Starting the New Year with…
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By Iris Nelson January 1, 2009 Giveaway, Women

***Winner will be announced tomorrow, February 1st 2009***

What could be better than starting the new year with the giveaway 😛 ? At the end of this post you can find out how to can enter this marvelous giveaway. Lori had the opportunity to review Tara Barthel’s Peacemaking Church Women’s Study, “Living the Gospel in Relationships“. What is even more exciting, Lori got together for an interview with Tara.

I am excited to introduce you to Tara Barthel. The Lord, who always has perfect timing, brought this DVD Series before me to review while I was recuperating from a recent minor surgery. The Lord knew I would not be going anywhere and he had some things to teach me. So every morning at 5am Tara and I met through her DVD study, and the Lord opened my heart to more of Him.

This Women’s Study, “Living the Gospel in Relationships” not only gave me the tools I need when dealing with conflict, but she opened my eyes to idols in my life I did not even know existed. I am already praying for the right person to win this bible study, but if you don’t win this giveaway, I strongly encourage you to consider telling your church about this wonderful Woman’s Study. Without further ado…

Tara I am so excited to have you visiting us here at Laced With Grace. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I often describe myself as a “recovering lawyer” because my background is in the law and business, but currently I am a homemaker. I’m married to the world’s kindest man, Fred, and I have a five-year old daughter, Sophia Grace. Our home is very organized (I love office supplies!) but dusty and full of Golden Retriever hair (because I don’t vacuum enough). Before Sophie was born, I worked for Peacemaker Ministries—I was their first female senior staff member and I was responsible for all Christian conciliation cases, church interventions, and conciliator training. In 2005, I co-authored the book, Peacemaking Women, and in 2007, I recorded the video series that you are giving away in this drawing.

In your Women’s Study, “Living the Gospel in Relationships” the first thing you tell listeners to do, is to be a Berean. Can you tell us what that means?

This term is taken from Acts 17:10-11. Paul and Silas had just been taken away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went to the synagogue and met Jews, Bereans, who were “more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so” (Acts 17:11, ESV).
I start the video series by encouraging the women to “be Bereans” because I long for all Christian women to saturate their minds with Scripture and test what they read and hear to see if what is being taught to them is true. It grieves me how unbiblical the theology is of many Christian authors and speakers—particularly those marketed toward women.
Yes, we have a lot of fun in “Living the Gospel in Relationships.” And no, I’m not a dry, boring speaker, as I’m sure you will attest to. But I do pray that I am rigorously biblical in my teaching; that I am a Christ-centered, gospel-proclaiming, thinking Christian.

How has the Peacemaking Principles of responding to conflict biblically changed how you handle conflict in your own life?

I am so grateful for the biblical peacemaking principles taught by Peacemaker Ministries. Prior to reading The Peacemaker (by Ken Sande), I simply had no idea how to glorify God and love my neighbor—especially my Christian neighbor—when conflicts came. When should I overlook? How could I ever redemptively confront another person? What does it mean when I tell someone, “I forgive you?”
The Peacemaking Principles have given me the biblical and practical help I need to live out what I claim to believe. I now know the opportunities that conflict gives me and how I can get help in my local church if a conflict “gets stuck.” It’s still hard to be confronted, of course, but I see now how much I need godly, loving, firm accountability and confrontation to help me in my journey of progressive sanctification. And I now know the sweetness of genuine forgiveness and reconciliation—that relationships really can be restored because of the power of the Cross!

I like it when you said the second thing we need to do when listening to the study “Living the Gospel in Relationships” is not to spend time thinking of the person who really should be hearing the study! Can you share more in how we fall in that trap when we listen to a bible study?

Whenever we hear something as life-changing and eternally-important as these biblical peacemaking principles (and I’m not using hyperbole—check out John 13:35 and John 17:20-23 to see what I mean), it is natural to be excited about telling others. We think about family members in a decades-long conflict; a couple in our church who is contemplating divorce; a feud at our local school.
We can be particularly tempted to think about someone who has hurt us—how they shouldn’t have done such-and-so; and how they were wrong when they did XYZ. It can be tempting to pop a “Peacemaker Brochure” in an unmarked envelope and “just happen” to leave it in their mailbox.
But if our focus is on others, we are missing the first step. In all of life, our focus is to be on the Lord. His glory. His Kingdom. His purposes. His plan. As we worship Him rightly and catch even a glimpse of His perfection and holiness, we are not going to be filled with criticism of others. Instead, we are going to see our own sin and fallenness and repent.
Worship of the Lord and humble repentance is the first step of biblical peacemaking. We cannot forgive and love others until we first remember how much we are forgiven and loved by God.

Thank you so much for joining us. Is there any verse the Lord has laid upon your heart for the New Year? Also is there anything that you are working on that you can share with us?

I recently blogged from Hebrews 2: “Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?”
I am praying for grace to not neglect such a great salvation as has been lavished on us by our Heavenly Father!
My next project is a series of board books and beginner-level books addressing relationships among toddlers, preschoolers, and young children (and their mothers!). Because kids never fight, right? ?
Thanks for having me. Please let me know if there is every anything I can do to serve you and your precious Laced with Grace readers.

Tara thank you so much for stopping by!

Would you like to receive a copy of Tara’s marvelous Peacemaking Church Women’s Study? The study includes: DVD set: This study includes four DVD’s that contain the eight video teaching sessions. Each video session is about 40 mins long. 5 Study Guides/journals Peacemaking Principles on responding to conflict biblically. Along with any promotional material to advertise the study if you are doing the study at church. All you have to do it add a comment to this post, or you can enter daily by leaving comments on the daily devotions of our team. If you share this giveaway with your blogging friend on your personal blog, it will give you another chance to win 🙂 . You have until January 31st to sign up; winner will be announced on February 1st.

Thank you for stopping by Laced with Grace today…Be blessed today and always,

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Tagged on: 2009, Bible Study, Hope, New Beginnings, Tara

171 thoughts on “Starting the New Year with…
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Desiree January 10, 2009 at 19:39

As a pastor’s wife and women’s ministry leader, I am always looking for material. This is such a relevant topic for women as mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, and coworkers. Looking forward to researching more of Tara’s resources.
Karen Gonyea January 11, 2009 at 11:22

Count me in 🙂
Darlene Alexander January 12, 2009 at 15:31

This is a great offering!
Darlene Alexander January 13, 2009 at 14:50

His Name is Above All Names! PTL!
Linda Kirsch January 14, 2009 at 10:05

This study sounds like something I really need to help me with my siblings as we are so estranged right now. My health is not good, and I would love to get closer with my family before I go to heaven. I also would love to share this with my daughter and my neighbors.

God bless you!
Darlene Alexander January 14, 2009 at 15:39

Thank you for sponsoring! Count me in! Great for my ladies group.
Darlene Alexander January 14, 2009 at 15:40

Thank you for your sponsorship.
Tammy Marshall January 14, 2009 at 20:38

Please pick me as your winner. i would love to start this new year off right.

LayDeeBugLove@aol.com
Gary Emes January 15, 2009 at 08:30

Great gift. Sign me up again!
Bevery January 15, 2009 at 12:21

This sounds like an awesome study. I think we all could learn something from this. Thanks for sharing.
Darlene Alexander January 15, 2009 at 15:12

This would be great for my ladies bible study. We are always looking for great material
Harrison January 16, 2009 at 08:06

studying peacemaking would help those who need to learn forgiveness
Darlene Alexander January 16, 2009 at 15:14

Grace is what it’s all about! Thanks for your sponsorship.
Mercedes January 16, 2009 at 19:27

oh pick me.
Sheila January 17, 2009 at 08:46

Where does one begin to share. I’ve had many relationships in my life that have had such wounds. Over the years two of my dearest friends turned on me with venom and wounded deeply. The Lord said to love them and die to self, to pray for them and He brought reconciliation. He has guided me through relationships with my sexual abuser, with family members like my own mother who didn’t want me, through divorce with my children’s father, to a new husband that left me but returned. Through it all God has been faithful. He has taught me so much on what relationships should be on my part regardless of what the other person chooses to do. I am a Bible study coordinator for a church and would love to have a Biblical series to teach the women about living Christ’s way which is so unlike our own way. I would love to be chosen to receive this series because it would affect so many women that would in turn affect so many others in their lives. Thank you for all the ladies who blog in His name and all that you do to encourage them. God bless you sisters!
Harrison January 17, 2009 at 10:32

I enjoy the blogroll and the snippets
Darlene Alexander January 17, 2009 at 15:01

Pure grace is what its all about. Thanks for your sponsorship.
Harrison January 18, 2009 at 09:17

thanks for the blogroll
Karen Gonyea January 19, 2009 at 12:10

Pick me 🙂
Xandra January 19, 2009 at 13:19

I have several good friends that I would like to do this with, and then I could donate it to our church library. What a great giveaway!

Xandra
Darlene Alexander January 19, 2009 at 16:04

His love is certainly laced with grace. Thanks for your sponsorship. Count me in!
Darlene Alexander January 21, 2009 at 06:26

This would be just right for our spring bible study.
Gary Emes January 21, 2009 at 08:42

Great prize! Hope someone who needs it in their lives wins it.
Sue January 22, 2009 at 09:04

It is great that you are offering such a needed dvd. There is so much conflict going on in every day circumstances, that we all need wisdom in dealing with it.
Darlene Alexander January 22, 2009 at 09:33

This study would be great for my ladies small bible study group
Karen Gonyea January 22, 2009 at 18:23

Great Prize 🙂
Darlene Alexander January 23, 2009 at 06:27

It’s been a cold, cold winter. This would warm up my Ladies Bible Study.
Harrison Hamada January 23, 2009 at 10:55

this would come in handy for my studies
Harrison Hamada January 24, 2009 at 10:39

would love this for my group
kathy pease January 24, 2009 at 19:34

PLEASE COUNT ME IN ON THIS AWESOME GIVEAWAY 🙂
Darlene Alexander January 25, 2009 at 06:24

How good of you to sponsor this giveaway. Thanks! Count me in as this would be great for our spring study.
Harrison Hamada January 25, 2009 at 08:52

thank you for sponsoring this
Karen Gonyea January 25, 2009 at 10:11

Enter me please, I want to win 🙂
Gary Emes January 25, 2009 at 18:43

Sign me up again; hope someone who needs this gets this.
Darlene Alexander January 26, 2009 at 06:18

“Living the Gospel in Relationships” sounds like a great study for my spring Bible Study group.
Harrison Hamada January 26, 2009 at 08:02

thnks for the contest and the blogroll
Gary Emes January 26, 2009 at 09:43

Add me again please! I’m hoping all the adding pays off….:-)
Steve Scott January 26, 2009 at 17:56

Jesus is the reason for the season, so often forgotten.
Karen Gonyea January 26, 2009 at 18:26

Great Prize – count me in 🙂
Lisa L. January 27, 2009 at 00:40

I sure could appreciate this book ;o)
Darlene Alexander January 27, 2009 at 06:49

Our ladies bible study could use this and then we would pass it on to another Christian congregation.
Kathy Scott January 27, 2009 at 08:27

This would be fantastic.
Gary Emes January 27, 2009 at 10:51

Sign me up again, and again, and again.
Jennifer Hedden January 27, 2009 at 12:59

enter me
Karen Gonyea January 27, 2009 at 14:58

I want to win !!
Darlene Alexander January 28, 2009 at 07:37

Thank you for your sponsorship. This would be great for my study group.
Gary Emes January 28, 2009 at 09:47

Thanks again for the cance at a great prize!
Jennifer January 28, 2009 at 14:22

Thanks for the great givaway. I cant wait to see you next project. I have a toddler and that sounds very interesting.
Karen Gonyea January 29, 2009 at 11:01

I would love to win this 🙂
Sandi Cline January 29, 2009 at 11:45

My daughter’s study group would be so excited to receive such a gift. To make it even more perfect, her birthday is coming up soon and I would loved to win this for her. God Bless You.