September 2008 Archives
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
A Note from Your Event Coordinator
Greetings Friends,
I can hardly contain my excitement about being with you this weekend! Kay, Beth, Priscilla, Travis and the whole event team are in focused prayer for what will take place during our days with you at The Thomas and Mack Center. God is up to really BIG things! We are confident in that.
There are a couple of things I want to remind you of as you get ready to attend the event. Please forward this letter on to others you know who are attending the event but may not be following the Deeper Still blog or receiving emails from us.
- Doors will open at 6:00 PM on Friday night. Please use good judgment about lining up early with 100 + temperatures.
- Concessions and Bookstore will be open before the event starts, during breaks etc.
- Box lunches will be pre-sold on Friday beginning at 4:00 PM outside the main entrance of the arena. Lunch cost is $12.00 and will include a Turkey sandwich, chips, fruit and bottled water. Cash and credit cards will be accepted. You'll be given a voucher to redeem your lunch on Saturday at the lunch break. We suggest you leave someone in line and go purchase for your group. Box lunch sales will be moved inside to the concourse near the main entrance once doors open. Watch the media slides or ask a volunteer for directions.
- Read all the information on your registration material in the next few days
- Any ticket, registration or will call needs will be served at the Will Call area near the main entrance. There will be tickets available at the door!
- Make sure you are in your seat by about 6:45 PM. You won't want to miss the new opening of the event at 6:58 PM. It's a big surprise!!!
- Watch for the Story Boards on the concourse. It's a great chance for you to express why God brought you to Deeper Still. Watch the media slides for more information about the these.
- Things to bring with you are: your wristband around your right wrist, your Bible, some cash, a light jacket or sweater, directions and cell phone.
- Other great things to bring with you are....smiles, patience, love in your heart, all your hurts and disappointments, great joy, everything about who you are.
- Lines will be long for everything from the restrooms to the concessions and bookstore. Use your time in line to make a fun connection with a few people that you don't know and share some encouragement in the Lord.
For those of you who will not be joining us in Las Vegas, catch up with all the latest on what's happening, including live coverage at the event by staying connected to the Deeper Still Blog!
I can't wait to see each one of you!!!
Betsy
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Feeding 5,000
Today the Production Team for Deeper Still: The Event travel and begin their set up in Las Vegas! If I wasn't so excited about the weekend I would probably fall down in a heap! The last few days have brought an overwhelming sense of...how do I even begin to describe it? In mere words it might be, "What are we doing?! A Christian women's event in Las Vegas! You've got to be kidding me!!!"
And how do I describe the emotions and feelings involved? It is similar to feeling you get when you are already on the roller coaster and you are climbing and climbing and climbing...and then you start thinking about the huge drop to come...it hasn't happened yet, but you know it is going to take your breath away.
I guess that sums up where I am today...almost to the top before the plunge...excited and scared all at the same time! You may think we get accustomed to these feelings before a large event like Deeper Still, but so far they are not going away for me! It is in these last few days before a huge Christian women's event that I need to hear a special word from the Lord. Not that I don't need that everyday, but especially on these days I need to know HE is going before me and HE has a great plan for ALL the women attending including me.
My time in God's Word yesterday was not a happy day. I'm reading through Matthew and yesterday John the Baptist was beheaded. A man who was obedient to God, preparing the way for the Messiah, doing all that God asked of him and then CHOP! Not an encouraging word for the day.
But isn't it just like God to bring just the right Word at just the right time. Today was Matthew14:13-21--Feeding the 5,000! What a wonderful word of promise for today--for me, for our Lifeway team, for our platform--Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Travis Cottrell and the praise team, and for the women attending Deeper Still in Las Vegas in two days. The Christian women in Las Vegas and our LifeWay team may feel like we only have a handful of fish and some rolls to share with a city of starving people--hungry for something more than the glitz, the glamour, and the sin associated with Las Vegas. Well, our Lord Jesus does miracles! And He can do things way bigger and brighter than Vegas!
That is what I am counting on as we head to Deeper Still: The Event in Las Vegas this weekend--our God who brings just the right Word at just the right time in a miraculous way! And the best part...when the lights fade, when the event is over...there are still 12 baskets full of food (Matt. 14:20). No one will leave hungry and there will be plenty of leftovers for later!
Who is coming to Deeper Still: The Event in Las Vegas hungry? Who, besides me, needs to hear a miraculous word from God meant for this time and season of life? Who is ready to come, be filled, and carry home baskets full of God's Word to ponder?
Friday, September 5, 2008
LIVE FROM LAS VEGAS!!!
FINALLY!!!
Yes, we are finally in fabulous Las Vegas for Deeper Still: The Event with Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, Travis Cottrell and the Praise Team! Sorry we were not online yesterday during traveling and set up. However, now we are ready to keep you up to the minute on the happenings at Deeper Still: The Event!
One thing you need to know...WE ARE ON PACIFIC STANDARD TIME IN LAS VEGAS! If you are following the live blog from the East Coast...it is going to be a late night! (However, my computer is set on CST, but don't let that confuse you on the post times)
Just to fill you in--the last 24 hours have been busy! The Production and Event teams have set up and prayed over the arena. Currently we have the Las Vegas Prayer Team prayer walking the arena. This steering team is a wonderful group of ladies from different churches all over Las Vegas. You need to know they are praying over every seat in this arena! I am headed off to join them as they pray around the concourse of the arena. I'll keep you updated as the day progresses! We are so blessed to have you join us live via the Deeper Still blog!
The Grand Canyon
Yesterday was a busy travel day as our team left Nashville and flew to Las Vegas. Praise God it was a pretty uneventful day. No delays, no lost luggage, no problems with rental vans, and no problems with set up at the arena. Did I say PRAISE GOD?! Still, yesterday was a day I will never forget.
At the end of our flight the pilot announced to the passengers that if we would look out the right side of the plane we would see the Grand Canyon. Guess who was sitting in a window seat on the right side of the plane? Yes me! And what a sight! I'm not sure if I'd ever seen the Grand Canyon from that perspective. I've only seen the Grand Canyon a few times in my life and always from ground level. Thinking about it even now...I am overwhelmed by the greatness of our Creator.
My perspective of Deeper Still: The Event also changed in those moments as I looked down upon the Grand Canyon. To look at the Grand Canyon from a higher perspective, to see the bigger picture--it was one of those moments when you realize how small we are, how big He is, and it makes the love of Christ even more meaningful. Amazing...Jesus would bridge the Grand Canyon between God the Father and us...even you...even me.
It is so good to know, as we complete sound checks and final details at the arena in Las Vegas, that God is bigger and He is involved from a higher perspective.
Las Vegas 101!
And that doesn't mean a college course number 101...it means at 6:00 pm it is 101 degrees in Las Vegas! The last hour has been a frenzy of activity! Volunteers and Encouragers arrived for training and orientation for their responsibilities during Deeper Still at 5:00 pm. What an incredible group of godly women! They are so excited about what God is doing in the lives and hearts of women in this area! Their anticipation for what the weekend holds is contagious!
Because of the extreme heat we opened the doors a little early to a flood of anxious women. You can sense their excitement as they chatter with their friends and sisters in the faith sitting around them!
I am going to ask all of you joining us via the Deeper Still blog to partner with us in prayer this weekend. The Encouragers are specifically praying 2 Peter 1:2-3 over the women attending Deeper Still Las Vegas...
May grace and peace be multiplied to you through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. For His divine power has given us everything required for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness.
2 Peter 1:2-3 (HCSB)
Trusting Him to multiply the fish and loaves we bring into a miraculous feeding for over 5,700 women at Deeper Still: The Event in Las Vegas!
6:58 pm
The opening media for Deeper Still: The Event will take your breath away! The images of this beginning...after "climbing the mountain" preparing for Deeper Still for months...we have reached the peak!
The music begins and the lights go down. The arena, now transformed into a sanctuary, is silent as a narrative (written by Travis Cottrell) is read by a lone voice (Tammy, one of the Praise Team members).
The seed, the Word of God, is planted for this weekend as we hear about the promise of the harvest to come. WE DESIRE THE HARVEST! WE DESIRE MORE FRUIT!
The narrative ends with "DIG....DEEPER STILL" as a roar goes up from the crowd of women who have been anxiously awaiting this time of praise and worship. And so we begin our journey of going deeper still this weekend praising and worshiping our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ!
Friday Night in Vegas!
These photos by our favorite event photographer Rich Kalonick will give you a glimpse into our worship experience at Deeper Still: The Event in Las Vegas. Praying you will worship our great God as you view these amazing photos!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
A Short Night!
Good Morning Sisters!
We are back live from Las Vegas at Deeper Still: The Event! The evening ended too quickly for us! Thought you might like this photo taken by Rich of our three amazing Bible teachers for Deeper Still: The Event. This photo was taken before Priscilla brought a message from God's Word as Kay and Beth blessed and prayed over our sweet sister.
Don't you just love to see these three sisters together! Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur represent three different generations of women and under God's authority and leadership build bridges between those generations. It reminds me of Psalm 90:1...
Lord, YOU have been our refuge in every generation. Psalm 90:1 (HCSB)
It seems only fitting to begin this morning with what Priscilla quoted to end last night, "He Is." These lyrics are from incredible songwriters Aaron Jeoffrey, a father-son duo.
He Is
In Genesis, He's the breath of life
In Exodus, He is the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, He's our high priest
In Numbers, the fire by night
Deuteronomy, He's Israel's Guide
Joshua, He's salvation's choice
Judges, He's Israel's Guard
In Ruth, the kinsmen's redeemer
1st and 2nd Samuel, our trusted prophet
In Kings and Chronicles He is Sovereign
In Ezra, He's the true and faithful scribe
In Nehemiah, the re-builder of broken walls and lives
In Esther, He's Mordecai's courage
In Job, the timeless redeemer
In Psalms He is our morning song
In Proverbs, He is our wisdom
Ecclesiastes, He's the time and season
In Song of Solomon, He is the lover's dream
In Isaiah He is Prince of Peace
In Jeremiah, the weeping prophet
Lamentations, the cry for Israel
Ezekiel, the call from sin
Daniel, the stranger in the fire
Hosea, the forever faithful
Joel, the spirit's power
Amos, the strong-arms that carry
Obadiah, the Lord our Savior
Jonah, the great missionary
Micah, the promise of peace
Nahum, our strength and shield
In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He's brings revival
In Haggai He restores that which was lost
IN Zachariah, He's our fountain
And in Malachi, He's the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings
AND THAT'S JUST THE OLD TESTAMENT
In Matthew Mark Luke and John, He is God and Messiah
In the spirit filled book of Acts, He is the reigning fire from Heaven
In Romans, He is the grace of God
Corinthians, the power of love
Galatians, freedom from the curse of sin
Ephesians, our glorious treasure
Philippians, the servant's heart
Colossians, He's God and the trinity
Thessalonians, our calling King
In Timothy, Titus and Philemon, He's our mediator and our faithful pastor
In Hebrews, the everlasting courage
In James, the one who heals the sick
In 1st and 2nd Peter, our faithful shepherd
In John and Jude, He's the lover coming for His bride
AND in the Revelation, in the very end, when it's all over, said and done, when time is NO MORE. He is and will always be the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, Prince of Peace, son of Man, Lamb of God, The Great I am, Alpha and Omega, God and Savior He is Jesus Christ the Lord HE IS EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED!
He is everything that we need and He is our refuge in every generation!
Thank you for joining us today on the blog as we continue to go deeper still!
One Thing God Won't Say...
As Travis Cottrell and the Praise Team are leading us in worship this morning at Deeper Still: The Event in Las Vegas, there is a great theme and tone to the morning. The crowd of women are loud and clapping and then they are silent and prayerful...but all in an attitude of focused reverence and worship.
Travis said, "I know there is at least one thing God won't say to us in heaven. God is never going to tell us that we worshiped Him too much."
And so the worship of our Great God continues through music and the Word this morning...
Praying you worship HIM today in whatever you do and wherever you go.
Making God's Word Priority
As we continue Deeper Still: The Event in Las Vegas this morning, our focus is on making God's Word priority. From the song "In the First Light" from Travis Cottrell's Christmas CD, Ring the Bells, (coming out October 7th) God's Word is priority.
Kay continued the theme that included making God's Word priority in our personal lives, our churches, our communities, and our country. Kay Arthur challenges us to have an impact upon others and the nations for God's glory as we keep our focus on God's Word and His ways.
Kay speaks truth as she leads the women in Las Vegas at Deeper Still to truly go deeper still in their relationship with their Savior.
In the midst of a serious, prophetic word from God, Kay Arthur caused the women to laugh.
..and cry.
And so as we dismiss for lunch these are the questions--
Will you make the Word of God priority?
Will you hold Truth up before this generation?
Deeper Still Continues in Las Vegas!
Saturday morning fun....
Saturday morning praise...
Saturday morning worship...
Saturday morning baby!!!
Thanks for the great photos Rich!
Raising Hands at Deeper Still Las Vegas
LifeWay is so honored and thankful to serve the Lord and you through this amazing Christian women's event called Deeper Still.These images are a small reflection of the praise and worship at Deeper Still: The Event in Las Vegas this weekend. We hope they lead you to worship our Savior Jesus and encourage you to dig deeper still into God's Word and in your relationship with Him.
Thanks for experiencing Deeper Still via the blog this weekend.
Blessings!
Monday, September 8, 2008
Share YOUR Deeper Still Testimony
Thanks to so many of you who are already sharing your testimonies of the weekend! It is such a blessing to hear specifically how God worked and is still working in your hearts and lives!
One of my experiences or testimonies of the weekend was the incredible privilege to work with the prayer team from the Las Vegas Steering Committee. The LifeWay team would like to say a BIG thank you to our Las Vegas City Coordinators and their steering committee. The prayer team (that I got to work with) planned numerous opportunities for the women of Las Vegas and beyond to participate and join together to undergird this event in prayer. In addition to local prayer times in Las Vegas, they maintained a nightly prayer line for 40 days prior to the event! It was an honor to pray with this team on Friday morning before Deeper Still: The Event in the arena! I can say without hesitation that they literally prayed over EVERY seat in that place! I know God heard those prayers and HE answered in miraculous ways!
So--THANK YOU LAS VEGAS CITY COORDINATORS AND STEERING COMMITTEE! We could never do one of these large events without teams like you...and we don't want to! It is such a pleasure every time we get to minister with godly women like you across the country.
As I've thought about the messages, the worship, the altar calls, the storyboards from the weekend at Deeper Still, I keep wondering how God spoke to you. How did He answer a prayer? How did He take your story and make it HIS Story?
We would love to hear your testimony. What did God do in your life and heart this weekend?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Las Vegas Deeper Still Video Recap!
Thank you sisters for all the wonderful testimonies you are sharing with us! We give God all the glory! Hope this video help you remember the weekend at Deeper Still and how God moved in your heart in specific ways. Thanks Rich Kalonick for capturing images that reflect what we can never express in words!
DeeperStill - Las Vegas 2008 from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.
Blessings!
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Deeper Still Blog...Signing Off for 2008
What an exciting ride we've shared on the Deeper Still Blog 2008! But with no more Deeper Still events in 2008, we are shutting her down after this week (September 12, 2008). So speak now or forever hold your piece! I will continue posting comments through Friday!
The great news is that you can still stay connected with LifeWay Women through our All Access blog!!! Check it out (if you haven't already) they have some great posts about Deeper Still: The Event in Las Vegas!
In addition to Deeper Still, they will have info about all things "women!" This includes Women's Events such as Livng Proof Live with Beth Moore, Going Beyond with Priscilla Shirer, You and Your Girl with Vicki Courtney, LifeWay Women's Training Events, new women's Bible studies, marriage conferences, and the list goes on and on. All Access is also great to keep you updated on Travis and the Praise team.
So, click here to check out All Access and put it on your favorites!
One more word before signing off. We, LifeWay Women, are so thankful to partner with you in ministry to other women across the country and around the world. God is doing great things in the hearts and lives of women! We are so thankful for all of you and how you are reaching out to other women, sharing God's word and the message of Jesus Christ. It is a blessing to serve with you!
Although we are signing off on the Deeper Still blog, we hope to see you at another LifeWay Women's Event in 2009! (Click here to check out where LifeWay Women will be in 2009!) I will continue to remember Deeper Still: The Event and think of Psalm 84...longing for God's house...
How lovely is Your dwelling place, Lord of Hosts. I long and yearn for the courts of the Lord; my heart and flesh cry out for the living God. Better a day in Your courts than a thousand anywhere else. Psalm 84:1-2, 10a
It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve you sweet sisters through the Deeper Still Blog! Many blessings as you continue to go deeper still in God's Word and with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Michelle