And Now For A Slight Pause

Hello Ladies! I hope you are really digging into "Captivating" and hopefulling having some deep "Ah Ha" moments.... I want to encourage you to really take these discussion questions and meditate - I mean really stop and take time to reveal what God wants to speak to you.

My family and I are just about all packed up and we will be loading the Uhaul for our big move back down to South Texas.....The Blog and discussion will of course continue! I do want to take a week to pause so that I might have time to get my family settled before posting more questions. So the discussion questions will pick back up the second Friday in May. In the meantime PLEASE email, text, facebook, or call me if you need to talk or have any questions.

My Love to everyone! My prayer for you all is that this book discussion will open doors for your spiritual growth...and that it may stregthen your relationship with our Lord, God!

Blessings!
Ashley

Chapter 4 "Captivating" , Wounded

Every woman asks, "Do you see me? Am I captivating? Do I have a beauty all my own? Am I lovely?" Ask God these questions, not the world! Read Isaiah 62:1-5, but replace "Zion" and "you" with your own name. Jesus came to heal and to restore. Turn to Him now and let Him begin to come into your pain and begin the restoration process. Eldredge points out that we don't have to wait until we are in Heaven to begin to feel His healing. It will be perfect there, but He can start to remove pain while we are still on earth. "There is hope. There is healing. There is life." All we have to do is turn to Him!

Chapter 4 "Captivating" , Wounded

What are the core questions that every little girl asks? How was your question answered when you were little? Do you remember a certian incident or messages that you somehow receieved that caused pain or wounded your heart? How did this change the way that you viewed yourself? Take some time to ask God how events in your life changed or shaped how you viewed yourself or your beliefs. (This can stay between you and God, if you prefer, but work through it with Him. Turn it over to Him.) Are you willing to consider that these messages are not true? What does the Father say instead? Ask Him!

Chapter 4 "Captivating" ,Wounded

We often compare our lives to other women that we know, which can become very dangerous. Often, they might look better than ours and discourage us, when reality, they have similar struggles--their lives are not perfect either. Other times, when we hear about the hardships and difficult or painful pasts that another woman has suffered, we minimize our own pain. In reality, our pains and sorrows matter to the Father...You matter to Him. Read Psalm 56:8. What does this tell us about how precious our tears are to our Father? Eldredge reminds us that we shouldn't revisit our pains to feel sorry for ourselves; however, it is necessary to allow ourselves to go there so that we are able to turn them over to God and He can restore and heal those areas of our hearts. This will open us up to his loving truth and to better things that He has planned for our lives.

"Captivating" Chapter 3, Fallen Eve

In the book they talk about how we all have aches, pains in our hearts and unmet longings. God desires for us to bring our aching hearts to Him so that He can speak into our lives and touch our hearts. Where do you tend to turn when you have that ache and don't take it to the Father? How can you change that in the future? Read Hebrews 4:14-16. What is this scripture speaking to you?

"Captivating" Chapter 3, Fallen Eve

Why do you think that Eve really decided to take the forbidden fruit? Read Genesis 3:10. Do you ever find yourself hiding? If so, how do you tend to hide?

"Captivating" Chapter 3, Fallen Eve

Eldredge talks about women either becoming crontrolling and driven or desolate and needy? Can you relate to this and which direction do you tend to go? How does it play out in your life? Eldredge says, "We are in this together, gals. We need to look at our fallenness in order to find the redemption available to us in Christ and become the women we are intended to be. Thee is mercy for us. Even here."

"Captivating" Chapter 2, What Eve Alone Can Tell

If you read the story of creation, you will see that afterAdam was created, God wanted to bring him a "helpmate". God said that it was not good for man to be alone and brings him all of the animals that had been created to be named, but no suitable helper was found. Eldredge points out that Eve was His final creation, "She is the crescendo, the final, astonishing work of God. Woman. In one last flourih creation comes to a finish not with Adam, but with Eve. She is the Master's finishing touch. Eve is....breathtaking. Woman was not created as an afterthought, but as the pinnacle of creation."Have you thought of the creation of woman up until this point as an afterthought or as something more? What do you feel in your heart when you hear "crown of creation"?

"Captivating" Chapter 1 The Heart of a Woman

Has there ever been an event or moment in your life where you felt you stepped outside of yourself and felt like you were "Sacagawea, Indian Princess of the West" like Stasi did?

"Captivating" Chapter 1 The Heart of a Woman

What do you feel it means to be a woman?

"Captivating" Chapter 1 The Heart of a Woman

When (and if) did you know in your heart that you were no longer a girl but a woman?

"Captivating" Chapter 1 The Heart of a Woman

Eldredge talks about our desire to be romanced. Are you aware of a longing to be somone's priority? Think about that for a moment. What would you like for that to look like?

"Captivating" Chapter 1 The Heart of a Woman

Who is beautiful to you and why? Can you relate to what Eldredge says about all women wanting bo be beautiful, to unveil your beauty to someone?

"Captivating" Chapter 1 The Heart of a Woman

Most of us have felt pressures from the world to "be more" or "be less", "try harder"....Can you relate to this feeling? Do you believe that this message is from God? If you were to replace that message that the world is sending you, what do you think God really thinks and feels about you?Eldredge wrote in the study guide, "God did not place these longings in our hearts to torment us. Rather, they reveal the secret of who we truly are and the role that is ours to play. There is so much hope here, hope to become the woman you secretly long to be, the woman who is romanced, irreplaceable, and utterly beautiful!" What does this make you feel?