Bad Girls

There is a lot to say in her favor, but the other is more interesting.
Mark Twain
(a quote listed at the beginning of chapter 5, "The First Cut is the Deepest.")

Our book club is reading Bad Girls of the Bible by Liz Curtis Higgs. I have really been enjoying it! I am learning more and more about specific events in the Bible, some of which I only remember ever hearing the "sunday school" version. ha ha. WOW, yeah they are pretty different when you read the "bad girls" version and learn the real stuff that went on!

Each chapter begins with a modernized account of the biblical story. A way to see what that girl might look like around us and in us. Then, she goes verse by verse through the biblical account with insight and explanation. She sums it up with some lessons to be learned and discussion questions.

We are halfway through the book now. Last night we talked about the "woman at the well" and "Delilah."

She pulled some very good lessons from Delilah especially. Lessons about keeping others' weaknesses in confidence and not tearing down our homes with our own hands. None of us intentionally would tear down our own house, but she writes "keep your scissors out of reach." In other words....most people don't go to therapy with a day's worth of damage. It's the daily snipping that tears down the people around us...so we must be careful with our "scissors" (ie, our tongues!).

Proverbs 14:1 The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

Each bad girl is given a "subtitle" such as "bad for a moment" or "bad for a season but not forever." So far we've read about Eve, Potiphar's wife, Lot's wife, The Woman at the Well, and Delilah. Sapphira, Rahab, Jezebel, Michal, and "the sinful woman" are left. I have really gotten some good insight for myself from stories I thought could/would never relate to my life!

This is a great read. She also writes some fiction....such as the story of Ruth set in "olde Scotland" which sounds very intriguing to me! I love to find a new Christian author!

Movie Night

I just finished watching Pride and Prejudice...the 2005 version with Keira Knightly. I saw it in the theater when it first came out and had not seen it again since then, so I didn't remember how much I loved it. It is such a funny story and all the actors chosen for this version were just perfect for it! If you haven't seen it you should pick it up....I am in the mood now to read Jane Austen and see all the movies again!

Who Knew?!

Katie recently read this book. She pretty much just picks out what she wants to read and we do "stuff" with it for her lessons. She amazes me with her reading ability!

So, ever since we read it, Katie has been bugging asking me to make lemon meringue pie. Apparently the only thing Amelia Bedelia can do correctly is make a Lemon Meringue Pie. I had picked up the ingredients I thought I needed, only to find out that I did not have one of the things I thought I already had, so I found an easier recipe online tonight. I have never EVER baked anything with meringue topping and after reading some of the reviews of the recipes and hearing horror stories I was honestly quite nervous about it. I read all kinds of tips about making sure there were no yolks in the eggs whites, having them at room temperature. etc,.... Well, I failed at all of those and just decided to go with it and see what happened.
WHO KNEW!?
I was kind of a success with meringue on my first attempt! It could just be beginner's luck, but hey, I was pretty proud and Katie LOVED the pie. The filling hadn't really set up well enough yet when we ate a piece it was still really runny, but I think it will be better tomorrow. I took a photo before I put it under the broiler just in case something catastrophic happened in there...but it browned nicely and was quite tasty! (The "after" picture is not very good at all, not sure what was up with that.)

Booking Through Thursday: Interactive Edition

Next Wednesday will be our last week meeting about our book: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. It has truly been a great read, and I highly recommend it to any woman who is alive...ha ha...not naming a specific "problem" it addresses, but I think it really speaks for all women.

Anyway...I certainly want to start another book with the new year, but am struggling with what to do next. I would love to accumulate some ideas and see what all is out there. I did a google search for "great women's Bible studies and found a few.

What has been your favorite devotional/book/Bible study you have done, and why?

Thanks for any suggestions, I hope to get a good many responses so I have somewhere to start. Who knows? You know how book stores online or Amazon will give you suggestions or say what other people have bought who looked at this book? It may be that your suggestion, even if not used, may lead me to the place where I can find what God wants us to do next, so suggest away!!!!

Here are some I found-what do you think? Click on the title for a link to a description. Honestly, the more I read and research, the more I am leaning toward the second one.

40 Day Journey to the Heart of God an adventure in prayer. This one pairs you with a prayer partner, has 4 days of homework and has you connect with your partner on day 5...sounds interesting.

Believing God What does it mean to not just believe IN God, but to BELIEVE God? This is a book version of Beth Moore's study that was originally a DVD lesson and workbook type thing. I thought the regular book version might be a good way to experience this study. I found a link on Christianbook.com that has a discussion guide for the book with 3 questions for each chapter. There is a devotional journal that looks like it would be a great companion and springboard for daily devotions: CLICK HERE

Booking Through Thursday

I want to share a new book with you this week.....
I have been wanting to start a mom's Bible/book study at church, and it the right time has come! I have never been in charge of leading a study before, so as you read this please say a quick prayer for me to have the right things to say and to be a good leader for this new thing!
We are going to be meeting on Wednesdays at 6pm...a time that will be perfect for us moms who need to get our kids in the bed at a decent hour! ha. I am very excited and believe I was lead to a great book as a beginning point for us.

Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World, by Joanna Weaver

I have heard great things about this book and as I read through the first three chapters as a sort of "preview" I am really enjoying it. The topic has actually been a good one to start a mom's study group, because it is all about MAKING time for God through the "busy-ness" of a mom's life. The back of the book says:

"An invitation for every woman who's ever felt she isn't godly enough, isn't loving enough, isn't doing enough. The life of a woman today isn't really all that different from that of Mary and Martha in the New Testament. Like Mary, you long to sit at the Lord's feet...but the daily demands of a busy world just won't leave you alone. Like Martha, you love Jesus and really want to serve him...yet you struggle with weariness, resentment, and feelings of inadequacy. Then comes Jesus, into the midst of your busy life, to extend the same invitation he issued long ago to the two sisters from Bethany. Tenderly, he invites you to choose "the better part"---a joyful life of intimacy with Him that flows naturally into loving service."

We had our first group meeting tonight and I think it was quite a success! We have a good group of girls and I am so excited about making new friends!