LFB Ladies SS #2

September 18^th, 2011

Chapter 1: An Emptier, Fuller Life, pgs. 15-23.

We recognize how our ingratitude seeps into every part of our life, how this first sin seems to be the sin that touches on all aspects of our lives.

Pg. 15…”Satan’s sin becomes the first sin: the sin of ingratitude.”

Pg. 16…” Now everywhere we look, we only see all that isn’t: holes, lack, deficiency.”

Ann points out all the ways we show our ingratitude, but then through scripture and story, she pulls us back to choosing to accept God’s grace daily.

Pg. 17…”His secret purpose framed from the very beginning {is} to bring us to our full glory.”…”He means to heal our soul holes.”

Pg. 18…”A free and ready favor. That’s grace. It is one thing to choose to take the grace offered at the cross. But to choose to live as one filling with His grace? Choosing to fill with all that He freely gives and fully live-with glory and grace and God?”

We have a choice, daily, to live freely, receiving whatever God gives.

Pg. 21…”When we find ourselves groping along, famished for more, we can choose.”

We can choose to take in God’s grace daily.

Pg.22…”Manna literally means ‘what is it?’” …”They take their daily nourishment from that which they don’t comprehend. They find soul-filing in the inexplicable. They eat the mystery. They eat the mystery. And the mystery, that which made no sense, is ‘like wafers of honey’ on the lips.”

*Can we allow grace, (make the choice) to daily “eat” this nourishment that we do not comprehend? Like Manna to your bones, is grace to your soul, nourishing, daily.

* The bigger picture becomes…by choosing grace daily, we can accept the losses, the disappointments, the ‘soul-holes, and to know that God has our best in mind.

Please read at the bottom of page 22. Starting with…”if the rent in the canvas…”

*”How do we choose to allow the holes to become seeing-through-to-God places? “

(Resentment for gratitude, anger for joy, self-focus for God-communion.)

Assignment #2

I am hoping that you took some moments last week to read some blog postings by Kimberley and Sarah. If you can find time, please continue to do so.

Now, it’s your turn to share. I recognize we aren’t all storytellers, but we still will have a story to tell.
This week, I would like you to start your own blog. You can keep it private or you can make it public…I just want you to start writing. Write what is on your heart, I invite you to be vulnerable, sharing fears, joys, disappointments, how you did something well or poorly, and how it made you feel.