Monday, January 5, 2015

"Bad Girls of the Bible": Eve

"And the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone.  I will make a companion who will help him....  But still there was no companion suitable for him.  So the Lord God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep.  He took one of Adam's ribs and closed up the place from which he had taken it.  Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam."  Genesis 2:18, 20b-22  NLT

Merry Christmas, on this 11th day of Christmas!  Happy New Year, too!!  I pray that 2015 is a year filled with grace, peace, renewed hope, and above all, love.

Now that the gifts have been opened, the garlands & ornaments lovingly stowed away until December, and the revolving door of visitors and visiting has slowed, it's a perfect time to quiet our lives and reflect.

I am so very excited to start our new book, Bad Girls of the Bible, and What We Can Learn From Them,  by Liz Curtis Higgs.
Note: this is the first of the Bad Girl series.  There have been two publications, so the covers may differ depending on which publication you have, but either one is fine for our group.  Also, there is a companion workbook.  You do not need the workbook, just the book.

I am reading this book for the first time right along with you!  Most of our books I have already read, but this one came so highly recommended (thank you, Paula) and had only positive reviews on-line, I decided to take the plunge.  Right from the start, I was not disappointed - she opens the introduction with one of my most favorite lines from Longfellow, "And when she was good she was very, very good, But when she was bad she was horrid."   I'm not sure what that says about me, but I just love it!  I guess it's my inner (and often outward) struggle between my bad girl & my good girl!

We will start right in with the first chapter on Friday, January 9th.  Give yourself permission to take time out of your week to read the Introduction and Chapter 1 "All About Evie".  It's important to read the introduction, to understand the author's writing style (funny, compelling) and why she chose to write her book with both fictional & Biblical stories; she also shares a few startling facts about her personal life.

If you have the Revised Edition (teal & yellow-orange cover), there is a study guide in the back of the book, starting on page 245.  I'm not sure if it's in the original (purple) edition or the e-book edition.  These questions & our discussions is where faith is deepened.  As we read, explore, and see ourselves through Scripture-colored lenses, we draw ever closer to becoming the women God designed us to be.  We renew our soul and open our hearts & minds to what the Lord has to show us.  Believe it or not, we have more in common with these women who lived centuries ago, than we might have first thought.

You have worked hard these last few months, making the holidays bright for family and friends.  Take some time to recharge your soul by diving into the pages of Bad Girls of the Bible.  You won't be disappointed!

I'll be back here on Wednesday, to give you some 'things to think about' from the Study Guide.

Do you know someone who might be interested in reading about these bad girls?  Please pass this on to them and, if you attend our live group, bring them along!  Regardless of where you are along your journey (still questioning, just starting out, or have blisters from walking this path for a long time) you are welcome here!

Happy Reading!!

Your Partner in Ministry,

Shelly
warrior

"Kind words are like honey - sweet to the soul, and healthy for the body."  Proverbs 16:24










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