Light Chases the Fears.......

Here is the summary of the Chapter 2 Living Above Worry and Stress small group "Got Teens" meeting.

We had everyone attend except one and we sure did miss her!  

It was a great discussion and time of digging into the Scriptures again.

Monica opened us with a word of prayer that we would be edified by the study and that the Lord would work in our teens, husbands, etc.

• The key verse for this chapter was found in Psalm 56: 3 which talks about how when we are afraid, we can place our trust in the Lord.
• I read through the beginning portion of that entire Psalm and we opened up the discussion to share about what it is that overwhelms us or causes fear in our hearts/minds.  I asked the ladies to share their biggest fear regarding their children or even just in general.  Several of us shared those fears and we talked about how to get rid of them, based on Biblical truths as found in several good Scriptures that the Women of Book directed us to. (Psalm 112:7, Isaiah 51:7, Luke 12:4).
• I read through a part of Crazy Love that talks about how even the famous people (heroes) of the Bible had fears to face and what happened:  how did the Lord provide for them, or take away their fears?  We thought it was such a "God thing" that once again, a non-fiction book some of us are reading "happened" to go along with parts of what this Women of Faith study book has us reading (the book also included some Bible characters who struggled with fears....and Scriptures to help us "dig deeper".
• We discussed the importance of turning to the Word of God when doubts and fears get ahold of us. 
• We discussed for quite awhile the fact that our children are really the Lord's.  That our teens are in the palm of God's Hand...and that He is the One who entrusts these children to us....and that all we need to do is give them over to Him, raise them in the Biblical truths and trust that He will bring them to Christ and keep them.
• We discussed the importance of "hiding the Word in our hearts" so we can call up various Scriptures to keep us at peace.  Some of us shared our favorite ways of chasing away fears.  I shared how Jesus is a shadow chaser..that His Light dispels the darkness of fear.
• I then passed out the "treasure trinket" for the chapter.  I had taken a small, unscented tea candle (to represent light) and tied it up in a black napkin with a black ribbon around it.  By "unwrapping" the darkness (calling on the Lord) we reveal the Light that chases away the dark....the worries, fear, anxiety that might come into our minds.  One friend (thank you Lynn!!) shared about a scary situation with her daughter that happened one Thanksgiving day and how the Lord totally intervened in a miraculous way.  Others of us shared about how the Lord reminded us in past events that our children really are gifts from Lord and that He entrusts them to us but that He also sees them and cares for them.
• We ended up reminding ourselves that Scripture says we are loved by God and cared for by Him more than He cares for the common sparrows...that if He cares about birds, He cares about us, too!
• We ended the meeting with a time of prayer.

Some of us stayed after the meeting to discuss various things the Lord was doing in our lives, our plans for the upcoming Spring Break and we made plans to do a family hike.  All families of the Got Teens small group will go on a hike in July...more details to follow....it will be mid-July on a Saturday.