Faces to go with the names
Posted by nikandre on Jun 26, 2009 in siesta summer study |
Here’s a collage of all of us. It helps me to see a face!
Row 1: Sarah, Stephanie, Debbie, Krysta
Row 2: Carol, Michele, Fran, Jenn
Row 3: Pam, Sherry, Sharon, Liz
Row 4: Mandy
Thanks for doing such a great job facilitating this group, Sarah. You are really working hard to help us all get acquainted. I love the photos. You are a pretty bunch of siestas. Most of all, thanks for praying for me. I hear y’all talking about Day 2 and I haven’t even finished Day 1 yet. I hope to have some serious Bible time before I go to bed tonight. It’s just hard to manage with a three-year-old streaking through the house. I’d give anything to have as much energy as he has at bedtime when I get up in the morning! Blessings to you all. I’m praying for you too.
I have to agree. What a beautiful bunch of woman. I am feeling so blessed to get to know you guys. Thank you so much Sarah for facilitating.. I agree Pam. she’s doing a great job. I was able to download the first chapter and am really enjoying and getting alot out of the study. I have to tell you God impressed that I must share one of the answers to a question from Day 3 (I have my day of sabbath rest today from the craziness of nepal so that’s why I studied for a long time which is why I am able to be on day 3) The question asked Describe a time stored away in yoru thoughts that reminds you of Gods word of wonders. Well I have to tell you about this ladies. for soo many years I struggled with low low self esteem. I had about the self esteem of probablly a dog
I needed a HUGE thought overhaul… I had been rejected so many times.. especially by peers and especially in the area of beauty. As a 27 year old I have never been asked on a date EVER. When I was in High school I paid a guy to take me to my senior prom. Well we got to the downtown area where the prom was, and He left me on the bridge there. He said I don’t want to be seen with you.. you are just ugly. So I did not get to go to my senior prom. The day I felt most like a princess I was devestated to hear that I was in reality not a pauper but a princess. I began to believe from that point on that lie that there was nothing beautiful about me. Until about 4 years ago when I started graduate school for Christian counseling. The Lord used that time in my life as I was getting my masters to do a HUGE thought closet overhaul in my life. I began to study a Bible study by Angela Thomas called Do you think i’m beautiful. i realized that the way I felt so ugly about myself was crippling my life with insecurities and keeping me from walking in God confidence. So the book encouragfes you to ask God in boldness DO you think I’m beautiful and expect Him to answer. So I did. For about a period of a year I asked God do you think I’m beautiful and waited on His answer. And answer He did. I went on a spiritual direction retreat for a class credit (what an awesome class huh) and on that retreat a man I did not k now came up to me . He said, “God has an answer to your question. Song of Solomon 4:7″. Then He left. Again I had never met this man before. So i had to know what that said. Went to my Bible and tears streamed down as I read, ” You are althougher beautfiul my love, there is NO FLAW in you.”
Hello.. talk about an answer from the lord. So whenever I am tempted to look in the mirror or compare myself to others, or hear the voice of the guy on the bridge telling me I was not pretty enough, I remind myself of God’s answer!
Oh my Jenn, what a beautiful post. You have blessed my life today. Thank you for sharing your story. Some of us can never speak those “secrets” aloud. What healing you must have. I am sure Satan will try and remind you of that spoken word on the bridge. Hopefully, you can always remember what was spoken to you by God. “TRUTH” <
Oh Jenn, my heart was breaking for you and how much you had been hurt and now rejoicing with you for the Love of God. Wow..wow..wow..how awesome that God, THE CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSE sent his own personal messenger to tell you how beautiful you REALLY are. Thanks for sharing this with us!
I want to give a big thank you to you Sarah too! You did a wonderful job on the photo collage of ALL of us beautiful siestas!
Fran, I wanted to mention your post on being a rescue dog. I love that! Jesus to the rescue! Amen!
Pam, I’m praying for sweet restful sleep for you, waking with lots of energy that lasts all the day long. And sweet calm sleepiness at bedtime for your little guy!
How great to put faces with names.
Low self-esteem it is a kicker, I think many women have it some just cover it up better than others. I know I suffered from it and still do a little…no reason….had boyfriends…all A’s (even in college)…college campus president…college homecoming queen…I had all the things that seem to cause low self esteem with other girls and still many times I felt lonely and unloved…etc….so I don’t know that it is an emotion caused by outside influences, but inside….now I am overweight, married and old and I feel better about me than I ever did when I was young. I was an excellent liar in my early days…someone would say “how are you” and my reply was always “great”, “wonderful”, “super”, when it wasn’t….my dad and mom were both alcholics and I was an overachiever who was on the outside of everyone elses world. Now ….Jesus is my friend, I have my girls and husband that love me and I love them….yes I do want to lose weight and I will, … Week two day one…I have POWER, LOVE, SELF-DISCIPLINE and everyday is a gift from God.
Jenn…I have never told anyone all this about my HS and college, but I wanted you to know, I seemed to have it all….but I had NOTHING. I would not go back to those lonely days for anything…I am nothing without the Lord either…even going to proms made no difference. I was of no value until I knew I was valuable to God and I am a new creation in Him and I am free!
It’s gotten pretty quiet here, Gals. Is everyone as busy as I am trying to get ready for the Fourth AND get your lessons finished? Just as I suspected, this study is really hitting home for me. I’ve already realized that my thought closet is as cluttered as my personal closet. I’ve got lots of “stuff” that needs to be sorted through–and much of it needs to be discarded! This is going to be an awesome study. Are you enjoying it too?
To be like Christ is to be full of grace and truth. When you talk to yourself, ask: Are my words gracious and truthful? Yes, it really hit home. I can really beat myself up. But, God has also reminded me to be gracious and truthful in my relationships. I’m amazed how my God can take a study about how I speak to my soul and remind me how I must treat others. “My God is an Awsome God.”
Debbie, (and the rest of our lovely group), I totally relate. I have seen lots of things I say to myself or listen to about myself and see how it can reek havoc in our “walk”, but (just like you) I was amazed how this study was hitting me with how that relates to how I talk to others and what that could potentially do to them! I know the study is suppose to be for us to see the lies we say to ourselves, but God has also used it to talk to me about even saying things to others. You pray for me and I’ll pray for you. If this study is getting down to the nitty gritty for you like it is me, we are going to have to pray for each other!
Hey fellow siestas.. I have some exciting news for you. And I have some other thoughts I would like to share that God has recently given me on the thought closet.. but I will wait on that.. don’ thave time to sufficiently write it out.. but I wanted to share with my siestas my exciting news.
I have been believing God before I leave nepal to see one person saved. It’s a very hard ground here. People are so entrenched in Hinduism that the concept of following one God is so foreign to them. So many times Satan has lied to my thoughts and said your wasting your life, what are you doing here ect.. why is God “making you suffer:” for Him here.. (although these were totally lies from the evil one because my time here has been AMAZING!) But I just kept asking God to help me believe him for just one lady to come to know Christ at least.
Well here, one week before I leave we did a womens conference yesterday. I knew God was moving. Several of my Hindu friends came. I had started (well God had started) a ladies Bible study about 1 year and a half ago. It was so funny because I started it hoping to teach English speaking ladies, but none of the ladies that came spoke English, so even thought I was so scared I had to teach in nepalee every week. It has been the BIGGEST blessing. Well my househelpers sister started coming to Bible study– I knew God was working on her heart. She was Hindu but I just knew God was working. She continued to come and I saw God working on her so much. Well last night after the conference her sister (our househelper) led her to pray with her to recieve Christ!
Glory– one week before I leave. She was just glowing with the lord. So just wanted to let you know you have a new siesta in the Lord in nepal. Pray for her as her husband is hindu still.
wahoo!