Hey Girls! Welcome to our second gathering for Siesta Summer Bible Study! I’m thrilled to be with you today! It feels so good to be back in Scripture together, doesn’t it? OK, before you go any further, remember that all comments to this post come AFTER your group views the video (or questions below) and completes the guided discussion. One representative will sign in on behalf of your entire group and using your group name, city, and number participating in this gathering. If you’re going solo, you will sign in by your name and city. Solo participants will choose several of the questions that resonate with you most and answer them succinctly in your comment. Group representatives will share the most powerful or pertinent part of your discussion.
One more thing before we get to it! I want you to be able to picture our Bible study community because it’s such a rich mix of women. My beloved coworkers, Nancy and Kmac, went through all your comments to the summer Bible study launch (a daunting task indeed so applause please!) and here is an estimate of what our wonderful, colorful class looks like. (This has been updated since I did the video embedded in this post so the following is newer and more accurate information. The video has to be done around 4 days in advance so that’s the reason for any discrepancies between numbers.)
We are made up of about…
- 4226 individuals total (whether in groups or going solo)
- 1129 groups
- 48 United States (missing Delaware and Vermont; 1 sister said she was originally from Vermont, but is now living in NY. As severely tempted as we are to count that, we won’t. At the time I did the video, we didn’t realize Delaware was missing as well so, if you’re out there, be sure and let us know! It’s all just for fun. We’re not trying to be all that, so don’t anybody go moving or anything. Grin.)
- 14 countries outside U.S. (Africa, Australia, Bahamas, 4 Canadian provinces – AB, BC, ON, SK-, China, Costa Rica, Finland, France, Italy, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the UK)
Woooohooooo! May Jesus be pleased and highly praised!
OK, everybody! It’s time to meet. If possible, watch the video but, if you’re unable to view it, here are written instructions for your gathering. All the following questions or interactives are based on your first 2 weeks (or what they’re calling “Sessions”) of homework.
The first question comes from something Kelly said no further into the study than the second paragraph of the introduction on p.6. Reread the first two paragraphs then answer the following question:
#1. Name people you’ve met and, after getting to know them, realized you’d missed them terribly before they came into your life. In others words, describe a time when you encountered people that supplied something your life was greatly missing.
(In so many ways, Siestas, you have been this to me. I can hardly picture ministry around here at LPM before you got here. You supplied so much community that I lost when I gave up my beloved Sunday School class and you broadened my world immensely through your profound diversity. I am so thankful for you.)
#2. One of the most important concepts for the study is introduced in Day One of the first week or “Session.” Turn to p.14 and review the portion mid-page. Why is it so vital to have a heart that can break? After answer the question, discuss how you filled in your columns: what breaks your heart and where you could be more tender.
#3. Turn to the conclusion of Week or Session One on p.31 and share your answers to this “personal response” (mid-page): “What has God put in your heart to do?” Don’t descend into comparison, over analysis and self-condemnation as you discuss your answers. Remember, what God has put in our hearts to do may not be timed for fulfillment until many days or even years from the birth of our passion. After you answer the question, THEN glance ahead to the “Group Discussion” question in the margin on p.40 because it coincides so well with the concept we’re discussing here. “Have you ever forced a plan or dream that, in retrospect, you realized God’s hand wasn’t on?” Boy, I have and many times! Let’s have some community here so we’ll all know that this is a common occurrence.
#4. Reflect on your answer to the question at the bottom of p.39: “So we will no longer be in disgrace.” (Some of your versions may say “shame.”) That word resonates deeply with me because I have felt disgraced and usually by my own actions or mistakes. Discuss a few ways that disgrace can result from a collapsed wall of some kind. THEN, celebrate the reality that walls can be REBUILT.
#5. Go to p.56, the opening page of Day Five in Session Two and discuss some of your answers to the question in bold print: “What rubble in your life is presently the most discouraging and exhausting?” We are not just going to share and compare our piles of rubble here but we are going to turn our discussion into intercession as we conclude our gathering. After several people share, return to Nehemiah 4:14 and read it together and let it lead you in how you pray for one another. Close out in BELIEVING-RECEIVING intercession!
Our next gathering will be on Tuesday, July 24th. Have Weeks (Sessions) 3 and 4 of your homework completed. For those who are gathering around a meal, consider making the Romaine Salad on p.88 with the blue cheese and pecans and maple vinaigrette and, since you went so healthy on the main course, how about some Billie’s Banana Pudding on p.89 for dessert??
I love you guys so much! Stay in the Word!
Going solo in Greer, SC:
Loving this study…
2. It is vital to have a heart that can break because God uses broken hearts and often in mighty ways. Also, so that our hearts don’t become harden so that we can’t feel him when he nudges us or hear him when he whispers.
3. Even though it has been almost two years since we moved here. It still fills new to me. The loss of my mom and health issues that put me in the hospital during those two years have me at a loss on what to do/how to serve at this point in my life. So, in the workbook, I wrote a prayer in response to the question regarding what had God put in my heart to do. A prayer just aking God what he wanted me to be doing.
I don’t recall a specific forced plan, but more of a situation of not waiting for God to take care of the problem. In hindsight, I realized that my being willing to try and do something just because no one else was doing it only gave a problem that needed to be resolved longer time to fester and grow.
5. The rubble in my life that is most discouraging and exhausting is always the same and the one I have been climbing over the longest…my weight.
Soeurs d’ete (Sisters of Summer) – Chinon, France
We are 5 (1 American, 1 British, 3 French).
Bonjour!
Last night we enjoyed a lovely time of food and fellowship (why anyone ever attempts to do one without the other is beyond me). Dessert was this gorgeous homemade white chocolate cream dolloped on a bed of fresh raspberries. There I was thinking I was enjoying a very French dish by a very French lady when she confessed it was a Tupperware recipe. Isn’t that a hoot!
Anyway – in our discussion of rubble we discovered (again) how much Satan loves to distract us with “being busy” so we can’t address the rubble and how some of the stones in our piles of broken walls might have been tread on by Jesus himself, they’ve been sitting there so long. We connected this question to the one in the book about what gates need reinforcement and found that sometimes it isn’t just the “bad” stuff we need to have boundaries with. In fact, often it’s the good stuff that goes bad because of our lack of boundaries (I might have this problem with chocolate, for example).
This has been fantastic so far. We are thoroughly enjoying the video sessions by Kelly Minter as well.
Kristin on behalf of the six of us that make up Women of the Word in Renton, WA
First off, we enjoyed wonderful fellowship and dinner this evening. I was the ginger snap baker and they were delicious. We had beef enchiladas as well, but not the recipe from the book. They were delicious nevertheless! We are planning on the salad and banana pudding next time. It is so fun knowing that many siestas around the world are having the same meal.
We took turns piping up with our answers to the various questions (although I now realize we totally skipped question four!), but really camped on question five the longest where we all went around sharing the rubble that is currently causing the most discouragement and exhaustion. It was really interesting for me to participate in this conversation and hear the various rubble that we ladies face. We all have it. Boy do we, and yes, we might prefer to trade our rubble for someone else’s, but we all have something that is huge to us.
Lynda, Ocala FL: In response to question 1, I’d have to say my best friend, Amy. Before she came into my life in highschool, I was very lonely. The circumstances of my life made it difficult for me to have any close friends. I really wanted a lasting friendship. Well, that’s what the Lord brought into my life and so much more. I didn’t know it at the time but I wouldn’t have the blessings of a husband and children. In a way Amy had children for me. Who, by the way are now in college and I’m so proud of and love to the moon and back. We have often said to one another that I went to college for her and she had babies for me. I count them as family and I know they are blessings from the Lord. He knew just what I would need some 25 years down the road.
It should come as no surprise based on my previous answer that I pushed my own agenda when it came to trying to “help” God find me a husband. I figured that I would have to be at the same university for us to get married. So, I followed my sweetheart to an out of state school. I feel confident that none of that was God ordained. However, true to form, the Lord uses all the rubble we give him to build a wonderful life for us. I am truly a blessed woman.
We realized that as a group we missed each other and because of that we’re going to go ahead and meet every week. Not only did we miss each other, we wanted to go ahead and watch Kelly’s videos too. Meeting weekly allows for that extra time. We’ve been meeting regularly on Tuesday’s for several months for previous bible studies. We thought that switching to an every other week format for the summer would work well. But we missed the regular connection too much…
If we have hearts that are numb, hearts that are hard, hearts that are calloused and cold, we can’t possibly feel compassion for others who are suffering. Suffering can take many forms. There’s obvious suffering like poverty, abuse and broken relationships. As a group we can all be tenderhearted towards people in those situations. But for people who seem to have everything, or young people making poor choices, or people who seem to complain about everything, we find ourselves having a tough time being sympathetic and compassionate. We need to have hearts that can break for them too.
Some of us are not sure yet what God has put in our heart to do. For some, it has been reaching out to the “poor in spirit.” We’ll have to come back to this one…
Some of us had experiences with either jumping the gun and getting ahead of God’s perfect timing, or we stayed in ministry beyond His timing. Thank God for His grace!
In our discussion, one of us had been caught red handed in their sin by a fellow believer. That disgrace definitely brought down some walls. When you see your own sin being played out in your children, that brings some walls tumbling down too. Thankfully, God does help us rebuild and work through our mistakes.
The idea of sharing our “rubble” and praying for each other really sparked some good prayer time for our group. We’re praying about our families, finances and that we wouldn’t do the enemy’s work for him. In other words, we’re praying about our opposition, even when we are our own worst enemies.
Janae-Riverside,PA – question 4 was the key for me this week and I am writing that answer on a notecard in my spiral……celebrating the realities of walls being rebuilt.
Cross Roads Girls from Greenville SC grew to 6 ladies. We met last night and had great heart felt discussions from Nehemiah. God is revealing the needs in our community to our Church. In the last 6 months our church has been able to minister to several families in our community (physical and spiritual needs) We talked alot about what makes us weep – what breaks our heart. We came to the conclusion that God allows things to come into our lives that make us compassionate with people who deal with “like situations”. We have one lady whose father died of cancer when she was a teenager. She has a true heart for anyone going through this illness. We also discussed how God redeems our past and uses it for His Glory!!!! We all agreed to pray for God to reveal to us “what He has put in our heart to do”. We pray God allows us to share with each other by the end of the study what he has laid on our heart to do. It is so exciting and “faith strenghtening” to see God at work in the lives of these women as well as our church and community. God is allowing and giving us opportunities to “do church”!! Praise His Name!!!!
Women in the Woods (aka the God Quad): Tallahassee, 4. In our discussion time we spoke about girlfriends in our lives that we didn’t realize were missing until they came along and spoke into that void. Some of the things God has purposed in our hearts are being loving, respectful wives, preaching the word and caring for orphans. Romans 8:1 spoke into our disgrace and our rebuilding the rubble in our lives.
#4 I felt ashamed by the failure of my first marriage and not knowing for 17 years why he walked out, or if there was even a chance then to work things through. So ashamed that I didn’t even try to put myself out there to love again for 10 years after he left for fear of being hurt again. BUT, God rebuilt in my a wall of love so strong and true that even though I am in the midst of a loveless 2nd marriage that I am committed to stay and pray and let God work things out instead of just giving up again.
#5 Rubble in my life that I am struggling with right now:
* Frustrations with Son (who will be starting Kindergarten in 26 days) who doesn’t want to behave and mind.
* Frustration with Spouse (who admits he is only still here because of our son) who doesn’t seem to WANT to spend any time with our son.
* Overwhelmed by the amount of stuff that still needs to be done at home after moving in Feb.
* Emotional rubble of how I am going to make it without my Daddy who just passed away June 5th. (I looked at a picture of my original family (Mama, Daddy, Older brother and me) yesterday and was really saddened as I realized I am the only one left, and I am only 41. Lost Mama when I was 9, Brother when I was almost 23, and my Daddy at 41. I have a Step-Mom and Step-brother that I love dearly, but it isn’t the same as your blood family. Just really sad right now.)
Thank you Beth and LP Staff for making the videos and study available for those of us that would otherwise not be in Bible study this summer. I am loving it.
Cheryl H., Huntington, WV, solo
Question 2 = It is vital to have a heart than can break, because that’s what will compel us into action.
Question 3 = What has God put on my heart to do? Seeking the answer to that question with prayer and staying in the Word.
1.My church family. The first 10 years I lived in this town, I attended a different church. Despite being involved in children’s ministry and church fairs, I never felt connected to any of the people. 10 years ago, a church plant started in our town and I got involved. The sense of belonging I now feel, that I’m truly a part of a community of believers, is awesome!
2.I worked for many years in the business world, mostly surrounded by men. I know at times I am too analytical, and lack the warmth and tenderness most women possess. My heart does not break easily, but I’m working on that.
3.Several years ago, I made a career change. I had a received a teaching degree in the 80’s, but in a tough economy at that time, I ended up working for several large companies. While raising my own kids, I realized how much I missed teaching – and God laid on my heart that 45 is not too late for a career change. I renewed my teaching license, and started working as a tutor at my local elementary school. I worked at this school for a couple of years, tutoring English language learners, always interviewing for a full-time teaching position with benefits. Out of the blue I was offered a position in another school in our district; the teacher who held that job resigned unexpectedly shortly after the start of the school year, and I was asked to take the position. It seemed like a dream come true – but at the same time, something didn’t feel right. I had already started a new school year, met students, etc. Why had this person quit? I took the job – but clearly God’s hand was not on this move. I was fired after a year, no reason given.
4.This is the wall that collapsed for me. I felt disgraced. This new school did offer me a tutoring job which I took because I needed the money. I looked like a fool – a teacher there one year, now a lowly tutor. It forced me to rely on God only for my sense of worth – because I was not valued at work.
5.Last year I was given a chance to come back to work as a tutor in my local elementary school again. I am starting to come out of the rubble of those two years at the other school. I’ve been given more responsibility for the coming year and the administration supports my work. I’m trusting God for my next step and feel strongly He wants me where I am, working with English language learners. These kids can break my heart!
MidOhio Valley Siesta Sisters, 13. Marietta, Ohio.
Thank you all for your hard work on allowing this study to happen for us and to Kelly for the study, we have really enjoyed it and your writing 🙂
We had an amazing study last night. We had a smaller group due to illnesses and other obligations, but God was here just as mighty as ever. I would say our most powerful moment of the night was when we did some mighty prayer over the rubble in our life. The Holy Spirit interceded on our behalf and we truly felt God’s presence so close. This first 2 weeks was especially essential to many of us as we prepare to plant a church here in Marietta. We desire for our hearts to truly break for the dechurched who need restoration and the unchurched who haven’t met the Lord yet.
Love you all! See you in 2 weeks!
Louisville, Ky The Knock Out Girls (eight in our group now cuz we added a new friend!)
First off…I LOVE to hear about Beth and her dogs!! So sorry for the lady that was down on Beth about her dogs. I am a dog lover and I wouldn’t treat a child with autism that way. So sorry for the way her niece with autism was treated. I brought my little Yorkie(Penny) to Bible study with me because she was missing our Sheltie (Chloe) that we had to put down. She tried to jump in my purse so I brought her along. BUT she kept fluffing and stinking up the room so I will probably not bring her next week!
The most powerful part of our discussion was…the things that break our hearts. Some of us have made decisions to get involved or pray about these things that break our hearts. As group leader, I can feel the fires beginning to heat up and our community is gonna change because of The Knock Out Girls and our renewed broken hearts!!
Kati W, Ocracoke Island NC
The questions that resonated most with me were numbers 1 and 2.
1. In my early thirties (I turn 40 in a few weeks and graduate to becoming a Big Sister!), I was struggling mightily with my identity, and God blessed me overwhelmingly by bringing into my life not one but several AMAZING older women (one just 8 years older, the others between 15 and 25 years older). They have been role models, wonderful friends, prayer warriors, examples of walking through difficulty, and so much more to me. I had no idea I was missing older women role models (my relationship with my own mother is very strained), but now looking back over the last few years I am overwhelmed by the blessings I’ve gained from these ladies and have no idea how I would have made it without them. Walking through a truly awful circumstance with one of these women (the loss of her 2 1/2 year old daughter) quite literally saved my life as what I learned from her and from God during that time moved me from a place of frequent bouts with suicidal thoughts to a place of HOPE regardless of circumstances (and PEACE that passes understanding).
2. Recently what continuously breaks my heart is the prevalence of bullying in our culture. Out of one side of our culture’s mouth, we hear “bullying is not okay”, but then there are examples of it which are revered, well paid, and even considered entertainment (examples: “Judge Judy” can be a real bully in my opinion, and websites like “People of WalMart” which openly make fun of others and consider it “humorous”). I am praying about what God would have me do with this particular broken heartedness and was encouraged by the example of Nehemiah doing that as well.
Hope everyone has a wonderful next two weeks!
Thanks, Kati. Loved this post!
Lawrenceville, GA
#3 Beth, your comment “Remember what God has put in our hearts to do may not be timed for fulfillment until many days or even years from the birth of our passion” has helped lift the guilt that nothing has happened with the passion laid on my heart over a year ago. I felt like I was walking around with a big “F” for failure over my head. It encourages me to be reminded that like Abraham and Moses I will wait on God’s timing.
#5 Thank you for the encouragement to pray Nehemiah 4:14 and to not give up but fight the battle with intercession. I’m praying for my niece. The enemy wants her to remain in darkness but God is greater!
Big Spring Bible Study, Leesburg, VA, 6 out of 10. Great discussion of compassion; prayer–taking things to God first, and staying focused as we pray; how it’s sometimes easier to serve those we don’t know, rather than those closest to us; the sad reality of having to protect ourselves from being taken advantage of (by scams) as we help others; and most importantly, the need to be still and listen to the Lord, obey His promptings, and leave the rest to Him.
Kari- Katy, TX
#1 someone i had been missing- a couple named Mike and Kinzie who run a ministry in the third-ward of Houston called Generation One. They are hands down the real deal in being Jesus to the least of these. Their commitment to serving and loving people that are not easy to love has messed me up. They take James 1:27 literally every single day- and I am forever changed by knowing them.
#5 why should the wall be rebuilt?
I have spent my adult life rebuilding the walls of my family- I had a very painful and traumatice childhood and by the grace of God I am still standing. God has blessed me with the most loving husband and beautiful children- and the years I spent with a broken and abusive family are being restored. I long for all children to experience the safety and security of a loving family. The disgrace of feeling unloved and unsafe are but a distant memory to me- and Lord willing- will never touch my children. He has redeemed so many years of hurt and given me a desire to help redeem other children as well.
ashley, apex, nc
#1: a group of friends i met through MOPS that has stayed together for years since, and that God planted in my life when i thought i just needed 1 good friend.
#3: been asking God for some time to show me what my family and i can do. now that God has blessed me with more free time recently, i’m wide open to His suggestions, and waiting patiently.
#5: working on clearing some small relationship rubble i created myself out of pridefulness… praying hard on this.
TX Senoritas and the Sr Citizen, Lockney, TX, 11-Over the last 2 weeks our group has grown by 2 so we are excited about that and last nights study God showed up in a big way. I was the only over 22 year old that was in attendance so that was a little intimidating with all the young minds in the room but Boy, those minds are on fire for the Lord. Question 3 really brought about a great quote, “Have you prayed about it as much as you’ve talked about it”. If we would do this more often we wouldn’t be forcing our plans when God is not involved in the process. Question 4’s discussion brought about the conclusion to always remember that no matter what God loves us and He is always on our side. One of he girls just popped out Galatians 5:13 when we were discussing this question: You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. Such precious young women I have been blessed and honored to be a part of. We dined on the enchiladas and ginger snaps and they were absolutely delicious. Can’t wait for next weeks meeting. God Bless you all for what you do for women of Faith.
Beloved Beauties, Florence, SC, 13 women of all ages:
We spent a good deal of time discussing the things that break each of our hearts and areas in which we know we could be a little more tender. It was interesting to see the the different things that break each of our hearts, from children to the homeless to women in general. We each had a passion for something different. Which led us to discuss the different passions God had placed in our hearts.
One girl has a burning passion to reach out to college-aged girls in our church because she is a recent college graduate and knows the limbo state this young women can find themselves in.
One lady has a desire to form a group for parents who are or will be experiencing ’empty nest’. She struggled when her daughter left for college and wants to form a support group so parents can find comfort during this transition time.
One young mama, who recently adopted from South Korea, has a broken heart for children all over the world who are without a family. She aches for those children who go to bed every night without a family or a mama to love them.
One woman has a deep calling to help those struggling with addictions. She has battled addiction in her family and pours her heart and soul into the Celebrate Recovery ministry at our church.
And I have a deep seeded passion for women…of all shapes and sizes…to encourage them to dive into the Word and seek their strength from the Lord, instead of the things the world tries to feed us.
And by and large, our group, which changes with each new Bible study we do, agreed that until we dove into the Word together we didn’t know how much we had missed each other.
Deborah from Burlington North Carolina
1. During a time of relocation 15 years ago, I felt completely lost in church. God directed me to a great woman and bible teacher who has been an ongoing mentor to me during some very difficult times.
3. Many times I feel like I don’t do anything for God, that my life is not counting for anything. This study has helped me to refocus and see my opportunities for ministry and look for more opportunities. God called me into Nursing some 30+ years ago. It has always been a ministry for me. Some days I see God’s hand in it more that others. My current mission field is school nursing. I strive to remember daily that this is an opportunity to minister. I thank God for the opportunity.
Fisher, IN – I am completely blessed by the thoughts of rebuilding. Yes, the rubble of hurt relationships can be hard to dig through; however, I look forward to how God is going to direct me to move each boulder and restore the brokeness. It just may be that life won’t look like it used to, but I stand on the knowledge of God wanting me to fight for those close to me. I am in awe of His great love which is pouring over me today.
Question #1: Two groups of women have filled me up in ways that I didn’t know I was empty until they came into my life! This group, Siestas, has filled a void in my life of godly women from all walks of life since I recently became disabled and can’t get to church as often as I used to. And there is another online group of women that I currently minister to as their prayer leader that I was led to by God in May of this year. This is a group of close to 500 women from around the world!
This ties into Question #3: God has put on my heart to minister to groups of women. For the last 14 year at my church I have led several small groups and ministered to them until they could continue on their own and I’ve led many women’s Bible studies, but I always felt like that wasn’t exactly what God had in mind. I have been praying for Him to show me where he wants me to minister and He led me to a group of women in an online community in May this year! They have asked me to be their prayer ministry leader and I feel like that is what God has been preparing me to do all these years! Who knows where he’ll take me next!
Forgot to say from Nashville, Indiana
Reporting from Pascoag, RI here. We have had 3 more ladies join our sessions. Praise God.
This study is really having a penetrating effect on us. We discussed in length the “rubble” in our life. We loved Kelly’s story about canning tomatoes. We all seemed to have our own “Canning gone bad…” stories.
One of our dear sisters leaves this Saturday for Haiti! She is bringing clothes and shoes. She will be working with Vacation Bible School. We are so vested in her trip and pray that her ministry would be fruitful and effective for the Kingdom of our Lord. We pray also for her protection and health. We would really appreciate it if some of our Siestas out there feel led to pray for her, also.
Will be in prayer for her. I have a great nephew in an orphanage in Port au Prince. We’re just waiting on a visa so we can get him home.
Cottondale, Florida; The Laughter Ladies 10.
Honesty: with ourselves, God and others. It was a great environment for sharing last night. The session 3 video where Kelly talked about disgrace and the ministry of reconciliation was so powerful. Also one of the questions about where does the bible fit into your prayer life was challenging. We are looking forward to continuing in Nehemiah.
Leigh, Montgomery,Alabama: The call to assess the rubble in my life was spiritually painful.God is using this study material to expose rubble that I’ve been hiding and/or decorating with excuses, denial, ect. OUCH! Sure wish I was doing the study with a group but that isn’t to be this summer.I’ll get encouragement from reading posts so keep them coming. God bless.
From Pell City, AL – 15 in group, 7 in attendance Tuesday night –
We spent so much time sharing about the questions we didn’t even get to Kelly’s video! We’ll catch up next week. We had a really great discussion and only had half our group there. If we had all been in attendance, we might have been there until midnight!
#1 – We all agreed that our “Sister” Bible study group members are the ones we would miss terribly. Although we might sometimes feel it an obligation to go to choir practice or exercise or some other meeting, we don’t feel that way about Tuesday night Bible Study. We may not always have our “homework” done but even so, we gain so much from the discussion. We are a close knit group. Some come and go but we have been together now for several years. It is a wonderful support and accountability group. We have seen marriages transformed, missions begun, and growth, growth, growth in Christ as a result of what we have studied. We still have far to go as do all Christians but we are thankful we have each other.
#2 – If your heart can’t break you don’t care about things. It is selfishness and there is no forgetting of self. A heart that can break is the basis of Christianity. It has to break open to let Christ in
Tahlequah, OK. Cornerstone Ladies Bible Study, 80 ladies (we break up into groups after meeting corporately).
For us, last night was about focusing on the hope of rebuilding and finding what God has put on our hearts. We shared about the different missions going on in our church and how God has moved us to work more within our own community. Not surprisingly, a big event is scheduled for next Tuesday and many of us are involved. God just seemed to be moving us towards finding ways to impact others here at home.
We also talked about our rubble, but more importantly, we shared about ways to clear the rubble and move forward with prayer and hope of a clean slate on which to build stronger, refreshed relationships.
On a side note, we could not get the web site up last night. Was that just us or did others have a similar issue? My husband was finally able to pull it up on his phone over 4G service, but it never would work on our home internet/computer…..we made it work though 🙂
Husband & Wife, Cape Town, South Africa.
Mark has been struggling to stay in the daily home work with me but he watches Kelly’s DVDs and spent time discussing Beth’s questions after watching her video this morning. The questions that resonated with us:
#3. My heart is burdened for young women – specifically young mothers. Encouraging, mentoring, ministering. I lead one Bible study and so want to be more involved in women’s ministry but due to finances I have had to return to work and am short on time. But the study gave me encouragement as I realised that maybe not now but in a few years! Then I participated in the Big Sister/Little Sister ministry on this Blog and was struck by the great need for Big sisters to be there for the little sisters. Just my thing! Mark has a desire to help people. His field is finance and he says he would love to open an office and offer his expertise to others, e.g. tax, business plans, etc and not have to charge!
#5. The rubble in our lives is finances and the rubble left from a badly damaged marriage. We spent some time praying that God would help us remove the rubble from our lives so that we can rebuild strong walls – our relationship and provision for our family’s needs. Neh 4:14 sure is applicable.
Mark has a job interview on Monday 16 July. Please lift him up in prayer.
Hi from Wisconsin!
I am and will always be a Cape Townian at heart, no reside in the US.
Will keep you in my prayers.
Hi Christelle
Thank you!
Wanted to share what I’m doing: I printed out the blog comments here. Then I took my trusty highlighter, highlighted your name and where you’re from, highlighted any prayer needs you shared. My commitment to you is to pray at least weekly for you. God is at work in our lives.
Thank you, Joyce. I value your prayers. God is indeed faithful!
Flat Rock, AL Home Girls 9 in attendance.
Our discussion time last night was precious. We really went deep on what breaks our hearts and how our hearts could be more tender. We have a heart for hurting kids and the lonely and elderly. We encouraged one another in the fact that God puts this on our heart to find a place to minister to that need. We agreed that we need more compassion toward people that have brought their own issues upon themselves, because we have all been there.
We discussed our rubble that needs to be removed and several of us were reminded of laying down our insecurities.
We had a mexican fiesta and intend to do salads and banana pudding at our next gathering!
The reassurance that the broken walls in my life can be rebuilt……how like our God?! I knew that there was restoration after failure or sin but the mental picture of a wall being rebuilt, the breach repaired, no longer a weak spot on “the wall”. It’s just GRACE “exceedingly, abundantly, more than I could hope.”
“Mama & Me”, Purcellville, VA, 2. We got a lot of enjoyment out of discussing a couple of people in our lives that we missed before they ever even came into our lives.
For example, for Mama, it is her dear Pastor M. He works in their church with four congregations: one white, one Hispanic, one African-American, & one Korean. He is a young, energetic man in his 30’s, who is a warm, caring pastor, a knowledgeable & contagious kind of teacher, and a unique preacher. Mama & Pastor M.’s relationship is beneficial to each other – as she prays for him and shows him her support with cards, emails, & other caring ways, she will tell you that “his Bible teaching has explained more mysteries of the Bible to her than she has ever known even after more than 60 years of being a Christian”!! Her love for her leader & friend is an inspiration to me!
Church Hags, 4, Radford, VA
1. We all agreed that the 4 of us were missing from each other’s lives prior to our being a group. We also thought this fits our children….Can’t remember life without them!
2. Without a heart that can break you would have no compassion for those around you. It’s critical to being the hands and feet of Christ.
We were discussing the hardening of hearts in the last days and we talked about how the heart of American Companies has already hardened toward their employees. And how easily that can cross over to individuals.
What breaks our hearts: children in need, people with no hope, the lonely.
Where we can be more tender: people who bring things on themselves, husbands, people globally who aren’t in our sphere of reference.
3. One said that God had put it on her heart to help those around her. For example spending time with her elderly neighbors and being a friend to neighbors she’s never really gotten to know.
One said that God had put societies demeaning of men on her heart. How men are portrayed as inept, immature, etc. And how that can hinder them from stepping up into the leadership role of our homes and churches that God designed them to have.
4. Each one in our group had moments of disgrace in our pasts. And we thanked God to rebuilding us.
5. Our rubble: finances, clutter, relationships, fear of making decisions.
We also discussed Nehemiah’s excellent prayer life. And how we NEEDED to be reminded of the power and importance of prayer! That prayer does change things! This was HUGE to us!
We left believing God would rebuild or bulldoze our piles of rubble!
Pam
Pam, can I just say that your group name made me laugh out loud! Thanks for the chuckle.
As far as I know that video is taped in Beth’s home – I may be wrong. I really don’t believe Beth considers animals needs above those of people, animals just happen to be a part of many people’s lives.
Beth from Dyersburg,TN
just little ole me, but encouraging others to do the study.
I really enjoyed using question #1 to remind me how faithful God has been all my life to bless me with special friends. I can’t imagine what I would do without so many of them, or how I made it til I met them. He keeps bringing them into my life. I got to counting them up and was afraid I had too many, but then I saw where Beth was including all 4,226 Siestas doing this study!!! So I’m still counting!!
Shelby Twp., MI
Daughters of the KING / Wanna-Be-Nehemiahs (haven’t decided between the two yet!!!)
We were missing a few this week but the discussion was good! We spent the most time on our current rubble and how we can come along side each other in prayer and intercession. Some of the struggles are very dire – a marriage ending and a wife left reeling with children to care for and choices to be made. A sweet young woman needing to find employment and wondering where her future will lead her and in a SERIOUS time crunch to make some big decisions. Others (mine – grin!!), are not as dire, but still need HIM to get through – a 4yr old who has gone from sweet, thoughtful, fun loving and caring to … well … not so much, seemingly overnight, and a mama who does not quite know what to do. And health issues with one sweet family which kept her from meeting with us this week as well.
We are all still seeking Him as to what He would have us do with what He is laying on our hearts as well. We so desperately want to wear Him well!
Thanks again for hosting this Mama B! Love ya!
Gal Pals, Murfreesboro, TN, 2 in group
1. Not trying to get extra credit :), but Beth Moore came along at a time that I felt so barren in my walk with God. I took my first study, Breaking Free, and it was life-changing. I have taken all the other studies, and can’t imagine where I would be without the in-depth Bible studies that Beth leads. The other gal pal, my daughter, has also been so encouraged to take several studies. It has been a blessing to take some studies together, as well as attend LPL events and the recent Siesta gathering in Houston. Strands of sweet Beth run through the tapestry of our precious mother/daughter relationship.
2. If our hearts don’t break, then we don’t really care. If we don’t really care, we aren’t likely to step out of our comfort zones to do anything.
5. We love Nehemiah 4:14″…Remember the LORD, who is great and awesome, and fight for your (family) and your home.” Remembering the greatness of our LORD helps us not to get so exhausted in the fight.
Waco tx 4 of us attending. 3 of us geting ready to have empty nest and one has 4 under 10 years of age! We all have felt Gods hand on introducing people to us just at the right time. Thankful for his provisions especially when we feel lost in a new place we are crazy about being in. We stuck on the fact that God gives us grace to deal with the disgrace. His grace is sufficient for whatever we have done or has happened to us. We did not have gingersnaps but we did have diet Dr. Pepper and chocolate brownie bites….
“Just the 2 of Us” – Friends in IL and VA
#5 the “rubble” in our lives right now are our broken and damaged marriages. The difference between “building” and “rebuilding” – the importance of removing that “rubble” that has accumulated before we can “rebuild” anything spoke volumes to us both.
Checking in…four of us in Santa Clarita, CA! (Last night, we were in a different home, so the basset hound couldn’t make it. We did have a very sweet schnauzer with us, however he was a boy so he can’t be counted as a siesta. He was much more participatory in the discussion than the basset was, though.) We had a fantastic discussion and just love this study. Highlights from our talk: God’s covenant love/name as a “gracious circle,” fear in sharing the gospel/living a gospel-centered life, how opposition with a little truth in it distracts us the most, and rubble! I just love it all. It’s so very timely for me. Thank you!
We will be a week late from now on, due to schedule conflicts on the 24th, but we’re so glad to be doing this with you all!
Christelle, Delafield Wi Semi-solo!
2. Every tiny baby that has to fall asleep without someone to rock them to sleep, or wakes at night and cries out in vain. Every hungry child that begs for food and a desperate mother who has nothing to still the hunger.
3. I have a dream to speak up for those who cannot speak up for themselves, for the rights of those who are destitute. My dream is to bring the reality of a suffering world to the young affluent society, for I believe that our “blessings are not for our privilege but for our purpose” (as author Chris Brady puts it).
I want to help parents, teachers, churches to give their children the gift of giving. If we pray for God to break our hearts for the things that break His heart then maybe we will not allow another of His precious little ones to suffer while it is in our means to make a difference.
Stay at Home Moms Group, Morganton, NC We had 3 able to make it today. (with 9 kids between us…thank you Lord for Veggie Tales:)
We met today (Wed). We enjoyed Enchiladas and the Ginger snaps….I ate…way.too.many! Our discussion was so rich. I think question 5 was so meaningful because all three of of us struggle with feeling “less than” at times compared to other stay at home moms. The world of facebook/pinterest and twitter can lead us to believe that all the other Moms at home have it all together…baking, cooking, crafting, romancing it up with their man while also raising perfect children. Having that “rubble” in the road can make it so discouraging in our daily lives. We are committing to pray and encourage each other specific to this over the next couple of weeks.
Wowser! What a powerful study. I’d never heard of Kelly Minter until Beth suggested this Bible study. Now I will read everything she has out there.
God’s plan for me is being revealed to me daily through this study. Just today God revealed he wants me to work with the youth team at my Church. I am a retired counselor/educator and I miss the kids. Well, I think this correct. I will try it on and maybe in hindsight I will be wrong but I’ve got to try. Bless you all!
Milford, Ohio. The Tuesday Morning Bible Study – TMBS, 8
We meet weekly and have been watching Kelly’s videos. I didn’t make it to this morning class, since I had a family funeral to go to. But I want to check them in for the session.
I will post again for my evening class.
Milford, Ohio. The Ginger Snap Girls, 7
We had the Southwest Chicken Soup and the Romaine salad and had a great discussion on what rubble we have in our lives. I know that really touched home for me. We talked about how we can help in our community, and I pray God will place some answers on our hearts.
Jennifer H
Studying on my own from Houston, TX
Jennifer T, Fairfax, VA “SASS Girls” – 4 of us this time.
#1: bit my own lip and couldn’t make eye contact b/c the “person who supplies something my life was greatly missing” was sitting next to me and I thought I just might ‘ugly cry’ if I went there! All 4 teared up when she spoke and described how the Lord brought me into her life!! Total girlfriend sweetness.
#5: lots of discussion about rubble and then talked about God things vs. good things and how things shift either direction… how to discern. We shared honest OOPS stories in our lives which gave material for later intercession!
When it comes to God calling us to action/ministry, one particular challenge being posed in our discussion is if obedience itself is enough… if we see no fruit in our lifetime but know that we have obeyed His call… is that enough? Is it enough if when He says “well done good and faithful servant” we find God’s ‘weightiest’ ministry in our life was one family member – who showed NO FRUIT – but He called us to minister… do we believe NOW that obedience to Him in and of itself will fully satisfy our hearts?
Ended with reading Neh 4:14 and intercession with confidence in His willingness to hear and answer! Wonderful evening with incredible women.
FYI – we have 2 non-gluten members in our wider group and 2 whose ‘rubble’ includes food/diet struggles. So we meet late and eat light or not at all. The soup looks amazing – I’ll give it a try with my fam!
Jennifer, can you please contact me at [email protected]? I too live in Fairfax.
Thanks.
“First Friends” Kristi & Cheri Charlotte, NC
Despite crazy schedules and rain, we still met together and were so glad we did! We are both are really energized by this study and what God is teaching us through Nehemiah! Who knew there were so many gold nuggets hiding in this book :)? After sharing a request about her oldest going into her senior year and college decisions ahead, God truly delivered Cheri from a lot of anxiety since our last session. He has given her a peace over the situation. We discussed our lists of people to pray for. Something that really resonated with both of us is when God gives you a dream in your heart and the need to sometimes pray over it first before sharing it. Thank you for all you guys are doing. This study is wonderful!
Kristi from NC
Charlotte, NC