None Like Him - March Book Club

Hello!

Thank you for your interest in reading None Like Him by Jen Wilkin together! We'll be using the app Discord to discuss this book and encourage each other to finish together. Please download the app before our first meeting in March. Doing so will also help you become familiar with the server if you've never used Discord before. Feel free to ask any questions! The invitation to the server will be linked at the bottom of this blog.

I created a reading plan for those who feel that they do better by setting daily small goals. You don't have to use the plan but if you feel that it'll help you stay consistent with your reading feel free to download and print!

The plan basically gives you 3 days to finish a new chapter.

Day 1 which is March 1st starts with the introduction of the book. The introduction is very short therefore feel free to take the first day as a light reading day or read a few pages of Chapter 1 for a head-start! It's totally up to you! Everyone is welcome to go at their own pace. Perhaps you're already an advanced reader who reads more pages than the plan suggests. The reading plan is an optional guide not a requirement for this book club. We want everyone to feel like they have a chance!

Side note: Highlighted dates indicate there's a live meeting that day!

Included with the reading plan you'll find a schedule for our virtual Discord meetings. Meetings will take place on Thursdays at 7pm CST. Not every Thursday of the month but some Thursdays of the month. See schedule to mark your calendars! Discord offers a space where we can voice chat or text chat. Each individual can choose which form of communication they prefer.

The general channel will be used for daily conversation and encouragement. Each chapter will have its own "channel" for book notes and points! Feel free to spend as much or as little time in those spaces. They're for you to express thoughts, questions, or opinions as you go. Don't feel intimidated by channels, they're mainly just there to keep things organized.

LIVE meetings is where we'll discuss the questions Jen Wilkin includes at the end of every chapter!

March 2nd is our first live session!

"Live" meaning we'll all be active and present on the server at the same time. 7pm CST.

On our first live session we'll spend time getting to know each other and answering ice- breaker questions such as:

- What is your name?

- Where are you from?

- Have you read any other book by this author? - What do you think of the book's art cover? - Did you read the introduction? What did you think of it?

On March 16th we'll cover the discussion questions in chapters 1-5.

On March 30th we'll cover the discussion questions in Chapters 6-10.

Locals will have one in-person meeting. We'll finalize the date together!

I hope this helped you understand the direction of our March Book Club.

I look forward to reading None Like Him with you!

-RS

Links:

Discord Invitation

https://discord.gg/g2Ryapfa7N

Reading Plan and Schedule https://docs.google.com/document/d/18LTQqZ1j8uKbSNus99Srw094eq5T-Vjf-lLrs-sTZZo/edit?usp=sharing

Joy In Hardships & Community

Behind the cartoon:

Fleur is a flower who comes across a friend. Fleur greets her friend and asks her how she’s doing. Fleur’s friend (who is missing a few petals) replies that she’s anxious about the next time it‘ll rain. Fleur, who‘s experienced the good things that rain (trials) can do to flowers encourages her friend to set her guard down (the umbrella) as Fleur knows that the rain will promote growth.

Fleur’s friend being aware of some of the good things that rain can do to flowers also confesses that regardless of the good outcome, rain is still scary. In her opinion it’s better to stay prepared as she knows fro that rain will happen again. And again.

Fleur understands her friend as she knows that rain is no easy thing to undergo; especially alone. Fleur validates her friend’s fear and lets her know that she‘s not alone. Next, Fleur volunteers to go through the storm with her friend. And finally, as Fleur‘s friend thanks Fleur and the rain continues above their heads, she sets her umbrella down and they both embrace the beauty of her new shiny petals!

By now I hope you understand the moral of the story.

I titled this blog “Joy in Hardships & Community” as this is exactly what hardships and community feel like to me. I’ve been on both Fleur’s and her friend’s side of things. Feeling as though I must always keep my guard up because I sense something bad is going to happen (again and again). Living on edge and exhausted because I feel like every day I’m fighting just to stay alive; on survival mode is what you call it. What a joy it is to find friends who in those hard moments when you’re standing in a puddle of rain water can look you in the eye and say.. “Hey, I’ve been here before (or haven’t), you don’t have to go through this alone”.

Hardships & Community.

Similar to Fleur, I’ve also witnessed how God’s Word remains true despite my circumstances. The more I tried to protect myself the more I robbed myself from experiencing the joy of being His. He is my protector. He is my help and my shield (Psalm 33:22). God is working ALL things for my good. Including the rain that I often foolishly ask Him not to send more of. Truthfully, I don’t always understand how the rain is good for me; but if God calls it good then it MUST be good.

When I felt that the rain was too much and that it would surely drown me, I entrusted others and let them inside my storm. To help me as God worked the waters for my good. I now so boldly recognize that growth happened in every tough season of my life. New petals formed every-time. I’m forever thankful to God and His people.

As James says: count it all joy.

We don’t rejoice because trials are easy to endure, we rejoice because steadfastness (firm and unwavering faith) is promised after the test. At the same time, as we allow steadfastness to take full effect it then makes us mature and complete in Christ. Ultimately trials allow us to encounter God in ways we wouldn’t without them and for that we call them good.

<3

“There are rare and wonderful species of joy that flourish only in the rainy atmosphere of suffering.“ - John Piper

Be Joyful