THE THORNGIRLS #1 Reading Schedule: Deut. 1 through Deut. 27

This is our very first reading schedule.  Deuteronomy actually started May 23 which was Friday so I guess we will go Friday to Friday so we can start on Deut. 1.  So we will read a chapter a day.  Our church schedule is a little wonky so here it is:

Friday - May 23:             Deut. 1
Saturday  - May 24         Deut. 2
Sunday- May 25             Deut. 3
Monday - May 26          Deut. 4
Tuesday - May 27          Deut. 5
Wednesday.- May 28     Deut. 6
Thurs - May 29 -          Deut. 26  (notice the big skip!)
Friday - May 30 -          Deut. 27

So you will leave your comments here for the whole week.  Just make sure you reference the verse in your comments.

For instance here is what I would put in the comment box:

DEUTERONOMY 1:

The Israelites are ready to enter the Promise Land.  The events recorded in Deut. only cover one week or two of the 11 month of the 40th year of wandering.  The 12th month of the 40th year was spent mourning for Moses.  They entered the Promise Land the 1st month of the 41st year.  This journey was an 11 day journey!

V. 6 - it says "you have stayed here long enough".  To me, that meant there is a time limit for testing.  When the season is over, it's time to leave......time to leave the grief, pain, loss, sadness, past, whatever has been keeping you in the journey there.

v. 7 - "Break camp" - you are going to leave your comfort zone (the place that is not necessary comfortable, but familiar)

"go in and take possession" - now it is going to require action not passivity.   You may want to stay, it's familiar.  You may be afraid, you have to be courageous.  You have to "weep" forward.  You have to let go to move forward.

v. 9-15 were a review of their life in the desert

v.26 - They never entered the Promise Land because they were unwilling to go
v. 27 - They grumbled and complained and blamed everyone
v. 31 - God reassured them that He would go before them and fight for them as he did before and carry them as a father carries his own child
v. 32 - in spite of all of this, they did not trust or believe their Lord so they forfeited their chance to enter the Promise Land.

My take away:
Grumbling, complaining, blaming, rebellion, arrogance and unbelief will keep me from being where I am supposed to be.  It is a choice.  I don't want to live my life with that kind of attitude.  I pray that God will show me anywhere that I am complacent.  Help me to believe God.  To trust Him when I have to break camp and don't know what's around the corner.  Help me to be active and strong and courageous and be who God wants me to be and go where I am suppose to be.  That is where abundant life waits.

THE THORNGIRLS

The Thorngirls was started when our small group which meets at the mall in Muskogee was studying "Brave" by Angela Thomas.  It talked about how all of us have thorns in our lives, things that hurt, things that bring us pain, things that remain that we can't remove.  Sometimes it's other's thorns that we have to live with that are also painful to us.  The important thing is what the thorn produces, if we let it.  It produces humility, surrender and desperation for God.  When God looks at Thorngirls, He sees a beautiful rose.  It brings Him glory.  It draws others to Him.  We thought the name was fitting for our group so it stuck.  They are just that.  Beautiful Thorngirls to me.  They have been blessings through their pain.

Since we are reading through the Bible, but our small group doesn't meet in the summer, we decided a blog would be a good idea.  So I will post the reading assignments for the week and you can post comments, questions, funny things you thought of (which we always do in small group), problems, prayer requests, anything you want to post is okay.  It will be seen by whoever looks at the blog so if it's personal, send it to me through fb or message me.  Hope we can all stay in contact through the summer that way and take up where we left off in August when small group starts up again.

I am excited to keep talking with you all all through the summer and anyone else who wants to join us in our blog!!!!   Love, love, love to you all!!!   Diana