Transformed by the Word: What is Your View of the Bible? by Tara Mclenahan

As you will remember from my previous post, taking the time to be in the Bible with the right attitude is critical to our spiritual growth. But we also need to examine how you view the Word of God.

It's difficult to take the Bible lightly or consider it just another book when we truly realize what sets it apart from other books. There are several views of what the Bible is in today's postmodern society ~ everything from a God-inspired work to a book of suggestions to simply a book that we can take some and leave the rest as it suits us. I'm going to take a bold stand and say that if you truly believe the Bible is a God-inspired work, you must believe all of it. It is either all truth or all fiction. There really is no in-between.

The Bible itself says clearly in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NASB:

"All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work."

This single passage says that ALL Scripture is inspired by, so we can't take the parts we like and discard the rest. It can be tough to do so but I challenge you to evaluate your view of what the Bible is.

In my next post in this series, we will look at what reading the Word can actually do in and through us!

What is your honest view of the Bible? Does the way you live your life and the choices you make reflect that view?

For more information on this topic, please consider this resource.

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Previous posts in this series:
Transformed by the Word

Transformed by the Word by Tara McClenahan

Psalm 119:97~105

⁹⁷O how I love Your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
⁹⁸Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies,
For they are ever mine.
⁹⁹I have more insight than all my teachers,
For Your testimonies are my meditation.
¹⁰⁰I understand more than the aged,
Because I have observed Your precepts.
¹⁰¹I have restrained my feet from every evil way,
That I may keep Your word.
¹⁰²I have not turned aside from Your ordinances,
For You Yourself have taught me.
¹⁰³How sweet are Your words to my taste!
Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!
¹⁰⁴From Your precepts I get understanding;
Therefore I hate every false way.

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.

Finding time for daily quiet time in God's Word can be a challenge in our hectic world. We have so many roles to fill ~ wife, mom, boss/employee, teacher, sister, daughter, taxi driver, etc. that sometimes the role of daughter of the King gets pushed off of our list. However, this week I dare to challenge you to carve out daily time in the Word. It's worth the effort. But it's not just about time. It's also about attitude.

Time vs. Attitude

Here's a self-assessment question for you to ponder:

When you do read/study the Word, what is your attitude?

1. I look forward to that time with GREAT anticipation!
2. UGH! I haven’t picked up my Bible in a week! I really should read a verse or two.
3. If I don’t read three chapters a day, I’m going to hell.
4. OK, I’ll read it but I probably won’t get anything from it.
5. Other: ___________________________

So many times we can put the emphasis on making time to spend in God's Word without examining the attitude in which we do it. Which of the above answers reflects your attitude when spending time in the Word? I know that we all would want attitude #1 all of the time but that is usually not the case.

Now let's imagine that you wanted to spend some time with your child or best friend. What if they came to spend time with you and their attitude was #2 (squeezing you in), #3 (duty, obligation or to avoid your anger) or #4 (apathy)?

How would you feel about the quality of that time spent with them? It's not a stretch to imagine that you, like our heavenly Father, would want the time spent to be out of love, anticipation and the desire to be there, no matter how long it may be.

So, here is your challenge for the day...

Examine your attitude about spending time in the Word. If you find it is not what you would like it to be, ask God to help you surrender to Him, allowing Him to change it. And while it may be difficult, realize that He, the Creator of the universe, wants to spend time with you. Do you, His creation, want to spend time with Him? Ponder that today and prepare your heart for my next post which will cover what we can expect when we spend time in God's Word with an attitude of anticipation and expectation.

If you are willing to, please share with me which number you chose above. No judgment ~ I promise! We are all a work in progress! Click here to share.

If you want to explore this topic further, please take a look at this resource.

The Inside Scoop to our Outward Behavior by Betsy Ringer

What is the most valuable information you have applied in your life besides knowing and loving God? I have three young adult kids. Not long ago I was asked to speak on the most valuable ways I impacted my kids during their school years. So I asked them. All three of them told me that teaching them about The Personalities helped them in their relationships with friends, teachers and employers as well as understanding and accepting themselves.

Since then, my daughter has emphasized that over and over again. She says she doesn’t know how others get along in life without knowing how people are wired. She says knowing and understanding the various personalities helps her accept others more lovingly and communicate with them more effectively. She said it’s been so helpful to understand what holds her back as well as how she can contribute in a positive way.

After my last PERSONALITIES teleclass (a class by phone that you enjoy in the comfort of your home!) one of the participants said, “EVERYONE should be required to take this class.” Most people comment that they wish they had taken it many years ago – it would have helped their marriage and their relationships with their kids.

I am a Certified Personality Specialist and I have been teaching about The Personalities for almost 20 years. I invite you to my next teleclasses (class by phone in the comfort of your home). To participate in a teleclass, simply click on the link I’ve provided below. That page will give you more info about the class. Then click on your desired payment option. Complete the short registration form. Once you submit it we will send you the handout for the class and a link to take an online Personality assessment. You will also receive a phone number to call at the time of the class. When you call you will be prompted to put in an access code which we will also send to you. THEN you will be connected to the “classroom” and I will be waiting for you. Teleclasses are fun! My last class had women from six different states!

If you can’t make the class time, register and we will send you all info plus the recording of the class so you can listen at your convenience!

Hope to “meet” you at these terrific classes! Click on the links below for more info.

The Personalities – Learn to Know Yourself and Understand Others

Tuesday, October 27, 8 – 9:30PM Eastern 7PM CT 6PM MT 5PM PT
Click here for more info and to register $10

Zoo Clues - The Personalities of Teens and Children for Parents and Educators

Tuesday, November 17, 8 – 9:30 PM Eastern 7PM CT 6PM MT 5PM PT
Click here for more info and to register. $10


Betsy is an associate with iBloom. She speaks to many groups and conducts workshops and teleclasses. For a list of her topics click here.

Quit Trying To Be Wonder Woman by Leigh Ann Napier

In my last blog, How To Escape Groundhog Day, I shared the first challenge Do not say YES to anything else without waiting 24 hours to think it over and pray about it. Did you take the challenge? Did you delay a response to someone who wanted you to commit to something new? Did you say "no" to something? If you actually said no, you deserve bonus points… Why is it they we are so afraid to say no? Often when you say "yes" to someone or something, you are in fact saying "no" to those closest to you or to those dreams you've had for so long! You're not saying it out loud, of course, but you are sending the message just the same. Make it a habit to weigh the pros and cons before adding things to your life. Better yet, adopt my grandmother's policy. "Don't bring anything else into your home (in this case, your life), without first taking something else out." She's a wise lady…

OK, on to today's topic:

Quit trying to be Wonder Woman.

"One of my best friends, Heather Wallen Hammond wearing her Wonder Woman attire. Also, definitely one of my personal heros..."

Do you remember Underoos? I was OBSESSED with them as a kid. Specifically Wonder Woman. I would wear them everywhere! Mom says I wouldn't ever take them off. I wanted them over my clothes but would occasionally give in and wear them under the outfit she wanted me to wear. Wearing them I felt powerful, daring, strong, beautiful, and like I could save the day! I was Wonder Woman! Well, I've lost my Underoos long ago (but if anyone knows where I can find some for my daughter, please tell me?), but the desire to feel all of the emotions I felt while wearing them, is still very much a part of me.

I think every woman struggles with Wonder Woman Syndrome (WWS) in some capacity. That's one of the many topics we'll explore in the iDiscover Community…Too many women are walking around feeling exhausted and defeated…we want to be able to do it all! For our family, friends, pets, job, church…the list goes on and on. WWS can leave you worn out, frustrated, angry, and feeling unappreciated. We can't carry the weight of the world on our shoulders. Rely on God to give you strength each day. Ask him for wisdom (and continue to ask…) in knowing where he wants you to use the energy, time, and resources he's given you. When I rely on Him, I am confident that he will give me all I need to be somebody's hero…sans Underoos. He will do the same for you!

How to start treating WWS:

1. Write out your priorities. List them in order. Now, give the majority of your time/energy to those top things. You can't please everyone all of the time. Instead choose who you REFUSE to disappoint. Is that God, your husband, your children, a favorite charity? You will still disappoint everyone at some point or another but by living into your priorities, you can do it less often.)
   
2. Know when to ask for help. Repeat after me, "I am NOT Wonder Woman". Write down a list of all that needs to be done this week. Pray over that list. Ask God to show you what the top things are for the week, what you can delegate, and what you can just scratch from the list.
   

Psalm 22:19 "O Lord, do not stay far away! You are my strength; come quickly to my aid!"

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How To Escape Groundhog Day by Leigh Ann Napier

Remember the movie Groundhog Day? That's kind of what life feels like sometimes. In the movie, each day when Bill Murray wakes up to the alarm, he is faced with the exact same day over and over again. Have you ever had one of those mornings? Or maybe a week straight of those mornings where you never seem to make traction and get beyond the mundane? Laundry, overdue library books, cleaning, needing to return that step ladder to the friend you borrowed it from over 2 months ago (sorry Margo), cleaning out the refrigerator, and then of course needing to go to the grocery to fill it up again. It is easy for women to feel defeated before the day has even begun!

So where do we start? What can we do today that will improve our outlook when we wake up tomorrow morning? How can we make a dent in our to do's so that tomorrow won't feel like we are stuck in the same rut we were in the day before? We desperately want to escape Groundhog Day. Be encouraged that you CAN get out of that rut! You can begin making a difference during this 24 hour package God has given you today. Soon you will wake up and wonder how you ever lived that way before.

The first challenge for today is:

Do not say YES to anything else without waiting 24 hours to think it over and pray about it.

Now I'm not referring to your toddler's plea for cheerios here. Please do feed your child within a reasonable amount of time from the request…

I'm referring to those phone calls, emails, parent-teacher-meeting-put-you-on-the-spot requests for another piece of you. You need to evaluate what is being asked of you and see where it fits within this season of your life. If you find yourself running late all of the time, feeling rushed, never quite seeming to get a chance to just rest, and sometimes feeling resentful towards others because of how busy you are, then please REALLY take this to heart.

Here are some questions to ask yourself BEFORE you answer anyone else:

1. Does this compliment or compete with my top priorities?
   
2. Am I managing my current obligations adequately? Do I have the time and energy to commit to something new?
   
3. Am I uniquely gifted to do what is being asked or could someone else do it well? You may even be able to think of someone who would be a better fit or who would enjoy being asked…
   
4. Would I be saying yes because I want to do this or am I saying yes in order to avoid confrontation and/or rejection?
   

If saying no is difficult for you then I encourage you to read Approval Addiction by Joyce Meyer. If you aren't sure what you are gifted for or the design God has for your life, check out the iDiscover Community! We need to ask for wisdom when it comes to gifting our time, energy, talents, and resources.

James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."

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iBloom Special Annoucement

iBloom Special Announcement:
God Has Uniquely Designed You! And we have the tool to help you discover more.

Are you exhausted from going through the motions?

Are you desperate to know your unique God-given design?

Are you all grown up, but have no idea what to do?

Do you feel like your life is just wasting away?


Great!

Wait, no, that sounds bad... Not great that you feel that way but great because we can help!

iBloom is launching a new community called iDiscover. This community has something for YOU! Something that:

• You are going to want
• that can change your life
• that can get you excited about your life again
• that can provide clarity and direction and...

wait, are you excited yet? Can you sense it?

That feeling in your gut that this is what you have been praying for, hoping for, and believing that God would send you? Us too! We have been praying for this community and for YOU for so long. At iBloom, we have a burden on our hearts to help every woman in the world discover who God created her to be. We know there are women out there who are unclear about their direction, their strengths, their purpose. We know because we WERE those women!

Now that we are on the other side, we can't wait to invite you in. Invite you into a way of life that is foreign from what you are experiencing now. Can you even imagine what it would be like to move beyond the mundane to a life where:

• you know your unique God-given custom blueprint for YOUR life,
• live into who God created you to be,
• and ultimately live a life of fulfillment!

It is possible, it is within your reach, and it can start as soon as you take the next step and join women from around the world who are discovering their unique God-given design and living a life of passion, balance, purpose, and fulfillment.

For more information on the iDiscover Community,
visit www.idiscovercommunity.com.

There are a variety of paths (or memberships) available to accommodate your availability and resources. In fact, all paths include a 7-day FREE trial which includes a coaching session with an iBloom certified coach, so you can try it completely risk free.

New groups are beginning SOON and we want YOU to join women around the world on this life-changing journey!

2 NEW Path B Groups Beginning in October...

Friday, October 16th at Noon EST
(3rd Friday of each month)
iBloom Associate, Leigh Ann Napier

Thursday, October 23rd at 7:30pm EST
(3rd Thursday of each month)
iBloom Associate, Betsy Ringer

NEW Path C Group Beginning in November...

November 5th 6pm-7pm EST
(1st Thursday of each month)
iBloom Founder & President, Kelly Thorne

Don't miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to invest in yourself and begin living the life you were created to live!

Visit www.idiscovercommunity.com for more information or to join women from around the world on this life changing journey.