Thursday, August 11, 2011

Destiny's Dream: Discussion #2


Your book club hostess is Michelle Massaro



Welcome, clubbies! Real quick, don't forget Delia will send each of you a free bookmark and signed bookplate (just let us know you're in our bookclub and would like one.) She is also generously giving away a copy of Kylie's Kiss at the end of the month, to one lucky reader. So make sure to join the conversation. Delia will be very available all month long for us to interact with. What a treat!


Also, you can let your friends know they can find us on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/COTTbookclub/  

Okay, it's time to jump back into our story. How are you enjoying it so far? As I read, I remember at first wondering how the author was going to pull off a deeply spiritual book about a dating service. Hey, I'm just keeping it real! But I quickly realized that not only was she capable of doing so, but she went deeper into territory not often touched by other authors. The annointing with oil for one. For some reason this makes a lot of us squirm, even though it was put into practice by the Lord Himself, and has such rich meaning once we get past the "weirdness" it makes some of us feel.

We had comments last week touching off a conversation about angels watching over us. It reminded me of Elisha's prayer for God to open the eyes of his servant, and when He did, the hillside was filled with spiritual warriors ready to go to battle on behalf of God's people. The idea of angels surrounding us, of an unseen world, is not just an abstract concept. It's fact. God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Those messengers still exist and they are still serving God the way they were created to. We just tend to have difficulty living in that truth. But when we are reminded of it. . . wow. Kinda makes you remember what an all-consuming, powerful God we serve, doesn't it? So let's talk about that. . .

Q: A couple of times during the storyline, Destiny experienced supernatural occurrences—not overtly dramatic things, but small miracles completely outside the realm of the "everyday."
Would you like to experience such things, or does the idea frighten you, take you outside your comfort zone? What can you do to make yourself more at ease with God's supernatural side?

Q: Not everyone in the novel witnessed the signs that Destiny had divine guardians. Only two people actually saw the angels.
Why do you think that happens? If one person can see them, why not all?

Q: Destiny owned a beautiful bottle of anointing oil, which she used during her daily prayer time to anoint the applications turned in by her Seekers.
Did this practice make Destiny seem eccentric or fanatical? What purpose do you think it served?

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

As I wrote these books, God really opened my eyes to the power that we unleash when we use anointing oil. Not that the oil itself holds any special power...but WE do when we use it in obedience and faith. Seems to me those two ingredients are KEY in most spiritual triumphs!

April Gardner said...

I'm intentionally taking Destinys Dream at a slow pace and the further I go the more impressed I am with your talent, Delia. Your love for the Lord shines bright making the novel all that more special. And I love your humor. I've laughed out loud several times already. About Michelles first question, I recently heard Beth Moore say that we all lift our faces and hands to God in worship but if we TRULY got a glimpse of whose presence we were in, we would worship on our bellied stretched out before Him. I'd love to have a unique experience such as Destiny experienced, but I'm sure I'd just fall apart. Lol! Great questions!

Anonymous said...

I'm so glad you're enjoying Destiny's Dream! And if my love for the Lord is evident so much the better - THAT'S what it's all about.

I think sometimes God sends us angels wearing forms that we can relate to - human forms - because He knows we couldn't bear the sight of them in all their natural glory. And we certainly couldn't bear looking upon HIM...which is why there's a need for His messengers. Of course much of our talk about angels is pure conjecture but about their existence I have no doubt whatsoever.

(I can't seem to get a comma to make an appearance on this post. Don't know what's up with that...)

Tanya Stowe said...

Question 1. Would you like to experience such things (angels), or does the idea frighten you, take you outside your comfort zone?

I'm going to step out on a limb here and say not only should we step out of our comfort zone, we have an obligation to do so. Our society works so hard at denying God's existance, we need to work just as hard at recognizing Him where ever He is!

Question 2: What can you do to make yourself more at ease with God's supernatural side?

I think the answer is in question 1. Because the world is so uncomfortable accepting God, we need to be comfortable acknowledging our Lord, all His messengers and the tools He gives us in Bilical examples. That includes angels and annointing oils! That's why I love Delia's books because she's not afraid to proclaim God and His spiritual messengers...the Angels.

Anonymous said...

Hey, Tanya - thank you for stopping by with such positive comments! I completely agree, and couldn't have summed it up better myself. We DO need to be the opposite side of the coin...unashamed to proclaim God's Word, and completely in our element in His presence - whether in the form of angels or a spiritual blessing or the power of obediently using anointing oil...whatever and wherever He is, that should be where we're most at ease.

jennifer Slattery said...

Michelle, to answer your question, I think we tend to try to keep God boxed in. When I read the Bible, I see an amazing Creator-Redeemer-Protector who stops at nothing to reach out to His people. I think He still moves, but we often rationalize His hand away or fail to notice because we're too distracted.

April, I agree. One thing I loved in Delia's book was the reminder of the importance of prayer. I could tell prayer was very important to her as an author and thus, it was important to Destiny, and in joining Destiny in prayer through reading, I was reminded to keep prayer at it's proper place--top on my to-do list.

Anonymous said...

Jennifer, you're so right! God is constantly doing things for us, always moving in some way in our lives...but we're too wrapped up in the mundane routines of life to see it. While we're putting prayer at the top of our lists, we should all ask God to open our hearts to His presence, and our eyes to the little miracles and wonders He performs around us every day.

Marianne Evans said...

I believe in the healing and comforting properties of anoining oil - and people who use it under God's hand and guidance, like Destiny, do become conduits of His grace. Destiny's story really touched my heart all the way around. She took on God's plan, and its challenges, with a faithful heart!!

Anonymous said...

Yes, she did - as do you, Marianne! And you're absolutely right, I believe that is exactly the position we are in when we use anointing oil. Good comment!

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