BEAUTY FOR ASHES Study Guide

Transcription

1 BEAUTY FOR ASHES Study Guide Alyce-Kay Ruckelshaus Threshold Of Hineni Still Pond, Maryland

2 Copyright 2016 Alyce-Kay Ruckelshaus All rights reserved. ISBN: ISBN-13: You may contact Alyce-Kay through her website, ThresholdofHineni.com.

3 Dedicated to those who crave a closer walk with God

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5 Spoiler Alert! Don't read through the questions ahead of time if you don't want to spoil the story for yourself. The questions are broken up into chapters, so that you can answer as you go. If you would like a list of all the Scriptures ahead of time, they are just before the questions. Pictures If you would like to see pictures of some of the places in the book, you may visit my pinterest page here: h ps:// auty-for-ashes/ Feel free to send me pictures that you think other readers might enjoy as well.

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7 Ways to Use This Guide Beauty for Ashes is a powerful story. You can read it and just enjoy a good story, but if you've gone to the trouble to get this study guide, chances are, you're looking for more. I wrote Beauty for Ashes to illustrate some spiritual truths in a practical, down-to-earth way. My hope in this series of what will probably be about twelve books is that you will see yourself in some of the characters and recognize ways that you can grow closer to God. There are several ways that you can use this study guide to help you grow. First, and I personally think the best, is to form a Cadre. When I was a freshman at Westmont College myself, the college experimented with Cadres. I'm not really sure why it wasn't continued, but for our Cadre, which was a group from our dorm section in Page

8 Hall, the Cadre turned into some lifelong friendships. The thing to remember is that you're going to get out of something like this what you put into it. Strong relationships take nurture. Time spent together, transparency, projects done together, studying God's Word and sharing what He's doing in your life... these things lead to strong and deep friendships. Reading Beauty for Ashes and using this Study Guide as a Cadre is a really great way to start doing all those things. As you continue through the series of books, you'll find lots of inspiration for your own Cadre. A second way to use this study guide is as a Sunday School class or Bible Study. Beauty for Ashes is full of Scripture and illustrated spiritual truths. By studying the Scriptures involved and by discussing the questions, you'll find yourself understanding more and more of God's Word and applying it more intentionally. You'll find a list of Scriptures which are used or alluded to

9 in Beauty for Ashes right after this chapter. The more open you are with each other in your class, the more deeply you'll find God's Word making its way into your hearts. Thirdly, you could use this study guide as a homeschool Bible course or for family devotions. Sharing deep spiritual lessons as a family develops spiritual depth, family closeness, and builds good Bible study and application habits. Finally, if you don't have someone else to discuss Beauty for Ashes with, you can use this guide as journaling questions. Be very honest and open with yourself in your journaling and I believe you'll find yourself growing very close to the Lord. If you want to share anything with me, I would really love to hear from you. You can do that through my contact page on ThresholdOfHineni.com. Pu ing "Beauty for Ashes" in the subject line of your will help ensure that I don't

10 miss it. For any of these ways, I suggest reading through the book once, simply as a story. After that, spend some time reading the Scriptures in the Scripture list to familiarize yourself with them. Then, work through the questions. As you do, you'll want to reread the appropriate chapter. This time, as you read, write the references to the Scriptures and scriptural allusions that you see in the book. This will help you to see how the principles are illustrated and will encourage you to apply them to your own life. May you find the truth that God is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or even imagine, according to the power that works within us the glorious, dynamic, unbeatable power of His resurrection. God bless you as you walk closer and closer to Him. Alyce-Kay Ruckelshaus December 2016

11 Scripture References and Allusions in Beauty For Ashes And Some Further Ways to Use This List These are the Scriptures which are used or alluded to in Beauty for Ashes. In most cases, the verses aren't quoted or referenced; it's just the principle from the Scriptures which is being applied in the lives of the characters. You can see in the book what it's like to live a life where you know Scripture well and have become intentional about applying it in your life. Paul encouraged Timothy not to let anyone look down on him because he was young. I want to encourage you that, no ma er your age, no ma er how long or how short a time you've walked with the Lord, you can have a vibrant life of faith. As you follow these characters through the series of books

12 that I'm writing (I have twelve outlined so far, which will cover about 40 years of their lives), you'll see more examples of how their faith and trust in God grows and how that impacts their lives. The characters in Beauty for Ashes, and the rest of the Isaiah Cadre series to come, have life-sha ering experiences, just like we do. They're just as human as the rest of us and struggle through those experiences. But they strive to follow what they know of God's will through Scripture, even when it's hard and counter-intuitive, and they grow to trust Him more because of it. You can also see that this can be done by young people. Although I don't think I know anyone who went through these exact experiences while I was in college (though we experienced some very similar things), I do know that many of my friends and I experienced God's leading, wisdom, comfort, encouragement and strength in ways that were comparable to this. And we

13 continue to do so! I've tried to make this as realistic as possible, drawing on my own lifeexperience for ways that I've applied Scripture in my own life and the struggles I've experienced through it all, in order to make the characters believable and relatable. Remember that, just as none of us are perfect, neither are the characters in the story. They won't get everything right. That's what makes them easier to relate to. You're welcome to read the book just as a good story... and I hope you do enjoy it if that's what you do. But I'd also like to invite you to get the most out of it by reading these Scriptures ahead of time. Familiarize yourself with them, so that when the characters in the book are applying them, you'll be able to see how those same Scriptures can comfort, teach, inspire, and help you in your times of need and challenge. By seeing that the characters in the book find their strength in the Lord and understanding

14 the Scriptural basis for it, your own faith can be fortified and made more powerful. Here are some suggestions of ways you can use this list. Remember that the more time you put into it, the more you'll get out of it. Hiding God's Word in our heart is important for our faith! 1. The easiest thing to do would be to just read each of these Scriptures. That way, you'll have at least a vague familiarity with them and at least some of the ideas in the book will ring some bells in your mind. If you're already very familiar with them, then reading over them again before reading the book will help bring them to the top of your mind so you can recognize the principles as they come up. However, I would urge you not to think that because you're already familiar with these passages and verses or even know them well that you can't benefit from spending time studying them. Hebrews 4:12 tells us that God's Word is alive and active. The

15 more we have it available to us (and we will have it more and more available to us each time we read and study it), the more the Holy Spirit will be able to bring it to our minds at the time when it's needed. It's amazing how God's Word will come to you and advise and encourage you during situations you never imagined! His Word is truly alive. 2. Another thing you can do is spend time with these verses in your quiet time or devotionals. One of the things I love to do before even opening Scripture is ask God to show me what He wants to tell me that day. Then I go to wherever I'm reading for the day and I read until I sense God telling me to stop. I sit quietly and allow Him to fill my mind with what He wants to say to me through that Scripture for the very things I'm facing or even the things I'll experience that day which I don't know about yet. He sometimes focuses me on a particular verse and I don't know why

16 ... until later in the day when something happens and I can see why I needed the truths from that verse! 3. You might also consider really studying some or all of these passages. For the most part, the Scriptures used in this book are fairly well-known, so you shouldn't have much trouble finding articles and studies that will help you unpack them more than ever before. It's always helpful to get the context of the verse read the verses or chapters before and after, so you know what's really going on. 4. One thing that it seems very few people do anymore is memorize Scripture. This is the best way to get it into your heart, where it will be available for you right when you need it. How about praying and asking God to show you which verses He'd like you to commit to memory? 5. As you read Beauty for Ashes, you might want to keep the Scripture list at hand. If you've jo ed some notes by

17 each reference, you'll be able to recognize them when they come up in the story. They are pre y much in the order here in which they're used in the book, though some may be a li le out of order, and several are alluded to more than once. For example, memorial stones, from Joshua 4, are a theme throughout the book. As you read the story, you might make a note in your Scripture list where that verse or passage is brought up, alluded to, or applied in the story. This will give you a number of rich examples of ways to apply God's Word to your own life and situations. 6. Finally, I think that one of the best ways to help get Scripture into your heart is to journal about it. Whether you just journal about the verse itself, or even journal about how you see it being applied in the story and what you think of that, how you see that you could apply it yourself... can you see how God could use this as a curriculum in your spiritual education?

18 7. If you'd really like to have the richest experience with this book possible, why not form a Cadre with a few friends or other people you would like to get to know deeply? I would suggest a group of between 3 and 8 people is the best size for this. Use this list of Scriptures and read/talk about those together before you even read the book (or while you're reading it for the first time). Make an agreement that the things talked about in your Cadre meetings stay in your meetings; that way you will feel more comfortable being transparent with one another, which is very important in trying to develop a group like this. Read the Scriptures for the chapter together and talk about how they're alluded to in the book. (If you're not sure, feel free to write to me.) Then go through all the questions, reading the specific chapters before you get together each time to review it. Think about which questions might be related to the Scriptures given -- and you very well

19 may think of more Scriptures to go with this. Take your time answering the questions; don't feel that you have to do a chapter a week! Try to answer the questions honestly and transparently. This will help build deep friendships, like those of the Isaiah Cadre. It will also help you get to really know the Scriptures so they can come back to help you when you need them. Pray together and commit to supporting one another in pu ing into practice the spiritual truths in Beauty For Ashes. This would probably take you about a semester to complete. If you find that you're encouraged, challenged, uplifted, or strengthened by any of these, I would so love it if you'd tell me! People often think that authors just know that they are touching people's lives, but we really don't unless you tell us. Sometimes, we get discouraged and want to give up. In fact, pre y much anyone who encourages you in some way your pastor, friends, teachers,

20 authors could really use your words of encouragement. I hope that reading, studying, memorizing, and applying these Scriptures to your life will bless you immensely, and I pray that in some small way, Kelly, Ma, and the other characters in the Isaiah Cadre series will contribute to your spiritual growth.

21 List of Scriptures Used In Beauty for Ashes Note: The Scriptures in this list are not really in order. Some of them are used throughout the story. Isaiah 61:1-3 (This is the passage that the title is based upon.) I Thessalonians 5:18 Psalm 45:13 Proverbs 3:5,6 James 4:13-15 Ma hew 10:37 Psalm 63:1 I Peter 4:12

22 Hebrews 13:4 John 8:1-11 Ephesians 4:26 Ma hew 8:26 I Chronicles 16:11 Isaiah 41:10 Ma hew 25:40 Philippians 4:19 James 2:14-17 Isaiah 40:28-31 James 1:5 Romans 12:19

23 Lamentations 3:22, 23 Psalm 119:11 Psalm 127:1-2 Psalm 127:3-5 II Corinthians 12:9 Isaiah 55:8 Isaiah 30:20, 21 Genesis 22:1-14 Joshua chapters 3 and 4 Jeremiah 29:4-14 Isaiah 54:4-5 Romans 8:28 Romans 8:26-27

24 James 1:27 James 2:14-17 Philippians 4:6-7 I Peter 5:7 Acts 20:35 Ephesians 2:8, 9 Ma hew 5:6 Ma hew 18:19, 20 Ma hew 25:31-40 Ephesians 3:20, 21 I Peter 3:7 Philippians 4:19

25 Psalm 139 Psalm 103:1 Psalm 103:13, 14 Acts 14:19 Luke 22:39-46 Hebrews 11 Psalm 139:1-4 Ma hew 10:30 Job 42:2 Romans 6:1-11 Revelation 21:8

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27 How to Start a Cadre A Cadre is a group of people who are strongly commi ed to each other and who have a common purpose. They can be radicals and I hope you are! I hope you're radically commi ed to changing the world for good. I'm thrilled if you're radically commi ed to your own spiritual growth and to helping each other grow. A great way to start a Cadre would be to get some friends together to read and discuss this book. Here are some activities you can do to get your Cadre going. You don't have to do all of these, of course, and you may come up with some of your own ideas (which, by the way, I'd love to hear about). Make an agreement that the things talked about in your Cadre meetings stay in your meetings; that way you will feel more comfortable being transparent

28 with one another, which is very important in trying to develop a group like this. Check out the list of Scriptures alluded to in Beauty for Ashes and read/talk about those together before you even read the book (or while you're reading it for the first time). Read the Scriptures for the chapter together and talk about how they're alluded to in the book. (If you're not sure, feel free to write to me.) Go through all the questions, reading the specific chapters before you get together each time to review it. Think about which questions might be related to Scriptures given -- and you very well may think of more Scriptures to go with this. Take your time answering the questions; don't feel that you have to do a chapter a week! Try to answer the questions honestly and transparently. This will help build deep friendships, like those of

29 the Isaiah Cadre. It will also help you get to really know the Scriptures so they can come back to help you when you need them. Pray together and commit to supporting one another in pu ing into practice the spiritual truths in Beauty for Ashes. Choose some projects to do together. Some are suggested in the course of the chapter questions. Try to spend time building a oneon-one friendship with each person in the group. This could be done by se ing up a schedule to be sure you spend time with each person. Or you could make it random and fun by drawing names each week. Draw names secretly for someone in the group you are going to encourage and support while you study this book together. You might send notes to them, send them gifts, etc., anonymously. Keep your eyes and ears open for things that might be appropriate to give them

30 some kind of memorial for things that would help remind them of God's faithfulness. (You'll learn about this concept in Beauty for Ashes.) Draw new names when you start on the next book. If you get through all that before the next book in the series is out, let me know, and I'll send you more ideas! (I'm hoping to have A Word Behind You available around March but no promises.)

31 Chapter One Scriptures to read: Isaiah 61:1-3 (This is the passage that the title is based upon); I Thessalonians 5:18; Lamentations 3:22, 23 What did you find a ractive about the idea of Cadres? Where would you look for people to join you in forming a Cadre? (Ideas: School, Church, Friends, Sports team... other?) How do you think a Cadre would

32 benefit its members? How do you think a Cadre would benefit others outside the group? What do you think about Ma & Kelly's decision and the decision of the Isaiah Cadre to try to be "real" in front of people? Have you ever had an experience where God really showed Himself faithful? It doesn't have to be as big as the Coyote Canyon Fire Westmont went through. Tell about your experience.

33 (If you want to read the full story about the Coyote Canyon Fire, you can find it at: h p:// -green-oasis-in-gray-ash.html When I was at Westmont, this story was told at least once a year in chapel. Great Is Thy Faithfulness has become the college hymn.) What's the most valuable thing you learned from this chapter and your discussion of it?

34 Chapter Two Scriptures to read: Psalm 45:13; Proverbs 3:5,6; James 4:13-15; Ephesians 2:8-10 Admi edly, this kind of date sounds over the top. It wasn't what I would have considered "normal" when I was in college, but it wasn't unheard of. How would you feel if your boyfriend or girlfriend or spouse planned something this elaborate for you? What do you think of Ma 's proposal?

35 Think about Ma 's and Kelly's discussion of Ephesians 2:8-10. Do you have someone you're able to discuss Scriptures with like this? Do you think it would make a difference if you did? Do you agree with what Ma and Kelly are suggesting about faith? How does that affect your feelings toward nonbelievers? What is something from this chapter that you'd like to incorporate in your life? How do you think you might do that?

36 What are some things you'd like the others from your group to pray about for you?

37 Chapter Three Scriptures to read: Ma hew 10:37; Psalm 63:1; I Chronicles 16:11; Isaiah 41:10; Isaiah 40:28-31 The Andersons felt strongly about doing something special for Kelly. Has anyone ever done something like that for you? How about the other way around? Have you ever done something like that for someone else?

38 Suggestion: Think of some creative way you could bless someone. It doesn't have to be big. Maybe stop by the grocery store and pick up a bouquet of flowers for a single mom. Or put together the ingredients for a dinner for a shut-in from your church, then take some friends over to bring fellowship along with the dinner. What else could you do? Is there something your Cadre group could do to bless someone? Have you ever noticed God anticipate your needs and meet them through someone else, like Kelly's need for direction was met through Ma 's hidden note?

39 Where do you like to go when you need rest and peace? Is there someone or something you tend to put into a higher priority than God? How do you feel about that? What do you think you would do if you were in love with someone and were thinking about marrying them, but their calling in life didn't match up with yours? (By the way, if you'd like to check out Eastern Neck Island, which Diana was talking about, my husband and I

40 have a photo essay about it that you can view: h p://chesterriverkni ing.com/easternneck-island/ It's one of our favorite places to go when we have a day off!) How did you feel at the end of this chapter, after Kelly's awful experience? Have you ever had anything like that happen to you? If so, please know that you're not alone. The Centers for Disease Control in the U.S. estimates that about 1 in 5 women experience rape.

41 About 2% of men have been raped. (My understanding is that they are talking about American women and men, but I could be wrong.) This means that whether or not you've experienced it, at least some of the women you know have. I'm one of them. Why do you think most women and men don't talk about this? If you're a man, what do you think you could do to help the women around you feel secure, knowing that at least some of them have had this awful experience? What could you do (men or women) to help men feel secure who have experienced this? Remember that you might not even know who around you has had this happen. What do you think could be the Christian community's role in dealing with rape?

42 Chapter Four Scriptures to read: I Peter 4:12; Romans 12:19 Why does Kelly not want to have anything to do with Ma? Do you think that's unreasonable? If you have never been raped, how do you think it would affect you? What do you think about a woman not reporting a rape to the police? (Please note that I'm not advocating

43 either way: This is just the way this character chose to handle it.) What are the pros and cons of reporting? How would a trial affect her? What do you think a male family member, husband, boyfriend, or friend could do in this situation? How do you think the Andersons

44 felt about this, after they found out what happened? After all, they had wanted this time to be a wonderful vacation for Kelly. How do you think the rape will affect Ma 's feelings for Kelly? Kelly wonders if the rape was her fault, because the rapist said he had been watching her. Do you think rape is ever a woman's fault?

45 Chapter Five Scriptures to read: Psalm 139:13-16 How did Kelly know that she was pregnant? Do you think abortion after a rape is right or wrong? Why? Do you think that adoption in Kelly's case would have been a good idea? Why or why not?

46 Why is Kelly so adamant about keeping the baby? In biblical (koine) Greek, the word charis means grace. Why would this be an appropriate name for Kelly's baby? How do you think God might use Charis in Kelly's life? Could you imagine ways that God might use Charis' story in the future?

47 Have you ever made a choice to do something incredibly difficult because it was the right thing to do? How did that affect you? How did it affect others around you?

48 Chapter Six There's a lot of meat in this chapter and it really may take more than one group session to talk through all of it. Don't rush. I would encourage you to take a few weeks to talk through the issues in this chapter. Scriptures to read: Lamentations 3:22, 23; Psalm 119:11; Psalm 127:3-5; II Corinthians 12:9; Isaiah 30:20, 21; Joshua chapters 3 and 4; Acts 4:8; Romans 6:1-11 Have you ever memorized any Scripture?

49 Has it come to your mind, just when you needed it? Tell about at least one of your experiences. Why is Kelly's mother relieved that Kelly understands it would be morally acceptable to give the baby up for adoption? Why does this make a difference? Why does Kelly feel that it's important for her to live outside of her parents' home? Is this good reasoning or not? Have you ever known in your mind

50 what the thing was that you needed to do... but had a hard time being convinced in your heart? What was the situation? Were you ever able to reconcile your head and your heart? How does Kelly & Ma 's discussion of Ephesians 2:8-10 inform the set of questions just above (head vs heart)? Have you ever experienced the Holy Spirit filling you when you needed His power, like Kelly did? What was your situation and what difference did that make?

51 Do you think it was possible that Kelly had an anointing to raise Charis, or do you think that was just her imagination? What do you think of Kelly's experience on the beach, with the waves? (Author Trivia: I had a very difficult time deciding on a picture for the bo om part of the cover of this book. I almost decided to use a lovely picture of Santa Barbara, since that's where the book is set. At the last moment, a friend of mine, Carol Tolbert, told me what the waves mean to her... and that's what I actually based this beach scene on, with her permission. After that, the choice of

52 a picture of waves on a beach was pre y obvious.) Have you ever had the story of a friend's experience shed light on something you were struggling with and help make it clear? Do you have a lifelong Christian friend, like Beth and Kelly? How has that person influenced you and vice versa? Do you think it's possible to build that kind of friendship intentionally later in life? The commitment to "Go anywhere God tells you to go and do anything He tells you to do," was actually a decision I made at a youth camp when I was in

53 high school and has continued to direct my life. What do you think a decision like that would mean in your life? Do you think that kind of a decision is a nobrainer, like Beth did? Or do you think it's only appropriate for a few people? What do you think Kelly's struggle would be with believing God is faithful, after having been violently raped? Do you think that being drawn to God's faithfulness is more like the waves coming in to the beach... or going back out to the ocean? (No right or wrong answer; just how you see it.) Can you explain why you see it this way?

54 By the way, the water temperature in Santa Barbara is in the high 50s in January. Pre y chilly, but some of us do it! The air temperature can be in the 50s to the 70s in January. How does this affect your idea of what Kelly was doing, when she went into the water and how important it was to her? Why do you think Kelly privately went through "a baptism of sorts"? Think about what baptism means. See Romans 6:1-11 What do you think that meant to her? How would this relate to the rape and her desire to trust God after that trauma?

55 Have you ever had a difficult experience, where your healing or your trust in God came and went like waves? Can you describe that? Do you think it's a common experience? Is it possible to have faith and be afraid at the same time? Why or why not? Have you ever done anything like memorial stones or heard of anyone doing that? How do you think it could help your faith? What was most significant for you

56 in this pivotal chapter? Is there a way you could apply that to your own life? How?

57 Chapter Seven Scriptures to read: Psalm 127:1-2; Psalm 127:3-5; Luke 22:41-44 Is it possible to be grateful for something bad that has happened, while still being afraid of it or hating that it happened? What types of contrasts do you notice in your own life and faith? What are your initial reactions or thoughts about single moms? Are there

58 other groups that perhaps you judge too quickly without really thinking about it? What does Psalm 127 say and how does it fit with what happened to Kelly? Why do you think God allows bad things to happen to us, if He's guarding us?

59 Chapter Eight Scriptures to read: Genesis 22:1-14; Isaiah 54:4-5; Romans 8:28; James 1:5, 6; Psalm 127:1-2; II Corinthians 12:9; Jeremiah 29:4-14; Romans 8:26-27; James 2:14-17; Philippians 4:6-7; I Peter 5:7; Acts 20:35; Philippians 4:19; Psalm 139:8; Revelation 21:8 What do you think of the girls' plan for a living situation for Kelly? What do you think about the idea of "walking into your fears"?

60 Does God ever lay one plan out for us and then change course? Do you think it's possible for God to speak to you through His Word? Have you ever had that happen? Explain. Do you think that God really does work all things together for good for His people? Can you give an example from your own life? What do you think about Linda's

61 assertion that her church should have been more supportive of a congregation member who chose to have her baby, even though she got pregnant outside of marriage? Would it be hard for you, in Kelly's place, to accept what her friends were offering? Do you think she should accept it or not? Has God ever been silent to you, when you're begging Him for answers or help? Can you tell about it? What was/is your response to that?

62 Chapter Nine Scriptures to read: Hebrews 13:4; John 8:1-11 Why did Kelly think she was no longer good enough for Ma? Why is it so difficult for her to get past that? Do you think there are some things we teach in our families and in church, which are right, but which we teach too simplistically? Is there sometimes more

63 said about a topic than just one passage? Can you give some examples? What can we do to teach these things in a way that be er represents the full message of what God is saying? What would you say to help a young lady who has tried to stay pure until marriage, but is no longer a virgin because of rape? How could we teach the importance of abstinence until marriage, but account for and prepare for the possibility of a young woman experiencing rape? Keep

64 in mind the very high statistics for rape. What can you imagine to be the difficulties facing Christian women who have been raped, especially if they have chosen not to tell anyone (which is very common, by the way)? What can be done to make it easier to talk about things like this? What se ings would be appropriate for these types of conversations? Is it hard to trust people's motives when they want to do something generous for you? Why or why not?

65 When you're offering something big like this to someone, what do you think you can do to help the person be able to accept what you're offering?

66 Chapter Ten Scriptures to read: Ephesians 2:8-10, John 20:24-29, Mark 9:24, Philippians 4:6-7; I Peter 5:7; Ma hew 18:19, 20; Ma hew 5:6 Do you think there are factors in a person's life, such as personality and upbringing, that can make faith easier or more difficult for one person than for another? How would this fit with Ephesians 2:8-10? Would the absence of those factors be a valid excuse for not having faith?

67 From your biblical knowledge Ephesians 2:8-10 and any other verses or passages you can think of or find what actually brings about faith? How does that affect the way that you think of faith... in yourself and in others? Have you ever had a group of friends join you spontaneously to pray, like Ma 's friends did? What was that like? If you haven't, what do you think it would look like for you? How would you feel about that?

68 (By the way, just so you know: Not a good idea to break a fast by eating steak, but David and Ma didn't know that. They were quite sick that night; I just don't tell you about it.)

69 Chapter Eleven Scriptures to read: Ma hew 25:40; Philippians 4:19; Philippians 4:6-7; Ma hew 25:31-40; Philippians 4:19 Have you ever experienced a chain of events where, if someone hadn't been obedient to the Lord, everything wouldn't have worked out the same? Explain. Have you ever seen God provide for you in a truly amazing way? Tell about it.

70 Have you ever had the experience of being used by God to provide for someone? How did it affect them? How did it affect you? Pray and ask God if there is some way He could use you to bless someone. What will you do about it?

71 Chapter Twelve Scriptures to read: Ephesians 3:20; I Peter 3:7; What do you think Mr Gurten meant when he said that women take information in, in a way that men don't understand? Why did Mr Gurten ask Ma to read I Peter 3:7? How would that verse help his situation?

72 How do you feel when you read that verse? How can we be understanding of each other's weak areas? How can we be patient with others while God works in their lives? Have you ever had anyone be patient and allow God to work in your life, without pushing their own knowledge and convictions on you (even if they were right)? What was the effect?

73 Can you think of a current situation where you can show patience and grace while God works something out in someone else's life? How will you deal with that?

74 Chapter Thirteen Scriptures to read: Lamentations 3:22, 23; II Corinthians 12:9; Psalm 103:1; Psalm 103:13, 14; Acts 14:19; Luke 22:39-46; Hebrews 11; James 2:14-17 What do you think it would take to rebuild your faith after a traumatic experience? Are you surprised that Kelly struggles with it so much? Why did Kelly's mom have Kelly pinch herself? What was the point in that?

75 What do you think of Kelly's mom's suggestion that Kelly "step off the cliff"? What caveat did she give to that? Do you think God works in every person's life the same? Kelly's mom said, "Part of trust is obedience." What does that mean? When we do God's will, does He promise to keep us from suffering?

76 Can you think of some examples of people in the Bible or in history who were in the middle of God's will, but still suffered? Do you think that Kelly's mom offered some good wisdom in this scene? Did you get the impression before that Kelly's mom was pre y overbearing? Is it possible for someone to have some faults and still be wise or a generally godly person? Explain your answer.

77 How would Charis be like a memorial stone? Why is it significant that Kelly was able to have a breakthrough in her feelings toward Ma on Easter? What is being shown by that? What is a situation that you needed to go through healing for? What was your healing process?

78 What was one of the pivotal breakthroughs? Have you completed your healing, or is God still working that in your life? How can your friends help you with that?

79 Chapter Fourteen Scriptures to read: Psalm 127:1-2; Psalm 139:1-4; Ma hew 10:30 Do you think God messed up or let down His guard when the rapist showed up at the beach? How do you feel about the way Ma handled it? How do you think this could affect

80 Kelly's struggles with her feelings toward Ma? What do you think Kelly's feelings were? Do you think Kelly can ever feel safe, knowing that the rapist is in the same region she's in? What could Kelly and her community do to help her feel and be safe?

81 Is a sense of safety important? Can you think of anything good that could come of Kelly seeing the rapist and knowing that he may still live in Santa Barbara or nearby?

82 Chapter Fifteen Scriptures to read: Ephesians 4:26; Eph 3:20; Psalm 127; Isaiah 55:8; Job 42:2 What do you think of Kelly's dad spending time with Ma? Have you ever had someone older spend time with you like that? What was it like? How was it helpful? Is there someone younger than you that you could spend time with and help?

83 What do you think of Ma 's desire to help support Kelly and Charis anonymously? Do you think it would have been be er for Kelly to just get back together with Ma and hope that love would redevelop? What do you think of the seashells Ma brought Kelly? Do you think that could help strengthen her faith?

84 What kind of memorial stones could you create in your life to remind yourself of times when God has come through for you? Try to come up with an idea before moving on. Do you think it's wrong to feel angry? Why or why not? What should you do with appropriate anger? Why did Ma 's father tell him to get his marching orders from God, not him?

85 How was Ma also a victim of the rapist? If you're a woman, have you ever had the experience of knowing something, but not being sure how you know it or how to explain it? If you're a man, have you seen this in the women around you? There is a super important concept when Kelly says, "But what He does guard us from is ruin." Why is that so important? And what does it have to do with Jesus' resurrection?

86 By the end of this chapter, can you see how Kelly's memorial stones (shells) are helping to build her faith? How do they help her to deal with the possibility of the rapist at some point wanting to have contact with Charis?

87 Chapter Sixteen Scriptures to read: Ephesians 2:8-10, Ma hew 8:26; James 1:27 How does Kelly's story illustrate following God when it's hard? Why did Kelly think people at Westmont would think badly of her? How could God use something like what happened to Kelly to glorify Himself? What is the result of that for Kelly?

88 What do you think is the fine line between God allowing something bad to happen... versus His willing something bad to happen? What three keys did Kelly's dad teach her were important for ge ing a grip on why bad things happen? How do those three things affect how you feel about something bad that has happened to you or someone you know?

89 Do you think you could handle a horrible situation like rape with the kind of faith Kelly had? What would it take for you to grow your faith? Since faith is a gift of God and not of ourselves, do we have any responsibility when it comes to having faith? Can you support your view from Scripture? What are some of the things in this book that have demonstrated how faith can grow and what you can do to help it grow?

90 What is the most important truth you learned from reading this story? What do you plan to do with that truth?

91 In Conclusion... What would you say is the most important thing that you learned from this study? What is the most valuable example you saw, either in the book, in the Bible, or in a story shared by another member of the group? What's something you'd like to work on for a positive change in your life? How do you plan to go about doing that?

92 What's your commitment for the next 3 months with regard to that plan? What steps of action will you take in the next 3 months?

93 Did you like Beauty for Ashes? Would you please get in touch with me and let me know how this book helped you, or made you think, etc? A lot of people think that authors just know that they've done a good job. Let me tell you: We are generally a very insecure breed. If we don't hear from anyone, we are just as likely to get discouraged and give up. I hope that will incite you to write, not just to me, but to other authors whose works you enjoy or which inspire you. You can write to me at the "Contact" link at ThresholdOfHineni.com Would you like to become part of the Isaiah Cadre and receive free journaling or book club discussion questions, and be the first to hear about upcoming books, along with insights to go along with the books in the Isaiah Cadre series? You'll also get special offers and get an inside look at what I'm

94 working on and thinking about and you know that I always want to hear what you think and how you're doing. If that sounds good to you, go sign up at thresholdo ineni.com/index.php/isaiahc adre/