The Bloom Book Club

How exciting to be joining The Bloom Book Club once again for a fantastic book and thoughtful discussions.

Join us on the Ning site to discuss the first 99 pages of Same Kind Of Different As Me by Ron Hall and Denver Moore.



Here are some questions being discussed on the Ning site:


How did Denver's story impact you? Did it shock you?

Do you ever have the urge to do something, but for some reason you don't, like Ron did on page 23? How does that make you feel when you think about that?


What stood out to you about Deborah?


How has someone forgiving you made an impact on your life?


In what ways are we choosing to lead a radical, crazy love life like Deborah lived?

This week, we want to encourage you to pray for people by name like Deborah did for the people she served at the homeless shelter.

Please join us in answering these questions and sharing this book with those in your life.

Chapter One discussion

Crazy Love (chapter one) from Pete Wilson on Vimeo.

I am so blessed to read the words in this book, Crazy Love by Francis Chan. I hope all of you can join us as we read and then come on over to discuss with us online what we are learning and how God is speaking

Crazy Love & Bloom

I need to share a few things with all of you out there who might by chance be reading my blog ... I want to tell you about a fabulous book and a great new website!

I stumbled across this amazing book titled Crazy Love and then across this great website, Bloom, filled with ladies who were starting a book study on this very same book. Wow! do they have this all so nicely pulled together and I believe your life will be greatly blessed if you come on over and check out Bloom

You can read about the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan HERE

and take part in an online discussions and an online community OVER HERE

Book Study - Assignment 6 Discussion

Many many thanks to Karen for hosting the wonderful study on Nancy Leigh Demoss's book Lies Women Believe And The Truth That Sets Them Free. Please feel free to come join in if you'd like! http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog


Assignment 6

Read Chapter Four pages 91-114.

Questions
Karen decided not to give any discussion questions this week. This chapter was a bit lengthy. So, for our posts, we are to share what is on your heart at that time for Chapter Four.


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This chapter was titled Lies Women Believe ... About Sin. Nancy DeMoss looked specificly at 5 lies women tend to believe about sin:

* I can sin and get away with it

* My sin isn't really that bad

* God can't forgive what I've done

* I am not fully responsible for my actions and reactions

* I cannot walk in consistent victory over sin

But for every lie God has a much greater, conquring Truth and that is what we need to focus on.

* Sin and lies are not the easiest thing to look at in myself. But there are certainly areas in my life where I make excuses or rationalize why this or that behavior is OK. But on page 97 Nancy wrote

According to Hebrews 11:25, sin does bring pleasure - for a short time. Ultimatly sin exacts a devastating toll. There are no exceptions.

How true that is ... we can make excuses, and explain all day, but if its wrong, its wrong and we will see consequences at some point. Easy enough to say, right? Still there are times its so hard to remember. I liked her idea about writing down a list of the consequences sin. Some of us just need a visual reminder (my self included there).

* God does not hold us up us up in comparisson to any other sinner ... sin is sin, I agree with Nancy's quote on page 100:

The way to see the truth about sin is to see it in the light of who God is

She followed that with a Puritan prayer that I think I will print out and hang where I'll see it every day:

Unmask to me sin's deformity,
that I may hate it, abhor it, flee from it ...
Let me never forget that the heinousness of sin
lies not in the nature of the sin commited,
as in the greatness of the person sinned against.


* "God Can't Forgive What I've Done" is another lie that Satan wispers or shouts
at women. I think Satan counts on women's "feelings" here, somtimes not "feeling" forgive or that perhaps we have not "done" enought to earn that forgivness ... But God longs for us to see the truth. I'm glad that Nancy included words from the hymn Nothing but the blood of Jesus, and Romans 3:25. From page 101:

It was at Calvary that God's mercy and love for sinners and the truth of His holy hatred for sin found a meeting place.

Consider this me hitting the pause button on my thoughts ... kids hungery and arguing ... need to go deal with ... will be back later




If you'd like to participate in this book study, please read the book study information by clicking here. After reading the information, you can join in with us each Monday

Book Study - Assignment 5 Discussion

Karen over at the T.A.G blog is hosting this book study/discussion on Nancy Leigh Demoss's book Lies Women Believe And The Truth That Sets Them Free. Please feel free to come join in if you'd like! http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog

Memory Verses we are learning:

"Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free"
John 8:32

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free"
Galatians 5:1




Assignment 5 Discussion

We read the remainder of Chapter Three. Read pages 73-89.

Questions
This week's questions have been taken from The Companion Guide for Lies Women Believe by Nancy Leigh DeMoss published by Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL ©2002

1. "Read Psalm 37:1-11. What are the attitudes and behaviors of a person who is claiming her rights? What are the attitudes and responses of the person who has yielded her rights and expectations to God?" (pg. 37)

Attitudes and behaviors of those who are claiming their rights include selfishness, easily angered or frustrated, anxious or worry.

And attitudes and behaviors of those who have yeilded their rights and expectations to God are: trust in the Lord, knowing joy while patiently waiting, peace even during difficult circumstances.

For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8:6 (ESV)

or

If people's thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace. Romans 8:6 (NCV)

also found this verse:

I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation, whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little. For I can do everything through Christ,[a] who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13 (NLT)



2. "In what area(s) of your life have you tended to think that something is your 'right' when it may not truly be a 'right' at all...?" (pg. 37)
I think I have felt this in that I want to be appreciated, approved of and valued by family, my children, and my friends ... but really its Gods approval I should be seeking, and my valued in Christ that I should be trusting in.


4. "According to Psalm 16:11, where is the only place that all our longings can be completely met?" (pg. 40)
Only in God. On pg.86 the author writes "God has made us in such a way that we can never be truly satisfied with anything or anyone less than Himself (Psalm 16:11 and Psalm 34:8-10)"

Answering that question made me think of the song "In Christ Alone":






The following questions are from Karen at TAG Blog:

5. What does Scripture have to say about a woman's beauty? Give Scripture references.


I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, 10but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God. 1 Timothy 2:9 NIV


Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. 1 Peter 3:3-4

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Proverbs 31:30


6. How do we, as women, find balance between taking care of ourselves physically as well as displaying ourselves as the royalty we are and not falling into the trap of focusing too much on physical beauty?
I'll have to admitt, I still struggle with this and I long to find the answer. Especially since I have a 12 year old daughter. I'd love to spare her the pain and mistakes her mother made by believing and acting on lies.

My only answer right now is that we can only find that balance by spending time with the One who created us ... prayer, scripture, and worship

Book Study - Assignment 4 Discussion

Karen over at the T.A.G blog is hosting this book study/discussion on Nancy Leigh Demoss's book Lies Women Believe And The Truth That Sets Them Free. Please feel free to come join in if you'd like! http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog

Memory Verses we are learning:

"Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free"
John 8:32

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free"
Galatians 5:1


Assignment 4 Discussion

For this week we read only part of Chapter Three
pages 63-73.

Questions
This week's questions are taken from The Companion Guide for Lies Women Believe.


1. "Read Psalm 139:1-18. What do you learn from this psalm about God's heart and thoughts toward you?" (pg. 34)

I really love Psalm 139! Here are two great youtube link to check out:






He knit me together ... He knows all I'm going to say, before I say it ... He sees everyplace I go and knows my every thought ... yet he loves me anyway!!!! There is never a place I can go where God Will not be with me!


2. "Some people live as victims all their lives. What effect does it have on them? Who controls their lives?" (pg. 36)
If they (or we) live all their lives believing they are victims of someone else or some circumstance then its like believing that person or circumstance is greater than God ... a lie I'm sure satan would love us to believe. The truth is nothing is bigger than God.



3. "Read Colossians 3:1-17. On the basis of who Christ is and what He has done for us (Colossians 1-2), the apostle Paul tells us that we are responsible to make godly choices in every area of life, including our attitudes, our behavior, and our relationships. What are we to 'put off'? What are we to 'put on'?" (pg. 36)

Put off:
whatever belongs to your earthly and sinful nature

Put on:
as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, we are called to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, and above all love. We are to set out hearts on tings above, not things of this earth. We are called to let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts



4. "In Galatians 5:22-23, what does Paul promise that the Holy Spirit will help to do in our lives?" (pg. 36)

Galatians 5:16-23 says:
16So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
19The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.

If we live by the Spirit, the Holy Spirit helps us to produce fruit ... fruit of the Spirit and to turn away from the sinful nature.


Quotes for Assignment 4


"What we believe about God is crucial because it affects what we believe about everything else. A distorted or damaged view of God will distort the way we see everything and everyone around us. Frequently we fail to realize that what is causing the irritation and turmoil within our souls is not the people or the circumstances we think are annoying us; rather, the problem is that we are seeing things through a damaged lens." (pg. 64)


"What we believe about ourselves determines how we live. If we believe and act on lies, we will end up in bondage..." (pg. 67)




"We see things about ourselves we wish were different or that we know are not pleasing to the Lord. But rather than accept personal responsibility for our own choices, attitudes, and behavior, we have 101 reasons for why we are the way we are...The Truth is that we do have a choice. We are responsible for our own choices. We can be changed by the power of God's Spirit. Once we know and embrace the Truth, we can break free from the chains of our past, our circumstances, and even deeply ingrained habit patterns." (pgs. 71-73)

I have comments to post about each of these but a little two year old is waking, so I'll come back and post those comments later

Book Study - Assignment 3 Discussion

Karen over at the T.A.G blog is hosting this book study/discussion on Nancy Leigh Demoss's book Lies Women Believe And The Truth That Sets Them Free. Please feel free to come join in if you'd like! http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog


Chapter 2 is titled Lies Women Believe ... About God

the author discusses 6 lies she believes are at the root of much of the bondage that affects christian women today.

There were several places I underlined and starred in this chapter, but I think the one that means the most to me or caught my attention most was on page 58. Actually there are two places

In the middle of the page the author starts a paragraph with this sentence: "The Truth is, life is hard."

And the bottom paragraph on the page says "We want God to fix all our problems. God says instead, 'I have a purpose for your problems. I want to use your problems to change you and to reveal My grace and power to the world.' That is the Truth - and the Truth will set you free."

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Assignment 3

Read: Chapter Two (pages 45-62)

Questions Karen asked us to answer:

1. How is what we believe shown in our lives? (see pg. 46)
After we listen to something, we dwell on it, think about it, and that leads to believing it ... once we believe we ACT. So, how we act, priorities we set, choices we make and what we do in everyday life really shows what we are believing.


2. What are two important questions we need to ask ourselves as we read about these lies? (see pg. 46)
"Do I believe this lie?" and
"Do I live as though I believe this lie?"


3. Have you ever found yourself thinking God isn't good? Explain.
I want to say No, but I'm sure I have to some degree. I know that this last month, having attended 2 cancer funerals and now knowing another life lost to cancer and today a friend lost her baby at 24 weeks ... I'm just sad and aching. I KNOW and I BELIEVE that God is good, but man this is just hard!!! (I think that was mentioned on pg.58) I just don't understand ... I just can't see the good in the loss of these lives. But then the people who I now miss are in heaven ... I doubt they would want to be here again, now that they have stood in God's perfect presence.

And one way I've tried explaining these events to our kids is to consider Joseph of the Old Testament ... its a story that kids learn early and are very familiar with. Joseph knew God had great plans for him, he had seen it in his dreams ... but suddenly here he was being tossed into a well by his own brothers and then sold into slavery and as if that were not enough then he wound up in jail, even though he was innocent. How he must have wanted to scream "This can't be right!!! God, you made a mistake!!! You told me you had great plans for me ... whats so great about a well and jail???!!!" I'm sure he spent a lot of hours going over and over what was happening and HOW ... HOW could God turn this around into something good? But we were not there with Joseph, we don't know exactly what his thoughts were, but it is obvious he clung to God. He continued to trust and believe in his great God. And God did indeed bring something good from Joseph's experiences in the well and jail. Not just good, but wonderful ... because of where Joseph ended up, he was able to save many many lives from starvation, including his own family.

In moments like I'm in now, I try to say "ok, I'm in a pit or my own jail ... but I know that God is good. His word says so, so it must be true" And then I cling to Him and pray and pray and pray. I'm not God, I'm not in control, I don't need to understand why these lives were only here for such short times. But I do need to trust and cling to My Lord, My God. Its the only way!



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For next week we will only be reading part of
Chapter 3 (pages 63-73)

*Lies Women Believe and the Truth That Sets Them Free by Nancy Leigh DeMoss published by Moody Publishers, Chicago, IL ©2001.

Book Study - Assignment 2 Discussion

Karen over at the T.A.G blog is hosting this book study/discussion on Nancy Leigh Demoss's book Lies Women Believe And The Truth That Sets Them Free. Please feel free to come join in if you'd like! http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog

I guess before I answer some of the discussion questions that Karen gave us for Ch. 1, I wanted to ask if anyone else has felt a sort of spiritual attack this week? Every time I sit down to work on this study ... something goes wrong ... child cries, child gets injured, melt down argument between the children ... phone calls about a relative that just died ... it just feels never ending and today has been about the worst! Trust me, NO schoolwork has been accomplished in weeks. I honestly do "feel" overwhelmed and defeated. I know rationally that how I "feel" has nothing to do with it ... we truly are not defeated! Christ Rules and he has conquered death and the enemy on our behalf ...

But today I had to ask "Lord WHY all these emotions? ... Why did you make us this way???" Now, I know that any of you who know me IRL are laughing at that because ... like yeah ... imagine me without all my emotions ... funny, ha? And still that is part of what I brought before the Lord today. And then I prayed about how selfish I sound ...

I did manage to finish reading and studying chapter 1 and even answered some of Karen's discussion questions (praise you, Lord, for small miracles!)
If you think of us this week, please pray that I will make my time with God and study of His Word a real priority ... we will now have a visitation and a funeral near the end of the week, so I'm tempted to try cram all the weeks stuff into just Tues and Wed. I know that won't work, and on weeks like these I need to let go of certain things ... Help me Lord! So now that I've rambled and ask for prayers here are some of my answers (Questions are taken from The Companion Guide for Lies Women Believe, pages 13-22):


2. Satan knows that you will be more vulnerable to deception if you are not regularly meditating on God's word. What 'good' things keep you away from consistent study of the word?

Hmmm, there is always something happening here, homeschooling, dishes, laundry, boob-boobs & owies to kiss(just did that as I was typing), meals to make, grocery shopping, my hobbies like card making, scrapbooking, reading, blogging ... I think this list could get really long, but it comes down to putting God first, if He is first in my life, He'll get my time each day. But trust me that is much easier to type or say than to actually do ... but I keep trying. And one of the great things about our Great God is that each time I mess it up and let my time with Him end up on the back burner, He reminds me and He always takes me back.


5. From pages 37- 40 in Lies Women Believe, what are the four steps that take us from initial deception to bondage?

1 - Listening to the lie.
2 - Dwelling on the lie.
3 - Believing the lie.
4 - Then acting on the lie, because what we believe comes out in our behaviors.



7. Read Philippians 4: 8- 9. Why is it so important to be selective about the input we allow to come into our minds and to consciously choose to expose ourselves and listen to the Truth

Because what we input into our minds, is what we tend to think on and dwell on and eventually act on. We make the time for what is most important to us.




9. What are the three steps that will help us move from spiritual bondage to freedom?

First, identify the area(s) of bondage or sinful behavior
Second, identify the lies that are at the root of that bondage or sinful behavior
Third, replace the lies with Truth, God's Truth


10. A popular theme in our culture is that there are no absolutes. 'All truth is good. Whatever truth works for you is good for you, and what works for me is good for me.' While on the surface that appears very tolerant, where does this kind of thinking ultimately lead?" (pg. 21)

SIN!



11. Read together Acts 17: 10 -12. What did the people in Berea do in order to discern the Truth? How can we avoid being deceived and become more discerning about the input we receive?

The people in Berea searched the scriptures daily to see if what Paul and Silas were teaching them was true. I believe I need to do more of this ... just because I hear something from a pastor or read something by a well published author, does not make it truth. It becomes easier to just trust that what they are telling is truth, thzt might be easier than but we grow much more in the Lord when we search for our selves.


Great big thanks to Karen for hosting this study ... the timing for this in my life is such a God thing! And its a blessing to read everyone else's post at their blogs. May God bless your week!

Book Study - Assignment 1

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog

Here is part of what Karen has to say about our first assignment in our book study of "Lies Women Believe" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss:

Let me just say that I am really excited about this study. One of the things that stood out to me in the introduction was how the author takes Eve's decision to eat the fruit and show the progression that led to her action. The progression she points out is that Eve first listened to the lie. Then she believed the lie. Finally, she acted on the lie.

Listened - Believed - Acted

The author discusses this progression again in Chapter One.



Question #1
As you begin this book study, where do you see yourself in relation to living in freedom? Do you feel like you are walking in total freedom? Explain.

I think I'm much freer than I've been earlier in my life. I spent many years believeing so many lies, lies about my worth, about what God thought of me, about why things happen in life ... But God is so faithful to continue showering us with His truth. Still, I know that I have a long way to go and much to learn about His Truth that sets us Free. I still stumble, I listen to thoses lies, even believe and act on them sometimes ... which is one reason this book and this study intrigued me so much.

Someone sent me a prayer request for this family today and when I read today's entry (Monday April 7th) ... my jaw hit the floor becuase the way she describes her early years ... all her fears and worries almost exactly describes how I was, but I was never hospitalized. God has made amazing changes in my life, but I think as long as we are ths side of Heaven there is more to learn and more to work on in Christ.

Question #2
Write out John 10:10 in your favorite translation. After you've written it out, personalize it.

I'm not sure I have a favorite so I'll write three:

John 10:10 (Message)
A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.


John 10:10 (Amplified)
The theif comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows)


John 10:10 (NAS)
The theif comes only to steal andkill an destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

Honestly I'm not sure how I would "persoanlize" it ... but am going to stick my neck out here and ask a loaded question:

Does anyone else struggle with the idea that He came to give us "a better life than we ever dreamed of" or that He came so we might "enjoy" life? I do believe that God wants to give us good things, as every parent wants to give to thier children ... but it seems that God id God! He has a plan and whole world to order ... how could he be concerned with me "enjoying" my life?

Is it perhaps that we can really only "enjoy" life if we are completely committted to Him? Or am I just hung up on that word "enjoy" ... I don't think He means to give us one big long happy party of a life and I've yet to meet anyone who would describe thier life that way :-)

I hope that makes some amount of sense ... it just what is running through my brain as I consider this.


Question #3
What do you think living abundantly in Christ means? What do you think it looks like?
Wow ... thats a hard question! I'm not sure I really have adeffinition for living abundantly in Christ yet. I guess being totally consumed with God's will and being free of fears, of worrying what other think of our choices. To be truly living God's plan/God's will for my life.


Our Memory Work

"'Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'"
- John 8:32 (NIV)

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free..."
- Galatians 5:1a (NIV)

God's timing ... amazing!

"'Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.'" - John 8:32 (NIV)

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free..."
- Galations 5:1a (NIV)

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/tagblog


I say that God's timing is amazing a lot these days! But He never ceases to amaze me. Speaking with a few other moms of the 6th grade girls at church this morning I learned that two of them are hoping to organize a summer bible study for the girls based around the book "Lies Young Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free" by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

I have picked up and then put back down the original version for us older women ;-) several times ... wanted to read it but did not really have anyone to discuss it with, or I was already doing another study, that sort of thing. Well, I decided that I better order both "Lies Young Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free" and the original "Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free" both by Nancy Leigh DeMoss. I figured if my daughter is going to do the study this summer I wanted to read it ahead of time and what better reason to finally buy the book.

The first thing I did (even before making lunch) after church was to get online and order the books ... even paid for two day delivery because I was in a slightly impatient mood. Then this evening as I'm browsing around online and reading more Thankful Thursday posts I stumbled across a blog where this study was mentioned. Praise the Lord!!! His timing is amazing ha? Dh just left to get my list of things I need from Target this week. I added spiral bound note cards, so I'll have them when the book gets here :-)

I can't say I have read for assignment #1, since I just ordered the book today, but I am joining the study. If you want to join us please go check it out at T.A.G. blog

I just have to say this one more time:
God's timing amazes me!!!