Melanie and I are back at our hotel after full and fun day at the National Women's Leadership Forum. Oh my word we just enjoyed ourselves to pieces, and we'll be writing more over the next few days about what we saw and heard and learned.
In the meantime, we wanted to share a few pictures that our friend Rich took today (thanks, Rich)! And yes, I know this post is going to be a little short on words, but look! Five pictures!
Today is the day for the live feed of the LifeWay Women's Forum and you do not want to miss it! Sophie and I got here last night in time to hear a message from Chris Adams and enjoy some great worship with Travis Cottrell and his praise team.
I'd love to show you a picture that I took but my iPhone is no longer speaking to my computer and I can't get the photo to load. It's just a reminder that good communication is the key to any functional relationship.
Anyway, here's all the scoop for today. It's all taking place from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m.
Here is the link (please feel free to tweet and retweet the link):
http://www.lifeway.com/lifewaywomenlive/ the hash tag for twitter is #LWNLF
If you are tweeting here is the shortened url. http://bit.ly/lwlive
Friday's Live Forum Stream Schedule! (along with twitter addresses in case you want to tweet)
9:00 Travis Cottrell - Live worship @cottrelltravis
9:15 - Paige Greene - devotional @PaigeGreene
9:30 - Priscilla Shirer - Live main session @PriscillaShirer
10:30 - Backstage Banter - Travis Cottrell
11:00 - Backstage Banter - Priscilla Shirer
11:30 - 1:00 - lunch break
1:00 -Backstage banter - Mary Kassian @MaryKassian
1:30 -Backstage Marriage Moments - Mark Satterfield @LifewayMarriage
2:00 -Backstage Banter - Rachel Lovingood @RachelLovingood and Jennifer Landrith @JenLandrith and Chris Adams, @Chrisadams4
2:30 -Backstage banter - Kelly Minter, Big Mama and Boo Mama @Kelly_Minter @BigMama @BooMama
3:00 Backstage Banter - Big Mama, Boo Mama and Forum attendees
3:30 Backstage Banter with Michelle Hicks & Girls Ministry Megan!
4:00 Mary Kassian - Live Main Session
5 - 7:00 Dinner break
7:00 - Chris - Backstage banter - Pat Layton @PatriciaLayton
7:30 - Kelly Minter - Concert & message of Ruth: Loss, Love and LegacyYOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THIS! Its the launch of RUTH!
Gals! In case you've missed all the tweeting and blog mentions, the Women's National Leadership Forum is HERE!
And if you can't be with us in person in Nashville at LifeWay headquarters, then you can join us online tomorrow via live stream and chat. We have a full day from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. of messages and music from Priscilla Shirer, Travis Cottrell, Mary Kassian, Kelly Minter and lots of backstage banter and visits. See the schedule and link below for how to join us!
Here is a 'who can talk faster' contest from me and Pam talking more about it:
Gals, it all starts tomorrow. 600 women will descend on Nashville, not for the CMAs, but for the Women's National Leadership Forum!!! It is my fave event of the year because it has everything, teaching, worship, leadership training, fun, fellowship, food, and of course the two C's, coffee and candy.
The event goes through Saturday at noon. If you aren't able to make it, you can still join us for FREE cause we are going to stream the event live online ALL DAY Friday so you'll get to see Priscilla Shirer, Mary Kassian, Travis Cottrell, and Kelly Minter. Then Pam and I, since we can't keep our mouths shut, will be having 'Behind the scenes' Banter in between the main sessions with all of the above people and more. We'll shoot a schedule up here tomorrow. And watch the twitter hash tag #LWNLF for updates and just plain fun tweets!
Yesterday the roving camera caught some backstage set up action AND a tiny stalker.
This is a big (huge. HUGE!) week for LifeWay Women - because in case you missed the news, this Thursday marks the start of the National Women's Leadership Forum. I have such a sense of anticipation about what's in store for all of us.
And while I guess it's possible that my sense of anticipation is heightened because I know I'm going to pass the exit for Henpeck Market on my way into Nashville and HELLO, STRAWBERRY CAKE, I HAVE MISSED YOU TERRIBLY, I really am so excited to see what God's going to do at the Forum. Can't wait.
I mentioned last week that there's going to be a live stream from the Forum on Friday, and you can watch it right here: http://www.lifeway.com/lifewaywomenlive. You can also pop over here to AllAccess and watch it in the top right-hand corner.
And if you're a Twitter or a Facebook person and would like to help us spread the world about the live stream, here's an abbreivated link you can use: http://bit.ly/lwlive.
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.
When I was about four, I went to Oklahoma City on a family vacation. I don't remember much about the trip, of course, but I do have a picture of me sitting on the steps of the State Capitol and scowling.
Because do you know what four year-olds typically don't enjoy? GUIDED TOURS.
When I was twelve I went back to OKC because my daddy was attending a convention there. I remember that we stayed in a beautiful old hotel downtown, and I remember that my mama let me order orange juice every morning from room service.
So there you have it. The extent of my OKC memories.
But something tells me that in about five weeks - when Deeper Still rolls into Oklahoma for the first time - I'm going to make all sorts of new OKC memories - memories that involve neither sulking nor orange juice. In fact, since I've been to a couple of Deeper Still events before, I feel mighty confident that the new memories will be jam-packed with wonderful worship, rock-solid teaching and loads of laughter. Big fun indeed.
So, bloggy friends, if you're planning to attend Deeper Still OKC, will you let us know in the comments? Maybe we can plan a time to get together and exchange some hugs. Or some chocolate. Whatever it takes.
Over the course of LPL Memphis, I compiled a little video footage. I like to believe that what it lacks in quality (which is A LOT) it makes up for in quantity.
1. I know it's blurry. I don't know if it's the equipment as much as it is operator error.
2. Please don't miss Sophie saying "Argyle, argyle" during the part where Travis has on a sporty argyle vest.
3. You may notice it's in black and white. That's because I thought it might look more artsy. I don't know if it actually worked but I couldn't figure out how to change it back.
4. All the various styles of speed walking make me happy. You have the fast walk, you have the flat out run and you have the run/walk/skip combo.
5. There is no five but it seemed wrong to stop at four.
What do you get when you combine Living Proof Live, Corky's BBQ, around 35 AllAccess readers / Twitter friends / blogging buddies - not to mention Pam, Paige & Kris from LifeWay Women?
A WHOLE HEAPIN' BUNCH OF FUN, THAT'S WHAT.
Oh my word, y'all. It was just a delight.
Even better? It was Pam's 50th birthday, so we got to eat cake!
And even better than that? When Melanie picked up the cake from the bakery, it said, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PUM!"
IT MADE ME SO HAPPY.
So thanks, girls, for meeting us for lunch and being so stinkin' fun and making us smile and pretty much being the perfect way to end an incredible Saturday morning. Y'all are the best.
And my mother-in-law wants y'all to know that you are all DARLIN', JUST DARLIN', and she thinks every single one of you is perfectly beautiful, and if she hopes that if she doesn't get to see you again until heaven that she'll be wearing a really cute white jacket when y'all run into each other.
I just woke up from a big ole Sunday afternoon nap, so I'm pretty sure that I won't be going to sleep tonight until approximately 4 in the morning. But three nights in a row of lots of late-night talking and very little sleeping will take a toll on a girl.
On the drive home today I had a chance to really think about and process some of what we studied this past weekend at Living Proof Live in Memphis. I always leave events impacted and changed, but as a friend of mine said yesterday, there was something about this one - and I'm still figuring out exactly what it was - that felt very much like a wrecking ball. Maybe it's because I just celebrated the big 4-0; maybe it's because of some personal junk that I'm working through right now. But regardless: WRECKING BALL.
Yesterday in Memphis Beth mentioned something she's been struggling with this year, and she said that for the first time in her life, God has entrusted her with that particular challenge. Her choice of words made a huge impression on me as we sat in the arena, but as I made my way down highway 78 this morning, they really settled into my heart and started to take root.
Entrusted.
There have been certainly been times in my life when I have walked through a difficult season and thought about how God must have allowed a particular trial for my benefit and for His glory. But I don't think I've ever looked at a trial as something that God has entrusted to me, as something that He has put into my care.
And I'll tell you what: when I was driving down the highway today and started to think about hardships from that particular perspective, it took all of about two minutes before I felt the tears welling up in my eyes.
Because that illness? That grief? That thing you feel like you can't tell a soul? That relationship that breaks your heart? That physical difficulty? That shame from a long time ago? That whatever-it-is that's weighing heavy on you right now?
He hasn't just allowed it. He has entrusted us with it. We are responsible for what we do with it. There is purpose in that thing.
And I don't know about you, but that has rocked my world all day long.
"For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." - 2 Corinthians 4:17-18
This is the first of what will no doubt be an embarrassing amount of posts about Living Proof Live in Memphis, but Melanie and I just wanted to check in and tell you that we are sort of annoyingly excited about getting to see so many blog friends tonight.
All morning long we have been talking! Very loudly! And enthusiastically! With multiple exclamation points!!!
Anyway, we're about to head to lunch and then down to the arena, and we'll have all sorts of bloggy goodness throughout the weekend.
And as a brief prayer request: if you wouldn't mind, please lift our hair up before the Lord. It's pouring down rain here - with about 243% humidity - and there are about 12,000 women who are going to have a VERY difficult time achieving their hair goals this weekend apart from a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.
I'm sure you understand our concern.
Also - I just accidentally typed "Holdy Spirit." And yes. With my FrizzEase Moisture Barrier Firm-Hold hair spray doused liberally upon my head, you may rest assured that the Holdy Spirit will be also be at work today.
Can y'all believe it? It's finally the week of Living Proof Live in Memphis! And I don't know about you, but I am READY. I am craving some time with friends, not to mention some concentrated time in worship and in the Word. Can't wait.
I absolutely loved your suggestions for how to prepare my mother-in-law for her first LPL event, and I mentioned some of them to her on the phone a couple of days ago. She is still so excited - still referring to the weekend in Memphis as "the trip of a lifetime" - but last night something occurred to me that I hadn't thought of before.
Martha has been a member of the same church - the church where I grew up, in fact - her whole life. And while there is a contemporary worship service there, Martha goes to the more traditional service. I love that service because it's where I learned all the old hymns that mean so much to me now, but last night I wondered if Martha doesn't have a little "worship shock" in store - since, as y'all know, worship with at an LPL event can get a little, um, lively.
Oh, I adore lively.
However, I recognize that lively can be a smidge overwhelming if you're not used to a contemporary worship style. I mean, I know that after my first experience with contemporary worship back in the 90s, I went home, sat down next to my husband, looked at him and said, "Well. They had a guitar AND drums. And PEOPLE RAISED THEIR HANDS."
I know that God is the one who bridges the gaps in our worship preferences, and I trust that He will do just that this weekend. Plus, I think Travis and his team do an absolutely phenomenal job of creating an environment (through the power of the Holy Spirit, of course) where people from all denominational backgrounds are comfortable. But still. I just wonder how Martha will respond to, you know, something like this:
Have y'all ever been in a similar situation? Where you know you're going to spend the first five or ten minutes of worship looking out of the corner of your eye to see how the person sitting beside you is responding?
And have you maybe felt just a teensy tiny bit anxious about it? Even though you can't imagine that the person sitting next to you won't be completely blessed by what she hears?
I just got back from my church this morning where I'm participating in a womens' Bible study. In the past I've always done a Bible study with a group of my friends, but our schedules are all so different these days and it just wasn't going to work out for us to all meet together.
But I'm excited about meeting with a new group of women because I love studying God's word with different people and hearing their thoughts and insights. Plus, they serve food at the meetings. So, total score.
Anyway, I loved our meeting this morning. We're doing "Anointed, Transformed and Redeemed" which is the study from Deeper Still Nashville '07. It rocked my world today.
And it made me curious to know what other studies y'all are doing right now. What are you studying and do you love it? What are you learning? Inquiring minds want to know.
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?
So obviously I still haven't finished talking about Deeper Still Orlando. Part of the reason is that I'm still processing the whole thing. It's just so hard to convey how powerful it is and I find myself telling people "You just had to be there".
Which, seriously, is there a more annoying statement on Earth?
But the great thing about hearing three different teachers share three different messages is there is something for everyone. After it was over I talked to some friends who were there and the things they got out of it were totally different than some of the things I got from it, yet we were listening to the same thing. That's totally God at work.
On Saturday morning, Priscilla Shirer spoke from Ephesians 3:20.
"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!"
Priscilla took this verse and basically dissected it. As she said, it's ultimately the foundation of our faith. Either we believe that God can do more than we ask or imagine or we don't and what we ask of God or expect from God stems from what we believe.
She referred to it as His ability to go beyond our beyond. And since then, I can't tell you how many times I've stopped to ask myself if I believe that God can go beyond my beyond. To be honest, the answer isn't always yes.
I get frustrated, I feel tired, I think a situation feels hopeless, but then I remind myself that we serve the Creator of All Things. The I Am. He knows me better than I know myself and knows what beyond my beyond looks like while I'm busy looking at problems through my limited vision and understanding.
It's just a little over two weeks until Living Proof Live in Memphis (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?), and for a whole host of reasons, I cannot WAIT.
(Is it bad that one of those reasons is that I love Corky's barbecue with everything in me?)
(Because if loving their barbecue nachos is wrong, I don't want to be right.)
Anyway, Melanie and I have been emailing back and forth with some of the LifeWay girls, and we all thought it would be very big fun indeed if we could have a little get-together with the AllAccess readers who are at LPL Memphis. Real-life fellowship is a mighty fine thing, you know. However, before we can plan said get-together, we need to find out who all is going to be in Memphis.
So.
(I bet you can guess what I'm about to ask you to do.)
(Y'all are nothing if not savvy.)
If you would leave a comment and let us know that you're going to be in Memphis, we're going to send you a top secret email about the whys and wheres and how-tos of our little get-together.
Except that it isn't very top secret at all.
But still. We would love - LOVE - to see you there!
p.s. - Seriously. It won't be the same without you.
p.p.s. - We're not kidding about that p.s. business.
While I was in Orlando this weekend, I decided to make a little video of some of the highlights. As you will see, I didn't let a little thing like skill or ability hold me back from my dream.
1. I love how delighted the whole Praise Team looks while Angela Cruz hits notes that shouldn't be humanly possible.
2. I think Travis actually hit a note that made the audio on my high-quality camera malfunction.
3. Angela Cottrell's top? PRECIOUS.
4. Note to self: Find out what kind of vitamins Kay Arthur takes because seriously? That's a lot of energy for 75 years old.
5. I'm so glad to know that even Beth Moore has a lisp when being recorded with my camera. It validates me.
6. Too bad there aren't more talented people on this whole team. HAVE MERCY.
7. Just to clarify, Kay went on to describe how the internet can be a source of temptation for our husbands, but the initial look on Beth and Priscilla's faces is PRICELESS.
Y'all have a great Monday. I'll be home just going through the 84 pages of notes I took and trying to digest all the wisdom.
I worked as a pharmaceutical sales rep for over ten years of my life. I like to refer to it as the decade of dollars and desperation.
About five times a year there would be some meeting I'd have to attend that would require all sorts of painful things like role-playing various sales scenarios or eating dinner with people I didn't know, but the thing I dreaded most was the trip itself. The hassle of early morning flights, mediocre airport-variety Starbucks, and sitting in a metal tube for two or three hours while it flew through the air.
But the funny thing is that since I started blogging for LifeWay and attending four to five conferences a year, the travel doesn't bother me. I mean, sure, I'm still not a fan of getting up at an hour that roosters would deem early, but I'm excited about my destination.
Anyway, that's what I'm thinking about this morning as I'm waiting to board my flight to Orlando. Yes, it's early. Yes, the Starbucks is average. But I'm happy to take the trip because I know what's waiting for me on the other side.
I think there's a lesson in there somewhere.
I'll be checking in with Deeper Still reports throughout the weekend!
Apparently I've been thinking about Deeper Still a lot this week, because last night I dreamed that Melanie and I were both going to Orlando (in real life she's going, but I'm not). Anyway, we had to navigate some sort of obstacle course involving large bales of hay in order to get to the arena, and afterwards we helped Beth staple some hand-outs that she was putting together for her portion of the teaching.
Interesting tidbit: in my dream there were thousands of hand-outs, and Beth had all of them stacked neatly on a rolling cart.
Another interesting tidbit: in my dream Beth was also wearing a nametag that said, "Hi. My Name Is BETH." And she was introducing herself to all the girls who were there for Deeper Still and saying she hoped they would stick around for her part of the event.
Something tells me that stapling hand-outs and wearing a nametag and asking people to stick around aren't really REAL-LIFE issues that Beth faces.
Anyway, the combination of my crazy dream and thinking so much about Deeper Still reminded me of this video from last year's DS Atlanta. We've posted it here before, but it never gets old. Because oh, it is a treasure.
You're welcome. And have a wonderful Thursday, y'all!
Thanks Trav for this profound offering! We can't wait to worship the KING!
Deeper Still is almost here
So glad, I might just shed a tear
No time to blog, but this I'll say:
Can hardly wait 'till this Friday.
Kay, Priscilla, Bethie too
Will bring a Word for me, for you
It will be strong, it will be good
We'll laugh, we'll cry,
And both we should.
But what will be the greatest thing
This very weekend soon will bring?
The presence of the King of Kings:
Redeemer, Savior, Everything.
His word will pierce, His face will shine.
His mercy will restore, refine.
We'll have such fun, but this please know:
The King of Love will steal the show.
Yesterday I received an email from Betsy Langmade who is the event coordinator for Deeper Still Orlando. She sent us a list of some interesting facts about the approximately 11,000 attendees for the upcoming Deeper Still. I asked her if I could share them with y'all because I am a lover of trivia and found it fascinating.
Here is an excerpt from her email:
"WHERE ARE THEY ALL COMING FROM??
30+ States
3 Canadian Provinces
2 Foreign Countries - Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Funniest City on the registration list? Sopchoppy, Florida :)
HOW MANY DENOMINATIONS WILL BE UNITED IN THE AMWAY ARENA??
At least 20 including Baptist, United Methodist, Community, Vineyard, Covenant, Calvary (Chapel), Church of Christ, Presbyterian, Assemblies of God, Episcopal, Church of God, Methodist, Lutheran, Mennonite, Church of the Nazarene, World Outreach, Foursquare, Missionary Baptist, Alliance, Seventh Day Adventist, Catholic. It's going to an amazing time of Worship!
Interesting church names - wouldn't you guys like to go to a church called Fishhook Fellowship - not joking, I loved the one named Church on the Rock!
DO WE HAVE ANY LARGE GROUPS COMING???
Of course, we do. Because that's what women do, right? "
It's exactly what women do and I can't wait to see each and every one of these women worshiping together next Friday night. If you can make it to Orlando, it will be the place to be.
And don't forget to leave your question for Priscilla, Beth and Kay in the comments on yesterday's post!
Its true! Deeper Still ORLANDO (or Deeper World...like Disney World) as we call it, is next weekend, September 18-19, 2009! I don't know about you but our team is ready to get ourselves down to Florida.
Here are two things you can do to help us prepare if you are attending and one fun question:
1. Send us your panel questions for Kay, Beth and Priscilla! Its a fun and sweet time when we get to hear words of wisdom and words of well, cosmetics, from these three gals! So whatcha got? Send us your questions back on the comments of this post.
2. We just want a roll call shout out!! If you are attending, tell us where you are traveling in from and who's with you?
3. Just for fun, who is also planning to hit Disney or MGM with your girls as part of Deeper Still/World!? I don't know how you'd have energy for both but I know some of you are just that crazy and will drink enough Starbucks to be able to endure all of that fun!
I can tell you, Deeper World will be enough excitement for me and my team.
Whatcha got? Can't WAIT to be with you!! And if you hadn't planned to come! Change your mind. :0)
If you are going to be anywhere near Broken Arrow, Oklahoma this coming weekend and are the mother of a daughter, then you do not want to miss Vicki Courtney's You and Your Girl event.
She will be at First Baptist Church in Broken Arrow on Saturday, September 12th.
I had the opportunity to attend a You and Your Girl conference back in March of this year and it was a great experience. Vicki shares so much practical wisdom about mothering a daughter and she does it with a real perspective of the world we live in and a good dose of humor.
And if you have no idea where Broken Arrow, OK is, then check out this link to see where else you might be able to attend You and Your Girl in 2009-2010. You don't want to miss it.
For more information about the event and about Vicki, check out her personal blog called Virtue Alert.
Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare. - Psalm 40:5
I have LOVED reading everyone's thoughts on the simulcast. I love that we have a God who is big enough to surpass all our expectations and dreams.
Just a reminder that today is the day of the webcast and you won't want to miss it. It begins at noon central time and you can go to this page for all the information you need to join in.
So after an incredible weekend of simulcast goodness (were you there? did you love it? did you learn something? tell us all about your experience in the comments!), LifeWay Women's Pam Case and Paige Greene are hitting the ground running this week, and I thought some of y'all might be interested in one of the things they have going on in the next few days.
Tomorrow, September 1st, Pam and Paige will be a part of a LifeWay Women webcast. The webcast is at noon central, and it'll be a great opportunity for you to get updates on upcoming Bible studies, women's events, leadership and ministers' wives training and all sorts of new downloads that will be available here on the LifeWay site.
And knowing Pam and Paige, I can say with great confidence that the webcast will also be a great opportunity for you to laugh. Because oh my word, I don't think those two have ever found a situation where they couldn't find the funny.
If you're interested in being a part this neat online event, you can just click on over to sign up for the webcast. I know Pam and Paige would love to see some of y'all there!
As I type this there are approximately 90,000 women from eight different countries listening to Beth Moore speak via the marvel that is modern technology. It really is unbelievable if you think about it!
I'd love for any of you who attended tonight or are attending tomorrow to leave your thoughts in the comments. I'd love to know where you watched the simulcast and what you thought about it.
I mean, on some level you have to appreciate that we have blogged about it in four of the last five posts. Nobody has ever accused the AllAccess bloggers of falling short in the area of totally over-the-top enthusiasm for, well, EVERYTHING.
But as I've been thinking this week about the sheer volume of details that go into the simulcast - all the crates that have to arrive, all the set-up that's involved, all the hotel rooms that have to be ready, all the technology that has to work properly, all the MIND-NUMBING LOGISTICS THAT WOULD MAKE MY HEAD EXPLODE - I've thought over and over again that this event would be impossible if God weren't in it.
I mean, think about it: it's not like all the people involved in the LPL Simulcast ride up to Wisconsin together on a bus and then get dropped off at the arena. There are DOZENS of flights that have to take off and land on time in order for all of the event personnel to be where they need to be when they need to be there.
Last night I was clicking around on Twitter when I saw this airport update from sweet Paige Greene:
I think anybody involved with a LifeWay event would tell you that God just DOES THE THING. He gets all up in the middle of the seemingly overwhelming details, and He is so faithful to help people like Paige and Beth and Travis and Rich and Ron - and so many others - carry out the tasks that He has called them to do.
This weekend He's called the LifeWay event team to Green Bay, Wisconsin, so that they can minster to women all over the world. Let's lift all of them up in prayer as they travel today and prepare to carry out that calling in such a way that He will get all the glory.
"All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, O Lord; they will bring glory to your name. For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God." - Psalm 86:9-10
This afternoon I was in the car with my family when I suddenly thought, "Oh! It's simulcast week!" And I felt just a wee bit giddy inside because I know that so many churches are getting ready to throw open their doors to thousands of women this weekend. It's going to be incredible to see how God uses Beth, Travis & the praise team and the selfless hearts of people serving in churches all across this nation for His glory.
And do y'all know what else? After the simulcast is over, there are only two more Living Proof Live events this year. (How can that be? It seems like it was just a couple of weeks ago when we were all talking about LPL for Ministers' Wives. You know, back in February.)
Just think: after Springfield it'll pretty much be Christmas. And before you know it, it'll be August again. And I'll be writing another post about how it feels like I was just in Memphis way back in October.
I am nothing if not completely and utterly predictable.
Hope y'all have a great week!
And p.s. - If you're going to be at the simulcast, in Memphis OR in Springfield, let us know in the comments! The LifeWay team loves to be on the lookout for y'all!
Since it's Friday I thought it might be a good idea to write a list 'o things that you don't want to miss.
Actually, I didn't really think about it that much. I just got on here, saw the blinking cursor on the blank screen and decided that a list would be the best way to convey several pieces of information.
Because I am a planner.
Here you go.
1. If you are anywhere near Louisville this weekend, then you do not want to miss Priscilla Shirer at Going Beyond at Southeast Christian Church.
I had the chance to see Priscilla back in June and she was amazing.
2. Speaking of Priscilla, she has taken the leap to Twitter. If you're a fan of Twitter and/or Priscilla, You can also follow her brother and worship leader Anthony Evans.
3. And while we're on the subject of the Twitter, there are a few others you may want to follow. Kay Arthur, Vicki Courtney, and Patricia Layton are all tweeting these days.
4. Seriously, tweeting?
If someone had told me five years ago that there would be a cultural phenomenon that would sweep the nation and it involved people letting you know that they were brushing their teeth or washing dishes in 140 characters or less, I would have said that was the dumbest thing I'd ever heard of.
Clearly I cannot forecast trends.
5. If you'd like to attend a Living Proof Simulcast event but have no idea where to find one in your area, then click over to this list with a drop-down box for every state and location.
I think at this point Sophie and I have both mentioned that Miss Kay basically taught the entire book of Hebrews at Deeper Still-Greensboro. And, while we are prone to exaggeration on occasion, we are not really kidding about this. By the end of the night my fingers were tired from all the flipping back and forth between Hebrews 1 and Hebrews 11 and Hebrews 3 and 4.
What I'm saying is that Hebrews and I got a workout.
I also got more than a little convicted. Like my friend Annie turned to me and said, "It's never a good sign when you hear someone reference 'Deny yourself, take up your cross and follow me' twice in one day." I may be a little slow but I know when God might be telling me it's time to get my eyes off myself and on Him.
And I think that's why it hit me so hard when Miss Kay made this statement, "REST is the activity of faith".
Think about that for a minute.
If I believe God is who he says he is and he can do what he says he can do, then why do I spend so much time trying to control everything? Why do I spend so much time worrying?
What if I really believed Romans 8:28 and that in all things God works for the good of those who love him and have been called according to his purpose? What if I lived Hebrews 10:23 and held unswervingly to the hope I profess because he who has promised is faithful?
That's the kind of faith that can change the world. That's the kind of faith that would allow us to rest in Him.
Last Friday afternoon - while we were at a conference in Charlotte - Melanie and I formulated a plan. We were going to listen to our buddy Lysa speak at 4, walk out of our hotel around 5:30, hop in the car with our friend Annie, make the trek to Greensboro and then pull up at the Deeper Still arena around 6:45. Since DS didn't start until 7, we thought our plan was mighty fine indeed.
But there was one thing we didn't take into consideration: the fact that I-85 would be more clogged than a Walmart parking lot the day before Christmas. It took us about 45 minutes to travel 3 miles, and while I am typically not a person who sits around and longs for ye olden days, I would've LOVED to have a horse and buggy around 5:45 last Friday afternoon. Because let me tell you: compared to crawling along the interstate at two miles an hour in Annie's car, that horse and buggy would have made us feel like we were breaking the sound barrier.
Clearly the NCDOT had no idea that WE WERE IN NEED OF A WORD FROM MISS KAY.
We finally made it to the arena around 7:30, and while we missed worship with Travis and the praise team, we didn't miss a second of Kay Arthur's teaching. And y'all, I have said it before and I'll say it again: if you ever have the opportunity to hear her teach, GO. Don't even think about it. GO. What God does through her is absolutely remarkable. I mean, she taught THE WHOLE BOOK OF HEBREWS last Friday night. Such wisdom.
This past week I've found myself going back to Hebrews during my quiet time. Honestly, Kay pointed out a whole bunch of stuff that I had never picked up on before (I'm a work in progress, people). And while I know that Kay's Covenant study is DEFINITELY going to be in my future, I've also found myself wishing that I could tap into a little bit of her wisdom in the here and now.
We at LifeWay Women are so excited to announce the 2010 events list. We are coming to some wonderful cities and towns next year across the U.S. and Canada next year. Each one we believe is chosen by God for such a time as He would have us come.
There is everything from You and Your Girl with Vicki Courtney for Mom's and daughters to events for individual women and church groups. There are events for leaders called YOU Lead that are in front of many of our Living Proof Live events. Priscilla will be back in her Going Beyond event and at Deeper Still.
We have prayed long and hard on this list and we can't wait to see you next year. What a privilege! Web registration is open for LIving Proof Live and Going Beyond. Deeper Still and You and Your Girl will open very soon and we'll keep you posted on that:
GOING BEYOND: With Priscilla Shirer and Anthony Evans:
February 19-20 - Ft. Worth, TX - McKinney Church
February 26-27 - McLean, VA (D.C. Area) - McLean Bible Church
August 6-7 - Tulsa, OK - The Church at Battle Creek
September 10-11 - Hattiesburg, MS - Temple Baptist Church
October 8-9 - Columbia, SC - Shandon Baptist Church
March 12-13 - Toronto, Canada - Toronto Congress Centre
March 26-27 - Tucson, AZ - Tucson Convention Center
April 16-17 - Tampa, FL - Idlewild Baptist Church
May 21-22 - Grand Rapids, MI - VanAndel Arena
June 25-26 - St. Louis, MO Chaifetz Arena at SLU
July 9-10 - Irvine, CA - Mariner's church
August 13-14 - Lexington, KY - Rupp Arena
August 27-28 - Richmond, VA - Richmond Coliseum
September 18 - Chicago, IL (one day event) Rosemont Theatre
October 1-2 - Boston, MA Tsongas Arena
October 29-30 - Spokane, WA Star Theatre at Spokane Arena
November 19-20 - Rapid City, SD - Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Don Barnett Arena
Deeper Still with Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer and Travis Cottrell:
June 11-12, Denver, CO - Magness Arena at Denver Universtiy
December 3-4 - Birmingham, AL - BJCC
You and Your Girl with Vicki Courtney and the SonFlowerz
March 27 - Olive Branch, MS - Longview Heights Baptist Church
April 17- Carrollton, TX - First Baptist Church Carrollton
September 11 - Syracuse, NY - North Syracuse Baptist Church
October 23 - Covington, LA - First Baptist Church Covington
YOU Lead Pre-Conference training events will be before events in:
Tucson, AZ, Tampa, FL, Grand Rapids, MI, St. Louis, MO, Boston, MA, Spokane, WA, and Birmingham, AL (Deeper Still)
Between Us Pre-Conference for Minister's Wives will be before events in:
*note - Registration for the 2010 National Women's Leadership Forum will open during the 2009 Women's Forum.
That's it girls! We will see you very soon. In the mean time we are working and praying towards our upcoming evens including Going Beyond Louisville, KY at Southeast Christian, LIving Proof Live in Fargo, ND, Deeper Still in Orlando and You and Your Girl in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma!
We can't wait to see your sweet faces this year and next!
Last Friday was the first Deeper Still event of the year and it was in Greensboro, North Carolina. Sophie and I just happened to be at another conference in Charlotte and decided it would be fun to make the hour and a half drive to hear Travis lead some worship and listen to Kay Arthur speak.
That was before we realized that the North Carolina Department of Transportation had decided that Friday evening would be a great time to shut I-85 down to one lane. We were already worried we were going to be late, but once we sat in that traffic for over an hour it was inevitable.
Here are Sophie and our friend Annie sitting in the front seat as we made our way to Deeper Still. I was in the back experiencing vicarious road rage and a touch of the carsickness.
Sure enough, we totally managed to miss worship but made it just in time to walk into a huge round of applause as Beth, Kay, and Priscilla appeared on stage. It didn't feel awkward at all to be walking right in front of the front row when that happened. And by not awkward, I mean I wanted to the auditorium floor to swallow me up.
A few minutes later though, Miss Kay started reading from Hebrews 1 and I was so grateful that we'd endured the traffic and that the auditorium floor didn't swallow me. She was absolutely amazing. Listening to a seventy-five year old woman who has walked with God long enough to gain some serious wisdom is just a delight to every fiber of my soul. It challenges me, encourages me, and inspires me.
It also helped that she basically taught us the entire book of Hebrews in the course of two hours.
Okay gals, a couple more clues cause tomorrow (today) is the big day. Please e-mail your best guesses on where we'll be with our 23 events in 2010. This may help you a little bit.
So email me your best guesses by noon, July 31 at paige.greene@lifeway.com and guess as much as you'd like. Don't post it here or you'll give away your best ideas. Will send a few more clues out tonight and early in the morning on twitter.
Here are a couple more clues. I'll be blunt and say its one of the Dakotas! and for that matter, there's one in one of the Carolinas too! Hmm, I hope you've seen the hints on Twitter from me, Amy and Pam. You can follow us at @pamcase, @paigegreene and @amycato for a few final hints in the a.m.! You can do it.
There's one place we are going where they say it never rains...okay, that's it for tonight. Maybe, just maybe, we are coming to your town! Probably not, but you never know!
Night gals! Tomorrow....DEEPER STILL!! whoo hoo. I love being back in the motherland!
p.s. the entire 2010 list is IN the Deeper Still listening guide! :0)
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.
I feel like there's been a lot going on here this week, but maybe it's just because I'm easily overwhelmed by anything new and different.
So, in case you've missed anything, I feel like we need a recap or reminders or whatever.
Two quick reminders to end the week:
1. Don't forget about the "Where in the world is Womens' Events?" contest. Paige Greene has left a clue in the comments of that post and you can also find hints daily by following LifeWayWomen on Twitter.
If you're not already on Twitter, you now have a reason to get on there ASAP.
2. Don't forget to leave a comment with any questions you have for Kay Arthur, Beth Moore and Priscilla Shirer to answer at Deeper Still-Greensboro.
Did you ever play "Where in the World is Waldo?" when you were a kid?
Our team has a "Where in the World..." game for you.
Can you guess where in the United States our women's events are going in 2010?
We've put out several hints already and many of you may know 2-3 locations, but can you name all 23 women's events locations for 2010?
At the end of two weeks, the person who has the most locations correct will receive 2 tickets to any women's event of their choice, a t-shirt from each of our events and a tote bag. (All LifeWay employees, family members and anyone else that has had the accidental foreknowledge of learning the locations for 2010 are exempt!!)
So, let's start.
The Rules:
1. Name as many of the 23 locations (city/state) for LifeWay's Women's Events 2010 Calendar.
2. You must designate what event it is:
Living Proof Live with Beth Moore
Deeper Still with Beth Moore, Kay Arthur and Priscilla Shirer
Going Beyond with Priscilla Shirer
You and Your Girl with Vicki Courtney
3. You will continue to receive a set of clues to help you. You may also be creative on your own to find clues that we don't tell you about (hint...the speakers are bloggers themselves and sometimes let things slip on their own blogs/websites).
4. On Friday, July 31, we will release all of the 2010 dates and locations at Deeper Still Greensboro, NC. Make plans to attend today and be among the first group to find out our future dates and locations. We will release the dates and locations to the rest of you on Monday, August 3 and determine who our winner is!
Can I be honest? I've been looking forward to Deeper Still since January! I can't believe that it is actually July (where has the year gone?) and that our time in God's Word and worshipping at His feet together is almost here. Just one more weekend away.
Jerry, the boys and I have been having a blast this summer. We've been swimming, horse back riding, playing in the back yard, and trying to survive this Texas heat! It's hard to believe my boys are already 6 (Jackson), 5 (JC), and 8 months (Jude). And, girlfriend, I AM TIRED! I need next weekend. I need Deeper Still. I need to sit with you and soak in God's presence and power in my life.
I am eager to see how the Lord is going to speak to each of us next weekend. Would you begin to ask the Lord how He wants you to prepare for our time together? I'm in complete anticipation that He is going to show up and blow our minds. Would you already plan to walk in obedience in whatever He may ask of you? Miss Kay, Miss Beth and I are expecting a fun, life-giving time with you next weekend.
I've become more and more excited about the message I believe He wants me to share with you. Every time I read the passage that I'm going to go over with you, chills go down my spine because I get overwhelmed at its implications. So, go ahead and take a peak at Ephe sians 3:20-21 and see how God might speak to you even before we get to the Greensboro Coliseum
One of my favorite parts of Deeper Still comes at the end. If you are familiar at all with the event, you know that at the end of the conference there is a "panel discussion" where Miss Kay, Miss Beth and I answer questions that you all have about anything and everything. I normally do most of the "asking" so that I can let Miss Beth and Miss Kay do most of the "answering". Like you, I want to sit and glean from their immense wisdom. In the past we've answered personal questions and theological ones. Silly ones and serious ones. And, as you can imagine, it gets rather interesting! One time, Miss Beth and I actually ended up laughing so hard that we fell to the floor!
What we need from you is to reply to this post and leave a comment with ANY question that you want us to answer at the event. We will read through all of your questions and select some to answer next weekend. I know you have questions. Don't be scared. Ask away....
A couple of weeks ago after I posted about Beth's message at Living Proof Live in Pittsburgh, several of y'all mentioned that you'd like to read more about it. I could never, ever do justice to her three hours of teaching in a single blog post, but I do want to share the seven points she made about Acts 27 and "the perfect storm."
Also, the last couple of points touch on Acts 28, so if you want to study the Scriptures with these notes as a guide, make sure you read all of 27 and 28.
All righty. Here are seven lessons from the storm.
1) Sometimes we're in the exact spot where several storms collide. - We have to realize that there is a point to the storm; it is for us and not against us.
2) The question of fault always arises in a furious storm. - Even Paul said I TOLD YOU we shouldn't have set sail. But we're in the storm for a reason - fault is not the issue.
3) The titanic temptation in a storm is to give way. - Don't let your storm blow you back into old habits and addictions. Giving way will take us to a place that was never, ever on our map.
4) To make it through the storm, sometimes we have to cut the ropes. - We may need to cut loose from things we've previously been involved in so that we can do the thing with Jesus.
5) Our one life can invite the favor of God to many in the storm. - You're throwing a fit in your storm, and God may want to use you to throw some favor. The way you respond to your crisis could very well minister to someone who's watching you go through it.
6) On the other side of a perfect storm, the serpent is all bite and no venom. - Once you've learned the lesson(s) from the storm, whatever the devil had planned will be broken to pieces.
7) The point of every perfect storm is to see the work of God through us unhindered. - No more bondage. No more strongholds. COMPLETELY unhindered.
GALS!!! Deeper Still Greensboro is two weeks and a few hours from right now!! I can't believe its been almost a YEAR since our last Deeper Still event in Las Vegas. Priscilla was 8 months pregnant (see in the rap video?) then and now that sweet Jude is 8-months-old!
Its time for the Deeper Still Greensboro Roll call! Where are you coming from? and who's coming with you? Whatcha got?
Travis and I are both from North Carolina and I've already done a shout out for NC peeps on my Facebook. Perhaps we'll give a Deeper Still T-shirt to the person(s) coming from the farthest distance!! I think we will.
Let the Roll Call begin! p.s. Watch for this upcoming Deeper Still Tuesday blog feature with a blog entry from Priscilla.
This is Kay - Arthur that is - the third and oldest one of the teaching trio for Deeper Still. The three of us are truly so very excited about our time with you in Greensboro. We are on our knees praying that God will move powerfully by His spirit through His word and that as a result the nation and the kingdom will be greatly impacted because we have heard from God and ordered our lives accordingly - no matter how radically He commands. We are also standing on tiptoe in anticipation of God working through the whole event synchronizing all His glory alone.
I am currently at a precious friend's house which she loaned to Jack and myself for 3 weeks at Lake Burton. I am writing a new book: When the Hurt Runs Deep. Would so love your partnership in prayer. Am also reveling in times of fun and fellowship with friends who go all the way back to the beginning days of ministry. They are praying with me.
Pray as each of us prepares our messages. We all so love our God and His living word. As I sit in the beauty of His creation I am awed by the so great a love God has for us and our so great a salvation. "Whom have I in heaven but You? And besides You, I desire nothing on earth." (Psalms 73:25). Oh may it be.
There's so much going on with LifeWay Women that it's probably inevitable that various little bits of bloggy news and/or notes will get lost in the shuffle. So today I thought I'd quickly revisit something that we told you about a few months ago, because quite frankly I tend to err on the side of obsessive and what if you missed it the first time, WHAT IF YOU MISSED IT, CLEARLY THAT WOULD BE HORRIBLE.
Is it hard for anyone else to believe that summer is almost half over? I'm not sure where the days have gone, but I'm pretty sure I've spent most of them trying to survive the heat and find various forms of entertainment that don't involve going outside for longer than it takes to get in the car and drive somewhere with a pool or some serious air-conditioning.
But there are still a few things coming up before the summer winds down and I thought I'd remind y'all about them so you can check out anything that might be in your area.
Living Proof Live in Albuquerque, NM - July 10-11 (that's this weekend!)
Deeper Still in Greensboro, NC - July 31-August 1
Living Proof Live in Fargo, ND - August 14-15
Going Beyond in Louisville, KY - August 21-22
Living Proof Live and Simulcast from Green Bay, WI - August 28-29
A little more than a year ago, Sophie and I went to Nashville to meet with the Womens' Ministry team. We talked about all sorts of ministry-related things and also some non-ministry related things because sometimes when a group of women get together what they really need to know is "What color lipstick is that? I LOVE IT."
Anyway, in the course of all this discussion, Paige Greene, the director of womens' events, mentioned Priscilla Shirer and the Going Beyond events. Specifically, she mentioned they hand out note cards for women to write down prayer requests.
So I shouldn't have been surprised when I opened my program at Going Beyond and a hot pink note card fell out. And not just your mediocre 3 x 5 notecard, but a good-sized note card. A note card that could hold some seriously lengthy requests, which is good because women are generally not known for their ability to be concise.
Not that I know anything about that. It's just a theory.
After Anthony finished leading worship (Did I mention how much I loved Anthony? Love him. But I'm not a stalker.) Priscilla got up on stage and pointed us to the note cards. She explained that anyone with a prayer request should write it on the card and come place it at the front of the church.
Well, the pens came flying out as women began to write their requests and carry their cards down to the front.
After all the requests had been placed, Priscilla said that she was going to gather them up, take them back to her hotel room and pray over every single one. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE.
Did I mention that Priscilla has an 8 month old baby who was with her that weekend? And do you remember that when you have an 8 month old baby that sleep is precious, especially after speaking to 1,000 women?
Not that I ever spoke to 1,000 women, well, ever. But I can imagine.
And not only did she take those cards back to her hotel room, but she brought them back to the church at 7:30 the next morning (an hour and a half before the event began) and invited anyone who wanted to, to join her in praying for these women and their needs.
That is dedication. That is a servant's heart. That is being the hands and feet of Jesus.
And it's just one of the million reasons I love Priscilla Shirer and her heart to serve Christ.
Well, Melanie and I have often said that Beth and Priscilla can turn anything into a teachable moment, and Beth's Ziploc iPhone case was no exception.
Friday night Beth showed her phone-in-a-baggie to the women at Living Proof Live Pittsburgh, and she talked about how she didn't want anything to happen to it. No smudges. No nicks. No cracks. And she said that we often want to do the same thing in our lives. We want everything to be perfect, and not only that - we want it to stay perfect.
I immediately thought of my little boy and how much I want to protect him. I was just starting to make a list in my head of all the ways that I try to shield him from "the big bad world" when Beth said something that made me sit straight up in my seat:
"We can't put our lives in a baggie. We'd smother."
That's a good word, girls.
So I'm curious. How do you encourage your kids to be in the world but not of it without smothering them? How do you try to protect them from the stuff that could be damaging to their hearts but also teach them how to deal with that very same stuff? Since my little boy is only six, I know I'm not dealing with this nearly as much as those of you who have tweens and teens, so I can't wait to hear your wisdom.
At Living Proof Live in Pittsburgh last month, Beth taught from Acts 27. I was immediately intrigued by the passage because honestly, I'd never really studied it before (I'M JUST SAYIN'), so I couldn't wait to hear Beth's message.
Well.
In Acts 27, Paul and Luke are on a ship headed toward Italy when Paul, who realizes that conditions are prime for a "perfect storm," warns the men on the ship that their voyage is going to be "disastrous" and they might be better off hanging out in the harbor for awhile. The other men don't agree with him and vote to keep sailing.
At first things seem to be working out for the guys on the ship. Verse 13 tells us that "a gentle south wind began to blow, [and] they thought they had obtained what they wanted."
That really resonated with me: they thought they had obtained what they wanted.
But right after they thought they had it made in the shade, their circumstances changed completely in verses 14-15: "a wind of hurricane force, called the 'northeaster,' swept down from the island. The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so [they] gave way to it and were driven along."
Beth talked about how so often that is the case with us; we get to a point in our lives where we think we have everything we want, and then the clouds come and the rains fall and we feel like we are simply being "driven along" by our circumstances. We give way because it's not just one thing going on - it's several different storms colliding. And it can feel hopeless.
I don't know about y'all, but I have been there.
Beth went on to say that there's one critical thing we forget sometimes when we're in the middle of an exceedingly difficult time: the storm is for us and not against us. We need not forget who has ordained that stormy time in our lives; Beth said, "God is the one who has you in the storm. Settle it. It's to get you some place you'd have never gotten otherwise."
Beth closed Saturday morning by putting the perfect storms of life into even greater perspective: "every bit of your journey is getting you where God wants you to go." She went on to say that "the point of every perfect storm is to see the work of God through us unhindered: no more bondage, no more strongholds, completely unhindered."
The storm is about something.
The storm is for you and not against you.
And ultimately, the storm is for your good and His glory.
Last Friday, my best friend, Gulley, and I headed to Austin to go hear Priscilla Shirer at Great Hills Baptist Church. We had been excited about the prospect for months because not only were we excited to hear Priscilla, but for the chance to spend a little girl time together without our kids. It's amazing the conversations you can have when you don't have little people interrupting you every three seconds to tell on each other.
On the way there, we decided to go eat a late dinner at Z. Tejas after the event was over because it has always been one of our favorite restaurants. However, once we got to the hotel around 4:00 p.m., we agreed we were both already hungry and didn't know if we could wait until 9:30 to eat dinner.
I said, "Well, we could go to Z. Tejas right now instead of later?"
And Gulley, not skipping a beat, replied, "Ewww. That's lame."
So, not wanting to appear lame, we grabbed a small snack and then went to Z. Tejas at 9:30 Friday night and ate way too much delicious food.
The next morning Gulley said her stomach hurt from eating all that food so late and she really needed a Zantac.
Yeah. Who's lame now?
In other news from the weekend, I'll tell you who wasn't lame.
Anthony is Priscilla's brother and he and his praise team led worship for the Going Beyond event. It was amazing. Anthony and his team did such a phenomenal job of preparing our hearts for the words Priscilla was going to share.
And as much as I was ready to hear Priscilla speak, I was sad when it was time for worship to be over because I loved listening to Anthony sing as the women in the sanctuary worshiped.
Here's Anthony.
I took that picture after I walked up to him and said, "Hi. I blog for LifeWay. Can I take your picture? I promise I'm not a stalker."
Which you know in his mind translated to "Hi. I'm a stalker who is creative enough to make up something about a blog."
And just so you can hear a little bit of Anthony for yourself, here's a short video that I took during worship. I apologize in advance for the horrendous quality, but my videographer skills are limited at best and unbearably horrible at worst.
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?
And don't forget to check Twitter for updates (in addition to @lifewaywomen, you can follow @cottrelltravis, @bobonickalonick, @vjproctor, @amycato, @alexiscruz and @kevperry for all sorts of behind-the-scenes fun).
This weekend I'm heading to Great Hills Baptist Church in Austin, Texas to hear Priscilla Shirer speak. I've heard Priscilla speak at a few Deeper Stills, but have never been to one of her Going Beyond events.
I can't wait to hear what she has to say because, not only does Priscilla always have an incredible message, she presents it in an incredibly powerful way. She is just a gifted communicator.
I'll be checking back in with some updates about the event but, if you're going to be anywhere near Austin, you should totally check it out for yourself.
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?
You know what kept me away from ministry events for women for years? I mean, other than a season of rebellion from all things church-related that lasted throughout my late teens and early twenties? The belief that there is no way they could be any fun at all.
I thought it would be dry and boring. I thought it would be packed full of very serious (dull) people who spent a lot of time being very serious (and dull) as they studied God's word and wrestled with deep theological issues.
Then I went to Deeper Still in Las Vegas last year and witnessed the following video live and in person.
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.
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.
It's time for Deeper Still Tuesday and even though we said last week that there would be a special guest blogger, it's just me. Of course considering that I've only posted once in the last six days maybe I qualify as a special guest blogger.
Oh I kid because while Sophie was having all the big fun at Living Proof in Pittsburgh, I was at home folding laundry and cooking dinner. I thought about posting a picture of the delicious hot dogs I cooked on Saturday night but decided that might be anti-climatic after a video of a real live proposal of marriage by a member of the praise team.
I can't believe I missed all the fun, but the important thing is that my white towels have never been so clean thanks to the new bleach I bought.
Anyway, let's talk about Deeper Still. There are only three Deeper Still events this year and you do not want to miss the chance to see Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur all at the same time. It's some kind of Biblical teaching trifecta.
I attended my first Deeper Still event just about a year ago in Atlanta. The whole experience will go down as a defining moment in my life. I took so much away from that weekend and I still go back and reflect on the notes I took during each session. It was that powerful.
The thing I love about the whole Deeper Still concept is that it's Titus 2 in action. Priscilla, Beth and Kay each offer a unique point of view based on their various stages of life and experiences. I relate to Priscilla because she has small children and has days when her quiet time is whatever scripture she's taped by her bathroom sink. I love Beth because she is just so real and always gives some Godly perspective on things that I've completely overlooked. I admire Kay because WOW, talk about some wisdom.
The Deeper Still experience is like a fun weekend with girlfriends with the bonus of walking away knowing that God has done something in you through the words these women share up on stage.
Last year in Atlanta I laughed until I cried and then I cried until I could cry no more. God used it to make a mark on my heart that will never be undone.
If you have the chance, you need to experience it for yourself because no matter how much I've rambled, the bottom line is it's indescribable.
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.
So let's say that you've had the same cell phone for years and years. And let's say that one day, after having the same cell phone for a sweet forever, you get yourself a brand-spankin' new iPhone. And let's say that you're so tickled with your new iPhone that you don't want anything - ANYTHING - to happen to it.
So you'd buy a sassy hot pink case for your iPhone. Right?
Of course you would.
And do you know what else you'd do? Specifically, do you know what else you'd do if you happened to be, oh, Beth Moore?
You'd keep that phone in a Ziploc bag at all times.
This is Kevin, Travis Cottrell's drummer on the praise team, and Ashley, a dear family friend of the Cottrells. And you'll have to excuse the jumpy / spinny camera moves because I was just a wee bit excited.
Also: I apologize in advance for the part where I scream.
Isn't that THE BEST?
We have all just been BESIDE OURSELVES. I thought Travis Cottrell was going to jump straight out of his skin. And there wasn't a dry eye in the whole arena.
We had the best time in Pittsburgh tonight - Beth is teaching from Acts 27, and I longed for Melanie so that I could elbow her about 452 times and whisper, "that's a GOOD WORD." It probably comes as no surprise that lots of my notes are written in ALL CAPS. FOR EMPHASIS. Can't wait to share some of the highlights from Beth's message with y'all next week.
After we got to the arena yesterday (if you're playing bloggy catch-up, I'm in Pittsburgh this weekend for Living Proof Live) and figured out the lay of the backstage land, Amy C. gave us our set-up assignments. When Rich, LifeWay Women's resident photographer extraordinaire, overheard what my assignment was, he said, "Oh. You're going to need to go look in the red box."
I had no idea what the red box was, but I figured it must be a little tool box of some sort - maybe a little plastic organizer bin or something like that.
Oh no. I was very wrong.
Here is the red box:
It's as tall as my six year-old.
So, internets, here's the question of the day.
What do you think is in the red box? Because I'm telling you: the red box is CHOCK FULL.
May we please have a moment of prayer together as we gaze upon the photo below?
That would be 4:34 AM, my friends. I snapped the picture a little less than an hour ago - WHEN I LEFT MY HOUSE FOR THE AIRPORT.
Do y'all know what I'm normally doing at 4:34 in the AM?
Sleeping to my heart's content, that's what.
But today I was up and at 'em, and now I'm sitting at my gate in Birmingham, waiting for my flight to Charlotte. It's a surprisingly lively crowd considering that THE SUN IS BARELY SHINING.
I'll be posting a little bit more than normal over the next few days while I'm at Living Proof Live in Pittsburgh, so I hope I don't get on your nerves.
Or I guess I should say that I hope I don't get on your nerves more than I normally do.
Where is the Deeper Still blog you may ask? you may not. Well, we are going to utilize the All Access blog so all the news and info is in one place this year on the All Access blog. On Tuesday's leading up to Greensboro, DS we'll bring you updates, guest bloggers and fun trivia!
By the time we have Deeper Still Greensboro on July 31-Aug 1, it will have been almost a year since the Las Vegas DS last September. We have MISSED It. But last week we had a conference call with Miss Kay, Miss Priscilla and Miss Beth and and we were reminded of the power and impact of an event with three women together who love the Word of God so much and live to share it with others.
On the call, we talked through the schedule, some of the program elements but most importantly, the MESSAGES. There was talk of Hebrews, there was talk of Ephesians 3! Oh my. There was talk of the women who will attend who need rest, and hope and joy. They also laughed on the call together and told the other two how honored they are to teach together again. How honored are we to get to be a part of Deeper Still. Here we go.
Who is coming to Greensboro?! We are praying for you and can't wait to see you!
Stay tuned to next Tuesday where we will have a special guest blogger!
If you've attended more than one Living Proof Live event, you know that Beth Moore always teaches on a different topic, and she never announces the topic in advance.
Until now.
I just got an email from Paige (the cheesehead over the sidebar), and she wants all of you to know that Beth has given the LifeWay Women folks her theme for this year's Living Proof Live Simulcast. This year's simulcast event message will be "Coming Home to the Heart of Our Desires" out of Psalm 37.
The simulcast will be based out of Beth's hometown, Green Bay, Wisconsin.
If you'd like for your church to be a simulcast host, you can fill out this form and the LifeWay folks will contact your church with details (filling out the form isn't a commitment - just a way of expressing interest). In fact, you can find all the simulcast information in one handy spot.
If you'd like to help spread the word, feel free to announce the theme on your Twitter, Facebook, etc.
(Or as my mama would say, you can always blog it on the Google.)
A week from today I'm leaving on a midnight train to Georgia.
Okay. Not really. But for some reason taking random song lyrics completely out of context makes me laugh.
I never claimed to be normal, y'all.
Anyway.
A week from today I really am leaving - for Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (see? "on a midnight train to Georgia" sounded so much catchier. I bet Gladys Knight knew that when she sang the song). I'm going to Pittsburgh for Living Proof Live, and I'll be doing something a little different this go-round.
The first different thing that I'm doing is going to Pittsburgh. I've never been there before and for some reason I picture it filled to overflowing with steel. I'm sure that's completely accurate, just like when people visit the Deep South and expect for every single road to be bordered by cotton fields and blues joints.
But the bigger different thing that I'm doing is that I'm going to be a guest member of the Living Proof Live event team. This is a first for me (and I'll still be taking lots of notes and writing recaps of the sessions, by the way). I'm going to be trailing / assisting / bugging the fabulous Amy Cato and all the wonderful people who work with her. I'll get to help them with set-up, warm-up, take-down and clear-out. And I'm pretty sure that they don't use any of those terms to describe what they do, but I was going for parallelism so we're all just going to have to pretend.
So. Here's what I'd like to know from you. What sort of behind-the-scenes stuff would you like to see? Have you ever wondered how a LifeWay women's event comes together? Are you curious about what exactly an event team coordinator like Amy does? Ever wondered what the LifeWay people are talking about on those headsets? If you'll let me know, I'll try to get the scoop.
Can't wait to read your thoughts. And if nothing else, share some random song lyrics.
I saw something yesterday that literally made me laugh out loud.
And proved that the old saying is true, everything is better with cheddar.
Click here to see a delightful video. Some people might even say it's holey.
While you're over there it just might convince you that you need to talk your home church into participating in the Living Proof Live Simulcast August 28-29.
My team just finished praying for the sweet baby of one of our own event team members. Anna Miller travels out with us a good bit to work on the Living Proof Live events and has for many years. Her sweet, lively, 17-month-old, Ian was diagnosed with a brain tumor this very week and he is in surgery right this very minute and will be all day.
Please pray specifically with us that Ian will survive the surgery, that his little brain, eye sight, personality and all that God knit together to make him Ian will remain when the surgery is over. We do not know if the tumor is cancerous.
Thank you for letting me put this request before you. We are beseaching and believing God for a miracle.
Please continue to pray for the women who are attending Living Proof Live in Laramie, Wyoming this weekend. Also pray for Beth, Travis and the entire event team as they share the love and Truth of God for His glory.
If y'all are anything like me, you are counting down the days until school is out. I am beyond ready for my little boy and me to have some lazy days of sun and swimming and snowcones. Suffice it to say that right now an alarm clock is my sworn nemesis.
But do you know what's not my sworn nemesis? Sleeping late. I am such a fan of the sleeping late.
Anyway, in addition to planning all the not waking up early we'll be doing this summer, I've also been planning a couple of quick weekend trips. And I thought that if you live anywhere near one of these four LifeWay women's events in June, you might want to plan a weekend trip, too.
When Melanie and I were at Living Proof Live in New Orleans a few weeks ago, Travis and the praise team sang a new arrangement of "Victory In Jesus" that's actually going to be on Travis' new (OH-SO-AWESOME) CD that comes out in June.
And while they sang, things got a little lively up on the stage.
I just wish that Beth would learn to be a smidge more joyful when she worships, you know? She's just so reserved.
Oh, I am quite the jokester.
And I hope the music puts a spring in your step this fine Monday!
My girl is out of school today and I will tell you that nothing makes blogging less efficient than when you're acting as cruise director for a Kindergartner. The good news is I've already played eight games of Sorry and done several crafts.
And it's only noon.
Anyway, I talked a little bit about getting to attend Vicki Courtney's You and Your Girl event in Katy about a month ago. I am always interested in anything that pertains to raising a daughter because I need all the help I can get.
Vicki had another event in Kentucky this past weekend and she did a recap on her blog complete with a video.
Click on over to Vicki's blog and check it out. You'll be glad you did!
When Melanie and I went to New Orleans for Living Proof Live a couple of weeks ago, I knew that a group of women from a church in my hometown were going to be there, too. So once we got to the arena Friday night, I texted a hometown friend of mine to see if we could chat for a few minutes before the event started. She told me what section she was in, and I ran (okay. "ran" may be a strong term. how about "walked briskly"?) up the stairs to find her.
When we found a place to stand and talk, I asked her if I might know anybody else who had made the trip. She rattled off a few names, none of which I recognized. Then she said, "Mrs. S is here, too."
Mrs. S is a friend of my mama's who is incredibly active for someone in her eighth decade. She's known for always wearing really sassy hats, and my mama thinks she hung the moon. She's one of those women that everybody describes as "dear" or "lovely" or "delightful," and I was beyond tickled to find out that she had made the trip to LPL. My friend pointed out the section where Mrs. S was sitting, and sure enough, after scanning the crowd for a few minutes, I saw a sassy hat. There she was.
After Beth finished teaching Friday night, Travis and the praise team led us in worship. We sang "In Christ Alone," and as we started the part about "No guilt in life / no fear in death / This is the power of Christ in me," I looked to my left. My eyes went straight to Mrs. S's sweet face. There was so much emotion there - so much love and joy and reverence and awe - and as I watched her, I thought, "THAT'S WHO I WANT TO BE ONE DAY. When I get a little older and could oh-so-easily sit in my house and get complacent in my faith, THAT'S WHO I WANT TO BE."
I want to put on my sassy hat when I'm in my early 80s. I want to continue to learn and grow and worship. I want to be more in love with Jesus than ever before. By diggity, I want to get on a church bus and travel for six hours and maybe even share a little bit of what God has taught me. I want to hear a hymn that I've sung countless times in my life and still be so moved by God's grace and mercy that my joy in Him is contagious.
Mrs. S has absolutely no idea, but she encouraged me like crazy that Friday night in New Orleans.
Have you been around anyone lately who has encouraged you like that - even though that person has absolutely no idea?
Last Friday I blogged about a FREE event that LifeWay is hosting tomorrow online:
" I just wanted to check in and let you know about a FREE opportunity to listen to a webcast discussing the life issues of young adult women. The free webcast will be this coming Tuesday, April 21 at NOON CENTRAL TIME. If you're interested in ministering to and reaching a generation of late teens and twenty somethings, I urge you to join us Tuesday. Since there is no cost, there is also no registration required. This is an interactive training event, so I encourage you to chime in with your own questions or insights."
In order to view the webcast simply copy and paste the folllowing link: http://lifeway.na3.acrobat.com/womenswebcasts2009/ After the page opens choose the option of entering as a guest.
I hope you will be our guests as we dive into the timely topic of reaching my generation, a generation in desperate need of Jesus Christ!
I was just about to get up in the bed (in the South we don't just go to bed - we GET UP IN THE BED), but I decided to check my email one more time in case, I don't know, I'd received an exciting coupon code from Domino's or something equally thrilling.
Well, I'm so glad that I did check my email, because I found some wonderful photographs that Rich took tonight at Living Proof Live in Portland. And I thought y'all might like to see them.
Seeing Lici's picture reminds me: at the last few events Travis and the praise team have been singing a medley of old hymns, and Lici sings "The Love of God." As you can imagine, it is absolutely beautiful. And so, so powerful.
There's not a doubt in my mind that the women at LPL Portland have been blessed beyond measure tonight. Let's be faithful to pray for everyone who's attending the event this weekend, for Beth as she teaches and for the LifeWay team that has worked so tirelessly behind the scenes. Also, pray for Travis and the praise team - he has been in four different states this week, and sleep has been scarce.
We'll be back with more pictures tomorrow (thanks, Rich!) - hope y'all have a wonderful, restful Saturday!
One of the things that Beth had us do at Living Proof New Orleans was to go back to our hotel rooms Friday night and draw a visual representation of what community looks like in each one of our lives.
I KNOW, Y'ALL. SHE GAVE US HOMEWORK.
So here's what we had to do.
1) Draw a star in the center of a piece of paper. That star represents you.
2) Each point on the star represents someone who has deeply shaped / impacted your spiritual life - whether that's in a negative or a positive way. Write a name on each point. You may feel like you need more than five, or you may not have five. I grouped my parents together, and I grouped some pastors together. Just play along as best you can.
3) Draw a circle made up of dashes around the star. These dashes represent your close community of faith (you do life with these people; they get in your business and you get in theirs).
4) Draw a circle made up of a zig-zag line around the circle made of dashes. The zig-zag circle represents the entire family of God.
5) Draw a final circle around the whole thing. The final circle represents the people outside of the body of Christ.
Here's what mine looked like. You won't be able to read everything because I had to shrink it, but you'll get the general idea.
Beth drew a big arrow that represents the fluid nature of relationships in our lives - sometimes people from the zig-zag line will move into the dash line; sometimes people on the dash line will move out to the zig-zag; sometimes people from the big ole circle will move to the dash. Relationships change as we move through different seasons of life.
So obviously those people listed on that dash line help protect us from isolation, and that is huge. But here's what occurred to me tonight as I looked back over my illustration: those people also become my FILTER. The stuff that comes into my life AND the stuff that pours out of my life has to pass through those people. In that sense they are my protection - they keep an eye on what's going on with me. They hold me accountable.
Here's the other thing that dawned on me: if you look at my list of the five people who have most impacted me spiritually, only one of those people is anywhere near the internet. If you look at my close community, only two of those people are directly connected to my blogging world.
I think I'm a pretty plugged in person, so I need to remember that as much as I love and enjoy the interweb, my most genuine community is happening offline. Now certainly some of those offline relationships are the result of connections I've made through blogging, but the friendships have had to move beyond the computer screen. Real life is where those "in your business" relationships are taking place, and I need to make sure I'm investing my time and my energy accordingly. Because in order to be effective out there in the zig-zag and the big ole circle, I've got to protect those relationships on the dash.
So. That was long.
Y'all have any thoughts?
Anybody grabbing pen and paper so you can make a chart of your own?
As most of y'all know - because we have mentioned it approximately 4,000 times in the last six days - Melanie and I were in New Orleans last weekend for Living Proof Live. We had an absolute blast and, as an added bonus, sat under some mighty fine teaching. As Melanie mentioned in Tuesday's post, Beth taught from 1 Thessalonians 5:12-24. She pulled out seven points from that passage that help us to understand The Holiness of Wholeness, and her second point really resonated with me.
Would you like to hear it?
Oh, delightful.
Beth's second point was this: I cannot be a whole person without other people.
I've mentioned before that I have a tendency to fall into isolation, especially when I'm dealing with something particularly challenging. I'm a borderline introvert / extrovert, and when tough times hit, that introvert takes over. I shut down and clam up. Then I get some yellow tape that says "CAUTION - DO NOT CROSS" and close off a 50-foot perimeter all the way around my person.
Okay. Not really that last thing. Though I probably would if I could.
But here's what I know now that I wish I'd known when I was younger: isolation is lethal. I know this for a fact. Isolation removes us from accountability, it removes us from community and it absolutely breeds apathy. Isolation encourages us to rationalize sin, and it cuts us off from the joy of the multitude of ways that God extends His grace through the body of Christ.
Beth reminded us that we were meant to get in each other's business. That doesn't mean that we have license to gossip or spread the latest news via some way-too-informative "prayer requests," but if we're going to "warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone" (v. 15) - well, that's going to require getting in each other's business a little bit. All in love, of course. And not with a bunch of strangers, but in the context of a close community of faith (and what makes up that community will be different for everyone).
Do y'all have any thoughts about this? Any struggles with isolation? Ever been blessed by somebody getting up in your business?
It will come as no surprise that Beth brought the Word this past weekend in New Orleans. She also brought the funny. I mean, she was seriously funny. Which is why I love listening to her teach. I believe it was Dolly Parton as Truvy in "Steel Magnolias" who said, "Laughter through tears is my favorite emotion".
And if it wasn't, please feel free to correct me in the comments.
Anyway, Beth taught on I Thessalonians 5:12-24. She focused on seven aspects of "The Holiness of Wholeness", but I'm just going to share the one that really spoke to me.
I Thessalonians 5:18 says, "...give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." I've always wrestled with this passage of scripture because there are a lot of circumstances that haven't made me feel like giving thanks. In fact, they've made me want to say, "WHAT THE HECK?"
Because life doesn't always go the way we think it should go.
Beth pointed out that the scripture doesn't say we should give thanks FOR the circumstances, but that we should give thanks IN them. Yes, there will be times that life is hard and complicated. Things won't make sense, but we don't have to say "Thank you God for all these things that don't make sense". We are just called to maintain a spirit of gratitude in the midst of them.
She said, "If we value what God values, then we will be grateful", and reminded us that "God is never up to something bad in our lives". So when we're in the middle of even the toughest road, we can know without a doubt that God is working all things together for good.
Our buddy Rich always provides us with incredible photographs after Living Proof Live or Deeper Still events, and this past weekend was no exception. In fact, I checked my email while I was still sitting in the New Orleans airport Saturday afternoon, and sure enough, I found two emails that were chock-full-o-great images.
You can't even imagine how grateful Melanie and I were, especially since the powerful flashes on our little point and shoot cameras pretty much just enable us to take some excellent pictures of the stage steps.
So anyway, as I was looking through Rich's photographs, I ran across this one, and I immediately decided it was my favorite. Because like so many of y'all, I am just wild about the five people you see below.
And I thought it would be oh-so-fun if we could give this picture a caption.
Fire away with your best one, everybody. You can leave as many captions as you'd like, but please leave each caption in a separate comment.
We'll close entries, this Friday, April 10th, and we'll round up some LifeWay folks to select a winner.
The prize? A copy of Kelly Minter's No Other Gods Bible study.
In the last few weeks I have completely quit watching the news. It's not that I want to bury my head in the sand, but, seriously, it's all gloom and doom.
I don't need another person to tell me that the economy is the worst since 1933 or unemployment is the highest since 1983. I get it. Things here in the world are bad.
But, you know what?
On Friday and Saturday this weekend I was in an arena full of almost 7,000 women praising the most high God. Praising Him in the midst of who-only-knows what kind of circumstances in their personal lives.
And all of a sudden, the world seemed a whole lot brighter.
"The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it." I Thessalonians 5:24
This past Saturday, my daughter Caroline and I attended our very first Mother-Daughter event. Well, unless you count Fiesta day at her preschool and I'm not sure an event where peanut butter is served as the main course counts.
We arrived in Houston on Friday night and went to our hotel to check in. Caroline was beyond impressed with the hotel and, in fact, declared that it was a hotel for royalty. There also may have been some jumping on the beds involved.
Umm, if that happens to be against any official LifeWay rules will someone please remove this picture for me? It never happened.
We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning and headed down to the hotel lobby to eat our complimentary breakfast. Caroline was totally impressed with array of jellies and bagels, which is another way of saying "we don't get out much".
On a side note, when I asked Caroline if she wanted to go on this trip with me she asked, "Is your boss going to be there?"
"Who's my boss?"
"Beth Moore. She's always the boss at your meetings."
"No, this time the boss is Vicki Courtney."
"Oh. Okay."
As we walked into the church, I couldn't believe all the mothers and daughters who were there. They were all ages and filled up every bit of space in the large sanctuary.
Caroline chose seats for us that were in the highest part of the top balcony. I should have brought my binoculars.
But then the darling Lindsey Kane took the stage and I didn't need binoculars because I was totally mesmerized listening to her lead worship. I'd had the opportunity to hear Lindsey lead worship at another conference about a year ago, but she was even better than I remembered. She has an amazing heart for worship and just leads you right up to the throne of God, which isn't always easy to do when you're surrounded by some surly pre-teens with hormones running amuck.
I told a friend later that I bet every girl in that audience wished they could be like Lindsey. Funny, talented, sincere and just sold out for God. AMAZING. If you haven't heard her, you should seriously check out her newest CD.
After Lindsey led worship, Vicki got up and began to share about the struggles that come with raising a daughter. She talked about the culture we live in and how to have an ongoing conversation with our daughters from the time they're born until they leave for college. We need to be aware of what they are being exposed to and we need to be diligent about protecting them while teaching them to keep their eyes on Christ.
As a mother of a daughter, I just sat there and said, "Amen".
I'll tell you more later, but I've already written a novel. I'd love to hear if y'all have any specific questions about the event.
I'm getting all packed and ready to head to Katy, TX for VIcki Courtney's "You and Your Girl" event. Have I ever mentioned I hate packing?
Although I am thanking the Lord for small mercies because I am not flying anywhere and don't have to limit the amount of hair spray I can carry to 3 ounces. What good is 3 ounces of hairspray going to do? Not much for a Texas girl, I can tell you that.
Anyway, did I mention that I'm bringing my girl with me? That's right. She's hitting the road with me for this little road trip, which means I had to go in her room this morning to narrow down her selection of stuffed animal traveling companions to three.
I don't know that the trip will be the same without Big Blue Fuzzy Dog.
I better get going, but I'll check back in once we get there!
Hey Gals! I have to give a shout out for the new EP CD that is in my player right now. Miss Lindsay Kane, of Austin, Texas just finished one of the best songs for women and girls I've heard in a long time.
Oh my gosh, the song, Mercy, and You'll Be Whole, speak directly to where hurting females are. Check her out at www.lindsaykaneministries.org. Lindsay is also the worship leader for You and Your Girl events with Vicki Courtney. Pray for Vicki and Lindsay and the LifeWay gals as they head to Katy, Texas today to minister to Mom's and girls tomorrow!
p.s. There is also a very cool rendition of 'It is Well With My Soul" on the album. I dig it!!! Lindsay is also one of the funner gals to hang out with and she loves her some Jesus!
Check it out. Pictures speak louder than words. What an incredibly sweet time. If you were there, see Sophie's post below and tell us what it meant to you!
I've heard from several different people that Living Proof Live for Ministers' Wives was absolutely incredible. And all morning long I've thought I would love to write about it. I would love to write about it. But the problem with writing about it is that I wasn't there. Which makes the writing about it somewhat problematic.
(Unless I just make up some stuff.)
(But something tells me that particular strategy probably wouldn't fly very well.)
So.
If you were at Living Proof Live for Ministers' Wives this past weekend, would you give us your reactions / feedback / recap in the comments? I'd love to read your thoughts (and if you've already put your thoughts in a post, just leave the link); I have a feeling that God gave the women there all sorts of wonderful encouragement this past weekend.
I've heard from several different people that Living Proof Live for Ministers' Wives was absolutely incredible. And all morning long I've thought I would love to write about it. I would love to write about it. But the problem with writing about it is that I wasn't there. Which makes the writing about it somewhat problematic.
(Unless I just make up some stuff.)
(But something tells me that particular strategy probably wouldn't fly very well.)
So.
If you were at Living Proof Live for Ministers' Wives this past weekend, would you give us your reactions / feedback / recap in the comments? I'd love to read your thoughts (and if you've already put your thoughts in a post, just leave the link); I have a feeling that God gave the women there all sorts of wonderful encouragement this past weekend.
When I first started blogging back in 2005, I looked high and low on the interweb for fun banners and buttons that I could put on the sidebar of my blog. I had all of four readers, I think (and two of those were spambots), but I wanted those other two real-live readers to be able to look at my sidebar and get a sense of who I was and what I believed.
However, at the time there just weren't a whole lot of free, good-looking banners and buttons to be found, so my sidebar pretty much consisted of the Blogger and Site Meter logos. I was clearly very high-tech.
But these days it's a whole new bloggy world, and there's all sorts of stuff you can put on your blog to give your readers a sense of who you are and what you believe. And tonight, when I was clicking around the LifeWay women's events page to make sure I had the right dates for a couple of upcoming conferences, I noticed the coolest little resource: WEB BANNERS.
OH YES MA'AM. My 2005 self would have been OVER THE MOON.
So if you're planning to attend a LifeWay women's event this year and want to spread the word (and, as an added bonus, the Word) to your readers, just click on the name of the events below and then scroll to the bottom of each page to find your sassy blog banners and buttons.
And if you need any help getting the banners to show up in your sidebar, just leave a comment. I'll do my best to help. Though you may need to pray that I'll be covered with a special technological anointing.
Congratulations to Amy Cogswell and Northland Christian Church in Topeka, KS for being the first winner of a Beth Moore kit of their choice. They chose Esther!
In case you didn't know, your church too can be entered to win a Beth Moore Bible study Kit and also enter the grand prize drawing of an expense paid trip for two to see Beth Moore live in Green Bay, WI on August 28-29! Here's how it works. Have your church register to HOST the Living Proof Live Simulcast at your local church. (Actually, no purchase necessary, click details from here - )
So, check it out, ya'll. See if your church has signed up yet, and if not, go talk to your church about it! This is a great way to bring the women of your local town, community and city together for a powerful experience.
Hoping the rest of your Tuesday is a happy one!
love and smiles! Kris
Last year, for the first time ever, churches everywhere had the opportunity to host Beth Moore for a weekend of ministry through the miracle of modern technology known as the simulcast.
You can read some of the comments about the experience by reading the comments on this post written after last year's event.
The good news is that there will be another Living Proof LIve simulcast opportunity, live from Green Bay, Wisconsin, this summer on August 28-29th. Which makes me wonder, what did we do in the days before satellites and internet?
I mean, other than sit around and whittle wood.
If you think your church might be interested in participating in this awesome opportunity then you can click over here to find out all the details.
There is something about knowing that spring is just around the corner that makes me all giddy and happy and whathaveyou. I start thinking about things like road trips and Bermuda shorts and not needing four blankets when I go to bed at night.
More than anything, though, I start to think about all the new growth, and there is nothing like the sight of some bright green leaves on the trees to remind me of the beauty of new beginnings. It seems like every single day in the springtime becomes a metaphor for the work that God is continually doing in my heart; nature is just chock-full of outward signs that mirror His inner transformations.
Is this post starting to sound like a documentary? I think it's starting to sound a little bit like a documentary. I do apologize.
Anyway, here was my point (oh, I had one! I did!): in the spirit of new beginnings and fresh starts, there are some great LifeWay events coming up in March and April that I want to make sure I mention. I know that we can't live in "event mode" all the time, but every once in awhile it's nice to spend a weekend with friends (or by yourself) and dig deeper into Scripture. Fresh words are good, aren't they?
If you have any questions about the events - maybe you've never been before and don't know what all is involved - please don't hesitate to ask questions in the comments. We would love to help you however we can.
Have a wonderful (still-winter-but-not-for-long) day, everybody!
If you happen to be the wife of a minister, then let me say God bless you. I cannot imagine living life in the fishbowl that is probably your life a lot of the time. It's no doubt a special calling.
I could sit here and tell you how awesome it's going to be (and I have no doubt that it will be an incredible time of ministry), but I think Travis Cottrell summed it up best in this post he wrote yesterday.
He also has some great thoughts about ways to make sure that your pastor's wife can attend this conference. They probably need it more than we can imagine because, rumor has it, being a pastor's wife is a lot more difficult than just making enough potato salad for the potluck dinner.
So I could sit here and tell you that the last two years of my life have played out exactly like I expected. I could tell you that everything has gone according to plan and we're right where we hoped we'd be and gosh! we're so carefree! looks like smooth sailing ahead!
I could tell you those things.
But there's not a stitch of truth in them.
And as much as I like to think that over the last few months, when things have been especially difficult, that I've responded well and rolled with the punches and learned valuable lessons, the fact of the matter is that I've responded with a heavy dose of stubborn more often than not. I may have been a little bitter. And on some days - like yesterday, for instance - I've just been plain mad.
Last weekend at Going Beyond, Priscilla Shirer talked a lot about having a Godly response to the interruptions in our lives. She actually covered four specific things to keep in mind when life takes you on a detour down a road you never planned to travel, and then she followed up on Saturday with five ways those interruptions bless us.
And at the time - because it is always easy to sit under a difficult word and think about how it applies to SOMEBODY ELSE - I didn't really apply what she was saying to my own life. I thought about how it applied to this friend's life or that friend's life or to my own life eight or nine years ago - but I didn't really think about THIS TIME in my life. This season-o-crippling-humility, as I've come to call it. Didn't think about my current circumstances much at all.
So y'all know what God did.
He called me out on my own denial ALL. WEEK. LONG. And I'm telling you, I feel like at every single turn I've been confronted with the reality of my own selfishness and pride and hardheadedness. If hardheadedness is in fact a word. And I've been reminded that there is a blessing in the here and now - even though it doesn't always feel like it.
Priscilla told us Friday night that it takes courage to yield to the interruptions of life, to learn the lesson that God is teaching us. And she also said that until we respond to what God is calling us to do in that interruption, His Word will continue to mess with us, to convict us, to call us out on that very thing we're avoiding.
I'm quite certain I can't relate to that at all.
Ahem.
So I don't know if you're dealing with any interruptions in your life right now or not, but this morning I'm thinking about two things Priscilla said last weekend:
1) God sometimes derails us to get us back on board with His plan.
2) When God allows interruptions in our lives, we have an opportunity to cooperate with Him.
Hope that encourages y'all this morning.
Because I have to tell you: it's flat-out preaching to me.
I don't know about y'all, but sometimes I feel overwhelmed when I go to a retreat or a conference or whathaveyou. I don't know if it's because the time there is so intense or because I'm so keyed up from anticipation that I can barely sit still when I get there, but I've noticed - especially this last year - that by the time the first night of an event rolls around, I'm perilously close to sensory and emotional overload. In fact, there have been a couple of times this last year when I've leaned over to Melanie during praise and worship time and said, "I'm praying right now that I won't feel so stinkin' numb - it's like I can't process anything."
I get so distracted by the peripheral stuff that I have a hard time focusing on why I'm there. I lose sight of what really matters.
Sort of sounds like, well, LIFE, doesn't it?
Last week at Going Beyond was no exception to my overwhelmed rule. By the time I finally got to the church Friday night, I'd missed three exits, navigated a mix-up with my hotel reservation, forced myself to wake up from a nap when I seriously could have slept straight through Friday night and all the way into Saturday morning, and reached the decided conclusion that Google Maps is my sworn enemy. Combine all of that with some Serious Life Junk we're dealing with in our family right now, and suffice it to say that I was feeling completely disconnected from what was going on in that sanctuary.
Even worse than that was the fact that I felt completely disengaged from the One I was supposed to be praising.
It happens Every. Single. Time.
So I started to pray. And gradually, as all that external junk started to settle and fade into the background, my heart gave way.
I have lots more to say about what I learned last weekend (and by the way, if you live anywhere near San Jose, California, you will be so blessed if you Go Beyond next weekend), and I'll be talking about that in my next couple of posts, but this morning I'm just flat-out grateful as I think about how God was so faithful to speak to my heart in the midst of the distractions.
He's good like that, isn't He? And I feel like, over the course of the weekend, He reminded me (AGAIN) of two critical truths:
1) Worship isn't tied into my feelings or my circumstances. I worship Him because HE IS - not because of how I feel about who He is at that particular moment. I worship Him because HE'S EVERYTHING - not because everything is going well.
2) All those distractions we face when we're headed to a conference or trying to get the family out the door on Sunday mornings? NOT ACCIDENTS. And I need to remember that if I weren't on the way to someplace God wanted me to be, the enemy would be a lot more likely to leave me alone.
I may have to cross stitch that last sentence on a pillow or something.
And this still isn't my "official" Going Beyond recap, but it's definitely a part of the weekend that continues to blow my mind when I think about it.
Saturday morning we were almost finished with the first session when my phone started to vibrate. I looked down at it, saw that my friend Elise was calling, and since she'd also called the night before, I sent her a quick text: "Hey. In Atlanta at a LifeWay deal. What's up?"
She wrote me back, told me what was going on, and after a few more texts, we'd managed to make plans for an upcoming weekend when she and one of her sons are going to be visiting Birmingham.
And just so you know, I did all of this texting without missing a beat of Priscilla Shirer's message. Seriously. I promise. 'Cause I learned a whole bunch from Miss Priscilla Saturday morning.
Anyway, the morning break came shortly after Elise and I wrapped up our conversation, and I started to think about how happy it made me to hear from Elise and how grateful I am for friendships that now span the course of twenty years. Last weekend I got to spend some time with some high school friends, and my word - is there anything better than people who have seen you fall flat on your face a time or twenty and who love you anyway? I'm beyond grateful for those girls.
As I walked around during the break I was trying to figure out how my surge of gratitude for my friends might be tied in to Priscilla's message (that's me. always looking for connections. it would be totally exhausting if I didn't find it so completely delightful.) and I found myself thinking over and over again about the blessing of friendship - even when that friendship shows up in the form of an unexpected phone call.
A few minutes later I caught a glimpse of a woman who looked super familiar, and even though part of my brain thought, "NO WAY would she have driven al the way from Hattiesburg, Mississippi for this conference," the other part of my brain wanted to turn around and double-check. So I did.
And when I turned around, do y'all know who I saw?
ELISE'S MAMA.
CAN YOU EVEN BELIEVE THAT?
We squealed like a couple of five year-olds.
We got to visit and catch up during the break, and it was just the sweetest, most unexpected blessing in the midst of an already incredible weekend. It tickled me to no end.
...everything about Going Beyond this past weekend, but I thought I'd share a few pictures before I try to string together some words and some sentences and lo, even paragraphs.
So.
Once I got settled in my hotel room, I decided that this is my wish for every tired mama in the whole wide world:
A comfy bed, some fluffy pillows and a remote. All to yourself. And maybe some Starbucks, too, but I didn't have any of that at the time so I couldn't put it in the picture. But if I could've, I would've.
When I finally made it to the event (Google Maps is my SWORN ENEMY, I tell you), I was blessed beyond measure by Priscilla's hair.
Y'all know that I feel we should affirm good hair when we see it. And Priscilla's hair was deserving of some serious affirmation.
And speaking of good hair.
This is Betsy, who works on the women's events team at LifeWay. You've probably seen her making announcements before Saturday morning sessions at different LifeWay events.
And Betsy has some GOOD HAIR. She always looks darlin'. This past weekend she had on an adorable scarf with her Going Beyond t-shirt, and I was ever-so-appreciative of her fashion flair. Cute as a bug, she is.
Finally.
You know how sometimes you see people you don't know but you just instantly enjoy Jesus through them?
That's how I felt about these ladies at Going Beyond. They sat across the aisle from me, and while I don't know their names, I can tell you that their joy was palpable. They have no idea how much they ministered to me, but OH, they did. Wish I could hug their necks right now.
Anyway, I'll be back later with my reactions to what was some of the most powerful teaching I've ever heard (hit me right where I'm livin', it did). Hope y'all are having a wonderful weekend!
Over the last few years there have been times when I had a women's event of some sort on the horizon and I thought, "Gosh. This could not come at a better time because of [insert life issue here]."
But y'all. I am telling you, and this time I mean it MORE THAN EVER BEFORE: this weekend's Going Beyond in Atlanta COULD NOT COME AT A BETTER TIME. For a whole host of reasons.
I'm actually going to the conference all by myself, and I think that's exactly how it's supposed to be. I just feel like I really need some time alone with the Lord - in my car, at the conference, in my hotel room. I respect Priscilla Shirer's ability to clearly communicate God's Word so much (no kidding - I'm getting misty-eyed just typing this because I have learned so much from her), and I am flat-out READY to sit under her teaching this weekend. I know way down deep in my bones that God has a strong word in store for all of us.
I know that several AllAccess readers are going to be there this weekend, too, and I would love to meet y'all in person and hug your necks and visit. I'll be the girl in her late 30s who's by herself and singing really loud and taking way too many pictures. But I promise that I'll spare you my singing if you'll please just come say "hey."
Hope y'all have a wonderful rest-of-the-week - and I'll be checking in here sometime Saturday!
Special assignment for All Access, Pam and I, had the privilege this week to get to Dallas for a behind the scenes (literally, see photo below) view of Priscilla Shirer as she taped her top secret, much-anticipated, new Bible Study, 'One In a Million,' that will release this summer.
We felt like two gals in a million with big hair as we watched Priscilla teach her socks off with sassy outfits and really cute hair. She BROUGHT it about how God does some of His greatest miracles in our lives when we are in a wilderness season. So true. Her sweet 90-year-old Grandma was in the audience and Pam and I got to meet her. We are blessed. But we didn't wear our cheese heads.
We also got to squeeze the newest Shirer, Jude, and carry him around some while his Momma brought the Word! Maternity leave is over cause not only did she just tape a 6-week Bible study but next weekend, Feb, 6-7, Priscilla is going to launch her Going Beyond Events with LifeWay in Atlanta with a brand new message on Jonah. She'll hit the west coast after Atlanta with an event in San Jose, CA on February 21-22. Yes, maternity leave is officially OVER. AND she has lost the baby weight in three months. She is our hero. In spite of an inch or so of ice in Dallas and snow in Nashville, we made it home with little drama (other than the drama we bring by just being together) in our travels!
If you are in ministry in any shape or form, you need to check out WIRED: Women Intentionally Reaching Expanding Developing. WIRED is for any woman in ministry who is a "seasoned" leader seeking to move her developing ministry to the "next level." If your ministry is at least 5 years or older, this training if especially for YOU! This leadership event is coming to St. Augustine, FL on February 27-28.
Click on the video below to hear more.
A couple of months ago I looked over on the LifeWay Women's Events page to see if there was anything coming up in my neck of the woods. Since I'm in Birmingham, I always find it super-handy when there are LifeWay events in Nashville or Atlanta or even Memphis, so the first thing I did was look for those cities.
I kid you not: I flipped my 2008 planner to the very last page - where they print those teeny tiny calendars of the upcoming year - and marked the Going Beyond dates. Because I'm obsessive. And because I forget things.
See?
That would be some photographic proof of my crazy.
A couple of nights later I went to Bible study and told the girls there about the event, and since many of them had been wowed by their first exposure to Priscilla's teaching through our Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed Bible study, they were tickled to know about the event. And we talked about how we'd love to go.
Well, guess what I found out today?
I'm going!
(Beyond, as it were.)
And I'm beyond excited.
What about you? Any plans in the works for an event or two in 2009? Any of you going to Going Beyond?
When I was growing up I had this childlike idea that ministers' wives somehow had it easier than "regular" wives. I don't know if I thought they had a more direct line to God or what, but I'm guessing it was in part because the pastors' wives in my home church were such sweet women. They were soft-spoken, humble, gentle, quick to encourage - and so at some point I decided that their days consisted of hugging people and praying. Maybe with a little cooking thrown in when the family night suppers rolled around.
I was a bit idealistic as a child. I'm not sure if you noticed.
Now that I'm older, of course, I know that there are few people who are in the flat-out trenches of ministry like ministers' wives. OH MY WORD. I have several close friends whose husbands are pastors, and while those ladies are just as humble and encouraging and all-around wonderful as the women I remember from my childhood, they deal with a whole lot more behind-the-scenes stuff than my eight year-old self could have ever imagined.
And the biggest thing that I know now that I never would have known back then is that being a pastor's wife? Is exhausting. Grueling, even. It's a special calling for special women - no doubt about it. It's incredibly hard - and selfless - work.
So I'm excited to tell you - or in some cases, to remind you - that there's a special Living Proof Live for Ministers' Wives in Nashville on March 13-14. It follows the Between Us Ministers' Wives Conference on March 12-13. I can't think of a better way for these women who serve so selflessly to recharge their batteries and fellowship with other people who experience similar joys and frustrations on a daily basis. It'll be a good time.
Maybe the ladies in your women's ministry would love to do something special for your pastor's wife this Christmas; or maybe your pastor has no idea what to give his wife and would benefit from a helpful hint. Regardless, this conference would be a wonderful gift - and oh have mercy, it would keep on giving in the days, weeks and months that follow.
More than anything, I hope we'll all remember to encourage our pastors' wives - not just at Christmas, but all year long.
What a time we have had this week in Nash-vegas for two big events...the National Women's Leadership Forum at LifeWay and that little event last night called the CMA awards. Those country icons don't have anything on our guy Travis who led us in some serious worship and even blessed us with a Christmas concert as he shared songs from his new album.
We had 500 incredible leaders from across the country like Liz from San Jose, CA and the sweet pastor's wife slash women's ministry leader who came by her self from the hills of New Mexico...and the girls right down the street from Mount Juliet, TN. We worshipped, shared ideas, had full breakouts and heard a great word from Kelly Minter and Angela Thomas yesterday. Basically we got together and told our stories...some hard stories, but all stories of God's faithfulness. I'm not just talking about women dealing with one hard thing...but how about the woman who found herself near bankruptcy, with a serious illness and a teenage son who's girlfriend got pregnant. She beamed as she told of God's faithfulness and how sweet her little grandchild is. Only GOD!
We have had a blast. Be safe going home girls. We hope to see you next year when we try our two Forums back to back! That's right. Pray for us! ;0) We won't think about that now. We'll just bask in the glow of having 500 women in the halls of LifeWay. Forum energizes us for the year to come. We love you so! Any sweet Forum stories to share?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.)
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 greatposts 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.
...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......?
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.
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.
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.
I'm leaving on an 11:15 flight to Nashville today and, as of this moment, this is what my bedroom looks like.
Please don't pay attention to that ugly blue and white comforter. I didn't make my bed.
Also, it might help if I actually put some of those clothes in a suitcase. It's not easy to make your way through the airport with your arms full of clothing.
I'll check back in from Nashville, but for now I should probably finish packing.
We would love y'alls prayers as we begin filming "Five Conversations You Should Have With Your Daughter" tomorrow. Please pray that God would guide Vicki in all that she shares and that this study would be exactly what He intends it to be.
I don't know how many Southern girls we have reading (hey, Southern girls!), but I did want to let y'all know that there are two great women's events coming up this weekend in the southern part of the US of A.
First, on September 27 Vicki Courtney will be in Spartanburg, South Carolina for one of her "You And Your Girl" events. If you're the mama of a tween or a teen, this will be a wonderful opportunity for you and your daughter to spend some time together and get some great, sound insight on the issues that face women of all ages in our culture.
Plus, Bethany Dillon and Lindsey Kane are leading worship, and THEY ARE SO GIFTED, MY WORD.
Next, Priscilla Shirer will be in Bossier City, Louisiana on September 26-27 for "Going Beyond." I don't know if you've had the privilege of hearing Priscilla speak or not, but she is an absolutely incredible teacher of God's Word. She's inspiring and funny and real - but more than anything else, she boldly proclaims Truth. I'm challenged every single time I hear her. You will be, too.
Finally - and we know we've mentioned this before, but it bears repeating - Travis Cottrell has a new Christmas CD, Ring the Bells, coming out in a little over two weeks. And I thought a clip of Travis and his friends recording the choir parts of "Jesus Saves" might be just the thing to put some pep in our steps on this fine Monday morning.
If you've been to a Deeper Still event, then you know that one of the highlights is when Beth, Kay and Priscilla get on stage and talk to each other as if they were in their own living rooms.
But they're not.
So we get to hear everything they have to say.
And, let me tell you, there is some serious wisdom being doled out.
Where else can you learn how to have a better quiet time and how to make your hair have more volume all in one sitting?
Here's a short clip from Las Vegas. Please forgive the less than stellar quality of the video. Apparently I had too much caffeine and am also kind of a moron.
Let's just say by the time it was all over, my stomach muscles had gotten the best work out of the year just from the laughter.
The best part is you can go see it for yourself in 2009. There will be a Deeper Still in Orlando on September 18-19 and one in Oklahoma City on December 4-5.
So start making your plans now because tickets will go fast.
We are loving all the captions for the picture of Miss Beth.
In fact, I think we've started a post-event tradition if for no other reason than the fact that Sophie and I have laughed and clapped our hands over the entries.
And speaking of events...
Donna at Way More Homemade asked in the comments the other day if we were worried that we'd ever grow complacent about attending different events and if it would start to seem stale.
Before I read that comment I hadn't been worried about it, but it made me start to think about it.
Right now, it's hard to imagine. The whole experience of being at a Deeper Still or Living Proof Live is just so incredible that I can't believe there would come a day that I'd sit in my seat and think, "Oh, there's Priscilla again" or "Seriously? Another song by Travis and the Praise Team?"
I would hate to ever get to the point where the only thing I looked forward to was the different concession stand offerings at various stadiums around the U.S.A.
Although do not underestimate the power of a good concession stand because, TRUE CONFESSION, the Thomas Mack Center only served Pepsi products, which caused me to wonder if the Holy Spirit could fall on a place so lacking in Diet Coke.
But, apparently, God doesn't discriminate between carbonated beverages. He loves them all equally.
Anyway, back to the original question.
Here's what I think. These events are so covered in prayer by everyone from the praise team, to the event team, to the speakers, that there is always a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. You can just feel God's presence.
And while I may grow tired of man, I never grow tired of the presence of God.
At Deeper Still Las Vegas, each of the women spoke on the same thing they had talked about at Deeper Still Atlanta, and even though I was at both events, I promise my notes look totally different. In the time span of just two months, God used the same messages to give me a fresh word.
And here's something cool that I've noticed. During these events, there are members of the Praise Team and LifeWay Team sitting around us and I know many of them have been to more of these things than they can remember, yet you can tell they are taking it all in like it's their first time.
That's my goal. To allow God to do a new thing every time I'm in His presence, whether it's at home during my quiet time or standing in an arena praising Him with 15,000 women.
I snapped this photo of Beth singing Saturday morning during praise and worship time at Deeper Still, and when I saw it again tonight, I decided that it pretty much begs for a caption:
I mean, Starbucks and some live praise music? Gold.
So, leave your best caption in the comments. We'll have two winners: one drawn randomly from all the comments, and one selected by Melanie and me as the best caption entry.
(BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!)
Both winners will receive a copy of Travis Cottrell's new Christmas CD, Ring The Bells, which hits the shelves on October 7th (am I supposed to say that a CD "drops"? I can't say "drops." It sounds all wrong coming from a mama in her late thirties).
By the way, I totally just made up this contest, and I haven't even asked Travis if he'll provide the prizes, but he certainly can't say "no" now, now can he? Because in the words of the old Michael W. Smith song, "Friends are friends forever when they blindside each other with requests for bloggy prizes."
Amen.
And in all seriousness, Mel and I have both heard (most of) Travis' new Christmas CD, and it is phenomenal. Instant classic. I just looked at my iTunes and saw that I've listened to it FOURTEEN TIMES since the Sunday before Labor Day, and that's not even counting how many times I've played it on my iPod. It's excellent, as evidenced by the fact that I'm enthusiastically listening to Christmas music in September.
Anyway.
We'll leave the contest open until Friday, September 12th, and we'll announce winners on Monday, September 15th.
Now caption away, my friends!
This contest is now closed. Thanks so much for all the great comments!
And if you're in Vegas for Deeper Still and not tied up at lunch today, Melanie and I would love it if we could get a picture of some allaccess readers. We'll hang out by the stage for the first fifteen or twenty minutes of lunch, and if you can swing by, we'd love to see you and take some pictures for the blog.
The crowd this weekend is lively in the best, most entertaining way - it's such a blast to hang out with women who are so obviously thrilled to be here. Can't wait to do it again this morning!
So I meant to post pictures from Living Proof Live in San Antonio as soon as I got home, but I accidentally left my camera at the Siesta Fiesta pajama party Saturday night, and oddly enough it is somewhat difficult to upload your pictures when you live in Alabama and your camera went home with a bloggy friend who lives in a different state (thanks, Kim, for finding it and sending it to me!).
There's no doubt that the weekend's teaching and worship were huge blessings for everyone there. And on top of that, there was a whole bunch of other great stuff.
Like sweet friends:
And a Q&A time with Beth, her daughters Amanda and Melissa, and the women who read The LPM Blog:
And last but not least - cute shoes:
So basically, you know, it was perfection.
Hope we get to see some of you in Las Vegas at Deeper Still this weekend - Melanie and I will be blogging as much as we can, so check in here and at the Deeper Still blog if you get a chance.
So, a confession: living in the moment - taking life day-by-day - can be a HUGE battle for me. There are times when I wrestle with fear and worry like nobody's business. And when I slip into that spiral, I can spend hours bogged down in mistakes I made when I was younger, grieving the extent to which I looked my depravity dead in the eyes and pretty much said, "OH, BRING IT" when I was in my early 20s.
And on top of that, I wear myself out thinking about what I could or should have done differently, thinking about how I should have known better. Worrying that somehow, someway, I let God down.
Last weekend, at Living Proof Live in San Antonio, Beth talked about what it means to be an heir of God. She talked about how differently we'd live our lives if we woke up in the morning and marveled at our inheritance. She talked about how our lives are not left to chance, how every single thing that is playing into our lives makes for a beautiful inheritance. There's no such thing as a chance encounter or a chance season. Fate has no power over us.
God is Sovereign.
Beth challenged us during the second session of the weekend to realize that our brokenness is no accident; our brokenness is our assignment. Hearing those words was a profound moment for me; I tend to think of the "bad stuff" as something that embarrasses God, as my own personal laundry list of all the things I've done to disappoint Him.
But the reality is that my failures are part of who I am. He has allowed those things to happen so that I can boldly testify to His healing and His power. By God's grace, I'm not who I was at 24. I'm not who I was at 30, even. He has given me victory in areas of my life that could have destroyed me, and my struggles have deepened my faith and strengthened my walk with Him in ways I could have never imagined. As Beth said Saturday morning: "Even dirt can become good soil for a seed."
Our brokenness is a testimony to the fact that no one besides Him could have shattered those bad habits; no one besides Him could have demolished those strongholds; no ones besides Him could have restored what was beyond man's repair.
No one.
And I don't know about you, but I think that's cause for some serious praise.
I can't believe it's already been a week since everyone was in San Antonio, eating a multitude of flour tortillas and heading to the Alamodome. I've spent much of this week walking around in a bit of a preoccupied daze.
Of course, some may say that's not much different than any other day.
But this past week has been filled with sending my only child off to Kindergarten on the heels of a weekend where I felt God speak to so many of my fears and insecurities.
Beth taught on the theme of inheritance and everything was framed in the context that we are heirs of God.
She had me at the first point which was I am an heir of God, my life is not left to chance. The truth is that nothing happens by chance. God has a plan for my life and the people and things He brings into my life may seem random, but are God-ordained.
Beth said that Providence is the FACT that God works as powerfully in natural events as the miraculous. That hit home with me because when I look at my husband, my marriage, my friendships, and the path my life has taken, I realize that all those things are a series of natural events that add up to the miraculous. I was created for all those things and those things were created for me.
That's Divine Providence.
For a semi-reformed control freak, it's comforting for me to relax in the arms of God and know He has my life under control. It's not my job to figure everything out or have a plan, it's my job to listen and follow.
Beth had us draw a box that depicted our boundary lines. The four walls represented intimacy with God, our past, our life experiences, and our gifts. Faith was in the center as it should be.
She challenged us by asking if God was invading all of our boundary lines because if He isn't, then it means the devil has it. We may think we have it, but if it's not covered by God, then it's not covered.
I struggle with guilt over past failures and mistakes, I have some life experiences that I wish were different, I struggle sometimes to find intimacy with God, I often wish I had different gifts, but all of those things are what make me unique.
God wants to use my past, my present, my future to fulfill His purposes, but He can only do that if I get out of the way and let Him take over my boundary lines.
That spoke to me more deeply than anything else. Everything about me makes me who He created me to be. He knew all the days of my life before one of them came to be. He's not caught by surprise at my failings and weaknesses, He uses me in spite of them and sometimes because of them.
I've spent this week taking a closer look at my boundary lines and surrendering all that ground to Him. He's the only one that can make it into something beautiful.
Hey ya'll. Wanted to let you know about a podcast that Melanie and I did for women allaccess blog. We give a little inside scoop as to why and how we got this whole amazing thing started in the first place.
Also, I too had an incredible time at LPL San Antonio. Beth brought it as she always does: incredible biblical truth that set me on fire and I couldn't wait to tell someone about it when I got home. Fun times with Vicki Courtney, Melanie, Sophie and I - and all you other girls I met that night at dinner too. So great to meet you all. Nothing beats Mexican breakfast after a good dose of God's word!
I am not really a "women's conference" kind of person.
In fact, two years ago, I feel almost certain that I wouldn't have paid cash money to attend a women's event.
I find that pretty ironic considering that I have attended three different women's conferences in the last three months and still have more ahead of me.
But y'all know what? I've become a fan.
I think I was always held back by the thought of the crowds, the bathroom lines, and just the time commitment involved. Now I know I was missing out.
On Saturday in San Antonio, the event ended with 10,000 women singing "Shout to the Lord" acapella. I had tears rolling down my face because it was a glimpse of what heaven will sound like.
It was such a great experience to visit with women sitting all around me who were experiencing the same thing. All day today I've had friends ask me how this weekend was and I can't even describe it. There is just no way to put it into words.
And what a cliche to say "You had to be there."
But you did. You had to be there.
The core scripture that Beth taught from this weekend was Psalm 16: 5-6.
"The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot. The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, indeed. I have a beautiful inheritance."
We'll talk more about the specific points of the message as the week goes on, but as I sat in the Alamodome on Friday and Saturday, surrounded by all these amazing women, I couldn't help but praise Him for the beautiful boundary lines He's drawn over all of our lives and how, for two days, we were all connected.
I have so much to say about this past weekend. And I plan to say a whole bunch of it over the course of the next few days. But in short: WHAT A WEEKEND at Living Proof San Antonio.
Not to mention that that guy named Travis and his praise team? Can flat-out lead some worship.
Have mercy.
Sometimes I struggle when I try to put the crux of a particularly memorable message into words - because there's absolutely no way I can do it justice - but like Melanie said in her post (the one she wrote on the bathroom floor at 5:30 IN THE MORNING, WHEN THERE WAS STILL NO SUN), the main theme of the weekend was Inheritance. Beth gave us eight truths from Scripture that bear out the fact that we are heirs of God, and in doing that she showed us how inheritance always involves three elements:
1) Presence (Genesis 26:25, Joshua 1:9)
2) People (Genesis 12:3, Genesis 22:17-18, Deuteronomy 4:20, Psalm 16:3, Revelation 7:9)
3) Property (Numbers 26:52-56, Matthew 25:34 - and this has nothing to do with our earthly possessions, by the way)
So obviously we have a little bit of information to unpack over the next few days.
Mel and I thought it would be fun to do a Mr. Linky-type thing where y'all could share your summaries of the weekend, but I can't seem to get the code to work in this here bloggy template. I'm sure my lack of technical know-how is SHOCKING.
But here's what we can do: if you've written on your own blog about this past weekend in San Antonio, leave your link in the comments, and I'll add the links to this post throughout the day. That way we can click around and read each other's thoughts about what we learned in San Antonio - and hopefully it'll be a great way for us to encourage one another as we jump into Monday after such an incredible weekend.
And if you would, leave a link to your SPECIFIC POST - not just your general blog URL.
I am not even kidding that it is 5:46 a.m. on Saturday morning and I am sitting on the floor of the bathroom (with pillows and towels underneath me, of course) of the hotel writing a post.
Some might say I have a problem.
I'll partially blame it on the fact that I've had to take oral prednisone this week and I believe it has given me a touch of the insomnia, but really I think it's that my mind is so full of all the events of yesterday.
I was able to spend time with so many sweet friends that I've met through blogging. I can't believe I have friends that I met on the internet. Next thing you know I'll become a huge fan of science fiction.
We arrived at the Alamodome around 6:15 yesterday evening, found our seats, and waited for everything to start. There is just something about being at these events that blows my mind. To look around and see 10,000 other women praising God is an awesome thing.
I know Sophie and I will talk more about Beth's message over the next few days, but I'll tell y'all that the theme was INHERITANCE.
Inheritance, as in our inheritance in God and also the fact that WE are His inheritance.
That blows my mind.
And may be part of the reason that I'm sitting on a bathroom floor at 5:54 a.m. wide awake with a million thoughts running through my mind.
Sophie just woke up and came in here to make sure that I was okay. I can see how it would be troubling to realize your roommate has been in the bathroom for 45 minutes.
She may be more disturbed now that she knows I'm not terribly sick, I'm just on the computer.
Umm, yeah. I was having some technical difficulties posting yesterday. It seems that I was experiencing some sort of server error or some other such thing.
So, I went to bed with the best of intentions to check back in periodically to see if it would let me post. I checked back in at 9 a.m. with no luck and then I left my house for the day and didn't return home until after 6 p.m. at which time it seemed pointless to post.
This is why I need an iPhone. I should never be away from the internet for eight hours.
Anyway, my day yesterday was filled with a million errands, but the biggest moment was going to Meet the Teacher at Caroline's Kindergarten. I don't know if she was nervous, but I was. I felt like the new kid at school for the first time in many years. I've prayed so much about her new teacher and her new friends and I know it's going to be great, but it's a change. I'm not known for adapting well to change.
The rest of the day was spent picking up drycleaning, laundry, going to the pool. Basically trying to squeeze every last drop out of Summer.
And now, I'm ready for the Siesta Fiesta. I've been looking forward to this weekend for the last year and can't believe it's here. I'm picking Sophie up from the airport around noon and the fun will begin.
I can't tell you how excited I am to meet so many people in real life who I feel like I already know. The internet is amazing because it puts you in touch with people you would otherwise never meet, but then to actually get to meet them? It's the best.
Can't wait!
I just know we're going to have a great time. I know God is going to speak through Beth.
And I know we'll all head home blessed beyond measure.
We'll be checking in throughout the weekend with updates, so stay tuned!
I just thought I'd let y'all know that the event schedule for 2009 has been set, so you have plenty of time to plan ahead and see what events you can attend next year.
Also, don't forget that it's not to late to head out to Las Vegas on September 5-6 for Deeper Still. This will be your last chance to see Beth Moore, Kay Arthur and Priscilla Shirer for a whole year.
Here is the 2009 Going Beyond schedule. Remember Priscilla has a new baby on the way, so her speaking engagements are very limited. I just admire her for getting out there at all considering I spent the first year after Caroline was born watching "Regis and Kelly" while wearing my pajamas.
They haven't posted the dates for the 2009 You and Your Girl events with Vicki Courtney, but I'm sure they'll be up soon. We'll keep you posted.
Check your calendars, call your girlfriends and plan on having a great weekend if one of these events is near you.
Personally, I'd like to attend the Living Proof Live event on August 14-15, 2009 in Fargo, North Dakota. My reasons are threefold:
1. It's being held in a building called the Fargodome.
2. I've never been to North Dakota, although I have seen the movie "Fargo".
3. Fargo, North Dakota in August is bound to be cooler than August in San Antonio.
One week from today, many of you will be arriving in San Antonio for Living Proof Live. I originally wrote this post for the Siesta Fiesta blog, but thought I would post it here for any of you that didn't see it.
I'd love to have you all over to my house, grill some burgers, eat some chips and queso, and play some Pictionary or whatever. But, you know, I don't live in a house that really accommodates 200 + people. Or really more than 20 people for that matter.
So, it's probably a no-go on the whole backyard barbecue thing. However, I can suggest some restaurants and activities that might make your visit complete.
Best of all, I don't have to cook or clean up.
Let's talk food first. Everyone knows when a bunch of women get together we like to eat. It's just the civilized way to do things. And when you're in San Antonio, you have to eat Mexican food. It's the law.
Not really, but it should be.
One of my favorite Mexican restaurants in the world is Rosarios, which isn't on the Riverwalk but is not far from the Alamodome and all the downtown hotels. They have awesome guacamole and I wake up at night dreaming of their salsa. Seriously, it is so good.
Of course San Antonio is known for the Riverwalk so you'll probably cave to the pressure to eat on the river. And you won't be disappointed. In my opinion the best restaurants on the river are Boudros (a little pricey), Acenar (upscale Mexican food), Rio Rio (true Tex-Mex), and Paesanos (Italian food).
There are also several chain restaurants along the river, such as County Line BBQ, Salt Grass Steakhouse, and Landry's Seafood, if you'd rather play it safe with something you know.
If you're looking for convenience, there's a restaurant right across from the Alamodome called Aldaco's Mexican Restaurant. Just remember that 2500 other women may have the same idea.
Oh, and for a late night or breakfast option, Mi Tierra is awesome and open 24 hours a day.
And I think that pretty much sums up the restaurant situation.
Let's talk shopping.
If you have time to shop, then you have a few downtown options. Rivercenter Mall is located right on the River Walk and has just about every store you can imagine.
For a fun, unique San Antonio experience, I would head to Market Square. It's basically like being in Mexico but without anyone carrying around a whole pigs head in a clear plastic bag. (TRUE STORY!) El Mercado has restaurants, shops, and tons of local flavor.
And if you decide to venture outside of downtown, then I would suggest The Shops at La Cantera for some serious shopping or The Outlet Malls in San Marcos.
If shopping and eating aren't your thing then I don't know that we'll have much in common other than our love for hearing Beth Moore speak. However, I will offer up a few alternate activities.
It's always fun to take a Riverboat cruise down the Riverwalk. I think the only prerequisite is that you wear a camera around your neck. Not really, but you'll see a lot of that. It's a tourist thing, but it's so fun.
Also, little known fact, San Antonio is home to a little piece of history called The Alamo. And, in all honesty, if you haven't ever seen it then you're missing out. Of course if you're from Wisconsin it may not mean as much to you as it does to those of us that are proud Texans.
And don't judge it by that horrendous Alamo movie that came out a few years ago. The real story is better than that. Plus, you can buy a coonskin hat for your kids in the gift shop, just like Sam Houston did when he was there.
One other option is La Villita. It's located downtown and is a historical art village filled with shops and a few restaurants.
I'm assuming most of y'all will just be with girlfriends, but if you're turning it into a family vacation then I suggest a visit to SeaWorld, the San Antonio Zoo, Fiesta Texas or Schlitterbahn Water Park. You can't go wrong with any of them.
One last note, when parking at the Alamodome you should know that even the closest parking isn't that close. If you can take a shuttle from your hotel, you will definitely want to do that. And if you have to drive and park, then you will want to make sure you have on comfortable shoes.
The other thing is that when you're waiting to get in the Alamodome for seats, you will be outside in the heat with little to no shade. So dress cool and bring a sweater for inside because it does get cool in the dome. You may also want to bring some bottles of water to drink while you wait!
And, seriously, if you have any questions about San Antonio, leave them in the comments and I'll answer them in another post.
Except for maybe eating a pan of warm brownies, but that is another topic for another time.
Anyway, I've been trying to follow Melanie's lead and write a post that shares a little bit of my testimony, but when I was up to about 600 words and hadn't even hit my early 20s yet, I decided I'd better edit it. So that you can, you know, finish reading it by the end of the year.
By the way, I asked my husband to read my first draft, and he cautioned me that I might be oversharing just a smidge. So I'm trying to rewrite it without rambling so much. Because I'm guessing that you probably don't care about that time when I was so overwrought about not having a date for Homecoming that I DROVE HOME FROM COLLEGE in a not-at-all-overly-dramatic-fashion.
And do you know what happened when I got to my parents' house?
A guy called and asked me to Homecoming.
It was all eerily reminiscent of a John Hughes movie except that there was no one named Ducky or Blaine involved.
But anyhoo.
Here are the two things that I have communicated not-at-all quickly:
1) There are still tickets available for Living Proof Live in San Antonio on August 22-23. I actually couldn't believe it when I saw that you could still register - especially since I have missed a couple of Living Proof events because I couldn't find tickets.
But then Melanie reminded me that the Alamodome seats around 65,000 people, so it stands to reason that there's still room for a few more pairs of capri pants. We'd love to see you there.
2) If you are attending Living Proof in San Antonio and have also registered to attend the Siesta Fiesta gathering, Patty and Kim have some important information for you over on the Siesta Fiesta blog. I can't wait to hug those two and thank them in person for all the hard work they've done. Such servants' hearts.
Okay. I believe that's all.
And next time I'll try to do better with the whole "quick" thing.
A few of you left comments on Paige's post about the simulcast this weekend and, from what I can gather, it sounds like it was incredible.
I am so excited, and not at all jealous, that so many of you (70,000!) were able to experience such an awesome weekend through the marvel of modern technology.
Well, maybe 98% excited and 2% jealous.
Okay, let's just say I'm 50/50.
I'm just consoling myself by knowing that in just three short weeks, I'll be hearing Beth and Travis and the Praise Team live and in person in San Antonio.
But, for now, I want to live vicariously through you. If you were in Louisville or participated in the simulcast at a local church, tell us about it in the comments.
What did Beth talk about? What songs did Travis sing? How was the technology? Was it incredible to know that you were worshiping along with 70,000 other women around the world? How did Beth's hair look? Did she have on a darling outfit?
Prosper, TX? Manhattan, MT? Red Deer County, AB, Canada? Anyone, Anywhere?
Here we go is no joke! As Pam mentioned earlier this week, a God-sized event is upon us in LIfeWay Women's Events! It is very quiet up here on my floor of the building I work in here at LIfeWay. Too quiet for me, especially today! It is like the calm before the big God-storm.
We are praying for no real storms in hundreds of towns across the country (and the world) where 715 churches holding some 70,000+ attendees (no pressure Beth and Travis) will simultaneously, worship, hear the Word of God and probably giggle some together as the Living Proof Live Simulcast event, live from Louisville hits the airwaves!
Its kind of like air travel...I don't understand how planes fly...but I trust that they do and I get on there and go.
That's how i feel today. I don't know how it all works but we are going and going and going, everywhere from Ponca City, Oklahoma, to Mexico City, Mexico to Petal, Mississippi to Manahawkin, NJ and so many other cool places. There are some interesting names of these towns and churches.
Are you hosting in your church or are you going to the simulcast at a church? If so, tell us where you are and what you hope to hear from God this weekend!
Joshua 1:9 tells us 'He is with us whereEVER we go!' (emphasis mine). So where are you going tonight?
Thanks be to God for you and for technology! Where ever you are today, please pray for God to move mightily through His big event!
This, at the time of this writing, is actually a "live post" while I am listening to a nationwide conference call with Beth Moore, Travis Cottrell and participating simulcast churches across this nation.
This weekend, LifeWay Women is hosting one of the most amazing women's events of the year. It's called Living Proof Live with Beth Moore: The Simulcast. It will be broadcast LIVE from Louisville, KY into over 700 churches across our land, including four additional countries.
Right now, this very moment, we are gathered together by phone to update churches on last minute "nuts and bolts" about hosting the broadcast this weekend. BUT, most of all, we are gathered today to pray!! This is so amazing.
I truly am having a hard time describing how awesome this really is ... listening to simulcast church coordinators lifting up prayer needs related to the broadcast this weekend.
It's so awesome to hear Travis Cottrell say that while "we feel so inadequate" (I know I feel that way every day), God has called us for this very time to serve Him in this ministry through technology and this live broadcast coming up Friday and Saturday.
Travis just announced that he and the praise team will be leaving Nashville early Friday morning to drive to the simulcast church in Louisville. And, WOW! He is telling us as they drive north, they will call out loud the name of EVERY HOST CHURCH, lifting up in prayer those churches who have opened their doors in their communities for this event.
I have tears in my eyes at my desk here at LifeWay as I listen to close to 400 simulcast coordinators across this country attempting to all say "hello Beth" at one time as she joined our conference call today. I'm telling you, the Holy Spirit is already moving as we anticipate what God has in store for women on August 1 and 2.
Beth just shared she is still listening to the Lord about what He would have her to share this weekend. I love that! She told us today that we are part of something that we cannot do ... not without God. Only He could come up with this event and it is through Him that all of this will be accomplished.
These women have brought us so many concerns going on in their lives today. Yet God has given us technology like a satellite broadcast where He can "do His thing" in many places through a single event. Beth just talked with us about obedience and that we need to simply lift Him up ... then allow God to do what he does, drawing women unto Himself.
It won't be by what we do in our own strength, but we are asking God to just place us where He needs us to be to reach out to make the name of Jesus famous.
Ladies, there are SO many involved in this one event - literally hundreds and hundreds of people serving to pour into women who will come from the four corners of this country and beyond.
Beth prayed and shared, then bowing down before our Lord saying "this broadcast is Yours ... It's Your Kingdom. And we will not be concerned or worried about all the technicalities of this broadcast. We just won't get distracted by the technicalities. We are now focused on Jesus doing His thing."
LifeWay Women's Events Director Paige Greene said it all today when she said "This is a God-sized event".
Today, we the LifeWay team, truly realized we can no longer manage this event. Beth was so right when she asked God to take over and anoint August 1 & 2 and all the churches participating.
And guess what? It is not too late for YOU to participate. You may locate a church here, and simply register at the door at a church near you!
Grab up a friend or relative or two and celebrate what God has for you in this life!
Again, we'll all do what needs to be done to get ready for Living Proof Live: The Simulcast. But it is not about us, is it? It is ALL about our Lord Jesus.
Let us know if you decided today to join us! We'd love to hear from you!
And if you cannot attend, we would ask that you'd commmit to praying for God's mighty movement this weekend! I cannot wait to hear the testimonies come Monday ... can you?!!
And since I tend to err on the side of obsessively relational, I thought that meeting bloggy friends in person sounded like more fun than a bucket of fried chicken. I talked to my husband, decided to make the trip, and then I hopped on the computer (OH, NOT LITERALLY, SILLY) and bought me a Living Proof ticket, oh yes I did.
Even though I live in Alabama. And the event is, you know, in Texas.
At the time I had no idea how I was going to get to San Antonio or where I was going to stay, but I knew that I wanted to be there. And in the months since I bought that ticket, God has provided some mighty unexpected solutions to all those pesky travel details. Now I have a plane ticket, a hotel room, and a tour guide extraordinaire in the form of my sweet friend Melanie. I cannot WAIT.
Because, you see, I picture San Antonio as a magical place where complimentary tortilla chips are available on every street corner and a never-ending stream of queso dip flows from the city's fountains.
I also imagine that the salsa there is so good that it will make me weep - and not just because of some potent habanero peppers, mind you.
All that to say: I really want to encourage you to join us in San Antonio if you can. Tickets are still available, and I can promise you that after God moves through Travis' praise and worship and Beth's teaching, your heart will be nineteen kinds of full when the event is over Saturday afternoon.
Odds are that your belly will be full, too - but for entirely different reasons (see: aforementioned tortilla chips and fountains-o-queso).
So if you're planning to be in San Antonio for LPL, will you let us know in the comments? Melanie and I would love to meet you and hug your neck in person.
That is all.
Except that I'm totally craving some Mexican food now.
So when we were in Atlanta for Deeper Still, Melanie and I got to meet a really sweet woman named Emmy. Emmy is a friend of our friend JMom, and if you're starting to feel like you're entangled in some sort of Southern web-o-friendship, well, guess what, you are.
In fact, I realized long ago that there's no such thing as six degrees of separation in the South. It's more like three degrees. Two if the people are from your homestate.
And if you're from Mississippi like I am, you can pretty much assume that anyone who's also from Mississippi is, at the very least, a cousin.
But I digress. Imagine that.
Anyway, Emmy emailed to say that she has two tickets for Beth Moore'sLiving Proof Live in Louisville, KY on August 1-2 that she'd like to give away. LPL Louisville is sold out, and it's an extra special event because it's being simulcast all across the nation.
So if you know for sure that you can be in Louisville the first weekend in August - and you know for sure that you can use both of these tickets - please leave a comment and let us know. If there's more than one person who wants the tickets, we'll close comments at 10PM central tomorrow (Saturday) night and select the recipient randomly.
Okay, so clearly we enjoyed Deeper Still immensely. I believe that is evident from almost two weeks worth of writing on every aspect of it.
Anyway, I thought today I'd share the other LifeWay Events that are going on around the country through September. If there is one near you (or even a road trip or an airline flight away) I'd encourage you to go.
You will not be disappointed.
Well, unless you get there and thought you had purchased tickets for the Journey Reunion Tour. Beth Moore is awesome but as far as I know she can't sing "Don't Stop Believin'" like Journey can.
Although she might. Maybe she'll try it at one of the upcoming events.
They were going to send Sophie and me to this event, but were afraid they'd have to send us with interpreters so that the Minnesota natives could understand our Southern accents. It just wasn't cost effective.
Plus, do y'all know how hard it is to find a translator that speaks good Southern? Harder than tryin' to find a rabbit in a pear patch.
This is a really cool training event for women who are either involved in women's ministry at their church or who would just like to be.
It's going to be at Oak Hills Church in San Antonio before the Living Proof Live event and Travis Cottrell and Kelly Minter are going to be leading worship while Margaret Kennedy is the special guest speaker.
If you have a daughter then you don't want to miss this event. Vicki has so much wisdom to share when it comes to protecting our girls from all the things that are out to steal who God intended them to be.
And that's the schedule between now and the end of September.
Are you planning on going to any of these events? Holla back in the comments if you are, I'd love to know.
Last night I went to dinner with about ten other bloggers. We all live in the same town, and we decided a couple of months ago - after reading each other's blogs for awhile - that it might be fun to get together and hang out in person. Face-to-face. Without computer monitors in between us.
And do you know what? We had the best time. I so enjoyed getting to meet everybody live and in person, and I feel like I have a new little community-o-bloggy-buddies right here where I live. I hope so much that we'll get together again. I have a feeling that we will.
Now for the record, I would just like to state that if you had told me in the early- to mid-nineties that I would be making friends on the computer, I would have told you to put down the science fiction novels and get out in the real world with those of us who were engaging in deeply meaningful activities like watching "The Arsenio Hall Show" and talking on our bag phones.
But the fact of the matter is that over the last two and a half years I've met some amazing women through blogging. Melanie and I laugh all the time that we met ON THE INTERNET, and yet she is now such a huge part of my life that it feels like we've known each other forever. I don't know what I'd do without her.
And that reminds me.
When Mel and I were at Deeper Still a couple of weeks ago I noticed a group of women sitting to our left. They wore matching brown t-shirts, and I just assumed that they were from the same church group or Bible study. But a few days ago someone sent me a link to this post, and I read the story of the girls in the brown t-shirts. Then I cried like a baby.
(Go ahead and click on that link. Really. It's a must-read. I'll wait right here for you. No rush.)
There's no question that the internet has its issues. OH MERCY does it have its issues. But one of the most amazing benefits it offers - at least in my opinion - is the opportunity to fellowship with other women, to engage in community with people who are walking the same road - whether that road is lined with demanding careers, tight budgets, three children under the age of five or hurts so deeply profound that you're not even sure if you can get out of the bed most mornings.
I think what touches me the most about the story of the women in the brown shirts is just the simple fact that they found each other. It would have been practically impossible for those women to connect even ten years ago, but thanks to the internet, they found each other.
And as a result of finding each other, they've prayed with each other. Ministered to each other. Worshipped with each other.
The interweb is a marvel, y'all.
So what about you? Have you met any "blogging buddies" in real life? Have you found any unexpected friendships along the way?
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Thanks to Beth Moore and an afternoon at Deeper Still, this verse is forever committed to my memory. It was the basis for her entire talk and, by the time it was all over, she had the entire arena reciting the verse complete with hand motions.
And can I just say for the record that I actually did the hand motions? I even got so enthusiastic that I knocked over my water bottle and spilled it all over my purse.
This is very uncharacteristic of me.
In fact, in my former life as a pharmaceutical sales rep, I would attend these large meetings where the CEO would try to fire us all up to go out and sell some allergy medicine. They would invariably close the meeting by having us all stand up to do some sort of cheer or something.
And there I would sit, pushing back my cuticles. While yawning and wishing for a hole to open up beneath my chair and swallow me whole.
So, the fact that I was standing up, yelling "THE WORD" is a real testament to the awesomeness of Deeper Still, Beth Moore, and especially God.
Beth divided up John 1:14 into seven phrases, so I'll break it down.
Not literally "break it down" because, there again, that would be completely out of character for me.
Phrase 1 - The WORD
Christ is the Word.
Beth shared Amos 8:11 which talks about a famine across the land of hearing the words of the Lord. (By the way, I have never heard the book of Amos quoted as much as it was that weekend. Note to self: do not underestimate book of Amos.)
She talked about the importance of getting a fresh word from God. We need to know what Jesus is doing today. Between the Old Testament and the New Testament, the Pharisees quit looking for a Messiah and comforted themselves with legalism.
We don't want to get legalistic and miss out on the love of Christ, but we have to want to be delivered from our legalism. Like the Pharisees, we sometimes find comfort in it.
Psalm 40:8 says, "I delight to do the will of God." Only God can change our desires because, no matter how hard we try to change, we can't sustain it without him.
This really challenged me to ask God to show me the desires of my heart that don't line up with his plan and will. I don't want to get so consumed by what I think I want that I miss what he has for me.
2. Phrase 2 - became flesh
This is the basis of our entire belief as Christians. Beth cited I John 4: 1-3, "Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God."
3. Phrase 3 - and made his dwelling among us
Jesus Christ descended from heaven to dwell among us. Beth taught us that the other word for dwelling is "skenoo" which means tabernacle. Revelations 21: 22 says, "I did not see a temple in the city because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple."
I'm sorry, but it doesn't get more awesome than that.
4. Phrase 4 - we have seen his glory
The Israelites saw his glory in the wilderness.
This totally goes back to Priscilla's message about God using the wilderness to show his glory. It's in the midst of the wilderness that he shows us the heart of who he is.
Beth said something that I just love, although this isn't a direct quote because I can only write so fast. She said that when we're in the wilderness, we often don't realize he's been carrying us until we're on the other side. Moses didn't see the face of God, he saw his back. We don't see God coming, we see him walk away after he's carried us through.
Love that.
One of the verses she used was Isaiah 60: 1-2 where it talks about God's glory appearing on us. We are the tabernacle of his presence. If the glory is going to rise on this generation, we are it.
Phrase 5 - the glory of the One and Only
Jesus is the one and only. We are called to love him with all our heart, soul and mind. He is the only thing that won't let us down.
Amen, sister.
Phrase 6 - who came from the Father
John 1: 18 says, "No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father's side, has made him known."
The Greek word for "has made him known" is exegesis. Jesus is the exegesis of the Father.
If you want to know God, get to know Jesus, the One and Only.
Phrase 7 - full of grace and truth
Jesus is the embodiment of grace and truth. Beth encouraged us by saying that every time God confronts us with a hard truth, he is going to give us the grace to know what to do with it.
He will never run out of grace.
I, for one, am eternally grateful for that fact because I have used more than my fair share of grace.
And am more than certain that I will continue to need a heaping portion of grace as I find my way through this life.
Beth talked about what it means to be full and Jesus' first miracle of turning water into wine at the wedding in Cana. Our lives are like the jars of water that Jesus turned to wine.
We are either empty.
Or filled with water.
Or filled with wine.
Our jars are empty when we feel like we have nothing left. Our eyes are not on him and so we have nothing to fill us up.
Our jars are filled with water when we are just full. Full of the responsibilities and things of life that come our way.
Our jars are truly filled with wine when we are under the influencing power of the Holy Spirit to be different than we otherwise would be. Full of grace and truth.
And here's a great quote from Beth, "Every single time God gives you a hard truth, He gives you the grace to know what to do with it."
It made me really think about what is filling me up. Am I letting God fill those places in my heart or am I trying to do things by myself?
Honestly, it's a day-to-day struggle, but I long to be filled with his grace and truth. My prayer lately has been John 3:30 "He must become greater; I must become less."
In the week since Deeper Still I've read over my notes four or five times, and there are two sentences from Priscilla Shirer's message that keep jumping off the page at me:
"The wilderness is about something. It's about something."
And every time I read her words, I "amen" just a little bit. Because I know that they're true.
Like so many of us, I am no stranger to the wilderness. My early 20s and my early 30s both provided some significant treks through unchartered emotional and spiritual territory. And while the circumstances surrounding both of those "wilderness adventures" were completely different, the uncertainty was more or less the same. I couldn't for the life of me imagine why God would lead me on a path that was filled with so much sadness, so much grief, so much sifting, for crying out loud.
And in both instances, I just wanted that season of my life to be done. I wanted it to be over, already. I wanted, with everything in me, to push through the pain, figure out the lesson and move on.
During her message last Friday night, Priscilla pointed out that in Exodus 19:2, as they made their way through their own wilderness, the Israelites camped in front of the mountain. She said that camping was always a temporary protective measure, but if you look deeper into the meaning of the word "camp," you find out that it also means to bend down.
As Priscilla spoke I thought about all the times I've tried to fight the wilderness - when I've tried to run through it or from it in my own strength. Instead of bending down, I bowed up. And Priscilla reminded us that it's a good thing to camp in the wilderness. It's a good thing to dwell in it; rest in it; trust in Him; humble yourself.
Don't miss the wilderness, she said.
God calls you to a new level of surrender in the wilderness. He calls you to a new level of knowing HIm. A new level of trusting Him.
"The wilderness is about something. It's about something."
And I don't know about you, but I want to remember that. I need to remember that.
Okay, so at some point next week one of us is going to sum up Beth's message from Deeper Still, but today I feel it is imperative to share ten things I learned at Deeper Still that may or may not have any kind of spiritual correlation.
1. The hem on Beth Moore's pants Friday night was pure perfection. Perfect length, perfect stitch. It fell just right. Sophie and I marveled over it.
I will aspire to such hem greatness next time I take some jeans into the tailor.
Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of the hem. Mainly because I was afraid if I started snapping pictures of Beth Moore's hem I might find myself escorted out of the arena.
2. I was so glad to learn that I am not the only one who sometimes tells stories that make my husband cringe. When Priscilla confessed to digging pancakes out of the trash because she was a hungry pregnant woman, I just admired her that much more.
3. Travis Cottrell enjoys wearing a vest even when he has to admit he was dressed like the Philips Arena staff.
4. He also has a gorgeous wife who is one of the sweetest people I've ever met, not to mention her fabulous taste in jeans.
5. Beth and Priscilla can rap. Who knew?
6. If you throw yourself on the mercy of really nice people, they will bring you delicious chicken salad sandwiches for lunch along with a dessert that I'm still thinking about five days later.
7. Watching Kay Arthur break it down to "Shackles" can create some issues if you haven't used the bathroom in six hours.
8. Beth Moore knows how to use some hair product. I will be forever grateful for her demonstration of the proper way to use root-lift, not to mention the fact that she knows all about the "critical hair moment".
Also, I felt like it was God's favor that Beth and I both wore our hair up in a twist configuration on Saturday. Granted, hers looked much better than mine, but still I felt that we were one in the spirit of good hair.
9. The sound of 19,000 women worshipping is an awesome sound. A small glimpse of heaven here on earth.
10. The women there not only heard from God, but had an incredible time with their girlfriends. There was a lot of laughing. A lot of crying. A lot of dancing. A LOT OF FUN.
Can't wait for the next one.
If you love this last picture as much as I do, then you may be glad to know you can go here , enter the code Deeperstill (all one word) and order a copy for yourself. It (along with every good photo that's on this post) was taken by Rich, the awesome LifeWay photographer.
I'm going to be totally up-front with y'all: summarizing one of Kay Arthur's messages is DAUNTING. I don't know if you've ever heard her teach before, but wisdom just pours out of her, and it's a little intimidating to write a recap of a lesson given by a Bible scholar of her caliber.
So hang with me, bloggy peoples. I'm gonna do the very best I can.
Ahem.
There's no question that Kay had a difficult word for the women at Deeper Still. It was evident from the moment she stepped on the platform that her heart was burdened by the weight of her message. And while it's rare to sit with over 19,000 people in an environment so hushed that you could hear a pin drop, that's exactly the tone Kay set from the get-go.
So we listened.
Kay started her session with a very pointed question: Do you know Truth? She went on to say that she is so concerned about the state of our nation and the state of our churches that it makes her ill. And she used several passages from the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36, Jeremiah 6:27 and Jeremiah 9:1-6) to illustrate that while it's not God's desire to bring judgment or calamity to His people, it's the necessity of his character to bring these things when we do not obey.
Citing Isaiah 59:14-15, Kay made the assertion that we live in a culture where Truth is lacking: "So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey."
Kay said that God wants us to go forth and speak the Word of God to one degree or another, but many people can't do that because they don't know God's Word. She said that the people of God have gone far away from the Word of God, and as a result of that church has become an infirmary, a place people stop by when they're not feeling so well, instead of a boot camp, a place that equips people to go into the world and make disciples of all nations for the glory of God.
Kay also remarked that it grieves her that many churches don't teach the Old Testament, and therefore people just don't understand the full character of God. Some churches seem to be more concerned about people's comfort instead of their holiness, and the consequence of that is that people are going into captivity - just like Isaiah 5:13 - because they don't have knowledge.
In Ezekiel 22 God tells the Israelites that they have been defiled by their idols. In Jeremiah 6:10 God says, "To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear. The word of the LORD is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it." And Kay made the point that our current culture is much the same as what we see in these two passages; people have turned from Truth in order to preserve their comfort, and they are trusting in deceptive words to no avail (see Jeremiah 7:1-11).
So with the necessity of knowing Truth established, Kay posed her next question: what are you going to do?
She gave seven answers:
1) Break up the fallow ground (Jeremiah 4:3). Ask God to break our hearts with the things that break His heart.
2) Mourn (Jeremiah 9:17-18). We should be brokenhearted over the state of our churches and the state of our nation.
3) Pray (1 Timothy 2). We need to intercede for our leaders in our churches and our government.
4) Love God's Word. Know the whole consult of God.
5) Love others as Jesus loved them (John 13). The body of Christ should be a refuge for hurting people; it's not our place to judge other people's struggles.
6) Introduce people to Jesus Christ (Jeremiah 31, Jeremiah 33: 1-9, 15, 17). If a nation is repentant, God will bring it to health and healing.
7) Rest. Rest in faith. Rest in knowing that He is with us.
I'd love to hear your thoughts on what Kay said. And I know it's tempting to climb on our soapboxes when we're talking about a topic like this one, but I also think it would be great if we let #5 in the list above guide our conversation. Kay set a very high standard in that regard when she was teaching at Deeper Still, and I think we'd do well to imitate her.
Many of y'all have asked if any of the Deeper Still material is available on CD and, honestly, I don't know the answer to that but I will not rest until I find out.
Actually, that's not really true because I'm writing this at 9:30 p.m. and I'm pretty sure I will sleep before I get an answer.
The other thing I wanted to let y'all know is that if you'd love to hear Beth Moore, your church can host a Living Proof Live Simulcast on August 1-2. It will be broadcast live from Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky and would be an awesome opportunity to hear Beth speak if you can't make it to an event in person this year. You can find out more details by clicking here.
Sophie and I are going to spend the next few days doing kind of a recap of some of the things Priscilla, Kay and Beth talked about this past weekend. Please realize this will in no way be the same as being there, but you might find some piece of wisdom or encouragement.
Also, please remember that I do not write at the speed of light so it is conceivable that I missed something. Or a lot of things.
Priscilla spoke on Friday night about seeing God in the midst of the wilderness using Exodus 19:9. She said that when God wants to lead you into a divine invitation, He'll often lead us into the wilderness. It is in the wilderness where intimacy is ignited.
She talked about how it was God's choice to lead the children of Israel through the wilderness. There was an easier way, but He took them a different path to allow them to see His provision. Mount Sinai was the furthest possible place away from external blessing, but it was at this place that they received the biggest internal blessing. Sometimes it takes hard times and difficult circumstances to make us really see who God is and His power.
Priscilla used an example that has stuck with me over the last few days. She compared having God's spirit poured out on you to being caught in a rainstorm. It can be uncomfortable, inconvenient, and make us want to run back to where we came from. Sometimes the hand of God doesn't look the way we expect it to.
I have spent much of the last two years feeling like I'm in the wilderness, often wandering aimlessly and wondering if God has a plan or a purpose. It has been hard and at times I have felt like I can't take anymore, but God has been faithful to sustain me. And, honestly, I have grown more in my faith than at any other period of my life. It's made me seek Him more because I've realized I'm not in control and I don't have the answers.
As Priscilla said, it's being able to say God I trust you. I'm not going to fight this season of life, but settle in and trust you.
There are three things we need to do to prepare to see God.
1. He calls us to remember what He has already done for us. Where you were and what He has delivered you from. We will be thankful when we remember where we've been.
Honestly, my list is too long. She also made a reference to digging through the garbage and, have mercy, I was a professional garbage digger for many a year.
2. Recognize your spiritual identity. God is the only one who can label us. He gives us our identity. Knowing who you are is dependent on really knowing who He is.
3. New levels of surrender. Holiness is important to God. Find an area you don't want to surrender and SURRENDER IT.
Have I ever mentioned I'm a bit of a control freak? The surrender is hard because of my need to control. The irony is that I can't control anything anyway and all I do is exhaust myself with all the trying.
As Priscilla said, the Holy Spirit empowers you to submit to surrender.
Girl, I need some empowering.
When the children of Israel reached this point, God descended on Mount Sinai in the form of a mighty cloud filled with thunder and lightning. Ultimately, they let their fear hold them back and they kept their distance from the mountain. They were afraid to get the word of God for themselves.
So, Priscilla's question was "What is holding you back?"
It challenged me to take a hard look at the things I let hold me back. Things like fear and uncertainty. But I'm working on the surrender because I don't want to miss out on what God has by holding on to what I think I need or want.
I want Him to pour out His spirit on me. Even if it's uncomfortable at times. Even if there are days I can't see through the storm.
There's no question that Deeper Still was absolutely saturated with Truth. All three ladies - Priscilla, Kay and Beth - did an incredible job teaching straight from God's Word, and we're going to be talking a lot on the blog this week about what God said through them to the over 19,000 people in attendance.
But as is always the case when a bunch of women get together, there were lots of laughs this weekend, too. And there was one particular moment - at the end of the conference when Travis and the praise team were leading us in "Shackles" - that was probably my favorite.
It's also probably the only time in my life when the phrase, "Break it down, Kay Arthur. BREAK IT DOWN!" has passed through my mind.
It was hysterical.
Who knows? Next year we may have Deeper Still: The Musical.
I'm going to be honest and let y'all know that I pretty much haven't stopped crying for the last 36 hours.
Deeper Still was so far beyond anything I could have expected or imagined. I could write for the next ten years and wouldn't be able to capture the experience.
In fact, as I sit here and try to figure out what to say I can feel the tears coming again.
Have you ever had one of those moments where you thought you knew what to expect and then you get there and realize you really had no idea what you were getting into?
Like maybe marriage? Or motherhood?
This was kind of like that, but different.
From the moment the music started on Friday night, I was so overwhelmed by the presence of God. I cannot begin to describe it.
In my mind I had thought I'd write some stuff about Beth's cute pink jacket, Priscilla's beautiful hair, and Kay's ability to make 74 years old look stunning. And all that stuff is true.
Just look at them.
And I will need to discuss it at some point.
But more than that, I heard three incredible ladies BRING IT like I have never in my life experienced.
I watched the LifeWay staff juggle an overwhelming amount of details that left me in complete awe of their organizational abilities, especially considering it's a good day for me if I remember to buy milk at the grocery store.
I heard Travis and the Praise Team hit notes that I will not be able to hit even in heaven.
And I felt the presence of God descend on Philips Arena in a way I will never be able to describe.
It was awesome. It was powerful. It rocked me to my bones.
It made me wish I could buy all of you a plane ticket to Deeper Still Las Vegas so that you could experience it for yourselves.
We'll be posting more pictures and sharing more throughout the week.
For now, I need to take a nap for maybe twenty minutes or three hours.
I'd love to hear from you if you were there. What was your favorite part?
Before tonight, I had never attended a Deeper Still Event.
Let's just say that I am a fan.
In fact, it was totally worth getting up at 4 a.m., packing only a carry-on and waiting in the longest airport security lines EVER.
I'd do it all over again. Even the 4 a.m. part.
Priscilla Shirer brought a WORD tonight about when God calls you into the wilderness. And I can't really get into more than that tonight or I will start to cry all over again.
But rest assured I took about six or eighteen pages of notes and will write a full re-cap next week. It was incredible.
In the meantime, here are some pictures.
This is the sea of women waiting to get into Philips Arena.
That is a lot of women.
Travis brought the house down during worship and not just because he was wearing a really cool vest.
I think y'all know who these ladies are.
We'll be back with more tomorrow, but I have now been up close to 24 hours.
We just walked over to the Philips Arena to see what was going on, and we immediately noticed a bunch of women sitting outside the entrance.
I thought maybe a church group was meeting to go eat an early supper or something, but then I realized HOLD ON - THEY'RE WAITING FOR THE DOORS TO OPEN.
Four hours before Deeper Still starts - and there were at least 100 women waiting for the doors to open.
I seriously hope they get the seats of their dreams. Because that is some dedication.
This is (L to R) Nancy, Cindy, Kim, Kendra, Karen and Sandy.
Sandy has been waiting since noon, so obviously she is committed. She's also from Louisiana, and if I could take her a big ole platter of boiled crawfish, corn and potatoes right now, I totally would.
I think it's important to support people with well-defined seating goals, don't you?
All of these women are so excited, and it's really heartwarming to see how they are talking and getting to know each other as they wait patiently for the doors to open. There is already an incredible sense of community here this weekend.
Melanie and I are sitting in our hotel room in Atlanta, gearing up for A FRESH WORD tonight at Deeper Still. I'm actually a little bit incredulous as I look around our room, because Mel and I both managed to get all of our clothes for the weekend in a small carry-on bag.
Let me repeat that: WE MADE IT HERE WITH ONLY ONE BAG A PIECE.
It's a summertime miracle!
Anyway, we'll be posting when we can (just not during the teaching, oh have mercy no). We're really hoping to be able to post some pictures of different groups here this weekend - church groups, Bible study groups, family groups, etc.
Because while there's no doubt that the music and message will be phenomenal this weekend, the community among women will be phenomenal, too. And we'd love to spotlight that as much as we can.
Hope you're having a great Friday...we'll be back in a bit, interpeeps!
Wow. So we are passionate about the modesty issue.
In fact, I have totally re-thought my decision to wear a tube top to Deeper Still this weekend.
Oh I'm kidding. I would never wear a tube top to Deeper Still in Atlanta. I'm saving it for Deeper Still Las Vegas.
In all seriousness, the modesty issue hits a nerve because we all have such strong feelings about it. But, like everything else women struggle with, it's ultimately a heart issue.
Women are inundated with a culture that tells them they need to be alluring and appealing to the opposite sex. And for women who don't know what it is to find your worth and value in Jesus Christ, it is easy to buy into that message.
Instead of sitting back and judging someone by their wardrobe we need to love them where they are, show them the One they can find their value in, and let Him change their heart.
We'll talk more about modesty issues next week.
But for now, let's talk about the challenge I am currently facing.
Can I manage to bring just a carry-on bag to Deeper Still Atlanta?
Oh sure. You might be asking what the big deal is, but then clearly you have never met me. I am not a strong decision maker. I like options.
However, I will be in Atlanta for approximately 36 hours. There is no need for superfluous luggage.
Also, my flight leaves at 6:30 a.m.
Process that. SIX THIRTY A.M.
Which means I will need to set my alarm for 4:30 a.m.
I can't think about it or I will start to cry.
In fact, my biggest fear is that I will make it to the hotel, fall asleep on a couch in the lobby because my room won't be ready, and be awakened by the entire LifeWay staff as they arrive and see me passed out asleep on the couch.
With no makeup on.
Because I'm not applying makeup at 4:30 in the morning.
But in spite of the early flight and the carry-on luggage, I am so excited about this weekend. Sophie and I will be checking in as often as we can with a random array of Deeper Still updates.
I got home from the She Speaks Conference yesterday around 12:30 p.m.
It would have been sooner but apparently the flight crew was having some issues with the airplane plumbing. Something about potable water and not wanting the plane to become filled with any stank nasty during our flight.
The flight attendant didn't actually use the term stank nasty, but I feel certain she was thinking it.
The conference was awesome and I was especially moved by the fact that when Lysa Terkeurst of Proverbs 31 Ministries began her talk on Friday night that she spoke about David and the importance of tending your sheep.
I believe in some circles it would be referred to as GETTING A WORD.
Any time God is trying to tell me something He tends to get repetitive.
So, after an awesome weekend this past weekend, I'm so excited about heading out to Deeper Still in Atlanta this weekend.
Because something tells me that God is going to use Beth, Kay and Priscilla to give a lot of women A WORD.
Do you see how I just call them Beth, Kay and Priscilla like we're all going to be hanging out in our jammies eating Funyuns and M&M's on Friday night?
Other than the fact we've never met, we are very tight.
In all seriousness, I can't wait to see what God is going to do. I know He has planned this weekend from the beginning of time and has some incredible things in store.
My prayer this week is that He will speak to the Deeper Still team in a profound way, that He will help everyone arrive safely in Atlanta and that He will rock our worlds in ways we can't even imagine.
If any of y'all happen to have any tickets that you aren't going to use, I know a few women who may be interested. Just let me know in the comments.
And if you're thinking you'd love the chance to go to Deeper Still but can't be in Atlanta, you've got one more chance this year.
On Friday, June 20th @ 10:10 am Central Time, Priscilla will be interviewed by Debbie Alan on internet radio. You can listen LIVE by going to http://www.OnTheHomeStretch.com. If you miss the live interview, you can still listen to the archive by going to the website above.
LifeWay had the opportunity to partner with Onthehomestretch radio the last few months by sponsoring Brenda Jefferies as she took the Health Quest challenge. Click http://web.mac.com/thehealthquest/iWeb/Site/Brenda.html to find out what this is and to follow her journey. She finished and did great! Here we are at the end of the challenge with Debbie Alan for the live radio show at D1 Sports center in Cool Springs.
I have probably said that 100 times since attending the preview screening at SBC a couple of nights ago.
Here are a few of my thoughts. It's not what I would call a "review", but just what was top of mind for me after walking out of the theatre Tuesday night.
I truly don't want to take away one thing from the opportunity you have to see the movie when it comes out. But consider this the beginning of me becoming a promotional mouthpiece for the flick.
Within the first 5 minutes, I heard sniffling and russle through handbags for tissues. I knew early on that I was going to be moved to the core. (And it wasn't just the ladies sporting streaming tears, by the way.)
And wow, there were some moments that just blew me away. I'm talking edge-of-my-seat type scenes. Kudos to the production people for keeping us engaged with some "near Hollywood" levels of intensity.
Weaved within the entire movie, some humorous interaction between the characters that truly made us laugh out loud. So, kudos for some clever scriptwriting! And to the "regular people" from Sherwood Baptist as actors who pulled it off!
And something else about the acting: I think having Kirk Cameron in the lead role brought a new level of professionalism to the screen that had a positive affect on those who joined him on the set. This time around (since Facing the Giants) I discerned a "rising to the occasion" by the church members. Of course, I don't discount for a second what God does with "regular people"!! He has a knack for doing that type of thing, doesn't He!
"Welcome to the new normal" was a key quote - so look for that one from lead actor Kirk Cameron.
Bottom line: One of the best presentations on reviving and protecting the marriage relationship that I've ever seen. The vision from Sherwood was dead on and I believe God will use this film to meet people where they are in a troubled marriage! And even if a marriage is not in trouble, this film will remind us all where we shoulld strive to be in our journey.
I would also suggest this as "required viewing" for any single person with hope of marriage in his/her future. Wouldn't it make sense to learn about "fireproofing" a marriage BEFORE it begins?
There will be other "screening opportunities" for this film in advance of the September 26 theatre release. If I hear of exact dates and locations, I'll toss them out here so you'll know about them.
Comment us if you know of a screening in your area and we'll make sure we help spread the word.
Melanie
Melanie
Sophie
Sophie
Pam
Pam
Paige
Paige
Kris
Kris