There's no question that Deeper Still was absolutely saturated with Truth. All three ladies - Priscilla, Kay and Beth - did an incredible job teaching straight from God's Word, and we're going to be talking a lot on the blog this week about what God said through them to the over 19,000 people in attendance.
But as is always the case when a bunch of women get together, there were lots of laughs this weekend, too. And there was one particular moment - at the end of the conference when Travis and the praise team were leading us in "Shackles" - that was probably my favorite.
It's also probably the only time in my life when the phrase, "Break it down, Kay Arthur. BREAK IT DOWN!" has passed through my mind.
It was hysterical.
Who knows? Next year we may have Deeper Still: The Musical.
I'm going to be honest and let y'all know that I pretty much haven't stopped crying for the last 36 hours.
Deeper Still was so far beyond anything I could have expected or imagined. I could write for the next ten years and wouldn't be able to capture the experience.
In fact, as I sit here and try to figure out what to say I can feel the tears coming again.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you thought you knew what to expect and then you get there and realize you really had no idea what you were getting into?
Like maybe marriage? Or motherhood?
This was kind of like that, but different.
From the moment the music started on Friday night, I was so overwhelmed by the presence of God. I cannot begin to describe it.
In my mind I had thought I'd write some stuff about Beth's cute pink jacket, Priscilla's beautiful hair, and Kay's ability to make 74 years old look stunning. And all that stuff is true.
Just look at them.
And I will need to discuss it at some point.
But more than that, I heard three incredible ladies BRING IT like I have never in my life experienced.
I watched the LifeWay staff juggle an overwhelming amount of details that left me in complete awe of their organizational abilities, especially considering it's a good day for me if I remember to buy milk at the grocery store.
I heard Travis and the Praise Team hit notes that I will not be able to hit even in heaven.
And I felt the presence of God descend on Philips Arena in a way I will never be able to describe.
It was awesome. It was powerful. It rocked me to my bones.
It made me wish I could buy all of you a plane ticket to Deeper Still Las Vegas so that you could experience it for yourselves.
We'll be posting more pictures and sharing more throughout the week.
For now, I need to take a nap for maybe twenty minutes or three hours.
I'd love to hear from you if you were there. What was your favorite part?
Before tonight, I had never attended a Deeper Still Event.
Let's just say that I am a fan.
In fact, it was totally worth getting up at 4 a.m., packing only a carry-on and waiting in the longest airport security lines EVER.
I'd do it all over again. Even the 4 a.m. part.
Priscilla Shirer brought a WORD tonight about when God calls you into the wilderness. And I can't really get into more than that tonight or I will start to cry all over again.
But rest assured I took about six or eighteen pages of notes and will write a full re-cap next week. It was incredible.
In the meantime, here are some pictures.
This is the sea of women waiting to get into Philips Arena.
That is a lot of women.
Travis brought the house down during worship and not just because he was wearing a really cool vest.
I think y'all know who these ladies are.
We'll be back with more tomorrow, but I have now been up close to 24 hours.
We just walked over to the Philips Arena to see what was going on, and we immediately noticed a bunch of women sitting outside the entrance.
I thought maybe a church group was meeting to go eat an early supper or something, but then I realized HOLD ON - THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE DOORS TO OPEN.
Four hours before Deeper Still starts - and there were at least 100 women waiting for the doors to open.
I seriously hope they get the seats of their dreams. Because that is some dedication.
This is (L to R) Nancy, Cindy, Kim, Kendra, Karen and Sandy.
Sandy has been waiting since noon, so obviously she is committed. She's also from Louisiana, and if I could take her a big ole platter of boiled crawfish, corn and potatoes right now, I totally would.
I think it's important to support people with well-defined seating goals, don't you?
All of these women are so excited, and it's really heartwarming to see how they are talking and getting to know each other as they wait patiently for the doors to open. There is already an incredible sense of community here this weekend.
Melanie and I are sitting in our hotel room in Atlanta, gearing up for A FRESH WORD tonight at Deeper Still. I'm actually a little bit incredulous as I look around our room, because Mel and I both managed to get all of our clothes for the weekend in a small carry-on bag.
Let me repeat that: WE MADE IT HERE WITH ONLY ONE BAG A PIECE.
It's a summertime miracle!
Anyway, we'll be posting when we can (just not during the teaching, oh have mercy no). We're really hoping to be able to post some pictures of different groups here this weekend - church groups, Bible study groups, family groups, etc.
Because while there's no doubt that the music and message will be phenomenal this weekend, the community among women will be phenomenal, too. And we'd love to spotlight that as much as we can.
Hope you're having a great Friday...we'll be back in a bit, interpeeps!
Wow. So we are passionate about the modesty issue.
In fact, I have totally re-thought my decision to wear a tube top to Deeper Still this weekend.
Oh I'm kidding. I would never wear a tube top to Deeper Still in Atlanta. I'm saving it for Deeper Still Las Vegas.
In all seriousness, the modesty issue hits a nerve because we all have such strong feelings about it. But, like everything else women struggle with, it's ultimately a heart issue.
Women are inundated with a culture that tells them they need to be alluring and appealing to the opposite sex. And for women who don't know what it is to find your worth and value in Jesus Christ, it is easy to buy into that message.
Instead of sitting back and judging someone by their wardrobe we need to love them where they are, show them the One they can find their value in, and let Him change their heart.
We'll talk more about modesty issues next week.
But for now, let's talk about the challenge I am currently facing.
Can I manage to bring just a carry-on bag to Deeper Still Atlanta?
Oh sure. You might be asking what the big deal is, but then clearly you have never met me. I am not a strong decision maker. I like options.
However, I will be in Atlanta for approximately 36 hours. There is no need for superfluous luggage.
Also, my flight leaves at 6:30 a.m.
Process that. SIX THIRTY A.M.
Which means I will need to set my alarm for 4:30 a.m.
I can't think about it or I will start to cry.
In fact, my biggest fear is that I will make it to the hotel, fall asleep on a couch in the lobby because my room won't be ready, and be awakened by the entire LifeWay staff as they arrive and see me passed out asleep on the couch.
With no makeup on.
Because I'm not applying makeup at 4:30 in the morning.
But in spite of the early flight and the carry-on luggage, I am so excited about this weekend. Sophie and I will be checking in as often as we can with a random array of Deeper Still updates.
A couple of days ago I was sitting in an airport, waiting for a flight, when a frantic woman who was running to make her plane caught my eye.
And I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure that the reason she caught my eye was because she barely had on any clothes. She was wearing a cropped halter top that didn't cover the stuff it needed to cover AT ALL, and her pants were cut so low that all I could think was "Don't bend over. Don't bend over. Please don't bend over."
So you know what happened.
She totally bent over.
And those of us at gate E7 got an eyeful. Oh yes ma'am we did.
Yesterday I watched session one of Kay Arthur's Return to the Garden in preparation for my Bible study group's first meeting in a couple of weeks, and one of the points Kay makes is that we live in a culture that "is absolutely permeated with sex." She uses magazine covers to bear out her assertion; she also touches briefly on how drastically women's clothing has changed over the last thirty or forty years.
And when it comes to fashion, you only need to look around, say, an airport terminal to see that Kay is right. Look around churches, too, because believers are certainly not exempt from the problem. Far from it, in fact. There are women all over the country who are taking their sexy to Sunday School. By and large, there's no shortage of cleavage up in the church house.
So I'm curious. How do you deal with this issue in your life? If you're a woman, whether single or married, how do you determine what clothes are appropriate for you and what clothes are not? Or do you just wear whatever you want?
If you're a mom, how do you teach your girls to choose clothes that are modest and fashionable at the same time? Do you ever feel like you're fighting a losing battle?
Can't wait to read your comments.
[Edited to add: I absolutely love Melanie's response to this post. Great food for thought.]
I have had the adventure of knowing Travis Cottrell (worship leader for Deeper Still and Living Proof Live) since 1985 when he was a ninth grader and I was a freshman in college at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. We met in the Blue Ridge Community Theatre production of Oliver. I was the mean servant wench and he was the Artful Dodger. Yes, its true...but even back then it was remarkable how that boy could sing! So confident...sooooo skinny! We have come a long way since then by the grace of God, and our worlds are colliding all over again on a different stage of ministry to women....so different than Oliver!
So this big sister, sometimes pesky younger brother friendship has endured more than 20 years, several more productions (including Peter Pan, where he was a dancing pirate and I was Wendy (note original hair color). See photo below...viewer discretion advised.
YES that is travis far right with the midriff showing. Remind me to tell you about how he tried to mess me up on stage in a live performance of The Pirates of Penzance. Otherwise, it is a joy to be his, Angela's and their three kids' buddy. Trust me, you don't want to shop with this family. It is a wonder to behold. Trav and Ang are a force of nature in a department store; and around their kitchen table with coffee and sweet, fun, funny kids I adore.
Even after knowing Travis all of these years and hearing him in performances and worship sessions too numerous to count, he never ceases to amaze me. A month ago I had the privilege of being in a choir of thirty people to sing parts on his upcoming Christmas album and I was amazed yet again. Not only did he orchestrate stunning (only adjective that works for this) vocal parts for us on several songs, he also directed us and sang his lead vocals?! COME ON?!! STUNNING! It is almost too much to stand. GIRLS, that is going to be one incredible, BIG Christmas album. RUN! don't walk to get it this fallt. I would give you this advice if I didn't know Trav from Adam. honest.
At a Living Proof Live event we had in Vancouver this past February, Travis and I walked past an older man who worked for the arena as an usher. He was there with some of his fellow staffers and as we walked by he said, "@#!$% that boy can sing!" Travis graciously smiled and I said. "Yes, yessir, he sure can."
And sing he will. At Deeper Still this weekend Travis will lead 19,000 women before the throne in a powerful time of worship to our King! It is what God put him on earth to do, worship Jesus with everything he has got...and not in a pink and burgundy pirate costume. At least I hope not. The adventure continues!.....
I got home from the She Speaks Conference yesterday around 12:30 p.m.
It would have been sooner but apparently the flight crew was having some issues with the airplane plumbing. Something about potable water and not wanting the plane to become filled with any stank nasty during our flight.
The flight attendant didn't actually use the term stank nasty, but I feel certain she was thinking it.
The conference was awesome and I was especially moved by the fact that when Lysa Terkeurst of Proverbs 31 Ministries began her talk on Friday night that she spoke about David and the importance of tending your sheep.
I believe in some circles it would be referred to as GETTING A WORD.
Any time God is trying to tell me something He tends to get repetitive.
So, after an awesome weekend this past weekend, I'm so excited about heading out to Deeper Still in Atlanta this weekend.
Because something tells me that God is going to use Beth, Kay and Priscilla to give a lot of women A WORD.
Do you see how I just call them Beth, Kay and Priscilla like we're all going to be hanging out in our jammies eating Funyuns and M&M's on Friday night?
Other than the fact we've never met, we are very tight.
In all seriousness, I can't wait to see what God is going to do. I know He has planned this weekend from the beginning of time and has some incredible things in store.
My prayer this week is that He will speak to the Deeper Still team in a profound way, that He will help everyone arrive safely in Atlanta and that He will rock our worlds in ways we can't even imagine.
If any of y'all happen to have any tickets that you aren't going to use, I know a few women who may be interested. Just let me know in the comments.
And if you're thinking you'd love the chance to go to Deeper Still but can't be in Atlanta, you've got one more chance this year.
Nobody told me that I could "fall" so fast and so hard for a Twitter. I must confess that I wasn't an early adopter although I love new technology. Without experiencing the joys of twittering first hand, I had a hard time understanding why anybody would care to read a rolling commentary about "What are you doing?" But after hearing all of the rage and finally spending some time snooping behind the scenes of twitter, I'm hooked.
I'm now fascinated with following all sorts of people and keeping track of the little details that they find interesting and worthwhile to share with anyone who will listen.
My new addiction has me wondering: With our attempts to stay connected to virtually everyone, I'm not sure if we're "authentically" connected to anyone.
Does twittering have a place in churches? With a limitation of 140 characters, can twittering be used to build community and interact with other believers? I wonder if Jesus would have twittered with his disciples.
But until I can figure it out . . . I need to let my twitter followers know that I just wrote a post about "what I'm doing right now."
Melanie and I are both in Charlotte, North Carolina, and last night we got to go to dinner at a real-live restaurant where we were not responsible for dispensing chicken nuggets and French fries to little people.
Oh, it was very luxurious and fancy.
We went to a Mexican place down the street from our hotel, and after we set about the business of systematically demolishing some chips and salsa, we started to catch up on what was going on in each other's lives.
Because A LOT had happened in the eighteen hours since our last phone conversation, you understand.
And while yes, it's true that Melanie and I talk, oh, at least once a day, we don't often get to sit down and talk without interruption. In fact, when we talk on the phone we typically have to assist a preschooler in the bathroom at least once per conversation, and we've mediated no telling how many END! OF! THE! WORLD! meltdowns while simultaneously relaying information about the super-cool shoes we saw at Target.
So sitting in a booth across from each other? All alone?
It was a bit of a luxury, aside from the nachos that had approximately two heads of lettuce shredded across the top of all the hot cheese.
I don't think I'll be eating salad again anytime soon.
We sat in our little booth for an hour and a half, talking about everything and nothing: our husbands, our kids, our shoes, our hair - and probably more time on that last thing than is either healthy or good. We talked about Big Decisions we're praying about, some Life Junk we're dealing with, and the ongoing process of pushing through the fear that seems to go hand-in-hand with new opportunities.
I guess you could say that we talked about everything and nothing. And it was some mighty fine fun.
This morning I was thinking about our girls' night out when I saw this article on the front page of the Lifeway site. The article has a lot of great things to say about the importance of friendships among believers, and more than anything it was such a reminder to me that we are people designed for community. We are not meant to walk through life alone.
It's difficult - especially in such an image-obsessed culture - to let down our guards with people, to let them see our flaws and our baggage and our struggles. The Southern girl in me constantly fights the tendency to pretend like everything is okay when it's really not, to gloss over the fact that I've made some big mistakes in my past, to just nod my head when someone is telling me about their problems - as if I've never had any real problems of my own.
So in those moments like last night - where the food rates somewhere just below average but the conversation is genuine and transparent and sincere - I can't help but be reminded of the blessing of friendship, the blessing of community, the blessing of walking through life with people who know your junk and love you anyway.
On Friday, June 20th @ 10:10 am Central Time, Priscilla will be interviewed by Debbie Alan on internet radio. You can listen LIVE by going to http://www.OnTheHomeStretch.com. If you miss the live interview, you can still listen to the archive by going to the website above.
LifeWay had the opportunity to partner with Onthehomestretch radio the last few months by sponsoring Brenda Jefferies as she took the Health Quest challenge. Click http://web.mac.com/thehealthquest/iWeb/Site/Brenda.html to find out what this is and to follow her journey. She finished and did great! Here we are at the end of the challenge with Debbie Alan for the live radio show at D1 Sports center in Cool Springs.
Last night, my 3 year-old daughter refused to eat her food or speak to anyone during our church's meal time before Bible study last night.
Well, here's a little background on Olivia. She's a beautiful little girl who's full of life, energy, very creative, but incredibly shy in new situations. By the way, "new" in this context means a first time experience on any given day not a "first-time ever" type of experience. So, therefore, every time she shows up at day care . . . guess what? It's a "new" experience. So, anyhow, she becomes very inward and withdrawn when she encounters these "new" experiences.
After Bible study last night, I asked her, "Olivia, why wouldn't you eat your food or speak to anyone at church?" She said, "Because I don't like people. They were looking at me." Well, her response has had me thinking about myself, life, and just a lot of things.
I had to ask myself the question, "Do I like people?" Even more so, "Do I like people in the same way that God likes and loves people?" Most days, the answer to that question is a resounding yes. But there are other days when I really struggle with adoring and honoring people the way God desires that I should. Well, that's my prayer today that I will do more than simply tolerate the people God has placed around me. Instead, I really want to celebrate them and honor who they are just because "they are."
So, I plan on getting a group of my girlfriends together later this summer and just get away for a weekend so we can have some fun and allow these issues to "simmer" a little. I plan on using Beth Moore's Loving Well Retreat in a Box (www.lovingwell.tv) for our time together. We'll probably rent a hotel room for the weekend, pile on the bed together, order some take-out food, stock up on chocolate and just pop in those DVDs and see what God might say to us through this study.
If you occassionally feel like my 3 year-old, maybe you should get your girlfriends together and pick up one of these retreats and begin the same journey.
She's studying sex and I'm studying the life of David.
And judging by a little story about David and Bathsheba, I'd say David dealt with some sex issues.
But that's not what I'm talking about today. My group just finished Week One, so we haven't really gotten that far. We're only to the part where he killed Goliath with a slingshot.
Of course everyone knows that story because it is a big hit on the Sunday School flannel board circuit, as opposed to the whole Bathsheba thing which doesn't translate well to the Sunday School crowd.
It would raise some awkward questions from the six year olds.
Much better to stick with being thrown in a pit of fire or a den of lions. You know, family friendly stuff.
Anyway, as I finished my lessons last week, something really stood out to me about the life of David that I'd never thought about before.
In I Samuel 16: 1-13 God tells Samuel to go see Jesse of Bethlehem because He has chosen one of his sons to be the new king. Samuel went and when he got there He listened to God and anointed David with oil. Verse 13 says, "...and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power."
Yeah, so that's pretty cool.
But here's what I thought about. What happened after that moment? David has just been anointed with oil in the presence of his brothers, did any of them realize the significance of that moment? Did they know what was in store for their little brother?
And what about David? Did he just head on back to tend his sheep? I mean, I'm sure he did because that was his job. He tended the sheep. It wasn't as if he all of a sudden found himself sitting on a throne up in some sweet palace.
Haven't you ever felt that way? Something big happens or you feel like you've had some huge life moment and then the next day or the next minute you're back to scrubbing the toilet and cooking up some Kraft mac and cheese for the family.
Hopefully, you're not doing both at the same time because EWWW.
And if you're like me, you may wonder how God is going to bring you from where you are to where He wants you to be. How is He going to use you when you're busy running carpool or cleaning out the fridge?
How is He going to provide for your family? How is He going to use something bad that happened for good?
How is He going to get a young shepherd boy from the pasture to the throne?
In I Samuel 16: 14-23 we begin to see the answer. Saul is tormented by an evil spirit and was in need of some harp music. And, really, who doesn't benefit from a little harp music from time to time?
One of his servants happens to know a friend of a friend that knows David (I just made that up, I don't know how the servant actually knew David) and Hey! He plays the harp.
So Saul summons David to the palace to play the harp.
From the pasture to the throne.
Not because of anything David did or any situation he tried to work to his benefit. He was doing what he was supposed to be doing, where he was supposed to be doing it and God was in control.
God knew how to get David to the throne.
I know I have days (okay, honestly, maybe weeks) where I wonder how God can use me when I'm playing Kids' Cruise Director all day long.
"Welcome to your playroom. I don't feel bad that you're bored. Find something to play with or I will sell your toys to neighborhood children for $1.00."
But what I realized doing this study this week is that God knows the plans He has for me (doesn't it say that in the Bible somewhere?) and He is going to work in my life to fulfill those plans.
I need to listen to His voice and go when He says go, stay when He says stay, and pray when I'm not sure what He's saying one way or the other.
Sophie and I are getting ready to go to North Carolina this week for the She Speaks Conference. We're teaching two sessions on blogging, along with Shannon from Rocks in My Dryer.
And I am playing fast and loose with the word "teaching".
Here's hoping that I have more to say than "A blog is like an online journal. It is cool."
Anyway, I'm headed to North Carolina this weekend and then to Deeper Still in Atlanta the following weekend.
Look at me! I'M A JETSETTER.
A jetsetter who will have to shell out $9.00 to get a 1/4 cup of Diet Coke and a bag of mediocre trailmix on my flights.
Needless to say, I have had to spend some time in deep prayer and meditation over my wardrobe for these events. In fact, I think Caroline now thinks her daily routine looks like this.
7:00 a.m. - Wake up and immediately demand an episode of "Pinky-Dinky Doo"
8:00 a.m. - Continue to harass mama until she finally gives in and drags herself out of bed
8:03 a.m. - Request a breakfast of eggs, bacon and waffles.
8:26 a.m. - Eat two bites of egg and dip fingers in syrup then declare that you're done with breakfast.
8:35 a.m. - Put on orange skirt that has become a wardrobe staple and makes your mama cringe because it is a really nice orange skirt that is meant for special occasions, not fingerpaint day at Vacation Bible School.
9-12:00 p.m. - Vacation Bible School. Get hyped up on generic Nilla Wafers and HEB brand orange drink. (Not orange juice. Orange drink.)
12:30-2:30 p.m. - Watch your mama try on at least ten different outfits with various shoe and jewelry combinations. Offer helpful advice such as "That one is TOO YELLOW".
3:00-6:00 p.m. - Go to pool. Try to drown Mama by making her go with you to the bottom of the deep end 842 times in a three-hour period.
6:00-7:30 p.m. - Eat dinner comprised of dinosaur shaped chicken. Bath. Brush teeth. Spend fifteen minutes picking out two books while your mama tries to avoid the urge to stab herself with a Polly Pocket. Bed.
7:31-9:00 p.m. - Mama continues to mentally pack her suitcase for trips to North Carolina and Atlanta. Vows she will not have to pay an overage charge for overpacking.
Clearly my days are jam-packed right now, what with all the accessory planning and thinking about carry-on luggage versus checked bags. It's a wonder I can get anything else done.
And really, I have no point. Well, other than to share my obsessive-compulsive wardrobe tendencies.
I have always been this way. In fact, I can honestly remember each outfit I wore on the first day of school for grades K-12. And that's not all. I also have vivid memories of any other outfits along the way that were particularly fabulous for one reason or another.
For example, in 9th grade my favorite outfit was a hot pink t-shirt and my Guess overalls with a vintage scarf tied around my waist as a belt. Throw in some hot pink socks and white Keds and it was quite the outfit.
Sometimes I would even use the scarf to tie back my permed hair instead of as a belt.
Oh yes I did.
And I can't really even discuss my red plaid UltraPink skirt and shirt that I wore with my Esprit hiking boots because I will get all misty-eyed at the memories of my deep love for that outfit and all the good times we had.
I could go on and on, but that would just be embarrassing. Plus, it may seriously cause y'all to wonder if I have any sort of life.
So, here's what I really want to know. Who's going to be at Deeper Still in Atlanta?
Most importantly, what are you wearing?
And even if you're not going, tell me about one of your favorite outfits of all time.
Since my husband and I live in a town where we don't have any immediate family members, we've both gravitated to Bible studies where the age of the participants is a little more varied than what might be considered typical. We don't have the benefit of fellowship with older and wiser relatives on a daily basis, so we've tried to fill that gap through our small groups.
And for a whole host of reasons, it's been a really wonderful thing.
Right now I'm in a Bible study with women who, for the most part, are at a different stage of life than I am. Some of them are moms to teenagers, some are balancing motherhood with full-time jobs outside the home, some are grandmothers whose eyes light up at the mere mention of their grandbabies. All of them are inspirational.
I can't tell you how much it's helped me as a wife and mother to just sit back and soak up insight from women who have already walked this mama-of-a-preschooler road.
So I'm just wondering: apart from someone who's a member of your family, is there a woman in your life who has taken you under her wing, so to speak? Someone from your work? Or your church? Or your small group?
I know that I can't even begin to measure the impact that my Bible study buddies have had on my life.
And I'd love to hear about who has impacted yours.
Last fall I went to Deeper Still in Nashville, and at the end of the conference - during a hysterical Q&A session - Kay Arthur offered the audience some very frank advice about sex.
I think Kay's candor caught most of us a little bit off guard; I mean, she is so distinguished and regal and elegant, and it was a little surprising to hear her speak so matter-of-factly about a topic that oftentimes can seem off-limits in "polite company."
But oh, Kay had a good, strong word for the women at Deeper Still, and her remarks about sex were met with lots of laughter and applause. Since then I've talked with several friends who were also in Nashville that day, and they all agreed: what Kay said was right on the money.
In all honesty, doing a Bible study about THE SEX makes me nervous and more than just a teensy bit uncomfortable, but my friends and I are in agreement that this study is going to be great. Plus, since it's only six weeks long, it's perfect for this time of year.
And besides: once we made our decision, I started to get excited (OH, just TRY to write a post about a sex-related Bible study and see if every single phrase doesn't start to sound like some lame double entendre) because I thought, Hey! I bet I can write some posts about this!
Oh, I do love me a recurring posting theme.
By the way, right now my Episcopalian relatives are probably calling their friends to tell them that I'm STIRRIN' UP THE BAPTISTS by writing about sex on the Lifeway women's blog.
Well, I mean, they're calling their friends when they're not totally grossed out by the fact that their sister / niece / cousin is going to be writing about sex. ON THE INTERNET.
However, I'm okay with stirrin' it up a little bit. I was, after all, the first person in my family to join a Baptist church where THEY PLAY DRUMS AND ELECTRIC GEE-TARS AND STUFF, so I'm a smidge familiar with stepping outside my comfort zone.
And don't worry. I won't really be writing about sex. I'm far too Southern for that. Plus, you know, my parents are reading.
But I'll definitely be writing about what Kay teaches through the Bible study. And while I'm not going to share my friends' real names because, well, GOOGLE? EVER HEARD OF IT?, I am going to blog about some of what we talk about over the next six weeks.
As always, discretion will be the order of the bloggy day - I won't specify who says what, and I certainly won't reveal anything without my friends' permission.
And when I share anything that pertains to my own life, you'll never even know it because I plan to use an elaborate system of rotating pseudonyms. I'll call myself "S., a blogger at MooBama," and NO ONE WILL EVER FIGURE IT OUT, OF THIS I AM CERTAIN.
I was on vacation in Destin about two weeks ago. The house we were renting was right on the beach and every morning I sat on the balcony and watched the waves roll in.
It was not a bad way to spend time.
Maybe it's because it's not part of my everyday landscape when I'm at home, but anytime I see mountains or the ocean they make me stand in awe of God and His incredible creation.
Especially when I read verses like Psalm 93: 3-4, "The seas have lifted up, O Lord, the seas have lifted up their voice; the seas have lifted up their pounding waves. Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea - the Lord on high is mighty."
One day while we were there, we played in the water and sat on the beach most of the day. We were finally exhausted and came back inside to eat something. Because a trip to the beach isn't complete without some Fritos and bean dip.
As we sat on the balcony, eating our Fritos, we noticed two guys that had swam really far out. All we could see were two heads bobbing and we wondered how they would get back in.
About that time we heard someone yell, "HELP!" It was so faint that we barely heard it, but then we heard it again. "HELP!"
We looked through the zoom lens of someone's camera and could see one of the guys waving his arms.
My husband ran downstairs and down the beach to get the lifeguards. They came flying down the beach, grabbed their surfboards and headed out to save these two guys. It took them about twenty minutes and one of the guys was so tired that they couldn't even get him to stay on the surfboard.
Finally they got him in and he stood up to walk the last few steps to the shore. You could tell he was exhausted and scared.
I thought about it the rest of the afternoon. How close was he to just slipping under the surface forever?
It makes me think about life before Christ. How many times did I go out way over my head? How many times did I underestimate the temptation I was putting myself in and the power it would have to pull me under?
If you knew my whole testimony, the answer would be A LOT.
Then one day I'd had enough. I knew I couldn't save myself. I knew I didn't have the power to swim back to a safe harbor. So, I just called out, "HELP!"
And there He was.
He lifted me up and surrounded me with His love. He surrounded me with people who encouraged me and supported me as I found my way back to shore. It wasn't always easy and at times I wasn't sure I was going to make it.
I have probably said that 100 times since attending the preview screening at SBC a couple of nights ago.
Here are a few of my thoughts. It's not what I would call a "review", but just what was top of mind for me after walking out of the theatre Tuesday night.
I truly don't want to take away one thing from the opportunity you have to see the movie when it comes out. But consider this the beginning of me becoming a promotional mouthpiece for the flick.
Within the first 5 minutes, I heard sniffling and russle through handbags for tissues. I knew early on that I was going to be moved to the core. (And it wasn't just the ladies sporting streaming tears, by the way.)
And wow, there were some moments that just blew me away. I'm talking edge-of-my-seat type scenes. Kudos to the production people for keeping us engaged with some "near Hollywood" levels of intensity.
Weaved within the entire movie, some humorous interaction between the characters that truly made us laugh out loud. So, kudos for some clever scriptwriting! And to the "regular people" from Sherwood Baptist as actors who pulled it off!
And something else about the acting: I think having Kirk Cameron in the lead role brought a new level of professionalism to the screen that had a positive affect on those who joined him on the set. This time around (since Facing the Giants) I discerned a "rising to the occasion" by the church members. Of course, I don't discount for a second what God does with "regular people"!! He has a knack for doing that type of thing, doesn't He!
"Welcome to the new normal" was a key quote - so look for that one from lead actor Kirk Cameron.
Bottom line: One of the best presentations on reviving and protecting the marriage relationship that I've ever seen. The vision from Sherwood was dead on and I believe God will use this film to meet people where they are in a troubled marriage! And even if a marriage is not in trouble, this film will remind us all where we shoulld strive to be in our journey.
I would also suggest this as "required viewing" for any single person with hope of marriage in his/her future. Wouldn't it make sense to learn about "fireproofing" a marriage BEFORE it begins?
There will be other "screening opportunities" for this film in advance of the September 26 theatre release. If I hear of exact dates and locations, I'll toss them out here so you'll know about them.
Comment us if you know of a screening in your area and we'll make sure we help spread the word.
After I had my daughter Caroline in the summer of 2003, I struggled with a lot of things. Things like why does she wake up every night at 3 a.m. and will my stomach ever go back to its former size. Oh, and the crying. All the crying.
Of course everyone assured me the crying would stop once my hormones leveled out. And chocolate helped immensely. Not so much with the stomach issue, but with the hormonal surges.
At the time I was a working mama so I was also having a hard time finding a good balance for my life. Specifically, I wanted to get involved in a women's Bible study, but there just didn't seem to be enough hours in the day.
Most of the churches in my neighborhood only offered morning Bible studies but that didn't work for my schedule. And by the time night came, all I wanted to do was sleep. Oh sweet sleep, how I adore thee.
So I didn't do anything. And as a result I felt my faith growing really stagnant, which isn't really a good thing considering that I was at a point in life where I knew I needed God's input more than ever.
Finally, last spring, my best friend Gulley asked me if I'd be interested in doing a summer Bible study with her, even if it was just the two of us. I told her to count me in.
And thus, the best Bible study group ever was created.
No, it's not just Gulley and me.
At first glance our group seems completely random. None of us were really tied together in any way, other than we all had some association with Gulley.
I remember thinking the first night we met that we couldn't have tried to come up with a more diverse group.
We spent last summer studying Beth Moore's "Jesus, The One and Only" and none of us have ever gotten more out of a study than we did in those ten weeks. Of course the study was phenomenal and is one of my personal favorites, but the relationships that developed during that time were incredible.
In fact, as the summer went on we started talking about what we wanted to do in the fall because we couldn't imagine breaking up our little group. God has truly knit our hearts together in a way that only He can do.
And when I look at our group now, I realize it wasn't random at all. Each one of us was put there for a specific purpose.
Our group has a mama with older kids who assures us that there will come a day when we'll get to sleep without a little person in our bed, and those of us with little ones tell the ones without kids to RUN! RUN LIKE THE WIND AND GO TO THE MOVIES! OR OUT TO DINNER! DO IT NOW WHILE YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIRE A BABYSITTER!
We laugh with each other, we pray with each other, we encourage each other. We know that if any of us has a need then the others are just an email or a phone call away.
And most importantly, we can't wait for Tuesday nights.
I'm going to lay it out there with honesty. I am pooped.
Kris, Dawn, Chris Adams (Women's Ministry Specialist at LifeWay) and I have been working some insane hours at the Women's Ministry booth this week at the Southern Baptist Convention.
Wow. Lots of ladies have been coming by to say hello and chat with us about what's cookin' with our ministry work at the big LifeWay.
And you know what we're talkin' about don't you? We're chattin' it up NON-STOP about this All Access Blog and getting some great feedback. Kris even opened up a notebook computer today on the convention floor and started showing off the website just a little bit.
Yep, we've been really busy - but we're going to stay up late tonight and do something REALLY special.
We just secured some "secret tickets" (not sure they are really secret, but I'm sure beside myself that we were given a couple) to the preview showing of that movie "Fireproof".
Do you know the one I'm talking about? It's creators/producers are from Sherwood Baptist Church down in Albany, Ga. They were the creative brains behind Christian film "Facing the Giants" a couple of years back.
So instead of catching up on some much needed sleep tonight, I'm going to grab some heavily-buttered and salty popcorn and check out this new flick that I believe God is going to use to reach and encourage families! (Put September 26 on your calendar for opening weekend of the release.)
Without telling you everything, I'll toss a little "movie review" out there later this week and share with you what God did through this work! I've got "Jesus bumps" up and down my arms just thinkin' about it!
And allow me to wrap up here by saying THANKS YA'LL (growing up in Nashville, that's the only way I know how to say it) for stopping by the LifeWay Women All Access blog and encouraging us. God has something going on here that I just can't begin to imagine!
So, I'm holdin' on tight and praying that He'll just keep on doing what He does and kick me out of the way!
Can I just say I'm thrilled about this new LifeWay blog? A big shout out to my girlfriend Vicki Courtney for having initial conversations with Pam and I to help make this dream become a reality!
Pam, Dawn, and I are up here in Indianapolis, IN at the SBC (that's Southern Baptist Convention) for all you non-baptists out there! We're here showing off LifeWay's amazing women's Bible studies and talking to anyone who comes through our exhibit. Between exhibit shifts and meetings, we've been seeing all of your comments and we're so crazy wired about it we can't sleep!
Today I had the opportunity to attend the pastor's wive's conference. I didn't have any expectation at all really, but what I got was great worship from a couple who are long time friends of my husband as they were in the first great Christian singing group, Truth together. Do any of you remember Kim and Suzanne Noblitt? How many Truth groupies out there?
God showed up in that room and spoke to me through Donna Gaines and I'm not even a pastor's wife! One comment that stuck out to me was "God is desiring to reveal to me His thoughts." Wow, and then they played the video, Worship is more than a song. You gotta check out the video on this one. I was so convicted. But just as Jesus does. No condemnation. I got fired up. Call me a Jesus freak. I'm crazy about Him.
Ladies, you're gonna bless me, I already know that. I'm blessed everyday with this work here at LifeWay and how God extends His grace and works through me every single day. I don't think for a split second that I could ever do it own my own. It's way bigger than me, than us. In everything, Our Great God be the glory!
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires. Psalm 37:4
And if you should happen to be at her house when she's cooking a summertime dinner (we call lunch "dinner" in the South. I have no explanation for this. But I find that when Southern food-related traditions are in question, it's better just to smile real big, help yourself to seconds, say something along the lines of "laws-a-mercy, this is tasty," and roll with it), you will rise up from the table and call her blessed.
You might even call her "Mama" in the hopes that she'll claim you as her own and then cook you a big ole supper on your birthday.
And if you're lucky, that birthday supper will include squash casserole, fresh butterbeans, and some form of made-from-scratch cake, NOT THAT I HAVE DISTINCT MAMA-MENU PREFERENCES OR ANYTHING.
But since it's summertime and cranking up the oven ranks right up there with gluing the tips of your fingers to the inside of a door frame and then slamming the accompanying door repeatedly, I asked Mama to pick a couple of her favorite summertime recipes to share with y'all. They'd be perfect dishes to serve if you have your friends and family over for "dinner" or supper.
They'd also be great to serve to your Bible study buddies. Because it's always nice to fortify yourself with a little Southern sustenance before you dig into the Word.
Oh, I kid.
Sort of.
And I'll go ahead and tell you: Mama's chicken salad is a huge family favorite. I've actually seen my brother eat it straight out of the bowl WITH A WOODEN SERVING SPOON.
And after you eat it? You'll want to offer up a handclap of praise. Oh yes you will.
Mama's Chicken Salad
4 whole chicken breasts cooked with salt, pepper and celery sticks
Juice of 2 lemons
2 small jars of sweet pickle relish
2 small cans of crushed pineapple
2 stalks of fresh celery, chopped fine
1 1/2 cups of walnuts or pecans
1 cup of Hellman's mayonnaise (I use a little bit more because I'm a fan of mayonnaise. And I also use Blue Plate instead of Hellman's because I prefer it, but please don't tell Mama, SHE WILL THINK I HAVE RURNT IT ALL)
1 tablespoon of powdered curry (stirred into mayonnaise)
Chop cooled chicken into small pieces and pour lemon juice over all. Add all ingredients, stir until mixed well, and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Serve on lettuce leaf or with assorted crackers.
Believe you me: there is not a cracker in this world that wouldn't consider it an honor to be paired with Mama's chicken salad.
Best Pasta Ever
1 pound rotini pasta
1 cup sun dried tomatoes
2 cups sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup red onion
2 small cans of sliced ripe olives
1 8 oz. bottle of Kraft Caesar salad dressing
1/2 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cover tomatoes with water and boil for about 12 minutes or until tender. Drain, chop into small pieces, and set aside.
Cook rotini according to package directions, then drain and let cool.
Mix all ingredients together (GENTLY!), then chill in refrigerator overnight. This is even more yummy the second and third days - if you can keep it around that long.
So what about you? Are there any summertime food favorites in your family?
We'd love to hear about them in the comments.
And if you wanted to share a link to a recipe, we wouldn't mind that, either.
And because it's so big, you can find people who have pretty much the identical interests that you do.
Say you like to knit only during the months that end in "y," and when you do knit, you only use primary colors?
Or you like to cook, but you only use recipes with five ingredients - NEVER SIX! - and you have to be in and out of the kitchen in thirty minutes flat?
Or you like to scrapbook with organic materials only, and the greatest achievement of your life is that page you made using only seashells, sand and leaves?
Odds are there's a website just for you.
I will not be visiting that scrapbook site, by the way.
It's nothing personal, really. It's just that I have sort of an inherent aversion to crafty things. Especially when the crafty things involve the use of specialty papers and numerous pairs of scissors.
There's probably a website for that, too.
But on this site - this Lifeway site - you may find that there aren't quite as many common denominators. Now granted, all the people who write here are believers, and all the people who write here are, well, people - but besides that, our lives are pretty different.
For example, I'm a thirty-something Southern wife and mama who wrestled with her faith pretty hard until her late 20's, and right this second I'm battling a mean case of swimmer's ear and eating some Cheetos.
I'm guessing that no one else who writes or reads here is dealing with that exact set of circumstances right now.
And if there is someone who is dealing with that exact set of circumstances right now, then maybe I should give you my phone number. Because clearly the Lord intends for us to be friends.
And in all seriousness, we want for this new Lifeway All Access blog to be a place where women from all backgrounds, from all ages and stages can be encouraged in the faith, a place where we can "spur one another on to love and good deeds." By God's grace we're ALL a work in progress - every single one of us - and I just think it's oh-so-cool that God continues to meet us right where we are, EVEN IF IT'S ON THE INTERNET.
Technology is a wonder, y'all.
So whether you're seventeen or seventy, whether you're single or married, whether you're a lifelong Christ-follower or someone who's still trying to figure out what she believes, whether you're partial to Cheetos or Cheez-Its, just know this, sweet friends: you're welcome here.
So, this is the new Lifeway All Access blog. And maybe I'm slightly biased but I think it's pretty cool. Almost as cool as that one time that I nearly met Steven Tyler, the lead singer of Aerosmith, but then I chickened out.
Which makes this cooler than that time.
When Lifeway asked if I would be interested in being a contributor to their new blog, I jumped at the chance for several reasons. First of all, there is nothing that will suck me in more than a Lifeway bookstore. I am never aware of how much help I need until I walk through those doors and see all the answers that are available.
It's like the Sephora of the Christian world and all of a sudden there seems to be a solution for every single issue I struggle with, most of which can't be fixed with a good eye cream.
It also makes me want to buy a new Bible since the one I currently own still has my maiden name on the cover.
I've been married for almost eleven years.
Yes, it should be too well worn to serve its purpose at this point if I'd had it open as much as I should have. I'm working on it.
The other cool thing about Lifeway is the people who work there. You will not meet a more fun group of women. The women behind the scenes are encouraging, honest, sincere and I am so excited to get to know them better.
And lastly, I was so pumped because I figured I'd get to have Priscilla Shirer's and Beth Moore's home phone numbers on speed dial so I could call them with any prayer requests I might have. I told Pam and Kris to hook me up with the digits and that's when they hung up on me.
I frightened them with my overenthusiastic and overly familiar tendencies.
But apparently I am more than welcome to write a letter to Beth or Priscilla any time I want, which is basically an opportunity that's open to anyone else in the free world.
Anyway, I'm excited to be here. I'm thrilled to contribute to such an incredible team and would love to hear some feedback from y'all on what you'd like to know more about and things you'd love to see discussed on this blog.
It's going to be fun.
And did I mention I might get free popcorn at the next event?
They may even hook me up with some nachos complete with the pumped nacho cheese.
It's a new day for LifeWay Women. We're stepping out into the blogosphere.
This is LifeWay Women All Access.
So, why have we jumped online, smack dab in the middle of it all?
Well, studies are telling us that blogging is now mainstream among us ladies. Seems that more than a one-third of us aged 18 to 75 are blog participants. Out of those of us online, 53% are reading blogs, 37% are commenting and 28% are writing and updating blogs.*
That's a lot of us grown-up girls cruising the web.
It only made sense that we provide a blog home for accessing what we do at LifeWay Women. But we wouldn't settle for just a little access. We wanted to give you real insight into our world at LifeWay Women. Our plans are to include behind-the-scenes looks at the life and times of what we do. As a ministry. As a business. And lots of fun conversations with and about our ever-growing roster of women authors and platform speakers behind the awesome Bible studies and LifeWay Women's events we produce.
As time passes, we'll introduce you to the women (and yes, a few men too) who help make up the LifeWay Women's team. I'm not real objective when I talk about these teammates. They are some of the best in the biz, with hearts for following Christ like no other!
My fellow "bloggers" on this site are five fabulous ladies who know and love LifeWay Women. Some of the ladies work daily within the walls of our Nashville offices. A couple of others are long-time LifeWay Women followers who we brought on board to help us tell our story on a regular basis. We think you'll enjoy the insights brought regularly by each one. (I'd stop right now and bookmark this site!)
Allow me a moment to introduce the LifeWay Women bloggers:
Meet Kris. She's the lead marketing strategist for LifeWay Women.
Meet Dawn. She's also a marketing strategist for LifeWay Women, with specialty focus on African American women and churches.
Meet Paige. She's the Director of LifeWay Women's Events.
Meet Melanie and Sophie. They are two of LifeWay Women's biggest fans, sharing thoughts and real life moments from outside the walls of LifeWay, with a touch of family fun and humor, just to keep us honest.
And then there's me, Pam. As Director of Women's Ministry for LifeWay Women, I simply consider myself "glue", just trying to hold it all together.
It's going to be an interesting ride. And we don't plan on riding alone.
As we move forward in this new venture, we'll welcome your comments and questions. We'll be moderating every comment that comes our way on a regular basis with plans to be snappy in our response.
We're even going to introduce an exclusive opportunity for YOU to help us create an upcoming Bible study by Priscilla Shirer that releases next year. You sure won't want to miss the chance to participate in that.
So, allow me to be the first to say "welcome to LifeWay Women All Access".
May God richly bless this opportunity to interact with you in a brand new way. We at LifeWay Women commit this place to His work, for His glory alone.
"Commit your activities to the Lord and your plans will be achieved"
- Proverbs 16:30 (HCSB)
*According to a recent study by the online women's blogging community BlogHer and Compass Partners
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Pam
Pam
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris