The Yada Yada Prayer (& Book!) Group

A while back I started a book group w/ this book: The Yada Yada Prayer Group (first one - It's now a series) by Neta Jackson. The ongoing story centers around a group of women (mostly strangers) that all attended the same women's conference & were given the same number upon check-in & so were placed in the same prayer group. I love that these women are from varied walks of life, different cultures, ages, economic & marital status, professions, etc.....ie..VERY different! One woman received a "mom's worst nightmare" kinda phone call & these women bond so tightly as they get to know each other & lift this particular woman & her circumstances up in prayer. Their bond transcends the time limit imposed on it by the weekend retreat - & this new group takes on a life of it's own - as they continue to keep in touch & share prayer requests via e-mail, to meet together & to meet each others needs, visit each other's churches, etc.

This book holds a prominent spot in my office (not banished to the basement bookshelves) - where I see it daily - as I love how it reminds me of my dear book group friends, how The LORD used it in my life, how it motivated me to start the book group - which we ended up calling "Yada Yada" & it's where this blog derived it's name (see the definition in my blog heading).

Our group begins each new year by reading the next book in the Yada Yada series (we're on # 3) & different books during the year. I look forward to this annual reunion w/ the characters ...feel like I know them - & like I'm one of them in particular (Jodi! ... not always a good thing). Love how this story is so true to reality....the women are so very different but they share so much in common simply b/c they're women - and even moreso b/c they're women who are striving/at times struggling - to stay on the straight & narrow path as they seek to better know God & His will for them.

Perhaps it's b/c I was lonely at the time I began this group & reeling from the most difficult circumstances life has dealt me to this point ...or b/c my heart bends towards women's ministry - or for some reason unbeknownst to me, that this book & book group have been one means God has used to bless me with some of the closest friendships I've ever enjoyed. For whatever reason .... I'm grateful.