I’m hopping in on my favorite meme hosted by Andrea at Under Grace and Over Coffee – we are supposed to be keeping it light and random and well, I didn’t keep it light today but I did keep it random. For more wonderful randomness, click here.
Whoa. All I can say is…whoa.
I’m on the second week of Beth Moore’s revised version of her study entitled “Breaking Free” and let me tell you…whoa.
It’s intense. It’s honest and real and gritty and not for the faint of heart.
In a nutshell, this study focuses on releasing strongholds that control us and keep us from becoming the person God wants us to be.
Envy. Resentment. Lust. Greed. Eating disorders. Strive for perfection. Anger. All of these wrap their quiet little tentacles around us and squeeze tightly until we are held in such bondage that we can’t possibly ever imagine not being held their captive.
It’s focus is on the scriptures of Isaiah – a book in the Bible chock-full of fantastic stuff.
There are so many nuggets of goodness I want to share with you but I realized that what I want to share with you is pretty much the entire study and well…that would be plagarizing.
However, I will share some little quotes here and there that I have found to be the most riveting because it’s absolutely making me think and twirling me on my little axis a bit.
During Session Two, Beth states that there are three kinds of suffering that we as people endure: physical, mental, and spiritual. Not surprisingly, Jesus endured these three kinds of suffering during his time on earth as well.
I’m going to go through each of these and provide a little “nourishment” for our physical, mental, and spiritual selves today.
May you be filled.
I tried a new recipe this evening that will be wonderful nourishment to your PHYSICAL soul. It’s from Real Simple and JJ and I loved it:
Photo courtesy of Antonis Achilleos for Real Simple
(Just so you know – my version did not look quite so pretty but I’m sure yours will…)
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 10 ounce box of peas and carrots (I used mixed veggies and it was fine)
1 3-4 pound store-bought Rotisserie Chicken, meat shredded (YES YES YES – store-bought Rotisserie? SCORE!!!)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 refrigerated pie crusts (from 15 oz. package such as Pillsbury)
Heat oven to 400 degrees. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat and add onion. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Still stirring, slowly add the broth. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots, chicken, salt, and pepper. Remove from heat.
Cut each piecrust in half to form 4 half-circles. Spoon the chicken mixture over the bottom-half of each half-circle, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Using your fingers, wet the border with water. Fold the top of each crust over the chicken to form a quarter-circle. Press to seal. Make three 1 inch slits in each top crust. (I used a fork to seal the edges because it looked pretty…:))
Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake until golden about 15-18 minutes.
It’s very filling, very comforting, and very perfect for an autumn or winter night. Yum-o. Of course, my children didn’t eat it but if you remember correctly, they don’t eat anything. But they DID eat the Rotisserie Chicken. Happy, happy, joy, joy.
Next, I’m going to share some of Beth’s fantastic words of wisdom for your MENTAL and SPIRITUAL nourishment today…Again, I’m only on Week Two so you will likely be hearing more about this study and my process of breaking free of some of my own junk.
Lucky you should you decide to stick-in and keep reading me. Please do. I beg of you. Please do. It’s been crickets over here lately.
Beth’s brilliance is in bold and my own not-so-brilliant words are not.
– We are held in bondage by anything that makes us feel empty and keeps us from becoming who God wants us to be.
– If we don’t seek freedom, we will seek shelter. In other words, we will put a blanket over whatever it is that keeps us imprisoned so no one sees it. The people who are willing to shelter us in our stronghold will eventually cause more harm than those who are sheltering us while we work on letting go.
– God makes might warriors out the LEAST LIKELY of people. King David. Mary. Gideon. Daniel. And lest not forget Jesus. No one thought the Savior would ride in on a donkey.
– Do you want to die in your bondage or do you want to be set free? Sometimes we don’t know how oppressed we are until we have been set free.
– Jesus was beaten beyond recognition. He was pierced. He knew sickness. He was rejected, disdained, disrespected, oppressed, afflicted. He knew sorrow. In Matthew 27:46, He asks God “Why have you forsaken me?”
Have you ever felt that God has forsaken you? We. All. Have.
And let me save the very best nugget of goodness for last…This is by far the most wonderful quote of God’s love that answers the so common question of why God allows us to feel pain:
You think He has wounded you to hurt you but oddly, He has wounded you to heal you.
Amen. Amen. Amen. Our own destruction almost always leads to our own transformation through God.
May your soul be nourished physically, mentally and spiritually this weekend. May you find time to just be. May you simply just let it go or at least start to think about letting it go. And may you feel lighter.
* I think this study is much more effective in a group; however, please don’t let that discourage you if you are unable to join one. The videos can be downloaded for $4.99 each at www.lifeway.com/women. Audio CD’s are also available.
Click here to watch a three minute video about Breaking Free.
AWESOME post! I started this book last fall and for some reason allowed life to take over. You’ve inspired me to dust if off.
It probably will not surprise you that these very words are written in my ink, in my notebook: “- We are held in bondage by anything that makes us feel empty and keeps us from becoming who God wants us to be.” This statement really got to me.
There’s another thing we can discuss over a glass of wine next month :)
Also, my food never looks pretty like the recipe books…but taste is what counts, right?
.-= Erin´s last blog ..Proverbs 31 Woman The Early Riser =-.
A glass of wine and talking about God? I’M SO THERE. Can’t wait!!!!
And yes, it’s what’s on the INSIDE that counts…:)
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I LOVE Chicken potpie and Beth Moore, so this post is right up my alley!
You know what would be even yummier? Serve up those little pies with mashed potatoes. A friend told me this trick, and I was all like, what? Then I did it once, and I have never made a potpie without a side of mashed potatoes since. Delish.
Have a great weekend, Natalie! Hope you’re (almost) recovered from vacation :)
ps. I wanna see a pic of you all in your matching Disney shirts you brought with you!
.-= Heather´s last blog ..Friday Fodder =-.
Oh, my…you are right on that one. How on earth could I have not thought to marry those two delicious comfort foods? I’ll try that next time…Yum….I can already feel ’em sticking to my thighs…:)
Thanks for joining up this week Natalie. I have this study on my to read list on Goodreads. I think I might prioritize it. My friend is doing Isiah at BSF this year and I’ll need to keep up. :)
.-= Michelle´s last blog ..Caffeinated Randomness – New Possibilities =-.
BSF is on my list of things to do when my children are all in school full-time. Yippee, skippy!
Thanks, Michelle!
I did the first version of Breaking Free by myself. I’m not sure I finished it. Not because it wasn’t good, but probably because it was too good. I agree with you — I think these are great in a group setting. Thank you for the nourishment today!
.-= Jen´s last blog ..Cloudy with a Chance of Grief =-.
Yes, the ones that are too good are always the ones I want to put down. I so hear you, Jen.
I do think this would be a hard study to do without watching the DVD’s that correspond with each lesson. You can download them but I also think a group setting would be best. Next best? Watch the DVD then do the lessons.
Worst case scenario? I’ll be your partner and you can chat with me!!!!! :)
I started that study and put it down. I know I need to dig it out again. I think I would do better if I did it with a group and not by myself. The accountability is huge! Thank you for your inspiration today!
Ok, I have no idea how I typed that for my name above! I must check that in the future!
.-= Annika´s last blog ..CR Cupcakes- Rice & Science =-.
I don’t know either but it did make me giggle…
Yes, group setting all the way. Perhaps we need to form our own?
Thanks for reading and commenting Annika!
I worked through this study this summer…PREPARE TO BE CHANGED…Wowsers! You are so cute about the picture of your food hahaha! Anytime you want to drop in for coffee…(you don’t live too far away from Indy, ya know)…I’d take you in with a HUGE hug! Smiles!!
Thanks, Bobbi! I’m ready – bring it I say!
Would LOVE to have coffee with you. I need to make that a goal…:) Too bad I didn’t know you when I DID live in Indy…I lived there pretty much my entire life…:)
Thanks for reading and commenting, Bobbi!
I did nthe new Breaking Free last spring, and can honsetly say it was one of the most difficult things I have ever done. Not to mention that at the same time I was going through my own counseling to deal with a date rape that occured many years before. However, I am a counselor as well, and God is using this hurt to heal me :) and to help me empathize with many others. After Breaking Free something that was once seen only as a terrifying memory, now is a source from which I pull strength. God is so amazing in how He does that! Blessings on your freedom journey sister :)
Oh, Stephanie. Let me first say that I am so very sorry for your hurt. You are breaking free from some serious stuff, girlfriend. I applaud you for having the courage to 1) let it go and give it to the only one that can carry that deep of a hurt and 2) using it to minister to others.
I have a whole host of stuff God is using to minister to others and it makes me see that oh…yes. He DOES use our wounds to heal us. Yes, indeedy, He sure does.
It will be wonderful to see who God will impact through you. Please keep us all updated!
Romans 8:28: And we know that God works for the good in all things…
He sure does.
Thanks for reading and being brave enough to share such a translucent comment, Stephanie.
Peace to you, dear one.
Already did this study the last time. I didn’t think I needed to do it again, but since I have tears streaming down my face as I read your entry….maybe I need to think again.
I am thinking this is one I just might need to do at least once a year? I imagine I need to break free from more than just a few things and most certainly, our faith goes in stages in which we are ready to hear things we weren’t ready to hear previously.
I’m so thankful that our God is so faithful and patient with us. Let it go, girl. You are one shining jewel and I feel blessed to call you friend.
LOVE. YOU.