Christian Women's Book Club

deb6563

If it weren't for my church family, I don't know what I would do.  After my surgery they showered us with food, cards, phone calls, and especially prayer.  It makes a world of difference when you have a church you can depend on in time of need.

spar2

That is so true. I have a wonderful family and husband but I do need my church family also.  they are all so caring and helpful, kind and loving.  the more I give and become involved the more I get back.  We are on the right path.

spar2

I have mostly been reading Phillipians right now.  with time out for proverbs.  I am taking just some fiction books on vacation with me for when I go to bed and can't sleep.  Keep reading, praying, studying and gaining knowledge of the bible.  The most important book ever wrote. hugs. Sherry

spar2

Purpose:  there are many wonderful things that will never be done if you do not do them. Charles Gill

Magic:  If you follow your bliss, doors will open for you that wouldn't have opened for anyone else. Joseph Campbell

Passion:  There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart.  Pursue these.  Michael Nolan

 More tomorrow, have a good night.

Yes JO, I am steps forward and 2 steps back.  Just can't seem to get it into motion plus having a terrible cold on top of it has not helped.

Anonymous

JO and Spar - you two are funny.  You've been preparing for vacation forever.  That's why I'm a last minute person.  That way I know I have to get it done.  I just do the laundry 2-3 days before; pack the day before and voila, no time to take a step back.

Just teasing you both!

Spar, hope your cold gets better soon.

deb6563

I just finished Ted Dekkers new book "Boneman's Daughters"  It was great.  Not typical Ted Dekker though.  No "supernatural" at all.  Just a good murder mystery.  I personally didn't know Ted Dekker could write books like this without putting the supernatural into it.

spar2

Patoo, am LOL.  Wish I could be more like you instead of obsessing over ever little detail, shoes, trying to pack stuff that doesn't wrinkle.  I mean there will be over 13 people in one house and I know I won't get the iron or probably even a bed, so I am taking my down comforter to sleep on with my pillows and cover.  Can't decide whether to pack food or not ( I know your laughing but food is so much more expensive there)  then it is what shoes do I need with what.  Do I need jewelry.  My DH is like you.  His side on the suitcase will be done in one day and never another though about it.  We got to pack one dressy outfit for graduation and I don't have anything dressy, our church is casual and for years I lived in scrubs so trying to decide whether to buy here and get it wrinkled or wait and buy there so it will be fresh.  Good thing my son has 3 bathrooms.  It all worked out good last time all the family piled in on him so hope it goes smoothly this time too.

Patoo, I think you helped calm me down.  Thanks.  LOL

the cold has moved down in my chest so am going to go ahead with the antibiotics and have been very nauseated from drainage.

I want to read that new Dekker book, I am shocked it is not supernatural.  I thought all he did was supernatural good against bad.

Jo, thank you for the angels, sending a few with you too.  There are some crazy drivers out there.

Blessing to all.

spar2

JOY:  If it doesn't absorb you, if it isn't any fun, don't do it.  DH Lawrence

GREATNESS:  When we don't enjoy what we do, we only nick the surface of our potential.  Dennis Wholey

IMAGINATION:  I dream for a living. Steven Spielberg

CREATE:  Life is a great big canvas and you should throw all the paint on it you can. Danny Kaye

More tomorrow.

Goodnight

spar2

Think big thoughts.... but relish small pleasures.

STRIVE:  when you hold back on lie, life holds back on you.  Mary Morrissey

CHARACTER:  The highest reward for a person't work is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.  John Ruskin

BLISS:  Where your pleasure is, there is your treasure; where your treasure, there your heart; where your heart, there your happiness.  Augstine

Everyone have a God Blessed Day.

spar2

Patoo, you will be so proud of me, 2 steps forward and stayed there today!  Hope all is well with everyone.

Jazzy girl, where are you, no time to post?  Come out and play.

JO, have fun

Deb, hugs to you

If you guys like mountains, rivers, outdoor life, wild animals, birds come post on the mountain thread with me.  It is relaxing.  I could always use a good cup of hot cocoa or tea or coffee with a friend.

Anonymous

Well, yes you are making progress - good girl!

"Jazzy" - if that's jazzygem she posted on the 'ta ta...vegas' board that she was headed for the hospital - keep her in prayer.

spar2

No, Jazzy girl is always hope, but will pray for jazzygem, hope she is ok.  Have got even more stuff done but am having company tonight.  It is so weird we are going to visit my son but he is flying in here tonight due to his job but he will be back home by the time we get there.  Hope all has enjoyed their 3 day weekend and took a moment to pray for our troops.  I was thrilled that the military salute through the cemetary in Moore started at my Uncles grave who died a few minutes ago with full honors.  He retired from the service so he gave a lot to his country.  He had 4 sons, 1 with CP and physical and mental handicaps.  He was the apple of our eyes.  Always happy.  He died several years ago so was there at home in heaven to welcome his dad.  Today also reminds me of the months my son spent in Saudi, the heat, the sand, being away from his child which he has raised alone.  Nanny went out there and stayed those months to take care of him and gave her new life in her old bones.

Praying for all my breastcancer sisters here on the board and here at home. Praying for safety of all of our troops.  Praying for a cure in 2009.

spar2

Hello ladies, hope all is well with everyone.  Anyone reading anything new? 

Anonymous

Have you all read The Purpose Driven LIfe by Rick Warren?  Here's something I just received from my sister regarding him:  I think the interview was probably a while ago and so his wife may be in remission now.

Rick Warren,  'Purpose Driven Life ' author and pastor of Saddleback Church in California.  Also spoke at the inauguration for President Obama.

In an interview by Paul Bradshaw with Rick Warren, Rick said: 

 People ask me, What is the purpose of life?  And I respond: In a nutshell, life is preparation for eternity. We were not made to last forever, and God wants us to be with Him in Heaven. 

One day my heart is going to stop, and that will be the end of my body-- but not the end of me.

 I may live 60 to 100 years on earth, but I am going to spend trillions of years in eternity. This is the warm-up act - the dress rehearsal. God wants us to practice on earth what we will do forever in eternity.   We were made by God and for God, and until you figure that out, life isn't going to make sense.

Life is a series of problems: Either you are in one now, you're just coming out of one, or you're getting ready to go into another one.  The reason for this is that God is more interested in your character than your comfort; God is more interested in making your life holy than He is in making your life happy.  We can be reasonably happy here on earth, but that's not the goal of life. The goal is to grow in character, in Christ likeness.

This past year has been the greatest year of my life but also the toughest, with my wife, Kay, getting cancer.

 I used to think that life was hills and valleys - you go through a dark time, then you go to the mountaintop, back and forth. I don't believe that anymore.  Rather than life being hills and valleys, I believe that it's kind of like two rails on a railroad track, and at all times you have something good and something bad in your life.  No matter how good things are in your life, there is always something bad that needs to be worked on.  And no matter how bad things are in your life, there is always something good you can thank God for..

You can focus on your purposes, or you can focus on your problems:

If you focus on your problems, you're going into self-centeredness, which is my problem, my issues, my pain.' But one of the easiest ways to get rid of pain is to get your focus off yourself and onto God and others.

We discovered quickly that in spite of the prayers of hundreds of thousands of people, God was not going to heal Kay or make it easy for her- It has been very difficult for her, and yet God has strengthened her character, given her a ministry of helping other people, given her a testimony, drawn her closer to Him and to people.  You have to learn to deal with both the good and the bad of life.

Actually, sometimes learning to deal with the good is harder. For instance, this past year, all of a sudden, when the book sold 15 million copies, it made me instantly very wealthy.  It also brought a lot of notoriety that I had never had to deal with before. I don't think God gives you money or notoriety for your own ego or for you to live a life of ease..

So I began to ask God what He wanted me to do with this money, notoriety and influence. He gave me two different passages that helped me decide what to do, II Corinthians 9 and Psalm 72.

First, in spite of all the money coming in, we would not change our lifestyle one bit.. We made no major purchases.

Second, about midway through last year, I stopped taking a salary from the church.

Third, we set up foundations to fund an initiative we call The Peace Plan to plant churches, equip leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, and educate the next generation.

Fourth, I added up all that the church had paid me in the 24 years since I started the church, and I gave it all back. It was liberating to be able to serve God for free.

We need to ask ourselves: Am I going to live for possessions? Popularity?

Am I going to be driven by pressures? Guilt? Bitterness? Materialism? Or am I going to be driven by God's purposes (for my life)?

When I get up in the morning, I sit on the side of my bed and say, God, if I don't get anything else done today, I want to know You more and love You better. God didn't put me on earth just to fulfill a to-do list. He's more interested in what I am than what I do.

That's why we're called human beings, not human doings. 

Happy moments, PRAISE GOD.          Difficult moments, SEEK GOD.

Quiet moments, WORSHIP GOD.        Painful moments, TRUST GOD.

Every moment, THANK GOD

o2bhealthy

patoo:

wow - that is powerful...I was given The Purpose Driven Life several years ago and have never even cracked the book open...after reading the statements above, I do believe I will have to dust the book off and start reading.  Thank you for taking the time to type all those details from his interview.

spar2

Oh Patoo, thank you.  Will read that book for sure.  You are such a blessing.  hugs. spar

spar2

Keep the Faith.  Will miss you all.  Be back in a couple of weeks. lots of love and hugs.  Happy reading.  We are studing John right now.

spar2

Just finished reading The Europa Conspiracy by Tim Lahaye and ob Phllips, it was so exciting I can hardly put it down and it ends in such a way that I can't wait to read the next book which is The Edge of Darkness.  Good reading all.

Anonymous

Thanks Spar2 I need to pick up something to read.

spar2

Hi, patoo, I think of you all the time and hope you are doing good.  Blessing to you.

spar2

Patoo, Alwayshope was generous enough to pass the books along and share with me.  Would you like me to pass them on to you?  If so pm me your address.  Let me know.  We can just keep sharing them with people who like to read.

Anonymous

Thanks Spar2 that is so nice.  Just PM'd you and will be glad to share with our friends.

o2bhealthy

Hello Ladies - I have at least 10 books  to read sitting on my night stand (most of which have been recommended here) and have a strange question:

"When do you get to a point in this wild ride where you can actually concentrate long enough to read?"

I can't seem to focus long enough on a book to get further then a few pages and I have been an AVID reader my entire life...

Anonymous

o2b, I have the same issue.  I've started each of them, some are on my nightstand and others on the LR table (next to my now favorite place the lounge chair), and have lately had to just force myself to read only one at a time; it still takes a long time to get through.  I have the same problem with a movie.  Can only watch sit-coms now because I just can't do a 2+ hour movie.  << sigh  >>

deb6563

I am having the same problem.  I used to could read a book a day and now it takes me about a week to get through a book.  My unread pile has grown to about 12 books and I have never had more than 5 at a time waiting to be read.  I guess we have to blame it on "chemo brain"

Hope everyone is doing good.  I just finished 3 of 4 A/C's yesterday so I know I will be out of it for a few days.

spar2

It took me about 6 months off chemo to be able to start concentrating again on reading.  Now after 4 years off Chemo I could read a book a day, watch 2 movies in a row and keep my mind focused on crafts or whatever I am doing.

 But there was some earlier times when it was all I could do just getting through each day. So I know how you feel.  Sometimes it seems like I threw up and slept and cried my whole way through chemo.  You guys seem so much stronger that I was.

spinnaker

Hi ladies, I am new to this forum and I'm so glad to find this topic!  My surgery is next week and I've been very blessed by a devotional a friend recently gave me: "Jesus Calling" by Sarah Young.  The hardest part for me has been waiting for surgery and wondering what I'll feel like after, but this devotional has helped replace my fear with trust.  And you all have been so helpful in getting prepared for what lies ahead - thanks!

I'm stocking up on books to read while I'm recovering and hope I get to most of them.  Life is so chaotic right now that I might have to lower my expectations on how many I get through this summer.  Things usually don't turn out like you plan, especially with teenagers at home during the summer - lol!!

 Karen

o2bhealthy

spinnaker - welcome and sorry that you had to join this club...my surgery is the 23rd - day before yours...I agree the waiting and wondering is the worst.  I have received several devotionals from my friends and have stocked up on reading material as well - I just cannot seem to focus long enough to get started.  I will confess that I do spend ALOT of time on this site jumping from thread to thread (I have about 10 favorites that I am following).  This site has been such a blessing and I thank GOD I found it...HE has been so good to me and I know HE is with me every step of the way!

spar2

Hi spinnaker, welcome.  Will be praying for you and o2bhealthy for things to go smoothly on your surgeries with a speedy recoverty.  God bless and its good to have those books ready.

spar2

I have a wonderful friend that sent me a card that says "Ask, and it shall begiven you:  Seek, and ye shall find;  Knock, and it shall be opened unto you."  Matthew 7:7 and inside she wrote what she was thankful for and one of the things was me.  There is nothing in this world that can make my heart happy as knowing I have such a good friend.  We may not talk everyday, we may not see each other often but she is always in my heart and I love her.  You know who you are.