Bible Study Source for Women Magazine - Issue 3

Issue 3 • Winter 2019

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inside this issue:

HOW TO reach women WHO AREN’T COMING TO YOUR

Bible study

4 EASY DECLUT TERING PROJEC TS THAT WILL

transform your space Favorite authors share their ONE WORD for 2019

plus:

MORE Meaningful BIBLE READING D E M Y S T I F Y I N G H O W TO C H O O S E A B I B L E

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LETTER to our READERS

At Bible Study Source for Women, our one word for 2019 is AMAZED. Amazed at what God is doing in his Church.

Amazed with our authors and their huge hearts for you and your women’s groups.

Amazed at your overwhelming response to Bible Study Source for Women.

Amazed at God’s faithfulness as he consistently provides just what we need, right when we need it.

Amazed that we get paid to have this much fun!

If I had just one word to describe this issue of the Bible Study Source for Women magazine, it would be PRACTICAL. From decluttering to Bible journaling, to reaching women who are not coming to your Bible studies, this issue is full of resources and ideas we hope will help connect you with other women and deepen your relationship with Christ.

Happy New Year!

Beth Murphy Director, Bible Study Source for Women P.S. If you’re enjoying our magazine, make sure you don’t miss our monthly newsletter, with inspiration for spiritual growth, leader tips, stories, recipes, and the latest scoop on what your favorite authors are working on next!

Sign up today at BibleStudySource.com/Free

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THEY AREN’T

How to reach the

Fifteen years ago, I signed up for my first women’s Bible study.

I was excited to learn more about what I was hearing on Sundays, but terrified I would stick out like a sore thumb. After all, I had found this church by searching the internet for “churches” until I found one with a vibe that would let me blend in.

I was one of the many women sitting in your sanctuary every Sunday not attending your Bible studies, feeling hesitant, unworthy, inhibited, unable, or disengaged. She is slipping into church, or reading at home; she is listening to podcast sermons, or watching online. She is responding to God’s wooing, but she is not yet learning and growing in Christian community with other women.

After being that woman for a year, I got up the courage to go to my first Bible study, and it opened my eyes. I realized I was not alone. Many other women are on the fringes, feeling like they don’t know enough to join in, yet so hungry for the nourishment of God’s Word served in a warm, accepting community.

Now a volunteer leader in my church of 1,600 (roughly 800 women), I asked the Women’s Ministry Director how many women attended a Bible study. Her answer? 250. Did you do that math? Almost 550 women were NOT engaged in a study of any sort.

Having been one of those women myself, I made it my mission to figure out how to engage “me” from then on. This was my strategy:

1. I stopped calling it a Bible study. I called it book club.

The very first woman I invited to my “Bible study” didn’t say yes right away. The next day, she said would love to join my “book club.” She was right; it was a book club. With a very, very good and important Book! The point is, use regular language, not churchy, insider terms.

2. I didn’t just advertise it in the church bulletin. I made fliers

for the laundromat, the library, the gym, coffee shops, grocery stores, and the DMV. I invited every woman in my office and any woman with whom I struck up a conversation at my kids’ schools, the store, or the pharmacy. Be inviting (but not annoying).

COMING TO YOUR BIBLE STUDY

invisible, unengaged majority 3. I called the local women’s shelter. It was a bit more of a

challenge to reach these women, but I felt it was vitally important that women in transition were being fed with God’s Word, too. It took some paperwork, a reference from my church administration, provision of the materials, and gas in my car to pick the women up and drive them home again.

(Later, I started holding the book club at the shelter so transportation was no longer an issue.) Go to the women you want to reach.

4. I didn’t assume anything. I called it “Just As I Am,” because

that was all they needed to do—come as they are. I described it as something for the woman who has felt left out, overlooked, or dismissed. I explained the study clearly: our topic, author, length, environment, what to bring, and a short summary of how each gathering would go. I posted directional signs inside our building so women could easily find our room with full confidence. I showed up early and met the women at the door the first few nights to make them feel welcomed. My first group was comprised of one woman from our church, and 16 who didn’t attend anywhere! Don’t assume they will know to bring a pen. Don’t assume they have their own Bible to use.

Don’t assume anything!

5. I addressed every excuse a woman could possibly have for not attending. I arranged transportation for women who

by Sara Riemersma, Editor, Zondervan and Thomas Nelson their minds about coming and let them meet me, so they could see I wasn’t weird. I asked my church to help offset the expense of the study guides and books. (FYI, Bible Study Source for Women offers GREAT group discounts!) I asked the High School Ministry director if some students would be able to babysit for anyone who had a child. Remove as many barriers as you can.

6. I chose studies that were accessible and felt-needs focused.

I didn’t start with a deep, inductive Bible study that required a Bible concordance. Choose a study with very little homework, that does not presume they have a lot of Bible knowledge.

(Our Bible Study Finder is a great place to start to find a study for your group. My favorite is the Known by Name series, three human-reality studies—on Naomi, Rahab, and Hagar—with a strong connection to Scripture.)

7. And. I. Prayed.

The amazing truth is that you can engage women who are disconnected, reluctant, and underserved. Think and pray about who those women are in your community. Don’t judge, love.

Create a flier. Choose an accessible study. Eliminate excuses.

Make yourself available.

She will come.

didn’t have rides. I met women for coffee ahead of time to ease

PERFECT FOR

Book Clubs

The Known by Name series explores complex women in the Bible and their struggles with tough questions through the lenses of a counselor (Kasey Van Norman), a Bible teacher (Jada Edwards), and a dramatist (Nicole Johnson).

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.09 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

Find your next book club study at BibleStudySource.com/Finder

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C R AV E A

SPIRIT HUNGER

R E L AT

M A D E T O C R AV E

Filling Our Deep Longing to Connect with God

Satisfying Your Deepest Desire with God, Not Food

Do you stay safe with God? Can you say you’re desperate for God? What would happen if you truly abandoned yourself to experience an adventure with God? Get gutsy in your prayers. Peel back the layers of lesser loves—such as control or insecurity—we use to fill our true ‘hunger’ for a relationship with God. Journey to the raw places of desiring God and discovering a faith-filled way of praying and believing the God we adore.

We are all made to crave. The problem comes when we mistake our cravings for lasting spiritual satisfaction for cravings for food. Discover that your weight loss struggle isn’t a curse but rather a blessing in the making. Replace justifications that lead to diet failure with empowering go-to scripts that lead to victory. Develop the “want to” for making healthy lifestyle choices. You can reach your healthy weight goal—and grow closer to God in the process.

Six Sessions | ~22 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more)

Six Sessions | ~24 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more)

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $26.99 $18.89 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $34.99 $20.99

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $39.99 $23.99

Gari

MEACHAM

Gari is a writer, speaker, and teacher, whose passion for the word of God has been forged from her struggles with severe food bondage, growing up with a father who was a quadriplegic, and her marriage to a professional baseball player. Gari lives in Houston, Texas where she teaches at her home church, Second Baptist Church of Houston.

She has been married to Bobby for over 30 years, and they have two children and two grandchildren.

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deep

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Lysa

TERKEURST

Lysa is a New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. She writes from her sticky farm table in North Carolina where she lives with her five kids (whom God entrusted to her even though she struggled to keep goldfish alive), three dogs, and a mouse that refuses to leave her kitchen. Her favorite things include Monday night family dinners and toasted Ezekiel Bread with guacamole on top.

IONSHIP WITH JESUS

CHASE

T H E LO N G I N G I N M E

Chasing after the Heart of God

How Everything You Crave Leads to the Heart of God

What are you chasing? Comfort, success, a bigger house, or someone’s approval? If we are honest, it feels like trying to catch the wind. We see in David’s life, he was a man who spent his life chasing after God. Whether you are running from God or working your tail off to please him, David’s journey shows us God is the only thing we can chase that won’t leave us feeling more empty.

Have you vowed you’d never repeat the same mistakes— then you did? Our longings for protection, for love, and for God are the culprit. And those longings aren’t going anywhere. Discover from the saga of King David that some cravings are misguided, but they all stem from the same hunger—and they will haunt you until that hunger gets satisfied properly. Your longings are not the problem; it’s where they lead you that makes all the difference.

Eight Sessions | ~9 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more)

Six Sessions | ~19 min. each Study time: Moderate (30 min. to 1 hour)

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $26.99 $18.89 Kit (DVD, Guide, Leader’s Guide, Cards, and Book) $59.99 $35.99

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

Jennie

ALLEN

Jennie is a recovering achiever who is passionate about Jesus. She founded the million-strong IF:Gathering, where she says she gathers deep kindred souls around food she didn’t cook, and she asks terribly intrusive questions.

She’s a risk-taker who married Zac, a crazier risk-taker. Then God thought it would be funny to give them four crazy strong risky-dreamer kids. As a true Austin, Texas family, their life revolves around the Friday night lights.

Sheila

WALSH

Sheila first came to fame as a Scottish-born contemporary Christian singer, and the co-host of The 700 Club. But what endears her to audiences is her story of how God met her when she was at her lowest point and lifted her up again. Sheila lives in Dallas with her husband and son, and she loves teaching the Bible, writing daily, her menagerie of animals, and coffee.

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BECOMING MORE THAN A GOOD BIBLE STUDY GIRL Living the Faith after Bible Class Is Over Lysa TerKeurst knows what it’s like to consider God just another thing on her to-do list. For years she went through the motions of a Christian life: Go to church. Pray. Be nice. She longed for a deeper connection between what she knew in her head and her everyday reality. She wanted to stop coming home from Bible class and having a meltdown over a household disaster. Lysa invites you to uncover the spiritually exciting life for which we all yearn.

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $36.99 $22.19

Six Sessions | ~16 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more)

Bianca JUĂ REZ OLTHOFF Bianca is a Bible-teaching, word-slanging MexiRican who is passionate about raising up a generation of people passionate about Jesus Christ. As an author and speaker, she knows the power of words and wields them wisely. As a church planter and leader, she is committed to proclaiming the gospel domestically and internationally.

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Lysa TERKEURST Lysa is a New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries. She writes from her sticky farm table in North Carolina where she lives with her five kids (whom God entrusted to her even though she struggled to keep goldfish alive), three dogs, and a mouse that refuses to leave her kitchen. Her favorite things include Monday night family dinners and toasted Ezekiel Bread with guacamole on top.

PLAY WITH FIRE Discovering Fierce Faith, Unquenchable Passion and a Life-Giving God You may think God is waiting until you have a husband or a job so he can use you. But he’s ready to use you now. His dream for you is far greater than the dream you have for yourself. It’s not your identity or income or influence that will make this happen. Stop asking when you are going to get your gifts or calling, and see what’s already in your hand. You need to play with some fire!

Five Sessions | ~25 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more)

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

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MORE

meaningful DEVOTIONS

Choosing a Bible that will help you move God’s Word from your head…to your heart

By Melinda Bouma, Publisher, Zondervan Bibles

Do you ever struggle with reading God’s Word? Do you wonder how you can move from mere knowledge of the Bible to applying the Word to your life and fostering a vital conversation with God? If you do, you’re not alone!

God gave us the Bible as a way to understand his heart for us…but at times it is hard to know how to engage with it.

As a Bible publisher, I am around Bibles all day. And yet I struggle with these issues just like everyone else! Here are my top tips on how to choose a Bible that will engage your mind and your heart.

1. Choose a Bible that will foster your creativity to deepen your devotion to your Savior Today, there are many resources to help you connect with Scripture, from devotional books to guided journals to Scripture coloring books. But did you know there are Bibles specifically designed to incorporate these helpful tools right alongside God’s Word? Here are a few of my favorite Bible types:

DEVOTIONAL BIBLES

As the name implies, devotional Bibles have devotional thoughts, prayers, and prompts carefully placed throughout the Bible text. They include devotional writings by authors who share their personal experiences and explain how a particular passage of Scripture has helped them. Another person’s stories and insights can encourage you to see and apply God’s Word in a new way.

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JOURNAL THE WORD ™ BIBLES

With space to reflect on your own story, these Bibles typically feature a single-column text with wide margins on thicker paper so you can respond creatively, through words and pictures, to what God is teaching you through his Word.

COLORING BIBLES

Take journaling a step further with coloring Bibles that feature verses stylized into word art, and spaces to create your own artwork, allowing you to express your creativity while spending time reflecting on the Scriptures.

2. Give your eyes a break With the amount of time I spend reading on screens, it’s no wonder my eyes get fatigued quickly. And yet, the most important reading I could do is to read my Bible! Here are some ways to make Bible reading easier on your eyes:

TYPE SIZE

Choose a Bible that is easy on the eyes. Look for type sizes of 8 to 9 point or higher, and terms like “large print” and “giant print” (or even “super giant print”)!

FONT/TYPEFACE

Font or typeface is just as important as type size. In fact, it’s so important that Zondervan and Thomas Nelson have developed special typefaces (named Comfort Print®) that are specifically designed for Bible reading.

Most of the translations we publish have their own specific Comfort Print fonts. Not only do these fonts reduce reader eye strain, but they are also more efficient, reducing the page count and weight of

the Bibles that use these fonts. This makes them easier to carry, which is good news for those of us who like to bring our Bible to church.

3. Find the right translation for everyday use Have you ever used Google to translate something from one language to another? The results can be clunky at times. That’s because the art of translation is more than just a formula where a word in one language has an exact equivalent in the other language.

The Bible was written in ancient Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic. Translating these ancient languages into modern English means deciding among several ways to interpret each word or phrase. There are so many Bible translations—indicated by those letters you see in front of the Bible name, like “NIV” or “KJV”—because there are multiple ways to translate ancient languages into words we understand today.

Reading multiple translations can be very beneficial. But when it comes to choosing a Bible that you’ll use every day, make sure it’s one you will understand readily and will want to read. Here are some tools to simplify your search: • To compare how different translations render your favorite Bible verses, go to BibleGateway.com/Passages • For a helpful chart listing all the major translations, their reading level, translation philosophy, and distinctives, visit BibleStudySource.com/Translations Spending just a little time making sure you have the right Bible to fit your needs can make all the difference in how you engage with and respond to God’s Holy Word.

We hope these ideas and the Bibles we’ve designed to foster a creative response to God’s Word will bless you. If you have ideas to help you and other women in your life to read and engage with God’s Word, please send them to me at melinda.bouma@harpercollins.com. I’d love to incorporate any innovative ideas you have into the way we think about Scripture engagement.

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Beautiful Bibles for Creative Expression

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J O U R NA L TH E WO R D ™ B I B L E S

ARTISAN COLLEC TION BIBLES

Turquoise Cloth Hardcover 9780310453352

Navy Cloth Hardcover 9780310453345

Pink Cloth Hardcover 9780310453338

The only NIV Bible with a printed hand-painted cover design and beautiful art hidden in the page edges.

Exquisite from the inside out, the NIV Artisan Collection Bible stuns with its printed cover design showcasing hand-painted flair. When the Bible is opened, beautiful art appears on the page edges as you read through Scripture. When you close the Bible, the image vanishes into shimmery foil gilding. As you start reading, let your eyes relax as you take in more of God’s Word with the exclusive Zondervan NIV Comfort Print® typeface, carefully designed with custom fonts to be easy and enjoyable to read. In addition to the attractive typesetting, each page of this Bible has lightly ruled, wide margins, inviting you to journal, $49.99 $34.99 reflect, take notes, and create art.

CO L O R I N G B I B L E

D EVO TI O NA L B I B L E

NIV BEAUTIFUL WORD™ COLORING BIBLE

NIV BIBLE FOR WOMEN

Floral Cloth Hardcover 9780310447054 $49.99 $34.99

Pink Leathersoft 9780310409564 $49.99 $34.99

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Dive deep

INTO THE

HABAKKUK

EXODUS

L E AV I N G O R D I N A R Y

Encountering God through Extraordinary Prayer We hear that God desires an intimate relationship with each of us. But, we wonder, can we really be intimate with a Being we’re in awe of? Would we even want to? Through the object lesson of the tabernacle in the book of Exodus, discover how to interact with God in that secret place of true intimacy that leads to worship. Your ordinary daily practice of prayer can become an extraordinary encounter with the living God.

Most people have prayed for something or someone in earnest, seeking God’s will, only to be left confused by God’s response.

Sometimes we ask, “Why would a good God allow bad things to happen to good people?” Amazed and Confused proceeds systematically through the book of Habakkuk, exploring the prophet’s prayer, his confusion when God’s answers seem out of line with his character and promises, and his subsequent journey from confusion to worship.

20 Sessions Study time: No personal homework

8 Sessions Study time: No personal homework

Book $14.99 $10.49

Book $14.99 $10.49

Donna

GAINES

Donna Gaines is a pastor’s wife, Bible teacher, disciple maker, and author.

Donna mobilizes women to practically live out their faith through both inner city and international efforts. She is the founder and president of the board for ARISE2Read, a nonprofit that focuses on literacy in the inner city.

She is the mother of four and Nonna to 10 grandchildren. Donna enjoys Memphis barbecue, Alabama football, and anything you can douse with salsa.

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AMA ZED AND CONFUSED

When God’s Actions Collide with Our Expectations

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Heather

ZEMPEL

A native Alabamian, Heather Zempel followed a circuitous route into fulltime ministry. She obtained a master’s degree in biological engineering, and worked as a consulting engineer and a policy consultant to a U.S. Senator.

Eventually, Heather left the Senate to join the team at National Community Church as Discipleship Pastor. She has led church history study tours and pilgrimages to Israel and Greece. She lives on Capitol Hill with her husband Ryan and daughter Sawyer.

BOOKS OF THE BIBLE

ROMANS

ACTS

BELIEVING JESUS

A Journey through the Book of Acts What does it mean to not just believe in Jesus, but to actually believe Jesus? Jesus’ command to spread the gospel reshaped the lives of the believers in Acts. Peter turned from Benedict Arnold to church-building saint. Stephen followed Christ to the death. The first believers out-gave Santa. God’s grace transformed the murderous Saul into Paul the missionary. Will we, like them, truly believe the words of Jesus and allow them to transform every part of our lives?

8 Sessions | ~20 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more) Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $36.99 $22.19

Lisa

HARPER

Both hilarious storyteller and theological scholar, Lisa’s writing and speaking overflow with colorful, pop-culture references that connect the Bible era and modern life. She says, selfdeprecatingly, “I’m so grateful for the opportunities God’s given me but don’t forget, he often uses donkeys and rocks!” She never married, but always wanted a child. When she heard about a dying orphan in Haiti named Missy, she undertook a two-year fight to save her life, and brought her home in 2014.

I N S E PA R A B L E

Who I Am, Was, and Will Be in Christ This study is about our identity in Christ. But frankly, when most people see such a topic, they focus on “our identity,” when what matters most is “Christ.” Author Ashley Linne says, “I wondered what it would look like to view myself as a sponge and Jesus as water. Or perhaps to look to him as the wind in my sails and not as a copilot. I think I went through a lot of my life observing Jesus rather than being saturated in him.” Inseparable, based on the book of Romans, encourages us to look to Christ for approval, identity and significance.

11 Sessions Study time: No personal homework Book $14.99 $10.49

Ashley

DAVIS LINNE

Often referred to as “the one with the purple hair,” Ashley is known for her creativity and for seeing the world just a little bit differently. Based in Seattle, Washington, she is a spiritual director who searches for the divine beauty in her clients and their stories, and helps bring healing to their places of trauma. She loves singing and musical theater, photographing flowers and birds, trinitarian theology, and finding God’s work in unusual places.

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Karen EHMAN

Karen is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and a New York Times bestselling author who has written 11 books. Married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and the mother of three, she enjoys collecting retro Pyrex ware, cheering for the Detroit Tigers, eating dark chocolate, and feeding the many teens who gather around her kitchen island for a taste of Mama Karen’s cooking. She lives in the boondocks of Michigan.

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KEEP IT SHUT

L E T. I T. G O.

What to Say, How to Say It, and When to Say Nothing At All

How to Stop Running the Show and Start Walking in Faith

Beyond just a “how not to gossip” study, Karen Ehman will teach what the Bible says about the many ways we are to use our words. This study addresses topics such as unsolicited opinion-slinging, speaking the truth in love, not saying words just to people-please, dealing with our verbal anger, and even the words we say online or silently to ourselves.

Many women are wired to control. But sometimes our strength of being conscientious can morph into the weakness of being a slight—or all out—control freak! Trying to control everything can be exhausting, and it can also cause friction with your friends and family. Discover the freedom and reward of living a life “out of control,” in which you learn how to control what you should and trust God with what you can’t.

Six Sessions | ~22 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more)

Six Sessions | ~22 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more)

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

Study Guide $10.99 $7.69 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $34.99 $23.99

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4 EASY

DECLUTTERING PROJECTS that will transform your living space

FROM UNSTUFFED, BY RUTH SOUKUP While unstuffing your living space might seem like a daunting (or downright impossible) task, many quick and relatively painless decluttering projects can be tackled in small bites that don’t take too much time. These small wins can help build confidence without being too overwhelming, and just one or two small projects a week can add up to a big change over time.

PROJECT 1

Create a Collection Zone Designate one area, whether it’s the corner of your living room or laundry room, the entry hall, the stairway, or any other space that makes sense for your home and family, to capture all the stray items that need to be put away each day—shoes, books, toys, etc.

Use a pretty box, bin, or basket to collect all the items throughout the day and then schedule a time each day to empty the basket and put things away. A great way to remember to do this, at least until it becomes a habit, is to set an alert on your phone to go off at the same time each day.

For maximum success and lasting results, be sure to get the whole family involved in the process. Reserve ten minutes before bedtime for putting things away, or consider giving each family member their own basket for which they are responsible.

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PROJECT 2

Clear the Counters

Chaotic countertops can make your entire living space feel oppressive. Cooking becomes a burden and a chore, and a thorough cleanup feels impossible. But it doesn’t have to be. Creating a clutter-free zone in the kitchen will make a huge difference for the overall feel of your home, and committing to keep it that way will transform the way you cook and clean.

Start by tossing out the obvious junk, whether it’s random paperwork, old food, broken dishes or appliances, or anything else no longer in use. Next, put away anything taking up counter space that already has a home.

Remove everything that is left so that all counters are completely clear, wash them well, and then put back on the counter only the appliances you use more than once a week. Finally, consider selling or donating any items you don’t use regularly, or find new homes for items that don’t yet have a place.

PROJECT 3

Sweep the Surfaces

Even a clean house can feel cluttered and chaotic when every horizontal surface, every table and bookshelf and mantel and ledge, is covered with stuff. This can be true even when the stuff—books, picture frames, candles, figurines, vases, bowls, and everything in between—is intended to be decorative and pretty.

Even if you love your things, consider putting them away for a month or two, just to see how it feels. Do a clean sweep of every item on every surface in your living room. Take down all the items, box them up, and put the boxes aside for at least four to six weeks. Pay attention to how this makes you feel. Do you miss your stuff, or can you breathe easier without it? What items do you miss the most? At the end of your experiment, put back only those items you truly missed, and then sell or donate the rest.

PROJECT 4

Pitch the Pillows

Like surface clutter, throw pillows, blankets, and other soft goods that are meant to be decorative often end up doing little more than adding to the chaos. Consider this: Are your pillows really all that decorative if they are constantly on the floor?

I can totally understand your reluctance to let them go—I was the exact same way. In fact, it wasn’t until I lost a bet to my husband in which the wager was him tossing out all our throw pillows that I realized how much cleaner our living room seemed without them. If you can’t imagine getting rid of them for good, try taking them away for a month and see how it feels.

New Year, New You

B I B L E ST U DY I D E A

LIVING WELL, SPENDING LESS / UNSTUFFED Eight Weeks to Redefining the Good Life and Living It The Good Life is one defined not by what we have but by who we are. If you feel stressed out or overwhelmed, these two companion studies will help you discover the way to a life rich in faith, family, friends—and a budget that balances with space to breathe. Take back your life from the stuff that is weighing you down!

Eight Sessions | ~18 min. each Study time: Moderate (30 minutes - 1 hour)

Ruth SO U K U P

Through her Do It Scared® podcast and Living Well, Spending Less® blog, Ruth Soukup encourages more than one million subscribers to face their fears and reach their goals.

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

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Rebekah LYONS

Rebekah is the author of Freefall to Fly: A Breathtaking Journey toward a Life of Meaning and Founder of Q Women. She is the mother of three, wife of one living in Nashville. Through emotive writing and speaking, Rebekah reveals her own battles to overcome anxiety, depression, and consumer impulses - challenging women to discover and boldly pursue the calling God has for them.

Alongside her husband, Gabe, Rebekah serves as cofounder of Q Ideas, a nonprofit organization that helps Christian leaders winsomely engage culture.

SHE’S STILL THERE Rescuing the Girl in You What are you supposed to do if your life is not taking shape the way you thought it would? How do you find your way after missteps or decisions you never planned on? Where do you turn when you are reeling from feeling lost, disappointed, or simply numb? Find your way back, believe you are capable of still being the person you intended to be‌and discover the girl you never knew was there in the first place.

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $29.99 $20.99 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $41.99 $25.19

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Six Sessions | ~22 min. each Study time: Moderate (30 minutes - 1 hour)

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YOU ARE FREE Be Who You Already Are Rebekah Lyons explores why we all want to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, what we were made for. Yet many of us believe that “calling” feels like something held for the exclusive few. Rebekah’s heart is to dismantle that idea, to remind each and every one of us that God has plans for something specific if we have ears to hear the still small voice of a Father that beckons.

Six Sessions | ~20 min. each Study time: Moderate (30 minutes - 1 hour)

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $26.99 $18.89 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $38.99 $23.39

Chrystal EVANS HURST Chrystal is a “used-to-be,” career-minded, bean-counter, on-thepath-to-big-bucks, single gal... turned homeschooling, bread-baking, garden-attending, cloth-diapering mommy-blogger... turned workat-home mom who shamelessly uses paper plates, keeps a stock of frozen pizzas on hand, strives for small victories over #fatdemon, runner wannabe, and Starbucks junkie. She is the first-born to Tony and Lois Evans, wife to gentle giant Jessie, and she’s got college-life and kindergarten happening simultaneously amongst her five children.

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“Children do not thrive with authoritarian, perfectionistic parenting, because they can never live up to perfection,

and neither can you.�

From Desperate, by

S A R A H M A E A N D S A L LY C L A R K S O N 20

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D E S P E R AT E

HOODWINKED

Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

Ten Myths Moms Believe & Why We All Need to Knock It Off

For those who have ever felt like all the “experts” have clearly never had a child like theirs. For those who have prayed for a mentor. For those who ever felt lost and alone in motherhood. In Desperate you will find the story of one young mother’s honest account of the desperate feelings experienced in motherhood and one experienced mentor’s realistic and gentle exhortations that were forged in the trenches of raising her own four children.

This six-session video-based study will encourage and inspire women to embrace their roles as mothers wholeheartedly yet realistically, whether they work outside the home, have a home business, or are stay-at-home moms. Mothers will find a fresh new vision for an age-old calling as they tackle the challenges and embrace the blessings of motherhood.

Study time: No personal homework

Study Guide $12.99 $9.09 | DVD $26.99 $18.89 Leader Pack (DVD & Guide) $38.99 $23.99

Book $16.99 $11.89

Six Sessions | ~20 min. each Study time: Substantial (an hour or more)

Sarah MAE

Karen

Sarah Mae is an influential blogger, conference host, and author of the best-selling ebook 31 Days to Clean: Having a Martha House the Mary Way. She makes her home in the beautiful Amish country of Pennsylvania where she celebrates life with her husband and three children.

Karen is a Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker and a New York Times bestselling author who has written 11 books. Married to her college sweetheart, Todd, and the mother of three.

She lives in the boondocks of Michigan.

Sally CLARKSON

Ruth SCH WE N K

Sally is involved in ongoing discipleship and teaching ministries to women, parents, homeschooling mothers, and Christian mothers and their children.

She is the author of numerous books and articles on Christian motherhood and parenting and leads WholeHearted Mother Conferences.

Ruth is the founder of The Better Mom, and along with her husband, Patrick, the creator of For the Family. She is a pastor’s wife, mom of four energetic kids, lover of coffee, and dreamer of big dreams. She loves leading, speaking, and blogging. Coauthor of Pressing Pause. Ruth, Patrick, and their children live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

EHM A N

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WHAT’S YOUR

One Word

FOR 2019?

Nicole J OHN SON WORD In the beginning was the Word and not only was the Word with God, the Word was God! Then came the day when God spoke this word, this one word, Jesus. God took on flesh and dwelt among us in the person of Jesus. His life was a picture of God worth a million words, yet summed up by one.

What a powerful word! While my words are not God’s, they are still powerful; all words are. Good or bad, kind or ugly, our words also take on substance and live among us as we speak them into being. They matter. This year I want to be more intentional with the words I speak. In my home, in my writing, even to my own heart, I want my words to reflect what the Word reflects—life, love, forgiveness, reconciliation, peace, joy, and hope. Jesus was God’s greatest word.

Donna GAIN ES EXPECTANT

Expectant means to look forward in anticipation. As a Bible teacher, author and as the founder of a nonprofit—ARISE2Read—I am expectant as I pray, study, and take the gospel and literacy into the inner city. I am expectant as I joyfully prepare to welcome three new grandchildren in March, April, and May. Just as I see our three expectant mothers anticipating the arrival of their little ones, I am eagerly expecting the coming of my King—and I want to be ready—expectant!

Ashley DAV I S

LINNE

PILGRIM My word, or metaphor really, for 2019 is pilgrim. God reframes pilgrim not to mean “colonizing” but instead “communing.” Pilgrims travel to a holy destination, often a place they’ve never been, to find peace. The mysterious, beautiful kingdom of God is both now and not yet, both here and there, so when we are on a pilgrimage it’s just as much about the journey and even more so about the people we meet along the way. I have hope for 2019 to be a year of trailblazing and community!

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Heather Z EM P EL CELEBRATE My one word for 2019 is celebrate. It’s an underdeveloped and overlooked dimension of leadership. In Exodus, God instructed Moses to observe three annual festivals. During one of the most difficult seasons of their history, God gave his people reason to celebrate. As a leader, I’m often focused on the next hill to conquer. But if I don’t celebrate the hills we’ve already taken, I will lose the joy in the journey, and my team may forget why those hills are important. Open a team meeting by sharing that week’s “wins.” Throw a 10-minute party when someone crosses the finish line on a project. Look for every excuse to celebrate people, accomplishments, and life transformation. Celebrating is vital to creating and maintaining culture on teams, and it’s critical to my personal leadership health.

Jada ED WARD S YIELD Galatians 5:22-23 has taken on new life for me. If I want a life that yields I must first yield to the Holy Spirit who produces the fruit. I’ve spent too much time trying to force fruit out of my life but it doesn’t work that way. You can’t squeeze an apple out of an apple tree. When it yields to the water, sun, and soil, it bears fruit. To yield means I say yes to the conviction and guidance of the Spirit every time he speaks. He tells me when to keep silent or speak up, to apologize, take risks, take rest, to say yes or no, and so much more. He gives me direction in the big dreams and in the daily steps. So this year, I’m asking God to give me the courage and desperation to say YES.

Kasey VAN

N ORM AN

ABIDE Since childhood, I have struggled with anxiety, sleeplessness, and the desire to create chaos in relationships that feel too vulnerable. After surviving cancer in my early 30s, I had to get serious about dealing with my fear by committing to start my day in God’s Word, regardless of how I felt. Now entering my 40s, anxiety no longer dictates my day, because my heart ABIDES in God. 1 John 3:6 tells us, “no one who abides in him keeps on sinning.” And Romans 14:23, “anything that does not come from faith is sin.” Our anxiety is a measure of how little we are trusting God. But, when we abide, we believe in accordance with God’s pre-determined will for our life. As we trust him, he communicates his eternal purpose to our heart; resulting in immediate peace, confidence, and security. “When his word abides in us, we can ask whatever we wish, and it will be done.” (John 15:7) This year, I choose to believe what has always been true of me.

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