Alicia & Whitney

WEEK 3

When he took his final breath, I was at a loss for what to do next. All of the dreams and plans that I previously had shattered on the ground all around me. What do I do now? Where do I go from here? What does my future look like now? These are all questions I frantically asked as I tried to put the pieces of my life back together. In this week three devotional, I explain God's reply to me, and how sometimes we need to allow ourselves to go down to the basic responsibilities and priorities in our lives and build back up from there. 
 

Click the image below to view the full episode of Chapter 3: Do What You Know to Do. I have also designed a study guide for this video along with questions for the week. If you desire to use this study guide, a printable PDF version is provided by clicking the link below the video. Enjoy week three of the Beauty for My Ashes Devotional Series!     
-Whitney   



 

Click Here For The Chapter 3 Study Guide PDF


Beauty for My Ashes 
STUDY GUIDE 
Chapter Three 
  
  

Video Questions 
  

 1. When we are unsure of what lies ahead, we must do what we _____________________ to do. 

  

 2. In times of transitional seasons, we must figure out what our ____________________________ responsibilities are. 

  

3. When we experience transition, it is good to sit down and reevaluate our _____________________________. 

  

4. What are my basic _________________________________ and _____________________________? 

  

5. It’s okay to step back for a ____________________________. 

  

6. __________________________ on the basic priorities and responsibilities.   

  

•  If you have a spouse and/or are raising a family, they should always be considered as one of your priorities  

  

7. You can begin to add tasks as you’re _______________________. 

  

8. Be able to __________________ and __________________ as needed. 

  

9. Don’t be ___________________________ about going back to the basics. 

  

• Remember, this is only for a season 

  

Questions for the Week 

1. When is the last time you sat down and reevaluated all of your current commitments and responsibilities? 

  
  

2. Typically, there is a specific time frame for our commitments (i.e. six months, a school year, a sports season, a quarter, one year). Write down your current extra commitments (it may be something from work, school, church, volunteering, a project) and the time for which you committed. 

  
  
  

• Have some of your commitments expired? If so, are they something you would like to recommit to or step back from? 

  

• This is a helpful tool to use every 6-12 months to assure that you are not over-committing and getting out of balance.  

  

3. Is it difficult for you to “go back to the basics” for a season of time? Why or why not? 

  
  

4. Have you ever taken on a task or commitment, and like the hamster analogy, gotten off balance in life? How will you choose to respond if this occurs? 

  

5. We must remember that going to the basics is only temporary. It’s good for us to continue to dream and look ahead. List three tasks or commitments that you would like to pick up again or for the first time as you are able. 

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Week 2 

I never knew that I could feel so vulnerable in my life. I felt wide open and susceptible to the many things surrounding me... people, places, sounds, environments, you name it. After my dad passed away, I had to learn to put Proverbs 4:23 into practice, I had to guard my heart... no questions about it. One of those areas in which I guarded my heart was relationships with those around me. I learned to pick a core group of people with whom I could surround myself for a period of time; people who created a safe environment for me to heal and move forward in my journey. I'd like to share with you about what a core group looks like and why they are so beneficial to have in our lives for times like these!  

Click the image below to view the full episode of Chapter 2: Guard Your Heart. I have also designed a study guide for this video along with questions for the week. If you desire to use this study guide, a printable PDF version is provided by clicking the link below the video. Enjoy week two of the Beauty for My Ashes Devotional Series! 

-Whitney 



Click Here For The Chapter 2 Study Guide PDF

Beauty for My Ashes  
STUDY GUIDE  
Chapter Two  

   

Video Questions  

1. After a loss, especially initially, we can be very _________________________.  

  
2. It’s important to surround ourselves with a ______________________ group of people.  

   

3. People who pray ______________ you and pray _______________ you.  

   

4. People who _________________________ to you and _______________________ with you.  

5. True or False: When we bottle up feelings and emotions inside of us, we tend to react in unhealthy ways. __________________  

6. People who help bring _________________________________.  

   

7. Find people who will ___________________________ in you.  

   

   

“Guard your heart above all else,   
for it determines the course of your life.”   
                                                                                            -Proverbs 4:23  

Questions for the Week  
   

1. At any point after the loss (or losses) in your life, did you experience feelings of vulnerability due to grief?  

   
   
   
2. What boundaries have you or did you set in place to guard your heart during the healing process?  

   
   
   

3. Do you feel as if you have a core group of people surrounding you in your healing process?  

   
   
   

4. If so, what qualities do they possess? What characteristics do they have that you find to be comforting or helpful?  

   
   
   
5. How often do you share with your core group about how you are feeling or where you are at on the healing journey? Are you comfortable and able to share with your group about things other than the loss?  

   
   
   

6. If you do not feel as if you have a core group of people surrounding you currently, write down a few names or places that you feel could help you in finding a core group. Remember, your core group could consist of one person, a handful of people, or more.

WEEK ONE       
I think sometimes we push ourselves too hard. I think sometimes others push us too hard. After facing a traumatic experience in our lives, such as losing a loved one, we should never underestimate the element of time. Time itself cannot heal us, but it's a tool God uses in the healing process. It's going to take some time to heal... and that's okay. It's my hope that after watching this, you are able to release yourself of the unrealistic expectations that you, or others around you, have placed on you concerning the time it takes to heal.  

Click the image below for the full episode of the Introduction & Chapter 1: It's A Process. I have also designed a study guide for this video along with questions for the week. If you desire to use this study guide, a printable PDF version is provided by clicking the link below the video. Enjoy week one of the Beauty for My Ashes Devotional Series!    
-Whitney    

Click Here For The Introduction & Chapter 1 Study Guide PDF

Beauty for My Ashes     
STUDY GUIDE     
Introduction & Chapter One     
      
Video Questions     

1. This healing journey is a _______________________________________________     

2. What are three definitions of “Process”?      

    The action of going ____________________________ or ______________     

    The condition of being ____________________________    ____________     

    The course or lapse, as of ________________________________________     

3. This healing process is going to take _____________________________________     

4. We do not have to resent the timing that God has for us, but we can ___________________________________________ in His timing.     

5. God’s timing for you is __________________________________________ for you.     

6. What is a good way to gauge that we are walking in God’s timing? _____________________________________________________________________     

7. It’s crucial to listen to ___________________________________’s voice in this time, and not other people’s or your own.     

      

“…to comfort all who mourn,     
and provide for those who grieve in Zion—     
to bestow on them a crown of beauty     
instead of ashes,     
the oil of joy     
instead of mourning,     
and a garment of praise     
instead of a spirit of despair.     
                                                                           -Isaiah 61:2-3     

      

 Questions for the Week     
1. Do you feel as if you have allowed yourself time to heal from your loss?     

      
      

2. If you have, in what ways have you allowed yourself time? If you have not, in what ways have you not allowed yourself time?     

      
      
      
Gauging Tool     
In the book and devotional video, I talk about following God’s timing for our lives—His flow for us. Many of us, myself included, have struggled with knowing what God wants us to do or with “hearing” His voice. I have found many times I can discover His timing and what He wants me to do by whether or not I feel at peace about something. If I feel stressed or at unrest, I know that’s not His plan. However, if I feel at peace about something, even though it may be a difficult situation, I choose that path.     
      

3. By using the Gauging Tool I described in the video, do you feel as if you’ve been walking in God’s timing or your own?     

      
      
      
4. List three ways this week that you can consciously allow yourself to walk in God’s timing instead of your own.