All Access

Look what's coming in February!

Kris S - December 7, 2011 - Comments (6)

Be a part of a Bible study taping

Sophie - November 28, 2011 - Comments (2)

If you live in or around Nashville, you could potentially be in for a real treat on December 13-14. Lisa Harper is taping a new Bible study - Malachi: A Love That Never Lets Go - and if you're interested in attending any of the three sessions, all you have to do is register online.

Registration is totally free, by the way, and what a sweet privilege it would be to sit under Lisa's incredible teaching for one, two or three sessions. The taping is at The Factory at Franklin - Liberty Hall, and who knows? You might even be able to work in a little Christmas shopping before or after the sessions.

Be sure to check out Lisa Harper's website if you'd like to learn more about her and her ministry. Have a great week, everybody!

We're having a Party. Will you be there?

Kris S - October 18, 2011 - Comments (1)

YES, A James Facebook Launch Party! November 1, at 11 a.m. CST. It's going to be so fun y'all. Pam Case & Paige Greene will be hosting the show and even Beth Moore is going to join us during the hour! We'll be showing exclusive video footage only available to view on the webcast show. We'll be giving away lots of stuff too just for fun. Mostly, though, we'll be talking about this amazing new Bible Study and encouraging everyone to put their feet to action by studying James with us.

We hope you'll all join in the fun! Click James Launch Party to enter for some prizes and SAVE THE DATE!

What's Happening Behind the Scenes?

Kris S - August 29, 2011 - Comments (5)

The last couple of weeks have been crazy busy but really great! I thought I'd catch you up on what's going on around here with LifeWay Women. We just finished taping a new Bible study by Kelly Minter. This will be the third in The Living Room Series. If you loved No Other Gods and Ruth, you're going to love this one! It's on the book of Nehemiah, taught like I've never heard it before.

Nehemiah will have the same fun elements of The Living Room series, with recipes, songs, but we'll also include 20 minute videos each week and this study has a real "GO/Mission" element to it. So, get ready to be changed! It comes out February 2012. We'll talk more about it as we get closer to release date.

We also had a fun time with Lisa Harper last week. Some of you may know Lisa Harper from our Women of Faith friends. Well, we're really excited to have Lisa join the LifeWay Women author team! She's a great story teller, funny, and serious about the gospel! We're publishing a study with her from the book of Malachi, but wait!!! This isn't a study on tithing! It's so much more. Lisa will teach us in practical ways that no matter what, God does not leave us. He responds to us in mercy when He could have responded in wrath. We're not taping this study until December, but rest assured, you'll be hearing more about it in months to come!

And then I found myself in a meeting with a few others from the LifeWay Women team and Tyndale House Publishers, discussing new authors and how we might work together in the future. It was so cool to hear how Tyndale operates much like LifeWay and how we're really all about the same thing: To draw people to Jesus.

And lastly, we had two amazing events this past weekend. Thanks to everyone who either prayed for or attended the Living Proof Live in Salt Lake City and the Going Beyond event in Jacksonville, FL.

I'm ready for another great week here at LifeWay Women, anticipating how I'm going to join in with what God's already busy doing! I can tell you it's a good feeling to get up in the morning and look forward to going to work every day, but more than that, I know it's a calling and I'm just thankful to be a part of the work.

What are you thankful for today? In the midst of the muck and the mire, the really hard stuff, we can still be thankful. Thanks for sharing and have a great Monday!

Get 'er done

Sophie - August 1, 2011 - Comments (2)

The LifeWay Women marketing team always has a booth at women's events. Living Proof Live in Charlotte was 9,500 attendees strong, so in order to accommodate all the samples and freebies and whathaveyou that the marketing team wanted to share, there had to be a pretty big set-up.

And that's why this is what was waiting on Kris and me when we got to the arena Thursday afternoon.

I'm not gonna lie, y'all. Unpacking and setting up all of that stuff can be a daunting task. Every one of those boxes is CHOCK FULL of materials and samples, and they're heavy - to the point that you find yourself saying "Lift with your knees!" when you see the other person wrestling with the sixth box of HomeLife magazines.

But like anything else, you just try to stay steady with the work. And after a couple of hours, you start to see the light at the end of the unpacking tunnel.

That's Kris, putting the finishing touches on the booth. By that point I was ready to wrap a towel around my head - I was BURNING SLAP UP - but the end was in sight. And a shower wasn't far away. And when the booth has come together - well, you know that all the sweet women who will visit it aren't far away.

And that's the whole reason why you're there, you know?

Finally you get to the point where you can put away the pallets, tuck away the banner bags - then stand back and survey your work.

It's a good feeling.

Well, it's a good feeling until you knock over a rack of magazines about four minutes after the doors open on Friday night.

The good news is that those magazines were picked up and handed out in no time at all.

The bad news is that our time in Charlotte seemed way too short. We had such a blast there and loved getting to meet so many friendly faces.

Hope some of y'all will stop by the marketing booth in at LPL Columbus, Ohio in a couple of weeks!

The bravest women I know

Kris S - July 28, 2011 - Comments (2)

*Guest post by Sara Horn, LifeWay Women author

Here's a confession. (How's that for a start for my first time guest-posting here?!)

I never wanted to "do" women's ministry. That sort of ministry, I thought early on, was full of drama and cattiness and gossip that I just did not want any part of. So I avoided women's Bible study sign-ups and passed on invitations to evening get-togethers. It just "wasn't for me," I'd tell myself.

As an early-twenty-something eager to make my mark in a successful career, I preferred to stay in the "man's" world. I worked as a writer/journalist and jumped for the chance to do any fun, interesting adventure that came my way. I interviewed politicians in Washington. Celebrities who professed a faith in Christ in Hollywood. And eventually, I flew to war zones in Iraq to interview soldiers and sailors.

And there, of all places, on the other side of the world in places of both steel (an aircraft carrier) and sand (Baghdad) is where God started working a change in both me and my attitude towards women's ministry. At the time, I just didn't know it.

I was a military spouse for as long as I'd been a writer - my husband joined the Navy Reserves the year before we got engaged - but for the first 10 years, I never really saw myself in that way or as that title. Until Cliff got ready to deploy in 2007. And then everything changed. And gradually, so did my heart towards women's ministry.

Through that first deployment, God taught me (among many things) that I needed other women in my life. To share with. Laugh with. Pray with. And encourage. Me and them.

So I took a deep breath and with God's nudging (more like pushing - ever experienced that?), Wives of Faith began.

We'll celebrate 5 years of ministry this winter. And while there have been wonderful times, learning times, even some lonely times (in leadership there always are those seasons of loneliness, isn't there?) - oh my goodness, there have been some GROWING times! And I'm grateful for all of it!

Military spouses aren't a dime a dozen. Less than 1% of our U.S. population serves in in our Armed Forces. And I am convinced God has a specific purpose and plan for military wives. He knew before we did that we would serve in this special role.

There are so many ladies I've met who have such amazing stories. But they would not call their stories amazing. They would just call it "life."

There's my good friend, an Air Force wife, who supports her husband in his final years of his military career while taking her kids to swim team practice and working as an EMT because she's found a passion to serve people in that way.

There's the military wife and mom I know on Facebook who not only has seen her husband through multiple deployments but is dealing with her own three-year battle against leukemia, sometimes completely on her own.

There's the young National Guard wife who just said goodbye to her husband for a second deployment to Afghanistan in four years and gave birth shortly after he left to their third child.

These women probably would not call themselves brave. They would say they're simply doing what they have to do. But I see bravery in their stories and in others like them every day.

Because what they do matters. They make a difference every day for their families and for others around them. They make a difference because what they do at home helps their spouses serving overseas do what they do for all of us.

So many of these ladies I know are able to do what they do because of their faith. Their relationship with Christ is what keeps them going. And many of them have made the comment, "I don't know how I could do this without Him."

But my thoughts often turn to those spouses who don't know Him. Who didn't grow up in church or who haven't been in a church in a very long time. Who are trying to go it alone. And for these ladies, my prayer is someone - someone like you, for instance - will see them. And friend them. And show them love. The way Jesus would.

My prayer is that someone will remind them that they don't have to be brave on their own. That there is Someone else much braver who will share the journey with them.

So when you meet a military spouse, give her a hug. And tell her she is very loved.

Sara Horn is the founder of Wives of Faith and the author of the LifeWay study, Tour of Duty: Preparing Our Hearts for Deployment. An interview she gave last year with Focus on the Family about military families and her book, GOD Strong: A Military Wife's Spiritual Survival Guide, will re-air Aug. 1. For more information on Sara and her newest release, My So-Called Life as a Proverbs 31 Wife, coming out this September, visit sarahorn.com

Heart for worship

Sophie - July 22, 2011 - Comments (4)

I'm about to get some sleep after a great night at Living Proof Live Charlotte (9,400 strong), but I just had to share this video. I just saw it when I was getting tonight's pictures and videos off of my camera and onto my computer - and it so perfectly sums up the heart for worship that's shared by Travis and his praise team.

This is sweet Julie. And what I love - what I LOVE - is that it wouldn't have mattered if there were 9,000 or 900 or 9 or NO people in that arena. She wasn't performing; it wasn't even her turn to sing. But she was flat-out worshiping. For an audience of One.

"Ascribe to the LORD the glory of His name; bring an offering and come before Him. Worship the LORD in the splendor of [His] holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth. The world is firmly established; it cannot be shaken." - 1 Chronicles 16:29-30, HCSB

Some fun freebies

Sophie - - Comments (0)

If you're at Living Proof Live in Charlotte tonight, stop by the marketing tables before the event. We have some free resources and samples that we'd love to share with you.

Friday night is the prime time to hit the table - the magazines and samples go pretty fast, so don't miss out.

Be safe as you travel this afternoon/tonight. Y'all are in our prayers!

Hey, Charlotte!

Sophie - July 21, 2011 - Comments (0)

We're so happy to be here!

I love that the Charlotte airport has a beautiful statue outside. So Southern.

Anyway, we're about to get to work on some set-up stuff, but don't forget to enter the giveaway if you're going to be at this weekend's Living Proof Live.

Can't wait to see y'all there!

Not our typical Friday

Sophie - July 18, 2011 - Comments (0)

Last Thursday Melanie and I went to Nashville so that we could sit in on a pre-event planning meeting for .MOM (which, by the way, will be here before you know it). We'll be emceeing the .MOM festivities (just think of us as your personal court jesters), and fortunately the LifeWay people are far more organized than we are and actually have a plan and a schedule and lots of ideas. Mel and I were totally blown away by their creativity and attention to detail; they certainly put us at ease and made the prospect of, you know, talking in front of a big group of people a whole lot less intimidating.

During the meeting we also talked a good bit about a .MOM video that Melanie and I were going to be doing the next day. Resident LifeWay geniuses Seth and Jeff had come up with A SCRIPT AND EVERYTHING - they'd even listened to one of our podcasts to get a better feel for how we would talk to each other - and they explained what all we'd be doing on Friday and what the basic storyline of the script would be. I was borderline terrified because I typically don't enjoy any sort of acting and/or skit, but it ended up being such a blast.

Plus, Melanie and I got to spend almost all day Friday driving around in a sah-weet rented minivan with a big contraption on the hood.

Sometimes blogging leads you into the strangest situations, you know?

We'll be talking about .MOM even more in the days and weeks to come - we'd love to see y'all in Birmingham on September 23-24!

The after

Sophie - June 27, 2011 - Comments (0)

One part of Living Proof Live that people might not think about is how much activity goes on once the event is over. This past Saturday was no exception. Once all the ladies (and a few men!) were out of the building, the crew moved in full-force and started to break down the stage and the equipment.

It's sort of surreal to watch, really. For two days that arena felt like a home away from home - a sanctuary, for sure - and by 12:30 on Saturday, it had been pulled apart like so many Legos.

Gigantic Legos, of course - but Legos just the same.

Meanwhile, the event team girls were packing up t-shirts to ship back to Nashville.

Aren't Carrie and Mickey just the cutest?

It was such a great weekend - filled to the brim with wonderful worship and teaching - and I'll be sharing more about it as the week goes on.

Thanks so much, Lincoln! We just loved you to pieces.

Consider yourself warned, LPL Lincoln

Sophie - June 24, 2011 - Comments (5)

Tonight I was walking down to the bookstore at the arena when I saw this sign.

You'll be happy to know that the ladies steered clear of any sort of mosh pit activity at tonight's Living Proof Live.

But tomorrow? If there's body surfing? Well, you'll be the first to know.

And I'll most certainly post pictures.

:-)

LPL Lincoln set-up

Sophie - - Comments (0)

When Melanie and I first started blogging from different women's events, we mainly just sat in our seats and tried to take really good notes and then re-capped the weekend's lesson once we got home.

Once we figured out that part of things, we started helping out a little bit behind-the-scenes. It really does take a lot of time to put signs on seats, get programs distributed, make sure that the majority of men's restrooms become women's restrooms, etc. Not to mention that while all of that stuff is going on, there's an entirely different crew of people setting up an on-site LifeWay bookstore. Plus, there's another crew who are setting up the platform, loading in praise team equipment, connecting all manner of fancy cables and wires and cords and whathaveyou.

Needless to say, Mel and I have never been allowed to work with the tech crew. That's probably because they prefer to avoid explosions and electrical fires before an event starts. Which is understandable.

The other on-site team is the marketing team, and Mel and I have been helping out with that end of things for the last year or so. This weekend is the first time I've worked at the marketing tables by myself, and I was a little nervous when I got to Lincoln because there is A LOT of stuff to set up and distribute. The fun part of working at the marketing tables is that you get to give out a lot of free samples, but all those samples have to be unpacked and placed and re-stocked throughout the event. The prospect of unpacking all that stuff by myself was a little daunting.

But as it turned out, my nerves were totally unnecessary. When I got to the Pershing Center yesterday afternoon, sweet Amy Cato and her event team had unloaded all the boxes, put up all the banners - and they were basically just waiting to see if there was any other way they could help. I was so touched by their kindness, but I wasn't surprised at all. Because let me tell you: the LifeWay event girls are HARD WORKERS. They're incredibly servant-hearted, and over the last three years I have seen them pitch in and help out however they can, whenever they can. You would be so impressed by the spirit with which they do their work if you saw them in action.

So, thanks to their help, my job was much less intimidating. They helped me place the banners, and then we started unpacking all of the samples and freebies. I love to arrange things, and thanks to what the event girls had done before I arrived, I had the freedom to really focus on that part of the set-up. After about an hour, the tables were ready for the 4,000 women who'll be at the Pershing Center tonight.

Normally some of the banners go on the tables, but we're in an older arena this weekend, and the ceilings are a little low. Kaye had the idea to set the banners on boxes to give them a little height, and now I'm pretty sure that she's a genius. NEVER would have occurred to me.

So if you're at LPL this weekend, stop by the marketing tables - they're at the main entrance. I can load you up with free issues of Home Life and free samples of Bible studies and free event catalogs and even a few free DVDs.

I can also hug you an annoying number of times, but I promise that I'll do my best not to invade your personal space.

Hope to see some of y'all there!

Hello from Lincoln, Nebraska!

Sophie - - Comments (2)

This weekend I'm in Lincoln, Nebraska for Living Proof Live. It's my first-ever visit to this part of the country (I think I may have already mentioned that about fourteen times), and I have been totally charmed by the friendliness of the people and the charm of the downtown area.

Everything here looks very neat and clean - they're missing that nice sheen of humidity that tends to make the scenery a little hazy in the South. And since there aren't any hills (a big change-o-pace for this Alabama girl), I feel like I'm driving around on a gigantic Lego creation. Flat streets, red brick buildings, lots of right angles. Efficient. No nonsense.

And for some reason that makes me so happy.

Even the Capitol building looks sturdy and sensible. At the top of the Capitol there's a dome with a statue (such an expected twist, that dome at the top of a tower), and the statue is a man sowing seed. Not a President or a dignitary or an eagle or some sort of fancy emblem - but a regular guy who's doing his part to make sure that the agricultural wheels keep turning.

You didn't know you were going to get a history lesson today, did you?

Neither did I. But I love all the little quirks and eccentricities and traditions that make a place unique. So I thought I'd share.

I'll be back in a little while with some more news from the event itself. Unless I run across some statues or monuments before then. In which case: HISTORY LESSON AHOY.

(Oh, I kid.)

(Sort of.)

Hope y'all are having a great Friday!

Any VBS fans out there?

Kris S - June 2, 2011 - Comments (0)

I just found this clue for the 2012 VBS Theme. If you'd like to guess the theme, go to LifeWay VBS Blog.

Clue #7 The Christmas Story from LifeWay Kids on Vimeo.

Do you know a Military Wife?

Kris S - January 6, 2011 - Comments (0)

This story came across my email this past week and I thought to myself, now this is why I do what I do. No, this has nothing to do with me personally, but sometimes I get caught up in the minutiae of work and need to be reminded of how God is working and how I'm so blessed to be even such a small little part in His work.

Terry lives in Millington, TN, a large Navy/Marine military base and community. She's very active in the Women's Ministry at her church. One of our network partners told her about the new Tour of Duty Bible study. He shared a sample of the Bible study with her, she looked over the information, and seemed very interested in taking it back to her church.
The next day she and a friend went shopping - both of them bought a copy of the Tour of Duty Bible study at their local LifeWay store. They began to share information with some of the women in the church and are now leading a study of Tour of Duty in Millington.
The friend's mother is at Camp Pendleton in California - largest Marine Base in that area. The mother has a large group of women getting together for dinner and beginning the Tour of Duty Bible study. They are reaching and telling people who have already left the base about the study. One lady commented "she wished she had had something like that when they left".
So - in just over a week's time - word has spread from Decatur, AL to Millington, TN and to California and a large group of women are already benefiting from this study. Terry said, "Your sharing information about Tour of Duty with one person has already crossed the country and is spreading to who knows where."

Do you know a military wife? Would you let them know about Tour of Duty and ask them to share their stories with us here on All Access and on Facebook/lifewaywomen?

Are you Brave?

Kris S - January 3, 2011 - Comments (0)

New Bible study by Angela Thomas releases Feb. 1 2011!

Brave, Honest Questions Women Ask from Kris Seidenkranz on Vimeo.

Deeper Still Cupcake Wars 2010

Sophie - December 6, 2010 - Comments (7)

Now granted, we dealt with a multitude of serious topics at this past weekend's Deeper Still in Birmingham. Beth reminded us about the lost art of treasure. Priscilla encouraged us to empty our quivers. Kay taught the entire book of Matthew.

And in the midst of all that great teaching, there was also a whole bunch of fun.

Case in point: Deeper Still Cupcake Wars 2010.

It was the stuff of legends, my friends. Epic, in fact. I'll let the video tell the tale of our little impromptu contest.

After I turned off the camera, Jerry admitted that it was very, very close between the two strawberry cupcakes. He thought the Dreamcakes version was incredible - but gave a slight edge to the icing from Cupcake Collection. And because I am a Very Mature Individual, I can certainly respect his decision - even if I was secretly hoping that he'd pick the cupcakes from my friend Jan at Dreamcakes.

But here's what I know deep down in my heart: if Jerry had tried the Caramel Sea Salt Mocha cupcakes from Dreamcakes? Oh, it would've been all over. Not even a contest. There is no cupcake on the planet that can match its excellence.

At least that's what I tell myself when I feel the lingering sting of a close cupcake-related competition that didn't go Birmingham's way. Not this time, at least.

I call for a re-match at Deeper Still Louisville in 2011.

Happy Monday, y'all!

Smoothies at the Shirer Home

Kris S - November 18, 2010 - Comments (0)

Pam Case, Amy Lowe and I were in Dallas a couple of weeks ago for the new Bible study coming out by Priscilla - can't wait to tell you more about this so keep checking here, on FB and Twitter We ended up at their home waiting for the next taping session and Jerry made us a healthy snack. I gotta tell you - I loved it! And sense, have started making these babies up on my own. I've even gotten Ana Mei and Josiah to drink them! They think they're yummy. You'll have to be the judge to determine if Amy was practicing her fine acting skills or if she truly loved the smoothie. All I know is sneaky me poured some of her's in my cup when no one was looking. (grin!)

Hanging out at the Shirer Home from Kris Seidenkranz on Vimeo.

Faithful Abundant True

Kris S - November 22, 2010 - Comments (0)

One of my long time LifeWay retail friends, Angela who buys gifts for our stores, has been leading Bible studies here at LifeWay during lunch time for several years now. Currently they are going through Faithful, Abundant, True by Beth Moore, Kay Arthur, and Priscilla Shirer . . . They have 30 women here in Nashville going through what we affectionately call the "FAT" study!

Todd Smith (Selah) at Relevant singing in his native tongue!

Kris S - October 27, 2010 - Comments (4)

Todd grew up on the mission field in Africa. He's having some fun with a few women at Relevant!

Todd from Selah sings with Relevant Women-African Style! from Kris Seidenkranz on Vimeo.

Relevant Conference and Todd Smith-Selah

Kris S - - Comments (3)

Last week I had the privilege of attending The Relevant Conference in Hershey, PA with 250 women bloggers who love Jesus. One of the highlights (aside from 1. hanging out with his amazing wife, Angie Smith, her editor, Jennifer Lyell, and Pam Case & 2. eating Hershey chocolate!) was listening to Todd Smith of Selah sing this amazing song.

Todd Smith from Selah_It is Well from Kris Seidenkranz on Vimeo.

BRAVE: Honest Questions Women Ask

Kris S - October 7, 2010 - Comments (1)

Based on her new trade book, Do You Know Who I Am and other Brave Questions Women Ask, this upcoming Bible study, Brave: Honest Questions Women Ask, releases February 2011. I personally can't wait to take this study with my girlfriends!

I know we have to wait, but just wanted to wet your appetite with what's coming up! In the study, Angela looks boldly at some of the fears and struggles we face as women, and she helps us see how we can be brave in the face of those challenges.

Some fun Twitter-related news

Sophie - September 15, 2010 - Comments (0)

I know that it's been Simulcast Central around here this week (everyone's just so excited! so very excited!), so I want to pass along one additional bit of sort-of-simulcast-related news before I forget.

I've mentioned before that Twitter is a fun way to check in with your internet buddies once or twice a day. It's also been a great place to keep up with a lot of the LifeWay Women team members for the last couple of years.

Well, a few months ago another LifeWay Women team member decided to jump on board with the Twitter fun.

I know that a lot of y'all are already following Beth on Twitter, but if you're not, all you have to do is go to http://twitter.com/BethMooreLPM and click "follow" (if you don't have a Twitter account yet, you'll need to set up one first).

And if you're thinking, What about Vicki Courtney? What about Travis Cottrell? What about Priscilla Shirer? Well, here's a much more exhaustive list of all the LifeWay Women folks
who tweet.

It's a Tweet-tacular!

Have a great Wednesday, sweet friends!

Faithful

Sophie - June 30, 2010 - Comments (17)

This past weekend at Living Proof Live in St. Louis, Beth shared a message about the image of God: Imago Dei. It was complex and layered and deep, and Saturday's sessions especially stomped all over my toes in the best possible ways.

After the Saturday morning break, Beth shared a story about a woman named Teri (apologies to Teri if I'm misspelling her name) who was supposed to be at LPL in Springfield, Illinois last November. Since Teri was at the St. Louis event, Beth called her to the platform - and you can see the rest right here.

(Please excuse the video quality.)

(I was taping from one of the screens so that you could see the ladies clearly.)

(But apparently I'd had a little too much caffeine.)

Sweet Moment - LPL St. Louis from Kris Seidenkranz on Vimeo.

And do you know what Teri said in Beth's ear at the end?

"He's the Potter. I'm just the clay."

Isn't that incredible? And so encouraging?

Friday night at LPL St. Louis

Sophie - June 25, 2010 - Comments (2)

LPL St. Louis - Call To Worship from Kris Seidenkranz on Vimeo.

What a great night it's been - see y'all tomorrow!

If you're at Living Proof Live St. Louis...

Sophie - - Comments (2)

...and you see this display

or this table

please stop by and say "hi"! I'll be there tonight and tomorrow morning helping a precious woman named Phyllis, and we would love to meet you.

We would also love to talk about how much we love diet Coke and how we accidentally wound up in Illinois when we were driving to the arena this morning, but we'll try not to subject you to our rambling. We will, however, subject you to a big ole hug.

Hope to see some of y'all tonight - we can't wait!

What would you ask?

Kris S - June 3, 2010 - Comments (18)

If you had the opportunity to sit down at Starbucks with Beth Moore (who has been called the female Billy Graham of our generation), what would you order and how would you start the conversation?

Or what if Priscilla Shirer invited you to her home for dessert? What questions would you want to ask this wife and mother of three in ministry who grew up as a preacher's kid?

And then there is Kay Arthur, what would you ask this woman who has watched the culture change and shift, yet grounded her life upon God's unchanging Word through it all?

The panel discussion at Deeper Still: The Event provides the opportunity for women to hear from these three amazing Bible teachers. Also, author and songwriter, Kelly Minter, will join the panel giving insight into questions from the Christian single perspective.

Our first Deeper Still: The Event for 2010 will be June 11-12 in Denver and we need some great questions! We want questions that will help women get to know our Bible teachers better (what is your favorite color of lipstick!) as well as, covering topics they may not address during the Deeper Still sessions.

So, what would YOU ask?

Thanks everyone for Praying for Nashville!

Kris S - May 3, 2010 - Comments (1)

I'm posting a video of my home town, Franklin, TN. Our home is totally fine, but the city is in ruin. So many families have been affected in Franklin and many other areas are much worse. I know many LifeWay families' homes have been flooded including our Presiden't, Thom Rainer. He lives in Franklin and had to leave his home. Thank you for your prayers. I was so thankful this morning as I walked my dogs to see the blue sky and the sun shining through. God is still on his throne!

Franklin TN Flood 05-02-10 May 2010 from Jonathan Melton on Vimeo.

Have you taken the journey yet?

Kris S - April 27, 2010 - Comments (1)

Kelly's Loss, Love, Legacy has become one of my very favorite music CDs of late. Have ya'll ventured out to purchase it yet? And the RUTH study, oh so good. We'd love to hear from ya'll who have started the journey with Kelly and the study of RUTH. What's God showing and teaching you through this study? We would love to hear from you.

If you haven't taken it yet, you can learn more about it in the video below.

Kelly Minter Promo Video from April Dace on Vimeo.

Your two cents is very valuable

Sophie - March 22, 2010 - Comments (0)

Hey AllAccess Friends -

Right now LifeWay is doing a social media survey, and we would be so grateful if you would participate and offer your input. It won't even take five minutes for you to answer the questions.

By the way, my official prediction is that it will take 4.3 minutes of your time. Give or take a few tenths.

And as a thank you for participating, we would like to share this little interwebby treat.

See? TOTALLY WORTH IT.

Hope y'all have a great week!

Behind the Scenes with LifeWay Women

Kris S - March 9, 2010 - Comments (0)

Happy mid-morning to everyone out there!
Just in case you didn't catch it, we've got a NEW video up in the right-hand corner! Take a look -
Or you can check it out here at Vimeo
Pam and Paige give us the scoop on what's coming up for LifeWay Women.

LifeWay Women AllAccess 2009

Sophie - December 31, 2009 - Comments (7)

We're so grateful that the Lord allowed us to share 2009 with each one of you.

We love y'all!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever." - Psalm 107:1

music: "Your Word Is Life" - Travis Cottrell

Old friends & new friends at Deeper Still

Sophie - December 10, 2009 - Comments (1)

When I was a new blogger, way back in ye olden days of early 2006, I joined an online blogger Bible study. About 15 of us worked through Beth Moore's Living Beyond Yourself, and through that study I made some of my very first bloggy friends.

One of those friends was a girl named Robin, and I was thrilled to pieces that I got to see Robin again last weekend at Deeper Still in Oklahoma City. We hadn't seen each other in about 3 1/2 years, so when I spied her walking across the arena floor, I'm pretty sure that I squealed. Or maybe I yelped.

Robin was with Cindy, another bloggy friend of mine. Both of them are married to men who are on staff at Life Church outside of OKC, and Robin and Cindy have actually gotten to know Pam and Paige (over there in the right-hand corner) through their ministry connections. Not to mention Twitter.

Confused yet?

ANYWAY, because of all those connections, the Nashville LifeWay girls (Pam, Paige, Kris & Teresa) and the Life Church girls ended up at a post-Deeper Still dinner Saturday night. I was tickled to tag along, and I had the best time catching up with Robin and Cindy. And as an added bonus, I got to yell occasionally at the Alabama/Florida football game that was playing on TVs in the restaurant. It was a DELIGHTFUL evening.

We even took a picture.

That's Kris, Pam, Priscilla, Cindy, Robin, me, Paige and Teresa.

Good food. Good friends.

Really good times.

Da Do Ron Ron

Sophie - December 4, 2009 - Comments (6)

One of the most beloved team members at Deeper Still is Ron. Ron does an incredible job handling security at some of the women's events, and he's as low-key and humble as can be. The folks at LifeWay just love him to pieces.

Well, Friday was Ron's birthday, so it only seemed fitting for him to be the recipient of a special tribute at supper Friday night.

You should very afraid if this is the person in charge of your special tribute.

He's pointing out the ministry of the mashed potatoes, by the way. They had an extra measure of anointing.

And in all seriousness, Travis wrote some hilarious lyrics to the tune of "Da Do Run Run" to commemorate Ron's birthday. Except he called the song "Da Do Ron Ron." Because he's punny like that.

Tirelessly. He worked tirelessly.

And once the masterpiece was finished, the praise team serenaded Ron.

And Paige let him know how very loved he is.

And Betsy gave him a very thoughtful gift.

And then everybody ate cake.

Or, you know, some more potatoes.

Happy Birthday, Ron!

It's the little things

Sophie - - Comments (1)

I'm about to head over to the convention center for Deeper Still, but I wanted to share two things that have absolutely delighted me this afternoon.

Y'all wouldn't believe how happy I was when I saw that can of spray starch in my hotel room closet. It's something that I always wish I could pack, but unfortunately airport security personnel aren't terribly fond of large cans of aerosol in a carry-on.

So now that I have a whole can of starch at my disposal - well, my ironing sky has no limit. In fact, right this very second I am fighting the urge to starch sweater coats and socks. Not because they need it, mind you - but because I can.

I need to get out more, don't I?

Up next: a post about hotel notepads!

(Oh, I kid.)

(The next post will probably feature some beautiful singing.)

(And for that I imagine we're all very thankful.)

Birmingham to Dallas to OKC

Sophie - - Comments (2)

So I got to the airport in Birmingham about 6:30 this morning. I was completely bright-eyed and bushy-tailed because those three and a half hours of slept I got last night left me TOTALLY refreshed.

I mean, I'm not saying that I had a hard time waking up this morning, but the word "stupor" definitely comes to mind.

But y'all. Just look what the Lord did.

It's a little thing I like to call THE MOST DELIGHTFUL EXIT ROW SEAT EVER.

Do you see all that room? Do you see? I could've danced in all that space if I'd wanted. Except that people probably would've stared. And also the bulkhead would've prevented me from standing up straight.

But IF I HAD WANTED TO, I could've hunched over and busted a move. And that is all that matters.

Also, a woman sitting here at the gate just sneezed about six times in a row, and I am not kidding: I thought it was a small dog barking. I could not be more fascinated.

That's it for this installment of Silly Travel Adventures, but I'll check in with y'all when I get to Oklahoma City for Deeper Still. Hope y'all are having a wonderful Friday!

More on Kelly Minter Music

Kris S - December 3, 2009 - Comments (0)

You're gonna love this song! This is one of 6 video clips that go with the women's Bible study, Ruth. You can find this video and the others at lifeway.com/livingroomseries
Let us know what you think!

All manner of webcasty fun

Sophie - November 15, 2009 - Comments (14)

So this past Friday was a webby first for LifeWay Women: a live stream from the National Leadership Forum. When Melanie and I walked into the webcast area I was totally impressed - they had a control room and cameras and everything.

FANCY.

Keep in mind that if I were the person in charge of a webcast, everybody would be standing up and crowded around a webcam. Perhaps this is why I have never been employed in the fields of radio and/or television production.

It really was a bunch of fun to watch and to participate in the webcast, even if I never got the hang of the two-camera system EVEN A LITTLE BIT. It made me laugh because Paige and Melanie were so comfortable and such naturals at the whole thing, and meanwhile I was darting my eyes back and forth like a cat with some sort of nervous disorder.

Anyway, if you got to watch some of the webcast this past Friday, would you mind sharing a little feedback with us? How was the overall experience for you? Is it something you'd like to participate in again? Did you have any technical difficulties? Did you like the chat feature? And most importantly, were you as wild about Priscilla's dress as Melanie and I were?

Your input is SO appreciated - we love y'all!

photos courtesy of Rich Kalonick

And now a word from, well, you

Sophie - November 5, 2009 - Comments (7)

So I mentioned yesterday that there's going to be all sorts of live webcasting going on here at AllAccess next Friday, November 13th. And I also mentioned some of the people who are going to be on the webcast: Priscilla Shirer, Travis Cottrell, Kelly Minter, etc. and so on and so forth, amen.

But here's the thing: once those people sit down (or stand up - I really have no idea whether sitting or standing will be the webcast preference, so let's just pretend we land somewhere in the middle and everyone is sitting on a tall stool, thank you), Paige and Pam are going to need some questions for them. Since that's sort of how an interview works and all.

So.

You know how we usually ask y'all for questions for the panel part of Deeper Still? Well, we're going to do the same thing today. We need your questions - whether serious or light-hearted - for the webcast. Your questions can be directed to a particular person (Dear Priscilla, How do you make your hair so pretty? Love, Me) or your question can be general (Dear People, What's your favorite way to eat corn? Love, Me). And please know that if your question is general, you can expect to hear it over and over again because whoever's doing the interviewing will WEAR IT OUT and ask every single person about their favorite way to eat corn.

That's what you call hard-hitting journalism, my friends.

Leave your questions in the comments - and thanks in advance!

Leadership Forum live webcast

Sophie - November 3, 2009 - Comments (9)

Next week Melanie and I are going to Nashville for LifeWay's National Women's Leadership Forum. We're going to teach a couple of classes on blogging, and we're also hoping to eat a meal or two where we don't have to cut up somebody else's food.

Our dreams are big. Our hearts are filled with expectation.

Anyway, the LifeWay folks are going to be doing a really cool thing on Friday, November 13th. And that really cool thing is a day-long webcast that you can watch right here on AllAccess. You see that video of Pam and Paige over to the right? Well, next Friday it won't be there. But what WILL be there is the live feed from the Leadership Forum - from 8:30 in the AM until 9:30 in the PM.

Isn't that the neatest? You can sit on your couch in your pajamas and eat fried chicken and listen to Travis Cottrell and Priscilla Shirer and Kelly Minter and Mary Kassian and a whole host of other wonderful people. Paige and Pam will be doing interviews throughout the day, and Melanie and I might show up to perform an uplifting duet or maybe even a lyrical ballet routine to "On The Wings of Love."

We're still ironing out some of the details, not to mention our choreography. So really, there's not a bit of telling.

We'll be talking more about the live feed - and even asking for your input - over the next week. We're so excited that even if you're not with us in Nashville, you can still be with us in Nashville, and yes, that TOTALLY makes sense.

The interwebs are magic, you know.

Have a wonderful Wednesday, y'all.

LifeWay Women in New England

Kris S - October 30, 2009 - Comments (2)

A couple of weekends ago, Christi (LifeWay Women's designer, and a very amazing designer at that!) and I went to a women's event called Iron Sharpens Iron in Bloomfield, CT. Anyone from around that area? It's beautiful up there for sure. Crazy, but that weekend it was as cold in Nashville as it was in New England.

So, anyway, we gave away lots of LifeWay Women STUFF. Many of you ladies up there knew us but I say a bunch of you didn't know who we were. So it was a good experience and great to meet ya'll. Also, we were able to see one of our very own Bible study teachers, Shaunti Feldhahn, who I just love and who's coming out with something new in 2010 so stay tuned! We hung out a bit with Anthony Evans, Jr. who led us in some mighty worship! Anthony leads worship at our LifeWay Women Going Beyond events with his amazing, God-gifted Bible teaching sister, Priscilla Shirer. Check out 2010 events to worship with both Anthony and Priscilla at an event that will certainly change your walk with Jesus!

Now, I'm gonna end with this little video clip. The beginning shows what we do - the calm before the storm at a marketing table where we give out lots of stuff and talk to you about all the great Bible study resources LifeWay Women has to offer. Then you'll see a glimpse of Anthony leading worship.

PS: Don't miss the lady knitting during Praise and Worship. That's priceless!

Ya'll have a good weekend and be safe. As we dress up our kiddos, let's remind them of who's King and who's coming back for us! 

All A-Twitter: A semi-exhaustive list

Sophie - October 26, 2009 - Comments (2)

Over the last few months more and more of our LifeWay buddies have jumped on the Twitter bandwagon. A few of them reserve their updates for family and friends, but many of them are tweeting for all eyes to see in the great, wide-open interweb prairie.

Strangest figurative language ever, by the way. I have no way where that whole "prairie" metaphor came from. But I'm rolling with it.

Anyway, I thought I'd break down the Twitter friends into categories, mainly because I'm a smidge obsessive and I LOVE ME SOME LISTS, AMEN.

LifeWay Women:

LifeWay Women - http://twitter.com/lifewaywomen
Pam Case - http://twitter.com/pamcase
Paige Greene - http://twitter.com/paigegreen
Kris Seidenkranz - http://twitter.com/krisseidenkranz
Amy Cato - http://twitter.com/amycato
Betsy Langmade - http://twitter.com/betsylangmade
Chris Adams - http://twitter.com/chrisadams4
Darlene Moreland - http://twitter.com/darlenemoreland
Patricia Murphy - http://twitter.com/patriciajmurphy

LifeWay Authors:

Kay Arthur - http://twitter.com/kayarthur
Kelly Minter - http://twitter.com/kelly_minter
Priscilla Shirer - http://twitter.com/priscillashirer
Pat Layton - http://twitter.com/patricialayton
Vicki Courtney - http://twitter.com/vicki_courtney
Jennifer Rothschild - http://twitter.com/jennrothschild

LifeWay Worship Leaders:

Travis Cottrell - http://twitter.com/cottrelltravis
Anthony Evans - http://twitter.com/anthonyevansjr
Kevin Perry - http://twitter.com/kevperry
Alexis Cruz - http://twitter.com/alexiscruz

LifeWay No-Event-Would-Be-Complete-Without-Them:

Rich Kalonick - http://twitter.com/bobonickalonick
Nate Griffin - http://twitter.com/kanakanate
Stephen Proctor - http://twitter.com/worshipvj
LPL Historian - http://twitter.com/LPLphoto

Okay. Two things: 1) I have now typed the words "twitter.com" more times than I have typed my own name. EVER. 2) I know I've unintentionally left out somebody - I KNOW I HAVE - so feel free to add additons or corrections in the comments. Or to reprimand me via email. Whatever it takes.

Hope y'all have a wonderful week!

Behind the Scenes- Scouting the Divine Day 2

Kris S - October 14, 2009 - Comments (0)

Day two of the video shoot for Scouting the Divine was a success. Check out this video to hear from director Brad Jones (Haven Productions) and Margaret Feinberg about our experience filming in a Mt. Pleasant, Tennessee, field.

Behind the Scenes Scouting the Divine Video Shoot DAY 2 from threadsmedia on Vimeo.

Behind the Scenes

Kris S - October 6, 2009 - Comments (0)

Scouting the Divine Bible study Video Shoot DAY 1 from threadsmedia on Vimeo.

This week, we are filming video for the Scouting the Divine: Searching for God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey leader kit by Margaret Feinberg, which will release from LifeWay Women and Threads in January 2010. We want to give you a sneak peek of the first day of shooting at a rural Tennessee farm. Sheep were the main feature of this Bible study video, but we spent the day with lamas, bulls, dogs, chickens, and a few roosters.
Links:
Margaret Feinberg
Threads
LifeWay Women

An exciting LPL Memphis update

Sophie - September 30, 2009 - Comments (16)

We're still working on the details of our little AllAccess get-together at Living Proof Live in Memphis (I'm hoping to email y'all all the details by Monday at the latest), but in the meantime I wanted to share some very exciting LPL Memphis-related news.

However, I should probably add the disclaimer that if you've never read my personal blog, the next paragraph probably won't make any sense to you at all. So just feel free to stare blankly into space when you read it. Or, if you're like me, you can squeal and clap your hands and pretend like you understand. That's how I react to about 60% of my life, by the way.

Anyway. The news is that I'm going to have a very special travel companion with me in Memphis (besides Melanie, of course). And that very special travel companion is none other than Martha / Mother / "Martie." My mother-in-law.

I KNOW.

Martha has never been to any sort of LifeWay event. She's only seen one video of Beth Moore teaching, but when she saw it she thought Beth was "darlin'! just darlin'! and SMART AS A WHIP!" Martha is beyond excited about going to Memphis - she keeps referring to it as "the trip of a lifetime" - but I also know that she has absolutely no idea what to expect.

And I say this because last night she asked me what sort of jacket I was planning to wear Friday night, and when I said, "I don't know if I'll wear a jacket," she said, "Well, don't you think it'll be a little cold when we're sitting outside?"

"Sitting outside?"

"Well, aren't we going to be in something like a football stadium?"

And at that point I realized that she thought that LPL was something akin to a Billy Graham crusade in the 70s.

I explained to her that we would in fact be indoors, and she said, "Well I didn't know! I didn't know! I know there are a lot of people and I just assumed, I mean I just assumed that we'd be outside! But I'm so glad we'll be inside! That will be perfectly wonderful!"

And now I'm thinking that I probably need to do a better job of getting Martha up-to-speed on what she can expect next weekend.

So. I know lots of you are veterans of LifeWay women's events, and I'm sure you have all sorts of wisdom to offer. What do you think are the top three things Martha needs to know before she gets to LPL? What would you tell someone who has never been to a LifeWay event before? What information do I need to make sure to share with her on our drive from Birmingham to Memphis?

Can't wait to read your comments!

If you have a minute

Melanie - September 16, 2009 - Comments (0)

Priscilla Shirer is working on a new book about the interruptions that God puts in our lives and she needs your help.

If you have a story you'd like to share about a circumstance that interrupted your life and how you responded, you can email it to openaccess@goingbeyond.com.

Road trip to Deeper Still

Sophie - July 29, 2009 - Comments (5)

This weekend Melanie and I are going to a conference in Charlotte to lead a couple of sessions on blogging, and since we've been committed to the conference for a pretty long time, we figured that going to Deeper Still Greensboro wasn't going to be an option for us.

But then we, you know, LOOKED AT A MAP.

I'll tell you what. Maps are handy.

Anyway, once we realized that Charlotte and Greensboro are only about an hour apart, we checked our conference schedule, realized that Friday night was free and clear and GLORY, HALLELUJAH a quick little road trip was born.

It'll be just like college - only without the acid-washed jeans and the teased bangs that defy all nature.

We'll only be at Deeper Still Friday night - we'll have to drive back to Charlotte after the event so that we can be up and at 'em for our conference sessions on Saturday - but we cannot wait. And if any of y'all are there, we would love to meet you. We'll be sitting somewhere on the floor (well, not actually on the floor, mind you - no criss-cross-applesauce will be required because we'll be in actual seats on the floor), and we're usually in the general vicinity of the praise team. If you're not in a mad rush once the event is over Friday night, come find us so we can hug your neck.

Unless hugging makes you uncomfortable. In which case we'll be happy to just shake your hand. But just FYI: Melanie and I are certified huggers. Consider yourself warned.

Hope to see some of y'all there!

Dr. Phil Show and Jennifer Rothschild!

Kris S - July 1, 2009 - Comments (0)

Dr. Phil show to re-air audience favorite, featuring encouragement from Bible study teacher Jennifer Rothschild

Don't miss this TOMORROW: July 2nd on Dr. Phil show!
Most of us find raising children is challenging enough, but imagine that your child could neither see you, nor hear you. Now imagine having three children like that. Liz is the mother of deaf and blind triplets. Her three daughters are now 6 years old, but one of the girls communicates at a 2-year-old level, and the other two at only a 10-month-old level. Liz's world is consumed with their 24-hour care, plus the care of her oldest daughter, who is 10 and often overlooked among the chaos of the triplets.

See this story on Dr. Phil along with our gal, Jennifer Rothschild, who's world was turned from light to dark at the age of 15. She's got a message for George and Liz. Don't miss this heartbreaking and heroic story!

Girls, if you haven't done LifeWay's latest study by Jennifer Rothschild, Me, Myself and Lies: A Thought Closet Makeover, seriously, you've gotta check it out. You can join Beth Moore facilitating Jennifer's Me, Myself and Lies Study

Tune in or TiVo. Dr. Phil show airs on Thursday, July 2, 2009. Check your local listings.

Follow Jennifer on Twitter

After the Dr. Phil show, we'd love to hear your comments and stories. Let us know what you think and if you've done the new study, are doing it, or now plan to do it . . .

Number one fan

Sophie - June 28, 2009 - Comments (3)

Last year at Living Proof Live in San Antonio, Melanie and I were about to leave for LPL on Saturday morning when Beth Moore and her daughter Amanda walked into the hotel lobby. They were as cheerful and kind as they always are, but I noticed that Amanda was carrying a pretty good-sized box that had definitely seen better days. I think my expression pretty much screamed "What in the sam hill is THAT?," and Amanda smiled and said, "It's Mom's fan."

Since Melanie and I had spent a substantial portion of the previous night wide awake because we'd both forgotten to pack our sound machines (ALL THE QUIET WAS ABSOLUTELY DEAFENING), I found some comfort in the fact that Beth likes to have a fan running when she sleeps. And while I thought that it must get a little inconvenient for her to haul that fan on a plane, I figured that given how much she travels, she must have her packing down to a science. And I didn't think anything else about it.

Until I went to Pittsburgh. And discovered the red box.

Because LOOK WHAT I FOUND INSIDE!

Beth's fan!

According to the event team, when they first started doing LPL events, Beth would arrive with a GINORMOUS suitcase even though she was only going to be in a city for around 24 hours. The event team wondered what in the world she was packing - how many wardrobe options could one girl need? - but then they realized her suitcase was so huge because SHE WAS PACKING A TWENTY-INCH BOX FAN IN HER SUITCASE.

So the event team decided that, in light of the fact that a fan that size pretty much wipes out any possibility of only packing a carry-on bag, it might be easier if they assumed the fan-transport responsibilities.

Beth has told the event girls that she really doesn't have to have the big honkin' fan, that something small and compact would work just as well. But I think that for the LifeWay crew, the big fan is a bit of a tradition. It travels in the red box to every single event, and it stays wherever Beth stays, and then it's returned to its red box home on Saturday mornings.

So there you have it. All of the red box-related information you never knew you wanted. Except for one thing that I just thought of right this second, and OH MY WORD I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner.

Do y'all think that fan is somehow part of Beth's secret for achieving maximum hair volume?

I think we may be on to something.

The volunteers

Sophie - June 25, 2009 - Comments (5)

I'm sure that at some point I'll move on to topics other than Living Proof Live in Pittsburgh, but I still have SO MUCH STUFF to tell y'all.

(By the way, there's an LPL in Stockton, CA this weekend.)

(Melanie and I won't be there, but we'd love to hear from you if you will be.)

(Anyway.)

One of the things I'd never really considered about an event like Living Proof is that at some point the volunteers have to be trained. Whether they're working with special needs attendees, distributing worship guides or ministering to women who need encouragement, the volunteers really are the unsung heroes of any LifeWay Women event.

So here's how it works.

At a pre-arranged time on the day of the event, the volunteers check in at the event site, head down to the arena floor and meet as a group with the event coordinator. In Pittsburgh the event coordinator was Amy Cato. Amy is calm, organized, upbeat - and did I mention that she's calm? I never saw her even remotely flustered throughout the whole event, even when there were unexpected hiccups.

In Pittsburgh, Amy thanked the volunteers for their willingness to serve, gave them some basic instructions, prayed with them - and then the volunteers split off into groups to get some more specific instructions.

The encouragers in Pittsburgh - who were fortunate enough to wear the beautiful blue vests - had the added bonus of getting a sassy vest-related fashion show from Kaye.

The city coordinator and her volunteers are such a critical part of each and every event, and the work they do ministers to so many. It was cool to get a glimpse of how LifeWay incorporates those women into the event team - and to see how truly eager they were to serve.

Have you ever volunteered at an event? What was your experience like? Or if you haven't volunteered, have you ever thought about it?

The pink signs

Sophie - June 22, 2009 - Comments (1)

This past week a couple of people asked me what was the most memorable part of my weekend at Living Proof Live in Pittsburgh, and the fact of the matter is that it was ALL fun. Every bit of it.

But there is one thing that stands out to me - and it's probably not anything you'd expect.

Ready?

It was putting the signs on the chairs.

Seriously. Putting the signs on the chairs.

Friday morning I went to the arena with the event team, and Amy gave all of us an assignment. My assignment was to help Betsy - one of LifeWay's event coordinators - tape reserved seating signs on the backs of the volunteers' chairs. So we counted out about 75 hot pink signs, grabbed a roll of packing tape, and walked over to the far side of the arena floor.

We'd taped about two signs when Betsy began to pray over those chairs. She prayed for the women who would sit there later that day. She prayed for their families. She thanked the Lord for their willingness to serve. She prayed that God would have a special word just for them.

Listening to her prayers touched me so deeply. Because all weekend, every single time I'd ask one of the event team members how they stayed so unified, or how they chose their city coordinators, or how they made sure everything got done before the event, or how how how how how, the answer was always the same: prayer.

The women behind-the-scenes are the real deal, y'all. They're humble and funny and servant-hearted and completely dependent on God's grace. They ministered to me so much through their faithfulness - I have such a long, long way to go in that area, and I was so encouraged by their example.

So. There you have it. Pink signs. Most touching part of the weekend for me. 'Bout near sent me into the ugly cry.

Who knew?

Happy birthday to y'all

Sophie - June 16, 2009 - Comments (0)

After Living Proof Live was over Saturday, the event team brought out a birthday cake for Beth, Tammy (who sings on the praise team) and Kevin (who plays drums and who, as you may remember, PROPOSED TO HIS GIRLFRIEND Saturday morning).

Since today is Beth's birthday, I thought I'd share the cakey love.

Happy birthday, Beth!

And Tammy!

And Kevin!

We love and appreciate you!

So. What's in the red box?

Sophie - June 14, 2009 - Comments (1)

Y'all were oh-so-funny with your red box guesses.

And Leanne from Canada, when I read your comment about the red box being full of Travis' sweater vests, I ran over to him and said, "SOMEBODY GUESSED THE RED BOX IS FULL OF YOUR SWEATER VESTS, HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA."

"HA."

Fortunately we share a similar sense of humor, and he laughed, too. Because if he hadn't laughed that might have been a little awkward.

But no, no sweater vests in the red box. And no hair products, either, though that may have been my favorite guess of all.

So. Here's the big reveal.

There are all sorts of crates and containers inside, and all of those crates and containers are filled with event materials. See those blue things on the top? They're nylon bins that go in the lobby/concourse of each event so people have a place to drop off their evaluations.

And this is a file folder container with all the signs that designate reserved seats. If you've ever seen signs for special needs seating, volunteer seating, encourager seating, special guest seating, etc. - well, those signs are stored in the red box. Along with a whole bunch of packing tape. And at some point before an event - usually on Thursday afternoon or Friday morning - the ladies from the event team tape those signs to the backs of chairs.

I don't know who I thought taped the signs - fairies, maybe? - but it's the women from LifeWay. And you've never seen more cheerful, prayerful sign tapers in your life.

Here's a storage container with Kleenex inside. I have always seen Kleenex boxes scattered around the event platforms, but I had no idea they were transported in a big, red, steel box all the way from Nashville.

That Kleenex should feel very special. Especially since it gets packed atop the blue encourager vests (a couple of you guessed that the red box had the blue encourager vests in it, and you were exactly right).

That's sweet Amy J., who works at LifeWay, carrying the vests back to the red box. Aside from carrying blue vests like a champ, Amy makes friends with everybody she meets, serves about as cheerfully as anyone I've ever seen and can execute some stunning U-turns while driving a minivan. She's one of those people you meet and immediately think, Oh, she is a DELIGHT.

There's also a portable cart in the red box (so the event team can easily transport listening guide boxes and whathaveyou without having to track down a dolly at the venue), all sorts of materials for women who make first-time decisions for Christ, banners that you see displayed when you walk in an event - the stuff that the LifeWay folks use over and over again.

And there's one more red box item I want to tell you about, but it requires a story. Since this explanation is already forever long, I guess we'll have a part two sometime later this week.

But for the time being, you can rest in the peace of knowing that you've discovered almost all of the contents of the red box. It's like you've been given the keys to the LifeWay event kingdom, my friends.

I'm sure this day has been very special for you.

Amen.