Well friends, this is it! FINALLY! The first official post of our group together. Thank you SO much for having the courage to join us here. I am so thankful for you.
Before we begin I'd like to take the cue from Stasi, one of our authors, and pray together to invite God to our group and into our hearts. Even though it's a bit different while online I hope that you will pray with me. :)
Lord,
You alone know these women to their souls. You created in them, the desires they feel stirring in their hearts. You created in them an astounding beauty that is the uniquely perfect image of You that they were each created to bring to the earth. I thank You for each and every one of them. I thank You for the amazing gift of being a servant leader to these beautiful creations of Yours. I ask that You move into this group. Do a supernatural work in this unique method of study and move into each of these women's time here in an overwhelming way. Surround them in Your love and begin unveiling their hearts to them wherever they are in this moment. Pour out Your blessing on us all and amaze us with Your beauty within us! We ask You to lead us and have Your way with our thoughts and our hearts. We know we are safe with You, our sweet Father. We thank You and praise Your Name.
Amen!
Now, let's embark on this adventure with God!
First, What did you think? How do you feel after reading this first chapter? Were you surprised? Relieved? Annoyed? Share it with us!
Next, our questions this week are directly from the 'Guided Journal' written by John and Stasi Eldredge. I will pick a few from there to post. You chose which you would feel comfortable posting your thoughts and answers to.
"As you flip back over chapter one in Captivating and skim the pages did you highlight anything? What strikes you? what did it evoke in your heart?"
What if anything in this chapter are you having a hard time believing?
"I know I am not alone in this nagging sense of failing to measure up, a feeling of not being good enough as a woman. Every woman I've ever met feels it--something deeper than just the sense of failing at what she does. An underlying, gut feeling of failing at who she is. I am not enough, and, I am too much, at the same time.
"Have you ever felt that way? Are you feeling it these days? In what ways?
Do you feel that if you were 'better' life wouldn't be so hard? 'Better' in what ways?"
Lastly, "What would it feel like to know that Jesus, your King, is enthralled by your beauty?"
There you go sweet ladies! Please know that you are dear and precious to Him and that wherever He leads you is exactly where you need to be. If you feel comfortable posting WONDERFUL! If you don't feel comfortable posting that is also WONDERFUL! I'm just so glad you are on this journey with us. I'll be checking back every day to keep the conversation going.
I am really looking forward to hearing from you all.
Be Blessed,
Daughters of the King!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Chapter one seems to serve as a positive reinforcement to me. I KNOW He loves me, and that I am precious to Him and yet I somehow leave pleanty of room in my own heart to feel unlovable. I often feel that if I were a "better" woman, I would have more blessings, I would be married, I would have more earthly "things". That's not true though..... is it?
ReplyDeleteTo know my King is enthralled with my beauty is a bit uncomfortable sometimes. I have wondered if it's not specifically me He loves, but all of humanity and I just happen to be one of them. When i consider that it IS actually me that He loves so, I feel bad sometimes, like I cheated Him and let Him down.
Anybody relate?
Tricia,
ReplyDeleteI can certainly relate to that! I can't quite absorb the idea that a human being could be enthralled with me .. much less the creator of every pretty girl, beautiful sunset, all things of value, HE is enthralled with me??? HE can't take his eyes off of ME??? I'm beating myself up for every extra pound or every earthly failure and meanwhile He is waiting with anticipation for MY attention and His amamzing creation of this earth is LACKING if I'm not in it! That is almost too much to fathom. What a wonderful gift to know this about myself! Makes you look at yourself rather differently!
Thank you SO MUCH for sharing!
Frequently I think of the words in the beautiful song Breath of Heaven, "Do you wonder as you watch my face, if a wiser one should have had my place." My heart aches at the fear of disappointing God for the mother, wife, daughter, sister, friend, and teacher that I am. I strive each day to do my best, but sometimes I am so overwhelmed by all of the demands. If I come home exhausted from a 10 or 12 hour work day, and I don't make dinner for my family, I feel like I'm a failure because I neglected to take care of my families' needs. Or if I decide to leave work at a reasonable time, cook dinner, and spend time with the family, then I realize I left work related things undone. Again I'm left with the guilt that I should have done better as a teacher.
ReplyDeleteI've always known that we are created in God's image, but I guess I had never really thought about how I am created in his image as a woman. I have never thought about how God created the woman's heart to reflect his own.
I have always felt a connection with that song 'breath of heaven' :) I think that is a feeling universal to women. We just always wonder if He could possibly love us the way we are. How wonderful that He does!
ReplyDeleteThis chapter left me giddy as I thought about my childhood! It was wonderful to read how God designed a woman's heart - to be loved!
ReplyDelete"Have you ever felt that way? Are you feeling it these days? Yes - I felt that way for years! I was trapped in the "do more" cycle that wore me out! and made me feel guilty that I couldn't keep up! It didn't help if my do nothing mate criticized my efforts.
Do you feel that if you were 'better' life wouldn't be so hard? 'Better' in what ways?" More down to earth, but on top of everything! If I were a better cook, or organizer of everyone's STUFF in my house, etc. If I had behaved better in college I would have had a 'better' life now. This list could go too long. the guilt complex is popular.
Lastly, "What would it feel like to know that Jesus, your King, is enthralled by your beauty?" This stunned me! The fact that I've never paid attention to this also stuns me. He created me, of course He would love me! but being enthralled was beyond my imagination! it was out of my "God" box/folder/cage.
I am thrilled to keep digging into this treasure and discover this with God. I can imagine His delight! He's waited a while for me! :)
Awesome Jenny! I so love that God loves us enough to wait. What a wonderful picture for us in so many areas of life. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to see where else He takes you on your journey together. Thank you for sharing with us!
mmmm my heart purrs inside of my chest as i finish the first chapter. i have read this before but as i am working on identity and trying to let it all sink in to change the misconceptions in my head so that my reality is the reality of God, i am in awe of the love i am supposed to know because it is there. i am excited to read this again.
ReplyDeletethat first quote by anais nin is where i feel like i am. it is more painful to stay where i am than it is to blossom and let the truth sink in, even though its scary cause it is different than what i have lived with for the last 26 years.
i feel like my hangup is if i were prettier/skinnier it would be easier. and i have amazing friends who share the truth that it isn't so but it takes so long to reverse the years of hearing a lie and letting it be truth. and i am beginning to see that truth. it is HARD!
i remember the first time i heard the verse about God being enthralled with your beauty. i was in a making peace with your past class. i remember thinking...huh? enthralled? that is a pretty big word. and sometimes it is still really hard to fathom...but i am glad He does! i am so glad that he is patient with me and knows that one day i will get it. oh how he makes my heart sing!
I am SO EXCITED to read your words sweet girl. :) He LOVES you! He sings over you. You are an amazing beauty from the inside out and His refection is beautiful in you. Keep reading! I can't WAIT to see what He reveals in you as we continue! Thank you for the courage to share your heart here. You are loved my Him and by me. :) KP
ReplyDelete