This is good.

And don't forget: Beth will be at Living Proof Live in Tucson on March 26-27 - it's just around the corner!

REALLY, I'M FINE. I PROMISE.

And my basketball-related angst is not the point of this post. There's far more important business at hand.

On March 27th Vicki Courtney's You and Your Girl event will be at Longview Heights Baptist Church in Olive Branch, Mississippi. Vicki tackles many of our most common parenting challenges head-on, and if you've ever heard her speak, you know that she has wisdom for days. You and Your Girl also offers break-out sessions for the girls in attendance, so it's a wonderful way for mamas and daughters to spend the day together and gain some practical, Biblically-based insight for whatever issues different age groups might be facing.

And do you know what else I love about Vicki? Besides the fact that she's a great teacher and all?

She's an avid college sports fan, so she won't mind that I've written about her event and also somehow managed to work in a little bit of a rant about a basketball tournament.

In other words, she understands my particular brand of crazy.

Anyway, remember: You and Your Girl. March 27th. Olive Branch, Mississippi.

Don't miss it!

I thought about it then and I'm thinking about it now; what's true about Babbie is true about Jesus! "When Jesus is here, everything's alright!"

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God--that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:30 (New International Version)

For some reason, we are blinded to getting what this verse really means. We read the scriptures and we repeat them as part of our religious vocabulary, but we often fail to lay hold of their practical worth for daily living.

Being "in Jesus Christ" is of tremendous practical value! We don't have to try to stock up on peace, joy, kindness, and gentleness. If Jesus Christ lives inside of us, we are already filled with that awesome fruit - and can at any moment, display it all for the glory of our Lord. We don't have to try to conjure up a little more patience and goodness. There's a fresh supply readily available living within!

Wow - pressure's off! I must simply take by faith, the possession that is already stored up for me in the righteousness of Christ. That's what I'm talkin' about! Right now, I'm reaching out with the hand of faith and grasping what's already mine. And for the rest of today, those around me are going to see a little more of Jesus exuding from this li'l frazzled female!

Oh and btw, if you'd like to experience a little GOSPEL and FRAZZLED, join Babbie and me as we team up in Carollton, Georgia March 25. www.wowwomensministry.org Who will meet us there?

So, what I would love to know today is if there is a Living Proof Live moment that stands out in your memory? It can be anything from a sweet time with the friends that were there with you to something that Beth said that rocked your world. Or maybe it's a song that Travis and the Praise Team sang.

Or maybe it was that time when you ate a delicious plate of barbecued shrimp at that Cajun restaurant in New Orleans. Wait, that might just be me.

And now I'm wondering what kind of food they have in Canada. I'm sure if Sophie and I were going to be there we would manage to locate the only Mexican food restaurant in a 1,000 mile radius and then act surprised that the food wasn't that good.

So now I have two questions: 1. What is your favorite LPL memory? and 2. What is the regional fare of Canada?

Thank you in advance for helping me out.

So my friend and I talked about the baby for a second, and then I said, "Ooooh! I know! Maybe I can be the event photographer!" And we both got very tickled because, well, just look at some samples of the stunning photography I've done at previous events.

Just look at the composition of each frame...the sharpness of each image...really, they take your breath away, don't they? In a help-me-I-can't-breathe-so-well-MY-EYES-MY-EYES sort of way?

Yeah. I know.

Something tells me that there's really no need to start packing my bags for Toronto.

I guess I'll just stay home this weekend and hone my craft.

I'm nipping at your photographic heels, Rich.

I'm nipping at your heels.

Perhaps I digress.

Anyway, if there is any lingering doubt that spring is on the way, this weekend will cast all of it aside - because the very first Living Proof Life of 2010 will be held in Toronto.

Canada, you have no idea how much I envy you right now.

I mean, first you get to claim Candice Olson as your very own. Then you won all of those gold medals in the Olympics. And now you get a weekend with Beth?

BLESSED BEYOND MEASURE, you are.

All of you Canucks (did you see how I did that? how I used "Canucks" in a sentence? even though I'm a girl in Alabama who has never even visited Canada? clearly I have watched more than my share of HGTV) who are going to Living Proof Live this weekend are in for such a treat. So if you're feeling crazy, leave us a comment and let us know you'll be there.

You don't even have to write a whole sentence. You can just say, "Eh."

And then I'll answer by saying, "Y'all."

(You say "eh," I say "y'all," EH! Y'ALL! EH! Y'ALL!)

(Perhaps I have just a touch of cabin fever, seeing as how I'm apparently trying to turn the AllAccess blog into some sort of multi-cultural exchange.)

Have a great week, everybody!

Talk about a RUDE awakening! I had just settled into a deep sleep after a day of sharing with my girlfriends in Williamston, NC - when the hotel's alarm system blasted me out of my peaceful ZZZZZZs. Startled, disoriented, and sounding my own alarm (of panic), I sprung out of bed and jumped into action to do whatever I needed to do during this ill-timed emergency.

I hate it when that happens, although I can only remember three times during my travels when it has. I'm just saying! You don't get over it quickly when you've been brought back to consciousness so abruptly.

(that's why I never did allow my boys to wake up with alarms, only the SOOTHING sound of their mama's voice - I'm just waitin' on a comment from them - ha!)

Well, it wasn't long until the crisis was over and the ruling of FALSE ALARM allowed everyone to settle back down and get some sleep. For me; I stayed awake a while longer, enjoying the teachable moment I'd just experienced.

Just hours ago we'd been exploring the passage in Luke 18 where the blind beggar desperately cried out for Jesus when He passed by. This poor despairing soul SOUNDED THE ALARM for the Lord - longing to get His attention...and He did!

"Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to Him." Luke 18:40

After a brief exchange of "What do you want me to do for you?" and "Lord, I want to see" ... Jesus said, "Receive your sight; your faith has healed you." Luke 18:42

Listen, my friend. Your persistent longing and crying gets the attention of the Lord. Your desperate cries sound an alarm throughout all of Heaven. He hears you. He's asking you, "What do you want me to do for you?"

Just like the desperate blind man who wanted his sight restored, I'm becoming desperate for Him to open my spiritual eyes. I want to see Him in every detail of every stressful day!

How about you? Where are you desperately sounding the alarm in daily living? Is there a particular place you long to have your spiritual eyes opened? Feel free to share with us, and together, we'll sound our alarms and receive the attention and the blessing of our Lord!

The premise of the entire study is that there were two million children of Israel when Moses led them out of Egypt, yet only two of them actually made it to the Promised Land. What made Joshua and Caleb different from the rest?

I'll let you know when the study is over. It's like a cliffhanger.

But I'll share what I've learned already in this past week. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. They were treated harshly and worked in unimaginable conditions, yet after they were delivered from those circumstances it didn't take much time at all before they were grumbling and complaining about the lack of meat. Seriously? They were being beaten and worked to death, yet they're all "But God, at least we had some fish and spices!'

It's easy to think I'd never do that, but I do. I'm guilty of it every day. "But God, at least I knew I had a steady paycheck" or "God, how are you going to provide because I don't see any way out of this situation?" When circumstances start to look bleak, I have a tendency to imagine the worst case scenario and think about how much better things used to be. I forget the pain and heartaches that went along with my former path and that I'm walking the path that God has called me to walk, a path of freedom. The path that will lead to my own promised land.

It may not always be easy. In fact, it won't be easy. Like Priscilla says in the study "Sometimes God allows seasons of the wilderness in our lives to put us in a position where we have to see God's power working through us."

The wilderness isn't easy. I've spent a lot of time in the last few years feeling like I was wandering around a desert (I nearly typed dessert. Which, let's be honest, wandering around a dessert would be preferable to a desert. I'll take chocolate!) not sure of where I'm supposed to be heading and feeling like I've left everything familiar and comfortable behind.

But I also know that I've seen the hand of God move in my life more in these past few years than at any other time. It hasn't always been the timing I would have chosen or the way I would have expected, but He shows up.

As Priscilla quotes from Job 42:5 "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You."

Priscilla wrote a great post about her book yesterday on her blog (you can follow her on Twitter, too). And remember: there's also a Bible study version - you can even download individual videos.

Keep your eyes open for One in a Million - it's going to be oh-so-exciting to see how God uses it!

Well, you're in luck. Because while Beth Moore may not be coming to your city, you have the chance to bring Beth Moore to your church through the miracle that is modern technology.

This is the third year in a row that LifeWay has offered a simulcast opportunity for the local church. It's an awesome opportunity to reach out to the women in your community.

Click here to find out more about the Simulcast event on September 18-19th and how you can make it happen at your church! It's easier than you think.

One problem: I am not a minister's wife.

So I missed the event, but people said wonderful things about it. And when I heard a little summary of Beth Moore's teaching that weekend, I was intrigued - but since I wasn't there (I don't know if I mentioned that or not), I figured I'd just have to remain intrigued for the rest of my earthly days.

What with the not being a minister's wife and all.

Anyway, I was thrilled to death (not literally, of course, because if that were the case then I would not be typing this blog entry) yesterday afternoon when I ran across this little image during some web surfing:

Living Proof Live for Ministers' Wives. Available for download.

And you can watch it whether you're a minister's wife or not.

You can imagine my joy.

In this month's Journey magazine, I share about the fast, yep the FAST that changed my life. Now, if thoughts about giving up food leave you weak and feeling deprived, then take heart! No ditchin' the chocolates and passin' up the tacos on this one - but you will need to look the other way when those pangs of worry start to feed your cravings and cause you to lose focus.

Fasting from worry is all about giving up what's not good for you in the first place. Giving up worry is a command. And when we do so, we are living in obedience to what our Heavenly Father is commanding us to do.
"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." (Philippians 4:6 - Message)

And ... oh, the results are sweet and they are victorious ... if you just do it!
Right now, I'm choosing to detox my soul of this week's worry indulgences. Why don't you join me? The steps are plain, and there are only three:
1. Right here and right now, I'm relinquishing my hold on each concern.
2. I'm visualizing each one absorbed into His Heart.
3. As Christ displaces the worry, I crave His company and hunger for His peace.

Dear Sisters - if today you are bloated with worry, then allow Jehovah-Shalom to empty you of all that is not from Him and fill you with His peace - which truly satisfies.

For those of you who don't know, Matt Chandler is an incredible pastor with a phenomenal heart and he pastors a church in Dallas, Texas. He's in his mid-30's and was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor right after Thanksgiving. Please keep he and his family in your prayers.

"Glance over at your Bible. Think what you've been through with God in those pages....Think of the hope, guidance, assurance and affection you've sought. Think how thankful you are that God wrote something you can hold to your chest, rocking back and forth, when your heart is shattered and your sight too blurred to read. Every Bible is the Word of God, but with no ears to hear it, hearts to love it, or hands to warm themselves by the fire of it, man is tragically lost to it."

I underlined every single bit of that in my member book. Just so you know.

Here's the thing. This morning I woke up with a heavy heart, and as I was making coffee and getting breakfast ready, I told God how I was feeling. I didn't ask Him to make all my troubles disappear; I just told Him that I was feeling discouraged and needed to remember how much He loves me. Needed to feel how much He loves me, even. It may sound a little crazy, but I really wished that there was a way for God to give me a big ole hug.

Perhaps I've overshared. :-)

Anyway, just a few hours later, I was in a chapel service - still dealing with the heart heaviness - when someone read Psalm 86:11-13:

"Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name.

For great is your love toward me;
you have delivered me from the depths of the grave."

And then Jeremiah 32:38-41:

"They will be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them. I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me. I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul."

I try to be careful that I don't assign more meaning to things than they deserve, but let me tell you: I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that those passages were for me. They were for other people, too, of course - but I felt like God used His Word to give me a big ole hug. He's sweet like that, you know.

So when I read Beth's reminder that God gives us "hope, guidance, assurance, and affection" on the pages of His Word - well, I may have amen'd a little.

Because I know it's true.