it was just wonderful. So much of what Ruth experienced has direct relevance to us in our varied lives.
It was funny to hear the titles each person gave to the “novel of their life”–partly because they were all so similar! Here they are: “Why?” “Why am I still here?” “To go or not to go–that is the question!” “What am I doing here?” “What would You have me to do?” These titles reflect, in part, a question about place, but more about what’s happening in our lives. God’s shaking us all up in some way or another, and it’s good to have this forum to share the journey.
We took a group picture tonight, too! Soon I hope to be able to figure out how to post it with my name. 🙂 Blessings, all!
I am in Winter Haven, FL and going solo. Here are my thoughts: 1. Satan could have led me when I was recently confused about which direction my life should take.
2. After my divorce, I spent weeks weeping backwards, trying to relive my past and fix my mistakes but once I was able to get help with my inner self even though I was often still weeping, I was weeping forward.
3. After a recent move to Florida my question would be: Why did you bring me to Florida in Summer?
4. Weeping can be a cleansing process which helps to sow the seeds for the future.
We had a great meeting, dinner included. One burning question that came up was about Orpah. Kelly went into great detail talking about her disobedience and how we need to keep obeying God the second, third time. We just didn’t see where she was disobedient. Was there a law or cultural tradition that said you must always stay in the family, even if your husband has died and your MIL is moving away?
We’d appreciate some insight…thanks!
Not sure if this is right or not . . . I saw this situation as one where Orpah and Ruth had accepted Yahweh as the one true God in the course of living with Naomi. They had made the decision to follow Him and become part of His people. I came to this conclusion b/c they both wept and refused to leave after the first time Naomi asked them to go back to their family. They were clinging to Naomi as their family, but I think an equally strong pull was their new life as ‘Israelites’. In deciding to go back, Orpah would go back to her family who served and worshiped other gods. When she did this she was choosing her old life and old gods, therefore being disobedient by turning from Yahweh. Where Ruth chose to continue to be with God’s people and around those who would have a similar devotion to Him.
Ah…thank you!
Keysha in Roanoke, Virginia:
So excited that I can report I am not doing the study solo anymore. I found three other girls who wanted to join and we all just met each other through church (new to us) and VBS…..that said we are one week behind everyone else, but loving it.
We all could relate to the fact that Satan had destructive plans for our marriages in different seasons, but God really turned his plans into belssings. He got us through those times and gave us marriages immeasureably more than we could have asked for.
We all knew people living with the loss of children, husbands or marriages who are really weeping forward. Examples of grace through what none of us thought we could make it through.
As to a novel or our lives….Beth, we thought this was a hard question and we spent several moments of silence. Three of us have recently made moves from places that we were very comfortable so we came up with “Where in the World have you placed me?…or something close to that. (hee hee)
Our most fun discussion was how we were all amazed at the relationship between a mother-in-law and her son’s wives. How none of us would have even considered going with our inlaws somewhere if something happened to our husbands and none of us had bad relationships with them…just never would have thought of that even being an option. They all must have been extraordinary women. God is awesome in His prividence.
OHH, because the book is “loss”, Love and Legacy….some of us are trying to lose weight together as we do the study….taking the Loss part a little further.
Angie
Conover NC
Solo
I am so behind and I am sorry!! We just moved last week and it was crazier than I thought it would be – so many things got left undone- such as this study! Anyway-I am now in Conover NC as opposed to Hickory NC!!
My answers to the questions for sessions 1 and 2
1. family history of sins – Satan has been pelting me w/this to pull me down but God is teaching me how to fight and have victory
2. In the sorrow, yet still walking forward. I have wept forward over the past 3 years – well, maybe some weeping backward too as I spent much time questioning and questioning God over things that were happening. My husband had a near fatal trucking accident in 2006 which then led to a series of events that took us down. We purchased a store, lost the store, lost our home, filed bankruptcy, moved twice in 6 months that took us away from dearly loved friends. It was traumatic and confusing. I kept walking forward, slowly but surely, and now we are on the other side and all the better for it.
3. Why do I have to keep dealing with this?
4. You continue to seek God and walk w/Him in the midst of the weeping.
Hi Angie, I live in Valdese, so we are neighbors. Don’t worry about being behind, Im right there with you. I get really into it, doing a lot of searching. I have learnt a lot. I also lost my home from foreclosurer 2 years ago, but God seen us thru. I have an home thats paid for now for the help of my mom. Now i can see how God got us from point a to point b and how he has worked it all out. It makes me excited when i think about it. We are so blessed.
Eeek…I am so behind in my bible study! I have been doing the “Here and Now, There and Then” study at church and trying to do this one too. We have had storms just about every evening and some afternoons where I am from so it’s been hard to get on the computer—as a matter of fact, there is one brewing right now and besides that it has been sooooo hot and my air conditioner doesn’t emit very much cool air through our home.
I watched the second session and really enjoyed it. I’m sorry your dog got ahold of your bible—I think she wanted to enjoy the Word of God too. 🙂 I guess she saw how much it made you happy and she wanted a piece of it…no pun intended.
I’m going to try and get caught up and come back and answer the questions.
Have a great day everyone! Love ya!
Trinity UMC – Milford, OH
In the mist of Vacatin Bible School here, I am blessed that most of our group of moms help me pull together a blessed VBS each July.
Our group is having a great time with Ruth. We meet on Tuesday mornings so the video wasn’t up until I checked at the end of our meeting. I only received a few responses by e-mail to the questions. Because we meet weekly we only answered 3 & 4. I’ll post 2 of our answers. I promised my group I would have time in all the Vacation Bible School planning to handle this, but it took me 10 days. (only 1 more day of VBS – what a great blessing in my life).
3. “Why can’t I hold the crystal ball?”
4. This is hard to answer. How can you sow in your weeping? You just do. You weep, you grow. You pick yourself up and robot through until time heals…until God heals. You weep for God to help you and when you are ready to listen, He is there. Then the sowing eventually turns to reaping.
&
3. My book title would be “What MoreCan I Do?”
4. I believe people can learn through your sorrow. When things are not going well for you and you turn to God for help, He sends the right people into your life for that moment. I think sometimes that while we weep, we teach others to keep their heads up and that the God we believe in will provide what we need.
1. lots of things. most recently, my mother’s illness and the fact that after 3 glorious months with her back home in Australia, I had to return to Canada to my husband and older 2 children. Husband does not want to make the move to Australia (we cant do it financially anyway) and I wrestle with why I am here…due to a poor decision I made many years ago.
2. I am trying not to weep backward right now. Trying to weep forward for the sake of my 4 munchkins. It is so hard.
3. “Lord help me live each moment even though I don’t understand”
4. Reading the Word, memorising the Word, treasuring God’s promises in my heart, pouring out my heart to the Lord, helping others to take the focus off myself
Our Kansas City, MO group was just two but a sweet extended meeting that blessed us greatly.
We are grateful as all get out that Kelly’s giving us context to understand this book of God’s word more thoroughly.
God’s looping us back to our reading of So Long Insecurity this spring and walking us forward with such an example of a secure woman in Ruth.
She fascinates us both…as a single woman and as a married mom. And Naomi really intrigues us, too. We talked extensively about the timeline of N’s faith and later bitterness after her sons died (not her husband as we read it). We lingered over what might have been N’s presentation of God to Ruth through words and actions in the years prior to them both returning to Bethleham. We wondered how both Orpah and Naomi were barren for their entire marriages, yet nothing is mentioned about it and marveled at Ruth’s priority to follow Naomi and Naomi’s God over a second marriage or children.
By the time Boaz shows up in the story we now realize what a back story has already been written in history!
I’m Shanelle, age 40 – flying solo in Phoenix, AZ.
1. I don’t want to sound dramatic and pathetic, but this is a time in life that Satan could take pleasure in as a curse on me. This summer has been full of medical devastation. The canceling of surgery and endless waiting and uncertainty would normally send me spiraling into the dark cloud of depression. That’s where I see this as a blessing. I am not struggling in that. And it would be easy to fall into it. I really feel God’s mercy and grace at the absence of that depression. That is how God has turned what Satan hoped would be a curse into a blessing.
2. Weeping forward – it’s about mindset. And I can’t wait to share this with my 18 year old. She tends to weep backwards and stays there, crying about the unfairness of a situation and how it would have been better if people had just done blah, blah, blah. I want her to begin to weep forward. She can allow herself 5 minutes to cry over what’s happened, and then moved forward, knowing that God is working His plan, we need only be faithful.
3. My novel title would be: What else can I do with lemons? The lemonade is giving me heartburn!
4. Based on Psalm 126 I’m thinking that this summer I am sowing seeds of faith. I keep throwing them out there, hoping and praying they will begin to sprout and take root. I’m afraid if I don’t sow seeds of faith I will have nothing but bitter weeds to clean up. I pray if I overseed I will see the bumper crop God has grown in me and be able to share with others.
Love your book title!
Williamsburg, VA. Tonight we had 3 of 5 attend. We sampled the yummy Fresh Tomato Pasta (and of course coffee & sweets). I didn’t have the chance to see the video & questions that Beth posted till now. We went throught the discussion questions in the text, but for next meeting I think we’d glean more from following Beth’s layout…. We’re right in the mist of summer & all it’s “busy”ness. I really encouraged everyone to stay plugged in to the word. God promises His word does NOT return void (Isa. 55:11)…. Amen!
I have decided to name our group “The Seasons” because we are from all seasons of life!
Pensacola, FL
11 of us met on 6-12-10 and ate Session 2’s recipes..yum yum!
This was a surprisingly somber focus of discussion much of the time because we discussed the tragedies in our lives, the weeping done forward or backward, and the struggles we have been through ourselves or our families have endured. We know that Satan would love for us to settle into that heartache but we know that the Lord ALWAYS sees us through the difficult times, that His Hand is always at work in this world to bring good to those who love Him! We have wept forward and backward in our lives. Forward when our children grow up, our husband is deployed, or our pastor leaves the church. Backward when grieving the loss of a loved one to suicide but God was really showing off for her when He timed events together to show her that her father was still loved and remembered. Our Book Titles were interesting as they included: “Why don’t I do what I need to do?”, “Why don’t I enjoy where I am now?”, “What will my life look like in 50 years?”, “God, Are you sure you meant to trust me with all this?”, and lastly, “Do I need to smack you in the face to have you trust and believe in me?” Some interesting books I would say! Through life’s hardships we believe our biggest opportunity to sow while weeping is to teach our children how to turn to God and depend on Him to see you through the fire! Refining my fire! We BELIEVE God can turn any hardship meant to be a curse into a blessing!
We are the cutest group Beth because we were brought together from all “seasons” in love of the Lord…..wish you could come!
The Hendersonville girls have finally gotten to meet. They’re extra tardy b/c their fearless leader skipped town last week. So many darlings shared examples of curses to blessings, weeping forward and sowing in tears.
It was especially poignant for one precious mother/daughter duo. They had just been to the funeral of their grand/great-grandmother today. We were all blessed by their tender, tearful hearts.
Future NY Times best sellers list:
Is this all there is?
Who erased my calendar?
When will I be rich and famous?
People are scary and people are stupid.(She was in a much better frame of mind when she left :))
Why can’t you get it together?
How long does transition take?
When do I get a break?
What’s my next step?
How do I react?
What’s wrong with being busy?
When do I stop going through changes?
Is menopause contagious?
Where is my calendar?
Don’t you just love these gals already? We’ll be back on schedule next week. But for now you can just call us the Caboose Cuties. (c’mon. If you’re This late, ya gotta have a call name).
BTW, congratulations Vangie! I’ve been practising my hand motions. Just in case I need them.
Love to all!
Okay, finally checking in. Sorry! We were on vacation last week and now it is already Fri. Since I am going solo, I am just going to answer one of the discussion questions online and that is the fourth one: I guess the way to sow in your weeping is to keep doing the next thing…we have to have faith that God will work it all out in the end. Nothing profound, but sometimes the next thing is all we can do.
Okay, I guessed I “copped out” of my earlier answer. I did not want to answer all of the questions “in public,” but I will go ahead and be brave :). I think Satan could use my love of children and husband to set up some fear. I have to constantly remind myself that they (we) are all in God’s hands and that my children are just on loan to my husband and I. He likes to put those seeds of doubt and fear in.
My book titles could be (beware, it is a series ;): “I Am So Thankful He Blessed Me With Five Kids!” “Having Five Kids is Harder Than I Thought” “How to Balance Raising a Teenager, a Child with Special Needs, A Tween, A Preschooler, and a Toddler and How to do it well without all of them having too many issues” Okay, clearly that last one will never sell with that long of a title 😉
The time when I really had to “weep it forward” was after our 2nd son was born (who has Down syndrome) and then we found out we were having twins! We were so excited and then after our first trimester ended, we found out they died in utero. I had to have a D&E and it was so, so very difficult. We found out later that they were twin girls. I had two other miscarriages, but the twins were the hardest (I guess because I “saw” them so much on ultrasound). I had to keep moving forward, though, because it was right before Christmas and I had two little boys who needed me. I could not “check out,” but I wanted to. Eventually, we did end up with two little girls (six years apart, in addition to three boys. Thank you God for your blessings, even through the rain.
Chesterfield, VA, Solo
Married, 26
1. Satan would love to use my impoverished background to keep me down. And I speak of impoverished not only materialistically, but relationally and spiritually. He is no gentlemen, Ladies. He will kick you when you are down. “…but the LORD [my] God turned the curse into a blessing for [me] because the LORD [my] God loves [me].”
2. As emotional beings, I do not believe that God chastises us for feeling a certain way during difficult times, but He does prod us to trust and believe (in) Him. God calls us to obedience and sanctification. “We all…are being transformed into the same image [the glory of the Lord] from glory to glory…”
3. What’s it all about? My anxiety creates a lot of questions and thoughts that quickly become jumbled in my mind. It steals my focus from God and what “it” is really all about. My priorities become misaligned and my goals blurred.
4. Obedience. I have heard Dr. Charles Stanley teach the principle “Obey God and leave all the consequences to Him.” This rings aloud when I consider sowing in my weeping. Despite what has caused the weeping, I believe God has called me to obedience and provides me with the know-how and strength to walk in that calling. Please don’t mistake my explanation of sowing in weeping to mean that I do it with grace, eloquence or ease. It has proven to be easier said than done in my life. However, God does richly bless me in beautiful ways when I obey Him! When He reveals Himself to me, I am quickly humbled! He knows just how to encourage me.
Northwest Houston – Solo! We are also studying the Book of Revelation by Beth at our church so working on two very different studies at the same time. Interesting!
I’m not sure why, but I have been hesitant to respond in writing to these particular questions. I am usually a blabber mouth when it comes to telling people about my history, but putting it in writing seems more difficult.
#1 – Satan used a failed marriage to a Baptist pastor to cause me a lot of grief and pain for several years. I didn’t trust God at the time with my life and thought He had surely forsaken me, so I gave up on Him. A few years ago God turned it all around for His good and His glory and I am learning to trust Him again. I know He sees the “big picture” of my life and He knows how the story ends. I now thank God for who I am because of His love and faithfulness.
#2 – I spent some time crying backward and now with tears of joy I am so looking forward to the coming years and though there are still tears, they are now tears of forgiveness for all who I felt betrayed me and forgiveness for myself for not trusting God with my life. I so love God and thank Him each day for the privilege of studying His word and for the wonderful people (like Beth Moore) that He has sent into my life.
#3 – Are we there yet?
#4 – I am thankful each day for the opportunity to tell my story and sow seed to others who may be where I was and to tell them that we can believe His word and believe that He is faithful and “the joy of the Lord is my strength.” I share my joy with others who are struggling as I was at one time.
Thank you all for sharing your faith and your journey! Thank you Beth for who you are to women today! I love you for the stand you are for us! May the God that you love so much and share so freely continue to bless your life for Him.
I’m working on the Revelation study with my church, too… and it is interesting to be doing two at once! What I really like, though, is no matter how different they seem, the same scriptures seem to pop up… and htey are just what I need!
Well Siestas, I’m flying solo and lagging behind… jet lagging behind that is— just got back to Virginia from California…(and I think the next posting on my website is going to be “Disneyland Is No Place for Toddlers”) LOL! 🙂 Anyway… I am loving this study. Kelly has “busted” me a few times already; including pg 41 “When our buried questions begin to percolate, we’d just as soon numb them by watching TV… reading, napping… anything but sitting before the Lord.” Which goes perfectly with the question of “If I could title a novel about my life with a question right now, what would it be?” Well it would be, “Monica, what are you so busy doing? Jesus is calling!” I recently started a ministry in writing and speaking, and had a great start burst… and now momentum has slowed and MUCH work in SOWING is required for the Lord to take it and me to the next level, and, yet here I have lately become a slave to the tyranny of being “busy!” I imagine Jesus sitting next to me with his head rested bored in one hand; elbow on the table as the fingers on his other hand tap lightly and impatiently for me to get a move on… in the right direction and away from the distractions of “busy.” Soooo time to, as Kelly says on pg 43, “start throwing out some seed!” God’s got a work to do in me and through me! It was last night that I finally sat before the Lord to pour out all of my fears, anxiety, and questions.
OK…
Q1: Satan would love to use alcoholism to destroy my family. My hubby and I both come from fathers who are/ were alcoholics. One has sobered up for 12 years (Praise God!) One is still a slave to the daemon. (Pray to God for his deliverance!)
Q2: I have had many seasons of weeping forward, in particular over the above issue for Question 1, bearing the pain of familial rejection because I took a stand to no longer “play the family game” and set new healthy boundaries for myself and my nuclear family. Tough stuff, but the Lord has so blessed it in my relationship with my husband, in the deliberate raising of our daughter, and even in the healing of my relationship with my parents, despite my father’s continued abuse of alcohol… which I stand on faith the Lord will turn that around in His time too!
Q3: Answered in the opener!
Q4: For me sowing in the weeping has always been about running into the Name of the Lord… He is my strong tower and so in every season of weeping I plant my foot on Him, His name and His promises. I look for every opportunity to dive deeper into my relationship with Him. I ask Him to give me revelation, to show me what I am supposed to learn, and I look deliberately for His hand, his provision and His design… I can honestly say that every time I come out on the other side better than before, clinging madly to my life verse: Romans 8:28! “And we know in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
Reporting for Gina, Heidi, Patty and Jan…
… our overriding theme seemed to be about relationships… changing, conflicting, communicating with siblings, family, children, spouses… what God is showing us through Naomi and Ruth’s relationship. We worked through sowing and weeping forward and backward until we all took a turn with leaky eyes. We are moms with almost high schoolers down to babies… and squished between those demands and aging parents…leaving not a lot of time for ourselves… but loving our brief times to connect through this study… and find out.. we are not alone in our struggles….
Going solo in Leola,PA. This study is really challenging me and helping me to process a lot of baggage.
1. My husband is a second career minister and we have felt very betrayed by ‘the church’ and leadership in several positions he has held. It was really hard to deal with the hurts when it came from those we had trusted with so much. Satan would love to have used this to turn us from ministry but my husband and I with God’s wonderful help persevered and he has had a flourishing ministry for 15 years as a chaplain for retirement communities.
2.It seems that weeping forward is the trusting in God that despite the hurt and the pain, He can get you thru to the other side. In our church situation, I definitely spent too much time weeping backward, thinking about the life we had given up to go to seminary etc. When I finally decided to put that aside and weep forward, God has done amazing things in our life.
3.”Why did it take me so long….”
4.While I weep at times for how long it has taken me to really KNOW God and learn to obey Him, I often can use my own experiences to encourage others to keep walking with Him and to keep seeking Him. God doesn’t waste any seeds.
I am so blessed as I read others comments about this study. Even tho I am doing it solo, I feel that I am learning so much from the rest of you. Blessings to all.
I hear ya Gardenle! I feel blessed by this online community too! Thanks for sharing!
Amy in Grand Rapids, MI
1. In this season of my life, Satan preys upon my insecurities to try and curse me – he says things like, “you’re not a good mom,” “you’re not a good wife” and even “you’re crazy – you can’t finish this Bible study.” But I believe that what Satan is intending to curse me with God WILL turn into a blessing.
2. A season in my life when I wept forward: In my early/mid-20s, I was in a relationship – my first serious dating relationship – and I was pretty convinced he was “the one.” But as the months passed, it slowly became evident to me that the man I was dating was not God’s best for me, and after much prayer and counsel, I ended the relationship. It was heartbreaking, devastating – and so necessary. There was much weeping, but in His strength (and only in His strength) I wept forward and was able to move on from that place of hurt and pain.
3. Where Do You Want Me and How Will You Get Me There, God?
4. While this may sound trite, I can sow in my weeping by praying – or simply being still in His presence and allowing Him to speak. I can sow in my weeping by moving, even if it’s just taking the next right step in HIs will (this ties back to the discussion of obedience on Day 4 of Week 1).
I hear those same lies Amy! Let’s together see what God says instead over the next few weeks!
“Then I will make up to you for the years That the swarming locust has eaten, The creeping locust, the stripping locust and the gnawing locust, My great army which I sent among you.” Joel 2:25
Bethany, my sweet youngest daughter, and I have learned so much in this study of Ruth. It has been a blessing to discuss the lessons with her. She taught her husband’s youth group some of the info. she learned. That sure made this Mother proud of her. It has been one of the greatest blessings of the summer to learn to cry forwad. Thank you so much for having another summer Bible study.
I am going solo in Christiansburg, Va.
I’m sorry I’m so late in posting this. I’ve been out of town and couldn’t get to a computer with a decent connection to post my responses.
1. I can think of two things that I can say God turned the curse into a blessing. My divorce is the first. I have suffered long and hard with guilt and shame for years and really only in the last two years or so have I finally come to terms with my feelings about it. However, God has lavished His grace and mercy on me. My life is far better than it was before. Now, I have a wonderful husband who loves me and treats me like a wife should be treated. I have a fabulous son. Even with all the things I get frustrated with, I couldn’t ask for better. I have the best friends in the world. I just don’t have reason to complain.
The second was when my husband’s hours were cut back by one day per week last year. God provided an opportunity to start a small business that he operates during that extra day off and in other off hours. At a time when we should be scraping by, we have gotten out of debt! We are living Ephesians 3:20. We are so thankful!!
2. I think weeping forward means moving on through the grief and the tears. I can choose to knuckle under to my grief and believe that life as I know it is over, etc. I can get stuck grieving what I’ve lost. Or I can grieve what I’ve lost while moving on, realizing that what God has in store for me is far better than anything I can ask for or imagine. Yes, I’m sad about what I’ve lost, but I don’t let that stop me from moving on in faith.
3. Who are you?
4. I think sowing in our weeping is all about how we walk through the grief. This is directly related to weeping forward. It’s all about not letting our grief stop us from doing what God has for us to do. If I continue to trust God and His faithfulness through my pain, that speaks volumes to others who are watching me and that’s when the seeds are sown.
How cool that a seemingly bad thing turned into such a blessing with your husband’s job! So glad to hear your success/victory/triumph over what could’ve brought you down. Way to go turning lemons into lemonade!
married going solo in Temple Ga.
1. weeping forward means , to keep my eyes on God and stay in the word and keep praying, taking a step at a time trusting in him and where he is leading.
2.what now Lord? How can you love me so?
3.sowing during weeping is trusting God , picking yourself up and move forward in Him walking in faith.
4.weeping backwards is staying mired in place living in regrets ands might have beens and what ifs.
5. satan would love to use my past mistakes and regrets and past hurts against me.he would also use my insecurties against me to keep me in his bondage.
STUART, FL – Solo!
Better late than never, right?
Here goes… 1) My “curses” into blessings would be my negative feelings about having a stepson (I eloped and didn’t really know what I was getting into!), because I’ve been able to help other friends with stepchildren. I still struggle with some jealousy and resentment, but overall, I’ve grown in my faith and my maturity as a result of having him!
2) I “wept forward” when I had to go back to work recently. Really, I just wept A LOT! But, I’ve managed to keep a good attitude most days, and I know I’m doing the right thing for my family. I find myself working harder and longer (no more fun TV for me) so I can spend good quality time with my kids and my husband on the days that I’m off, and the thought that I can come back home with the kids once we meet some goals keeps me motivated.
3) When Will This Feel Like a Good Idea?
4) I’m sowing from my weeping because I want to be in scripture more now that I have some difficult emotions to deal with. As much as it anguishes me to be away from my kids right now, if I take a step back, I realize that God is definitely working in my life to bring me closer to Him and to help me prioritize better in general!
I, too, dealt with a step-child (now 18, just graduated). We only had her every other weekend, but for the first several years, I would just take off when she arrived. It is hard dealing with the jealousy and resentment. Forgiveness, for me, was key…I had to let go of so much unforgiveness. Over time, God healed me completely, although, unfortunately my step-daughter has taken some mighty blows due to my selfishness. I remember writing down all my negative thoughts and literally burning the paper in my kitchen sink. I was so nervous I would have to explain the smell to my husband!
I hope the time you do have with your family now is filled with much love and grace. May God richly bless you in this endeavor we’re in together with this Bible study!
our cross-country mother-daughter study began yesterday with a 2-hr. IM session; we only did session 1; we both know this venue is meant to draw us closer to one another (Colorado being far, far from N Carolina); reminder came to us both that enemy will try to use any life event, big or small, to trip us up; he is scrambling to mess with us; but our God is faithful, empowering. He is my Perspective-Giver. He is the Anger-Removal specialist to employ. He is the Miracle-Worker. We had alot of fun with analogy of rest stops along our journey. So thankful for this opportunity this summer. Beth, you have your own column in my prayer journal.
I love that term: Anger-Removal specialist!
Solo, Colbert, Oklahoma.
1. God has turned my being single into a blessing where Satan so wanted me to disintegrate. It is not always easy, but it has provided me so many opportunities to invest in others lives that would not be possible if I had a family of my own. It is a daily hurdle but God is my Redeemer.
2. I have done both, but more backwards.
3. “Hey, what about me?”
4. Invest in other’s lives–the blessing always comes to you.
Going solo and way behind in Columbus, GA
1. I think that the enemy uses my insecurity about everything from my career to money to what kind of mother I will be (my mother died at young age)to try and curse me. I also think he would want to use some problems that my dad had try to effect how I respond to certain situations.
2. Weeping forward- I feel like I’ve done it alot, and I always thought it was the only option. Not that weeping backward wasn’t easier, but I wouldn’t have gotten anywhere or away from a bad situation if I didn’t.
3. Title right now: How do you want me to serve you?
Loving this study!
Praying for you in Columbus!
Solo in Ashland, VA
1. Satan continually tries to curse me into believing that my present is going to turn out exactly like my past. I’m sorry to say I too often buy into the lies and hold parts of myself in reserve so I’m not devastated when everything falls apart.
2. The past three years have involved both weeping forward and backward for me. These years have been hard…filled with waiting, feeling stagnant, wanting God to answer prayers that I’ve been praying for a while.
3. When can I go home?
4. I can sow in my weeping by being obedient to God in my current set of circumstances even though they’re not the circumstances I desire, look for Him and be open to what He is trying to perfect in me, be thankful for my blessings, stay with my disciplines, TRUST GOD AND DO GOOD.
Kim, I pray that you will be free of believing your future or present is going to be like your past. As Beth Moore has attested openly in her studies, as well as myself, this is definitely a lie and certainly can be broken. I pray that whatever makes you believe you must hold on to parts of yourself that keep you reserved will be laid at the feet of Jesus. And left there.
Amen.
Our group of ladies in Southlake, Tx enjoyed learning from Kelly and Beth, and from each other. Iron sharpening iron!
1. We discussed times when the unexpected has happened: serious illnesses, job losses, accidents, or when we just made bad choices. These are all experiences Satan would love to use to seperate us from the love and comfort of God by placing bitterness or resentment in our hearts. Yet we know that God is with us through every circumstance of life. During these trials we can ask God to show us the blessings He has for us, even in the midst of storms.
2. First we discussed the difference in weeping as we grieve forward to what “might” happen, and the weeping forward Kelly was discussing. A couple of us wept backward when we moved to new cities, grieving our losses. Weeping backward brings misery, not comfort. But we agreed that because of our relationsships with God, and godly friends, none of us had ever been stuck in weeping backward, that eventually the weeping became forward looking, calling upon the name of the LORD, knowing He had a plan for each of us as we moved forward in His plan for our lives.
3. “What Now?” “When Will I Become a Grandmother?” “Is My Life a Living Testimony? “Do I really have to replace my perfectly good carpet with a wood floor?”
4. First, we were thankful for Beth’s teaching us about the Psalms of Ascent. When we weep without sewing seeds of faith, turning inward, sinking ever deeper, we reap weeds of depression and hopelessness, and self-imposed feelings of separation from God. When we weep, sewing seeds of faith, we will reap unexpected and unforseen blessings from God, even in overwhelming circumstances; we can keep our eyes fixed on God, not our circumstances; we will find the hidden treasures God has for us; we are an example to others as we seek out the One Who Gives HOPE, our God; we deepen our dependence on God, not ourselves; we reap a harvest of new friends, new circumstances, new testimonies of God’s faithfulness, new understanding of God’s great Love for us; new compassion for those who suffer without Hope; and a new sense of urgency for those who do not know our God, and the saving Grace He offers to all.
Menomonie, WI
solo here
1. Satan would love to use the early sexual abuse in my life against me, my past use of alcohol and sex as escape to haunt me, the infidelity and divorce that has reigned on my mother’s side of my family including her own and mine.
2. God has redeemed & transformed so much of my life, it’s hard to even write the words I wrote in number one because that person, those curses, don’t exist anymore in my life! He has freed me SO much from so many chains. Not turning to my old destructive behavior patterns is my “weeping forward”. Turning to Him instead even though it hurts.
3. How did she get out of that?
4. How we, as Christians (Praise be to God I, me, lil ole me, get to call myself part of His glorious family!) respond to life is a testimony in and of itself-I believe it is our way of “weeping forward” and sowing in our weeping.
At our most recent session we had 6 in attendance including myself. We really all felt moved by the idea of Weeping forward vs. backward. Everyone could think of times in which this had occured in their lives. When describing the seasons of our lives as titles for books we all noted things asking “what next” in one form or another. Either that or where am I, why am I here. It am personally just amazed at how Kelly opens up the Book of Ruth. It has long been one of my favorites but this is just awesome.
3 of us, in gig harbor, WA
weeping forward… for me that time came about 4 months ago (and i’m still crying). i had to leave my home and ministry of 3 years in papua new guinea due to low support. i knew God could have fixed it and allowed me to stay, but He didn’t at that time, and i had no choice but to sell my things and get on a plane bound for american soil. leaving my precious PNG friends and family, and my beloved coworkers felt like being skinned and gutted and hung out to dry… especially going “home” to what??? i can’t explain how heavy my feet were stepping out onto the tarmac and up the steps to that plane, tears streaming all the way down my neck. my last look over my shoulder to see my coworkers waving and being strong for me, coconut trees blowing in the morning breeze… staying seated in that airplane seat took everything i had. the doors closed and separated me from my life, the plane took off and with every second up into the wild blue sky, my shoulders seemed to shake harder. i must have looked like a wreck! i’ve never wanted to jump out of a plane or slam the brakes on my timeline like i did then. this whole weeping forward concept struck me like a lightning bolt… God assuring me that i did what i had to do, and one flip flop after another, i walked the road He had laid in front of me, though it was lost in a cloud of darkness and confusion. i did it weeping, but i believe i wept forward. i’m still confused and don’t know why i have to be here right now, and there are days i’m crying about it. but i’m walking with Him and fighting for the faith to believe He’s doing something good in my life.
the title of my novel would be “can i be done?” 🙂
and psalm 126 meant so much to me (first in “stepping up”… ) for how i can SOW in my weeping, i wrote to keep believing, speaking truth to myself, and refusing to grow weary. what encouraged me, was i think the principle or promise that there can’t NOT be a harvest!!! if i am sowing the seed, and watering it with my tears if i have to, there WILL be a harvest. my God can’t NOT be working under the surface. i have to believe that.
(i just shared my responses here, because the girls hadn’t given any last week 🙂 )
Walking the road He has laid before you one flip flop at a time. Walking with Him and fighting for the faith to believe He’s doing something good in your life. That, my friend, seems to be a very good definition of weeping forward! Praying that you will reap a harvest of joy and fulfillment.
from Indianapolis, Indiana
We had a wonderful time tonight and love this study. We still have a ton of unanswered questions we would love to ask Ruth and Naomi but we just have to WAIT!
1. We know Satan would love to use our pasts to curse us. None of us are perfect but forgiven and yet we all still live with the consequences of our past. He just loves to give a nudge and say “See, you will never be able to forget your past.”
2. Weeping forward – a bitter sweet thing. Leaving something in order to gain something. There will always be weeping but we need to see what lies ahead and put our trust in God. He really does know what he is doing.
3. Our novel titles would be:
MaryJo Really?
Cindy Can I get back to you?
Brenda Where are you going today?
Caroline Is she really this much of a mess?
Patti When is ‘some day’?
4. How can we sow in our weeping?
Pouring our hearts out to God, sometimes we just can’t talk and tears are all we can give to God. Crying and weeping brings out the honesty of our hearts, whether we are feeling angry, abandoned, or forgotten.
When we are growing in Christ and learning, the bad or the not so good comes to the top and God just skims it off and we start afresh.
After a fire and all that is left are the ashes but if we wait we see new growth from the ashes.
FEAR F-false E-expectations A-appear R-real
Can’t WAIT to see what is in the next lessons.
Abilene, TX. Im in a group and we are a few weeks behind yall but Im not sure if we are posting answers. Ill have to check. 🙂 Here are mine…
1.Satan lured me to smoking for my stress or comfort. God showed me the way out, how to go to him for comfort, and blessed me with the opportunity to help friends break free too!
2. I definitely weeped backward as He asked me 3 years ago to give up the crew of christians that I grew up with that stayed one foot in the party scene and one foot out. I didnt know how to give them to Him and move forward without them. I weeped forward last year as I finally obeyed that command.
3.”These bangs are nervousing my face”
4.I sow in my weeping by telling God my truths and listening to His, and teaching my children along the way.
16 of us met in Coppell, TX tonight for session 2. Yes, we are a full 2 weeks behind you other Siestas. Because I’m really tired, I’m not going to give a full report of what we discussed. I’m also being realistic that I probably won’t come back to report on tonight after tonight. 🙂 Sooooo, not really adding anything to the on-line discussion but just checking in to say that 16 Coppell moms are digging into the Word, enjoying the study, and learning to weep forward–several in the midst of very “weepy seasons.”
Sorry this is late..I (Marianne) was on vacation.
Marianne(55),Teresa(41)Stasi(41)
Saegertown,PA
1.Stasi: Satan uses her financial situation as a curse. After her husband was killed in an auto accident she received a substantial amount of money moved from PA to CO and spent it all moved back to PA broke. Family members keep reminding her of her mistake.
Teresa: Not finishing college so she could have a better job.
Marianne: I don’t work outside the home so feel like I don’t measure up when someone asks “Where do you work?”
2.Stasi: Weep backward: moving to CO after husband died;weep forward moving back to PA-broke and health issues.
3.Stasi: My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?
Teresa:Where is my life headed?
Marianne: Where are the condiments? I am at the sandwich part of life. Dad is in nursing home and 3 grown sons..2 married and 2 grandchildren.
Jennifer Glenn
Colorado Springs, CO
I’m a little late to the party for these questions, but I really want to finish this study completely.
1. Satan tried to destroy my marriage. If I would have let him I would not have the two most beautiful boys you have ever seen 🙂 .
2. I think it means to keep moving forward even in the midst of your pain and weeping. I remember times when it seemed I was crawling on my hands and knees, but it was a pretty handy place to be for reaching out to my Savior.
3. “Will she ever get it right?”
4. I think you sow in weeping by not letting a tear be wasted. This is probably on of my favorite Psalms simply because it is such a promise that our sorrow WILL turn to songs of joy. I LOVE IT!!!
not letting a tear be wasted. thanks. loved that!
Well I am finally commenting. Sorry I am so late.
Going solo in Thatcher, AZ.
1. Fear and my past.
2. Not sure I fully grasp the concept of weeping forward.
3. Why I turned in to a Middle Aged Rabbit. or Excuse Me!
4. Through prayer, trust in God and actions. Asking god to redeem what brought the tear and to use it to bring others closer to Him.
Hi, I am responding late to this because I did get a friend/co-worker interested in doing this study with me, but she is very far behind and our time together was short. She had become frustrated with the way women were treated back then – I tried to encourage her that the focus on “hesed” is more beneficial. 🙂
I truly long for interaction with a group of spiritual women and hoped to join another group along with meeting with my friend, but that seems to have fallen thru also. I guess this is still my time to lean on my God and my relationship with Him – plus I can feel like part of a group of spiritual women by following the comments of y’all!! 🙂
That said – here are my answers to the questions this week:
1. What the enemy would like to use as a curse: my first 20 yr marriage, my divorce, my daughter’s current choices, my insecurities, my fears, my son’s precarious marriage and current financial troubles.
I’m not sure what has become a blessing instead – but I am now married to a man who enjoys my company and we now have a beautiful home that seemed impossible to achieve in the past.
I have learned from my past and the above list, (thanks mostly to Siesta Mama Beth’s influences) how much God loves me and wants me to lean on him. I used to know He loved me but now I KNOW He loves me.
I guess that IS the blessing!!! And because of all of that, my goal in life now, is to have a real relationship with Jesus!!!!!!!
2. Weeping backward – I have mourned for quite a few years now, the loss of my family, thru the divorce. The emotional pain my children have because of the past. The closeness that isn’t there with them. Often staying in despair & self recrimination for not being a better parent and a better example for them. I thought I was doing what God wanted, but ours was a co-dependent relationship and there are repercussions from that.
Not sure about the weeping forward part – is that the weeping for their well-being while giving it all over to God and moving forward in my relationship with Him, to become what/who He wants me to be?
3. The title of my book for this season: “What is your purpose for my life now, Lord?”
4. Not sure how to answer the “planting while weeping” question. I have started memorizing verses to supplant the negative self talk that can permeate my head. It helps to point me back to Jesus.
And I have found that it helps in praying – while I am repeating the verses, I pray them for my children-thru my tears, my husband, family members, etc. So I guess that is planting in me – and passing along the verses and prayers, perhaps that is planting in some way with respect to the question. ?
love to you all,
Barb
i am not sure we are allowed to share resources here…but get the book Praying the Scriptures for Your Children–it has been a Godsend in my life. Also, Lord, Bless My Child by William/Nancie Carmichael is an amazing prayer journal for your children. It is out of print so I buy at Amazon.com. Have one for each of my 3 children, 1 for daughter-in-law, one for each of my 3 grandkids. Keeps me focused; keeps me faithful to pray consistently. Praying is my main mother-job as the mother of adult children. Hope this helps! –joyce bailey
Thank you so much for the suggestions, Joyce!!!
I will check them out! Yes, praying is the most important and really the only thing I can do as the mother of adult children – and hope to give good/Godly advice when asked!
with love, Barb
Urbandale, Iowa. Going solo. So, I’m behind, but I’m committed to finishing the study!
1. There was a company wide pay cut last year at my husband’s job. Satan would have loved for this to be a curse, but because of the lower salary, we qualified for a special loan to buy our newer home. Praise you Jesus! And He is so faithful! Just last month, my husband received a pay raise!
2. Weeping forward was a new concept for me. Typically grief stalls everything for me for a time. Then have forward movement again.
3. Is there more to life than changing diapers?
4. Psalm 126. We are to continue doing the work God set before you– even while weeping.
Wilmington NC
8 of us
Port City Java on Thursday, July 22, 2010 (2 wks later due to late start of vacations & VBS)
1) Curses: Loss of jobs, loss of home, children on drugs/alcohol abuse, divorce, childhood abuse, loss of parents. Blessings) Even in loss of home and relocation, S was placed in a neighborhood to be a witness for Christ, new beginnings, new marriages, God’s healing. Children accepting Jesus as personal Lord Saviour and now at least one going into ministry.
2)Several shared the weeping forward for their children, grandchildren, moves to new city & state. Weeping backward when going thru divorce, bankruptcies, loss.
3)Why, where has my laughter gone?; God what is my purpose; How to care for the elderly without having your heart broke.
4) Just by having faith & trust in God; steady in the Word of God; praying through the tears.
Dianne – Solo in Hartselle, AL
1. Satan has a habit for sure of trying to use things to curse. For the past several years, we have struggled financially due to husband’s job loss and considerably reduced income in new job. Satan continually tries to make us feel hopeless with lies that it will never get better; however, God continues to provide for us and the stories I’m able to share have encouraged others. It is still hard, but God is faithful!
2. WOW! This is a season of weeping forward for sure. Lots of changes in my life – some good, some sad, some just plain unknown. I want to clearly hear God’s voice and make whatever move and accept any change He orchestrates and be obedient. A friend posted something on Facebook that greatly encouraged me and fits with the weeping forward concept. Her comment was that failure is not failing, it is quitting! It’s OK to weep, but we must move forward!
3. When will I ever learn?
4. Allow God to use me in my weeping season.
Sorry I’m late with posting, but July has been an extremely busy month!
Daughter Kendra and I both resolved to stay surrendered in the season of life we find ourselves in, tearfully sowing seed, relying on Gal. 6:9 for God’s “proper time” to come to pass, when we WILL reap. Yes, God is purposeful, intently carving our paths, authoring each stroke, and blessedly weaving our courses into each other’s life. My book title: “Seasons of life change just like seasons of the year, right, Lord? There’s four a year, right, Lord?” Kendra’s book title: “Is it time for a different season here?” We spent 3 hours this week instant messaging back/forth…it was glorious!
What a night! Our group of 20+ Siestas (see picture!) in Post Falls, Idaho just got done reviewing our week #2 of the study of Ruth. We really had an evening that was filled with laughter, tears, hugs, and new insights.
Tonight we met at my house for some food and fellowship. And for the second straight week, upon arriving at the host home, we have each drawn questions to answer. It’s always really interesting to see what questions end up with who, and what God is working on in each of us. One thing that we all noted is how crazy-attentive God is to us. We marveled at how everything with Ruth “looks” coincidental, but as in our own lives, God’s fingerprints are all over it! His providence is unmistakable!!
It was such a blessed time with all of these amazing women. What a wealth of knowledge, experience and wisdom represented, and every season under the Son! Can’t wait to see what week 3 will inspire and reveal!
God Bless,
Lisa
Weeks late (because my poor ladies have to put up with this over-committed, ok, absent-minded college professor as their facilitator) but our group of 10ish in Manhattan KS DID meet on July 6th, DID discuss the suggested questions in great detail, and DID have a great time learning & laughing together, but I did not ever post on the groups behalf due to a long business trip that started the following day. I can’t remember now what we discussed in detail, but I do remember some of my gals had fantastic titles for books – ones that if we could answer all the questions posed, we could populate a self-help section at the bookstore in no time.
Puyallup, WA
solo
1. Satan has tried to curse me with childhood sexual abuse, mental beratement, emotional distance from father, rejection from grandparents, and general family dysfunction. The Lord hasn’t allowed any of it to destroy me, praise Him!
2. I think of the time God called us to leave our home church of 13 years to find a local church that wasn’t 30 min. away. We wept forward because we were weeping but moving forward and obeying what He told us to do.
3. My novel would be “How can I keep from singing your praise, my Lord?”
4. I can sow in my weeping by continuing to faithfully obey. Sometimes things get a lot harder before you turn the corner and see change happen!