Reflecting Him by Carla McDougal (Guest Post)

It is my pleasure to be hosting a guest post from Carla McDougal regarding her new Bible study - Reflecting Him.  Enjoy!

The Burning Light

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life – John 8:12

About twenty years ago, an experience opened my eyes to the light vs. darkness issue. After giving birth to Jake, our second son, I suffered from one of the common aftereffects of a natural delivery: hemorrhoids!

If you have ever experienced the throbbing pain of this annoying condition, you probably are empathizing with me at this very moment. A month after Jake’s birth, I awakened in the middle of the night to an immense pounding pain that ignited every nerve in my body. I quietly tiptoed to the bathroom to use the medicine I knew would provide immediate relief. As a thoughtful wife, I decided not to turn on the light because it might wake up my husband, Fred. I reached into the drawer for the tube of medicine, applied it liberally, and then staggered back to bed. Not thirty seconds later, I felt a fire ignite in my lower regions. Instantly, I realized the “hemorrhoid medicine” I had used was actually a tube of Deep Heat! Like a rocket in flight, I leaped from the bed to the bathroom, turned on the coldest water in the bathtub, stepped in, and bent over—well, you probably get the picture. In the meantime, Fred, awakened by all the commotion, walked into the bathroom and turned on the light to find his wife squatting in the tub with a horrid look on her face. He probably felt he was in the middle of a nightmare. I will leave you to imagine the rest of the story.

I learned a valuable lesson that night. If I had turned on the light, I guarantee I would have picked up the correct medicine. When we try to do things in the dark, we are apt to make wrong decisions. Equate this to our daily lives—if we live in Jesus’ light, He guides and helps us make the correct choices. By the way, in case you are wondering, the cold water did eventually relieve my throbbing pain, but my sweet husband continued to laugh for hours!

In Genesis 1:2–3, we read that the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and God’s Spirit was hovering over the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and light appeared.

Imagine a world in total darkness. Think of the world before the creation of light. Light provides us with the ability to see the life on earth that God created. It produces energy, sustains the life cycle, supplies thermal heat, and much more. Without light, the world would cease to exist as we know it. Today, may your heart be enlightened as you focus on the gift of light.

This is an excerpt from Carla’s 10-week Bible Study, Reflecting Him: Living for Jesus and Loving It.

About Reflecting Him

Reflecting Him: Living for Jesus and Loving It is a ten-week women’s Bible study. Like Jesus’ parables (which teach important lessons by creating visual pictures for the reader), Reflecting Him uses familiar objects and situations (such as pottery, the human sensory system, and the sun-earth connection) and draws comparisons that help women become aware of Jesus working in various areas of their daily lives. The study is a unique and convenient lay-flat format, so you can write without that annoying bump (you know the one we're talking about.)

Each week is divided into five days (lessons), supporting the central theme for the week. Read the first two chapters (or weeks) online.

The study also has an online component through a Reflecting Him Bible Study Group on Facebook. Individuals working through the study on their own can still get the benefits of a group discussion while working at their own pace. Almost 200 people are in the group already and the discussions are really taking off.

This fall a leaders guide, videos, and music will be released to accompany the study.

About Carla

Carla McDougal is the founder of Reflective Life Ministries and Share Fair, an annual conference for connecting, equipping, and encouraging women in ministry. She speaks at women’s events, retreats, and conferences in the U.S. and internationally. Carla married her high school sweetheart, Fred, and they have four children ages 16 to 23 and live in Magnolia, Texas. Reflecting Him: Living for Jesus and Loving It (WinePress Publishing, 2010) is Carla’s first book, although she’s been involved in leading and teaching Bible studies for more than 20 years. Carla writes a Monday morning e-votional at her blog, Carla's Corner.

Want Carla To Lead a Lesson for Your Bible Study Group?

With every group purchase of 25 or more studies before August 1, Carla will lead a tele-lesson (over speaker phone) for one of your group meetings. Please email windy(at)reflectivelifeministries.org to purchase books. Mention the blog tour and tele-lesson at the time of ordering.

You can purchase Reflecting Him through Amazon, Christianbook.com, or Reflective Life Ministries.
The Reflecting Him Blog Tour, hosted by RedCouch PR, is June 20 - July 16. Yesterday's post was at author Janice Thompson's blog and tomorrow's will by at A Room Without Books Is Empty. Follow along to read a different guest post, interview, or review each day.