Browsing Tag

Encouragement

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

It’s Digging Deep Writing Week!

Posted on February 4, 2026

Here’s a little blurb from next year’s study. I hope you’re planning, even as we are about half-way through the current study, to keep the Dig, as a part of your world through 2026 and 2027.  I can’t imagine mine anymore without it. His word is so powerful for us. This quiet week of being in it transforms me every year, bringing me to repentance about my recurring discouragement or apathy (and really, lots of other things), and bringing me to a new level of awe at the two-edged sword I bring with me to this hotel.

For those who love to dig (not just in the Word, but at me, for the way I lose my Bible), I did lose it deep under the front seat of a rental car–a car with which I am unfamiliar in the middle of this sabbatical, and I thought I would just lie down and cry. But I went out in the frigid temps as soon as the sun came up the next morning and I felt like that woman in Luke 15, only I had no neighbors to call and rejoice with.  But I did kiss that Dickson on the elevator, as traveled back up. (I do think the sweet girl who changes out my trash bag each day is shocked at the library in here!)

I’m praying for the diggers and all the women who study in any format. The WORD is the important thing. Not Digging Deep. Not the Dickson. Not this writing week. THE WORD!

Here’s the blurb:

Now let’s return once more to Jeremiah 15 and notice a different kind of separation that God orchestrates. Notice now verses 15-18. Read and write down the painful phrases from the paragraph.

I include this paragraph for our study because we have so many persevering women in this study group. So many of you have made monumental changes in your lives to be pleasing to God. Some of you have suffered mocking, as Jeremiah mentions. Some of you have surrendered positions, jobs and family relations to serve God. Some of you have been isolated, even being rebuffed by husbands or children for remaining steadfast in your faith. It is for your strength that I want to notice how Jeremiah, the strong, weeping prophet, felt. 

This, too, is separation. Our lives on earth are testing grounds. One of the most painful of possible results of faithfulness is isolation. 

Thankfully, our Lord gave us many examples of those who stood alone, but stood victoriously. Choose one of the following and go and read his/her story of alone-ness; being alone because of righteousness (not perfection, but right-doing.) For the one you choose, find a passage that shows that God had never forsaken him/her. How did these good people feel in a time of standing alone? (If you are ambitious, you can do them all!)

Job—Job 1,2,40,41

Joseph—Genesis 37, 39, 47

Elijah—1 Kings 17-19

Mordecai—the book of Esther

Habakkuk—the book off Habakkuk, prophet re: the fall of Babylon after Judah had been refined in that crucible. 

Paul—the book of 2 Timothy

Mary, the mother of the Lord —John 16-20

Okay, I love the diggers! Pray for women who are studying. The two recent baptisms have kept me rejoicing through this frigid week! (Oh, and zooming in will not help you, Leslie Hamby! I deleted one picture I had on here, because it definitely would have given it away! =) 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

We are a Sisterhood…Let’s Send Cards!

Posted on December 6, 2025

Two of our  sisters and fellow-diggers are nearing death this holiday season. Both are having difficulty breathing as I write, but, as of now, both are conscious and both are m in a deeply spiritual way, contemplating and reflecting on the important things about this testing ground. My heart is heavy as I ask you to please send cards. Send Christmas cards. Send happy thoughts cards. Send cards with prayers. Send  even birthday cards to Sarah, whose birthday is early in December. It’s my holiday wish that our cards could flood their souls and that, in some small way, Digging Deep could impact their passing in a way that will make it a little more gentle in the final days. I’m hoping I can block their access to this post, so let’s surprise them. One more thing: Let’s address the cards to both them and their faithful husbands. I know, from past cards sent, that it meant a great deal to those spouses left behind. So they are Tammi and Julian Shrout, and Sarah and Michael Tripp.

First from the Mount Sterling, KY diggers: Tammi Shrout, a 5th year Digger at Rolling Hills Church of Christ, Mt. Sterling Ky,  has been fiercely battling her 2nd round of uterine cancer. Things are not going well and it looks as if God will call her to her reward sooner  than we expected or want. But she is prepared and we are confident that our God of more is prepared  to give her joy beyond measure! Tammi has a husband, 2 daughters and sons-in-law and 3 grandchildren. They can all use encouragement  from Diggers far and near. Prayers and cards will be soooo appreciated! Please pray for our diggers here too.

Tammi and Julian Shrout

4062 Old Maysville Rd.

Mt. Sterling, Ky 40353

Then, many of us know Michael and Sarah Tripp. Parents of two teens, they, too have fought a long battle that Sarah is just about to win in glory. I’ve really never personally seen someone more optimistic and publicly God-glorifying through such a battle. Michael and Sarah have two teen children and Sarah’s  main concern, through it all, of course, has been these three. Sarah is, above all, faithful, and she is almost within touching reach of that crown of life. I am happy for her. I know we can encourage her on to the finish line and I know we can strengthen those many who will hurt from the loss.

Michael and Sarah Tripp Family

c/0 Cookeville Church of Christ

P.O. Box 2869

Cookeville, TN 38502

I know it’s a busy time. But I also know you diggers. I know you will make this happen and it may be the best gift you give any one this year. Thank you from a deep place in my heart and the hearts of those who know and love these sisters. I think they will recall this good thing even when in the bosom of Abraham, yea, even around the throne. Merry Christmas. I cry as I type, but he will wipe them away one good day!

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

The List: Babies Have to Grow Up…Part 3

Posted on September 3, 2025

Here’s the third round of ideas for helping the baby sisters learn to crawl. Just because she has put on Christ doesn’t mean she knows all about  how to walk in Him. The devil will try hard to pull her back! 

9. Make a private facebook group with several mature Christians who are willing to contact the new sisters. Each time you see a need in the baby sisters, go to this facebook group and tag one of the members of this group to drop a note, make an encouraging call or volunteer to study a certain matter with the new sister who is struggling. Rotate the assignments through the members of the group, so that no one person is overworked.

10. Give the new sister a job…quick! Ask her to help you cook for a sick family. Make her cooking assignment both easy and affordable, especially at first. “Can you throw together this casserole for me? I already have the shredded chicken cooked and in my freezer.” Host a Ladies Night Out in your home and ask the new sister to help you. Again, give her easy jobs at first.  Ask her to help with a bulletin board or be a helper in one of the littles classes. Just get her busy!

11. At first, call or text to remind her of special seminars, fellowship times, Bible classes or retreats. “Don’t forget it’s at 6 tonight! Looking forward to being with you!”

12. Sit with her and ask others to sit with her during worship times. If there are children, help with the children during those times.

More soon!

 

 

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

The List: Babies Have to Grow up. Part 2

Posted on August 25, 2025

Women who REALLY love their baby sisters @ PTP!

Here’s the second round of ideas for helping the baby sisters learn to crawl! You love them so much, but the nurturing has to be intentional! 

6. Call her when she is missing. Call or text and just say, “Is everything okay? Missing you.”

7. Surely you have a group of texting sisters who are constantly shooting one another those prayer requests. Put your new sister in your sisters’ prayer list. 

8. Put her in a prayer group, too. Pick out three strong people and tell her that they want to be praying for whatever she needs.

9. In our world, you are going to convert some single moms if you are reaching people at all.  Be sure to put the single moms in a group with other single moms who are stronger. The new sisters will feel much more incorporated and less isolated. Further, the seasoned and faithful single mamas in the group will have the most pertinent answers to the dilemmas faced by the new (and single) Christians. You really need seasoned Bible students in this group, if possible. In our congregation, thanks to Jen Crowden, the moms in this texting group also meet up frequently for lunch at the building, They are offered childcare while they attend seminars or while they have meetings with the elders. This group is golden in their development. And (this one’s important)…love on her children!

10. Don’t let sin slide, but be gentle when you approach correction. Find five things to encourage -things she is doing right–for every one word of caution or correction. Most often, she will thank you, saying, “I can fix that. I didn’t know that was wrong, but now I see.”

Look at these teens taking notes! I love it!

More next time!

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Keeping the Group List Going…

Posted on July 25, 2025

This virtual group grabbing a minute. I remember this spot from busy Camp Moriah!

16. Here’s a library one! Lafayette County, Georgia, usually the last Friday of each month at 10 am. You can call Marsha at 706-936-3659. I can tell you already, this would be a good dig. 

17. This one’s in West Tennessee, I think. Barbara is the contact for this Rutherford group. This one’s usually the last Tuesday of the month at 6. Call 501-590-3281 for info. She says there are 8 women in this group and they would love new members or even visitors to the area to drop in!

18. Jillian Allen facilitates a hybrid (sometimes online and sometimes in person) weekly group in Wichita, Kansas. You can contact Jillian via Facebook. 

19. Here’s one on the east side of Memphis, Tennessee. They meet in the fellowship hall of the Forest Hill church. Contact is Christine Hart: 901-258-0764. 

20. Mitzi Jackson welcomes all Florence, AL ladies to a group that meets every Wednesday at the New Hope church at 8245 County Road 15, 35633. This dig is at 10 am.  For ladies who are at work through the day, there’s also a monthly meeting that’s typically the last Thursday of the month at 6. They have ladies who attend several churches in the group. (I’ve also seen this group a couple of times meeting outside, somewhere. I may crash this party sometime!) You can contact Mitzi through Facebook! 

I’m making my way through this wonderfully long list! I love this job!  Truly the encouragement for my day. Let me know if you can add to the list and I’ll keep posting. It’s 37 days till the new study kicks off. Three more month eleven dig-a bits to crank out this week. I’ll try to work on those today. I have tile work going on in two rooms of my dusty house right now, so it may be to the coffee shop to dig, but I’m coming. I cannot love a study more than I am loving these “Conversations”. 

Keep inviting. 

For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them (Mt.18:20) 

I know He is with us. We will stick close to the “theopneustos”…the God-breathed Word. We will dig into that with all our might and it will be the most important work we do in all our lives, affecting all the other areas of work…finally, leading us home together. Let’s take all the hands we can on the way there; especially the little hands that are reaching up for our guidance!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

A Package of Pure Encouragement

Posted on September 23, 2024

First, remember podcast is tomorrow night here: https://thecolleyhouse.org/live-digging-deep-video-podcast.  Subsequent podcasts for the remainder of 2024 are October 22nd, November 19th and January 7th (December’s podcast). This represents one change from our original plan, so mark these dates! And next…

I may have cried when I read this little package of mail delivered to me last Wednesday night by our church secretary. It was a letter from  Jennifer Allen, of McCook Nebraska, accompanied by letters from various places in Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, and Alberta, Canada. It seems Jennifer and some of the ladies in McCook Nebraska have done the study for several years. It just fed my soul to learn that God’s Word was changing women’s lives in that remote ( to me, anyway) place. 

Then Jennifer went on to say that there were women in the larger area who did not have groups with which to meet. SO Jennifer and her daughter decided to start another group via Zoom in which these ladies in somewhat discouraging situations could find sisters who are in the Word. Jennifer’s mother-in-law and several of her nieces, and two sisters-in-law were able to join that Zoom group. As a result of these two women, there are two groups in these small churches that are presently struggling through a hopeful formation process. Please pray for them. 

Marissa is a digger from McCook who has studied along for years. She recently moved a couple of hours away and now has eighteen ladies in her own group in her new (and very small) congregation. The McCook ladies are planning a field trip to go and visit the new group! 

Jennifer’s youngest daughter moved to Kansas and now has about 12 ladies signed up in her new group in that place. No wonder we are running out of books down here! We just had no idea how God was blessing in areas to which we have never even traveled. He is so amazingly resourceful. I praise Him for the chance to navigate His wonderful blessing of the Dig! I praise him for the highways of evangelism that he paves for all of us! He is so very good to Digging Deep! 

So my husband came in as I was reading through this voluminous pile of mail, that I really had forgotten had been in my purse for a couple of days. He said “Oh no. What’s wrong?” 

I said, “Everything is right. You have to sit down here and let me read you this envelope of encouragement.”  

He kept interrupting to say things like “ Oh Wow! I do not think about places like this when I am packing those books. God is really blessing this work.”…and “Aren’t they just so sweet to you?”  

And then there’s this mustard seed necklace that one of them made (yes, made) for me. I will treasure it and think about the trees in Nebraska and Kansas and the Dakotas and Canada whenever I wear it. My faith was small, like a mustard seed 14 years ago when God started this digging phenomena. I had no idea I was any part of any group, much less an international dig into the Word. that would continue for more than a decade now. I did not do any of this, though. It was only my tiny mustard seed, that God used to “move this mountain.” 

I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. 

I realize that Jesus was speaking to the apostles here and that their moved mountains would truly be miraculous;  but I’m telling you, sisters…God can providentially move mountains, too and He is moving mountains of sin as far away as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12). He is moving hearts of women to come back to the places of blessing where He has called us to be. He is applying the blood of Jesus to souls of women who were lost before they came to know a few diggers in their areas. He is moving!… through a Bible study that I never even knew, back in 2010, was emerging. I am truly amazed that I get to watch, up-close, the hand of God moving through Digging Deep. It is absolutely nothing I did or will ever do. He just showed me what HE could do with an insignificant little beginning that I thought was “one and done.”  He just gave me this work to do. I praise Him for this providence. I praise Him for the many women who are helping to make the Dig deeper and better in so many ways, from tech to organization aspects, to inviting, to prayer. I praise Him!