Captivating Part 3

Well, we had a small group tonight, but we had some great discussions. We showed a clip from Hope Floats. For those who have seen the movie, it is the scene where Bernice is trying to tell her dad that he wants her...he wrote it in his letter, but he just drives off while he she is sobbing.

This scene parallels with the stories in chapter four of this book. Tonight, we discussed how we have to make sure that we know who we are, that we find out what we stand for and what makes us tick before we let others totally shape us and make us who they want to be. To follow up this conversation we showed a clip from runaway Bride. We showed the part right after the Luau when Julia Roberts runs outside is followed by Richard Gere. They then have a key conversation that explains why Julia keeps running. She doesn't know herself...she doesn't even know what kinds of eggs she likes.

It is so true...in this world it is easy to think you like something because other people do, but if you were by yourself would you still choose the same thing? We spent a long time talking about experiences that have helped us to become who we are today and what some of the high schoolers need to do to identify who they are and who they are becoming.

Some of the questions we left tonight with are as follows:

Eve was the crowning glory of creation; not least, not an afterthought, but truly the 'best for last.' The chapter suggests that we as women are the beauty of the image of God. Do you agree or disagree? Why?

As you watched the clip from "Hope Floats," how did your heart feel as your watched Bernice pack and then try to get into the car with her father? Have you ever had an experience in your life (doesn't have to be with your father) where you heart felt like Bernice did as her father drove away?

Define in your own words:

Seductive, Alluring, Inviting, and Captivating

In your mind, do these words have a positive or negative connotation? Would you want to be described by any of these words? Why or why not?

Read the story of Deborah in Judges 4-5. How does this story fit with, or challenge, your perception of women in the Bible?


Well, that sums up what we did and what we left our students with...hope you enjoy!

Captivating Part 2

Today my high school girls will be coming over for our first study on Captivating...we're starting with Chapter 4: Wounded. I am excited to see how it goes.

My co-leader and I are going to show the end scene from Hope Floats to open up our conversation.

I will post more later to let you know how the study goes and I will post our Journal/Reflection questions incase any of you are reading this book!

More to come...

Running

I have finally made time to get back to one of my favorite past times: running. I know many of you probably think I'm crazy for enjoying running, but seriously you should try it. It is so freeing and inspiring. In the last three days I have run about 12 miles. I don't say this to boost myself up, but rather to illustrate how much time I have spent to illustrate some points later.

I have had some of the best prayer times during my runs that I've had in weeks. There are no distractions around me, just God's beautiful creation and the wind blowing through my hair. Running is such a stress reliever and really one of my favorite times to connect with what I'm truly feeling deep inside, as well as to just talk with God.

Lately, I've felt a little depressed and not really sure why. Not sure if it's because I am a teacher and now on summer break with nothing to do. If it's because I am still dealing with the mess I mentioned earlier about losing my job for standing up for what I believe in. Not sure if it's because I am trying to figure out why God would give me a teaching job every year, but then take it away at the end of each year. I don't know why I'm feeling depressed, but I just simply have been. Well, last night I was really feeling like that and after my run, I felt so much better. I poured my heart out to God. I shared with him why I thought I might be depressed. I poured out my heart to Him. His presence was so strong.

Anyway, all this being said, just wanted to throw out one of my favorite ways to connect with God and to truly be alone to listen to what He has to say!

Have a great day!

Happy 4th of July

Last night at the fireworks I began looking around. Everyone was there. Didn't matter how people looked, dressed, talked, mingled, etc...all that mattered was that they were there helping to celebrate our country's freedom. Why can't church be just as accepting? We're suppose to belong to this all loving church body, yet half of those people last night probably wouldn't set foot inside a church. Partly because the church is so condemning (don't get me wrong, there are black and whites as to what is right and wrong, but we still need to be loving even to those who aren't perfect, which is all of us), and because it seems to be such a hypocritical place. We can change that.

I was so upset last night about the stupid tracks that were being handed out last night. To sum it up, these particular tracks were saying that we could rid the USA of cancer, poverty, AIDS, evil, etc if only people would turn from their sin and turn to God. It said it was our fault that little kids are dying from cancer. Now really, who would want to join somewhere that made them feel like all of the worlds' problems were their fault? Seriously!!! I would have gone up and said something to the people handing out these terrible things, but they were very young kids. The people who wanted these things handed out didn't even have the gull to do it themselves. They had to put innocent young children in their place on a street corner instead.

Happy Birthday Sweetie!!!

Today is my husband's 25th birthday. We have had so much fun. We have spent most of the day together. We watched the movie Murder at 1600. Awesome movie!!! We had a homemade lunch. Then we went to pick up our friend from the airport. Then we ran some fun errands together and finished up at Cheesecake Factory to have dinner with my husband's parents. To finish the night off we gave our kitties flee baths. They were actually really good and didn't make a fuss!!!

I love Alex so very much!!! Happy birthday babe!!! Can't wait to spend every birthday from here on out with you darling!!!

Following Up...

I am in the middle of the book: Captivating by John Eldridge and his wife Stasi.

Here is a section from the book that I felt was relevant to what I'd been discussing earlier:

"Take a deep look into the eyes of anyone and behind the smile or the fear, you will find pain. And most people are in more pain than even they realize. Sorrow is not a stranger to any of us, though only a few have learned that it is not our enemy either."

This passage comes from chapter four: Wounded. This is an amazing chapter. It deals with why we, as women, react the way we do. It deals with our need to feel wanted and depending on our childhood, affects the ways in which we desire to be needed as an adult.

Read the book...it's amazing. I am going to be using it as a jumping off point with my high schoolers this summer. A friend of mine and I are going to be meeting with high schoolers of all ages this summer and doing our best to dig deep and help them to understand who they are, where they come from, and who God calls us to be.

Culture Difference or Christian Intolerance

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. There has been so much talk and frustration over the words "post-modern." I wonder if the culture that we have been referring to as of late as the "post-modern" culture really isn't just a group of people screaming out for help as a result of all of the pain in their life. I have also been pondering the question: "Why does the church have such a problem with this "post-modern" culture?

Here are my thoughts:

I think that there has always been pain in the world, but the way it was handled has been different through the ages. I will use the topic of divorce to illustrate my point. Ages ago, divorce was unthinkable. It was avoided like the plague. Than it moved to place where divorce happened, but then the woman was considered unclean and unfit to remarry. Then divorce become more common, but something to try to be avoided. Now divorce has become the easy way out of a commitment that was not thought through completely. This being said, I agree, yes culture has changed....in that it is more accepting of things that once were looked down upon. This is both good and bad.

I say that this is both good and bad because our world is now promoting things that are unbiblical, when once our society had been founded in high morals and biblical truths. While this change in the world has been happening, there has also been a change in the church. Instead of existing to be among the people it was trying to shepherd toward Christ, it began closing it's walls trying to "protect" itself from the world, as if it was a deadly illness. This is where we find ourselves today.

We are in a world that is full of more pain than ever, but we are part of the church that has closed itself off so far from the world, that the people within the church even have trouble admitting their own faults, let alone accepting and loving those outside of the church.

I don't think the problem in the church is "modern" vs. "post-modern." The church has created a bubble effect. It's as if in order to be part of the church you have to fit in this bubble and somehow being in this bubble means that you can't have pain or struggles that cause you to sin. While we know that no matter how hard we try we will always sin, because the only perfect person to walk this earth was Christ, the church has made it hard for people to admit their faults, thus making us appear to be hypocrites because people on the outside hear the message being preached, but see that the lives being lived by the people preaching just don't match up.

It's time that we let people know that Christians aren't perfect and they don't have to be. What we do need to be is loving and accepting of all of God's children. This does not mean we have to promote unbiblical behavior, but it does mean we have to love unconditionally and walk along side our brothers and sisters and help them in whatever areas they need it.

If anyone had the right to hold their perfection over our heads it was Christ and He didn't even do that. Who are we to try to appear as if we've got it all together? It almost contradicts why we need Christ. The very reason we need him, is because we don't have it all together.

So, as mentioned earlier, I wonder: is the difference the church is resisting with this "post-modern" term really that it's too accepting or is it because the church would have to admit their inconsistent unconditional love that Christ calls us to? The church has become quite intolerant of many things and has done a bad job of loving the sinner and hating the sin. They have become very good at making the sinner feel like crap and unworthy to walk through the doors of what is suppose to be such a loving, welcoming place