Turning 40 ---{-@

Forty years ago tomorrow... I was (finally) born.
I say "finally" because my mother had the joy of carrying me 11 months.

Yeah, you read that right.
ELEVEN MONTHS.

No, I'm not joking and that's no lie.

At first, the doctors thought they had made a terrible mistake in calculating her due date, but when I was only hours old, I was lifting my head (while on my stomach!) and looking around the room. I was definitely "late," of that, they were sure. But could I really be 2 whole months late??
Back then, they did not induce like they do now.
But my original due date was for the end of August and I was born the day before Halloween!

My grandmother came half-way around the world to be present at my birth.
She patiently waited for 2 months and then her visa ran out and she had to fly back home.
And so, my mother waited... and waited... and waited.
I'm sure she was wondering if I was EVER going to make an appearance!

When my mother became pregnant with my younger sister, her due date was for late September. Her doctor, still not fully convinced my due date was in error, jokingly gave my mom a 2nd due date... for late November.
My sister was born on November 29th.

As for turning 40, I only have one thing to say: Ptttthhhh!
And: At least I'm not as old as the Internet.
It turned 40 today.
Happy Birthday Al Gore. (Ha)

Never In a Million Years...

Everybody dreams -- as a child -- what they would like to be when they grow up. Years go by and those dreams shift and mature, and with time, the potential starts to fade. Our focus becomes narrower -- more confined -- to the things we feel are suitable for our quality of life.
We may think, "Well, this is it. This is my purpose in life, my infinitesimal mark on history..."

But then you hand God your life.

You entrust to Him everything you've ever wished for, dreamed of, or imagined.
It's not an act of desperation so much as a decision.
This decision could be made in a moment of sheer frustration -- when you think your life couldn't get any worse... or any more mundane.
Or it may simply be a longing deep within which keeps tugging at your conscience, letting you know there is SO much more to life than this.

Never in a million years would I have pictured myself where I am today.
The married with 3 children part is fairly typical, and something for which I feel profoundly blessed, but nothing else has turned out like I planned.

And that's a good thing.

--> Never in a million years would I have believed I would be writing a book about my very personal and shame-filled struggle with my weight.
--> Never in a million years would I have guessed that I would be leading a group of ladies who have spent years battling food addiction and feelings of self-loathing and utter futility.
--> Never in a million years would I have thought I would be spending my Friday nights going into strip clubs and into the darkest parts of the inner city to reach out to workers of the sex trade industry, letting them know that they are not forgotten.
--> And never once did I dream that my fire and passion for human justice, civil rights, and child protection would evolve into a war against human trafficking.

But that's what God does.
We offer Him the ordinary, the mundane existence we live each day, and He turns our world upside down. He shows us the extent of His power and compassion. He opens our eyes to all that has evaded our glance. And He breaks our heart for those who are crying out to be rescued.

These weren't the dreams of my childhood.
These are eternal aspirations.
And I have no regrets.

If you would like more information re: the anti-human trafficking movement, I highly recommend two movies, in particular:
Human Trafficking starring Mira Sorvino &
Trade starring Kevin Klein

You can also learn more by visiting our website: www.traffickinghope.org

Have You Seen This?

HOPE

That's the theme of this year's LIVE THE DREAM Conference and I can't think of a more timely topic. Lately, it seems like so many people are lacking just that:
Hope.

It's such a small word, but it holds huge connotations.
Without hope, it's hard to see past your current circumstances.
Without hope, the present economy seems like a never-ending nightmare.
Without hope, a child can't dream and a mother can't rest.
And without hope, the darkness of this world will threaten to overshadow all the good that we are trying to do in the name of Christ.

But despair does not have the final word.
We DO have hope -- even when all else fails.
God is faithful even when our world is crumbling around us.

You were born for this moment -- this place in time.
God doesn't make mistakes.
What are you doing to bring hope into the life of someone who has lost it?

If you, or someone you know, are in need of hope, please register today for Live the Dream. Or, if you are registered, consider sponsoring someone who cannot afford the registration fees... it only takes a moment, but it could impact a lifetime.

What I'm Listening To Right Now...

Tenth Avenue North




Toby Mac feat. Kirk Franklin & Mandisa



Stellar Kart



Tell me what you're listening to!