Hey girls!!! We are moving right along into chapters 3 and 4!!!! Security here we come :)! The following is pasted directly from Beth's blog - and the questions are at the bottom for Chapter 3 and 4. Lets try to plan on having these 2 chapters and the questions done by May 17th!! Blessings! Stephanie
Hey, Girls! I have absolutely LOVED your discussions in Week One! I am so happy about the decision to take a full week for your responses because the comments come in at a slow enough pace for AJ and me to read a ton of them. You are such an interesting and diverse group.
There were so many comments that made me think, a few that made me want to cry, and several that made me laugh my head off. I have to mention two that brought a smile to my face because I had anticipated this very challenge and discussed it at some length with my friends at Tyndale House. Both of the responses that made me grin came from the question about the last time you faced our gender’s massive insecurity struggle. One of you said you confronted it when you immediately had to pull the book jacket off so no one would see that you were reading a book on insecurity. The other one said something similar but with even more detail. You described getting the book that very day, taking it with you to work to begin reading over your supper break, spreading your stuff out on the table in the break room, then covering the name of the book so no one would think you were insecure. I loved it.
BY ALL MEANS, pull that book jacket off if you need to! It’s what’s inside the book that matters. I’ll tell you why I begged to have the word “insecurity” in the title even though the question came to the table, “Will insecure women be secure enough to get a book with insecurity in the title?” My feeling – then theirs – was that it was worth the chance. If we’d just named it something like “Hello Security,” women would not have known outright that it dealt with healing from INsecurity. Big difference. We can talk about security all day long but we will never find ourselves in that beautiful place without letting God deal with our insecurity.
As I wrestled with how it should be titled, I became certain, I pray through the direction of the Holy Spirit, that the key word had to be in it. It had to be blatant. That moment’s resonance with that distasteful word insecurity might make a woman like me stop and think…then gather the courage to slap that thing on the counter and take it home with her. I am convinced that, if someone else had written it and I’d been in the emotional turmoil of last year, I would have seen that word, looked both ways in that Walmart or that bookstore, and, when the coast was clear, I would have run to the check out counter – then to the car – as fast as I could. And I probably would have read the first chapter in the car with tears rolling down my cheeks. That’s how desperate I was.
Anyway, the first real step toward healing is admitting we’ve got a problem. So, you see? The fact that we were secure enough to get a book on insecurity means that all 6700+ of us are on our way to healing! High five right here, Girls. God is proud of us.
OK, so let’s get to our discussions for Week Two. Read or thoroughly review CHAPTERS THREE and FOUR then answer the questions that follow this paragraph. Remember to add your basic bio information every time you comment: First name, age decade, married or single, city, state. If at any time, your answer is too vulnerable for you to want to identify yourself, just go with age decade and married or single status. Those facts themselves bring insight to your answers.
1. Based on Chapter Three, what tends to be your own “Prominent False Positive”?
2. What is the challenge stated at the very end of Chapter Three? (I want us to see this restated in our comments hundreds of times so it breaks into our belief systems. It is critical to our journey. SO, I don’t care how many times you’ve seen it written on this post, write it again for yourself. That’s your mama talking.)
3. Based on Chapter Four, what Biblical figure (or statement about him/her) resonated with you most and why?
That’s it for this week! I can’t wait to see your answers.
I care so much, Ladies. You are a tremendous inspiration to me. May Christ meet you in your tasks and concerns today. He loves you lavishly.
PS. I had to hop back on here and mention another comment that I just saw under last Thursday’s post. In fact, I’m going to flat-out cut and paste it. I thought it was so funny in terms of the two earlier ones I mentioned to you about some of us feeling a tad insecure about reading an insecurity book in public. Dig this one:
One of our sisters wrote…
Well, I ordered my book online and really thought it should be in/getting close to last Thursday when we were supposed to start. I went up to the receptionist and to see if I had received any packages and then said, “sure wish my book would come in.” Receptionist had a funny look on her face and pointed to a package on her desk. She said she didn’t know whose it was as it came in the day before with just company name and not an individual. She said, “I asked every woman in this office if it was theirs. I didn’t even think to ask you….you would be the last person…” Well, it was mine and at first I said, “I’m not insecure” but later walked back up there and said, “[the woman's name], I do have some insecurities but guarantee you when I am done, I’ll be set free from them.” She looked at me like I was crazy. Oh well.
Bless your heart, Sister! We love you, we’re feeling your pain, and we’re all cringing and laughing with you (you just might as well go ahead and think it’s funny). Honestly, that’s just like something that would happen to me. You are all so refreshing to me. Let’s stay the course in Jesus’ great Name.
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1. My prominents false positive is that if I can get others to look up to me, be prestigous, I would be secure. Prestige would make me secure. And that is just not good. I know that God wants us to be humble, and here I am beleiving that if I could get others to look up to me, I would be secure.
ReplyDelete2. The challenge is, to let the healthy , utterly whole, and completely secure part of us increasingly overtake our earthen vessels until it drives our every emotion, reaction, and relationship.
3. I most identify with Saul, for several reasons. Number one, he hid himself among the baggage, I am definately a fellow suitcase dweller. Second the constant terror of loss. For me this is mostly in relationships. Abandonment has been a very real fear of mine for a while now, and one I have had to work on again and again. The beleif that if I am not perfect, and constantly proving my worth to you, you will leave me, is a still a VERY real fear of mine. It is a constant battle for me to be genuine in relationships, becaue I am scared to show my vulnerabilities.
I must admit I am not reading the book. I love reading the comments, though. I am having the busiest month and June is just as busy. Finding time to do this isn't working and I'm trying to find time to do other important things. So I'm bowing out. Thanks, friend. Keep me on the list, though, cuz I like to read what you say. Besides, I might have some helpful comments once in a while!
ReplyDeleteNo problem girl! But I will definately keep you on this list, sometimes it just really isn't the right time!!! And, I do LOVE reading your comments as well, so post as much as you want! Love ya dear friend :)
ReplyDelete1. Unfortunately, my prominent false positive is body weight and image. I have struggled with it all my life believing if I could be just the right size then all would be good in the world. I have focused on losing weight as a distraction to what is really important.
ReplyDelete2. The challenge is, to let the healthy , utterly whole, and completely secure part of us increasingly overtake our earthen vessels until it drives our every emotion, reaction, and relationship.
3. I think I identify with Saul by always living in fear of losing those I love. But I also identify with Moses by never believing I was capable enough to seek or pursue my passion in life because I was not eloquent or as smart as someone else. Insecurity has caused me to miss many opportunities but is it never too late to overcome!