A Video Devo on the Deceptive Heart from LPV on Vimeo.

I won’t publish this post until Monday morning but I’m writing it to you a little after 6:00 PM on Sunday evening. I’m only giving myself a little while to finish it so that I won’t awaken tomorrow morning wanting to whisper, woe is me, it’s work, work, work. Blah, blah, blah. Work martyrs are fake martyrs. They don’t count. They’re too self-important. It dawned on me about 2 years ago that no one was making me work nonstop but me so why, then, did I want to find somebody to blame for driving this skeleton like a shovel into quicksand? Anyway, I want to dance with my grandchildren at their weddings.

So, wonders never cease, some things in my life actually changed for a change but that’s another story for another time.  I like work. That’s the biggest issue. I love it even. But the body makes certain demands that are harder to ignore in more, how shall I say, seasoned years. That there is not always energy to spare after decades of flying high on fumes has been a glorious, unsolicited gift to me and one that came as a shock after major surgery and a serious cancer threat. I have savored what I do – researching, studying, serving – and what God has placed around me – many friends and fellow sojourners – and what I get to experience in my 4-generation family so much more in an ever-so-slightly less revved up gear.

For instance, I’m more apt to let time suspend for a few seconds and count the steps it takes for Annabeth to run to me from the car with a smile stretched from sea to shining sea. And I make notes – at least mental and sometimes actual handwritten – of the statements that cause the most prominent lisps with Jackson’s three missing front teeth. Friday night I had to purely look away at the dinner table when he said, “Did my mommy show you the pictures of the two postcards they sent?” Show-pictures-postcards-sent. Perfect. I tried to act like I was reflecting with my elbow on the table and my chin on my fist while I steeled myself to answer, “No, but she told me about them. I want to see them!” (It was everything I could do not to ask him to please repeat the question.) Amanda and I laughed later until we nearly had to kick our legs for relief.

I thank God for lessons only time can adequately teach and for still leaving room for airplanes, short nights, hikes, books, Bible dictionaries, and bikes. And still a fair amount of revving up. I’m not sure I could bear revlessness.

My man’s been gone for the day so it was all mine for the taking. I had a reflective, worshipful morning at church despite four shots of coffee strong enough to cleanse the sinuses and shear the throat like a spring sheep. (Remind me to get Jackson to read that sentence later.) I sat next to my firstborn on the front row and received a word about forgiveness from a pastor I greatly respect and took the Bread and the Cup with a depth of seriousness that made them feel especially healing to me. Maybe even filling. I was touched in my soul when I saw the elements on the edge of the stage in the chapel, just waiting to be served. I had not known we were to receive them but I had hoped. Right at the Clay Road exit on Beltway 8 as I was nearing our church that morning, a few lines turned in my head. I jotted them down in the parking lot.

O Glorious Lord’s Day

Our souls to awake

Saints to be gathered

Awash in glad grace

Called to the table

Jesus the Head

Partake, all you ransomed ones

By love come be fed.

I love church. What a harbor it has been to me through the years. I love the Table. I love its Head. My life would be a black hole without Christ and the communion of saints.

I drove my nearly 40 minutes home from church, fired up the stove and heated up Keith’s homemade chicken soup from yesterday – perfect for our first bona fide autumn day in Houston, Texas – and I ate a blistering bowlful by a wide-open book. Satisfied and sleepy, I heaved myself into the king-size hammock my coworkers gave me last year and held on tight till it quit swinging. It takes about 3 minutes. I read a little more, laughed, sighed, reflected. This is said hammock. I clipped this particular shot the day before.

Then, after a cup of tea, I pulled on my rubber boots to pay up on that promise of a walk I’d made to Queen Esther who’d nearly knocked me out of the hammock earlier, book sent flying, with her obsessive compulsion for closeness.

I was only about three minutes into our usual walk in the country when I said to the air what I’ve said to Keith one hundred times. “This is my favorite spot on this walk.” So I pulled out my iPhone to take a picture of it for at least the 15th time. I’m not exaggerating. I take the same exact shot over and over. Then I looked at it, blew out my lips in frustration and said again to the air, “I can never get this picture to turn out as fabulous as this really is.”

Then I looked at it again. And that’s when I realized for the very first time that the reason why I can never fully capture the beauty of it is because it’s really not all that spectacular. Quaintly pretty, yes. To us nature lovers anyway. Maybe a four. Maybe just a three.

But, it’s not what high-dollar sightseers would throw hand to chest over, bracing for visually-induced coronary thrombosis, exclaiming Breathtaking! Stunning! Well, I never!

No, now, THIS is the kind of thing you clutch your heart over:

I took that picture from a Delta airplane window exactly two years ago just before landing in that valley for a couple of days. I’m not sure there is a place more beautiful than Jackson Hole, Wyoming in the pioneered universe. Not to me anyway. But somehow when I’m there I can never get past the sight of it. I always plan to do my most creative writing there but I rarely do. Somehow, when nothing is left to my imagination, well, then…nothing is left to my imagination. It’s all filled up. And that’s that.

That’s the revelation I got today. The reason I can’t capture the beauty in these crude woods on camera is because it’s a beauty felt more than seen. It doesn’t scream anything. It won’t interrupt you while you’re talking. It doesn’t beg anyone to pen or paint it.

Simple things tend to have more manners. They won’t say a word if you don’t let them. If we don’t shut up, they will. But it will be our loss.

The beauty in the threadbare. The beauty in the unswept scenes that refuse to finish everything out for you. Or think for you. They leave the spiderwebs to walk into and the realistic fear of a snake slithering by. They leave you to have to kick the dried-up mud off your boots when you get home and to run the water hose over your slobbering dog. And, while you’re at them, they won’t leave you so speechless you can’t answer the phone in your back pocket. Go right ahead if you want to. And sometimes you’ll be glad you did. But other times, you might just get that sense that you walked and talked right past something special, if only vaguely special in a world overwrought with specialties.

The chance not only to see beauty.

But to feel it.

May God grant us this day a whisper of His beauty that sweeps right past our vision and dives deeply like a stream into our world-parched souls.

Saturday morning update: OH MY WORD, YOU GUYS! THIS TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS EVER ON THIS BLOG! SO MUCH FUN! You guys are incredibly interesting. I am knocked out right now with a sense of awe that God would allow me to interact with you. I have tons of respect for you guys. Keep doing the thing and keep resisting the cookie cutter despite the (Christian??) social pressure. You are much more interesting this way. Just hold close to Jesus and don’t let being different become it’s own pretense or attention-getter. Keep that gorgeous authenticity that makes this community my favorite cyber spot on earth. Good grief, I am so thankful for y’all.

Hey, everybody! It’s been a long time since we’ve done a survey to see who God has brought together to form this sisterhood. It’s a blast not only to behold our common bonds in Christ but to revel in our diversity as a community of very different people committed to one glorious Savior. We’d be bored stiff if we only opened our hearts and lives to those who are just like us. If we have to line up exactly on about 100 points of doctrine, we are liable to get pretty lonely. We don’t even necessarily have to work out a difference to our mutual satisfaction to treat one another with mutual esteem and to honestly love one another. Always preferring someone remarkably similar across the table from us still smells a lot like Narcissus. We may even be fooling ourselves but, at the end of the day, it’s just another form of mirror gazing. Gross.

When I get to see a group of you out there after a Living Proof Live, I always wish I could freeze the moment and stare at each of you one by one. It is the most incredibly refreshing sight. You cannot fathom how different we look in person, all banded together in a holy huddle. It makes me so dang happy. It is clear in that context that we were drawn together by something so far removed from packaging. You and I know that is Jesus. Oh, how I pray that God smiles when He drops in on this community, holds time tightly in His hand, and stares at each of us one by one.

“These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:11-12

OK! What do you say we do a survey? Complete each of the following as succinctly as possible. Lindsee and I will LOVE bringing these in. Let’s do this today for the pure Jesus-joy of celebrating community!

1. Your name and where you live.

2. Your age or general age grouping (grin)

3. When did you accept Jesus as your personal Savior and, in briefest possible terms, what was the setting?

4. What line of work are you in? Or, if you’re in school, tell us where and what line of work you’re steering toward. (Do not hesitate to tell us you’re a stay-at-home-mom. No harder work exists nor longer hours.)

5. What is your #1 hobby?

6. Are you currently invested in a local body of believers? If so, which one?

7. Do you have pets? If so, you surely know we’ve got to know what kind.

8. Your biggest recent disappointment – slash – your biggest recent elation.

9. Describe your idea of the perfect Saturday.

10 Complete this sentence: Only people who really know me realize that I am ___________________________________________________________________.

Hey, Sweet Things! How about a pop quiz?? Come on, let’s do it! But only under one condition: NO CONDEMNATION. Not one iota and I mean it. If you’re down on yourself today or somebody’s made you feel dumb or if you’ve been compulsively running like a wild woman from every spiritual discipline like we all do sometimes, you get a hall pass. This is just for fun for those who think this kind of thing is a bit exhilarating. Translation: it’s Nerd Day in Siestaville. If you’re not into the classroom thing, pass this post by and catch up on some old ones. We’ll post a new one soon.

For those of you who want to participate, please limit your comments to the question number and briefest possible response. Some of them will be simple yeses and nos. On the questions that apply, you can by all means use your Bibles but try to answer as many as possible without them. You might consider the object of the game to see how fast you can answer all of these amid the page flipping. Needless to say,  you’ll need to answer your questions without reading any of the comments first. Cheating would be a tad counterproductive. Grin. You might do the test on a Word document then copy and paste it in your comment.

1. Have you been in the Scriptures today?

2. If so, what’s the primary verse you remember?

3. What is the major theme God seems to have going with you right now? (Answer in a phrase)

4. What is your favorite translation of the Bible just for the pure pleasure of reading?

5. By what Name did God tell Moses He would be known throughout all generations?

6. To what individual did Jesus say, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me?”

7. How long had the man at the pool of Bethesda been an invalid?

8. For what courageous statement is Queen Esther most well known?

9. What did Potiphar’s wife keep of Joseph’s?

10. What three men did the Apostle Paul consider to be the pillars of the church?

11. What day of the week did the Apostle John receive his first post-ascension vision of Christ?

12. Those of us who are in Christ have not received a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. What exactly did we receive instead according to that same context?

13. Name three characteristics of the Proverbs 31 woman.Try to answer first from memory.

14. Who fell asleep during one of Paul’s sermons and dropped out of the window?

15. When Isaiah saw the Lord high and lifted up, how many wings did the seraphim around Him have?

16. What two godly men had a falling out in the Book of Acts? Who was it over?

17. Name five sets of married couples in the Bible.

18. In one word, what is your biggest challenge right now?

19. Name two people you’ve encouraged today.

20. Why did Jesus marvel in Mark 6:6?

21. Are you actively getting to practice loving someone you’re pretty sure can’t stand you right now? (No names please) If so, how long have you been in this process?

22. What are the names of the firstborn son and his brother in Genesis 22:21?

23. What would the sons of Korah rather do than dwell in the tents of wickedness?

24. Who penned the Book of Hebrews?

25. What runaway slave did Paul send back to his master, asking him to receive him graciously as a brother?

Bonus: Are you memorizing a Scripture right now? If so, tell it to us!

Thanks so much for playing today! If you hated it, we’ll try to do something you like better soon.

You’re a huge blast to me.

Beth

AND THE WINNERS ARE…

Hey y’all! Lindsee here! You guys sure love a giveaway, don’t you? I hope you know that I laughed my head off at this post. Honestly, I wish I’d of thought of grabbing a copy before heading off to the beach because that would have been brilliant. One thing I learned to be true, you just never know what you’ll miss at LPM when you go on vacation. I’m seriously considering never leaving again for fear of what I’ll get blamed for next. Oh, I kid, I kid.

Without further ado, here are the 20 random winners! And when I say random, I mean random. Only the Lord knew who’d receive a copy. I am posting the comment number and the name beside it so you can double check if YOU are the winner or not. There may be a lot of “Kim’s” out there, so make sure you’re the “Kim” that is #531. Make sense?

#1161 – Missy S.
#174 – Angie McGuffee
#921 – Robin
#882 – Linda E.
#1737 – Wendi Gale
#991 – Michelle Ochoa
#531 – Kim
#400 – Donna
#274 – Carolyn
#1352 – Diana Vigil
#1191 – Elizabeth
#1695 – Ginger
#372 – Lauren Gilliam
#293 – TAMMY
#1870 – Kristi Thetford
#1396 – Susan Lawrence
#1288 – Niki
#543 – Stacee Showalter
#865 – Kristi Steawrt

And last but certainly not least, the winner of the mysteriously gone missing, sandless and plagiarized autograph copy goes to…

#368 – Jodie Luna

If the lucky winners would email me (Lindsee) at [email protected] with your mailing address we’ll get your book to you ASAP! We love y’all so much.

Hey, Darlings!

Don’t you love free stuff? Especially really great free stuff? And what if it’s really valuable great stuff? That’s the kind of giveaway we’re having today!

I just happen to be holding in my hands 19 copies of Christine Caine’s brand new book Undaunted.

Woooohoooo! Because my ministry brain automatically thinks Siestas (for any of you visitors today, that’s the term of endearment for our LPM bloggers), as soon as the book was out, I told my staff that I wanted to give a stack of copies away to you guys. Undaunted is such a great book and, Child, even if your soul feels like wood that’s been soaking for six months in a tub of water, it will fire you up. If it doesn’t, you better let your Mama take your pulse.

AND because Christine was in Houston on Monday after we’d received the copies in the mail, oh, yes I did indeed have the boldness to say, “Hey, since you’re right here, would you mind signing these?” (Pushing the stacks forward and holding out a pen.)

Maybe you noticed the random number 19. Actually, I ordered 20 to give away but one was missing when I snagged the opportunity to have Christine sign these. We suspect that a copy may have gone with one of our staff members on vacation which we were really happy about because, for starters, we all share books and there were plenty of them so that would be completely normal (it’s a wonder 15 of them weren’t missing). But I am mainly happy about it because it’s making for a much better and more awkward story and I dearly love awkward. As soon as Lindsee that staff member gets back, we’ll see if she if she happens to have it and, if so, it will be too late for Christine to autograph but I will have much glee plagiarizing her name on that one and write underneath it that I did. I might get said staff member to sign it, too. (Please don’t miss the endnote on this post.)

We Moores-Jones-Fitzpatricks got to have the whole Caine family – Nick, Christine, and their daughters Catherine and Sophia – out in the country at my house on Sunday night. I knew I didn’t want to cook supper because we’d have such a short time together and I meant to immerse myself in those kids and my own grandbabies.Here are the Caine girls. Aren’t they adorable??? Catherine is the oldest then that’s Sophia right in front of me. I heard multiple Scripture memory verses from them both and with the sweetest thick Australian accents you’ve ever heard.

SO, I ordered pizzas a day ahead at a really great place in our area and asked Keith to go pick them up after the Caines arrived. At my house we call what I did here “a Moore-der” as opposed to an “order.” If a little is good, more is better. There were also several orders of pasta. It was humiliating and I was made sport of all evening.

In my own defense, we were expecting Keith’s parents who were unable to come. However, they don’t usually eat a large pizza each. We would love to have had Priscilla and Jerry Shirer and their three boys, too, but they had school the next day and their oldest, Jackson, also had football practice. And that is not to be missed. I remember that well, having raised a couple of athletes myself. I wish I could say that we were expecting the Shirers to come when I made the order but alas. No. It was just a tad of an overshoot.

To say we had leftovers is an understatement and I sent them home with the Jones to give to some fun church members who live nearby with a house full of high school boys. I don’t know if the pizzas survived the night. I hope not for my own dignity. Even though I didn’t want to cook supper, I did indeed want to bake. And why??? Because. I am a kickin’ good baker. That’s why. Once again, a Moore-der. That’s two Arkansas buttermilk pies with homemade, rolled-out crust, one 5-flavor pound cake and I don’t have to tell you what the other one is.

Now, how on earth do you get me off track like that?? I constantly chase rabbits with you guys.  This was actually about a book giveaway and a mighty good one at that. Here’s just a page for a teaser.

OK! Go for it, Sister Friends! We’ll do a random drawing of 19 books! Or if the book should appear, we’ll blow the beach sand off of it, plagiarize a signature (and tell you so) just for fun and make it 20!

**Endnote: As it turns out, Lindsee said Staff person did not take the book at all. Yet another had absconded with it. We are in hysterics.  Welcome to Living Proof Ministries.

Surely you know I’m nuts about you.

My beloved Sisters, I’ve thought about you so much since our day together on September 15th. What we studied together is still throbbing in my heart even in the midst of new challenges. We knew there would be some, didn’t we? Any time we determine to take God at His Word and believe a specific promise He has made to us and we pick up our feet and step further into our callings, the powers of darkness descend around us to threaten the work. Greater is He who is in you, Sister-Girl. The questions in Isaiah 53:1 echo to us today, urging us to answer boldly “I have!!” and “Me, Lord!”:
Who has believed what we have heard?
And who has the arm of the LORD  been revealed to? (HCSB)

I pray you are standing strong with the Shield of Faith in one hand and the Sword of the Spirit in the other.  Isaiah 7:9b (NIV) has been on my radar often lately:

If you do not stand firm in your faith,
you will not stand at all.

Then, Romans 14:4 right on top of it: To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

Amen to that.

And this phrase out of Ephesians 6:13 – STAND YOUR GROUND.

Keeping our faith in the driver’s seat of our faithfulness, Christ’s own Spirit breathing through us, we CAN do this in His great Name. May He make Himself so obvious to us today. Then may He make Himself so obvious to someone else through us today.

Here you go, Sweet Things:

Click here to download the Simulcast Commission:  Simulcast Commission
Click here to download the Simulcast Prayer: Simulcast Prayer

Living Proof Live – Simulcast – Reading PA from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

Because we love you guys, too! And because, dang it, I felt bad when a number of you on Twitter said, “Is anyone doing any scholarships for men?” I hope others are going to jump in there and offer a lot of them but, in the meantime, this will get 100 of you on your way to Atlanta on New Year’s Day. Here are the eligibility requirements. Sorry that we can’t make any exceptions!

1. A young man 18-25 years of age.

2. You have never been to a Passion event before. (This does not include concerts or regional events. We’re talking here about the big one that takes place in early January.)

3. You would not be able to go without a scholarship. (If you or your parents are able to afford the ticket, even sacrificially, please save these limited scholarships for those who absolutely cannot. So many people out there flat-out can’t afford it.)

4. If you had the scholarship, you’d otherwise be able to make it to Atlanta for Passion 2013 on January 1-4. In other words, the event ticket won’t be wasted. You know for a fact you’ll use it.

And that’s all there is to it! Is that you? Then…

Here’s the link! to our LPM website for scholarship registration. Watch for the slider where you’ll see the limited scholarships for men captioned. It’s in the very first one but if you miss it, it will come right back around. All applicants need to go through this link for Passion 2013 scholarships. It is a separate feature that we’ve created in partnership with the Passion staff. WOMEN: please see the previous post for your scholarships.)

Applicants will receive an email confirmation directly from Passion, letting you know that they have received the scholarship application and that it is being processed. Within a matter of days, you will receive another email informing you whether or not the scholarship was available and accepted. If the criteria as listed in this post is met, the only reason for a decline will be that the 100 spots have already been filled.

Our efforts around here at LPM are mostly targeted toward women but we love you guys and believe in the work God wants to accomplish through you. There is nothing on earth you could possibly pursue that will give you the future and purpose that a life fully given over to Jesus can. He really is everything. Take it from a few of us who’ve been around a good while.

Blessings to you, Brothers!

Beth

Hey, Everybody! I am thrilled to have the God-given opportunity to write this post and all credit goes to Christ alone. May He be outrageously loved and lifted high.

Many of you are familiar with the Passion Conferences that God has used wildly among 18-25 year-olds for well over a decade. (If you’re not, see 268generation.com to learn all about it. You’ll love it.) God placed the vision in the faithful hands of Louie and Shelley Giglio and they have continued a long obedience in the same direction to see God’s name and renown become the desire of many hearts in the rising generations. God has shown outlandish favor on these events and He alone knows exactly why but this is the feeling that I get every time I observe a Passion gathering: He likes it. He likes coming to it. He likes brooding over it. He likes filling it. His glory is jealously guarded and His fame is generously spread. God also has the open invitation to reach into lives at one of the most strategic seasons of all. At what age are people more inclined to make completely life-altering plans and decisions?

Imagine what would happen if God completely captivated thousands of lives in that 18-25 year range and ruined them for anything less than the well-determined plan He had in mind when He created them. What if nothing less than the flagrant fame of Jesus Christ became their life ambition? That’s exactly what has happened thousands of times over at Passion Conferences through the years. At these events, the wholly surrendered life in Christ is captured for what it really is: the most exhilarating adventure available for human flesh and blood. It is the offer to live for something so much greater. It is the offer for a life that matters here long after we’ve vacated this planet.

Last year at Passion 2012, Louie announced that God was giving us the green light to head back to the  Georgia Dome in Atlanta for Passion 2013 but, this time, without restrictions on the number of seats we could occupy. Come this January 1st through 4th, we have access to that entire enormous house. Picture what that means! We can open the doors to tens of thousands more. We were ecstatic. And here at Living Proof Ministries we want to be used by God to help fill that place up with young people so they can witness God filling it up with His glory.  The driving goal of our existence is to encourage women of all ages to come to know and love Jesus Christ through the study of His Word. Because we know for a fact that everything about Passion lines up with everything we’re passionate about here at LPM, we want to see 2000 eligible women get to go to Passion 2013 by scholarship. This is the heart of “The 2000 Women Campaign.”

2000 women who have never been before.

2000 women who could not otherwise go.

Here’s how the eligibility works for these 2000 scholarships. Each applicant must meet the following requirements (and, so sorry, but no exceptions!):


*A woman between the ages of 18 and 25. (Soon you’ll see that we are going to issue a challenge to other ministries, churches, and organizations and hopefully many of them will also scholarship young men. For us here, these scholarships for women are our way of mentoring and mothering, so to speak, as we seek to be intentional in investing in the next generation according to Scripture.)

*You have never attended a Passion gathering like this one before. (This does not include concerts or regional gatherings. I’m just talking about an actual Passion event that has taken place at the beginning of the new year on this prerequisite.)

*You would be unable to attend without a scholarship. In other words, if you or your parents can come up with the money – even if sacrificially – let’s please retain these 2000 scholarships for others who cannot. There are so many of these.

*You would be responsible for additional expenses. Such as travel, lodging and meals and getting time off work, etc. In other words, you can make it to the Dome on January 1-4 if you can get a scholarship.

IS THAT YOU??? THEN, GIRLFRIEND, GO FOR IT!!!!!

Here is the link to our LPM website for scholarship registration. Watch for the slider. It’s the first one but if you miss it, it will come right back around. All applicants need to go through this link for Passion 2013 scholarships. It is a separate feature that we’ve created in partnership with the Passion staff.

Applicants will receive an email confirmation directly from Passion, letting you know that they have received the scholarship application and that it is being processed. Within a matter of days, you will receive another email informing you whether or not the scholarship was available and accepted. If the criteria as listed in this post is met, the only reason for a decline will be numbers exceeding 2000.

We can’t wait to see what God will do with this and, Sisters, we will be right there at Passion 2013 to witness it. I wouldn’t miss it for the world.

Please know, young women, that your big sisters love you, cheer you on, and believe in Christ’s work in you.

This next portion is for how all of you regular LPM bloggers can participate!

These next couple of months will be the time frame for the conference to climb on the radar of many young lives. LPM is launching this 2000 Women campaign in your honor and we would love to do it with your participation through prayer. It is my great hope that you would take ownership over the campaign, too, and get completely involved. What could be more fitting than for a women’s ministry to sponsor young women to attend something that has the very real potential to change the course of their lives and the rhythm of their hearts?

If this is resonating with you, here’s how you can get involved:

*Help get the word out to young women who meet the exact criteria for the LPM scholarships to Passion 2013. Please think about those who could not attend otherwise.

*Start praying for the event right away. These are tomorrow’s leaders and they will powerfully impact our lives as well as those who come up behind them. Also be watching for an opportunity to “adopt” one of our scholarship recipients to pray for throughout the event. We will give you an official way to sign up as an intercessor for a specific recipient after our scholarships are largely filled and we’ll also suggest some ways to direct your prayers. Look for these sign-ups to pop up here on the LPM blog in November but I will keep you very up to date on the progress of our 2000 Women campaign as we go.

And that’s all there is to it!

You’re such a gracious people that I already know up front that some of you will ask if you can give financially toward this fund. We have already joyfully made the financial commitment at LPM and we are not asking for any donations. Since we’re deeply committed to these 2000 scholarships, if you do have extra dollars in your pocket in these hard financial times, we’d more readily suggest that you go out there and find someone – male or female – of that age group who wants to go to Passion 2013 but can’t afford it. Send them! And, remember that many could use the extra help for travel and lodging. Our 2000 Women campaign is limited to ticket scholarships and not for further expenses, as much as I wish we could do the whole megillah.

You game?? Wooohoooo! ME, TOO!!!!!

I’m honored to do ministry with you, Sisters. Isn’t this a blast?

I love you dearly. BRING THEM, LORD! To Your great glory and honor, call Your daughters.

My beloved Sisters,

Thanks is too small a word for the privilege to serve you. You are graces of a merciful God to me. How I pray God revealed Himself to you in an intensely personal way today. Here is the equipping that I promised in the simulcast to those who are ferociously ready to forsake fear and take courage. You will find a cover sheet for your notebook, a letter from me suggesting how to use the resource, and enough verses to keep you well immersed for a good while. They are life and liberty to any of you who, like me, have battled a stronghold of fear but they are also vastly useful when you are facing a temporarily intimidating or frightening situation, like surgery or a speech in front of your class or a hard conversation requiring you to speak the truth in love. It doesn’t matter what circumstances are tempting you to fear and to shrink back from your faith and your calling, you are invited and even commanded by God to take much courage. It is your right of daughtership, “for you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons [and daughters!], by whom we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Romans 8:15)

By all means, you are welcome to openly share this link with anyone else who could use this kind of equipping, whether or not they joined us for the simulcast.

The Great Forsake and Take

You’ll need Adobe Reader to download the booklet, so if you don’t have it already, you can click here to download it for free.

Stay in the Word, Sisters! You are chosen and loved by the sovereign King of all creation and the calling on your life demands power and insight that only He can bring. Trust Him. He cannot do you wrong.

Christ is life,
Beth

Hi, Everybody!

Saturday is almost upon us! In a little while I’ll zip up my suitcase and head out for my flight to Reading, Pennsylvania. After having this on my radar for so long, I am now in the process of steadying myself in Christ and trusting what He’s given to us for this weekend and thanking Him in advance for His faithfulness. The segment we’re studying is strongly impacting me and I pray God will use it to strongly impact you. I don’t like a lot of hype because I think it sets up expectations in the human realm that mostly can’t be met. But I believe strongly in the power of the Holy Spirit released on a sincere and seeking people through the Word of God and the saving Name of Christ. My hope is steadfastly in Him this weekend. As the psalmist said in the 62nd chapter, my expectation is in Him alone.

The entire team has prayed hard and planned hard and studied hard toward this weekend but that’s not a drop in the bucket toward what we’re really asking. We don’t want a blessing in keeping with our preparation. We don’t want what we deserve or what we have earned. God help us, no. We want a full-fledged visitation of Jesus. FAVOR. The kind that reveals and heals and steals back everything the enemy has stolen.

I am leaving this post for you in hopes that you’ll let the Mama around here know where all the participating blog chicks will be tomorrow. If you’re in a group, tell me where and what general size (small group in a den, larger group at a church), and if you’re participating solo, let me know that as well. Be sure and include your city so that we can place you on our mental map. You’ll see my own staff on there. They’ve already got a screen set up in our board room so picture all your Living Proof servants gathered among you as well! They totally amaze me.

As for you who are participating solo, approach the day and the study with full interaction! I will not forget that you are there for a single moment. (Nor any of the rest of you!) I know first hand that this medium can be tremendously effective. I had to fly back from Atlanta to Houston in January of this year before the Passion conference had ended and I watched the remainder of it from my home via my laptop screen. I sang with them and I turned in my Bible where they did and I totally engaged and at times I was so intimately involved that the tears streamed down my cheeks. I say this to testify that a personal livestream experience can be POWERFUL. God is not limited in any conceivable way here. Fully engage! If I ask you to repeat something, do it out loud and with enthusiasm! Look up every Scripture. Take down your notes. Enter in to every praise and prayer experience. During the commissioning at the end, I will be your partner. Stand to your feet and do the thing. R.E.C.E.I.V.E.

Oh, Sisters, I am so honored to serve you. You are a high priority around here. Pray for me as I pray for you. EXPECT God to speak to you and alter you in a vital, life-giving fashion. That’s what I want, too. Exercise some FAITH toward tomorrow, Sweet Things. And pray for the enemy to be bound from every direction and to be forbidden even an inch of ground. And, one more thing: pray against distraction. Lord have mercy, we’re so distracted these days that we can hardly focus on God long enough to get the full blessing out of an encounter. Set our chins like flint toward Your face, Jesus. We will not let go until You bless us.

You are so dear to me, Siestas. You can well know that you’re on my mind. I love you so. Lindsee will be watching over you all day and moderating. I’m so thankful for her.

Jesus, do this thing. Do it UP. We surrender.