Hey, Darling Things!

Melissa and I worked out of town most of last week in New Orleans so I feel dreadfully out of the loop. (That’s a story for another time and an experience that proved very fruitful to our souls.) I was also leaving some space for our beloved Amanda to do some blogging about her trip with Compassion International to Ecuador last week but, alas, her laptop completely crashed and it was everything she could do to borrow laptops and get articles up on her own blog. They had limited time and internet access so doubling up on two blogs was almost impossible. She’s going to stop by later this week on the blog and give you some highlights. We are so glad to have her home safe and sound and grateful to God that He uses her to bring attention to poverty stricken children. Amanda had the opportunity to be under the leadership of our good friend Shaun Groves and to serve alongside many of your favorite bloggers and women I’m so personally crazy about: Melanie Shankle (Big Mama), Sophie Hudson (Boomama), Kelly Stamps (Kelly’s Corner) and Ann Voskamp (A Holy Experience). To say that I’m thankful to our own Lindsee for her partnership in serving you is an understatement. She grows dearer and dearer to us everyday.

Let’s see now. What have I been up to? I know one area where I could catch you up! Like many of you, church life is a huge part of my personal life. We are officially heading into our third month as a church plant at Bayou City Fellowship under my dear son-in-law’s pastorate here in Houston. He has done a magnificent job of leading the charge and bringing the Scriptures. You’ve also never seen a core team work any harder and with any better attitudes. You may recall that we are renting space at a large Christian high school so everything has to be set up from scratch every week for the many children and for anything else unique to BCF. (Like signs, posters, welcome tables, community group information, the platform for worship, etc.) I shared with you several months ago that I was just going to serve wherever they asked me. So, here’s what I’ve gotten to do so far and have loved every single second of it:

*My main job is greeting so I do lots and lots of that. I say a plethora of hellos and ask about their week and I also hug anyone that looks like she needs one or just wants one. I also try to read that look on a face that says, “Don’t touch me.” And then I usually refrain. If I don’t, I usually wish I had. Grin. I just hate the awkwardness of hugging someone who doesn’t hug back.

*I also help with the coffee bar each Sunday morning and I have told Pastor Curtis on a number of occasions NEVER to underestimate the ministry of coffee. We find out just how crucial we are every single time something goes wrong resulting in a dismal coffee fail. (Which has indeed and unfortunately happened on several occasions. The shock and awe on disappointed faces were enough to leave Melissa and me nearly permanently scarred. Caffeine addicts without their caffeine should have their pictures plastered on warning posters. They are dangerous. I nearly wore a bicycle helmet the week following our worst debacle.) We usually serve two different flavors: Texas Pecan and Cocoa Nibs (I never know what to think about the word “nibs.” I wouldn’t have chosen it.)

And, of course, we serve real half and half. That’s key to a decent coffee bar. Powder is unforgivably lame and, should you set it out on the counter, no one will take you seriously as a coffee connoisseur. I also bring some holiday flavorings that tend to be big hits. My friend Beverly Newman (a Christian counselor I’ve known for I bet 20 years and a new member of BCF) has a young adult daughter who is a fabulous cook. Almost every Sunday morning, Beverly brings a silver platter of baked goodies via her talented offspring and we set it out near the coffee. We’ve had all sorts of creations like, for instance, carrot cake balls and oatmeal raisin cookies. Yesterday she sent delicate, nearly paper-thin sugar cookies in the shape of gingerbread men that only had a hint of gingerbread in them. I nearly cried they were so good. Needless to say, it’s first come, first serve so they don’t last very long.

*One week I got to help take the offering and it was so exciting. I was nervous that I’d drop the plate or miss a row or repeat one twice so I prayed that I’d do a good job at it and, frankly, I may have, to God be the glory. Laughing. One of the things that’s so exciting about a church plant is that you are OUT ON A VERY THIN LONG LIMB. Out there at high risk. Many don’t make it. At my beloved church of nearly thirty years, unless we were in a building campaign, I don’t really remember being intensely prayerful or hyped up in the spirit over our offerings. I say that to my shame. It’s such a big church with so many faithful members and I guess I just had the feeling that it would all get covered. We participated in giving, of course, but I just can’t remember often feeling a deep sense of urgency. Taking the offering is a whole different thing at a church plant. Some of you know exactly what I’m talking about. Our pastor is very serious about missions and outreach so, on several occasions, he’s designated a large part of what we receive toward another ministry. I’m so thankful for that. I respect him – and his wife – very much.

*And, last but far from least, I get to help on occasion with the elementary school students during children’s church. I love getting to do craft-time with Amanda. She works with the children every other week so she stays quite busy on Sundays and it’s fun for us to partner. Twice I’ve gotten to teach the Bible lesson and I just love it. It feels so good to be teaching on Sunday mornings again. The kids get really involved in the lesson and answer back with great gusto when I ask them to repeat something. They also use a lot of their limbs during worship and I like that. I tend to use mine too. Yesterday our lesson was out of Genesis 18 when the three visitors appeared to Abraham. I got four volunteers to help me act it out: three boys for the visitors and one girl to play Sarah and yours truly was Abraham. On Saturday night, I wished so much that I could find one of those long fake gray beards to wear during the lesson but I did not have time to acquire one. I was so mad at myself for not thinking of it sooner. If only I could have remembered where I last set mine. I had several wigs for such occasions but, sadly, no spare beards. The children and I talked about what kind of meals we might make if God and two angels visited us one day while we were in our tents. Hands down, the children believed God and angels alike would most appreciate macaroni and cheese and who could argue with that? Others felt that pizza would be particularly hospitable. They were so enthusiastic that I had a feeling like God would join many of them for lunch that day. They just might not know it.

I had a really sweet moment yesterday that I pray God will seal in my memory forever. Miss Cassie was leading us in children’s worship and all the other workers and I mixed in with the children. We were all on our feet ready to give God some raucous praise and my darling Jackson caught my eye and motioned for me to come worship by him. It touched me so. I really didn’t know what he’d think about Bibby serving in his class but I knew then that he was not embarrassed. He’s such a champ. Miss Cassie leads us in very upbeat worship where we can sing loud and do lots of hand motions. There was even one time when we got to pogo (one of my love languages) and turn around in circles and pump our right fists into the air as we sang “One way, Jesus!” (I’m laughing but also getting a lump in my throat thinking about it.) There we were, a grandson and his grandmother, grinning ear to ear, jumping up and down side by side, praising Jesus, the worthy Son of God.

And I realized how many of my prayers God had answered. As I lived and breathed, it was praise-dancing with granny. In public.

You mothers and you teachers of children, do not dare minimize the power and importance of your labor. The great commission is never more readily received than by the flailing arms of children.

Oh, mercy. I’ve got to get ready for staff prayer time and devotional. Better run! Forgive type-o’s! How are you girls doing???

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I have lived in the same city and gone to the same church my entire life. That is no exaggeration. The only exception would be the four years I spent in college in Huntsville, Texas.

It was never my plan to graduate college and attend the same church I grew up at, but the Lord had other plans. Not only did I return to that church, I found myself on staff full time as the Girls Ministry Director. Isn’t He so funny like that? To turn our plans upside down?

I dearly loved my church and was so blessed by being on staff and honored that they would even take a chance on me in that position, but one thing we were lacking was a strong young adult program. To be completely honest, when someone would come that was a “young single” I simply referred them to another church. I didn’t know what else to do because we had a college group that met Sunday mornings, but other than that; we literally had nothing for them. How sad is that?

Slowly more friends were coming back to Cypress after graduating and we finally decided that we needed to do something about this ministry.

After praying about it, planning, and recruiting some leaders, in May of 2010 we had our first Bible study. I think there were a total of five of us there. You have to start somewhere, right?

We continued to meet and grow and now a year a half later, we kicked off our small groups just last week. The Lord has given the group favor and it has been neat to be a part of it from the beginning and watch it grow.

This summer as the Lord began to make it clear to me that He was leading me elsewhere, more than anything; I mourned knowing that eventually I’d be leaving that group as well.

In an intentional attempt to get involved and plugged in at my new church, I’ve slowly been pulling out of this group.

For instance, I’m not doing a small group with them. Not only because I’m a part of a community group at my new church, but because come January I’ll be at Tuesday night Bible study. (Which, by the way, I am thrilled to be a part of.)

When they were calling out the small groups last week, they explained that they purposefully didn’t put friends in the same group so that they could get out of their comfort zone and meet new people and make new friends.

I looked at my friend Allison right away and told her I felt like I’d been ripped from my comfort zone.

Because that’s exactly how I feel.

I started attending Bayou City Fellowship right away and to say I love it would be the biggest understatement of the year. I absolutely adore my church. It has been a breath of fresh air to my soul that was starting to feel really dry and stuck.

However, not only am I attending a new church, I also have a new job.

After leaving a place I’d been 26 years, I walked into a ministry that’s been established for over 15 years.

Both Living Proof Ministries and Bayou City Fellowship have been nothing but good to me. I am in no way complaining about the newness, it is just the reality right now.

No matter what, where or when, change is always tough.

What hit me last week in a fresh way was the thought that I really did leave my church. I’m not just trying something out for a few months and returning later, and I really do have a new job. Everything really is new and God willing, it’s not temporary. It was a fresh, hard, good reality.

There is always a honeymoon stage to all things new, and now that I’m feeling settled and learning this new rhythm to life, the honeymoon stage is ending and the reality is setting in.

I’ve never been married, but I’ve heard countless couples say that they couldn’t imagine loving their spouse more than they did on their wedding day, but even six months later, they are more in love than ever, and so on and so forth.

I imagine that is how this new season will turn out. I knew I loved it when I started, but now, even almost three months in, I love it even more.

All honeymoons must come to an end, but that means a sweet future of new memories is just around the corner.

At the beginning of this year I was feeling stuck, but yet comfortable and discontent all at the same time. Everything around me was so familiar and I wasn’t growing. I began to ask the Lord to move in my midst and He did just that. In fact, He did more and moved more than I could have ever asked or imagined.

Not only was I ripped from my comfort zone; I was also ripped from my discontentment. The Lord knew what He was doing. He knew what would challenge me and scare me. He knew what would spur me on. And although it’s hurt along the way, and tears have been shed, I am so thankful.

When I’m comfortable, I’m not growing. When I’m uncomfortable, I cling to Him, which is exactly where I need to be.

Slowly, but surely, I am feeling more at home in this new season. Thank you, Lord, for ripping me away from all things familiar.

“Forget about what’s happened; don’t keep going over old history. Be alert, be present. I’m about to do something brand-new. It’s bursting out! Don’t you see it? There it is! I’m making a road through the desert, rivers in the badlands.” Isaiah 43:18 – 19

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Good Monday morning, y’all! Just popping in to say hello and post the recap video from Living Proof Live this weekend. We’d love to hear from you if you were there! Thanks, Rich, for your hard work.

Also, be expecting to hear from Amanda quite a bit this week as she travels with Compassion International to Ecuador. I, for one, am looking so forward to reading what all the Lord will do in and through their team. Would you journey along with her as well through prayer? I know they would covet each and every one of them. You ladies are awesome! We love y’all.

Have a wonderful day!

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Hey Siestas!

Can you believe there are only two more Living Proof Live events left this year? So crazy!

With that said, this weekend our Siesta Mama will be live in Casper, Wyoming (where it is supposed to SNOW!), and we are so excited to offer 20 scholarship tickets, thanks to the Siesta Scholarship Fund, to those of you that are wanting to attend, but just can’t afford it at this time.

If you qualify for this, we will offer them to the first 20 ladies that call the Living Proof office during regular business hours (8:30 – 4:30 CST). Ask for Kimberly or Susan at 1-888-700-1999 and one of them will get you hooked up and squared away. If you happen to get a voicemail or call during the lunch hour, be sure to leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. We are so humbled and grateful that the Lord has allowed us to do this and pray that you are blessed by the Lord this weekend. May He speak straight to your heart!

“The Word of God has spoken, we are changed forever!” Let it be, Lord.

Anyone else out there heading that way this weekend?

We love you ladies!

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What???? Are you kidding me??? Verse 21?!?

We’re just four verses from the finish line, Sisters! To God’s great glory, we’re doing this thing! I grinned from ear to ear two weeks ago when someone posted “Jesus wept” as her verse. That’s fair game! All of us could use a little catch from time to time. You guys bring me so much joy. May God cause His love and power to explode within you because you’ve worked so hard and fought so many distractions to get to this point.

OK, Girlfriends, here’s mine:

Beth, Houston. “Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God. Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11 The NET Bible

Let me hear yours!

Stay the course, Sweet Things. You are so dearly loved and planned for by God.

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Hey Siestas! Happy Monday! I saw such ministry in action in your comments to the last post. Thank you so much for your compassionate hearts and authentic walks with Christ. You are a true privilege to serve.

I’ve been meditating on something for the last few days that I thought you might get all wound up in, too. We all know – I pray – that God is the only true Redeemer and wonder worker and that He alone is our Savior but, according to Scripture, He very much wills for His people to minister to one another through the power of His Spirit. Here’s the question I’m pitching on the table today:

When you’re trying to get back on your feet, whether you’ve fallen into sin, discouragement, distraction, pain, betrayal, or anything else that can tumble you to the ground, what do you find really helpful from fellow human beings and what do you find UNhelpful?

Really reflect on the questions before you answer them because I want you to think in terms of what is authentically HELPFUL. Not what your flesh or my flesh craves when we’re down. Not what simply soothes us for the moment but does us no real help in the long run. What really does help? And what doesn’t?? Also make sure that your answers are reasonable. In other words, our mentors may not be able to move us in with them for six weeks and cook for us while the two of us hash all of this through. Grin. No one can make us his or her whole life. Only Jesus is meant to be our lives. (Col. 3:4) Think within the bounds of what people are reasonable capable of doing. Within those lines, all is fair game.

Here are the ground rules: Be genuine. Be kind. Please do not try to get back at someone on here who has disappointed you. Let’s have pure motives here today. You know that I say that in love. It’s just human nature. Lastly, please answer succinctly. Just a few sentences for each question so we can read them all. If you want to participate, start each of the two answers like this:

It really helps me when someone…

It really doesn’t help me when someone…

We’re not looking for right or wrong answers. We’re just reflecting today on what reasonable things we can do for one another to actually help and considering what things simply do not. We are liable to discover that what helps one Siesta doesn’t at all help another. I think this is going to get very interesting.

You are the most wonderful blog community on earth. I am NUTS about you. Go for it, Girls! WHAT HELPS???

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Hey, Sweet Things!

As you can see from our title today, our topic is fighting for our marriages! The video is much longer than usual this time around (almost 25 minutes) and very un-slick and unrehearsed. It comes to you with a ton of love, however. I hope you get a chance to view it and, God willing, find some encouragement from it. In the event that you don’t get time, I want to make sure I put some written information here that God could cause to be life changing for a number of you. We talk about a wider range of topics concerning marriage on the video but one of the things I tell you about is a Godly couple I recently met with a profound ministry to those who have been devastated by infidelity. It’s called Affair Recovery and you can learn all about it at www.AffairRecovery.com. Here’s a short bio:

• Affair Recovery is based in Austin, Texas, and is the first company to offer anonymous online group support worldwide for those impacted by infidelity.

• Rick Reynolds brings over 20 years of experience and insight to his role as president and founder of Affair Recovery. [I suggest reading “Rick’s Story online: “In 1984, my marriage was devastated when I betrayed my wife. We had no idea where to turn….” ]

• Rick has counseled over 2,000 couples in-person, and to date 500 couples have completed Affair Recovery’s new online courses.

• They help people heal from the pain of affairs and betrayal.

• All of our materials are created by clinical professionals many of whom have personally experienced infidelity.

• “The introduction of interactive online courses through AffairRecovery.com is a dream come true for me as a marriage counselor,” says Reynolds. “Every day I wondered how we could provide more people out there with the access and support they need, when they need it and in an affordable manner. More importantly, how we could create a community that supports and encourages one another through the recovery process. Now we’re making that happen every day with clients through our online solutions.”

As Rick and Stephanie say,
“”It’s not as hopeless as it feels.”

Wouldn’t it be something if the devil got caught in the snare that he hid for your marriage and you let God restore and redeem all you’ve been through? With God, all things are possible. Even life after betrayal.

Let me say one more thing before I close. I say it on the video but it’s crucial that I say it here, too. Be VERY CAUTIOUS about your comments to this post. We will also be moderating them very carefully so give us plenty of time to post them after you leave them. The purpose of this blog and this post is encouragement and edification in Christ. Please do not divulge secrets, name names, malign or slander, even if you think someone deserves to be outed. I say this with much love and compassion: if you are not in the frame of mind to RECEIVE encouragement and edification or not in the frame of mind to GIVE encouragement and edification, please forego leaving a comment this time around. By all means, participate through reading, listening, praying and considering. You are so loved here, even if you’re madder than a hornet at your spouse and at what you’d call the system.

Many of you on here are involved in various women’s ministries. I hope you are blessed and relieved to know that a Godly framework exists for you to recommend to many who feel hopeless after infidelity.

And in case it’s been a while since anyone said this to any of you, I am so sorry for the hurts that have come to you. God collects your every tear, knows your every fear, and He can take every piece of your fractured heart and create in you a new one. There is life on the other side of absolutely anything if we’re in Christ. Even something that we feel like will nearly kill us. That’s what resurrection power is all about: raising the dead.

I love you so dearly.

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Today was like any typical Monday at LPM. We all arrived, debriefed our weekend with one another then put the pedal to the metal and got to work. Every Monday, as you’ve probably heard us say over and over again, instead of eating lunch, we have staff prayer time.

This Monday, however, we put a slight hold on our routine to celebrate our beloved bosses, Beth and Sabrina. Instead of scattering back to our offices after prayer time, we had a few surprises, which included a gift for each of them and snacks to celebrate these dear ladies. It was only necessary!

Our snacks included some delicious pastries from Panera Bread and we got our sweet Beth an incredibly soft and comfortable blanket and Sabrina a beautiful brass bracelet. It was so fun to watch them open their gifts with such excitement. I think my favorite part was when Sabrina was opening her gift and Beth said, “I’m so excited and I don’t even know what it is!” When it comes to all things girly, exciting and fun, there is just no place and no women like The Villiage. They do it up right!

All fun aside, these ladies are so dear to each and everyone of us at LPM. Sabrina works tirelessly to serve not only y’all, but also her staff. She does so much behind the scene work that I don’t even think I know all that she does. I am deeply grateful for her. Not to mention the fact that she can have a lot of fun! But that should come as no surprise to you.

If it weren’t for God’s work in Beth’s life, Living Proof Ministries wouldn’t exist and most likely, we would not be celebrating these wonderful women today. To say we love her is a vast understatement, and I know y’all love her too. I often think of John the Baptist when I think of Beth because she has certainly prepared and paved the way for us to know and love Jesus greater. Her greatest desire is that we would fall head over heels in love with Him and I think the Lord is pleased with her and the way she’s done just that and continues to do just that.

Both of these precious sisters are not only godly, but hilarious, fun, generous, beautiful, teachers and can pray down a room. They make LPM an even sweeter place to work.

I’ve only been on staff a mere six weeks and I can honestly say it’s been some of the sweetest and best weeks of my life. I couldn’t have imagined how much I would love these ladies like I do today. Yes, I think I can speak on behalf of every staff member at LPM to say that these bosses are a blessing

Yesterday was actually National Bosses Day, but today, how can you bless your boss? I realize that you might not be in an ideal situation and your boss may not be a blessing, and for that my heart is tender to you, but oh, if you blessed them in Jesus’ name. Let’s pray for our bosses!

So, here’s to our bosses! LPM loves you both so, so much!

P.S. How many times can I use the word bosses in one post? Forgive me, friends.

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