*Update: Comments are now closed! And I’ve decided that y’all have some of the best hypothetical books around. You had me laughing out loud! Check back soon for our ten winners!

The weekend before last (I know, take a minute to figure that one out. It is Monday after all.), I drove myself to Katy, Texas. (While that may sound like I actually ventured out on a road trip, it really just means I drove 30 minutes across town.) (Also, I’m really into the parenthesis today.)

(I’m currently humoring myself and no one else. I know. Forgive me.)

The reason for my 30-minute road trip was because a sweet lady named Big Mama, I mean, Melanie Shankle, was doing a book signing at the Books-A-Million for her new book, Sparkly Green Earrings. You may have heard of her? Grin.

(By the way, if you’re curious as to why she refers to herself as Big Mama, you’ll be relieved to know she explains her alias in the first chapter of her book. But I’ll leave that story for her to tell. A little suspense is a good thing.)

Melanie has been blogging since before blogging became the thing to do, and her blog was one of the very first blogs I read. (How many times can I use the word blog in one sentence?) It was really love at first sight, or read. A few reasons I’ve loved Melanie’s blog are because she’s hilarious, real, a good writer, sarcastic and she loves Jesus. Need I say more?

Also, she does a really fun post every Friday called Fashion Friday, and I don’t know about you, but my materialistic side is really into fashion, and there is always something she’s finding online that’s adorable that I then put into my mental wish list.

Anyway, last Saturday I got lucky and both she and her equally hilarious daughter, Caroline, signed my copy of the book.

Truth be told, I love to read, but for the past week the book has sat on my bedside table. That is until I picked it up yesterday and devoured the first five chapters before I realized I would be late to church and miss prayer time unless I left right then.

(Y’all. I didn’t set my alarm yesterday morning, slept in, and went to our evening service. I don’t know, but I feel like a new woman. It was heavenly. But that has nothing to do with Sparkly Green Earrings. But I did feel sparkly. Whatever that means.)

You know those books that you pick up and they’re just easy to read, charming and you want to keep going because you’ve entered into their world without even knowing it? That’s how I feel about Sparkly Green Earrings. I realize I’m only five chapters in, but I can guarantee you it won’t take me longer than a week to finish it. Honestly, I was a little skeptical at first, not because I don’t love Melanie or her writing, but because it’s a book about motherhood, and, well, to state the obvious, I’ve not ventured into the land of motherhood, nor am I close, so I wasn’t sure if it would apply to me. But alas, it is so much more than motherhood, it is her story of motherhood and it is a sweet one. In fact, she talks about her best friend from the start, and I really resonated with that as I thought about my best friend, and our friendship, especially since she just walked through pregnancy and has her first baby girl that is my current obsession.

I say all of that to say this, our friend Melanie, and her whimsical book, made it on the NY Times Best Seller list this week. Listen, I’m no author, nor have I published a book, but I say that’s a pretty big stinkin’ deal and deserves a celebration.

Need proof? Here’s a picture.

So, to celebrate, I thought it would be really fun to give away ten signed copies of Sparkly Green Earrings! Through a series of unplanned, or planned, events, we have those copies in our possession and they make me incredibly happy. Thank you, Amanda and Melanie, for making the signed books a reality. I know y’all had nothing better to do this weekend. Grin.

Here’s a look in the book.

How about this cover? I’ve tried endless times to get my ponytail looking like that.

Signed, sealed and (almost) delivered. Grin.

Someone else we all know and love also loves this book and the author!

And here is a picture of Nancy and me at the book signing with Melanie. The only thing I’m regretting right now is the fact that Caroline isn’t in the picture with us. Watching Caroline sign the books brought me pure delight.

(Notice the leg pop both Melanie and I are doing. That makes us cool.)

To win your own copy of Sparkly Green Earrings, simply leave a comment with your first and last name. (Side note: I know some of you don’t like your last name on the internet for the world to see, so if that’s you, your last initial would be so helpful. I don’t know if you realized there are A LOT of names on this blog, and not shockingly, A LOT of duplicates.)

For fun, if you’re feeling super creative, you can also tell us hypothetically what the name of your book would be called if indeed, you were to publish a book.

And I’m not even going to pretend like I know what my book would be titled. I’ll just start with “Lindsee Lou”.

How’s that for original? Catchy?

Okay, enough about my non-book.

I’ll leave comments open until mid-Wednesday morning!

Ready, set, go win a book!

Long before I darkened the door to type one word on this blog, I tapped the keys and typed many-a-word on my own personal blog. It would be perfectly legal for me to say it was a thing of the past because I haven’t actually seen the blank screen of my own blog in a mere six months.

Do you see the single tear falling down my cheek?

I miss my blog.

You see, there was something so easy about blogging in my own little corner. I know that blogging is a form of publishing, so while I was careful about the topics I approached, I was also carefree. I could write about the egg I demolished, my lack of cooking skills, being single, a weekend update, my family, my friends and post pictures galore. For the most part, I knew my reader audience and I came to love them. In fact, a handful of them were some of you.

No one asked me to give up my personal blog, I was actually encouraged to keep it, but when the day came that I was asked to write on this blog, as a part of my job mind you, I just wasn’t sure how to keep up with two blogs. I tried, but failed miserably. I can feel my stomach turning again as I remember the first time I ever hit “publish” on my first post here. I stepped into very uncharted waters, and although I’d read the LPM blog for many years and even participated by commenting, I think we can all agree that commenting and publishing are two different things.

Mentally I had to ask myself what was so different about blogging in my own little corner as opposed to blogging here, and I came to the conclusion that I felt very exposed here.

Not only did I feel exposed, but I also realized the weight of whom I was representing. In my little corner I represented my ideas, my thoughts, and me. Here, I represent my boss, this ministry and most importantly, Jesus Christ.

And let’s just get real, my reader audience not only changed, but it grew exponentially. I was comfortable with my mom, dad and best friends reading what I wrote on Lindsee Lou. Since they knew me so well, my blogs never came as a surprise or shock to them.

I’ll never forget the first time I read a negative comment directed right at me over something I had said. It hurt. But that’s the sacrifice you make in sharing your life, not everyone will agree with everything you say, nor do I expect them too, but it was still very personal. I then received another, and another. At some point, you start to develop thick skin and not let it get to you in the flesh like you’d think it would, but I finally had to stop and give myself a little self-talk. Was I representing this ministry well? Was I speaking truth? Was I representing Christ well? If the answer to all of that was yes, then I had to keep writing.

In my effort to protect my heart and guard my identity, I wanted to stop writing because it wasn’t perfect. How disgusting is that? But that’s just the perfectionist coming out in me along with a mountain of pride. Truth be told, I did the same thing with singing. I grew up singing in choir, but squirmed at the thought of singing a solo. Why? Because what if I messed up? What if I didn’t do it perfect? What in the world would people think of me?

Again, being exposed rose up in me. Leading worship and writing, two very intimate things to me. That was until the Lord pushed me out there without my begging or asking. In fact, I even said no to singing at first.

But then I had to come to the conclusion that playing it safe, to protect my identity and what you may or may not think of me, was to actually play it really boring, and quite the opposite of living by faith.

I’m into genuine, sincere writing. And I feel like sharing my life is the most genuine way to go. The good, the bad and the ugly. And you too. Have you seen the encouragement and life-giving words that have been breathed onto this blog? We have the chance here to clothe people with dignity, love them where they are, and cast no judgment.

God is searching for hearts that are devoted to Him. If my heart is devoted to Him, I have no doubt He will return the dignity to me and support me. His word doesn’t return void, and it will accomplish its purpose.

I read this quote yesterday and it stuck out to me like a sore thumb, “The more intimate I am with God, the less intimidating people are to me.” Ouch and amen.

Truth be told, this community has become more and more dear to me everyday.

As I sat in Bible study a few weeks ago, I about had the wind knocked out of me when Beth shared a scripture with us that I have not, nor do I ever want to forget.

“We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:8

In the middle of my throwing a fit about feeling exposed, the Lord gently reminded me why He’s called me, for such a time as this, to share my life with you. Or, as The Message puts it, we wanted to give you our hearts. And we did. Because you have become so dear to me. To us.

So, here’s my heart, my life, for you.

At the risk of feeling exposed, yet delighted to share my life with you, even if the gospel isn’t proclaimed word for word in each blog post, I pray you get a taste of Jesus Himself here.

Thank you, sweet friends, for letting me take a risk with you. The good, the bad, the ugly, the funny, the serious, and even the mundane.

I sure love you.

Update: Good Wednesday morning, ladies! I closed comments about an hour ago, which hopefully gave each of you the chance to secure your comment to be entered in the drawing. Now I get the joy of announcing to you our 15 winners that were picked completely at random, thanks to a website literally called Random.org. That website comes in really handy when all we want to do is give each of you two tickets, but that’s just not realistic. Grin.

So, in no particular order, our winners of two tickets each to any Living Proof Live event of your choice are:

1. Dana Nuber
2. Susan Wilson
3. Lori Lutz
4. Sherry F.
5. Cindy Cochran
6. Kelley Mansfield
7. Claudia Clark
8. Connie Capps
9. Kasey Hanson
10. Lisa Potter
11. Judy Heindl
12. Sheila Bragg
13. Beth Petrashek
14. Emily Babb
15. Wendy Whitley

Congratulations, ladies! We’re so excited for you! Please contact me (Lindsee) at [email protected] so we can get you squared away. Have a wonderful afternoon!

I’m not sure what you were up to fifteen years ago, but fifteen years ago I was a little 12 year old girl quickly approaching my awkward teenage years. To me, that’s a pretty humorous thought.

Why am I telling you this?

Because fifteen years ago, my dear boss, her good buddy, Travis Cottrell along with LifeWay set out on a new journey that we all know as Living Proof Live.  Many of you have been blessed to attend these conferences.  They were designed to “teach women to love and live on God’s Word.”  This year they celebrate 15 years of God’s faithfulness through Living Proof Live conferences. Exciting? Without a doubt!

I don’t know about you, but all of us think that calls for a celebration! And we here around LPM LOVE a reason to celebrate!

So, how does one celebrate around here? Through a giveaway, my friends. Because what says “We’re so pumped!” more than giving away something with zero cost to you? Aren’t you thrilled now?

First off, if you’ve not already seen it floating around facebook and twitter, you might be blessed by this little treasure that Beth and Travis filmed a few weeks ago. (You also might be thrilled to know that Beth prefers to entitle and subtitle this video: “What’s Up With My Hair? Cowlicks For Christ.”) Y’all, I’m dying!

Living Proof Live Celebrates 15 Years from LifeWay Women on Vimeo.

Secondly, because I know you’re on the edge of your seat now, go ahead and take a look at the list of locations that LPL will be traveling to this year. I’ve decided to make it super easy on all of us and list them out right here in this post. Grin.

*Phoenix, AZ – March 22-23
*Greensboro, NC – April 12-13
*Eugene, OR – April 26-27
*Atlanta/Duluth, GA – May 31 – June 1
*Providence, RI – July 12-13
*Sioux Falls, SD – August 2-3
*Bossier City, LA – August 23-24
*Charleston, WV – September 14th (Simulcast)
*Tulsa, OK – September 27 – 28
*Springfield, IL – October 25-26
*Daytona Beach, FL – November 8-9

Now, take a really good look at the cities and dates, do you see any that are within reasonable distance from your hometown? If so, how about you say we send you and a friend to a conference?

So, here’s the plan! We would LOVE to send 15 of you to a Living Proof Live of your choice. Those of you who win will not only win a ticket for yourself, but also a ticket to take someone with you, whether it be your sister, mom, aunt, cousin, BFF or whomever you can think of!

Just a few details you might be interested in knowing is that this is just your ticket to the conference, travel and lodging are details we’re asking you to work out.

To enter the drawing, all you need to do is look at the event schedule listed and in your comment add your first and last name, your email address in the box where it asks for it when you comment (one that is working so we can get a hold of you), and what conference you’d most likely be attending. Does that make sense? Fairly easy I’m hoping!

Lastly, and this doesn’t qualify you or disqualify you for the drawing, but because we’ve recently been asked about it, I wanted to bring your attention back to the Siesta Scholarship Fund. If you’ve read this blog for any length of time, you’ll see us post before each conference with an amount of tickets we’re giving away thanks to the generosity of you, our loving siestas. That fund is still very much open, and you have zero obligation and absolutely no pressure to give to it, but if you desire to bless someone in that way, you can do so by going here. Again, we’re only making mention of it as it is often brought to our attention!

Living Proof Live is actually a LifeWay-driven event, so for all the details and for any questions you have, or are interested in attending and need to purchase a ticket, you can click here. That link will be of much help to you!

We love you ladies! I’ll leave comments open until Wednesday morning so everyone who desires to enter gets a chance!

Now let’s celebrate some good times!

I don’t know about you, but I’m a list maker. A lot of days I miss actually putting pen to paper and writing out a list, but with technology these days, that just isn’t necessary. With that said, it will come as no shock to you that the “Notes” app on my iPhone might be my favorite app ever. The lists are endless. And they’re not going anywhere.

Sometimes when I’m at a loss for what to write, a list helps me organize my thoughts, so today I’m bringing you a list. Because yes, today I’m at a loss for what to write.

A list of what, you might be wondering? A list of things you may not know about me. If I knew how long the list was going to be, I’d tell you, but alas, this is all off the top of my head, so by the end of this post, we’ll both know how long the list is. I don’t know whether to apologize or say you’re welcome, but humor me today, will you? I’m laughing. I really do love y’all so much.

1. I have not gone to bed once without washing my face since about the 6^th grade. Should I also mention that my morning routine is the exact same every morning? This may or may not label me OCD. And I admit, I have a few OCD tendencies. But don’t we all?

2. I am an inappropriate laugher. It’s very unfortunate. For instance, a couple years ago at our Christmas Eve service, my pastor had us place all of our lit candles into a sandbox. You know where this is going, the sandbox caught fire. I could hardly pull myself together. And there are plenty more where that came from!

3. Contrary to popular belief because of my tall stature, I didn’t play one sport growing up. However, I was asked by both the basketball coach and volleyball coach every year in high school to join the team. I graciously declined. I had more fear of the ball than I cared to admit. Also, I’m just physically challenged.

4. You know how folks like to say they’re having a good hair day vs. a bad hair day? Well, I like to say I’m having a good eyelash day vs. a bad eyelash day. Because of my naturally long eyelashes (I’m not complaining), they have a mind of their own. Some days they are one with the mascara, other days we battle clumpiness.

5. My hair is naturally wavy/curly.

6. I have a 36 inch inseam for my pants. Yes, I am all legs.

7. I was the first of my family born in Texas to a California dad, and a Colorado mom. 
I am so proud. Yes, you could say I love Texas.

8. My claim to fame was singing at the Super Bowl with Josh Groban along with some other alumni from Houston Children’s Chorus when it was in Houston, back in 2004. We sang the ever so popular, “You Raise Me Up.” One of my very favorite memories by far. And indeed, a huge privilege.

9. Although I don’t travel near enough, I do love to travel. Italy is one of my favorite places I’ve visited. I’d love to go back! I think Florence was my favorite.

10. To put myself to sleep, or when I am really tired, I rub my feet together unintentionally. 
I remind myself of a cricket.

11. Colorado is one of my favorite places to be. (Because of the people and the gorgeous scenery!)

12. I majored in Early Childhood Education when I was in college and graduated a certified teacher in the state of Texas. However, I haven’t taught school a day in my life, unless you label student teaching as such.

13. I was the kid that grew up in church, but didn’t make my faith my own until my Senior year of high school. Praise God for His faithfulness and graciousness towards us.

14. I’m not a collector of many items, but I’ve collected and own a ridiculous amount of scarves. I’m not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed since I live in one of the hottest cities in America.

15. My favorite food? Well, it’s a toss up between Mexican and Chinese. Leaning more towards the Mexican. I’m very hungry right now.

16. This is a new fact, but to help me memorize my scriptures, I’ve been putting my scripture as my wallpaper on my phone home screen. Just an idea for any of you visual learners as well! (See visual below. Grin.)

Your turn! What’s one thing we may not know about you? See, these things are fun. Everyday we get to learn more and more about each other. I love it.

When my girls were little, I used to sing them made-up songs. We sang all the real ones too like “This Little Light of Mine,” “Father Abraham,” and “O Be Careful Little Eyes What You See.” Per the latter, never one to stomach a fountainhead of melodious piety, Keith comprised the added stanza, “Be Careful Little Nose What You Smell.” At times like those, I tried to retain my composure and look at him disapprovingly for righteousness’ sake but, for the life of me, I could not get through that stanza without getting so tickled my side split. It is, to this day, the stanza of the song that gets sung the most often within these slightly hallowed walls.  It’s a time-honored tradition around here that rarely includes the children.

 Our young family also possessed every single available cassette of “Psalty the Singing Songbook” and we played, rewound, and fast-forwarded them so profusely that the tapes got stretch marks. I could not have been more elated when Amanda found them all on CD a few years ago and promptly ordered them off the internet for her own children. There’s enough generational foolishness to go around in families like ours. Some generational merry-making and God-gladness is a refreshingly beautiful thing.

 But, when they were itty, bitty things, my girls were also zealous to request the made-up variety of Moore musical wonderment. So entirely made up were these songs that, when Amanda and Melissa would ask me to sing the one from the day before, well, I’d be left at a lyrical loss. I’d cover for it by suggesting why on God’s green earth we’d want yesterday’s song when we could savor a new one today. If I’d known more Scripture back then, I would have conveniently pulled out the verse, “Sing a new song!” but, then again, it would have backfired on me when I was worn to a maternal nub and needing Psalty to lead out in some memorable – and memorizable – stanzas of the much finer sort.

 Since I made them up as they went, these original songs were emancipated from the normal confines of rhythm or rhyme but what they lacked in technical composition, they made up for in personal detailing. One might go something like this:

 Oh, Amanda, she is so very smart and fun. She has new shoes. We got them at the mall where we ate a Happy Meal. Amanda ran through the mall in her new shoes so fast that people thought she was in first grade. (She’d be something like 4 years old, mind you, so this kind of line was always received most enthusiastically) No one can catch her so they stand back amazed and clap, clap, clap. I said clap, clap, clap. (At this point, she herself would clap.) She has a wiener dog named Coney Island (true story, she did) and she runs behind her, flying on four short legs and huffing and puffing and wagging her tail and, oh, if she had on Amanda’s new shoes, maybe she could run just as fast. But she doesn’t. But she doesn’t. And why it is she doesn’t? Because she has four legs and would need two pair. Amanda and Coney Island, they win the race together and everyone cheers. But they are hot and sweaty and a little stinky and ask for something cold to drink. They get a rainbow popsicle for a prize and everyone is surprised when they set in to sharing it. All together now! Slurp, slurp, slurp, lick, lick, lick, the race is won. (A made-up song is all the better if the audience is roused somewhere along the way to a heartfelt Eeeeeeeeeeewwww.)

 And so it would go.

 I inherited the propensity for made-up songs from my mother who likely got it from hers; however, the lyrics seemed to gain more generous license with each generation. Case in point, my mother made up several songs but she tended to sing her original compositions over and over. I rarely sang the same one twice because I’d chased a rabbit so dreadfully far in the previous one that this little piggy couldn’t even wee her way home. (That would be in the vocal sense, of course.) My grandmother’s songs, on the other hand, were short and less sweet. They were more about who was going to get a switch if a batch of kids didn’t get out of the kitchen till supper and she didn’t mean maybe.

 I can still picture Amanda and Melissa’s faces as I sang them these songs. Usually it was during rocking-chair time and the more I’d spin the story line through the song, the more they’d stare off into space, wide-eyed, trying to imagine every detail of the scene and suppress a grin. The scenes, after all, always starred one of their very favorite characters.

 All of this is fresh on my mind because Annabeth (our recently-turned 4 year old) has started making up songs, a fact that delights me to no end. You can’t make her do it. You just have to catch her and then, ever-so-carefully without her realizing it, lend your ear near. Sometimes she’ll do it while I’m rocking her like a few weeks ago when she sang to me about “The Cross and the iPad.” She is more apt to sing free of self-consciousness if I lean my head back and close my eyes. I guess she thinks she’s singing Bibby to sleep.

 Friday evening I got to bring Annabeth and Jackson home with me from work and it was just the three of us for several hours until Keith’s grand arrival from out of town with his fishing boat. These are the golden times with few distractions and minimal background noises. Times when I tend to overhear the most intriguing repartees or can engage them in conversations that run gleefully wild like little colts kicking their back legs in an open pasture. It was that night that I overheard Annabeth singing about God doing ballet. Not Jesus, mind you. God.

 It was the sweetest thing ever. And surely I don’t have to tell you that, in her mind and song, He was quite adept at it. He is all-knowing, after all. He’s never required a lesson in His life.

 Like most preschoolers, Annabeth’s well-protected world is appropriately small and a big part of her small world is her ballet class. It’s one of the only things in her little family that only she gets to do. She goes to preschool but brother goes to big school so there’s nothing particularly unique about that. She goes to church but so does her family. She goes to her friends’ houses but usually with her mommy. She goes out to eat but, poor thing, she never gets to take the car and go by herself. But, one day a week, she is the only one in her small world that dons a little black leotard, pale pink tights, ballet shoes, and glory-be, a tutu, and runs on tippy-toes into a world of plies and pirouettes.

Part of being a child coming into the knowledge of a great big God through parents who esteem His ever-presence is picturing that He is involved in whatever he or she is doing.

 And He is indeed. That is a fact affirmed through the decades that follow and through copious Scriptural accounts. Sometimes He’s involved through fellowship. Sometimes He’s involved through empowerment and anointing. Sometimes He’s involved through conviction and chastisement. But, as long as it’s His child, He’s always involved.

 For Annabeth in that lyrical moment, it was God right beside her on the dance-floor. And He was brilliant. Of course He was.

 As we grow up in Him inch-by-inch, we begin the slow journey of divine reversal. We still get the ecstatic joy of picturing Him involved and invested in what we’re doing – Lo, I am with you always – but a gradual overtaking of His Spirit causes an aching and an awakening within us to do what He is doing. Instead of limiting our vision to God atwirl on our terrestrial dance floors, we begin to picture ourselves in snapshots of sudden truth raised up and seated with Him in the heavenly places. There we are by position but on loan here by commission, that His Kingdom may come and His will may be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

 We are not just the calling ones, asking God to join us. We’re the called ones, asked to join Him. Right here. Right now. Right on this earth. He works, He lives, He breathes, He moves, He saves, He renews. This is no God-forsaken world.

To Zacchaeus, Jesus said, “I’m going to your house today.” But to His disciples He said, “Come. Follow Me.”

Do what I am doing. Seek to see as I am seeing. “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I do.” John 14:12

I come to your world so that you can follow me to Mine. One pirouette at a time.

“Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” James 5:13

Happy Monday, ladies! It’s a new day. A new week. And His mercies are new to us today. Can I get an amen?

As I was driving to work this morning each of you were at the forefront of my mind. For one, I knew I’d be greeted by a couple thousand comments to approve this morning with much joy, thank you, SSMT (I logged on Saturday for a bit, but never touched my computer yesterday. Sometimes you just need a break, you know?)  And also, as I was remembering that I had yet to post my verse, I thought maybe it might encourage some of you.

I participated in the very first SSMT a couple years ago, but then didn’t join in two years ago. Little did I know I’d be coming on staff at LPM in 2011 or I might have jumped on the bandwagon that year as well, but alas, they still let me attend the celebration. Grin. Anyway, I think the reason I’m really excited to be jumping in with both feet this time is because I’m really fighting for some sanity and faith here. And I’ve found that when I’m really trying to find my faith is when the enemy really likes to attack it as best as he knows how. I’m sure no one can relate.

You know how when you’re younger and your parents tell you something and you choose not to listen because you’ve got this thing called life figured out and what do they know? Well, that’s kind of how I feel right now. I’ve been told, have witnessed and know that to stay with it, I’ve got to saturate my mind with Truth. With God’s Word. I have to hide His Word in my heart and mind. I’m hindering nothing but my own faith by choosing not to do that. So this time around I know what I’m fighting for. And I’m serious about it. The effects that His Word has on my heart and mind are life-giving and freeing, not vice versa.

Sorry for the tangent, but in case you were curious, we’re all for scripture memory around here, in case that wasn’t made obvious already. Laughing.

Truth be told, being involved in a lot of active ministries means I tend to fall more on the busy side than the bored side, and quite frankly, I love it. Who likes to be bored? However, a balance is indeed needed and I’ve learned to create some margin or else my faith will go to the dumps because I spend more time doing than just being, praying and cultivating. I know that when I start to get really irritable and annoyed with people is when I need to put myself in time out. In fact, this weekend I did just that and it was water to my soul. It was very good. But boy did I have to fight.

Maybe it’s because I just started Believing God, or maybe it’s because the Lord is doing a new thing, or maybe, just maybe, the Lord is slowly revealing more of Himself to me, but I want to believe God. I need to believe God. That He is for me. That He is good. That He is God.

“Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!” Luke 1:45

Blessed is she who has believed. I don’t know about you, but I want that to be said about me. About my faith. That I believed God and took Him at His word. Maybe this word is just for me today, and if so, I’ll claim it.

It’s Monday.

What do you desperately need to believe God for today?

Dare we take Him at His Word and believe Him this week? Believe that what He has said to us will be accomplished? Fulfilled?

I even dare you to share it with us today.

Because, Sister. He can. He is able. You can believe Him. And so can I.

After all, “The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.” 1 Thessalonians 5:24

Happy Wednesday, you lovely things!

Today I thought we’d do something that could really build us up as women of faith as well as charge us on as members of a local body of believers. If you have been around here a while, you know how strongly we believe in the investment of our lives in a local church. Oh, I know, I know. I’ve heard the whole “they’re just a bunch of hypocrites” thing a million times but I can tell you that some of the loveliest, most genuine Christians I have ever known, I met at my local church amid all the flaws and occasional dysfunction. We can get over thinking we’ll ever find a perfect church and, anyway, I always think to myself that, if I could find one, I’d mess the thing up by walking in the door. I am convinced way down in the marrow of my bones that we cannot grow up into full-throttle effectiveness in our callings without being in the framework of a Word-oriented body of believers. This is true even if you and I often minister outside those walls. My home church profoundly affects what I do in ministry on the road and I rarely make a really big decision outside without running it by the leadership inside. This segment of Ephesians 4 is probably the biggest reason why I believe so strongly in the framework.

11 And He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. 2001 (Eph 4:11–16). Wheaton: Standard Bible Society.

That’s a powerful segment, isn’t it? Listen, I know some of you have been badly hurt by a grossly unhealthy church. In case nobody ever said it to you, your sisters here are so sorry that such pain came to you within a local body. It shouldn’t have. But, Sister, there’s another one out there for you. Don’t shut yourself off. You need a community of believers and not just your small group Bible study or accountability group. For it to function as the assembled church Christ ordained, it needs to be one that operates with leaders and shepherds and teachers like Ephesians 4 describes. Don’t misunderstand what I’m saying! I love communities of women in small group Bible study! You know I do! I’m just suggesting that they don’t replace a functioning assembly of believers where the broader gifts are practiced for the growth of those members.

Anyway, I’m just here to say that I really love my pastor. And, yep. He is my son-in-law but I told Amanda and Curtis recently that, this far in, I would have wanted to go right there to that church even if I didn’t know them from Adam. I am growing and meeting many new people. I’m being stretched. I’ve been kicked way out of my comfort zone. I love ministering to the children and helping hold doors and give hugs. And, Sister, I GET A WORD. Some of the most powerful things God has done in my life in the last year came from a seed sown in me through one of Curtis’s messages. (If you were part of the simulcast, that whole message about the Widow’s Oil and the jars developed from a question Curtis asked us the day he taught from 2 Kings 4.)

SO, this is what we’re doing today! We’re going to share ONE (just one please!) of the most important or memorable words God has ever spoken to you through your present pastor in a sermon. If you can do it succinctly, you can also tell us why, but it’s perfectly fine if you simply share the word. If at all possible, please give the text reference. You don’t have to write the verses out. Just the address is fine.

Here’s what I’m going to do for my entry. I want to share with you a recent sermon of Curtis’s that really ministered to me. Many of you probably won’t have time to listen but, for those of you who do, stay with it all the way to the end. His wrap up left me in tears. Perhaps it will be meaningful to you, too. To get to the sermon, click the following link. It will bring you to the Bayou City Fellowship podcast page. Look specifically for the title “What is to Come.” It will be the second one listed there, I’m almost positive. It’s free, of course. I’m not trying to get you to buy something here today. I’m also not selling churches. Laughing. Just hoping this might bless somebody.

Click here to download the podcast on iTunes. Remember, the title is “What is to Come.” If you have any  problems connecting with the link provided, you can also search for “Bayou City Fellowship” in iTunes either online or on your computer if you have iTunes loaded there.

Your turn!!! Let’s share some words we’re getting, Sister! I love you dearly. I mean that. You are on my heart every day.

UPDATE: I was floored by how many of you jumped into the classroom and participated in this assignment! (As of noon Monday, several hundred have yet to be moderated but you’ll see them posted soon.) Your papers were FABULOUS. You did exactly what we hoped. You gave the assignment thought and authenticity. My tremendously busy weekend only afforded me a perusal but I look so forward to getting deeper into the stack. You are amazing women. You blow my mind over and over. I wish so much you could all have been at staff prayer today because each coworker brought her homework for us to discuss. We also had a particularly fun and unique translation addition (remember how you were to check 3 translations?)  because I asked Melissa if she’d read it to us in Hebrew. We got such a charge out of it. It truly was beautiful. To me, one of the most intriguing insights from many of your papers was the varied forms fleeing can take. Those differences were also articulated in our staff circle today. Running takes all sorts of forms, doesn’t it, Sisters? Here’s what we can know: Only when we’re fleeing from God can the enemy catch us. And even then, if we’re in Christ, he cannot have us. Nor can he keep us. Our God be praised. Gotta get back to work! Bible study tomorrow night! I love you, Sisters! And I think about you daily. THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!!

Happy Friday, you wonderful things!

As soon as I push publish on this post, I’ll be heading out the door to the airport. I have a Life Today taping this weekend for the Wednesday program. (Two sessions tonight. Two in the morning.) Please pray for Jesus to fill us, teach us, heal us, and thrill us and that the group will be greatly responsive. Thank you! I do not know where I’d be without prayer. What I’m asking for in this Bible study ministry as a whole is something only Jesus can do. I need Him so much.

OK! So, this morning God impressed something on me in prayer time that I became convinced over the next hour He wanted me to share also with you. It’s coming in the way of a homework assignment I want to offer to any of you who’d like to participate. I have to be sparing in my words this morning because I have very little time but my heart is tremendously enlarged over it.

Here’s the ground rule: Please complete your assignment without reading any of the comments. Let’s resist any comparison or competition. Everybody who participates gets an A+. So you’re not tempted and so that you don’t get well into the assignment and lose your connection and your work, do it first on a Word document or the equivalent and then copy and paste it into your comment. I’m not looking for smart or scholarly sounding responses or ones that demonstrate impressive and great Spiritual prowess. I’m just looking for thought-out answers that are real.

You game? Me, too! OK, here goes. You do not need to include the questions or instructions in your answers but, for the sake of organization, please do list them by number. (1-6)

1. Please go to a website like Bible Gateway or to your Bible software if you have it and look up Isaiah 30:15-18. Please read it thoroughly in 3 different translations. In your response to this first exercise, please tell me what 3 translations you read then copy and paste the one that spoke the most blatantly to you. (In your answer you will have the abbreviations to three translations and then the full text in one of them. Make sense?)

2. Look up the word “threat” in any good English dictionary and write the full definition. After you write the definition, please share how it hits you and how you feel most threatened in this season, if at all. Keep in mind that nothing trips the switch on our insecurity like feeling threatened. Be careful as always in this community not to over-share by telling things about other people who wouldn’t necessarily appreciate it.

3. What does “fleeing” tend to look like in your life? In other words, how are you most prone to flee? And, are you in fleeing mode right now?

4. Compare or contrast the Isaiah text (30:15-18)  to 1 Peter 5:8-10 and James 4:7.

5. One of my translations this morning for this text was The Message. Here it is on the card I wrote out.

Do you perchance need to hear the words “settle down!” as much as I do? If so, why?

6. Finish your assignment with any particular personal insight you gained from it and, most of all, what you discern God is saying to you through it.

I love this kind of thing! If you don’t, I still love YOU. I will look so forward to reading many of your “papers.” Girl, I do dearly relish a classroom, and from both sides of the desk. Lindsee will be in town moderating your comments then I will start looking at them as soon as I finish up in Dallas.

PRAY FOR US! I LOVE YOU!!!

I’m not sure how many of you have jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon, but it’s a fun website that, in my words, can only be explained as an online cork-board. (You “pin” things you’re “interested” in on boards you’ve created. Confused yet?) Does anybody still actually own a cork-board? You might be my hero if so. Truthfully, it is one of those websites that if used in moderation or correctly, it’s very neat, but on the flip side, it can easily become another waste of time, or worse, a comparison trap to make you incredibly discontent with the things you don’t own, the way your house isn’t decorated, the clothes you’ll never own, or the recipes you’ll never master. You’re also liable to sit down and browse and the next thing you know, you’ve spent two hours pinning items you’ll never look at again.

In fact, I saw this definition of Pinterest on Pinterest and I couldn’t help but laugh.

Funny.

Here’s the deal, I’m not dogging Pinterest in any way, shape or form, I have my own account that I am very fickle with. I’ll go weeks without ever logging on, and then in a split second, I’ll waste two hours browsing one day. I need some pinterest balance in my life. We just all have to remind ourselves that it is simply a fun website. One day, honestly, it will be non-existent.

However, there have been times when I’ve been going about my Pinterest business, and I’ll run across the most hilarious picture or quote. It makes me terribly happy. Because after all, sometimes you just need to laugh. Amen?

So today I thought we all could use a laugh or two, so without further ado, allow me to share a few pins off of my “Makes Me Laugh” Board.

I sure hope it makes you laugh, too.

I only wish my mom had originally sent me this text. Brilliant. And had me rolling.

If you have a preschooler, you get this…

Being a chocolate chip lover myself, this speaks my language.

Caution: Ankle Biting Snakes

This here picture needs no further explanation.

Truth. If only I could wash my face as graceful as the models do. It’s an impossible task.

Admit it…

Happy Thursday, y’all.