Oh, girls! You do not want to miss this recap video by our dear Rich from Living Proof Live this weekend. Honestly, they never get old! I personally could use an editing video tutorial in the worst way. Thanks for all your hard work, Rich!

We heard that God did a marvelous work this weekend in Charleston. Praise Him! If you were there, we’d love to hear what He did in you!

Living Proof Live – Charleston SC from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

And might I leave you with this gem? Your fearless leaders. The best part of this picture, besides the air Travis is getting, is the fact that the staff around them is not phased one bit by their jolliness. In other words, this is normal. I love it!

Hey Siestas! Can you believe we’re already past the middle of August? Where in the world has 2012 gone? Wow.

Before we let August completely fly by, we wanted to bring your attention to our fast approaching simulcast.

If I know anything about women, I know we like a girls day away with each other and this simulcast opportunity is no exception. It is perfect timing to pull away and get in the Word for a time of refreshment and renewal either in the comfort of your own home, or at a local church. Plus, it’s the perfect opportunity to extend an invitation to those in your neighborhood!

So, without further ado, take a quick listen to our Siesta Mama. Also, for ALL the details and information you would ever want, click here for the official simulcast website.

2012 LPL Simulcast from LPV on Vimeo.

Today is the last official day of summer for Houston. Well, the last summer weekday. Come Monday morning, all manner of children with their crisp, new school clothes and fancy haircuts will either hop on a big yellow bus, sit in a carpool line, or brave the daunting humidity and walk to school for their very first day. I know kiddos who get to experience their first day of kindergarten, and other ones who get to experience their first day of their very last year of school as they’re the big, bad seniors.

All of that to say, although the heat is screaming otherwise, according to our calendar, summer is over.

So, I thought it was only appropriate to share my 2012 summer highlights. Please note, however, that I spent the majority of my days in Houston with minimal traveling and fun experiences, so please lower your expectations. What you won’t be seeing is fancy trips to Hawaii or days traveling NYC. But it is what it is.

In no particular order, here are my top 12 highlights of the great summer of 2012.

1. The Nehemiah Bible study. Listen, I am taking my sweet time, meaning, I am STILL working on it, just keeping it real. But, that doesn’t mean I haven’t loved it. And I know for a fact you all loved it too, so at least we have that in common. Grin.

2. Don’t think I wouldn’t talk about Girls Bible study. I loved the 10 weeks I got to spend with these sweet girls studying and pouring over So Long, Insecurity. The last night we went out in style with some fun giveaways, a few words of wisdom from our own Beth, and most importantly, dinner from Pappasito’s. Go big or go home has always been my motto. If I had to pick one thing, I’d say these girls were THE highlight of my summer.

I couldn’t say that without sharing this gem. When you get to see changes you’ve been praying for in girls, it brings much joy to your heart. So imagine how thrilled I was when one of my leaders asked if one of her girls could bring her guitar to one of our meetings. Of course I said yes, and she proceeded to tell me that one of her insecurities was playing her guitar in front of people, so she wanted to bring it one night and play it for her small group. Y’all, that’s a big deal. I was thrilled when she got their a little early that night because it was just me and her in the room, so I asked her to play a little bit for me and she not only played, but nailed it. I was so proud! Can you say precious? The Lord was so sweet to her.

3. Beth’s birthday cake. Yes, it was a highlight. It was that good. Don’t judge.

While we’re talking about her cake, here is a picture of Amanda, Beth and Melissa at Beth’s LPM birthday party!

4. My pool. Well, this is actually my apartment pool, but as you can see, it’s pretty empty, so I’ve claimed it as my own. I would be here every day if I could, but alas, my job keeps me pretty busy, so I got out on the weekends as often as I can. This screams relaxation to me!

5. Austin Living Proof Live. What a great weekend with a great Word that I’m still gleaming from. And it also may or may not have been the only place I traveled all summer.

6. Label me materialistic (again, just keeping it real), but you can imagine my sheer joy when H&M, the clothing store, opened up at Willowbrook Mall here in Houston. Score! H&M is a really cute, cheap store that is very similar to Forever  Twenty-One, but dare I say, cheaper. My coworker and I may or may not have visited the day after it opened on our lunch break. I’m telling you, I don’t get out much.

7. Okay, I may have fibbed just a little. One weekend I went away for one night with some girlfriends to a quaint little farmhouse in the country. We enjoyed ourselves so much while we laughed, ate, talked and even did some fun extra-curricular activities. Such as riding on a Gator to tour the land and kayaking. (See below.)

Exhibit A: Athleticism at its finest. Kayaking. Because this was during this summer’s Olympics, I was feeling really inspired. You can catch me kayaking in Rio during the 2016 games.

8. Catching up with my best friends. You know those friends you’ve had since the womb? These are those friends. We’re all in different seasons and live miles away from each other, but when we get together it’s like nothing has ever changed. Highlight? You bet it was. A really sweet one.

9. I took a day off work to go hang out with our students from church in Galveston one day. Since BCF is such a baby church (we’re turning one soon!), this was a really special week for them because it was their very first summer camp. They’ll never forget it! It was a sweet change of scenery for a day and it was exciting to be with them outside of church, even if just for a short time.

Galveston, oh Galveston. We take what we can get here in Texas as far as beaches are concerned.

10. My very best friend had her very first baby. A baby girl. Ellie is my new obsession and rightfully so, she’s a living doll. I was blessed to get to be there on her birthday and I’ll never forget it. This and Bible study tie for my number one highlight. It’s amazing to me how much you can love something when it’s not even yours. That’s how I feel about her.

11. Did we ever tell y’all that a tree right outside of our office got hit by lightning one day? It was the most bizarre thing I’ve ever seen happen right before my eyes. Not to mention the sound like a bomb going off. Beth and I happened to both witness it and I fear we’re both still scarred from it. However, we’re all convinced the Lord put the tree there so it wouldn’t hit the building.

Since the tree took the hit, we unfortunately, lost it. So as to not cause any more damage, we had it removed yesterday. To say we were all enthralled by the process is an understatement. So much so, that I documented the entire event. So intriguing.

12. Lastly, and certainly not least, Bayou City Nights, our church’s first VBS. To serve together as a church body and watch everyone come together and do the thing was a beautiful gift. There is so much more I could say about this, but I’ll just leave you with this little sneak into a few of our evenings together, a collage if you will. That, right there, is some joy, my friends.

I happen to have the cutest team. Go green or go home was my motto! Skipping, singing, dancing, laughing and making crafts with these little ones was a complete joy.

So, now that I’ve rambled on about the great summer of 2012, I’d love for you to share a highlight from your summer. I guarantee you girls have some pretty sweet stories. Spill them!

We really do love y’all so much.

Happy Friday, y’all. And happy back to school!

Update: Siestas, I just wanted to inform you that each of our 20 tickets have been spoken for. Be blessed, ladies!

Good Thursday morning, ladies! It has been busy around here, but really, you are thought about nearly every second of every day. I’m hoping to have a fun post up tomorrow!

However, before we do that, I wanted to bring your attention to LPL Charleston today. Thanks to the Siesta Scholarship fund, we have 20 tickets to give to those of you that would love to attend the conference this weekend, but just don’t have the funds to make it happen. So, if this is you, please call our office toll free at 1.888.700.1999 during regular business hours (8:30 – 4:30 CST) and ask for Kimberly Meyer. If you happen to reach us while we’re at lunch, leave a message and Kimberly will get back to you.

And as always, Beth, Travis and the entire LPL team covet your prayers as they head that way this very day. Pray that the Spirit would fall fresh on that city. Thank you so much, girls. You are priceless around here, as are your prayers. We love you!

Good Mornin’, ladies! Thanks to our Siesta Scholarship Fund, we were able to snag and give away 20 tickets to the Knoxville LPL this weekend. We just wanted to give you a friendly reminder that these tickets are for those of you that would love to attend, but financially, just cannot afford it at this time. So, if you fit that bill, we’d love nothing more than to bless you. All you need to do is call our office toll free at 1.888.700.1999 during regular business hours (8:30 – 4:30 CST) and ask for Kimberly Meyer. She will get you hooked up and good to go!

Thank you so much in advance for praying over this weekend. It’s the buzz around here and we can’t wait to hear all about it upon our Siesta Mama’s return! If you wouldn’t mind, please pray the team safely there today as they travel. We love y’all so much and are so grateful for every prayer lifted up on their behalf!

I just spent the past ten weeks immersed in a group of high school girls as we studied the book, So Long, Insecurity together. It was a really sweet (and slightly exhausting, in the best way possible) ten weeks. Among other issues, I bet you could take one guess into a major theme we discussed week in and week out. Dating. Are you shocked? If you are, you might need to get some young girls around you for an hour so you can hear it for yourself. The topic of boys is a popular one. It will get any girl talking. In fact, we spent one entire week hearing all about boys from one wiser, older man and the girls were on pins and needles the entire hour and a half.

To lead a small group and to get girls talking means being authentic and sharing your own struggles and hurts, so inevitably, the girls asked me every question in the book about dating and wanted to hear all about my love life.

Questions like, Are you dating anyone? and Are there any prospective guys in your life? swirled around. While part of me would have loved to have testified about the amazing man the Lord had provided for me, I answered with a simple, Nope!

Because we were all getting to know each other and because they assumed I lived a chick flick kind of love life, I went ahead and told them a bit of my story which included that I’d never “officially” dated anybody nor had I ever had a boyfriend. To be honest, they are always slack-jawed. At 14, you still believe you’ll meet the man of your dreams in college, have 2.5 children and live in a house with a white picket fence, so to meet someone with a different story is slightly shocking.

More often than not, I’m able to encourage the girls when they think their life has gone to shreds because they either don’t have a boyfriend, or they’ve just been broken up with. I never want to dismiss their feelings, but I also want them to know that life is so much more than the boy next door. Plus, the fact that I’m living, breathing and thriving in life gives them a peace that they too will be okay even if it stinks at that moment. And that in all circumstances, God is still good, not because of what He does, but because of who He is. If that’s not a testimony for teenage girls, I’m not sure what is.

One interesting question that arose was, Is your lack of relationship/no boyfriend due to choice or due to just never feeling like it was’time? (They assumed it was due to a choice.) In other words, had I rejected a lot?

Have I rejected a lot? I’ve rejected none.

Let me just say that if I stopped right there, and took a good look at my dating circumstances, I could get so depressed. What girl doesn’t want to be pursued? Asked on a date? Taken to a fancy restaurant? Hugged (or kissed, yes kissed) goodnight? It’s every girls dream to be swept away by her prince charming. Every. Single. Girl. Whether they admit it or not.

Let me also set the record straight that I’m not against dating whatsoever. I didn’t make some rule for myself when I was 10 that I wouldn’t date until I was 27. Nor did I make a rule that I wouldn’t date anybody except my husband. It’s just turned out that way. When people ask if I’ve ever been interested in anybody, I want to laugh. If you’ve been around me more than one hour, you probably know I’ve had multiple crushes at multiple times. I’m a girl. I like boys. Enough said.

However, the truth of the matter is, it just hasn’t happened for me. Am I depressed about that? Well, no. Yes, I’m sure the Lord’s holding a bottle of boy cried tears, and lonely tears here and there, but it doesn’t keep me down and out in the mornings. Do I know why it hasn’t happened? If I did, I could maybe tell you why the sky was blue, too.

What’s more clear to me now more than ever is that the Lord, for a reason only He knows, has guarded my heart and emotions from any romantic relationship. From my perspective, they’re just not interested in me. (That was really weird for me to type, but let me help you understand a little further why I say that.)

For instance, in the past year or so about three different people have tried to set me up with one of their single friends. Listen, I’m not against blind dates, nor am I against being set up. It’s been people that I trust and know and they know me, so why not? I’ve learned that sometimes your friends know more what you need than you do. Most times I knew information had been exchanged, as I would wait for that potentially awkward phone call and two times, the set-ups even landed me a date. But what came of it? Nothing.

If I said I wasn’t a little disappointed after that I’d be lying. Of course I was a tad upset, I’m human and I’m a girl. But it didn’t break me. The last thing I want to do is run some guy ragged myself just so he’ll ask me on a date. No ma’am.

Do you see the pattern? They’re just not interested.

I don’t tell you this to gain any sympathy or to even have a pity party. I’m so over pity parties. (Until my next one creeps up on me!) What I do want you to know is that those boys not pursuing me is not a reflection of me whatsoever. It’s not because I’m fat, or ugly, or don’t dress cute enough, or am not outgoing enough, or am not godly enough, or whatever reason we girls can come up with. I truly believe it is the Lord protecting my heart.

Although it could be easily labeled as rejection, it’s simply the Lord’s protection. At least that’s how I’ve seen it.

I don’t know why He’s chosen to protect my heart for so long. I do know that it’s His grace in my life. I do know He alone has spared me from many broken hearts. I do know that He is building in me something beautiful. I do know that He is sanctifying me through and through and molding me into the woman I am to be one day to my future husband. However future that may be. I do know that marriage is a legitimate desire of my heart that I believe He’s placed there and that He will be faithful.

I might not be able to testify to the girls about the amazing man the Lord had blessed me with, but I am able to testify about His faithfulness despite my circumstances. He is good.

I know that I have rejected not one date, nor has the Lord ever rejected my heart, my desires, or me. And He won’t reject yours, either.

Happy Monday, ladies! I hope you all had the best weekend.

Beth was in Moline, Illinois for Living Proof Live , which come to find out, is also the world headquarters for all things John Deere. Truth be told, this was new information to me as of Friday morning. Our Siesta Mama was on a tweeting roll and the pictures she was so graciously sharing with us were the perfect start to what seemed to be a wonderful weekend!

In case you are not a part of the twittersphere, allow us to humor you. And in case you’re having a rough Monday morning, please allow these to brighten your day.

Here is Beth heading out pulling out of Houston to head that way.

When she first arrived. This is a huge tractor in front of the John Deere Pavillion which you can see in the background.

Beth and Travis were very happy to be there.

And here are your fearless leaders preparing for Friday evening.

A little behind the scenes..the team getting situated to bid an appropriate farewell to Moline. You can see Rich getting them all perfectly placed in this one. Just like a family portrait. It’s serious business, folks.

And last but certainly not least, the team saying farewell to Moline.

Of course, don’t miss the amazing recap Rich created for us! Honestly, they get better and better each time. Thank you SO much, Rich!

Living Proof Live – Moline IL from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

We love y’all so much!

Good Thursday morning, ladies. This weekend Living Proof Live is traveling to Moline, IL and we have 20 tickets we’d love to give away. If this scholarship ticket would you give you the opportunity to attend the conference that you otherwise could not attend because of finances, please let us know. You can call our office toll free at 1.888.700.1999 during regular business hours (8:30 – 4:30 CST) and ask for Kimberly Meyer. She will get you squared away and good to go! Again, these tickets are just for those of you that financially cannot afford it at this time.

Thank you so much in joining us through prayer this weekend! Pray that the Lord would land on Moline in a way they’ve never experienced. We are so thankful for you, ladies! You are loved.

Update: Here is the recap video, ladies. Rich did an exceptional job on this one! He really did pour his heart into it and it did not go unnoticed. Thank you so much, Rich!

Living Proof Live – Austin Tx from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

Good Monday morning, sweet friends!

I sure hope the start of your day was a sweet one and that it’s only a reflection of your week to come. We could all use a good Monday here and there, couldn’t we? I know Monday is not typically a favored day of the week, but let’s give today a chance, shall we? What is one thing you’re looking forward to today? Or this week? Let’s hear it!

I happen to be attached at the hip to my phone because on this very Monday, my very best friend since the womb (I mean that seriously, I’ve never not known her), is delivering her first born baby girl. I am beside myself with ecstatic joy (shout out to Austin LPL!) and cannot wait to meet her and hold that little love!

We here at LPM had a FULL weekend! Most of the staff and a handful of our precious volunteers packed up and took a road trip to Austin for Living Proof Live. Is there a better way to bond with someone other than a road trip? I submit that there is not. We laughed, we worshiped, we studied, we cried and we got a WORD. Boy, did we get a Word. Often times we can hear a good Word and let it slip in one ear and out the other, but I’m praying this takes root and bears fruit. (I really didn’t mean to rhyme, but I like it so I’m leaving it. Insert cheesy grin.)

Besides getting to be with the 7500 ladies, another highlight was getting to meet about 72 of you! It felt fast and furious, but it was so fun. Getting to lay eyes on you in the flesh is so surreal. You exist outside of our computers. Praise the Lord!

As the trusty media assistant, I took all of two pictures this weekend.

Here is about half of the staff on our way to Austin! Sherry, our beloved chauffeur, believes in safety first so she decided not to turn around and smile and we were grateful. Also, no road trip is complete without Starbucks or gum.

And here is our beloved Siesta Mama teaching on Saturday morning! Note the Texas flag in the background. I was tempted to blur everything else out of the picture except the flag. But I refrained. You  might think Texans are proud if I did that. (Note: These are all iPhone pictures. Forgive the poor quality should you choose to enlarge the picture. Again, trusty media assistant always aiming to please.)

While we were busy taking notes, y’all were busy commenting away! So, lest you think I forgot about our giveaway, I did not!

Drum roll please…

Our lucky winner (thank you, random.org) of The Law of Law Lecture study is…Kathryn Bechtel!

Congratulations, Kathryn! Your comment was precious. If you’ll send me your mailing address at [email protected] we’ll get it to right away!

A lot of you were curious if you could purchase The Law of Love. Yes! Yes you can!

You can pre-order a copy through LifeWay here. It should be made available by August 1st.

You can also purchase the digital downloads through our Living Proof website here.

Once I get the LPL video recap from Rich, I’ll post it as well. I mean really, no LPL weekend wrap-up would be complete without a recap video!

Y’all are simply the best. Thank you for letting us serve you. Seriously, it is a joy! We love YOU.

Well, Siestas! Would you believe me if I told you that Houston is currently one of the coolest cities in the US? And while I do agree that we’re cool, what I’m referring to is the actual temperature. I think it’s in the 80’s today. In JULY. That is unheard of. However, while we’re so grateful to have a break from the heat, our bayous are taking a hit and being put to good use because there has been a downpour here since early this morning. Actually, it’s been raining pretty steady all week. In fact, this past Monday we experienced the storm of the century and a tree right outside our office took a literal hit as it was struck by lightning. Y’all, I’ve never seen, or heard, anything like it. Both Beth and I saw it happen right in front of our windows, so just imagine with us a big ball of fire flashing right before your eyes all the way down the tree. So crazy! Thankfully, no damage was done, except to the tree, and all is well here. This time last year we were in a major drought, so we’re not complaining and very much thanking God for the much needed rain!

Anyway, it has been a busy blog week, has it not? We’ve had Bible study, conference tickets, and encouragement left and right, so it only feels appropriate to add a giveaway. Especially in light of this weekends LPL being sold out and each one of our scholarship tickets gone!

This past spring, we got to spend six rich weeks in the pages of Deuteronomy. It was, hands down, one of my favorite lecture studies. I would have been okay with six more weeks.

Since many of us in Houston got to experience a short time in Deuteronomy, we wanted one of you to have the same experience, so of course, we’re giving ONE away! The difference between a lecture study and a Bible study is that a lecture study is just the six teaching sessions, partnered with some extra reading articles by Melissa. There is no actual Bible study to do and no homework to finish.

There is nothing you have to do to win! Just leave a comment with your first and last name we’ll put you in the random drawing.

Since Beth is hosting a Living Proof Live so close to home this weekend, most of the staff, as well as some of our lovely volunteers are packing up and heading that way to join her. We are just as excited as the rest of the precious ladies attending and can’t wait to get a fresh Word. With that said, the office will be closed today, and I’ll have limited access to a computer, so if you don’t see your comment posted right away, no worries, it might just take longer than normal for me to get to them!

I will close comments Sunday night and post the winner first thing Monday morning. We love you guys so much and hope you have the sweetest weekend! Maybe we’ll even run into some of you in Austin. That would be a blast!