Oct. 18, 2007
My Bible Study ~ Contagious Joy
Posted in Bible Study
I haven't blogged about our Bible Study this semester yet. I think it is because it is Contageous Joy and the Lord is making me DIG for the joy in that class. There is a lot of heart break in my class. So it absolutely is designed to teach these women joy beyond the circumstances. One woman's 31 year old son died ONE week before class started. Three women have lost sons to death in one way or another, two have sons with disablities. I can see the joy begin to come to their hearts and their eyes.
However the last couple weeks I have had one woman that seeks confrontation and division. Knowing how fresh some of these wounds are she says .. The Bible says Rejoice Always, so if you are NOT rejoicing YOU are in sin! Why would someone seek to bind up someone with such legalism? Women around the room shared that God created all our emotions and that perfection is to come. She was so insistant that I had to pull out the "If you need more clarification on this talk to your pastor" card! This was the third such incident.
Yesterday though, there was peace in the study as the women discovered the songs in thier hearts. They were so diverse from the Doxology and The trees of the fields will clap their hands in honor of our changing leaves to Charity Church Mouse's rendition of Jesus put a song in my heart, All the verses of Jesus loves me and Bob the Tomato's Aloha Lance! Great laughs.
Then we prayed. The prayer request I want to share with you is for a young mom of a one year old that discovered she has very aggressive breast cancer, a six inch tumor and that she was pregnant at the same time. They insisted she end the pregnancy and start chemo immediately. Oh how heavy her heart must be. How frightened is her family. What a burden to carry into treatment and the depression that accompanies the chemo on top of a broken heart. Please pray for her, she is 30 years old and her name is Monica.
I know that Sunday is Prayer Requests at SoCalVal, but this couldn't wait. As you walk through the grocery store and see all the Breast Cancer items this month for sale or see a commercial about Breast cancer, say a prayer for Monica, and her family.
Because of Jesus, Bobbie
Comments
Oct. 18, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by MiryClay
My MIL made a statement to me one time. She said, "I don't think (such & such a person) is saved b/c they are always depressed." I just looked at her in amazement and said, "I've been depressed before, do you think that I'm not saved?" We are reading a book right now in Sunday school class called, "No Perfect People Allowed". So many people think that they are perfect Christians. Those are the ones who aren't being very luminant to those in need. Okay, I'm done venting. I really don't know where that came from. LOL. Hope you enjoy your study! ;o)
Love ya,
Lori
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Oct. 18, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by jenn4him
Wow. I am so glad they have faith in Jesus to go through all these trials. He will one day wipe away all the tears. I live for that day, myself. I will pray for Monica.
Jenn
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Oct. 18, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Canadagirl
Wow ! I am very glad you are there to encourage these women. Even the prickly one. [ 0; I will lift up Monica very high. She will go on my prayer list. Please keep us updated.
Blessings and ((hugs)) my SSiC
In Him<><
-Mary
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Oct. 19, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by AcceptanceWithJoy
Bobbie,
I will pray for Monica and her family!
I will also pray for you as you seek to lead your group in wisdom. It seems that God brought this group of women together for a season just to lift up each other. So many of them understand the pain of losing a child.
The first thing I thought when I read this was that you are a mighty vessel of the Holy Spirit. I have never had the patience to deal with people who are divisive. I am constantly working on patience. (I know I shouldn't have to work on bearing fruits of the Spirit... this is an area of growth for me!)
The next thing I thought was that we (the collective group of Christians) need to stop memorizing one verse from the Bible and turning it into doctrine and legalistic rules. The most famous passage on rejoicing is, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4) Well, if we examine it in context... it was one of Paul's prison letters. Paul is trusting God in a dark situation, but... if you look back at verses 2 and 3 ~ Paul immediately addresses two women who can't seem to get along. Paul is pleading with the women to be of one mind and even asks a third party to intervene. Verse 4 tells the two women (and us today) to turn their thoughts toward God rather than allow bickering and arguing to poison the church. We are supposed to be known for our love.
If you look in context, you simply can't reduce this verse to some kind of command like, "Don't worry! Be happy!" Jesus wept over Lazarus tomb. Jesus wept on Palm Sunday when he considered that Israel was about to reject their Messiah. If we read the Psalms, we find several examples of people crying out to God. The consequences of sin and death are sad and worthy of tears! I have heard it before from other Christians, but the Bible simply doesn't support that our tears are a sin.
Last, I wondered if this woman has a need that is not being met or addressed in this group. When I am in pain, I tend to start focusing on me. If my need wasn't as big as a child's death or a life-threatening illness, societal norms and common sense might cause me to surpress what I am feeling as I try to reach out to others. But, I am a sinner too. When I put other's needs before my own, I sometimes start to think I am a martyr or a victim. The Christian life is not for wimps.
Lots of prayer going up to you today ~ sorry to have blogged in your comment section. :o(
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Oct. 19, 2007 - Untitled Comment
Posted by Laurie
Hi Bobbie,
I will definitely be praying for Monica and the decisions her family must make and for Gods peace to wrap around them.
What a scary time for them to be facing but our Father is bigger than the situation.
I know that the Word of God is The Sword of the Spirit. I just have such a hard time when it is used as a Samuri Sword.!
I will pray for this person, (there has always been at least one in every Bible Study I have been in) as they always seem to have a situation down deep that is trying to surface and can be very disruptive.
Be blessed this weekend with that beautiful family of yours.
Love, Laurie in Ca.
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Oct. 20, 2007 - will certainly pray
Posted by Clanclave
I know some people don't believe in the power of the intercession of the Saints, but because these people were real, walked this earth, shared our struggles, I often look to them for guidance in how to handle situations (it appeals to my humanistic side <grin>). But there is a woman, named St. Gianna that endured something similar. You can find information here- http://www.medjugorjeusa.org/stgianna.htm that tells what she endured. So I will ask for St. Gianna's intercession and prayers on your friend, Monica's behalf. Peace to all of you! T
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Oct. 21, 2007 - Bobbie, please tell me . . .
Posted by MistyKrasawski
she didn't let them end her baby's life! Sometimes they are wrong, and I can't imagine letting someone make a choice like that for me--indeed, I doubt the docs are able to tie her to a table or anything . . . ??
Praying for them as they walk through this.
Misty
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