causes me to think of last night's book club meeting. I have participated in reading groups before but this venture between the ladies who met together last night has a new spirit of fellowship stamped all over it. All recently having left behind an oppressive sense of life and practice, last night was the coming out party.
The Bruised Reed by Richard Sibbes is serving as the clarion call. From last night, here are my Thankful Thursday comments:
1. Thankful for authors like Richard Sibbes whose words 400 plus years later still strike at the heart and give comfort.
2. Thankful for the ladies who met together committed to one another in a sweet spirit of grace for how God is teaching each of us specifically, even if often painfully.
3. Thankful for quotes like this, "There is never a holy sigh, never a tear we shed, which is lost. And as every grace increases by exercise of itself, so does the grace of prayer. By prayer we learn to pray. So, likewise, we should take heed of a spirit of discouragement in all other holy duties, since we have so gracious a Savior. Pray as we are able, hear as we are able, strive as we are able, do as we are able, according to the measure of grace received. God in Christ will cast a gracious eye upon that which is his own."
4. Thankful for the freedom to meet and pray together, to enjoy peach pie, to laugh and giggle at ourselves, to extend friendship and understanding, and to be women.
It's a wonderful thing to read words that "strike at the heart and give comfort." I find it amazing that the same words do both---strike and comfort!
ReplyDeleteAnd peach pie. Well, that sounds really good.
Sounds like a wonderful evening, Elle!
ReplyDeleteAnd that peach pie. Oooh, that does sound really good.