Welcome! I'm so glad you're here today. As I'm peeking over the horizon of August into September I am both saddened that summer is nearly over and excited to gather with you once again!
I've been in August limbo with vacation, end-of-summer, start-of-hockey, back-to-school craziness! When August arrives I feel like summer has just begun & is nearly over, all at the same time. It hits me that there was so much more I had planned to do and just didn't get to it yet. The stores & TV commercials are already in back-to-school mode and of course, hockey is in full swing. Some day August will be just another month in the year and I'll miss all this, but until then I have to admit, August is a 'lost month' for me. It is a month where I feel like I live a split personality: summer laziness & full swing craziness! But I am thankful for every spinning minute!!
I could be facing a life like Naomi's...
In our next book, The Girl's Still Got It by Liz Curtis Higgs, we meet a wife & mother named Naomi. The opening verse is not your typical "once upon a time" beginning. In fact, it's about as bleak a beginning as you can get! Naomi is peeking over the horizon to an unknown future in a foreign & unfriendly land. She is following her husband to a forbidden place in hopes of saving her family from starvation.
To refresh your memory (or in case you didn't know), the time of the judges was not the best time for Israel, to put it mildly. In my Bible, Judges chapters 1-3 are given the heading "The Military Failure of Israel" and over & over again, the Israelites turn their backs on God. If you haven't yet read the book of Judges, you should. It's an interesting, scary, "Mad Max" kind of read and many scholars draw similarities to today's society. The book of Ruth takes place during the time of Judges, setting the stage of the story. On top of the religious upheaval & continuous warring with their neighbors, a famine sets in. Could it get any worse?! Read the book of Ruth to find out!
On Friday, September 11 at 9:15am, we'll dive right in to our new study. In order to finish the book by December 11th, we'll need to start right away! (Yes, I know it's 14 weeks, but we'll have 2 weeks off in November.)
Start reading today!
Don't have your book yet? You can get it here, on Liz's website. Better yet, support our Youth & Family Ministry by going here and ordering through Amazon.
In order to get the most out of our time in The Word, it's important to ponder what we've read and how it applies to our lives - otherwise, it's just story time. God wants to work amazing things in us and through us, but if we don't take the time to listen and apply His teaching, we won't be ready. That's where the Study Guide come to the rescue!
After reading each chapter, turn to the back of the book and find the Study Guide (pg 175). Our topics of conversation will begin with these questions every week. Write out your thoughts in a cute notebook or journal. It helps during discussion time - the sound of crickets can be very awkward! And as we've talked about before, journaling our thoughts has tons of benefits! The one that I struggle with the most is slowing down long enough to write out my thoughts. In the fast paced, high demanding, instant gratification world, writing is the opposite of all of that! But it's cathartic & therapeutic & just what we need!
I'd love to hear how keeping a journal has influenced your life. Whether it's a faith journal, a personal journal, or a travel journal, how has it helped you? What benefits have you noticed?
I cannot wait to get started!!! I'll see you on September 11th, at 9:15 am, in the "library" of Redeemer Lutheran Church! I'll have the tea & coffee on and light ReFreshments!
Encourage a friend and bring an open heart!
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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