Thank you, David Lowe, for this excellent recap! And Happy Monday to you all! Let us hear from you if you were in Biloxi this weekend. I have a feeling it was a sweet weekend!
Living Proof Live | Biloxi from LifeWay Women on Vimeo.
Archive for June, 2014
LPL Biloxi Ticket Giveaway for You and a Guest – Updated: Tickets are now gone!
Hey ladies! My word how has it been a week since we’ve said hello here? I’ve sat down to write a post for you every day and then I get interrupted to never return. It’s just been one of those weeks! Please forgive us! Two important things that might be of interest to you are: 1) Beth is on her way to Biloxi as we speak. It’s been raining cats and dogs here today and we’ve had quite the summer thunderstorms, so would you join us in praying her there safely and quickly? 2) We have officially given all of our tickets away. Praise God! Girls, I hope you are prepared to get yourself a WORD this weekend because that is exactly what is coming your way. May the Spirit fall on each of you! We’re praying for you and can’t wait to hear all about it!
Happy Friday, ladies!
A week from today the Biloxi Living Proof Live will kick off! I’m curious to know how many of you are already planning on attending? Last I heard, this is the teams first event in Biloxi, so they’re excited. Fresh ground to plow and hopefully, some fresh faces to serve.
As you know by now, we’ve changed up our ticket giveaway, which is why I’m posting it on a Friday as opposed to a Monday or even the day before an event. Our hope is that the earlier the better! We realize we’re asking you to invite friends and family to the events whether or not you are able to attend yourself, which takes a little bit of planning, hence the Friday post, but still only a week out from the event!
To reiterate our new vision, our desire and ongoing emphasis this year is toward those who may not know Christ at all, or maybe have never been discipled in His Word. Young, old, friend, or family, we welcome them. If while inviting them to attend, you yourself also need a ticket, then we by all means want to help you go.
With that said, we have some Biloxi tickets that are just waiting to be claimed. And they will be here until the last one is accounted for. If you aren’t near Biloxi, keep in mind upcoming LPL’s near you: 2014 Schedule. Just call and ask for Kimberly here at the ministry, and she will get you set up: 1-888-700-1999
We love you here at LPM.
Have a wonderful weekend!
America the Beautiful
I’ve noticed this week as I’ve published some of your comments that you’ve given a little shout-out Happy Birthday to Beth! If you’ve done this, you must have super powers because you’re correct.
This past Monday we shut down the ministry for a few hours to celebrate our beloved boss and friend. LPM birthdays are a blast in general, but we tend to go all out for her because, well, we love her, and if it wasn’t for her and Jesus, this ministry wouldn’t even exist. Grin.
I thought it would be fun to share a little birthday recap for you, our dear, faithful Siestas.
We started the day out at a little art studio called Painting With a Twist. Basically you decide on one portrait from hundreds of paintings for your particular class, and then for two hours an instructor walks you through the process of painting that portrait on a canvas yourself. I’m sure many of you have heard of this, and probably even have places like this near you.
Here is the birthday girl and a handful of The Village headed to Painting With a Twist.
It’s a kick because from the first stroke of paint, everyone’s personality comes out. For instance, I myself am a perfectionist but don’t consider myself an artist, so I immediately felt anxious. Can you say “stress”?. Others of us are carefree and calm and don’t say a peep the whole time, but have near perfect paintings. Then you have those that scratch the entire process and create their own work of art, in which I thought was brilliant and was wishing I’d done myself. At one point we heard our beloved teacher exclaim that one of the stars on her flag resembled a flying squirrel, while another one of us ran out of room while writing (with a paint brush, mind you) “America the Beautiful” which turned out to be “America the Beauti”. These are the things that stick with us.
Honestly, we had a complete blast and laughed our heads off. I promptly gave mine to my mom as a gift. Of course she told me how lovely mine was and that she loved it, but she’s required to say things like that because she’s my mom.
Here are a few pictures from our time at Painting with a Twist.
(Side note: I much prefer photographing to painting.)
(Also, I did really great taking pictures at first, and then I was too far into the process to even pick up my phone. It was intense.)
It was only appropriate that after each layer of painting, we had to blow dry our canvases. Beth wanted to know if anyone brought her root lifter.
Unfortunately, this was the only picture I got before the “final product”. Imagine stars, and flags, and words, oh my! Also, please note ALL THE BLUE. It was really supposed to be in the top left hand corner.
Victory! Here we are with our final paintings. Notice not one painting is even slightly like the other. So much fun!
After painting we headed back to the office for some Mexican food and cupcakes! Oh, and some birthday gifts, as well. By 3:00 I think each of us preferred to be napping as opposed to sitting at our desks, but that’s the sacrifice of a good celebration, right? It was the best day! We love you, Beth! Happy, happy birthday!
P.S. What’s been one of your favorite birthdays and why? I love hearing unique ways to celebrate!
Siesta Summer Bible Study 2014 Gathering 2!
As you will clearly see and loudly hear on the following video, Jackson, Annabeth and I were in the middle of Camp Bibby when it was time to tape my little video greeting for Summer Bible Study Gathering 2. SO, I brought the kids with me. Lindsee and I decided it would be sillier and better to just give you the unedited, woefully unrehearsed version of the taping. So, here you have it. Since I promised in the video to add a few pictures from our week, you’ll find those at the bottom of this post right after your discussion questions. So glad you’re participating! Thank you for coming along!
Siesta Summer Bible Study Session 2 – COTD from LPV on Vimeo.
In case you have trouble viewing the video greeting, here are the discussion points for your small group and for your comment content to this post:
1. From p.46, middle of the page: Did 1 Thessalonians 2:8 stir up a story of your own about a way you have shared not only the Gospel but also your very self because someone had become so dear to you? If so, please share a portion of it with us.
2. From p.50, in the margin toward the bottom of the page: Isaiah 38:15 records words from the pen of Hezekiah that poignantly describe bitterness: “I walk along slowly all my years because of the bitterness of my soul.” I suggest in the lesson that bitterness makes our souls heavy and our feet like anchors and it ages us far beyond our years. Share something of the impact bitterness has had in your own life and, if God has delivered you from it, testify.
3. From p.51, mid page: Share a time when you experienced some form of persecution because of your belief in Jesus. This topic will only grow more relevant in a culture increasingly hostile to Christianity. We’re going to have to learn to expect it, deal with it, and not shrink back in our faith because of it. Our tendency will be to return insult for insult but Christ has called us instead to bless when we are cursed. (1 Peter 3:9) Nothing about it will be easy. We’ll have to be deliberate to be victorious.
Do Weeks Three and Four of your homework for our next gathering. If you are watching the optional video teaching sessions through LifeWay, watch Session 3 right away before you begin Week Three homework then, after Week Three homework is complete, watch Session 4. Follow up Session 4 with Week Four homework. Click here to access all of the teaching sessions.Â
Week Three Memory Verse:
“For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 3:8
Week Four Memory Verse:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16
I love you guys so much! May God reveal Himself unmistakably and personally to you throughout these 8 weeks! I am honored beyond words to serve you. You can drop off here and say goodbye or, for those of you who like this kind of thing, you can scroll on down for a few pictures from last week’s Camp Bibby:
At the Aquarium in Houston. The whole complex was a total blast and God gave us perfect weather. We could easily have had a 3-digit temperature that day but it was dryer and cooler than a normal June day in our warm city.
My boy and me on the Ferris Wheel that looks right on downtown Houston:
Annabeth and Aunt Melissa (AB’s present obsession) on that same Ferris Wheel:
I love the above picture because Melissa looked so similar to Annabeth at that same age. Needless to say, Annabeth is the spitting image of her mother but her hair is much darker than Amanda’s was. Amanda stayed very blond through her young childhood. Below is the actual picture I promised in the video where all of us froze trying to figure out what creature Annabeth said we’d petted. She was right though and here’s the proof! Stingray-bonding with Aunt Melissa:
This picture is from the restaurant in the Aquarium. Our table was right next to it. We were all mesmerized by watching the fish in the enormous tank but Annabeth was totally lost in a world all her own. I’m sure she was Ariel swimming right among the fish in the ocean of her imagination.
This was our boating day on Lake Conroe about an hour from our home. We took Keith’s boat and he taught both kids how to steer it right at his side. It was so much fun. We took the boat all the way to the other side of the lake and docked it at a pier and ate at Papa’s Burgers right on the water. It was a magical day for the children. That modest sized lake would have seemed as large as the Gulf of Mexico through their young eyes.
Thank you for humoring me! I love them so much it hurts.
Happy homework and I’ll talk to you very soon!!!
29 Years of Lessons
About a week ago I turned 29. That’s big time, right? Being one year away from 30 and all. Something about turning 30 makes me feel like I will have arrived or something. I was about to say that I think people treat 30-somethings more serious, but maybe 30-somethings start to take themselves more seriously. But, anyway, what do I know, I’m getting ahead of myself.
As my birthday was approaching I started scribbling down things I’ve learned these past 29 years, things silly and serious. While I still have a long way to go and so much to learn, I thought I might share them here.
In no particular order, here’s to 29 things I’ve learned in 29 years:
1) I am slowly learning that I have little to no control over the circumstances that surround me, but it’s the circumstances around me that Jesus uses to shape me the most.
2) Learning how to sauté and roast vegetables changed my life. For the better.
3) Often I’ve found that effective leaders are good listeners; which shows me that to be a good leader, you must be a good listener.
4) Sometimes honor means leaving someone better than you found them. (In an ideal world, this would be true of dating, too.)
5) I think if we all adopted the mentality of “what can I do at my church so that more people can come and hear about Jesus?” instead of “I can’t worship because it’s too loud and someone took my seat.”, we as a church would be a lot happier.
6) People you can be yourself with (the good, the bad, and the ugly) are a pure gift.
7) I’m slowly learning that the schemes of the enemy are crafty, yet so obvious. His main goal is to get our attention off of Jesus Christ. He likes it when our minds wander.
8) A late-night bowl of cereal is always a good idea.
9) Friends re-runs never, ever get old.
10) You and I are an original. Scripture says so, “Each of us is an original.” Gal. 5:26
11) Laughing until you cry is the best thing ever, ever, ever. It is reviving.
12) If we didn’t have any handicaps, no limitations, we would never realize our deep need for Christ in our lives.
13) Asking the right questions makes all the difference in the world.
14) If you do not love, you are nothing.
15) There will never come a time in your life when you won’t need the church, and by that I mean the Body of Believers that makes up the church.
16) Part of having good, solid friendships is learning to be a good friend. It takes two to tango.
17) It’s okay to admit that you’re wrong. Or hurt. Or not okay. That’s why you’ll never outgrow the Body of Christ. They carry you when you’ve been through the wringer.
18) Everybody longs to be truly known. But everybody wants to really know somebody, also. It’s how we were created. For intimacy.
19) There’s a cost to being known, it’s called vulnerability. And vulnerability involves risk. But it’s worth it.
20) There is nothing wrong with purchasing Disney movies (ahem, Frozen) even if you have no children to blame it on.
21) It is unfathomable to me that not only does God not make mention of our sin if we are in Christ, but He doesn’t even recall it. We are spotless in his eyes. (Yet ironically we are so good at recalling others sin and holding it against them. Ouch.)
22) Change takes time.
23) What marks a good friendship is that you talk about the trivial things and the deep things.
24) Babies are the cutest and most snuggly after bath time. Swoon.
25) It blows my mind that no two sunrises or sunsets are ever the same. Our God is so creative.
26) We can’t pretend to have it all together and then expect people to relate to us. People relate to the real us, the flawed us, not the fake us. Believers and non-believers alike.
27) I find it so perplexing that relationships of all kinds are the one thing we all desire in life, but they are the one thing that can do the most damage. Help us, Jesus.
28) Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’ve observed lately that while women write and sing songs about being brave, men write and star in movies about being brave. Hmmmm.
29) Aiming to invest in people over impressing people is the way to live.
To those that have invested and imparted these things in me, you’re the best. Thank you!
Optional Link for Session Two
Hey Bible Study Ladies!
It’s Tuesday and I’m sure some of you are wondering where our Children of the Day Session Two video might be! For those of you that have wondered this, I’m just here to remind you that Beth will greet us every other Tuesday with her own greeting on the blog, but, if you are keeping up with the teaching sessions, then today would be the day (or whatever day you’re choosing to do Bible study), to download session two through LifeWay.
As a gentle reminder, the teaching sessions are completely optional and are not required to do the study with us here on the blog. Like every other summer, they come at a very small cost for each session, which is why we leave it up to you to do with you group or not. We do apologize if that was unclear. We try our best to serve you ladies and are so honored you’d join us for the summer!
I’m embedding the link to LifeWay here again today so that you won’t have to go on a treasure hunt for it should you want to access the teaching sessions! Just click here! This week you would be watching session two.
We love y’all and pray this study is already bearing much fruit.
Happy Tuesday!
LPL Stockton Recap
Good Monday morning, ladies! I have a feeling most of you are starting out your first week of summer. Well, those of you with kiddos at home. I can imagine y’all spending days poolside, at splash parks, in the movie theater, hiking, crafting and all manner of things you mamas are creative enough to come up with to fill the long, sometimes exciting and sometimes not-so-exciting days.
Beth starts Camp Bibby today with her two loves, Jackson and Annabeth, so I doubt we’ll hear much from her as she has her hands FULL this entire week. She has the week off, so we won’t see much of her, either. Feel free to send up a prayer on her behalf for an extra dose of energy this week, especially after serving at an LPL this past weekend! She’s the best!
I purposefully left the blog a little quiet last week so most of you could get caught up on our Siesta Summer Bible study kick-off. Y’all, we have over 4,000 of you participating with us this summer! And those are just the ones that actually “registered” on the blog. You kept me on my toes last week!
Hopefully this week we’ll have just as much fun here as Jackson and Annabeth are having at Camp Bibby. I’ll do my best to serve y’all and keep you entertained. Grin.
In the meantime, here is this weekend’s recap from Stockton, California. Rich did a fantastic job, as usual. Be blessed, my friends!
Siesta Summer Bible Study 2014: Launch and Registration!
Welcome everybody! This is our first gathering for Children of the Day and we are incredibly blessed to have you along! If you’re just now hearing about it, we’d love for you to join us! You’ll find it most helpful to begin by reading this previous post that includes our approach, our summer Bible study schedule and many other specifics: (SSBS 2014 Info post) All you need to participate is the workbook entitled Children of the Day. We only officially “gather” here on the blog every two weeks because summers are so busy. On each of those 5 Tuesdays (starting today), you’ll find a video I’ve prepared for you with instructions for that day. I’ll also remind you to do the next 2 weeks of Bible study before our next gathering. View it personally if you are going solo or, if you’re joining in with others, with your small group. I’ll always put the bare bones of that gathering’s instructions in print in the post as well (as you’ll see below) in case you have any trouble viewing the video. Here’s your first one!
Basic written instructions in case you have trouble with the video:
Register for our summer Bible study by simply leaving a comment to this post per instructions below. Of course, you can take part without registering but you’ll get much more out of it if you fully participate. It not only increases accountability. It stirs up a sense of belonging and fellowship which is so important to us here in this blog community.Â
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Here’s what we’d love for you to supply in your registration comment today: (Try to limit yourself to this information so it will be easy to read and count.)
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1. Your NAME.
2. Your CITY.
3. Whether you’re going SOLO or in tandem with a small group. If you’re in a small group, share approximately how many are in your group and where you are planning to meet.
4. Share in a sentence or two why you could really stand to be in Bible study this summer. Maybe it’s that you’ve never been in one before. We would be elated! Or maybe it’s been a long time. If so, this is a great time and place to come back home to the heart of Jesus. Maybe you’re just hoping to get to know Christ a little better. Or, perhaps you’re interested in particular subject matter that appears on the pages of 1st or 2nd Thessalonians. On the other hand, maybe you especially need to be in the Scriptures because you have extenuating circumstances that could really challenge you this summer. What’s motivating you to get into the Scriptures with us this summer? There are no wrong answers!
5. BONUS question (optional):Â WHAT IS A QUIRK OF YOURS?? Come on, now! Tell us!
If you’re meeting with a small group, share your answers to questions 4 and 5.
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I will pitch out a memory verse each week for anybody who wants to participate:
 Week 1 Memory Verse:
 1 Thessalonians 1:4 The NET Bible: We know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that He has chosen you.
Week 2 Memory Verse:
1 Thessalonians 2:8 The NET Bible: …with such affection for you we were happy to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us.
Do WEEKS ONE AND TWO of your homework before our next gathering in two weeks! If you’re watching the OPTIONAL video teaching sessions, you will want to watch Session 1 this week before you start your homework and Session 2 before you start your second week of homework. Here is the link: Children Of The Day Sessions
Don’t feel pressured to go to the added expense. All you need to participate in the summer study is the workbook.Â
I am so honored to serve you and study with you this summer! Can’t wait to see your names and locations! So much love to you, Sisters! We joyfully embrace each one of you.Â
LPL Stockton Ticket Giveaway For You and a Guest!
Good Monday morning, Ladies!
It is a big week here at LPM! As if our kick-off tomorrow of the Siesta Summer Bible Study isn’t enough, we are also so very excited about this weekend’s Living Proof Live in Stockton, CA!  Beth is hard at her studies, but we want to remind you about our new ticket giveaway initiative. We are still experimenting how best to do our giveaways, so we thank you for your patience during this transition. Our desire and ongoing emphasis this year is toward those who may not know Christ at all, or maybe have never been discipled in His Word. Young, old, friend, or family, we welcome them. If while inviting them to attend, you yourself also need a ticket, then we by all means want to help you go.
Personal invitations are huge! Do not be discouraged if the friend or family member you asked declines your invite. No discouragement! Keep looking for open doors and open hearts and keep pressing on in prayer. As Believer’s, pointing others to Jesus is our job, and our joy; to tell those who don’t know about Jesus, or simply get them somewhere they will undoubtedly hear about Him. We are praying and believing for salvations this year!
With five days until the event, we still have some tickets for Stockton we would love to give away. And we will do so until the last one is accounted for. If you aren’t near Stockton, keep in mind upcoming LPL’s near you: 2014 Schedule  Just call and ask for Kimberly here at the ministry, and she will get you set up: 1-888-700-1999
If you need a refresher on our new emphasis this year, or for some reason you missed it, just click here.
We love y’all so much!
