Ladies, we are just a few days away (July 5th) from starting our online Bible study on Priscilla Shirer’s book, Discerning the Voice of God. I don’t know about you, but I’m more than excited. I get a fluttery stomach and goosebumps on my arms when I think about walking through this book with you.
So that everything jumps off to a smooth start, I thought I’d cover a few things now so we aren’t delayed or confused on the first day.
Your Mission; Hopefully You’ll Accept It
- Get a copy of the book.
- Introduce yourself by commenting on this post with your name and a quick bit of info about who you are.
- Check back on Tuesday, July 5th for my post on Chapters 1 and 2 of the book.
Where are the Books?
I have a few copies of the books available in the Ladies’ Bible Study room at Newington Baptist Church. You can also order a copy of the book from Christianbook.com or you can download it to your Kindle or nook.
Who is in the group?
Here’s the exciting part. We aren’t all from the same church, denomination or state, so we’ll hopefully get to hear the thoughts and ideas from women with different experiences and backgrounds.
But, this will only work if we are all actually posting comments and participating in the discussion. The worst thing that could happen as we do this is if I or only two or three of us actually say anything in this space.
That means we really need to hear from you! To make sure we are all able to post and comfortable doing so, I’d like for us to introduce ourselves before the study starts.
Please take the time to post a comment below with your name and maybe one quick fact about yourself. I’ll do it, too, to get us started.
You’ll need to click the tiny little check box that says, “Notify me of follow-up comments via e-mail” if you don’t want to miss what anyone says. You can always just check back periodically to see the comments, but following by email notifies you when someone actually posts.
Keep the Discussion Going
Starting July 5th, I’m going to post a discussion starter for the assigned chapter and then it’s up to you—-yes, you!!!—to keep the conversation going. No awkward pauses at the dinner party or voices trailing off because we don’t have anything to talk about.
Here are some ideas:
- Tell a story about how this happened or is happening to you.
- Share a verse that links up with the topic.
- Post a quote from the book or other source that you find particularly relevant, challenging and/or inspirational.
- Share a prayer request if you feel comfortable doing so.
- Ask a question about something that just doesn’t make sense.
And then please answer one another. The discussion doesn’t always have to come back to me.
Ready, Set, Go!!!
Heather C. King - Room to Breathe 
Hi, everyone! I’m Heather King and one fact you’ll quickly learn about me is that I love chocolate (dark chocolate preferred), but I do not like it mixed with mint. I also love tea, preferably strong black tea with lots of sugar. Yummmmm!
Now, it’s your turn! Would you introduce yourself here quickly so that we know who is in the group and also to make sure you are able to post a comment without difficulty.
You can email me if you have any problems commenting: heatherking@cox.net
I did not know about the dark chocolate. I will try to make a mental note of that!
Not fair not telling us something about yourself, Jennifer 😉
Dark Chocolate is icky :op
Ooooooh your comment block has smileys! :p Does this one work cause it is what i really meant.
Hmmm . . apparently not that one 😉
I’m Vickie Mason and I live in SC. Family is extremely important to me. I am currently going through much transition in my life and I’m not exactly sure where it is all leading – one day at a time. A fact about me….I love my daily fountain Coke. McDonald’s has their large soda’s for a dollar – YESSSS!
Oh…I am glad I am not the only one that needs the daily dose of coke. Fountain coke is my favorite too.
My name is Michelle. I live in VA and one thing you will learn about me is I usually talk A LOT but I am not sure how that will play out in an online blog I guess we shall see.
Hi, Heather here. Wow, that was alot of H’s. I have two dogs who I love, love, love. In general, I love animals and am passionate about protecting them. I am so excited about this book…I have to confess I was already reading it before we picked it for our study and I just know it is going to speak to all of us, it certainly has for me.
My name is Terri Harmon and I leave in Yorktown, Va. I attend Yorkminster Presbyterian Church. I am in a lot of challenging situations in my life right now and hope this study will help.
Now I am even more excited about this online bible study. I got the book today from Lifeway in Newport News and it was the last one!
Wow, Terri! I’m so glad you got the last one on the shelf!
My name is Jennifer and I live in Gloucester VA. Something about me? Hmmmm…. this is hard. I’m a wife, mom, step-mom, daughter, aunt, sister, grand daughter, daughter-in-law, and probably a few more titles that I can’t think of at the moment. I work, go to school, and my hobbies usually consists of whatever my children and/or husband are doing. I’m excited about the online bible study. It reminds me of one of my college classes, only fun and enjoyable 😉
Hi All,
I’m Andrea from Gloucester, VA. We are a homeschooling and foster care family.Random Fact: I love kids candy, gummies bear, Starbursts, Taffy etc. 🙂 I’m looking forward to getting to know everyone.
Hi all! I am Emily, and I live in Gloucester with my hubby of almost 17 years, and three children, ages 13, 10, and almost 6. I am looking forward to learning and growing through this study, and excited about what God will do in our lives.
Hi Everyone,
I’m Jerry and I love my God, family, church and friends. I can’t leave out that I, also, LOVE dark chocolate!!! I’ve been married for 44 years and lived in Gloucester all my life. I’m a parapro at Botetourt Elem., in the special ed. dept., and I’m off for the summer so I’m excited about this book study!
Hi,
My name is Janis Hedgepeth, mother of awesome Heather Pantano and Trevor. I have a wonderful daughter-in-law, Meghann, and two precious grandbabies, Conner and Harrison, who I love spending time with. I too love chocolate, both milk and dark. My favorite candy bar is a plain Hershey’s. I am a librarian at Seaford Elementary School in York County. I’m looking forward to this study and anxious to hear God speaking to me. Thank you, Heather, for leading us.
🙂
Howdy…My name is Shannon Burris and I live in Gloucester, VA with my hubby Brian and my two great kids Caitlyn 11 and Chase 6 who is soon to be 7. I work as a nurse practitioner and my hubby is starting his Master of Divinity this Fall. My busy life is about to get busier! I so pray this book will help me to take a breath and truly hear God’s voice.
Hello, my name is Kim McCue and I am a stay at home mom to 3 children Jordan 13, Nick 9, and Meghan 5. I live in Gloucester with my husband, Steve. He has put up with me for over 17 years. I have been told my hobby is children. (Not just mine.) I can’t wait to go on this journey with all of you.
I am excited to get to participate in the woman’s bible study group. It has been a while. My schedule doesn’t allow for it when school is in. I have a teenager that is still in school, and still needs help with school. Also, I run an after-school program. I don’t leave church until 6:00 or 6:15 in the afternoons. That just doesn’t leave time for too many things in the evenings.
Hi my name is Amy and I live in St. Leonard, MD. I am addicted to Coca-Cola! I am a stay at home mom of three…Charlie 4, Jacob 2 and Abby 1. Life is crazy with my kids but I love it. I met Heather way back when James and Heather were dating!
And you just moved with that young family of yours and still managed to log on and introduce yourself to us! You are on top of things! 🙂
I know I am starting late but my computer is down so I have to use Kim’s when i can but I do want to be part of this study.
Welcome, Gerri! We’re excited you’ll be joining us whenever you are able to use the computer 🙂
Hello, I am just starting this morning. Peggy Poole shared the info with me and I have just downloaded the book to my Kindle. I look forward to reading the book and meeting you all through post. I am a member of Zoar Baptist Church.As you know our building was destroyed by the tornado. This is just what I need this summer. Blessings, Beverly Norris
We’re so very glad to have you join us and I can’t wait to hear what you have to share! I’ve only seen the pictures of what the tornado did to your church. I’m just so sorry. Our pastor has asked us often to pray for your church family.
Thanks for joining us for this summer study!
Hi,
Adding another Emily to the group! I attend Zoar in Deltaville and have enjoyed the writing of Priscilla Shirer in two other books. Sorry to hear someone purchased the last book at Newport News LifeWay as I am heading that way tomorrow. Will find it and catch up with the group.
Emily Bailey
We’re so glad to have you, Emily! We’ve been praying for your church after the tornado. I do hope you can find the book. I know there is one more at Newington at this moment, but I don’t know if it will still be there after church tomorrow. We’re having a baby shower after church, so if you would like you could stop in and see if the book is still there. It might save you the trip to Newport News 🙂
I can’t wait to share in this book with you! I’ve fallen in love with Priscilla Shirer’s writing also this year. We just did One in a Million with our Ladies’ Bible Study and I did Jonah in the fall. Did you do those as well?
Emily, I just posted on the week 2 space for our study, but also wanted to let you know personally that the Heaven and Earth in Hayes, VA has ordered 2 more copies of the book and they should be in by tomorrow. I hope that is a help to you!
~heather~
Hi, I am Kandace and I live in Gordo, Alabama (very small town!). I have 4 children, ages 3 to 11, and I am homeschool them. My husband is a high school football coach which puts us in a unique posiiton sometime. We are kind of in a time of transition in a lot of ways right now. My husband has taken a new job which may or may not require us to move. This is one of the reasons that this particular Bible study comes at such a great time. I am very resistant to change, but I want to be in the center of God’s will, not my own. As I said, I am resistant to change, but it comes whether I want it or not and many things seem to be hitting at once right now. I struggle sometimes knowing which way is the right way and have often questioned how do I know God’s will for sure??? I am late to the study. I just returned from vacation to have my book waiting for me. I have read the first chapter and will be catching up soon. I am addicted to chocolate, sweets in general, and Diet Dr. Pepper. Consistency in my prayer life and Bible study is my big weakness. I tend to jump around a lot. I pray short prayers often but have a hard time being still, waiting, and listening. I truly want to become intimate with His voice …
Kandace, (love the spelling)
I too have a problem with consistency in my prayer life and Bible study and my children are grown up. I do have two precious grandchildren who I love spending time with. I’m counting on the verse that says “pray without ceasing” to validate the numerous short prayer times. I also am looking forward to learning how to expand on my praying, being still, and listening.