April 2011 Archives
Monday, April 11, 2011
Return of the blog
It's been awhile. And I honestly have to say I've missed the Deeper Still blog.
I remember the first year when Deeper Still: The Event began. LifeWay Women had pulled together Beth Moore, Kay Arthur and Priscilla Shirer for what would be an intense and amazing weekend of going deeper still in God's Word. (On second thought, really God had pulled these three women together for an event weekend like no other...because without God's hand all over it, we never would be able to pull off getting their three schedules together!)
Anyway, I remember our first conversations about creating the Deeper Still blog about 4 years ago. I guess we thought we were pretty cutting edge. Now looking at the blog page it looks so...retro! Over time we directed the Deeper Still blog friends to the LifeWay Women's All Access blog and we let the Deeper Still blog go stagnant. (Although we understand we have over 5,000 viewers each month still viewing the DS blog! Pretty awesome to think about!)
Well, now it is time for the RETURN OF THE BLOG!
We have two months before the final Deeper Still event. Yes, only two months and LifeWay Women will host our final Deeper Still in Louisville, Kentucky on June 10-11, 2011. Over the next two months we want to make sure we capture your stories from the previous Deeper Still Events, as well as, hearing about how God has taken you deeper still in your relationship with Him since the event.
We thought about maybe changing the look of the blog, but then became nostalgic as we reviewed its content and read your comments. It just seems right to leave it with the classic look.
I'm looking forward to the next two months as we look back on Deeper Still memories and make some new memories along the way! Please start sending your Deeper Still memories and stories as comments to let others know how God has changed and transformed your life as you've gone deeper still!
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Destination...Louisville
In case you are just now hearing the news, LifeWay Women will host our final Deeper Still: The Event in two short months! Yes, our final Deeper Still with Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shirer will be June 10-11, 2011!
Destination...Louisville, Kentucky!
Louisville was named after King Louis XVI of France and became a major stop on the Underground Railroad during the Civil War.
Louisville, Kentucky is known for a lot of things...horse farms, the Kentucky Derby, Louisville Slugger bats, and the Belle of Louisville steamboat to name a few.
Although we know where we are going and a few fun facts about Louisville, I'm not sure that we all know how to say it!
We've had several great pronunciations thrown out there. Its interesting that only one way of saying "Louisville" (KY) of those submitted includes the "s" sound. We know you don't hear the "s," so someone from Louisville, Mississippi or St. Louis, Missouri must have tossed that one in the choices.
But exactly how do you pronounce Louisville, Kentucky? What is your vote?
Loo a vull
Loo ee ville
Loo vull
Loo i vull
Loo a ville
Lou s ville
LifeWay Women would love to hear how you pronounce Louisville! Are any of these pronunciations even close? We need to hear from our native Kentucky gals on this one so we make sure we get it right!
However, no matter how you say it, we are headed to Louisville, Kentucky for our final Deeper Still event on June 10-11! See you there!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Focusing on Scripture
On Wednesdays and Sundays we are going to try and post some devotions that will challenge all our Deeper Still women to truly go deeper still in God's Word and in their relationship with Him. Also, any time you want to join us in our thirty days of directed prayer for Deeper Still: The Event...come on! Please visit our Louisville Deeper Still Intercessory Prayer Blog at www.louisvilledeeperstillprayer.blogspot.com. We always can use more prayer warriors!
Now let's focus on some scripture!
The instruction of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is trustworthy, making the inexperienced wise. The precepts of the Lord are right, making the heart glad; the commandment of the Lord is radiant, making the eyes light up. The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are reliable and altogether righteous.
-- Psalm 19:7-9
Michelangelo is one of the most inspired and well-known artists in history. As a sculptor, architect, painter, and poet, he influenced his contemporaries and has since had a great influence on art. One of Michelangelo's most important works was the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling. This was a huge undertaking. The center of the curved ceiling is more than 60 feet above the floor and over 5000 square feet. For four years he worked lying on his back on scaffolding, painting some of the most impressive images of all time. Instead of the original 12 figures of the apostles that Pope Julius II had suggested for the ceiling, Michelangelo painted more than 3000.
What do you think Michelangelo thought about as he looked up at the Sistine Chapel ceiling day after day?
Just as Michelangelo continued to look up and focus on the ceiling in the Sistine Chapel as he painted, how are you focusing your mind daily on scripture?
What are the things of earth that continue to distract you and hinder your focus on God and His word?
Reflection is when you take time to think and focus on the Scripture you have read. True meditation ponders the truth and allows it to transform our lives. Reflection, or meditation, is when we take the time to process and soak in all that we are learning and all that God is doing in our lives. It is taking the Scripture and incorporating it into our everyday living.
What are the promises in Psalm 19:7-9 that encourage you to continue studying and meditating on scripture?
After years of Bible study there may still be truths you don't understand. You may reflect on scripture for weeks or months and still struggle to verbally explain all that you are learning. However, pray and ask God to help you share with others how He is working and how time spent in God's Word is changing you.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Measuring God's Love
How do you measure God's love? BIG question and thought to ponder...
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His faithful love toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. -- Psalm 103:11-13
Mountains are huge. But which one is really the largest mountain? Mountains are usually measured from sea level, in which case Mount Everest at 29,028 feet is the king. However, Hawaii's Mauna Kea rises 33,476 feet from the depths of the Pacific Ocean floor. Measuring from the base to peak, Mauna Kea is the tallest mountain on earth.
With all the confusion over the highest mountain on the earth, is there really a way to measure how high the heavens are above the earth? How far is the east from the west? Is there really a way to understand how far God has removed our transgressions and sin away from us?
God's compassion for us is also beyond anything we can understand or measure. No matter how hard we try, our simple minds cannot comprehend the great love and compassion the Father has for us as His children. How do you explain God's love to others? How do you help them understand something that you don't quite understand yourself? How do you explain the unexplainable?
How do you explain and demonstrate God's love and compassion to others daily?
It would seem pretty obvious that to know and learn more about God's love and compassion you would dig deeper into the Bible. However, many people depend upon others for their knowledge of the Bible. Others may help you learn more about the Bible, but they cannot replace the time you spend in relationship with God reading the Bible for yourself. The more you read the Bible the more God speaks to you personally through His Word.
Pray God will continue to demonstrate His compassion for you in tangible ways as you continue going deeper still in your relationship with Him. Look for the mountain tops when God reveals glimpses into His love and compassion for you. Pray and thank Him for loving you beyond your understanding. And find time this week each day to go deeper still in God's Word and your relationship with Him.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Guess this Deeper Still Event City...
We thought it would be fun to have a little guessing game for today's post. We are going to take a little trip back in time...back to 2007? 2008? 2009? 2010? and let you guess which of the Deeper Still cities hosted this particular Deeper Still event based on the photos and a few clues.
Sound fun?! OK...let's go!
This Deeper Still event was our largest to date. We packed out this huge arena and created a satellite location in the same city that hosted an additional 3,000 plus women.
Worship was amazing! Travis Cottrell and the Praise Team lead us, as well as a special guest!
Hint: She sang with Travis and Praise Team before heading off to become an American Idol contestant. Do you recognize her? She looks a little different in 2011.
Wristbands, instead of tickets, were a fairly new addition to LifeWay Women's events at this Deeper Still event.
Bible teacher, Kay Arthur, was in a wheelchair at this particular Deeper Still event. She had broken her foot, ankle, or something...I don't really remember now. However, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer decided to play a little joke and join Kay for the panel discussion in wheelchairs and other assorted braces and slings!
This city, which hosted one of the first Deeper Still events, is often recognized by the "BATMAN" building seen in the background of this photo outside the arena as the women waited for doors to open.
Here is the list of Deeper Still cities to choose from...
1. San Francisco, California
2. Nashville, Tennessee
3. Las Vegas, Nevada
4. Atlanta, Georgia
5. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
6. Greensboro, North Carolina
7. Orlando, Florida
8. Denver, Colorado
9. Birmingham, Alabama
And of course #10 will be June 10-11, 2011 in Louisville, Kentucky! (But you don't want to use up your guess on an event that hasn't happened yet!)
What is your guess from the 9 cities listed above? Can you name the city of this specific Deeper Still?
(Check out the blog tomorrow for the answer!)
Friday, April 15, 2011
Did you guess the city?
Don't read this post if you didn't read yesterday's guessing game!
We gave clues about a unique Deeper Still event city and wanted you to guess the city...did you get it?! Did you recognize the city? The people?
Mandisa...
The "Batman" building?
Did you guess it? That's right...Nashville, Tennessee!
Home of Deeper Still: The Event September 7-8, 2007!
With Pancake Pantry...
The Loveless Cafe...
The Parthenon...
The Ryman...
Jack's BBQ...
and some of the most amazing people in the world!
If you were at Deeper Still: The Event in Nashville in 2007, please let us know and share a little of your story. We want to hear how God worked in your life during the weekend and how He has taken your deeper still in the following years.
Let us know how Deeper Still impacted your life!
Monday, April 18, 2011
Final Episodes
It doesn't matter whether or not you watched the TV show (or even if you were alive when the series was on the air)...there are some TV shows that are recognized for their final episodes.
Do you remember hearing about the last episode of old television show Newhart? It ended with a scene in which Bob Newhart was with his "wife" (Suzanne Pleshette) from the original "The Bob Newhart Show" which was done years before the Newhart series. (Kind of confusing when they use the main actor's name as the title for all his shows...even when he is playing another character.) The twist for the finale was that the entire eight-year Newhart series was a single nightmare of Dr. Bob Hartley from The Bob Newhart Show provoked by eating too much Japanese food before going to bed. TV Guide would later chose this episode as the best finale in television history as it pulled together two successful TV series.
Or what about the final episode of Seinfeld? In a courtroom scene in the final episode, they bring back many of the leading characters who were in one or more episodes throughout the series' run. The four main characters are on trial and as the credits roll they sit together in a jail cell. Jerry, Elaine, George, and Kramer are unfazed by the trial and their sentencing. Instead, as usual, they begin to focus on insignificant issues. Buttons on shirts and other trivial matters that had always been the theme of the show...a show about nothing...as they liked to say.
Another iconic series finale was from Lost. All the survivors are reunited together after having died in some kind of limbo timeline. In the end the characters reunite in a church and then "move on together." Not sure who saw this ending coming, I know I didn't!
I'm sure you can think of many other significant "final episodes." They might be related to a television series or a season of life.
As we approach our own "grand finale" of Deeper Still: The Event, we are expecting significant moments and a blessed ending to this God ordained season of a women's ministry event. We hope you will join us June 10-11 in Louisville, Kentucky and not miss this historical moment and the final episode of Deeper Still.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Going Deeper Still
About three years ago several moms connected through the Deeper Still blog and decided to meet face-to-face at Deeper Still: The Event in Atlanta. It was a unique story that brought these eight women together.
The common denominator, in addition to their love for Christ, they all had lost babies in the previous year. Most of them actually lost a baby in the three or four months prior to Deeper Still in Atlanta 2008 to Trisomy 18. You have to get into genetics to even begin to understand all of this, but unlike Down syndrome with its varying degrees of severity, Trisomy 18 is usually fatal. They knew before their babies were born that they most likely would not have them in this life for long. Yet, they opened their hearts and loved them with everything they had for as long as they could physically.
All of these sweet mommies carried their babies and then returned them into God's hands within hours or days after birth. For one of these mommies, the weekend of Deeper Still Atlanta 2008 was only four weeks after she had physically let go of her little one. For another it was exactly one year after the loss of her baby. The longest any of these young women had her baby on this earth was 138 days.
My heart was broken by their stories. I still can't begin to know the loss they feel. But I was also so encouraged by their dependence and passion for our great God. To watch them worship was amazing. And I can't begin to express the impression they made upon my life through a few blog comments and a short gathering at Deeper Still to talk and pray and hug.
We hope by revisiting their story of God's love and grace, you will be encouraged regardless of what you may be facing. You never know how God will move and work in your life...they didn't and look how far God brought them as they chose to trust Him and go deeper still with Him each day...and for every breath.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Deeper Still: A Divine Appointment Indeed
By the time I pulled into the dark parking lot of the hotel at nearly 1:00 a.m., I was spent. I had been trying to get there for what seemed like forever. My heart was pounding and my mind was racing as I handed my keys to the man at the valet desk and made my way to Room 112. Heavier than either the bag on my shoulder or the box of t-shirts in my arms was the need to look into the eyes that were awaiting me, to fall into the arms it had taken me so long to reach. I wondered if I would cry. I thought I might laugh. But when the door slowly opened, I did neither. There, in that little room, were six of the best friends I will ever have. As I hugged them one by one, I began to wonder if that is what Heaven might be like. Our babies are already there, after all, so we have each spent a great deal of time trying to imagine how our eternal home will be. There in that simple hotel room in Atlanta, in the middle of that June night, I believe we were given just a glimpse.
We stayed awake, chatting in our pajamas like old friends instead of women who had just met until our eyes finally closed. Sweet Kenzie fell asleep before the rest of us, as her body is working hard as the Lord knits her third child together in her womb. What a blessed little girl that will be to have one big brother in the world and one big brother in Heaven. Sweet Maddox was born in January and opened his eyes to gaze upon his earthly father just before he closed them and saw his Heavenly One. In a moment, he changed more lives than most people do in many years. We slept in the next morning, and then made our way down to Starbucks to continue our conversations over the very comfort foods (and beverages, of course) that have helped to sustain our broken hearts this year. Just to sit all together at one table instead of in separate drive-thru's scattered all across the country was a miracle and a joy to behold!
That afternoon, we pulled the brown t-shirts I had carried in the night before over our heads and everything changed. Like soldiers dressed for battle, we headed to the airport to gather one more sister before we went to worship together at Deeper Still: The Event. Just four weeks before Karen stepped off that plane, her precious baby boy Jacob Ryan had left his earthly father's arms for his Heavenly Father's hands. Her third son, he had lived a miraculous 138 days in this world as a Trisomy 18 miracle. It was only fitting that Yvette was waiting there to meet her, too. Her third son, Tristan Asher, was the only other one of the babies represented that weekend who had made it home from the hospital. He, too, was a Trisomy 18 miracle and spent an incredible 56 days under our sun before he, too, found complete healing at home in Heaven. When we rejoined our group, I had the privilege of introducing my sweet new friend to every one in the group and one more special grieving mother, our friend Kirsten. By God's divine intervention, that California girl was also in Atlanta and she needed to look into eyes and be embraced by arms who understand just as much as any of us. Her first baby girl, Chloe Faith, was born into the arms of Jesus in April and changed her life forever. Meeting for the first time was such an unnecessary charade. We knew each other by heart.
Kim and I share the bond of being Kentucky girls. Atlanta wasn't our first meeting. I met her for the first time just days after she was given the incredible honor of holding her third daughter, the beautiful Mary Grace, for seven sacred hours. As long as I live, I will never forget how it felt to see that tiny white casket covered in roses resting silently at the front of all those pews. I knew I was standing on holy ground. It had only been six months since my husband and I had endured that impossible task. It was an unspeakable honor to finally embrace the woman I had prayed so fervently for. It broke my heart to know that she, too, understood the pain of standing with an empty, still womb before a tiny casket that held the treasure she had cherished for so long. And yet, even then, she and I knew that the Lord was working. His plan was bigger than we knew. As we exchanged glances and laughter over that lunch table with seven other women who knew the same secret in Atlanta, we believed it more than ever.
I never dreamed when I held my sweet Miller Grace and sang to her until the angels carried her home on the morning of June 28 last year that I would even be standing one year later, much less standing and worshiping our Maker with the mothers of her best friends in Heaven! The two days we spent together with our arms raised high in praise to our Lord, with the names and life spans of our babies written on our backs, were simply too sacred for words. Try as I might, I could never capture the sanctity of such a divine appointment. We shared everything from snacks to tears as Priscilla reminded us that even the Israelites endured a time of wilderness before they were able to stand on the mountain of God. We wept as we watched her throw her elbow in the air, portraying to us how a mother eagle will offer a wing to her little ones when she realizes they cannot fly on their own. We swallowed hard and nodded when she said the Lord will do the same for us. We sat still while our hearts were absolutely moved as Kay Arthur challenged us to open our eyes and see the state of our nation for what it is. We took it to heart when she called us to action. When we sat on the sidewalk to eat our boxed lunches together, we were more determined than ever to make the most of the moments we are given in this world.
We held our breaths as Beth Moore took the stage. She has played such a crucial role in so many of our lives during this season. When she said she felt moved to offer a time of prayer before she spoke, we needed it more than anyone. When we found the strength and the joy we needed to return to our seats, we were thirsty for a Word and she did not disappoint. Grief has a way of making a girl desperate for relief and sweet Beth reminded us that Jesus is the One and Only Deliverer. By the time the praise band took the stage again, our group of eight from all walks of life and all corners of the nation couldn't help but lock hands in the air. I think I will always count those moments I spent with my left hand in Karen's and my right hand in my dear friend Chrissy's among the sweetest I have known. Chrissy and I share the special bond of having held little dark haired girls for five days before they breathed their last against our chests. There is not a doubt in my mind that Eva Janette, Miller Grace, and all their precious friends were worshipping right alongside us that day.
As the event came to a close, our adventure reached its climax. We filed into a small vacant room backstage, and absolutely could not believe it when Beth Moore and her own baby girl followed us in. I can speak for all of us when I say we would give just about anything to have video footage of those moments to watch over and over again on hard days. With all the intensity of a woman on fire for God and all the love of a mother with a heart broken for us, she called us to our knees. As she, her daughter Amanda, and our dear new friend Michelle walked around us and laid their beautiful hands on us, Beth offered up the most beautiful prayer to our Lord that my ears have ever heard. She was undaunted as the sound of our sobbing and the presence of our Lord filled the room. She continued to petition God on our behalf, to ask Him to be glorified in our lives, to make Satan sorry he ever messed with us, to bring healing here and to transform our ashes into beauty. Though I doubt she knew it, Beth Moore instilled in us that day a courage to pray boldly to our Lord, a hope that beauty is indeed on its way even when ashes are all we can see, and a peace that comes only in knowing that His plan is still to prosper us and not to harm us, to give us hope and a future.
I will never forget standing there with one of my hands on the back of Beth Moore and my eyes on the seven women who held my heart, there on the very day on the calendar that my girl finally received healing one year before. June 28th is a day of redemption indeed. I will forever be moved to envision in my mind, again and again and again, how Beth embraced our sweet friend Kristy that day. She is perhaps the most faithful of us all, as she is the mother of two little boys in Heaven. Kristy and I share the bond of being mothers to little ones whose neurological conditions cannot be named or explained, while the rest of our friends' little ones share the commonality of having been diagnosed with Trisomy 18 prior to birth or soon thereafter. Kristy's second son, Isaac Matthew, would be three this year and Asher Joseph, her fourth son, joined his brother just four months ago. To listen as she told Beth her one prayer request in all of this is that the Lord would be glorified somehow spoke volumes to our broken hearts. Only God.
Overwhelmed by His goodness, resting in His grace, we did what all smart women do: we went to the Mexican restaurant! It was then that I finally had the chance to really talk with Angie, the mother of precious Poppy Joy. Her blog was the first one I had dared to read during those first months after Miller Grace left us. I will never forget praying for that beautiful baby girl while she was in Angie's womb, then marveling over her beauty and the joy that filled her pictures that day in December. When I read of her arrival, the beautiful three hours she spent with her family, and her gentle passing all in one post, I realized for the first time that I was not alone. And I began to suspect the Lord was up to something wonderful. As we sat there, changed women knitted together by sorrow and grace, that Saturday afternoon in Atlanta, it was confirmed. He is absolutely on the move.
The Lord does not always work in ways we expect and sometimes, He works in ways that break our hearts. But He is still good and He is still worthy of our praise. No matter the heartache, the joy will always outweigh the sorrow in the end. The weeping may last for a night - or a year - but the joy is on its way. We may be wandering in the wilderness tonight, but we can rest assured that we are on our way to the Promised Land. We cannot afford to waste a single moment that we are given. Little babies that lived six days, five days, three hours, seven hours, one moment, fifty-six days, thirty-five minutes, five days, and one hundred thirty-eight days came to remind us to live each breath to its fullest. Their tiny footprints are big shoes to fill we know, but it is our heart cry and our sincerest prayer that the Lord might use their little legacies and our lives to challenge you to do the same.
Emily
On behalf of LifeWay Women everywhere, we thank Emily and all of these moms for sharing their stories with us. Join us tomorrow on the blog as we continue their story. And please send us your stories letting us know how God continues to take you deeper still in relationship with Him.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Going Deeper Still Continued...
If you missed yesterday's blog post, go back and read it before reading this one. This is the sequel to the story and what happens when women continue going deeper still with Jesus and trusting Him for everything.
January 18, 2010
What Happened to Those Mamas in the Brown Shirts?
We became known by the color of our t-shirts, but we had more in common than that. We had each said goodbye to one of our babies in the last year. But we had more in common than that, too. Heartbroken and confused, we were clear about one thing and one thing alone: we wanted to see His glory.
It was in the praying for, the holding tight, and the letting go of our little ones that we found out who our Savior really was and is and is to come. He is mighty. He is meek. He is quiet. He is loud. He is strong. He is gentle. He weeps with us. He rejoices with us, too. He listens closely and answers clearly. He heals. He holds when healing doesn't come. He makes sense when nothing does. His breath is warm. His arms are strong. He is real. He is present. He is God.
It had been exactly one year since my daughter's death. It had been four weeks since Karen's son had died. In the time between, Angie, Yvette, Kim, Kenzie, Kristy, and Chrissy had all said goodbye to their babies, too. For Kristy, it was her second son to release to the Lord. By the grace of God, we converged on Atlanta for a weekend that would change us forever.
Deeper Still: The Event was sacred to us. We were able - for the first time in a long time - to feel somewhat normal and understood as we sat together, prayed together, learned together, and worshiped together. Our eyes and the tears that flowed from them, our hands and the way they couldn't stay down any longer, our voices and the way they quivered as we sang His praises seemed to say it all.
It has been a year and a half since we have seen each other's faces and held each other's hands. As long as I live, I will never forget how it felt to take Karen's sweet face in my hands just before she climbed out of my car and onto her plane, as I promised her that her God was still going to be good a year from then. I remembered wondering how I would make it through a day, when my grief was fresh and my heart was raw, and it was my heart cry to prove to her that our God was more than able to carry her through, too.
I think all eight of us would agree today that God is indeed good and He has indeed carried us further than we ever dreamed He might. God was doing a work in our hearts before our babies ever came or our suitcases arrived in Atlanta, Georgia, and He will be working long after our new babies are grown and gone. That's right. Every single one of us has been blessed with a brand new life in her home. If you had asked us that weekend in Atlanta where we would be in a year and a half, I am quite certain none of us would dared to dream we could possibly be right where we are now.
Poppy Joy Luce was the first of our babies in Heaven to gain the Big Sister status when her parents and big sister brought the beautiful Adrienne Christine home in May, 2008, and made Adrienne's adoption official on Poppy's 1st Birthday that December. Tristan Asher Hostetter's parents were blessed with the opportunity to bring a sweet baby girl (born on Tristan's mommy Yvette's birthday, no less) home from the hospital in October, 2008, making him a Big Brother, just like his own two big brothers at home.
Maddox Donald Stanfield soon earned his Big Brother status when his stunning baby sister, Faith Clare, was born in November, 2008. Judging from his own Big Brother's smile, I imagine Maddox was a happy boy that day, too. Eva Janette's mommy learned she was expecting her new blessing - Eva's adorable baby brother Dante, born in February, 2009 - the very weekend we were all together in Atlanta. Many of us watched Chrissy's elation and wondered if that would ever be ours again. Oh, how God must have been smiling then!
Kim and I, both Kentucky natives and moms of three girls, were roommates that weekend. We could never have dreamed what God in store for us. The following April, our newest baby girls were born a week apart. Miller Grace became a Big Sister to my dear Abigail Joy on April 2nd. Mary Grace became a Big Sister to the precious AnnaGrace Pearl on April 9th. How awesome.
But, God wasn't done!
After four boys, Kristy welcomed an amazing baby girl, Hope Amelia, on the first day of June. I can only imagine how proud Isaac Matthew and Asher Joseph had to have been of their family that day. True to form, our dear friend Karen was the last to join our joyful chaos. Jacob Ryan became the third Big Brother in his family when Karen delivered her fourth gorgeous boy, Jeremiah Gabriel, this past August.
We are just eight women. If you passed any of us in the grocery store, you likely would not give us a second glance. (Unless, of course, one of our children threw an orange at you or something.) We are ordinary in every way. We come from farms and big cities alike. Some of us are working moms and some of us stay at home. Some of us home school and some of us do not. Some of us are nursing mothers and some of us are not. While it is true that some of us have urns on our mantels and others of us buy silk flowers instead of toys when special occasions roll around, you would never know that by looking at us.
Our story is one of God's power. By no other means could we, as ordinary women who love our children with all we are, have survived the storm we have come through. By no other means could our scarred hearts have healed so much. By no other means could our families have known peace and joy again. Our hope is not in our children in Heaven any more than it is in the children in our arms. Our hope comes in knowing where our true treasure lies, fixing our eyes on what is not seen, but unseen; on what is not temporary, but eternal.
"But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body." (2 Corinthians 4:7-10)
In Christ alone,
Emily
On behalf of LifeWay Women everywhere, we thank Emily and all of these moms for sharing their stories with us. To God be the glory.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Praying for Deeper Still
The Deeper Still Conference will bring a diversity of women--women with all kinds of different stories, women with different pasts. Today as we join in prayer, we want to focus on the fact that there will be women at this conference that are really hurting. They may be fighting an addiction. They may be going through a divorce. They may be dealing with a disorder or illness. They may be in an abusive relationship. Perhaps they are struggling with depression, loneliness, unforgiveness, anger, unbelief...the list could go on and on. The reality is that everyone has something in her life that she is struggling with.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Loving deeply with all your heart
Our hearts are the very center of our being. Within our bodies, the heart is the organ that pumps and circulates blood to all the body's other organs. It is a fountain of life and renewal, supplying strength and energy, enabling us to breathe, to move, to think and to feel.
Spiritually, our hearts are also our core...the fountain from which all else flows...our emotions, our intentions, our passions, our affections, our purposes, even our thoughts. (Read Deuteronomy 6:5-6, 30:6; Matthew 22:34-38 and Ezekiel 36:25-27.) Just as blood is constantly flowing through our hearts, so our lives are constantly being filtered through that innermost part of ourselves. Our love relationship with Jesus is rooted in our hearts and affects every other part of our lives.
The Bible tells us of various heart conditions. Some hearts have become hardened to the truths of God's Word, hardened in response to difficult circumstances, hardened due to lack of care, and hardened out of disobedience. These hearts often neglect prayer, praise and fellowship, hearing God's voice, and failing to acknowledge His ways.
Other hearts such as the one displayed in Psalm 145, are described as overflowing, gushing, thankful and bursting forth like a fountain of love.
The words of God are written deeply in these hearts, and their peace is even deeper.
Do you love Him deeply with all your heart?
If so, write a love note to Him. If you are struggling with a "failing" heart, one that is working but not as it should, write a prayer, inviting Him to come and refresh your heart. Ask Him to cut away that which is sin or is not useful to the Kingdom of God. If you feel your heart has lost all hope of love, write a prayer asking Him to revive your love relationship completely with His resurrection power.
If you have never known His great love, confess your need for Him today and respond to His
unrelenting love for you.
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Loving deeply with all your mind
Loving God with absolute devotion will most certainly include our minds (Matthew 22:37-38). How can we love God more deeply today with our thoughts, our intellect, our understanding, our reasoning, even our imaginations?
We can love God deeply in our minds by talking with Him in prayer continually, by learning the truths of His Word, and by asking Him to conform our minds into His likeness. God's thoughts remain toward us throughout each day. Because He is always available to us, our thoughts can also remain on Him. We can maintain conversation with Him and talk with Him about everything that comes our way. When we are faced with choices, we ask Him for direction. When we are troubled or afraid, we can pray for comfort. He is with us wherever we are, and our minds can stay focused on Him. (Read 2 Corinthians 10:5 and 1 John 5:20.)
We can love God deeply with our minds by filling them with His Word. Studying, memorizing, and meditating on the Word of God will help us to be able to capture our thoughts, and to demolish any lies that our enemy would bring against us. Ask God to reveal to you the condition of your mind.
Are there areas of resistance? Things that you don't like to think about or find difficult to even pray about? Would you consider taking a first step today....as a love offering to the One who loves you so much? Would you invite Him into that place....those recurrent thoughts, those persistent sins, that tiring struggle, that place that is too painful to address.
Write a simple prayer, inviting God into those thoughts and asking Him to sanctify this area of your thinking with His truth. Ask Him to rewrite the content of your mind, aligning your thinking perfectly with His. Thank Him that He is faithful and that He will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Fun photos
A picture speaks a thousand words....so we thought it would be fun for you to see some photos of the happenings surrounding past Deeper Still events as you prepare for Deeper Still Louisville on June 10-11! Enjoy!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Praise for the Praise Team!
When Living Proof Live events began about 12 years ago, Beth Moore was introduced to a young man named Travis Cottrell. Little did they know that over the years as they ministered together they would become as close as family.
Travis gathered together some of his favorite musicians and close friends to form the Praise Team for Living Proof Live events and the rest is history.
These are not only amazing musicians, but amazing men and women of God. They live out their passion for Jesus by day as worship pastors, studio musicians, homeschool moms, background vocalists, husbands, wives, parents, daughters, sons, and neighbors...and once or twice a month on the Praise Team traveling with LifeWay Women's Living Proof Live and Deeper Still events.
Like the body of Christ, they minister together using their unique gifts to form melodies and harmonies to make beautiful music leading us in worship. They are never recognized by name during the events. And they are not looking for the applause of the crowd, but instead, seek to honor God with their talents by ministering to women (and a few brave men) as they worship God.
They blend together to form one voice and one band...and are simply known as the Praise Team.
Friday, April 22, 2011
Good Friday...Secret Church Simulcast
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On Good Friday, April 22, David Platt will lead an intense time of Bible study--lasting approximately 6 hours--and a time of prayer for our persecuted brothers and sisters across the globe.The goal of Secret Church is for participants to identify with and pray for these persecuted brothers and sisters around the globe. And in fact, proceeds from this event will directly support persecuted Christians worldwide through ongoing ministry opportunities and teaching materials. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity for your church or small group to join with thousands of others for this focused time of study.nd pray for these persecuted brothers and sisters around the globe. And in fact, proceeds from this event will directly support persecuted Christians worldwide through ongoing ministry opportunities and teaching materials. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity for your church or small group to join with thousands of others for this focused time of study.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
When God meets you in a crowd...
For many women the idea of facing a crowd is overwhelming. A concert or sporting event is out of the question...and thinking about attending a large women's event like Deeper Still is daunting to say the least.
However, for those who take the risk and courageously make the decision to brave the crowd, they are rarely disappointed. Because in the midst of the crowd at Deeper Still...they see Jesus...and even better, these women know that HE sees them and wants to meet with them in a one-on-one relationship.
This is what happens when God meets you in the midst of a crowd...
Just then, a woman who had suffered from bleeding for 12 years approached from behind and touched the tassel of His robe, for she said to herself, "If I can just touch His robe, I'll be made well!" But Jesus turned and saw her. "Have courage, daughter," He said. "Your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that moment. - Matthew 9:20-22
Reach for HIS robe at Deeper Still ladies...HE will see you and meet you and make you well in your heart, soul, and mind!
Please visit out Louisville Deeper Still Intercessory Prayer blog at www.louisvilledeeperstillprayer.blogspot.com and join us daily as we pray for this final Deeper Still event.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Friendships strengthened at Deeper Still
Friendship - How do you define it?
In the middle of a crowd, how do you connect with God and how do you connect with your friends in a shared experience?
Companionship, harmony, accord, company, agreement, attachment, empathy, esteem, fondness, consideration, devotion, rapport, understanding, favor, regard...what other words do you think of when you consider your friendships?
We love to see friends at Deeper Still and always wonder about their stories. How did these friends meet? What were the circumstances that brought them together? How long have they been friends? What are the secrets that help them maintain and strengthen their friendship?
As you catch up with friends this weekend, think about and treasure their value to your life. Reflect on the reasons your friendships are strong and what keeps them going. Consider how often friendships are strengthen by shared experiences and think about how you and a friend might grow closer by experiencing Deeper Still together. 
And if you experienced Deeper Still: The Event with a friend or a group of friends, we would love to hear your story and how God strengthened your friendship!