Ellen Chauvin | Soaked & Sprouting

Soaked in God's Word, Sprouting Seeds of Faith

When There are No Words

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I wish I’d had this book in 1993. Or 2003. Especially in 2011. These are the years that carried heartache and heartbreak for me. Loss that was almost too much to bear. 

Try as I might, I struggled to process all that was happening. And pray? Well, no. I had no words. Only rivers of tears and oceans of grief. 

So, yeah. I wish my friend Carmen’s book would have been in my hands all those years ago. In 1993 my husband walked out on our eleven year marriage. In 2003, my Daddy passed away. And in July of 2011, my Mom lost her battle with the stroke that had paralyzed her two months prior.

 Oddly, the grief over my Mama’s loss almost undid me. A girl needs her Mama. Oddly, I was strongest in the Lord, and deepest in His word in 2011. I would have thought I could process her death better, celebrate her life and home going with great joy, and stand on the promise of eternity that I know to be true. But no. The waves of grief washed over me, sucking me under, threatening to drown me in my sorrow. 

I tried to pray. I couldn’t. What could I say? I just wanted my Mama back. I wasn’t ready to not have her anymore. I didn’t want to wait until I got to heaven to see her again. Processing my feelings and emotions – well, I just couldn’t.

Yep, I needed this book back then. And today. Maybe you do too?

The lump in my throat began to form when I was reading the introduction. It continued to grow, the more I read. One reader described Carmen’s writing as tender. Yes, Tender, with a capital T. So much so, that you almost can’t take it. You know, like when you’re really hurting, and someone is nice to you, and it makes you wail. I told several people after my mom’s death “Please don’t be nice to me, I’ll start crying.” That’s how tender this book is.

“I’m convinced the prayers God understands most clearly are the tears streaming down our cheeks. Our tears speak volumes, my friend. They are so precious to Him that He collects every one.” Out of Words – 31 Prayers of Hope for Your Hurting Heart, introduction.

 

In her book, Out of Words – 31 Prayers of Hope for Your Hurting Heart, Carmen Horne offers so much more than thirty-one prayers. Each prayer includes the following:

  • Scripture based devotion
  • Prayer invitation 
  • Space to journal and process your pain
  • “When your words return” section that includes a question and gratitude prompt
  • Scripture affirmation
  • Hope-filled declaration

Carmen doesn’t leave you to walk blindly through your pain. She guides you through it, helping you process what’s in your heart. Rooted in Scripture and drawing from her own experiences with a shattered heart, Carmen offers Holy Spirit inspired insight to help you rediscover the words you need – words to ask God to care for and heal your broken heart.

Carmen assures us that God can handle our sadness, even when we can’t!

“Most of us don’t do emotions well. If we can’t fix it, we want to walk away from it. Oh, that we could learn the art of a quiet presence.  There is someone who can always handle our sadness. God does not flinch at the sight of our tears. He continues to reach out to us when we try to hide. He not only brings peace, He is Peace — Jehovah Shalom.” Out of Words – 31 Prayers of Hope for Your Hurting Heart, devotion #2

If you are hurting, or shattered or broken in any way (aren’t we all?), you will want to buy this book. 

And now, I must give you this disclaimer: Carmen is a dear, dear friend of mine. HOWEVER, I am not recommending her book because of that. I’m telling you to buy it, because Carmen has walked beside me through thick and thin. She’s offered prayers on my behalf; she’s shared her experiences of brokenness to guide me; and she’s loved and encouraged me. She does the same for the readers of this book! Buy an extra copy, and give it to someone who is out of words.

Find out more at outofwordsbook.com

Grace be with you,

Diving Deeper

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So-o-o-o-o, if you’ve been reading along this month, you know I’ve been purposely slowing down. Running on empty, stopping to listen  and practicing golden silence, have literally taken the rush out of my morning quiet times.

There is still, however, an area where I struggle. Reading. Reading my Bible in an unhurried pace. My mind struggles to slow down and absorb His word. I am a fast reader naturally, and a skimmer when I read for work. Those practices have shown up in my personal Bible reading.

And then there’s my study time, while preparing to teach. Who has time to dig deep, when there’s a lesson to prepare? Who has time to absorb all that goodness?

[tweetthis]Deep down inside I believe we all crave a slower pace. We’ve just forgotten how to have one.[/tweetthis]

For instance, I’m trying to learn how to use a new (for me) camera. My current camera is an easy-peasy, point and shoot, auto focus, instant zoom, idiot proof camera. John has given me his old fancy camera, with zoom lens, and all sorts of buttons on it.

The first time I used it, my blood was about to boil. I was trying to zoom, while the camera was trying to focus. I was frustrated that it wasn’t instant focus and zoom.

In our speed driven society, it’s difficult to slow down and and do the hard work of learning. We get frustrated, yet we don’t put in the time.

Same with my Bible reading. I get frustrated when I don’t grasp the meaning of a passage, or the big picture, or the Old Testament/New Testament connections. And yet, I rush through my reading and my lesson preparations.

“Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the LORD, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:10 HCSB

I am reading the book Deeper Waters, Immersed in the Life-Changing Truth of God’s Word, by Denise Hughes, which releases on September 1. In her book, Denise encourages us to dig into God’s Word. She says it “isn’t just for scholars in seminaries-it’s for everyone.”

Denise suggests that we:
1. Read God’s Word
2. Write God’s Word and
3. Pray God’s Word.

Read it – check!
Pray it – check!
Write it? By hand? Not type it on the computer? But…but…that will take – time!

Denise lists many benefits of writing by hand. Here are some of my favorites (from pages 89-90, Deeper Waters) :
◆ It slows our pace. We’ve trained our eyes to skim quickly over text looking for the main points. Writing by hand forces our eyes to slow down.
◆ We dive deeper into the text.
◆ We become better observers. Writing leads to noticing.
◆ Our hearts and minds are quieted. Accord to Denise “Writing the Word is a deliberate act to refuse the tyranny of hurry. It’s a way of saying the words of Scripture are worth savoring – each and every one.”
I need all those things! So I tried it. I wrote out a passage of scripture I was studying to teach. Oh, my! Not only did it slow me down, and help me internalize God’s word, I realized that I had memorized a good portion of that passage. When did that happen??

But there is so much more to this book. Part memoir, part Bible study, Denise honestly shares her struggles:
“I can’t write a book about the Bible, telling you how life-changing it is – no matter how true that truth is – without also sharing my struggle to believe everything the Bible says.” Deeper Waters, page 24.

Denise has a love of God’s Word that will overflow into your life, as you read her book. She wants to share with others the many things that have helped in her study of God’s Word through the years. She wants to mentor us and minister to us through her book. And she has certainly done that for me.

If you are interested in Denise’s book (and you SHOULD be!), you can download the Intro (I highlighted almost all the introduction!) and Chapter One for FREE, by clicking here.

Or (better yet) you can pre-order today and receive a FREE copy of “Word Writers: James” plus 18 Scripture Prayer Cards and a 365-Day Bible Reading Plan. These gifts can be redeemed here .

I also have a copy of Denise’s book to give away! Leave a comment, and tell me what YOUR struggles are as you read and study God’s Word. I’d love to hear from you. All those who leave a comment, will be entered into a drawing to receive a copy of Deeper Waters.

Lord, slow us down, so that we can dive deeper into Your Words. In Jesus name, Amen.

Grace be with you,