Jennifer Rothschild is one of our LifeWay Women and we've got something coming down the pike early February you'll all want to check out. She's already written two other LifeWay Bible Studies. This study is based on her trade book, Self Talk/Soul Talk. Jennifer's been on Good Morning America. We love her! Stay tuned for more.
Create Your Own
I can't even tell y'all how excited I am for my sweet friend Melanie and for the rest of the bloggers who are going to the Dominican Republic with Compassion next week. Their trip is going to change their lives and rock their worlds and, most importantly, it's going to result in hundreds of children being rescued from poverty in Jesus' name. That's a mighty cool thing.
But I also know from my own Compassion trip that what Mel and the other bloggers experience in the Dominican Republic is going to change them forever. As my friend Brian told me in Uganda, "Once you've seen poverty up close, you can't pretend that you haven't." He was so right. And it's hard to process those third-world country experiences and reconcile them with the relative prosperity we enjoy in this country.
So given all of that, I think this would be a great opportunity for us to "spur one another on toward love and good deeds." If you've served in the mission field overseas (whether short-term or long-term) or if you've witnessed extreme poverty firsthand, do you have a verse or a word of encouragement that you could offer my sweet friend and her fellow bloggers before they leave? I know whatever you have to share would mean so much to them.
Here's mine: "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."- Philippians 2:1-4
Thanks in advance for your sweet words, everybody.
That's the countdown of how long until I leave for the Dominican Republic with Compassion. By the way, if you click "share" on that graphic, you can get the code to display it on your blog if you'd like.
Anyway, yesterday on my personal blog I wrote about a few of my fears as I get ready to go on this trip. I made the comment that it is definitely out of my comfort zone.
Then, this morning I opened up my "Discerning the Voice of God" Bible study and the topic was "God's Challenging Voice". As I read Priscilla's words I had no doubt that God was speaking directly to me.
"I find that His message challenges me because His purposes are always higher than mine. When followed in obedience, His Word causes me to step away from the comfort zone of my natural abilities and into the realm of His supernatural possibilities."
That's what this trip is for me. It's stepping out of the comfort zone of my natural abilities. My prayer is that everything we do in the Dominican Republic next week will bring glory to Him and that lives will be changed forever because of His mercy and goodness.
I'll be reporting live next week from the Dominican and I pray that his "supernatural possibilities" will be revealed.
In the meantime, what supernatural possibilities is He calling you to?
I spent a pretty fair chunk of my teenage years at various and sundry church retreats. I actually accepted Christ at church camp when I was 13 (and in true teenage fashion, proceeded to rededicate my life at least four or twelve times in the years that followed). But once I hit college, the camps stopped, save for a trip to an adult retreat when I was around 22. Which means that before Festivals of Marriage (FOMMMMMM) this past weekend, I hadn't been in an overnight conference setting in, oh, about seventeen years.
As soon as my husband and I pulled into Ridgecrest, all those "camp memories" flooded my brain. I remembered the practical jokes, the camp food, the way our junior high camp always seemed to coincide with the first hint of fall. I remembered the Amy Grant songs I'd listen to on my Walkman (you know, the ones that played CASSETTES), and I marveled that my husband and I were actually together on so many of those junior high and high school trips (we were just buddies, mind you). It seemed exactly right that I'd make my inaugural trip to Ridgecrest with him by my side.
Now that the weekend is over and I've had a little time to process everything, I have to say that the structure of FOM is excellent - it's ideal, in fact, for people like us who don't necessarily like to be "locked in" to one session after another. There were optional individual classes throughout all three days (some of the topics were respect, sexuality, seasons of life, parenting, etc.), and then there was corporate teaching and worship on Friday night, Saturday night and Sunday morning (Travis Cottrell led worship; Jena & Dale Forehand did the speaking) .
We enjoyed that corporate time so much...it was such a treat to go into the sanctuary with my husband and know that we didn't have any other commitments pulling at us. We also had some really, really good post-session discussions, and to be able to dig deep in conversation without any intrusions was such a blessing.
(sidenote: I bet most of us are probably good at remembering that we love our husbands, but sometimes it's also really fun to remember how much we like them, you know? I got to do that over and over again in North Carolina. And it was good.)
Just like church camp of yore, the most memorable part of the weekend was the fellowship - the time we spent with each other and with some of our sweet friends. In short, we had a blast. The weekend was a total treat for us. We came home without a bit of that typical post-retreat let-down. We were rested, recharged and more grateful than ever for the blessing of our marriage. I've often said that our marriage hasn't always been easy, but it's always been worth it.
And after this past weekend, I'm more certain of that than ever before.
We are thrilled and excited to announce the arrival of the 3rd Shirer son born to Priscilla and Jerry Shirer! Jude Maddox Shirer made his entrance into the world on October 16th at 5:28pm. Priscilla and Jerry are grateful for your prayers. The buttons on Dad's shirt have all busted. HIs brothers are taking good care of Jude. Mom and baby are doing great! Post your comments here for the Shirer family to view.
I mentioned last week that I'm doing Priscilla Shirer's Bible study, "Discerning the Voice of God". The study is unbelievably good and I thought I'd share a quote from Priscilla.
"Even seemingly meaningless activities are used by God as tool to guide us toward His plans. Never think your circumstances are disconnected from God's leading and His will. Don't spend your time wishing you could get out of the season of life you are in; rather, spend your time looking fervently at God's hand in your situation."
When I look back at the last two years of my life, I see the hand of God all over it. At the time I wasn't sure what was going on and why things were happening that didn't seem to fit into my idea of a good time, but now I see how God has used those things to refine me and draw me closer to Him.
I'm not going to lie, it hasn't always been fun. There have been times that I've wanted to pull my hair out from the frustration, but ultimately it's been worth it.
Keep your eyes on Him. He's worth it.
...and even when the trees have just surrendered
To the harvest time
Forfeiting their leaves in late September
And sending us inside
Still I notice You when change begins
And I am braced for colder winds
I will offer thanks for what has been and what's to come
You are autumn.
- "Every Season" by Nichole Nordeman
Well, we made it to North Carolina (MY WORD the roads are twisty and turny - I had no idea) for FOM, and we are having a wonderful time here at Ridgecrest. I have to confess that at first the thought of being somewhere without a television in the room made me want to twitch just a little bit (HGTV is my friend, and I miss her when we're apart for too long), but I actually haven't missed the television at all.
Perhaps it's because I'm enjoying a strong Wifi connection at the moment.
OH, I kid.
Another confession: my mood for the last couple of days has been pretty rotten. I've been agitated, short with my hubby, out of sorts, you name it. I know in my head how these things work - it's the same as when you're trying to get your family out the door on Sunday mornings and find yourself saying something like, "I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOUR SASSINESS, NOW LET'S GET IN THAT CAR AND GO PRAISE JESUS!"
See: author of distraction, etc.
But I'm happy to report that I'm all better now. It's impossible to look out on the majesty of these mountains and these trees - with the colors ranging from light gold to the deepest red you've ever seen - without remembering why we're here, without praising the One who made us.
So I'm soaking up the time with my husband, enjoying some mighty fine teaching, and laughing my head off with some sweet friends who are also here this weekend. In fact, last night around 10:30 you would've found the four of us riding down the road (in a MINIVAN, OH ROCK ON) singing love songs from the 80s at the top of our lungs. I felt like I was sixteen - only maybe a smidge wiser - and I loved every second of it.
In short: it's all good.
Hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend!
After last weekend's wrap up of New England nights with Beth and Travis, I truly did not know if I was "coming or going". And I only traveled the last three days of the tour. I was joined by fellow LifeWay Women travel buddies, Paige Greene and Faith Whatley.
I can only imagine the emotional, physical and spriitual tired the team was feeling - yet by the time we caught up with the road crew in Deleware, they seemed energized and ready for what God had in mind for the next stop.
This image was photographed at the close of the event held at the University of Deleware. There was an amazing movement of the Holy Spirit and women filled the front area ... lining up in aisles to join the encouragers at the alter for prayer.
After a short night and a five-hour drive to Connecticut the next day, we wrapped up the tour with a special celebration. It was an intimate time with Beth, Travis and the praise team.
This photo includes Beth, Trav and the LifeWay Women's Events team, along with LifeWay leadership. Oh, what a special time it was to reflect together on the 10 years, 50 states and 100 Living Proof Live events (we were doing this around midnight, by the way)!
As we wrapped up the evening, Beth asked us to prayer for her. And her request was that she would continue to love Jesus more and more.
I believe I will also lift that up for the rest of us!
I've been a little reflective about marriage this week - I guess because we're going to the Festival of Marriage conference this weekend (sidenote: for some reason the word "festival" makes me think that there will be mimes, crafts and cotton candy, but I'm fairly certain that I'm dead wrong on all counts, and I'm not really sad about that because, well, mimes scare me).
I've mentioned before on my personal blog that while I know there are some couples for whom marriage is effortless and breezy, we are not one of those couples. Our marriage has endured some downright grueling seasons, and there have been a couple of times in the last eleven years when I thought that we were done. There have even been a couple of times in the last eleven years when I thought I wanted to be done. If you've ever walked through anything like that in your own marriage, you know how difficult it is. It's heartbreaking. And it's exhausting.
Sometimes I think back on our wedding day and marvel at how clueless the two of us were. Since our pre-marital counseling consisted of a pastor meeting with us for five minutes and saying, "Oh, I'm not worried, you two will be fine," we didn't dig deep into some topics we should have addressed before we were married. And it took all of four days of marriage for us to realize that UH-OH, WE HAVE US SOME ISH-AHS.
It took us another five years before we got to the heart of those issues, so for those of you keeping score at home, that's five years of dancing around the big stuff. Five years of hiding the pieces and parts of our hearts that we didn't want the other person to see.
It's not an approach to marriage that I can really, you know, recommend.
But now? I'm so grateful that we didn't give up in those first five years. I'm so grateful that in the midst of all our hurt and disappointment, we both believed that God was doing something in our midst, even though it hurt like crazy. I'm so grateful that we know firsthand the blessing - the JOY - of His restoration. He just flat-out does things that we, in all our humanness, cannot.
What about y'all? What are you most grateful for in your marriage?
We'll have us a Festival of Praise in the comments.
Or as I like to call it: FOP.
Catchy, don't you think?
I had never had the opportunity to hear Priscilla Shirer speak until I went to Deeper Still Atlanta. I'd heard that she was great and assumed it must be true because it's not like they ask just anyone to get on stage with Beth Moore and Kay Arthur.
For instance, I haven't been asked.
Which is a good thing considering I have a touch of the stage fright.
Anyway, Priscilla took the stage that night and talked about when God takes you into the wilderness. I knew in the first two minutes that I absolutely wanted to do one of her Bible studies. God used her to speak right to my heart.
So this fall my Bible study group decided to do "Discerning the Voice of God" by Priscilla. We specifically chose this study because we all agreed that we struggle to hear the voice of God in our lives and wanted to hear Him more clearly.
For me personally, I always wonder if what I'm hearing is God's voice or just some random thoughts in my head. I've always been hesitant to act on certain things because I get caught up in my fear of hearing something wrong.
One of Priscilla's main points that has stuck with me is that intimacy is the foundation for getting to know God. If I'm not spending time in His word and listening for His voice, then I'm going to miss out.
I need to wait expectantly for His voice, not hoping I will hear it, but KNOWING I will hear it. When I expect to hear Him, I will be more patient knowing He will come through in His time.
And yes, sometimes His timing isn't the timing I would like. There have been so many times that I've gotten a promise from Him and I'm ready to see that promise fulfilled sooner rather than later, like maybe yesterday.
But that's not how He works. Just ask Abraham. God told Abraham that he'd have a son, but Abraham and Sarah thought they should help God out by getting Hagar involved. (Gen. 21:1-2)
Oh, how many times have I been delusional enough to think I was going to help God out by working on my own plan while I wait on His? More than my pride would like to admit.
And ultimately, obedience is the key to hearing His voice.
I need to work on my obedience, even when He says something I don't really want to hear. I need to work on my patience, even when I'm ready to see things start to happen.
"Wait for the Lord; Be strong, and let your heart take courage. Yes, wait for the Lord."
Psalm 27:14
This weekend my husband and I are going to Ridgecrest, North Carolina for a conference called Festival of Marriage - or, as we like to say in our house: FOM.
FOMMMMMMM.
No kidding: at least three times during any given day the house will be relatively quiet and one of us will yell "FOMMMMMM" and then we will get very tickled and scream "FOMMMMMM" back and forth like we're nine and playing Marco Polo in the pool.
So as you can see, it's a mighty good thing we're going to the conference this weekend, because obviously we don't get out of the house nearly as much as we should.
This will be our first-ever marriage conference, a fact that delights me to no end. Because when we got married back in 1997, if there had been some sort of nationwide survey to identify Couples Least Likely To Attend a Christian Marriage Conference, we would have finished pretty dadgum close to the top of the list. Oh, we thought we had it all figured out, the marriage thing, and the fact that we were both walking around on eggshells for the first few years we were married was PERFECTLY NORMAL, REALLY, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY PROBLEMS AT ALL.
We've been married for eleven years now, and thanks to the grace and healing of a sovereign, merciful God who has fixed us in places we didn't even want to admit were broken, our marriage is healthier than ever. However, I know there are still areas we need to work on, like, for example, my husband's tendency to ask four hundred and seventy two questions about whatever topic is at hand, and my tendency to respond to him by saying, "You know, I love you, but I feel that you have A LOT OF QUESTIONS FOR WHICH I DO NOT HAVE ANSWERS."
Oh, sweet marital bliss.
So what about y'all? Have you ever been to a marriage conference? What did you think? What did your husband think? What do I need to know about this whole marriage conference process?
Can't wait for y'all to teach me a thing or nine in the comments.
And p.s. - FOMMMMMMM.
p.p.s. - You're totally going to be saying that the rest of the day.
p.p.p.s. - You're welcome.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?"
Matthew 6: 25-31
Over the last few months as I've watched gas prices go up and the stock market go down, I've had moments of worrying what it all means. Will my family be okay? Do we have everything we need?
When I read this passage from Matthew 6, I am assured that we absolutely have everything we need and it is found in Jesus Christ.
Why should I worry? Instead I am reminded to "seek first His kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you".
Most of y'all are probably aware that New England Nights marks a huge milestone for Beth, Travis, the praise team, Living Proof and the Lifeway team: ten years of ministry together, service in all fifty states, and - most importantly - countless lives changed by Christ.
It's a mighty big deal indeed.
So I thought it might be fun - and hopefully a little encouraging - if we took some time to thank them.
Sound good?
Okay. I'll start.
Dear Living Proof Live Team,
About eight years ago my best friend, Emma Kate, started talking every now and again about a woman named Beth. She talked about Beth's hair, Beth's clothes, Beth's daughters - but more than anything else she talked about Beth's love for Jesus, about Beth's gift for teaching God's Word. And while I had never read anything that this Beth person had written, I was tickled to death that Emma Kate had found a new pretend-BFF. In fact, I think Beth and Emma Kate have had some mighty fine pretend conversations over the years. And Emma Kate would tell you that she was hilarious in all of them.
Emma Kate's real-life influence eventually rubbed off on me, and I signed up for a Bible study Beth wrote called Believing God. Even though I've tried to write about the impact that particular Bible study has had on my life at least four different times, I always struggle with finding the right words. During that study God's Word penetrated my heart in a way it never had before, and it changed my life. I walked into Believing God with countless questions - and I walked out of it more certain than ever before that God's character is consistent, His Word is infallible, and His grace is limitless. I'll never get over it.
A year or so after Believing God I heard Travis and the praise team sing for the first time, and I'm telling you: within one minute of their opening notes I was blown away by not only their talent, but by the humility with which they led worship. I'm still blown away by those things. I'm blessed every single time I hear them.
So all that to say: thank you, sweet friends, for ministering to us. Thanks for serving in His strength and not your own. Thanks to all the behind-the-scenes people who have worked tirelessly to serve women (and a few very brave men) in all fifty states. Thanks for holding unswervingly to the faith you profess - not because you're all that and a bag of chips - but because He who promised is faithful. Thanks for spurring us on toward love and good deeds (Hebrews 10:22-24). We are all the better for it.
If y'all want to leave your own thank yous (two words or two hundred words - it's totally your call) in the comments, we'll make sure to send the people on the event team the link to this post.
(And then we'll send them a follow-up quiz to make sure they read EVERY SINGLE WORD.)
(Oh, I kid.)
Congratulations on ten great years, everybody!
Today at LifeWay, we recognized six employees who have had careers of excellence. (Congratulations Chris Adams!) But, what a thought, huh? What a great recognition . . . that someone, or in this case an entire organization . . . would recognize your life's career and call it excellent.
I can't remember my work being described as excellent since elementary school. (I always received E's then.)
This celebration had me thinking a lot not only about my career, but my life and legacy.
These verses came to my mind. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." (Colossians 3:17, 23-24)
But, sometimes that's so hard to remember in the midst of a crazy life, work deadlines, insane workloads, demanding relationships, another lost sock, dirty laundry, and spilled milk. At least for today, I'm striving for excellence in everything I do (including sweeping up cheerios from the floor again!).
As Sophie mentioned yesterday, this week is the long-awaited New England Nights bus tour with Beth Moore.
Obviously we aren't actually on the bus tour but yesterday I pulled up some pictures of fall foliage on the internet while I listened to Beth on an old episode of "Life Today" and pretended like I was there.
Oh, the New England air is crisp this time of year!
Fortunately, Travis sent us this picture that I thought I'd share with y'all.
That is our dear Beth pilfering some fall foliage off a tree. Please note that she was so serious that she actually set down her Starbucks.
To see more pictures and hear more about what's going on, you can go check out Travis's blog.
I have no idea how many residents of New England read this blog.
You should not be surprised by this fact since I really don't have any idea how many people read this blog, period.
I do, however, love every single one of you to pieces. We're totally BFFs.
So if you read this blog and happen to live in New England, you definitely need to know about something that's going on in your neck of the woods this week: New England Nights with Beth Moore.
Beth, Travis and the Lifeway event team were in Vermont Monday night, and they'll be in New Hampshire tonight, Delaware Thursday night and Connecticut Friday night. The Connecticut event is sold out, but there are still tickets available for New Hampshire and Delaware.
And if you're like me and you can't be there to celebrate the fact that in the last ten years Living Proof has served in all 50 states, then you can certainly follow along on Beth's blog...she's already written two great posts about her time in Vermont.
Now if you'll excuse me, I'll get back to singing "Weekend in New England," which has been on a constant loop in my brain while I've been writing this post. In fact, it's taking all the restraint I have not to quote it right now.
I mean, I feel the change comin'. I feel the wind blow. I feel brave and daring. I feel my blood flow.
I'm so sorry, y'all. I couldn't help it. It's a sickness.
Have a great Tuesday!
Okay y'all are the best.
In fact, I laughed several times as I read over all your funny entries in last week's caption contest. And the scripture references were impressive.
However, after much deliberation, Sophie and I decided our favorite was "High and Lifted Up".
Because really, isn't that every woman's goal for her hair and her life in Christ?
Two women actually submitted the suggestion, so they are our winners.
Jessica
Susan L. Prince
If you will email me at bigmama8303@yahoo.com, I will arrange to get your copy of "Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter" sent to you ASAP.
Thanks for playing everybody!
"From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth - he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love, to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.
We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you." - Psalm 33:13-22
...how would you finish that sentence? Building on Sophie's previous post, if you were to say, "I was devastated, but then God....' What would you say? What's your 'God is/was everything' to you story?
Has he just sliced through your life and met you recently? rescued you? made you stare at something in awe? Made you smile? Made you cry?
The cool things about our stories is that they are uniquely ours...but if we share them, you never know who can relate to it or be comforted by it. 2 Corinthians 1: 3-5 say:
'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. He comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any kind of affliction, through the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For as the sufferings of Christ overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ.'
Story telling is the theme of LifeWay's National Women's Leadership Forum next month. Women sharing HIStory...or stories of how God has met them and been their 'everything' in the hard places is a simple yet profound way to reach women who are hurting.
What's your HIStory? I was devastated, and then God......?
p.s. we promise we'll be more fun next week. ;0)
Paige
If any of y'all read my personal blog you know that I typically like to keep it light! and look for the funny! when I talk about my life. I just don't write a lot of serious stuff - mainly because I try not to take myself too seriously.
But this week, in my homework for Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed: A Study of David, I was so moved by several of Beth Moore's remarks that I couldn't wait to share them with you - even if doing so requires me to step a little bit outside of my funny comfort zone.
Several years ago I was in the middle of what I thought was a pretty happy and carefree season of my life when I was blindsided by something that happened in my family. I felt like someone pulled the safety and security of my little world right out from under me, and I was devastated. I was angry. And I was positive that there was no way that God could ever restore what had been lost. On some level I thought God must have been trying to pay me back for every bad thing I'd ever done.
And apparently I'm not the only one who's felt that way. Beth writes, "All of us, to varying degrees, have taken an unexpected, uninvited emotional dive.... Devastation always involves heartbreak, but a heart dropped from 90 feet shatters, splinters, and scatters differently than the one dropped from 10 feet.... We are simply and understandably unprepared."
So given all that, it may seem a little strange to some people that I look on that very painful time and feel gratitude. Because while yes, it was ugly and miserable and sad, it was also a catalyst. With everything around me falling apart, I clung to my relationship with the Lord like I never had before. I grew in my relationship with the Lord like I never had before. And I walked out of that devastation with one single, sustaining revelation: He is everything.
Everything.
There's no question that devastation - with God or with someone we love - can send us reeling. I'm sure that right now there are some of you reading this who are walking through circumstances you could have never imagined. So maybe it will encourage you to know that even though I would have never chosen what I went through several years ago, I am far enough on the other side of it to know one thing beyond a shadow of a doubt: I am grateful for it. God used that terrible time to show me more of who He is, to assure me that I can trust Him, to confirm that He is faithful.
That whole exchanging ashes for beauty thing? Well, He's not kidding.
And now, when I look back on that family situation that was so heartbreaking, I am astounded by what God has done. There's been healing and restoration like I could have never imagined. And there's only One who could have done it.
Beth says, "Accepting the challenge to work through crisis and conflict can be a tremendously important part of developing closeness in a relationship. Don't deny it. Don't work around it. Don't back up from it. Work right through the middle of it with your God. He has never left you. Never ceased loving you. And never shut off His goodness from you."
Amen.
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever." - Psalm 136:1
There is nothing we like more than giving y'all the chance to win some cool stuff, so it's time for another caption contest.
We had so much fun reading all of your suggestions last time that we knew we wanted to make it a regular feature.
After I got home from my trip to Nashville, I emailed a couple of different pictures to Sophie so that we could decide which one was begging to be captioned. Ultimately, there was really no question which picture it should be.
I mean check out the look in my eyes. Was it fear or excitement as I watched my hair being teased to new heights by a woman who used to work on the set of "Hee-Haw"?
What is happening here? Am I closer to heaven if I have big hair?
We will pick the two best captions. The winners will receive a copy of Vicki Courtney's new book, "Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter".
Vicki, I hope that's okay with you.
Too late if it isn't.
I am so sorry I haven't filled y'all in on more behind the scenes DVD taping. I was suffering from a head cold and/or pneumonia while I was in Nashville that turned into full blown misery by the time I got home.
I even lost my voice at one point.
Which doesn't really explain why I couldn't write a post, since my husband would tell you I was able to write him plenty of notes telling him what I needed him to do.
Anyway, I'm back with a full report.
After last week I will never watch a DVD Bible study the same way. I had NO IDEA how much work goes into making sure the whole thing looks effortless and like a few women just gathered around a living room to have a nice visit.
When we pulled up to the house on Wednesday morning, there was a HUGE team of people doing all sorts of interesting things. Sheila was walking around making sure that the set looked good. She arranged books, pulled in furniture at different angles, and, best of all, gave a few of us brand new journals to write in during the shoot because, apparently, HOT PINK FLOWERS didn't send the message they were trying to convey.
That's my new journal. I got to take it home with me. SCORE.
While the camera crew and lighting people were making last minute adjustments, they told us to go to the RV across the street where the stylist was waiting to pick out our wardrobe. Am I in heaven?
Heather was the stylist and she was amazing. She picked from the things that each of the women had brought with them, but knew exactly how to coordinate all the various accessories. It was so interesting because she had a strategy as far as making us all seem color-coordinated, but not matchy-matchy.
I'll tell you this, it was a far cry from the faded yoga pants and "vintage" UCLA baseball t-shirt I normally wear to Bible study.
Here are a few more pictures.
This is Karen and Chris who were part of the study group.
This is me with Chris, after hair and makeup of course.
Here are the cameras that were focused on us.
This is Melissa, she was also part of the group.
Here is Vicki, ready to bring the Word.
This is sweet Julie. I don't think she was at all tired of me taking pictures.
Here we are at lunch. It was just like on a real movie set.
And this is where April took a self-portrait of us and totally cut out Vicki. Never mind that Vicki was the reason we were all there.
I'm really thinking that shot should be the cover of the "Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter" DVD.
And here is the whole group.
Here's what I loved about the whole thing and seeing everything that went on behind the scenes. With all the coordination of wardrobe, journals, and living room sets, once the camera started rolling it was just Vicki being Vicki and sharing the words that God had laid on her heart.
She shared so much wisdom with the group about the importance of sharing essential truths with our daughters and did it with such a genuine, heartfelt spirit. I honestly felt like I walked away with a better grasp on how to be the mother of a daughter.
I think the thing that is so frightening for those of us raising girls is that we are girls. We know all to well the challenges and insecurities they will face as they grow up. We know the mistakes they will make and be tempted to make. We just want to protect them for as long as we can.
Vicki's study is full of practical, Godly wisdom about how we can do just that. I can't wait until y'all can see it for yourselves.
Well, this is a mighty big day for our friend Travis Cottrell - because his new Christmas CD, Ring The Bells, hits stores far and wide and all points in between. That also means if you won one of the caption contest CD prizes that Melanie and I volunteered Travis to provide (oh God love him), your prize is going in the mail today.
We're very official-y and stuff.
I know that I've mentioned Ring The Bells a time or nine before, but it really is so great, y'all. And in case you don't believe me, you can now listen to full-length samples of several songs from the CD and see - or hear, as it were - for yourself. This is a Christmas CD you don't want to miss. In fact, you can order one right here, oh yes you can.
Finally, Travis is working with Operation Freedom Bell in conjunction with his CD release to provide Bibles to American soliders, so please take time to read about how participating in Operation Freedom Bell affords you a very unique way to encourage and support our troops.
So there you have it, internets. I guess it's All Travis, All The Time around here today.
And you know what? We wouldn't have it any other way.
Edited to add: Ring The Bells received a GLOWING review in CCM Magazine today - they're calling it the "Goosebump-Inducing Holiday Record of the Year." Yay, Travis! We're so proud of you!
I had the opportunity to meet Pat Layton this past June at the She Speaks Conference in North Carolina. She introduced herself to me and told me about her Bible study entitled "Surrendering the Secret", which is specifically targeted to women who have dealt with abortion.
Melinda at Traveling the Road Home is giving away five "Surrendering the Secret" DVD leader kits and member books. Click on over to enter the drawing. This would be such a powerful tool to add to your church library or even for personal use.
I'll be back next week to talk more about all the behind the scenes stuff at the "Five Conversations You Should Have With Your Daughter" taping. There may even be another caption contest in which we give away an array of fabulous prizes, otherwise known as a free book or two.
In the meantime, here's a quote from Oswald Chambers that I just read in Priscilla Shirer's "Discerning the Voice of God" study. It's really made me think about my ability to hear God's voice.
"What hinders me from hearing is that I am taken up with other things. It is not that I will not hear God, but I am not devoted in the right place. I am devoted to things, to service, to convictions, and God may say what he likes, but I do not hear Him. The child attitude is always 'Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth." Oswald Chambers.
So you know what helps when you're trying to blog about an event?
Being able to get on the internet.
I'm not sure why the wireless connections in Nashville don't love me, but they have all basically shut me out since I arrived. Needless to say, I'm hoping the twitch in my right eye will subside now that I am back in the comforting arms of internet access.
As I may have mentioned once or eight times, I am at the DVD taping of Vicki Courtney's Bible study, "Five Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter" and I don't even know where to begin.
On Tuesday evening, we had dinner at the home where the taping is taking place which just happens to be the home of Kelly Minter ("No Other Gods") and April Dace (big time Bible study DVD producer).
I'm pretty sure somewhere she has a fancy office with lots of leather and mahogany.
This is April.
Don't let that serious demeanor fool you. It was a total pose as she demonstrated how to be a serious Bible teacher.
A serious Bible teacher who serves her guests raw chicken.
April and Kelly hosted a lovely dinner and all the ladies participating in the study had a chance to get to know each other. It was a great dinner right up to the point where April announced that some of the chicken wasn't fully cooked.
Chicken we had already eaten.
Awesome. My first non-starring film role and I'm going to end up with food poisoning.
In all honesty, the chicken was fine and appeared to be cooked but April worried all night that we were all going to be sick because everyone in the industry knows that nothing really kills a Bible study discussion like some E.Coli.
After dinner we headed back to the hotel. And, truly, God was with me because the hotel room came complete with 142 pillows and I was actually able to sleep.
Our "call" (see how I learned some industry lingo?) was at 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning and they took us to our dressing room.
Otherwise known as a small space in the back of an RV. It was very glamorous and came complete with a mirror that allowed us to see only our stomachs. And isn't that really all that matters?
A few minutes later I was given the greatest gift a girl could ever get.
A professional makeup artist.
Her name is Jeannie and I asked her if she would like to come home to Texas with me to do my makeup every morning. Sadly, she declined. I think it had something to do with the fact that I frightened her with my overeagerness and, also, that I couldn't actually pay her anything.
Apparently, Jeannie is also a licensed therapist and a cattle rancher. That is someone who can meet just about all your needs.
And she hovered over us just like we were baby cows (calfs?) all day.
At one point I became concerned with my hair. I could just tell it felt flat, so Jeannie came over to work some magic. Did I mention she used to work on the set of "Hee-Haw"?
You just know anyone that spent any time on the set of "Hee-Haw" knows how to get a girl some big hair.
My hair achieved new heights.
So I spent the day with some fabulous women, learning about the conversations I need to have with my daughter, and how to tease my hair effectively.
There's so much more to tell y'all, but it's going to have to wait.
After all, my "call" is coming early.
After I posted about struggling with time management this past Monday morning, I started making my way through my email.
And in a devotion someone sent me, I found this quote. It pretty much jumped off the page.
"Do not try to do a great thing, or you may waste all your life waiting for the opportunity which may never come. But since little things are always claiming your attention, do them as they come from a great motive, for the glory of God and to do good to men." - F.B. Meyer
I'm praying that we would all do those "little things" well today..."for the glory of God and to do good to men."
Amen.
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Pam
Pam
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris