Transitions: Finding Hope and Meaning In Life’s Journey

By P.H. Deese

The “Transitions” Bible study is designed to realign your core beliefs with God’s actual truth, as revealed in His word. So often, we all try to understand God’s promises in a familiar but broken way as we face seasonal changes and challenges throughout our lives. This can lead to discouragement, frustration, and fear. I know because it is out of that fire in my life that this study was born. It is my prayer that this study will create a shift in your thinking so that you will experience God’s truth in a new and fresh way. We all face seasonal transitions throughout our lives. How we handle those changes is the refining fire that God uses to craft us into the person He intends us to be. Because there are so many pitfalls throughout this process, it is easy to lose sight of what God is doing, falter in our trust, and end up in a ditch. There is a strong desire to “lean on our own understanding” when, in truth, our understanding is limited to what we have learned and experienced. In this study, you will identify your core beliefs and then compare them to what God tells you in His word. It is my hope and prayer that you will come to understand God’s truth and promises in a fresh, new and encouraging way.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson
• Release date: Oct 30, 2018
• ISBN: 9781595559036

P.H. Deese

P.H. Deese is a businesswoman, writer, poet, and artist. In 1995, she launched a graphic design firm and served as its CEO for 20 years; in 2003, she also opened a fine art business. Pat has enjoyed a number of business and artistic awards, including the 1995 Monterey Chamber of Commerce New Business of the Year Award. Pat chairs her church’s “Now What?” ministry event, and the Transitions Bible Study grew out of that ministry. To date, Pat has led four groups of women through this popular study. 

Book preview

What church leaders and participants are

saying about the Transitions Bible study

It’s in the murkiness of transition where anxiety, misunderstandings, and what ifs lurk. This book lightens that load by laying a clear Biblical foundation that will guide people through those potentially unsettling times. And He shall be the stability (faithfulness) of our times…. Isaiah 33:6.

Lynn Marie Gault

Women’s Ministries Pastor

Creekside Christian Church, Elk Grove

This rich resource came at a time when I was experiencing several changes at once in my life. Here is a refreshing look at life’s transitions through the lens of scripture rather than the voice of culture. I especially appreciate the blend of reflection, study, and weekly challenges.

Karen Chamberlain - a fellow pilgrim

Creekside Christian Church, Elk Grove

We all face change. It is as inevitable as death and taxes. But how you navigate those changes is what matters, and the Transitions Bible study provides a biblical lens to help you. Seeing what Scripture has to say about a myriad of topics that we all face as we age will help with important decisions during times of transition. If you want to be informed by the light of God’s Word, I recommend the Transitions study as a starting point. I’m confidant you will be blessed as you search the Scriptures for God’s viewpoint.

Dale Anderson

Creekside Christian Church, Elk Grove

TRANSITIONS

Finding Hope and Meaning in

Life’s Journey

P. H. Deese

© 2018 P. H. Deese

TRANSITIONS

Finding Hope and Meaning in Life’s Journey

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Elm Hill, an imprint of Thomas Nelson. Elm Hill and Thomas Nelson are registered trademarks of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc.

Elm Hill titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund-raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail [e-mail].

All artwork is the original work of the author.

All poetry included in this book is the original work of the author with the exception of the Serenity Prayer, which was authored by Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971).

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Library of Congress Control Number:   2018953409

ISBN 978-1-595558879 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-595559029 (Hardbound)

ISBN 978-1-595559036 (eBook)

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TRANSITIONS

Finding Hope and Meaning in Life’s Journey

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM THE AUTHOR

WHAT WE WILL DO

INTRODUCTION

LESSON 1 – Why Is Life So Hard?

LESSON 2 – Health and Vitality

LESSON 3 – Beauty/Identity/Success

LESSON 4 – Caregiving

LESSON 5 – Career, Retirement, Purpose

LESSON 6 – Financial Transitions, Stewardship

LESSON 7 – Facing Mortality

FINAL CONCLUSION

LEADER’S GUIDE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

FROM THE AUTHOR

Welcome, friend, to this journey of discovering God’s purposes for the challenges in your life. As a fellow searcher, I am a wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, a friend, and an ever-evolving servant of God. Through my success as an award-winning business owner, poet, and artist, I have come to understand that status and money are not the answers to my deep need for connection and purpose as I walk through this broken world. Along the way, I have learned some important life lessons about the vastly different outcomes when I tried to do things the logical, worldly way versus doing things the way God wants them done. All of the successes and affirmations that I have enjoyed when walking in my own strength did NOTHING to alleviate the sense of loss, anxiety, and pain that I carried deep in my soul. I can now see how the pain that continues to plague me was borne of a worldly lie that permeates the dynamics of my family and takes aim directly at my core belief about who I am and why I exist.

This Bible study reflects a fairly recent and extremely significant change in my perspective about facing life’s difficulties. The truth is, I just got tired—tired of the same outcomes, regardless of how hard I tried or how many ways I approached the problems in my life. I FINALLY started directing my questions to God instead of relying on myself, and I started listening to His responses and direction. It turns out, I learned that worldly success and acknowledgement fall completely short of any long-term peace, usefulness, or satisfaction. I am beginning to understand that God’s purposes for my life are very different from what the world tells me and far more important—and He will have His way in my life one way or another!

It is my hope that your journey through this study with me will open some of the shutters in your life and let His light shine inside. I have become completely convinced that this is the primary reason why we all walk in this world—to learn about our creator and develop a relationship with Him, to appreciate His incredible sacrifice for us because he loves us so much, and to pass that knowledge and love along to others.

WHAT WE WILL DO …

This study is intended to help you think through and find GOD’S purpose for you within the difficult changes and transitions in your life. I am on this journey with you; I’m seeking the same answers as you about where this is all leading.

The topic of change is a big one. Your experiences are unique to you with various nuances related to your specific life’s path. As we search together for God’s transitional purposes in our lives, we will:

1. explore and share your current perspective on the larger, overriding transitions we all experience;

2. search God’s Word; and

3. hopefully, redirect your thinking to a new understanding of God’s purposes behind your pain and fear so you can weather these storms more productively.

HERE’S HOW WE WILL DO THAT …

Participation

During each session, you will be asked to participate fully by sharing your challenges, questions, insights, and wisdom with your study group. We are here to hear from God and learn from each other.

Sharing

God’s purpose is always to heal and draw us close to Him. He will communicate through and with each one of us as we