Posts Tagged ‘New England Nights’

What a Week!

My Dear, Dear Siestas,
I am in the airplane on my way home from breathtaking New England with a whirlwind-week wrapped up in the Name of Jesus. He alone knows how much your prayers carried us. Never do I ever take intercession lightly. It takes time, concentration, and labor. I am humbly mindful that the requests we throw out to you here are added to a monumentally long list of your own. THANK YOU.

Youā€™re already up to date on the first three days of our tour but I gave you my word Iā€™d keep you up on the whole week. Praise His merciful, faithful Name, God was unsparing in His Presence among us in both Delaware and Connecticut. The arena on the campus where we met in Delaware was not only full to the brim with people but full of passion for the Lord Jesus. Their praise and worship rocked the whole house. I loved them to pieces and God granted us an altar time that night that I will never forget as long as I live. Our last night was in beautiful Hartford, Connecticut and I was deeply moved that God had us end this ten-year season of Living Proof Live in a church. Thatā€™s where we started these events, stayed for a long time, and where we will no-doubt (joyfully and obediently, I pray) return. Make no mistake. Every time we meet in an arena or civic center, we gather as His CHURCH and He graces it as such but it was wonderful to be back in a lovely sanctuary where God is praised week in and week out. We didnā€™t have to follow up something like ACDC if you get my drift. We also had a powerful altar time there last night and I can only imagine how God esteemed the many tears that stained the carpet.

After we concluded (late!) last night, LifeWay threw all us team members a surprise party. We had so much fun. Travis and I received three gifts that we will each treasure the rest of our sanguine lives. We were given framed maps of the United States will flag-pins in all 50 states identifying the city and the year we had the chance to serve there. Iā€™ve got to preface the next gift we received with a story. Trav and I were saying at the party how much we wished we had a photo journey of the events in an album. We called over our dear Rich, our photographer extraordinaire, and asked him if heā€™d put together such a thing for us (as only he could do, creative as he is). We told him we didnā€™t even want a brother-in-law deal. Weā€™d pay him full price for his labor. He promised he would. And fifteen minutes later he was called forward to do his part at our gathering and with tears in his eyes, he pulled two gorgeous, professionally crafted hard-back books out for us. The cover was a picture of one of the largest LPL events weā€™ve ever been charged by God to do. It was at Philips Arena (with CeCe!) in Atlanta, Georgia and the sight of that place filled to the brim is almost unbearable. The title beneath it is, ā€œLiving Proof Live: A Photographic History.ā€ And, yes, by our very own LPL historian, Rich Kalonick. It is SLAYING. And, oh, Lord have mercy, the hair styles. And, if you donā€™t mind me saying (he will), not just mine. Travā€™s hair has been through some seasons, too. But he is consistently the cutest thing for the whole ten years! I, on the other hand, have decided, big as it is, my hair looks better longer and blonder than shorter and darker. So deal with it. And, really, I should have gotten a nose job along the way. I used to want one but by the time I had the money to pay for it, I didnā€™t care anymore. As I look at the pictures, perhaps I should have cared more. (TEASING, GIRLS!) But thatā€™s all beside the point. The point is, it captures a journey of Godā€™s faithfulness amid frail but seeking people. I love every single page of it but my favorite parts of all are shots of the participants in varying states of praise and study, laughter and tears. Man, I am so blessed to be able to minister to women!! You just really get into it. AND, my other favorites are the group pictures of our entire team: tech guys, sound guys, light guys, graphics guys, event girls, Trav and the praise team, and, okay, yours truly. (When theyā€™ve taken a picture without me, I always love to say, ā€œI love it! But thereā€™s something missing. I canā€™t quite put my finger on it.ā€) You cannot imagine the diversity of people and personality God has teamed-up at these events and we have grown into family. I am so thankful for them.

Our third gift was a blast-of-a-video compiled by our dear friend (and team member) Stephen Proctor. Heā€™d compiled all sorts of greetings from team members and participants and a few special guests. Many of the shots were hilarious. I nearly died when it came to the part he shot of the team at an airport. Heā€™d taken them into the nursing room (it was empty, praise You, Lord) to video them so it would be quieter. You can imagine most of them were too flustered with the environment to concentrate on their greetings. The video is complete with bloopers and youā€™d best run to the ladiesā€™ room before you watch them. Other parts of the video made me do what I HATE to do in public: the ugly cry. Man, I hate that. Nobody looks cute doing that. The three gifts were the absolute best-possible ways to document and celebrate a decade of ministry. As LifeWay Vice President John Kramp so aptly put it, we donā€™t know where God will take us in the years to come ā€“ nor how! ā€“ but today we hold up a stone of Ebenezer and proclaim, ā€œThus far the Lord has helped us.ā€ He alone did it. He alone gets the glory. He alone decides where it goes from here. Not one of us would dare share one single success with Him. Iā€™d be a wreck without Him.

I want to tell you one last thing Iā€™m taking home with me from New England. My biggest loss ā€“ and itā€™s a BIG ONE ā€“ on the road is that I often donā€™t get to know any of the women personally. For this season of time, my one-on-one mentoring is done with serious concentration and calling toward my own daughters. They are the dearest ministry I have. Most of what Iā€™m called to do otherwise this season is in a group setting. Iā€™m so thankful for it and I can read a number of things from faces but I always wish Iā€™d had the privilege of hearing their stories. One group of city coordinators sent me home this week with a very well-done photo album of their pictures, personal stories with Jesus, and their journeys over the last year as they worked toward their event. When I tell you I pored over it a little while ago on this plane ride and sobbed, Iā€™m not exaggerating. It was as if weā€™d sat in a circle over a strong cup of fresh Starbucks and shared face-to-face. So many things struck me, some of which Iā€™ve already written back in a letter to them, but one thing I feel compelled to share with you because I respect the same thing in so many of our bloggers. Many of them are living the Jesus-life faithfully OUTSIDE A SPOTLIGHT where theyā€™d more often be affirmed and in the places where it counts more than anything. Where, as my people would say, the rubber meets the road. Right there in their communities, their school systems, amid hectic schedules of carpool and what on earth to cook for supper. Serving their churches, many of which are very small. Some of which lack a little spark. Many of them donā€™t have a sprawling LifeWay Christian Store near the neighborhood mall nor do they have a Christian concert every other weekend like we have in the Bible Belt.

One NE sister wrote me and said their beautiful city only has one Christian radio station and itā€™s mostly talk radio. Many of you could say the same thing. Numbers of you live in apathetic communities that just donā€™t give a ratā€™s tail about church or Christianity. Others live in very intellectual communities that look down on Christians like theyā€™re ignorant and gullible. And yet there you are. Doing the thing. And doing it faithfully. Getting down on your knees at some point every day. Reading the Scriptures. Asking God to help you know Him. Living it out in your homes (is there any harder charge?) and in your work place and communities and finding yourselves wounded and wondering from time-to-time if God knows youā€™re alive. There is no such thing as serving in obscurity when you belong to Jesus. He is attentive to your labor. He is attentive to your CRY. IT MATTERS.

Sweet Thing, there is no one on Earth God notices more than you. He knows that the atmosphere Heā€™s entrusted to you is not the easiest place on the planet to serve and, yet, day in and day out He sees you doing the thing. He knew you would. Thatā€™s why youā€™re there. He didnā€™t bother entrusting it to a light-weight. He knows you may go weeks between true soul-encouragements. Thank goodness we have the example of the man after Godā€™s own heart, who, in 1 Samuel 30:6, was surrounded by bitter people who couldnā€™t see past their own problems to regard how heā€™d tried to help them. There, weā€™re told that David encouraged himself in the Lord. Yep, you can do that. When not one single soul bothers to encourage you, you can just go right to the Lord and encourage yourself. How ā€˜bout that? Speak to your own insides and say, ā€œWhy so downcast, oh, my soul? Why so disturbed within me. Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Savior and my God!ā€ As alone as you may feel, every time you praise Him, some ten-thousand angels jump in the chorus with you and your song becomes a symphony.

Stay faithful, Darling One. STAY FAITHFUL! Every ounce of your effort and every drop of sacrifice are poured like anointing oil on the feet of Jesus.

ā€œI will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.ā€ Psalm 32:8

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Wednesday Play-by-Play Day







7:40 AM ā€“ Checked out of Holiday Inn Express, Durham, New Hampshire. Never got my make up on. Wrote Siestas too long. Hairā€™s gonna need to go in a clip.

7:45 AM ā€“ Event team loads into a mighty caravan of minivans. Vans all have signs on them. Event teamā€™s van says ā€œSecret Servantsā€ (i.e. Secret Service, get it?), Praise team sign says ā€œPraise Corpā€ (press corp, get it?) and ours says (you better know that I didnā€™t come up with any of this. It was Rich) ā€œBeth Force One.ā€ We are the van with all the baggage. Oh, Lord have mercy. Is that ever an understatement. One of our vehicles is unmarked because it belongs to our coworkerā€™s fiancee who joined us yesterday. Ronā€™s calling it The Decoy.

7:47 AM ā€“ Missed exit.

7:48 AM ā€“ Lost.

7:52 AM ā€“ In Maine. Not on our event schedule. Turned around.

7:57 AM ā€“ Finally made it back to bridge. As we drive up, bridge closes, lifts and lets tug boat through. Making good time.

8:10 AM ā€“ Starving. Got a lot of miles behind us. Road warriors. Stop for breakfast at The Friendly Toastā€¦in Durham. Thatā€™s right. In DURHAM. Weā€™ve not made it out of the city yet.

8:30 AM ā€“ Fantastic menu. Got served one of the best danged breakfasts of our entire lives. Nicest waiter Iā€™ve ever had with a ā€œTeardrops of Satanā€ T-shirt on. Ate well-done veggie omelet with fried country potatoes and HOME MADE thick wheat toast with a side of gingerbread waffles and pomegranate syrup.

10:15 AM ā€“ finally paid out and made it back to vans. Parking tickets on all vans. Went over our two-hour parking meter by five minutes.

12:00 Noon ā€“ Tooling down I-84 West well on our way. Looks like we may not make it to the Big Apple by lunch time. We only have 137 miles to go.

Miscellaneous:
Mad at Travis. Heā€™s in other van with praise team and heā€™s baiting me. I rode in their van yesterday but am in van with Rich and Ron (our team member who does security) today. Trav sent me a cell pic of Dunkinā€™ Donuts bag. They stopped without me. They only stopped because they know I love it. Theyā€™re so mean. Right after that, I saw the Po-Po (Ronā€™s a former law enforcer and said thatā€™s not disrespectful. I asked him before I printed it. I am a respectful law-abiding citizen who cries when she gets stopped for a traffic violation.) So I texted Travis and told him I hoped they got pulled over by the Po-Po for Dunkinā€™ Driving.

Sent Trav and team a pic of my open Bible and told them to read theirs.

Rested my eyes a little while. Whole back seat to myself. Heard Ron singing with the Supremes on satellite radio. Way out of character. Made me riotously happy.
Stopped at Tim Hortonā€™s without telling praise team van. Got variety of donuts and fresh coffee which helps make up for the fact that itā€™s a tad on the weak side. Texted praise team a picture of donut selection. Eating and drinking without shame.

Dizzy.

Talked to all three of my family members. I never go to NYC without A&M if I can help it. Miss them so much. Weā€™d shop until we had broken feet and had to soak them in the hotel bathtub. Miss my man, too. And Starzy and Geli. Talked to the dogs on the phone night before last. I think they are pouting at me. Didnā€™t say much.
Oh, and I forgot to tell you that on Sunday at the ranch, I stepped on a mesquite thorn. Went straight up through my shoe and into my foot. WAY INTO MY FOOT. Keith had to jerk it out. Three toes and top of foot fire engine red by next morning. Sore as heck. Told A&M about it and both of them swore I could get a staph infection and shamed me into calling doctor today. Have to take antibiotic. If, when I get up in the morning and go to the restroom, I look down and any of my toes are missing, Iā€™m to hobble straight to the hospital no matter what town Iā€™m in. The drama never ends.

Rich likes a variety of music. Just a few vocalists weā€™ve sung along with so far: Barry Manilow (he writes the songs that make the whole world sing), Olivia Newton John (she loves us. She honestly loves us. Sheā€™s not trying to make us uncomfortable. Not trying to make us anything at all), Dionne Warwick (she said a little prayer for us), Chris Tomlin (what a relief), the Eagles (good Bible lesson: you canā€™t hide your lyinā€™ eyes), Carly Simon (another good Bible lesson: youā€™re so vain. I bet you think this post is about you), and The Carpenters (good choice: Joseph was one).

12:30 PM ā€“ Driving past Hartford, Connecticut and waving to beat the band. Canā€™t wait to see you Friday!

Thinking about Delaware. DELAWARE. I can hardly believe we get to go there.

12:48 PM ā€“ Just saw sign. 98.6 miles to New York City.

1:03 PM ā€“ Just texted The Decoy and instructed our darling engaged couple to please go over their memory verses together. I feel theyā€™ve been unsupervised too long. (They are such a handsome couple they could be on the front of a magazine. Nate is our young stage manager and the biggest blast to ever love Jesus. Raised on the mission field in Africa. Cool to the bone. His bride-to-be, Shelly, is active in our blog community. Youā€™d know her if you saw her. If you were at the Siesta Fiesta, we mentioned that theyā€™d just gotten engaged and we made her come up front and get a door prize. Beautiful girl who also totally digs Jesus. Already faithfully serves Him.) They text me back their verses. Clearly they are taking them out of context. I ask them to pull the car over and let me in. They donā€™t. But they laugh.

1:04 PM ā€“ Bored stiff.

1:07 PM ā€“ Giving way to vain imaginations. Dwelling on the last time Keith hurt my feelings. Iā€™m getting madder by the minute. Why didnā€™t I get madder at the time?? Thinking what I shouldā€™ve said.

1:08 PM ā€“ Rich bored, too. Has now begun to sing really loud and off key (on purpose). Itā€™s so terrifying that Iā€™m startled out of my downward mental spiral.

1:09 PM ā€“ I love Keith so much. I wish heā€™d call me.

1:10 PM ā€“ Am now laughing hysterically at myself. Where is my medication? JK. Donā€™t write me about that.

I fear if I keep this up, I could risk digressing into the trivial (that even made me laugh) so Iā€™ll sign off for a while and catch you up on our thrilling day in the Big Apple later. At this rate, a LOT later. You are a patient people.

10:35 PM ā€“ Yes, that says 10:35 PM. HOURS have gone by, People. HOURS!!!! You are not going to believe this but when I got back to my car after our NYC shopping extravaganza my computer battery was as dead as a door nail (itā€™s one of those long-lasting ones so it shouldnā€™t have been) and, hence, I didnā€™t get to give you a play-by-play all the way to Delaware. I think God thought you guys had been through enough. Of course, at this point only 5 of you are still reading the post and you are all related to meā€¦and embarrassed for me.

SO, since God apparently got weary of my drivel, Iā€™ll limit my comments on the rest of the day to a couple of paragraphs:

Our feet hit the streets of Manhattan by about 2:30. I got a hotdog at one of those sidewalk vendors immediately because I just have to. Itā€™s not even good. Just necessary. Mustard and sweet relish. Then we grabbed some Starbucks and got focused. The team and I had no intention of wasting time at expensive stores. We wanted hip and CHEAP. So we hit a little boutique called ā€œStrawberryā€ and totally scored. Kinda fruity but not seedy. Some really cute stuff and just the right price. All of us girls got something there. Two of us got the exact same pair of boots ā€“ I do mean DARLING boots – that had been a hundred and something dollars and they were marked down to $56. I also got a gray sweater and aā€¦and aā€¦let me go look in my bagā€¦oh, yeah, a new pair of fuzzy slippers. Thatā€™s another story. Iā€™m obsessed with this one pair of fuzzy slippers Iā€™ve had a long time (I bring them on the road) and theyā€™re nearly worn out. I call them ā€œThe Pinksā€ because, well, theyā€™re pink. Iā€™ve been really upset because Iā€™ve known theyā€™re on their last leg. Or foot. And I havenā€™t known what to do. I wanted an exact replacement and couldnā€™t find them anywhere. Well, today I found some in black. The Black Pinks. Iā€™m so happy. I have them on right now. Especially after my thorn in the flesh.

The praise team and I then went to H&M and Zara. I did very minimal damage at either place but Trav, Seth, Stephen, and Nate made some fairly impressive investments in their personal wardrobes. I donā€™t think they call what they got ā€œoutfitsā€ but they should. Well coordinated if I do say so myself.

After walking somewhere around 43 miles, we were famished and decided to seek out a great little Chinese restaurant. The kind NYC is famous for. Well, we didnā€™t exactly find one. We found more the airport variety where you walk down a line with an orange tray and get your soy sauce and hot mustard in plastic packs you have to open with your teeth. Alas, we were too worn out to resist. Iā€™ll not name names but a character from Seinfeld was working the counter. She nearly scared me to death. I simply inquired with appropriate southern manners as to whether or not the Chow Mein was prepared with white meat. She yelled, ā€œYou having chicken broccoli!ā€ So I had chicken broccoli. It was pretty good but I didnā€™t eat much of it. Sheā€™d given me the nervous stomach. She ended up winning us over. You had to respect her work ethic. Move ’em in. Move ’em out.

And the team and I sat at eight tables for two and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed and laughed. Duets were sung. Combo dinners shared. Pictures were taken. Delirious. So happy to be together. So happy to be in Jesus. He brings people together who would never have crossed paths. I cannot express to you how much I love these people.

And, then, we loaded up the vans and began our several-hour excursion to Delaware. Checked in and started writing to you. And now I’m about to drop in the bed. This very day weā€™ve been in ā€“ count ā€˜em ā€“ SEVEN States. And every mile worth it.

Oh, Delaware, we canā€™t wait to meet you. God of laughter, friendship, community, come receive Your praise. And, Lord, thank You for humoring us today. I hope at least once we really got You tickled.

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Waving Good Bye To Wonderful New Hampshire!

Hey Siestas! God met with us in New Hampshire! He brought together three thousand people to the University in Durham to praise His Name and study 2 Corinthians 4. I could have stayed with them for a month, I loved them so much. I was so touched to get to the arena yesterday afternoon for sound check and prayer and find two college students, Heidi and Jessica, prayer walking the room, believing God to touch some of their classmates. We got to pray together for a few minutes and it meant the world to me. They are mighty young women of God and I was astounded by their commitment to Him on their campus.

Their prayers prepared a place, not only for students, but for the rest of us. Travis and the team led us with such power and grace before God’s Throne. The Lord led me to take a little more time to get to know the group in the beginning because He knew I was so sad to leave Vermont so quickly when I felt like we’d hardly had time to say hello. We’d looked forward to it for so long and it was over in a second it seemed. I pray God will let us return to that beautiful State some time. And maybe in October.

I only have two seconds because we had a late night (long altar time, praise You, Jesus) and an early morning. I have to be ready in 40 minutes to get in the van and head to New York City for our play-day. I’m sitting here in my jammies. Please pray for our safe travel today. Five hours to NYC and another three to Delaware. I will certainly have a few things to tell you about this play-day with my wild team when I’m able to get on-line next. Thank you so much for being part of our journey!

Pray for God to prepare a place for His Presence in Delaware! We can’t wait to meet our group!

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Back at Hotel

Hey, Siestas! It’s nearly 10:00 PM Eastern time and I just got back to my hotel room. The group was wonderful. Thank you for praying! I wish so much I’d had more time to get to know them. I’m the slightest downcast because I threw too much into one night. I was really excited about the lesson but, as it turns out, it was better before I gave it. I hate when that happens. BUT, I love Jesus and I loved that gathering of people tonight in Burlington, Vermont, and I know He was there. I think I remedied the fact that we’d only be there for one session by doing three sessions of material in an hour and a half. Perhaps it was the time line I did from Genesis to Revelation that put us over the edge. Blast.

Still, God is faithful and His Word was spoken and He won’t let it return void. Keep praying for me! I need to adjust IMMEDIATELY to material that is suitable for one session and one setting. And pray for the precious people we will serve this week. We are so happy to be here!

I want to stop and pray for you right now, too.

My faithful Father, Maker of Heaven and Earth, Ruler of Land and Sea, I lift Your elect to You. I pray this week for You to grant them clarity in a very specific area where they are confused and not sure what to do next. As You said through Your prophet Ezekiel, You have put Your Spirit in them and You will MOVE them to follow Your will. Remind them that they are not stuck. Not without choices. Not without leadership. Whisper in each ear, “this is the way, walk ye in it.” Cause them – and me – to cease beating on doors that are closed and walk through the one that You Yourself left open even if it’s not our personal favorite Door #1. Bring confessions to their lips – and mine – of Your gracious providence and Your worthiness to be trusted and praised. Tend to their hearts. Where they feel battered and bruised but too busy to stop long enough to be healed, hem them in Your faithful hands, hold them still, and rejoice over them with singing. Tell them again how You love them. How You’ve called them. How You don’t make mistakes. Grant them – and me – spirits of wisdom and revelation that we may know You better and recognize You when we bump smack into Your Presence. And more than anything else, circumcise our hearts to love You and to love that frustrating person in our lives as we love ourselves. Teach us what the Apostle Paul meant when he told the Galatians that all that matters is faith expressing itself in love. We want to be Godly women, Lord. We cry out to You for help. We cry out to You for You.

In the saving, delivering, empowering Name of Jesus,
Amen

I’ll talk to you tomorrow, Siestas!

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A Howdy Y’all From Gorgeous Vermont

Hey Siestas! Well, I am absolutely beside myself. I just flew into Burlington, Vermont where we kick off our New England Living Proof Live Celebration Tour this very night. It’s a celebration because this week Travis, the praise team, the LifeWay event team and I finish off all fifty states with Living Proof Live events. Don’t get me wrong. We’re not finished…I hope. We’re just taking God up on a magnanimous opportunity to celebrate His faithfulness through 10 years of events together in 50 States. And then we’ll start over. He has taught us so much and changed our lives so ferociously that we’re nearly breathless with praise. I have made a lot of mistakes and misfired a whole lot of points in the last ten years – sometimes cried halfway home – but God has overruled my weaknesses with His power and faithfulness. He simply loves His own Word and doesn’t let it return to Him without effect. I love Him so.

This is the first time we’ve ever done a tour, moving from city to city without going home in between. I’ve always had babies to raise and kids to carpool and a husband that insisted on having a real wife, praise God. I still have the latter, thank goodness, but Keith couldn’t begrudge this opportunity for anything. When he dropped me off at the airport this morning he said, “Baby, this is big. 50 States. Go have a blast.” And that’s exactly what I’m planning to do.

Our first stop is here in Burlington and let me tell you, Vermont was a SPECTACLE from the air. I do mean A STINKING SPECTACLE!! I have never seen a more shameless Autumn in all my life. This from a girl who has seen some beautiful Falls. October has never been wasted on me. I was raised in the beautiful hills of Arkansas and have been to the Tetons at the peak of the Aspen-yellows countless times. And still, I’m going to tell you, I’ve never seen anything like the colors I saw from the air before we landed. I was dumbstruck. I had to talk about it obsessively to the men who handled the bags, asking what trees are what colors. They humored me. In fact, they kind of blew up like a toad about it. Proud as could be. And should’ve been. Then, my first stop after the airport was the local Starbucks, of course, and I wanted to talk to the Barista about it but he didn’t want to talk to me. Sometimes you can just tell. Dad blast. I just realized I let my cappuccino get cold. What a waste. So glad I didn’t get an extra shot.

I just got word that we’re expecting 1975 women tonight and I can’t wait to get my hands on them. I will teach four evenings out of five this week and I will try my hardest to journal something every day or most days as I go. It will have to be short because we will be on the move. We will be in New Hampshire (expecting 2977) tomorrow night, we’ll take a day off in NYC Wednesday (Lord, have mercy), be in Delaware Thursday night (expecting 3959! Way to go, Delaware!!) and end the tour in Connecticut where we’ll kick up our heels with 3000.

If I’ve heard God correctly, I am speaking out of 2 Corinthians all week. A portion of ch.3 tonight, then a portion of ch.4 tomorrow night, a portion of ch.5 Thursday night and a portion of ch.6 on the last night. So get busy and pray, why don’t you. I’m calling the theme for the week “That Ever-Increasing, All-Surpassing Thing Called Glory.” I’m hoping to form a 4-part series out of this week’s tour because I’m usually not a big fan of one-night speaking stands. I’d rather spend some longer hours with a group and see if God will take us from Point A to Point B like we get to do a bit more effectively at the regular events. Since we only have one opportunity with each of these wonderful groups, each night’s message is meant to stand by itself but then all fit together to form one cohesive series, I HOPE. God willing. Self crucified.

I’ve told you before that I deal without a lot of fear and anxiety but one thing compels me to do this way-out-there (for me, anyway) thing. I’d rather jump into Scripture and seek the face of Jesus with a group of women than take my next breath. His words are spirit and life.

Now you’ve gone and done it. You’ve let my clam chowder get cold. Oh, I don’t even care. But I do have to get off of here because I got to town much later than I usually do and I haven’t unpacked my Velcro rollers. They’re probably flat by now. I’ll gladly lay down my supper for you but I will NOT lay down my hair for you. Unless I have to. Don’t make me have to. I love you but my love does have limits.

Amanda, Melissa, and I are so honored to be your servants, Siestas. Thank you for allowing us to take this journey of faith with you. I’ll hopefully touch base with you tomorrow! If I don’t, you’ll know to pray for me all the harder because that will mean I’m in a tailspin.

I surely do love you.

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An Update on Bethie

I’m sorry y’all – it’s me again! I’m here to give you a little update on the Siesta Mama. She has been b-u-s-y! My mom told me that God was so faithful throughout the taping last weekend and that she absolutely loved the audience. I think everything went as well as possible. Thank you so much for praying! Monday and Tuesday were spent focused on Bible study. Our fall study is going great, but it does take a ton of preparation time for her and Melissa (who flies in to co-teach every other week). Wednesday was recovery day. She worked a half-day and then went home to rest. On Thursday she had a taping for the National Day of Prayer.

Today my parents are driving out to the ranch, where Beth is going to prepare the messages for next week’s “New England Nights” tour. It’s going to be such a neat week! I’m not going, but I hope to be able to keep you all updated as much as I can. Are any of you attending? The four events will be in Vermont, New Hampshire, Delaware, and Connecticut.

After next week, Living Proof Live will have had the great privilege of serving in all 50 states in 10 years! Isn’t that cool? God, You are awesome! It is an indescribable blessing to get to witness what God is doing in every part of this country. You know, people can throw out some seriously depressing statistics about the state of the church in America, but we KNOW God is moving among women and changing their lives through His Word. We have seen it and are seeing it with our own eyes! He is not done with us, ladies. God’s Word is alive and active in us and we are believing Him! Amen?

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