Celebrating the Kindle Release of the Living in the Names of God Companion Bible Study. Take advantage of this 5 day special and download the Kindle Bible Study for FREE! Sale ends July 12th! Remember the Bible Study is designed to be a companion guide to the Living in the Names of God chapter book which is also available on Kindle and Amazon. View Kindle Offer Here
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I tell people that I’m a speaker first, then a writer. I gave my first speech at age 13, but didn’t begin taking writing classes until I was almost 50 years old. Writing is work for me, whereas delivering a speech is my joy! It’s interesting how the chore called writing has enhanced my joy called speaking. Speaking opportunities were few and far between pre-publication of my books, but that changed drastically when His Majesty in Brokenness was born. Now David and Judy go where the books lead. First came His Majesty in Brokenness, then Living in the Names of God and most recently the Living in the Names of God Bible Study – with each book come more invitations to speak: Atlanta, San Antonio, Seattle, Portland, Colorado Springs, San Francisco Bay Area. The venues vary and I love every one:
How I treasure the rapt attention of audiences of all ages as I tell my Jesus-Judy stories – how Jesus met me in the pit, cheerleading me on and carrying me out. And that same Jesus wants to meet you in your pit. I love the heart connections that follow the talks, when people tell me that my stories help them see God in their story. I count it a privilege to encourage the grief-stricken, the devastated and those with brokenness of all sorts. I knew my story of brokenness would strike a universal chord, even as Christian editors rejected my submitted chapter manuscripts. Over and again I was shot down by these words: “Your message, Judy, is good but limited to too small of a population – those who are physically disabled and their families. Christian publishers are looking for material that will reach a broader audience.” From deep down inside I would counter their No-Thank-You’s with, “Aren’t we all disabled?” God knew what they didn’t know: Elohim, the Creator God who makes no mistakes. would use a woman with no legs and feet to get His foot in the door to heal humanity’s pain and shame, be it physical, mental, intellectual, emotional, social, financial, and above all else, spiritual. Yes, we are all broken. And classic God-style is to choose a blatantly-broken spokesperson like me to publicly model connecting brokenness with the Only One Who Can Mend Us – Jesus Christ Himself. Satan licks his chops intending that humanity’s suffering kill, steal and destroy, but Jesus Christ disabled all forms of dis-ability on the cross turning the sting into holy ground. What an honor to help others peak out of the storm cellars of their lives to behold the nail-scarred hand of Jesus welcoming them, oh, so tenderly:
I love the afterglow of a speech – a time of connecting, a time of rejoicing. I thought my 2013 hug from little Brantley in a church outside of Atlanta could never be topped. Initially I thought this little guy must have mistaken me for someone famous, as he and his little ankle braces ran unabashedly into my arms to deliver his million-dollar hug. I heard and received his message loud and clear: “We’re special and don’t forget it!” Just recently Brantley’s power-packed hug was equaled – once again by a little child who was one of 500 first through eighth-graders attending her school’s weekly chapel. Little Lizzie, a first-grader struggling with dyslexia, told her mom the following: “We had a speaker in chapel today, Mom. Her name was Judy and she was born without legs. Judy doesn’t struggle with reading like I do, but Judy had lots of struggles. It’s okay because God used them and He’ll use mine too. You know, Mom, my brain is like Judy’s legs!” Lord, help us all to connect the dots like Wise Lizzie, Your little lamb with dyslexia.
Thanks for inspiring me, precious Lizzie. You inspire me so that more than ever I want to get the message out: Indeed, His Majesty meets us in our brokenness and from that wasteland He promises to make His Masterpiece! My bags are packed. My speeches are ready. I invite any one of you to call me or e-mail me. Do you need a speaker at your church, your club, your school, or your retreat? I’m on a roll, blessed by God’s promise in Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me. The Lord has chosen me to tell good news to the poor and to comfort those who are sad. He sent me to tell the captives and prisoners that they have been set free. (ERV Easy-to-read Version) “To God be the Glory, great things He hath done…” My spirit is singing these words loud and clear! However, saying “yes” to a book in one’s belly is not for sissies. Writing then rewriting ad infinitum, then editing and reediting and reediting again seemed endless. But thankfully Jehovah Raah’s cheers (raah, raah, raah!) kept this old lady going. What a relief to know the Lord as the Author and Finisher and me as His scribe. Then came the glorious day. . . Pinch me, graphic designer Naphy! Are we really across the finish line? Twice we thought we were there, then the finish line moved! But the third time this mother-daughter team submitted the manuscript to www.Createspace.com was a win. Thank You, Lord! You’ll meet some new participants in this book:
Used in conjunction with the Living in the Names of God chapter book, this companion Bible Study will take you beyond my personal experiences with God into the lives of biblical characters and – even better – into your own life. As you honestly and prayerfully work through the questions, you will discover God’s involvement in your life in ways you never realized before. The lessons are designed for individual and/or group study and are appropriate for the following:
Along with the new book I am always available to speak (truly I am a speaker first, then a writer). I have given Names of God talks in several churches already and just this weekend conducted the first Living in the Names of God Ladies Retreat (men would have enjoyed it too). Together we chronicled our spiritual journeys by identifying which names of God met us along the way. My prayer is that learning to know God on a first-name basis will ignite an ever-deepening love affair between you and the One whose grandeur requires oh-so-many names. Now let your God hunt begin: Let those on the hunt for You – sing and celebrate. (Psalm 70:4 MSG) So without further ado – here is my new book! Living in the Names of God Bible Study is available on Amazon. A Kindle version will be available soon!
I’ve set my deadline to get my Living in the Names of God bible studies to Createspace for publication. Soooo that means I become a recluse – David slips food under my office door; He pulls the plug if my phone call exceeds 5 minutes. I am allowed to sleep and so far God has allowed me to indulge in food rewards. Yes, you may stop in with Dairy Queen blizzards or that killer chocolate cake from Costco. Just slide it under my office door. My love affair with the names of God is on the move. I am tickled that as she reads about one of the names in Living in the Names of God, she draws the name. Here’s one of Mia’s artistic expressions: You’ll be seeing more of them. Armida attended the Names of God bible study at our church in 2012-2013. She poetically displays what the Hebrew names represent. I love how she captures the heart of who He is. Amazing how she captures the meaning in so few words. Here is one of her poems: EL SHADDAI His name is El Shaddai — the All-Sufficient One He fills my soul and makes me know that besides Him, there is none. There are so many things I know I cannot do or be; But quietly He whispers, “For all these, you have Me.” Whether it’s finding my way in retirement, with time I didn’t have before, He beckons to me to be still: He promises to tell me more. As I sit at His feet and nervously wonder what I’ll do with each hour, He says to me, in such a gentle tone, “In Me — with Me– is your power.” “You can stop the worrying, anxious thoughts as you search to find your place. Wait on Me; Listen to Me and always seek My face. Whatever you do; wherever you go — it’s a daily walk with Me. I’ve ordered your steps; I’ll see you through: I’m your All-Sufficiency.” “So trust Me in the unfamiliar places that scare you because they’re new, Remember, I’ve planned and prepared them all – and put them there just for you. You feel inadequate, unprepared –for all disqualified But these very things are My instruments to bring you to My side.” “Drink deeply of Me, be satisfied — you won’t exhaust My store; No matter how much you think you’ve taken; remember, there’s always more. To encourage your dependence on Me, the road is sometimes steep, It serves My purpose to teach you yet, in Me your confidence to keep.” “Rejoice in the challenges; I’ve put them there for godly character to build; Trust in Me for for everything, and with joy your heart will be filled. You really can’t do life on your own; it’s all orchestrated by Me I’m your power, your strength, your all in all: your All-Sufficiency.” M. Armida Snyder January 11, 2013 Then came Shelley’s surprise box. I wouldn’t let myself open it until I finished writing my Jehovah Tsidkenu bible study, which by the way turned out to be the hardest so far. Three days later I finally earned the right to open it. OH MY!!! Look at this masterpiece: Shelley, how do you do it? And what happens if you goof? Do you begin again with another rock?
What about you? Those of you who have read or are in the process of reading Living in the Names of God, have you seen Him? Have you found a creative expression to convey a growing love for Him? Show and Tell me how you are living out what you have learned. Can’t wait to hear from you. Remember I won’t be answering the door this month, so slip your drawing or poem or whatever under my office door. For this blog entry, I thank our daughter, Naphtalie, since it is from her January, 2014 blog that I am borrowing the pictures. Daughter Naphy and I have worked together on my two books: His Majesty in Brokenness and Living in the Names of God. Jesus and I write the books and Jesus and Naphy (and my husband David too) produced them. Naphy surprised me this Christmas with note cards with the 18 names of God from my new book. I love how she coordinated the colors on the book cover with the colors on the cards. I love, love, love each one of them. Here is the book cover followed by the beautiful cards. She may have to buy me another set (hint! hint!) since I’m having trouble parting with any one of them. THANK YOU, THANK YOU NAPHY at Scatter Joy Designs.
Living in the names of God describes my life these days as I focus on finishing the Companion Guide/Bible Study to Living in the Names of God. Eighteen Hebrew names of our mighty God are dancing around in my head so that I see Him more than ever in Christmas sermons and music. In Isaiah’s 9:6 and in Handel’s Messiah I detect the presence of El Gibbor (Mighty God) and El Olam (Eternal Father) and Jehovah Shalom (Prince of Peace).
Yes, the Lord liveth and blesses us with His presence. Oh the joy of meeting Him in the dailies and growing in our understanding of Who He is, how He wants to be known and what He wants to do in our lives. Speaking of growing, I have a growing collection of items containing the Hebrew names that I love:
That’s my update. Now what about you? Have you discovered your favorite name of God yet? Where have you encountered Him this year? I’d love to hear how God has become more personal in your life thanks to His many names.
I’ll keep you posted when in 2014 the Companion Guide/Bible Study is available. My prayer is that it increases your awareness of your Ever-present Companion who longs for you to trust Him in the tough times and thank Him when the good times roll. Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see You. Haven’t gotten the book yet. It’s available through Amazon. “Life is made up of ordinary days, when there’s no one there to praise you and no one to pat you on the back. But throw your very best into today and one day all those ordinary days will make a BIG MOMENT in your life…” – Ann Kiemel Anderson A BIG MOMENT in our lives! Graduation day. The day we get our driver’s license. Our wedding day. The birth of a child. The job we’ve dreamed of… But what about those BIG MOMENTS that we pray for year after year after year? Those are the ones that seem to grow bigger the longer we wait. When I was in my thirties and forties and fifties, I prayed for something in particular. Every year for thirty years I prayed it would happen. Listening to Dr. Dobson’s fatherly voice five days a week on the Focus on the Family broadcast, I whispered my prayer. Mothering three little girls, wishing I was a mama octopus with eight legs instead of a mama without legs, I prayed. I hung on to Dr. Dobson’s counsel for dear life clinging to each word of encouragement and his tried and true advice. Secretly, year after year, broadcast after broadcast I prayed: “Lord, someday, somehow, make me the person he’s interviewing. Pretty please, Lord.” Then came Valentines week, 2013. The Squiers were honored to be invited to the Family Talk Gathering with Dr. James Dobson and his staff in Palm Springs, California. For four days we were present in the same room with him, but never actually talked. I contributed a loud wolf whistle one night when he tried to quiet the audience before the program began and one afternoon I spontaneously prayed after someone’s heartfelt speech. Upon returning home to Oregon, I posted my Where’s Dr Dobson? blog, which made it’s way to him thanks to Sydna Masse and LuAnne Crane. Then came a BIG MOMENT e-mail from Family Talk (I call it the e-mail of the millennium) on April 5, 2013: “We are so pleased to confirm your upcoming interview with Dr. James Dobson on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at our Family Talk offices in Colorado Springs.” Driving our rental car to the interview that day, I asked David, my dear husband, “Are you nervous?” Yes, he was, and imagine his surprise to hear me report that I had not an ounce of fear. Nervous? Why would I be? Wasn’t I on the brink of a BIG MOMENT in my life? Hadn’t I just that morning written A.P. Answered Prayer by Psalm 37:4 in my Bible? Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart. First came a tour of the Family Talk site, then a visit with Dr. Dobson in his office, then we headed to the recording studio for THE INTERVIEW. I sat across from Dr Dobson with only our microphones and a table between us. 5.4.3.2.1. He introduced me as the author of His Majesty in Brokenness and Living in the Names of God. Next came a question about my childhood, then another and another – lots of questions about my birth, then early childhood, then teen years. With a PhD in child psychology plus a heart of compassion, Dr. Dobson was greatly disturbed by the delivery room doc’s statement to my father, “Your daughter is going to live I am sorry to say.” He visibly grieved for my father when the church elders came calling to tell him surely his sin had brought on such a calamity. “How did you feel as that little girl, Judy?” “No one ever asked me back then how I felt,” I admitted. That surprised and troubled him. By the end of the interview, I felt Dr. Dobson assumed the protective Papa Bear role for my family and me, as we tried to cope and make sense of one of life’s difficult situations, a child with a disability. Stopped by the clock, Dr. Dobson changed focus of the questions and a second broadcast will be aired regarding the sanctity of human life. We talked about unborn babies with Down syndrome being aborted, we talked about my story being a sanctity of life story. I’m told both interviews will air during sanctity of life month sometime in January, 2014. Looking back, I realize that this interview differed from the three others I’ve done in the past year. Other interviewers have jumped to the happy ending – the orthopedic shoe that God turned to gold, the deformed left hand that now preaches a three-point sermon. But Dr. Dobson’s wisdom chose to highlight the trenches, the boot camp where faith and character grow. He wasn’t afraid to face the beast – we all have one or more – that drives us to the end of ourselves creating in us a need for God.
THANK YOU, Dr. Dobson for escorting and accompanying me back to those early years of pain and shame, for defending me at a time when my family was in too much shock to do so. Thank you for voicing your distress. In so doing you helped me to see our Heavenly Father’s heart. Indeed He, too, was aghast at the obstetrician’s insensitivity; yes, His heart ached when the church elders condemned my father rather than pointing him to Christ’s response about the man blind from birth in John 9:3 It was neither that this man sinned, nor his parents; but it was in order that the works of God may be displayed in him. And thank You, Lord, for scheduling this BIG MOMENT in my life and for giving me the patience to keep the squeaky prayer wheel turning. And one more thing, Lord. Dr Dobson and I ask You to use our broadcast to remind others that No matter what, they are of great value to You; That in Christ, no suffering is ever wasted; And that all human brokenness is a potential display case for Your glory, God! Note: My two interviews are scheduled to air during sanctity of life month sometime in January, 2014. Please check back on Family Talk’s website for more detailed information. Just wanted to make a special announcement: Living in the Names of God is now available as an eBook on Amazon Kindle for $3.99. You can purchase it here. Is it Christmas? But it’s August… Here I am in the midst of Oregon’s 2013 record-breaking heat wave, and I’m hearing Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus as I hug my first copy of my new book Living in the Names of God. Handel’s Messiah provides the perfect musical backdrop for this new book about His Majesty and Me – a book about 18 Old Testament names of God that find their fulfillment in the New Testament’s Messiah, Jesus Christ. But don’t get scared, Living in the Names of God, is not a heavy-duty book on theology. It’s God’s names and attributes wrapped in autobiography stories about how God has shown up and saved my day again and again for the past twenty years. “How did I pick the topic?” a friend asked. My answer, “It picked me.” Read Chapter 1 His Majesty and Me: How My Love Affair Began below and see how God met me, a woman, a wife, a mom, a grandma, an individual walking on artificial limbs or wheeling in my wheelchair. 1 His Majesty and Me How My Love Affair Began
*Excerpted from Living in the Names of God by Judy Squier Copyright © 2013 by Judy Squier. Excerpted by permission. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher. You just read the introduction, which is followed by eighteen more chapters, one for each of God’s Hebrew names. You’ll learn what the name means, something about its context in Scripture and you’ll discover how knowing God through that name can transform your everyday life. For example: Do you feel inadequate for life’s challenges? Let me introduce you to El Shaddai, the God whose supply exceeds life’s demands. Do you keep coming up short? Meet El Elyon – the God who gives height and dignity to our low places. Are you overcome with that sinking feeling? Then it’s time you make the acquaintance of Adonai Tsuri – the Rock-Solid God who makes us unshakeable. Soon to follow will be a Bible Study (coming early 2014) for those who want to go deeper. I was working on it recently while on an Alaskan cruise with our family. My prayer is that you, the reader of Living in the Names of God will experience your own love affair with our unfathomable God whose many names will help you begin to fathom the depths of His person. As you learn His titles, may you begin to recognize His presence in new ways – in songs on Sunday mornings, in daily events and in life’s drama. Expect to hear yourself utter worshipful whoops, “It’s You, Lord.” I welcome your feedback and look forward to hearing which of God’s names are your favorites and how He, through one name or another, has shown up in your own story. Seeing the Lord in our every day evokes Glory-Hallelujahs, so let’s join our voices together no matter what month it is. Living in the Names of God Available on Amazon “Power comes to its full strength in weakness, the Bible says, and Judy makes that truth visible. She lives her life in and through her Lord and His many names.” – Elisabeth Elliot Gren, Author & Speaker My last blog entry – Where’s Dr. Dobson – was months ago. The question Where’s Judy is fitting after half a year of silence. Any authors out there will know what I mean when I say, “I’ve been MIA (Missing In Action) in the bowels of book publishing.” Following the most productive writing year of my life, I now sit in the Waiting Room eagerly anticipating the Proof copy of Living in the Names of God: His Majesty and Me. One year ago on July 11, 2012 God signed me up to teach a Living in the Names of God bible study. Yet-to-write were my book and the accompanying bible study lessons. So my casual writing turned URGENT as I became locked into weekly deadlines of delivering a chapter and a lesson. Twenty-one chapters later the book will be available in August; the bible study will soon follow by the end of the year. One year later Praise Squier (Alias for Judy Squier; Judy means praise) is singing God’s praise as I thank Him for His faithfulness in the completion of this next book. He’s carried me, inspired me, empowered me and resuscitated me every step of the way. I pass on to you a section from the upcoming book about God’s love song, which has wooed me and WOWed. May you, too, hear Him singing. Blessed are we when we wake up and hear God singing His love song with our names in it! “Yes, God Himself is the song when the music goes out of our lives. That’s one of the reasons I fell in love with eighteen of His Hebrew names. Each name has sung a unique love song from God’s heart to mine (and yours). ELOHIM: Remember I created you and have big plans for your life. EL ELYON: Feeling low? Allow Me to be your high. JEHOVAH: Whatever you need today, I AM. JEHOVAH RAAH: Nestle in, little lamb. You’re safe with me, your Good Shepherd. JEHOVAH SHAMMAH: Feeling alone? You can’t go anywhere that I’m not already there. EL ROI: Your pain is My pain. Be comforted knowing that I removed pain’s stinger on the cross. JEHOVAH NISSI: The battle is already won. Trust Me and raise the victory flag. JEHOVAH TSIDKENU: Allow Me to wipe your smudged slate clean. EL SHADDAI: Trade in all your insufficiencies for My All-Sufficiencies. EL GIBBOR: Allow Me to save the day. JEHOVAH JIREH: My more-than-enough exceeds your never-enough. ADONAI: Are you ready to hand over your life so I can bless you? ADONAI TSURI: Allow Me to be your rock-solid stability in life’s squalls. JEHOVAH RAPHA: I’m with you in your broken places. Watch Me use them to heal you. JEHOVAH SHALOM: Experience My peace that guarantees smooth sailing in every storm. JEHOVAH MEKODDISHKEM: Believe Me. My work in you will be a WOW! EL OLAM: Fret not. You are heaven-bound and in Me you can enjoy it now. GO’EL: My Specialty is transforming your wastelands into worshipful wonderlands. My book Living in the Names of God is available on Amazon.
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AuthorJUDY SQUIER has authored His Majesty in Brokenness, Living in the Names of God and the Living in the Names Bible Study. Husband David and she have three adult daughters, three sons-in-law and seven grandchildren. Never did Mr. and Mrs. Squier dream that their long-awaited golden wedding anniversary would coincide with David’s memorial service. Judy resides in southern Oregon, alone, yet not alone. Thanks to the Good Shepherd! Categories
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