Hey, my dear, dear Sisters. I thought about you so much while we had the privilege to serve in Washington State. We cherished every second we were there and God was so gracious and merciful to us. He could not have given us a more wonderful group of participants to kick off the 2011 Living Proof Live schedule. We lapped up every second with them. They were so full of praise and expectation for God to speak and so rowdy and fun. I would have brought every single one of them home with me to Texas if I could have.
I want you to know that you sowed very direct seed into that event. On Friday afternoon my notes were, for the most part, ready to go but I just sensed a desire to seek something more from God. I knew in my heart that it involved prayer so I got down on my knees again and prayed but I got back on my feet still not quite feeling the breakthrough that I was hoping for. The thought came to me, I believe by God Himself, to get on the blog and scroll through all the comments to the Tacoma Ticket Giveaway post and look for entries where Siestas had prayed specifically for the event. I hit a gold mine. I stopped at each one of them and actively agreed and received all that had been prayed. The breakthrough came! It was God’s good pleasure to raise up seed-throwers from spots all over the United States and Canada to sow into the Tacoma LPL harvest. I can’t express to you how deeply and profoundly it hit me. Sometimes I feel like I harass you guys half to death for prayer but we are so desperate for it. I knew this weekend that it is God’s way. Profit sharing. Oh, how I pray that we might be able to believe God for a 2 Corinthians 4:15 work as we partner together:
All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
I think God particularly blesses our seed sowing when we have no direct involvement at the event or gathering. No personal gain except the glorious nod of God. I’m actively praying for Priscilla Shirer’s simulcast in several weeks even though I’ll be in Fresno. I don’t doubt she’s praying for us, too. I can’t wait to hear the report of all God is going to accomplish through that mighty servant of God as she teaches and as her brother, Anthony, leads worship. This is the will of God for us in Christ Jesus. One Lord. One Body. One Spirit. If the grace of God through Christ is “reaching more and more people,” our thanksgiving overflows to the glory of God!
The group in Tacoma exceeded our expectations in so many ways. Their outpouring for Japan moved us so deeply. Our wonderful brothers and sisters from Samaritan’s Purse were swamped. They were so overwhelmed at the break that we had to keep them open after the event and position them at exit doors They counted dollar bills all afternoon to the tune of $66,025.25. As soon as the horrific tragedy occurred, we asked Samaritan’s Purse if our offering for that LPL could go specifically to relief for Japan and they complied joyfully and set up an immediate fund. (Any of you are welcome to get on their website and also contribute if you feel led and aren’t already giving through another organization. No pressure. Just opportunity.) We are all stunned and heartbroken over the devastation in Japan. It’s just incomprehensible. The images are more than I can wrap my mind around. May “the Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger and abounding in loyal love and faithfulness” show Himself in every possible and undeniable way. May one of those ways be the banding together of His Body around the world to be His hands and a healing balm within them. They need our help.
It’s time for Siesta Scripture Memory Team Verse 6! Ready, Sisters?? Stay with it! I’ll give you my sixth verse (it reminds me of you) then show you a small handful of pictures I took over the weekend on my iPhone.
Beth, Houston. My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches of understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Colossians 2:2-3 The NET Bible
OK, here’s some pictures from Tacoma if you want a peek before you chime in with your verse.
This was my one glimpse at The Mountain. We had rain most of the time and, mountain girl that I am, I just kept looking out of my hotel window for a glimpse of that famous sight. While I was studying, I felt a tugging at my heart and I jumped up in hopes that the clouds were lifting somewhat and sure enough, there that bad boy was. I was so happy, I cried.
This was the sunrise the next morning. I was always an early riser as a kid and, now that I am an adult, I know it nearly drove my mother crazy because she’d have preferred her Folgers by herself. (This helps explain to you why I was a coffee drinker by the ripe old age of six.) My dad used to take up for me and say, “The early bird gets the worm!” Well, when I caught a glimpse of that sunrise in Tacoma Saturday morning and fifteen minutes later it was pouring down rain, I knew my Daddy was right.
I can’t believe I’m about to let this come out of my mouth but I had some of the best Mexican food on earth there in Tacoma. I was baffled. Someone had recommended “Masa” (on 6th Street) to us but Michelle and I looked at each other like, “Texans better not try it. We better leave that to the Tennesseans. They might not know better.” But, after the event, we were about to have a meltdown for hot sauce and decided to cave to the pressure. It was so good I couldn’t believe my own taste buds. We started with this unbelievable Bean and Queso dip then, because cheese enchiladas weren’t on the menu, I decided to get Vegetable Fajitas. I’ve never tried them before but I’ve been with Travis and Angela when they’ve ordered them. (And I looked with contempt upon them.) They were unbelievably good. Really fresh – chunky and grilled and topped with cheese. Side of rice and beans. Sara was our waitress and took such good care of us. She’s expecting little Christos in a few months and we loved getting to talk to her. We saw a couple of tables of women from the LPL event, too, and so loved getting to hug their necks.
As if the Mexican Food wasn’t good enough, there was a Stumptown coffee bar attached to it. Talk about the ultimate way to end a meal! I have become a fan of Stumptown through our dear Kelly Minter who considers it a friend that sticks closer than a brother. (My words, not hers.) Michelle has been ordering it for me for a year or so and it’s what I grind and fix about twice a day in my office at LPM. Darla was our barista at the coffee bar in Tacoma and, as I live and breathe, the woman was an artist. Look at this crema. That is not whipped cream. That is how she finished off a Latte with plain-old low fat milk. UNBELIEVABLE. I was so impressed. I wanted to ask her how she dealt with her pride but she seemed astonishingly humble for such a craft. Almost like she didn’t notice she was a rock star.
These were two of the most wonderful women we had at the Tacoma Dome. (Blood) sisters Roxana and Christine sat down nice and close to the front and gave God considerable glory in my earshot. They and their small group wore tiaras to the event so we were blessed to no end by every glimpse of them. That is, of course, Michelle in there with us.
This last picture is of a group of really young women that were having coffee at the Starbucks we went to several hours after Stumptown. (No coffee for me that late. I’m saying that because I know somebody’s going to get into my business. I got Blueberry water but I didn’t want to. I drank four sips.) One of these darling things is getting married next week and had a little veil on. They were so cute we could hardly stand it. Just as they were getting up to leave, one of them looked over at me with wide eyes and asked if we were we.
WHY DIDN’T YOU COME TO THE EVENT??? We asked.
Because we couldn’t afford it!
Then I said: NEVER let me hear you say that again!
We do anything possible to get our college girls tickets to LPL’s. For crying out loud, if somebody’s broke, it doesn’t matter what age they are, we try to get them tickets if they really want to go. LifeWay, too! They are tremendously tenderhearted and willing to do whatever they can to minister and disciple. Tons of tickets were given away to that event in Tacoma. You have no idea how much we’d like to do it for free.
This was my view from the airplane seat just as we were about to put our tray tables up and our seat backs forward for departure. I wanted you to see my cute rain boots peeking out from the bottom. I’ve had them for a couple of years and worn them about a thousand times but they were for such a time as Tacoma.
Well, I’ve rattled your ear off. You guys are important to me. I love you. I think of you everyday. Now, cough up your sixth verse!
Hold tight to Jesus in the ebb and flow of this temporal world. One sweet day this convulsing earth will be made new. The skies will tear open like a veil and every eye will see. Come quickly, Lord Jesus.
Vickie, Louisville, “May he give you the desire of your heart and make all your plans succeed.” NIV
Sandy, Gettysburg, SD “And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:13b NIV
Yanna, Bryan, Texas “Father fill my mouth with laughter and my lips with shouts of joy!” Job 8:21 (NIV) I wanted to memorize it as a prayer.
My eyes are continually toward the Lord; For he will pluck my feet out of the net. Psalm 25:15 NAS
Sue, Texarkana, Isaiah 33:2 “O Lord, be gracious to us; we long for You. Be our strength every morning, our salvation in time of distress.” NIV
“In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?”
Pslam 56:11
NASB
Lord!how I love you! For you have done such tremendous things for me. Psalm18:1(NLT)
Bridgette Jencks
Panama City Beach, FL
Isaiah 43:1-3a
But now, this is what the Lord says – He who created you, O Jacob, He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you:
I have summed you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, Your Savior.
Sarah, Greensboro, NC
“He listens to my cry for help and will answer my prayer.”
Psalm 6:9 (GNT)
Marilyn Horton
Fort Smith, AR
I will praise You as long as I live, and in Your name I will lift up my hands! (Psalms 63:4, NIV)
[I struggle with breaking out of my comfort zone and allowing myself to be more expressive while worshiping!)
Psalm 22:5
They cried to you and were saved; in you they trusted and were not disappointed!
Greetings from Canada! I was so blessed by Beth’s words and the reminder that God uses His Word at times and in ways we cannot even know. After a weekend of lousy weather March 5 & 6 (Canadians have a quirky weather obsession) I was so excited finding a verse in a devotional planner about how God uses the rain and snow to water the earth and sprout seed and how His Word goes out to water and sew seed and does not return to Him void and I wanted to share that. I felt dumb after because I wasn’t really thinking of Tacoma. But now I feel blessed and reminded again of how God uses His Word in ways and times we cannot even imagine.
Some time ago I was sorting through old books that had belonged to my parents – now both with the Lord – and found what I thought was an old electronics textbook. It was actually a diary that my mother had gotten from a Christian radio program in the early 1940s before she was married and in it she had written Bible verses that spoke to her heart and snippets of poems from church bulletins. The book lay dormant on a shelf for years and now those verses are speaking once again to me in a fresh way. What a legacy! May the Siesta Sisters Memory Team books also speak for years to come. His Word does not return to Him void.
Brenda, Ottawa – Isaiah 55:10,11 – “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.” NKJV
Judy Baggett, Irving, Texas
“Now the Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith and foretold the good news to Abraham, saying, All the nations will be blessed in you. So those who have faith are blessed with Abraham, who had faith.” Galations 3:8-9
Kris, Carmel, IN; “He always does what He says–He defends the wronged, He feeds the hungry.” Psalm 146:7 (MSG)
Beth-Thank you for visting Tacoma! I was so moved by the Holy Spirit and able to “take home” a word! Blessings to you and your family. God speed:)
Kendell, Omaha, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” 2 Timothy 1:7, NKJV
Norma, Apex, NC: “But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Galatians 5:22-23a NLT
Sara, Lavonia, GA
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, she is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV
Thank you Lord for making me new everyday!!!
Oshkosh WI
And let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; and do confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17 NSAB
Samantha Amdall
Menomonie, WI.
Rom. 10:23-NAS
All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify.
Julie Tuttle, Chico, CA : “Don’t let this throw you. You trust God don’t you? Trust me.” John 14:1 (MSG)
Robin, NM – I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will counsel you and watch over you. Psalm 32:8 NIV
Kate, Statesboro, GA
“Blessed are those whose strength is in You, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.” Ps 84:5 NIV
Kari McClain, Three Rivers, MI
Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. Col. 3:2 NIV
Rhonda, Sulphur, LA “My heart is confident in you, O God, my heart is confident. No wonder I can sing your praises!” – Psalm 57:7 NLT
Betty, Wendell, NC
Zephaniah 3:17 The NET Bible (personalized)
The LORD my God is in my midst;
he is a warrior who can deliver.
He takes great delight in me,
he renews me by his love;
he shouts for joy over me.
Zephaniah 3:17 The NET Bible
(I say the “address” of the verse before and after the verse as it is harder to remember how to find the verse.
Nicole, Huntsville, AL: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” Revelation 3:20 NIV
Jennifer, OKC
Always be joyful. Keep on praying. No matter what happens always be thankful, for this is God’s will for who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thess. 5:16-18 NIV
Stephanie, Youngstown, Ohio
“The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out.” (Leviticus 6:13 NIV).
JoAnn, Jonesboro, AR. I haven’t turned away from your regulations, for you have taught me well. Psalm 119:102 NLT (2nd ed)
Julianna (Istanbul, Turkey) His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. Ephesians 3:10-12 NIV
Psalm 139:6 “Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain” NIV
Heather
Northeast GA Mtns
Julie, Cedar Rapids
Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at His tabernacle I will sacrifice with shouts of joy, I will sing and make music to the Lord. Psalm 27:6 NIV
Arlet, Tacoma, Joshua 1:9 NIV “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified, do not be discouraged for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
Leslie R, Norwood Young America, MN
Psalm 19.13 “Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.”
~From Jennifer Rothschild’s “Me, Myself and Lies”
Kim-Olympia, WA
“Have no fear of sudden disaster or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked, for the Lord will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared.” Proverbs 4:25-26 NIV
Stephanie, Hampton, VA: But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them— yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. 1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
Rosalee, Oklahoma City
I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13 NLT
Margie Allen,TX But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. 2 Cor 4:7 ESV
Kelly, New Cumberland, PA
II Corinthians 1:8b-9
We were under great pressure far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves, but on God, who raises the dead. (NIV)
My verse:
Luke 13:11 NIV
And a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen yeas. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all.
I’m choosing this verse because I believe that part of my ministry involves helping those women who have been bent over and cannot straighten at all. It was nice seeing you in Tacoma (a word). I prayed since I knew I was going that the Mountain would come out, so I was so glad to see it on my way down the freeway to the LPL. Nice to see you and the rest of the team from Lifeway.
Love to all of you.
Kendra T, Middle East
“So everywhere we go we talk about Christ to all who will listen, warning them and teaching them as well as we know how. We want to be able to present each one to God, perfect because of what Christ has done for each of them. This is my work, and I can do it only because Christ’s mighty energy is at work within me.” Col 1:28-29 TLB
Michelle, Morristown, “Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Psalm 86:11 (NIV)
Angie, Delaware: “Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” Proverbs 3:5 (The Message)
Jill – Noblesville: “Many are the plans In a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 NIV
Valerie, Pflugerville, TX – “For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is right and just, so that the Lord will bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.” Genesis 18:19, NIV
Michelle, Lutz FL
Psalm 28:Â 6 Praise be to the LORD,
   for he has heard my cry for mercy.
Kathy, Mansfield, TX
Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” Philippians 1:6 NIV
Barbie from Yankton, South Dakota, “And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” II Corinthians 12:9
Maria, North Dakota
In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before You
and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:3 NIV