HerstoryGirl

A Life Worth Remembering

2010-11-08T20:59:00.009-06:00

It's been a hard month.
In the past 30 days, 7 people in my world -- some close to me, some who were related to those close to me -- have died.
On Wednesday, I will attend my 3rd funeral in almost as many weeks... this time for a young man, just 22 years old, Jordan Gautreau.
I am just about cried out.
I wasn't super-close with Jordan, but we were in School of Ministry together a few years ago and he was a guy I really respected and admired. He used to tease me and call me "Mrs. Summer" to which I would threaten to punch him.
I nearly fell out of my chair when I realized he was born the year I graduated high school. He was an intelligent, thoughtful, and kind young man who had a servant's heart, and like the others who have passed in recent weeks, his death came as a total shock.

I can't help but feel there is a message in all of this. Without resorting to cliches or vapid prosaicism, I have to acknowledge that there are no guarantees in this world. We are not promised one day more or less than has been allotted for us and to know that number is humanly impossible. We have to live each day never knowing if we will see tomorrow. Only God sees the bigger picture.

We can think we have it all together, our life a neat and tidy box, perfectly aligned with best laid plans and the objectives we have set for ourselves, but at the end of our allotted time, will it even matter? I'm not opposed to dreams or ambitions, but in the big scheme of things, how will whatever we are doing affect the world around us?

The real question is, Are we living for ourselves or for something bigger than ourselves?
Will our legacy merely affect our grandchildren or thousands of souls we may never even chance to meet?
When we die, will people remember who we were or what we did?
Will those memories be buried with us or will they live on in the rippled effects of our life's work?

Three men from my church have died in the past month.
Each of them has left an enduring legacy... sacrificial lives submitted to God's greater purpose. I want to know -- when my time is up -- that I have done the same.

There's certainly no harm in living a productive, successful life, utilizing the talents you are given. But if your ambitions are all for self, what does it really matter? If your sole purpose on this planet is to seek "happiness" and "fulfillment," they will always elude you. REAL happiness and fulfillment are found only when you are living for something greater than yourself.
Dave Ohlerking, John DeLage, and Jordan Gautreau.
These three men lived lives worth remembering and as examples for us all.

When I was a kid, I thought giving my life over to God meant I would have to be a missionary in some remote corner of the world. Far longer than I care to admit, I was afraid to offer my life -- all my plans and dreams -- to God to use. I'm so glad I finally know better. Now I pray that God will use my life until the very last breath I take.
Fear of the unknown should never keep us from seeking God's greater purpose for our lives. As Brother Dave Ohlerking always said, "There's no safer place to be than in the will of God."
I believe that.
And I want my life to reflect that belief.

“God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.” -- C. S. Lewis

*******

Blogging Vs. Writing

2010-06-27T19:39:00.006-05:00

So, my friend, Carole -- who is also a writer -- twittered something yesterday that I absolutely agree with...
She was talking to a friend of ours (Donna Frank) who has written several books.
She mentioned to Donna that she had not written on her book lately, but that she had been doing a lot of blogging.
Donna responded with:
"Well, yeah, blogging is instant gratification. Sitting down and writing your book isn't; it's work and very delayed gratification."
What a profound truth!
In the past, when I was blogging more faithfully, I really struggled to make time for my book. There was this constant (albeit, imagined) pressure to post here, regularly and often.
When I recommitted to finishing the task God has given me (now, TWO books!), I found it harder and harder to come here and blog.
I couldn't figure it out at first, but there was an uneasy suspicion that I was somehow "cheating" on my book by blogging.
Now, that might sound weird if you are not a writer, but it's true!

Time issues aside, I found that I became more and more possessive of my analogies, stories, and musings. If something was really good, it would go in the book. How could I put it here?
There's always a fear that something you write will be stolen or misused and there's a deeper fear that you will "waste" all your good stuff on the blog.
So, what happened was I would go weeks without posting or I found myself alternately writing either really preachy stuff or "fluffy" stuff (which I loathe, by the way) here on my blog. I wasn't just selling myself short; I was selling you -- the reader -- short.

Carole has blogged about this struggle as well.

Yeah, I know; I'm totally neurotic to be obsessing about this, but to hear another writer (published author, no less!) surmise it so well was somehow comforting to me.
So, I can either focus my time on the calling God has placed on my life (my writing/my books) or I can worry about what other people think about my blogging.
Truthfully, I think it's a no-brainer. ;)

Black Gold = Red Sea :(

2010-06-06T21:47:00.012-05:00

*sigh*

Ugh, it makes me sick just to think about it... The oil won't stop and it's destroying the Gulf Coast! Even as BP boasts of "success," the reality here is far from it.
So many people have been affected and it isn't over yet.
Right now -- in truth -- there is no end in sight.

I have friends whose entire livelihoods are dependent upon gulf shrimp and seafood.
Friends whose families have worked on the off-shore oil rigs for decades.
Friends who have just started to truly rebuild their lives -- and their businesses -- after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina 5 years ago.

And I can't even begin to think about the wildlife... the pelicans, the turtles, and all the animals dying from such a senseless accident. It makes me want to break down and cry.

Just a few weeks ago, we agonized over whether or not to go forward with our vacation to Destin -- a trip we've had planned since last fall.
Would there be oil? Tar balls? Rancid fumes?
We watched the news and checked web updates daily... hourly.
We prayed about it and decided that, come what may, we would go.

I am SO glad we did!
Who knows when -- or if -- the Gulf Coast will ever be as beautiful again. I heard yesterday that lots of tar balls are washing up in Pensacola and there is some oil smell and "greasy spots" from the spreading gunk. Just 3 weeks ago, the beaches at Destin looked like this:

In all the summers that I have gone to these beaches, I have NEVER seen the water as crystal clear and beautiful as it was 3 weeks ago!
NO seaweed.
NO jellyfish.
and more importantly, NO OIL!!

We were ecstatic!
Not only were the beaches and water pristine, we had the wonder of seeing dolphins and stingrays! I have never seen stingrays so close to the shore.

This couple wasn't paying attention, but the stingrays were!
They just swam around them!

An older gentleman informed us that earlier that morning, they had seen a manatee swimming close to the shoreline. Manatees NEVER come that close to the shore; obviously, the oil was driving these sea creatures in, in search of cleaner water.

We spent a joyous week at the beach and I am so thankful now that we did. I shudder to think what is coming... and the ominous signs of what has already arrived. How can we not mourn?

Destin's beaches are still beautiful at this moment, but for how long?
I fear that I am posting these pictures for posterity's sake, but I sincerely pray I am wrong.
Biblical end-time prophesies aside (that's a whole 'nother blog post, not for me to write), this is devastation on a monumental scale.
There's no amount of money that can replace what's been (or could be) lost...

Please pray for the Gulf Coast!

So Much To Say

2010-04-22T15:42:00.015-05:00

Yes, I know it's been over a month since I last posted.
I have been so busy, but mostly, I've been at a loss for words (rare for me, I know).

The Human Trafficking conference was absolutely life-altering and it has taken me some time to process everything I saw and heard while there. So much pain... which leads to so much anger.
First, I was mad. Then I cried.
Now, I'm just determined.

But where to begin?
How do you sum up an ocean of thoughts and feelings and convictions into a single blog post -- or even an entire blog? There is so much I want to say, but I find myself unable to write about the passion I feel for this outrage. Once I begin, the words come tumbling out faster than my fingers can type!

For one thing: I feel like we've been sold a bill of goods... like all this talk of "feminism" is nothing but hot air and wishful thinking.
I was a proponent of feminist ideals; my degree focused primarily on Women's history (as well as African-American and Latin-American history). I applauded the amazing accomplishments of the early abolitionist and suffrage movements... and I vowed that MY children would grow up knowing this amazing part of our history.

Now it all seems like such a farce.
Maybe some so-called feminists can pat themselves on the back and think they have made so much progress, but I imagine that Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott are rolling over in their graves. Modern feminists fight for abortion rights -- claiming that it's a woman's right -- but (for the most part) ignore the increasing degradation of women, globally. What about the rights of those who are being bought and sold like cattle?
What about the rights of children who grow up never knowing innocence?

PETA fights tooth and nail to protect animals (and I do love animals); Meanwhile, women and children are being treated far worse than any caged chicken or young cow. You want to talk about living conditions? What about being born into brothels, never even given the chance at a "normal" life? At least the caged cows and chickens will be fed on a regular basis without having to perform disgusting acts in return.
Young girls are being bought and sold in astounding numbers while the world continues to congratulate itself on "modern progress."

Sexual slavery is being "normalized" and the sex trade industry is becoming increasingly socially-acceptable with the likes of Oprah promoting "pole-dancing" as a fun workout.
Whatever.

The goal is to desensitize our society so much that it becomes blind to the ugly reality: these girls are in bondage. It's NOT OK.
MOST women who work in the sex trade industry -- whether it is pornography, strip clubs, prostitution, or an "escort" service -- are NOT there by *choice.*
THINK ABOUT IT.
What little girl says to herself, "When I grow up, I want to be a hooker." or "I want to make pornographic films."???

They choose that lifestyle.
Really???
Is that what you REALLY believe?
This is a lie that we tell ourselves so we don't have to feel guilty or compelled to act. We can ignore the awful truth, which is that women and children are WORSE off today than they were 100 years ago. And our society's acceptance and increasing demand for these sex industries are driving the human trafficking trade!

This has nothing to do with being a "prude" or "religious;" this is HUMAN RIGHTS in their most basic form.

Sure, we have the right to vote and we have (almost) equal pay, but women are seen as sex objects more today than they ever were before in history. The African slave trade was a hideous part of human history, but the current slave trade rivals those historical figures and, in fact, may already surpass them.
Today's numbers are mind-boggling. (pdf link)
There are hundreds of thousands of women and children (boys, too) who are screaming for justice and intervention. You can shut your eyes (and your ears), but if you do, you are complicit in their bondage. How can we rest in self-proclaimed "progress" when they have no rest at all?

Perhaps I've said too much?
I think not.

SERVOLUTION 2010

2010-03-20T10:57:00.008-05:00

In less than 1 week, there will be an invasion...

If you live in the Baton Rouge area, expect to see SERVE shirts like these

everywhere you look.
Next Friday -- March 26th -- kicks off our annual SERVOLUTION and hundreds of churches across the globe will be doing the same.

Whether you live in Africa, Australia, or Arkansas, you will find us -- standing on street corners, handing out cold, bottled water... painting widows' houses, mowing lawns for the elderly, picking up litter and washing cars... you might see us bringing a hot meal to the local fire station or lunch to local law enforcement... you might find us handing out candy at the mall, groceries in the inner city, or protein bars in the ER.
Maybe you'll see us washing our neighbor's trash cans.

*** DO NOT BE ALARMED ***

STAY CALM.
This is to be expected of people who call themselves followers of Christ. We follow the example He set by washing His disciples' feet. And through these random acts of kindness, we tear down the walls of the Church and demonstrate the love of Jesus to those in our communities.

If you -- or your church -- would like to be part of the ~~revolution~~ SERVOLUTION, it's not too late! Simply go HERE and register.
For more information ----->>> Check this out.
Let's make these 10 days leading up to Easter, count!

We are changing the world by serving one.

Servolution 2010 promo from Healing Place Church on Vimeo.

Whispered Screams

2010-02-25T18:30:00.007-06:00

That's what I thought when I watched this... These girls are speaking in barely audible tones for fear of being identified, but their words reveal the horrors they have endured.
It kind of irritates me that the newscaster says they, "are just now speaking out."
In truth, they have been "screaming" all along... no one bothered to listen until now.

I Serve a BIG God

2010-02-20T09:42:00.005-06:00

Wow, that was fast.

Thank you for all the prayers! Within a few hours of posting my last blog entry, God provided a way for me to go to the conference... This is how I know I'm where I'm supposed to be, doing what I'm supposed to do.
A very generous donor (thanks Mom!) has offered to pay for my flights and some of my other expenses -- something she was only able to do after she just found out she was getting a much better refund than usual!
Tell me that's not God.

And then, one of the ladies who also works under the Rescue & Restore Coalition out of New Orleans is going and we will be able to share hotel expenses. This has made the trip much more affordable and we are now booked & ready to go! I'm so excited; I wish it wasn't more than a month away... I'm ready to leave NOW!

Many of you know about my involvement in Midnight Outreach through my church. And you may have heard that I have started writing my second book, which deals with human trafficking and the sex trade industry...
So, where is all of this leading?
To be honest, I'm not really sure.
I'm just walking in obedience to where I feel God is leading me. Whether my role in this war is overt or behind-the-scenes is irrelevant. The important thing is to get educated and actually DO something for these heartbreaking victims of trafficking.

Christine Caine spoke at Healing Place Church last week about her A21 Campaign (with which we are affiliated) and her words were inspiring.
EVERYTHING logical told them it couldn't be done.
The forces opposing them were too strong.
"There's not enough money. The Church has no real authority here. The problem is too big."

But then she shared an amazing analogy:
In Numbers, God directs Moses to send a group of Israelite leaders into the Promised Land to scout out the territory and see all the blessings He was giving them.
God actually said, "...which I am giving to the Israelites."
And yet, that was not enough assurance for the majority of the tribe leaders who made the trip. Only 2 -- Joshua and Caleb believed God; the others felt the problems were too big -- the enemy too powerful -- to trust God.

Her point?
You have to KEEP GOD BIGGER.
God is bigger than anything we come against, and when we are acting within His will, NOTHING can keep us from reaching our goals or acting on His authority.
The enemy would love for us to take our eyes off of what's really important and focus on the giant that's blocking our path. Then, the giant doesn't even have to touch us; we take ourselves out of the race before we even face the opposition!

This is how Christians react to the problem of human trafficking:
The problem is enormous.
The cost is prohibitive.
The danger is great.
And there's too much to be done.
And so, we do nothing... Let someone else take on this issue; someone else will come to their rescue, right??

I believe if God breaks your heart for what breaks His, you have an obligation to step out in faith and do what you can.
That's what I am doing. My contribution might not amount to much, but at least I'm acting in obedience. And I'm not going to focus on the fear or the enormity of it all.
My God is bigger.

Trafficking Seminar -- Please Pray!

2010-02-16T16:16:00.005-06:00

Ok, so there's this amazing 4-day, human trafficking seminar coming up in early April, which I desperately want to attend. It's sponsored by South Texas College and will take place near the Texas/Mexico border.
Will you please pray for a way for me to go?

Clay and the girls are totally on board about my going -- Clay knows how important this issue is to my heart... and how I believe my destiny is tied up in this ministry.

Problems:
1) Getting there -- it's more than 11 hours if I drive & flying is way too expensive. I wouldn't mind driving if I had someone to go with me, but I do not want to drive that far on my own!

2) MONEY -- It's $150 for the seminar alone & then I will need a hotel for 4-5 nights. So, unless I share a room with some other attendees (which I can't if no one I know goes), I will be paying a pretty penny for that as well.
--> Clay & I have been paying off debt, little by little, for the past few years & I am determined not to put anything on a credit card.

I can't tell you how much this tugs at my heart... I just know that my next book is supposed to be about the plight of human trafficking and the sex trade industry and (as I've already mentioned) I have started writing it. I am trying to read as much as I can, but it would be so awesome if I could go to this.
So, please pray that God would make a way for me to go.

Crazy Good =)

2010-02-10T22:42:00.006-06:00

Yes, I have entered another one of my "crazy busy" seasons, but it's amazing how God is helping me to
s-t-r-e-t-c-h and grow! Not that long ago, a week (or month) like this would have really stressed me out, but even in the chaos, I now feel a sense of peace. All I ask is for Him to give me what I need to do all that I need to do and do it well.
That's not so much to ask, right?
:)

My connect group has really taken off with a lot of new ladies this semester! I am so excited about the potential I see in this group... I really feel like some of them are actually "getting it" and are well on their way to absolute freedom from obesity and food addiction. I feel like a proud momma hen!

I have more human trafficking training downtown tomorrow morning and another training to go to in a couple of weeks... Even though I haven't written much on my anti-HT book lately, I can't shake the feeling that part of my own destiny & plan are somehow connected to this heartbreaking cause.
I can't say it enough: This world needs its eyes opened.

While ridiculous critics mercilessly rip Tim Tebow for (fake) tackling his mother in a commercial, REAL injustice and abuse against women is going on under the guise of "sexual liberation" and "freedom of expression." The stereotypes and prejudices that women have fought for so long are simultaneously being condoned and heralded as feminist achievements! Why, prostitution is simply a CHOICE a woman makes, right??

Uh, last time I checked, NO little girl ever "wanted" to be a prostitute when they grew up.

Before I go off on another tangent, let me just say that despite how overwhelmed I sometimes feel, I am ready for whatever God wants of me. I may be over-tired some days and overjoyed on others, but I want what He has for me in this life.
No matter how crazy life may get, with Him, I know it's going to be crazy-good.

Goodbye Sweet Siggy...

2010-01-30T00:27:00.005-06:00

I can hardly stop crying long enough to write this... tonight (Friday night, although it's now early Saturday morning) we buried our dachshund, "Siggy." He was either 12 or 13 years old... we're not for sure because we rescued him from an animal shelter when he was only 1 or 2 years old.

Siggy (full name: Sigmund Freud Kelly) was Natasha's dog and he was quite a character. True to his name, he was a study in psychiatric behavior... canine psychiatric behavior. He was extremely OCD -- spending hours at a time barking at squirrels who taunted him above our tree-house or digging holes practically to China.
Without a doubt, he suffered from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and he would become so depressed in the winter that we once put him on doggy Prozac for about 6 months!

This faithful, little dog made the move with us from Little Rock to Baton Rouge nearly 10 years ago... He lived in a cramped apartment with a tiny balcony while our new house was being built. He's lived through 4 hurricanes and 2 "adventures" (we finally found him). Several years ago, our vet told us that Siggy either had cancer or kidney failure and that we should make our peace with him... he lived another 6.5 years.

In his earlier years, he was quite affectionate and extremely patient, but these past couple of years have been hard on all of us. We knew Siggy was not doing well because his temperament had gone a bit sour. Personally, I don't think he ever fully recovered after the death of his friend, Beowulf (Nadia's Labrador), 3 years ago. He just never was the same.

I pray that he knew we loved him even though these past couple of years were less than ideal. And I will unfailingly believe that we will see our crazy little black-n-tan once again some day... probably chasing squirrels in heaven. Soul or no, a God who loves animals so much to create as many as He did, will surely bring them home to Heaven.
So, goodbye Siggy.
You will be missed.

How Can You Help?

2010-01-22T15:18:00.007-06:00

Tying in to my last blog post, I wanted to offer some great info and website links for anyone who wants more information about the Haiti relief efforts. I know many people feel like there is nothing they can really do (see my previous post) and others feel overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. So, here are some places you can start:

HPC HAITI RELIEF EFFORT -- Healing Place Church has partnered with several organizations (including Samaritan's Purse) and local doctors (Dr. Greene, et., al) to bring medical supplies and equipment, and medical support to the nation of Haiti. Some of our teams have been working around the clock to help in the effort. Find out what you can do here.

DINO RIZZO's BLOG-- Lead Pastor of Healing Place Church -- Pastor Dino is posting, regularly, about the progress in Haiti. Learn more about actual events taking place on the ground in Port Au Prince.

If you are medically trained personnel and you want to offer your services:
EMAIL: br2haiti@gmail.com
CALL: 225.802.9941
Check out: http://docs4haiti.org

Or to follow our very own Dr. Greene as he tweets from Haiti:
Go to: www.twitter.com/thegreeneteam

Important Blog for regular updates & posted needs:
Shaun King

If you want to help the ORPHANS of Haiti: RAINBOWKIDS.COM

Great blog post by my friend Carole Turner: So You Want to Adopt One of the Orphans In Haiti?

COMPASSION INTERNATIONAL Haiti Relief

And don't forget... KEEP PRAYING! There's more to be done and the work is far from over.
The rest of the world will soon grow bored with this relief effort. It will no longer be front-page news or "popular activism," but we have to persevere for the people of Haiti.

We are the body of Christ and thus, must be the hands of God.

Praying for Haiti

2010-01-19T19:35:00.005-06:00

There have been so many great posts written about the horrible tragedy that happened just 1 week ago... I seriously considered not writing anything because I didn't want to be perceived as "jumping on the bandwagon."
That said, this whole situation has touched me and my heart is breaking for the people of this impoverished nation.

Last night Healing Place Church joined with 30 other churches -- live & online -- for a special prayer gathering for Haiti.
As anyone who has lived through something awful may know, sometimes a tragedy can end in victory.
This is my prayer for Haiti.

This tiny, island nation has lived with, and through, so much... the level of poverty there is beyond comprehension.
Like their problems before the earthquake struck, Haiti's current predicament can seem so overwhelming... people begin to feel there is nothing they can really do.

Do not be deceived; PRAYER WORKS and we have seen that, firsthand, from our own experiences with tragedy here in Louisiana. So if you think you have nothing to offer... and little to give... just pray.

Pray for the people who are suffering like never before.
Pray for the volunteers who are exhausted and hungry and overwhelmed by the need.
Pray for supplies to be plentiful & to reach their intended destinations.
Pray for an end to the looting and lawlessness.
Pray that God's love and peace would settle on this tiny island nation and that this place once known mostly for voodoo, would become a triumphant nation of hope in Christ.

And when the cause begins to fade and it's no longer cool or popular to support the efforts there... keep praying because that's when they'll need it most.

For more information on how you can help, go HERE.

In The Name of Love

2010-01-18T10:44:00.000-06:00

What Do You See?

2010-01-11T11:58:00.005-06:00

...when you look around?
Whether you want to see it or not, it's there.
Whether we want to believe it or not, it's an enormous problem and it's growing every day.

The United States is one of the worst -- and fastest growing -- countries for the horrendous (but very profitable) crime of human trafficking.
Ask most Americans and they will tell you that human trafficking is a problem of Third World nations like Cambodia, Thailand, or India.

Tell them it's happening here and they will scoff.
Tell them it's very likely happening in their own neighborhood or city and you will leave them speechless.

No one wants to think such a horrible thing could be happening right under their very nose, but that is exactly what is going on... Camouflaged by "freedom of expression," liberal views regarding sex, and casual attitudes toward the sex industry, women, men, and children are being bought and sold right here on American soil.

TODAY is National Human Trafficking Awareness Day & this is a call to arms.
TODAY you can arm yourself with knowledge and then help to empower those whose basic freedoms have been stolen away.
TODAY you can choose to get involved and actually DO something.
Or you can simply look the other way.

TRAFFICKINGHOPE.ORG

The Next Ten...

2010-01-02T23:51:00.007-06:00

And Happy New Decade!

In some ways, this decade has just flown by... my children have grown in a blink of the eye, it seems. But in many other ways, it's hard to believe that just 10 years ago was only 10 years ago! So much has changed -- in our world, and especially in ME.

In the past decade, since Y2K:

--I have moved to another state and adopted another city as my own. (I LOVE Baton Rouge!)

--I have had another child -- my third daughter.

-- I have gained 50 pounds and then lost 96...

--I have changed directions, professionally & politically.

-- I have survived being run over by a drunk driver and the overwhelming anger & depression which followed...

--I have survived hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, and Ike and (having grown up in Arkansas)... I still think I prefer them to tornadoes!

-- I have joined ranks with one of the most "REAL" and truly Christ-like churches I have ever seen: Healing Place Church.

-- I have found amazing grace and favor with God by allowing Him to guide my steps.

-- I have let go of years of anger and resentment for things which were truly beyond my control, and even for some that weren't.

-- I have written a book and have begun to write another.

-- I have turned my determination for justice into a mission of mercy.

-- I have stepped outside of my comfort zone to reach out to those who have lost hope and feel forgotten.

-- I have met amazing friends who put orphans and widows, the homeless and the heartbroken, ahead of their own selfish dreams.

-- I have learned how to "tear down the walls" and take the Church to those who might never set foot in one.

-- I have had my eyes opened to the horrors and injustice and the overwhelmingly enormous problem of human trafficking... and I have set my path to join the fight against it.

-- I have discovered that I am a daughter of the King and that nobody -- NOBODY -- can take that away from me.

Ten years have held a lifetime of changes for me.
And I can't wait to see what God has for me in the next ten...

God bless each and every one of you in this new year & the coming decade!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-12-25T10:51:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas to all of my faithful readers & to family & friends!
May God show you great favor & amazing blessings in the coming year...
God Bless You!

What It Really Means...

2009-12-20T23:01:00.004-06:00

I'm no saint and I've certainly "lost my witness" more than a few times in my life. I've missed many opportunities to "be Jesus" to people who needed to see Him in me, I won't deny.
I don't claim to be perfect and I'm definitely not holier-than-thou.

But what does it mean to be a Christian?

I know some Christians who will bend over backwards to attend an outreach or make a donation, but when you say "Hello" to them, they look the other way or simply turn around.
They profess a philosophy of "servant" to anyone who is listening, but they are anything but to people in their own church.
They give their time and money, but when it comes to being friendly -- or, for that matter, just cordial -- to someone they feel is beneath them, their attitude does a 180*.
Why?
This is certainly not the example Jesus set for His disciples!

Several years ago, when my oldest daughter was going through Confirmation at another church, the students were all given shirts that read, "Claim the Name." After observing a few of the students' behavior, on several occasions, I wondered if they even knew what the phrase meant.
How can one "claim the Name" of Jesus while acting like a pompous, uptight jerk?
Are we mocking God when we choose to condescend to those we have deemed beneath ourselves?
How can we profess the love of Jesus while acting like we are above the very people we are serving beside?
Seriously, where do we get off?

Not that this behavior is ok for anyone.
Really, who does anyone think they are?
Arrogance and pride are ugly traits no matter who you are. But for Christians, they are downright destructive.
We need to remember this: If not for God's grace, mercy, and the fate of being born who, where and when we are, we might be in the place of those we cast judgment upon...
So much of what we believe makes us "superior" was GIVEN to us, freely. We didn't "earn" it or "deserve" it. It was just given.
So, how can we -- especially we, who claim the Name -- treat anyone as anything less than another precious soul, a friend, a brother or sister in Christ?

If we are going to call ourselves "Christian," then we had better understand just what that really means.

This One's Dedicated to Tiger Woods...

2009-12-15T12:32:00.003-06:00

People never crumble in a day.
Daddies never crumble in a day.
Families never crumble in a day...

SLOW FADE -- by Casting Crowns

SLOW FADE (lyrics)

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands
As darkness pulls the strings

Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you
That are sure to follow

It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray

And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

It's a slow fade
It's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise
The end is always near

Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises
Lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray

And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
'Cause you just might be sinking

It's a slow fade
When you give yourself away
It's a slow fade
When black and white are turned to gray

And thoughts invade, choices are made
A price will be paid
When you give yourself away

People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh, be careful little eyes what you see

Thankful

2009-12-02T19:21:00.005-06:00

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!
Mine was nothing short of eventful...
I did go home to Arkansas to see family, but my visit did not go *exactly* as planned.

The night I arrived to my dad's house, he had just left to go the ER with chest pains!
He was admitted to the hospital with full-blown pneumonia which is pretty scary since he is almost 71 years old! The weird thing is, he wasn't even coughing. My dad NEVER gets sick and his fever went very high. The doctor finally agreed to let him go home (after 4 days) just before Thanksgiving.
I am happy -- and Thankful! -- to report that he is doing much better. I appreciate all of your prayers for him.

Unfortunately, with all of the craziness surrounding my dad, I did not get to see any of my friends this trip. I sincerely apologize to all of you who I told I would contact over Thanksgiving! Things just didn't go as planned and even after Daddy came home, I felt that this Thanksgiving was meant just for family.
I know you understand, but I am sorry that we were not able to connect this time. I hope to return to Arkansas in the next 2 months; I promise to keep you posted!

Having such a scare has made me that much more aware of how truly blessed I really am. This holiday season, I am thinking of all of my family and friends, and giving thanks for each and every one of you. Love, family, and friendship are amazing gifts from God & I don't ever want to take them for granted.

Something Besides the Ordinary

2009-11-08T09:17:00.009-06:00

Three friends of mine just returned last week from STORY Conference (a conference for writers & Christian leaders). Next year, I hope to go, too
[if I'm not on a book tour ;) ].

I was talking with two of them a couple of days ago and Donna shared one of the most profound messages she heard:
"Are you living a good story?"
Wow.
And then, my new friend, Valerie, wrote this on her facebook page:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

See a theme here?

This is the way I have been feeling about my own life, of late... When I look back on my years at age 80 or 90 (or God willing, 100), will I have a story to tell? If not, then why?

I think so many of us are about "getting through the day, the week, the end of the month," that we miss a lot of opportunities to make our lives count. We sleep away the hours or spend inordinate amounts of time on the computer (ahem), or simply piddle around doing nothing but watching TV or reading a good book... and there's nothing wrong with any of that. But when you get to the end of your life, will you wish you had done more?

Don't get me wrong; I'm not on that whole, "bucket list" kick and I am definitely not a reckless daredevil. I don't plan on taking up skydiving or bungee jumping (not that there's anything wrong with that).
However, I have learned, in the past three years, that stepping outside of my comfort zone is usually rewarding. And I now have an intense desire to make my life count for something besides the ordinary.

When people caution me about my involvement in fighting human trafficking, I think to myself,
"You just don't get it."
I am careful and we don't do anything rash or stupid, but ultimately, we entrust our safety to God and His Word states that
"no weapon formed against (us) will prosper..."[Isaiah 54:17] as long as we are acting within His will.
And I do believe that this is God's will... I believe His heart is breaking for the thousands upon thousands of women and children who are being so cruelly exploited by the sex-trade industry.

So I step out... WAY outside of my comfort zone.
I had never been in a strip club before my first Midnight Outreach and I had never knowingly talked to a prostitute before that first night on the streets of Baton Rouge. I had to get really uncomfortable in order to find relevance. I thank God that I belong to a church which helps us to do just that!

But when I get old, I want to be able to tell my children that I LIVED my life -- I didn't sleep it away or let it pass me by. I want to be eternity-minded and reach out to those who think they are forgotten.

This holiday season, why don't you try it, too?
Adopt a widow, participate in an outreach, commit to a cause, volunteer at a homeless shelter...
Wake up and DO something.
Reach out to runaway youth, adopt a child, become a "Big Brother or Big Sister..."
If you live in Baton Rouge, check this out: BRDC

And if you have a story, then tell it.
I am, and I want it to be GOOD.

Are You Kidding Me???

2009-11-05T11:23:00.002-06:00

Seriously? It's NOVEMBER!!!

National Hurricane Center

This Little Piggy... Went Straight to Bed!

2009-11-02T14:09:00.003-06:00

I have Swine Flu.

Ok, we don't know for *sure* that it's H1N1 because nobody's testing around here anymore. They diagnose based on symptoms.
I guess if you feel like yesterday's leftover cat vomit, that's enough to diagnose you.

Oh, and the fact that I've been sick for 9 straight days.
My symptoms:
*100 degree fever -- my friend in nursing school told me that, contrary to popular belief, they are seeing cases of H1N1 without the super-high fevers.
*Headache
*Body aches
*Sneezing/sniffly nose
*And a cough that just won't quit. It's now turned into bronchitis as well.
Yeah, fun.

Quite frankly, I'm somewhat relieved.
It's always better to get the fear out of the way quickly and replace it with reality.
And I would much rather gain immunity this way than through a shot which may, or may not, work.
In any event, I will be spending the next few days ~~rolling in the mud and rooting for truffles~~ in bed playing on my new laptop. =)

Turning 40 ---{-@

2009-10-29T12:28:00.009-05:00

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...

2009-10-22T11:51:00.005-05:00

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?

2009-10-19T11:37:00.001-05:00

HOPE

2009-10-14T14:46:00.003-05:00

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...

2009-10-06T11:04:00.005-05:00

Tenth Avenue North

Toby Mac feat. Kirk Franklin & Mandisa

Stellar Kart

Tell me what you're listening to!

WHY

2009-09-17T08:58:00.003-05:00

So many people don't get what we do... staying out 'til 2 AM (like last night), handing out roses and chocolates to men and women of the night.

My friend, Carole, wrote an excellent blog post about Midnight Outreach and you can (and should!) read it HERE.
This really happened.
And it's WHY we do it.

Sometimes Life Just Doesn't Stop

2009-09-14T10:28:00.003-05:00

Ok, well, hopefully it never stops... but could it maybe just slow down a bit??

Life has been crazy (in a good way, for the most part) over the past several weeks and that's why I haven't posted much. Just to update you:

My Christian weight loss support group met for the first time (this semester) last night and I had 26 ladies attend! It was a wonderful turnout and I felt really great about our new location. I am SO thrilled to have a sweet friend, Amanda, helping me with the group this fall... she was amazing! She made copies and took roll and helped me set up and clean up afterward. Honestly, I'd like to hire her as my personal assistant! Ha!

My book -- after encountering some rather difficult setbacks -- is making progress again. The book proposal, as difficult as it was, really helped me to see which areas I need to work on more and what needs to be totally rewritten. I had about a week where I felt absolutely disheartened and defeated, but God is faithful and I now have what I need to press forward. I know I was supposed to write this book and I know the past 2 years have not been in vain. Your prayers for its absolute completion and publication are much appreciated.

Midnight Outreach is taking on a whole 'nother level... I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to divulge here; For now, let's just say we are kicking it up a notch. =)

Our homeschooling year kicked off last week and it's going to be interesting teaching 3 different grade levels at one time, but I think it will be great. We are off to a good start. The girls did a unit study on September 11th last week in memory of the 8th anniversary. It's amazing how even now, 8 years later, it still makes me swallow hard and I feel slightly nauseated by the events of that day. Like so many, I will never forget where I was at the moment I first heard...

Well, it's time to administer a spelling and vocabulary test, so I'm going to sign off. Hopefully, I will have time to post more than once or twice this month!

Taken and Trade(d)

2009-09-04T21:32:00.005-05:00

Just because you choose not to see
does not mean it's not there.
Just because you cover your ears or
look the other way, does not alter reality one bit.

And reality is this:
Slavery is worse (and more widespread) today than it ever was before in history... even during the peak of African slave trading a few hundred years ago.
And it has nothing to do with race.

Women, teenagers, children, even young boys -- of every race, color, and nationality -- are being forced into the sex trade industry every day.
But most of us choose to look the other way.

Worldwide estimates for human trafficking are near the 4,000,000 person mark.
Four MILLION people who are being abducted, or traded for drugs or money, and who are now trapped in a living nightmare from which they cannot escape.
4 Million.
If we're not seeing it, it's because we're not looking.

We don't want to know.
It's not convenient for us to know.
We'd rather sit in our safe, middle class, comfort zones and stress about things like gas prices and whether or not we can afford a trip to Disney World. We follow celebrity stories on E or online, hungry for the drama therein; meanwhile, real drama is going on right in our own town, perhaps even right down the street.

To refuse to see or know that human trafficking is taking place makes us, on some level, complicit in the crime itself. I'm not saying that you have to become the next James Bond or join the CIA, but there are things we can ALL do to help bring justice and freedom to these victims of slavery. There are organizations like CYRUS, INT'L and A21 which you can join & support and through which you can educate yourself.

I challenge you to open your eyes and see what is going on right in front of you.
Rent these 2 movies: TAKEN (staring Liam Neeson) and TRADE (starring Kevin Klein).
Take a stand.
Raise awareness.
There's a new abolition movement and it's going to take every ounce of humanity for it to succeed.
Watch these movies & talk about them with your family and your friends.

I dare you.

*Please note: the two films mentioned above are very disturbing and (especially Trade) are very graphic. Even so, they are important films and need to be seen. Do not watch them with children present.

Carole has written an amazing post about this topic over at her blog: Check it out

Not My Gifting...

2009-08-21T10:47:00.006-05:00

I can cook and I make pretty cool cakes.

I can write and I'm a fast reader.
And I can organize -- other people's spaces (apparently NOT my own).
But there is one thing that I have not been gifted to do.

Actually, there are a lot of things that are not "my gifting."

I can't sing.
I can't dance.
And I can't paint.
Seriously.
Even when I try reallllly hard and I'm oh, so careful and tape around everything and take my time... it still ends up looking like a preschooler did it.
Nope.
Painting is not one of my gifts, but that's ok, 'cuz I've got Carole!

My friend -- over at the Wardrobe & the White Tree -- she knows how to paint!
And do you know what's really sickening?
She doesn't even have to tape off first!

Seriously, if you live in the Baton Rouge area and you need something painted (interior, exterior, furniture, etc.), she is the person to call! Check out her video of some of the things she's painted:
She'll Paint ANYTHING.

Look what she did for me:

BEFORE

AFTER!

What I Did Last Summer...

2009-08-19T21:39:00.012-05:00

Now that school is back in full swing, my thoughts turn to my own childhood days when I would begin a new school year.

Everyone remembers the dreaded, "What I Did Last Summer" essays assigned by (I believe) every 6th grade teacher in these contiguous United States. The story lines droned on, swimming together in their similarities...

... a week at Church Camp...
... weekend with my grandparents...
... nothing. Just watched TV...
dotted with the occasional blast of excitement when some lucky classmate would gloat over a family vacation to Disney World or the Grand Canyon.
But those were few & far between.

Too bad my kids are homeschooled.
They would have the coolest essays because this summer was nothing short of life-changing.
My two older daughters had the privilege of participating in Healing Place Church's Summer Student Internship known as Navigate & Saturate.

For almost 8 weeks, they attended classes on dealing with world issues (homelessness, poverty, etc.) and Biblical studies.And they worked hard... serving it up for the community in true HPC fashion!

Some or all of the interns were involved with each of these outreaches:
They held car washes (completely free)
cleaned up & painted a school and playground
visited nursing homes and spent time with the patients
participated in the homeless breakfast outreach (NoPlace)
stood on blazing street corners & gave away ice-cold water
spent an afternoon serving kids of the inner city
& volunteering with VBS.

But it wasn't ALL work. ;)

There was a lot of playtime as well.
Hiking through Tunica Hills
Field Day
Free Manicures
Bowling
and, let's not forget, Medieval Day!Each day was exhausting and every day was a blast.
I wish I could have done something like this when I was their age.
Beats spending their days at the mall or lounging in front of the tv.
Best of all, they can't wait to do it all over again next summer.

Students Serving
THIS is the future of HPC!

Something Bigger Coming...

2009-08-11T14:54:00.006-05:00

Yesterday, I met with two very dear friends who also happen to be writers.
We have made a commitment to one another to hold each other accountable, to pray for one another, and to support one another through this crazy process of writing and publishing our books.
I always come away from our meetings refreshed and enlightened and highly motivated to write.

One of these friends is going through a time of testing as changes she didn't anticipate begin to take place. As she sat sharing her concerns with us, I had a very clear glimpse of what God is doing in her life... It seemed fairly obvious to me that He is moving things around -- shifting her responsibilities and priorities -- because He is about to do something bigger.
Much bigger.

While she was fretting that the impending changes were ominous for her "vision," it suddenly became apparent (to me) that the opposite was true.
These changes would actually make it possible for her dream to become reality!

And then it hit me:
How often do I do the same thing... worry about something that isn't going like I planned only to later discover God's hand was in it all along?
Why is it so hard for us -- for ME -- to remember that God sees the bigger picture?
He knows what lies before us and He sees the path's end even while we are still very near its beginning.
Why can't we trust Him with the vision He has given us?

I am speaking more to myself here, than to my friend.
While encouraging her with these very words, I felt a nudge in my own spirit.

When God gives you a vision -- a task, a mission, a purpose -- your only concern should be obedience to that task.
But so often, we take the burden upon ourselves of making the dream a reality.
This was never part of His plan, yet we act as though "if I don't do it, nobody will."
We forget that God is in control and no matter what obstacles the enemy places in our path -- as long as we are faithful to what we have been given -- God will bring it all to completion.
It may not be in the time we allotted and it may not come about just as we envisioned, but if it is truly from God, He will make it happen.
When we come across detours or roadblocks, we shouldn't falter. Perseverance and unwavering trust should be our standard response.

I write this here as a reminder to myself the next time I start to worry and fret about writing my book proposal and sending those query letters... it's not my job to publish this book.
I have only been given the task of writing it.
It's up to God to do the rest.
(whew!)

Boo! Hiss!

2009-07-29T18:59:00.011-05:00

There's something wrong with this picture...

Warner Bros.' new horror movie Orphan proclaims that:
"It must be hard to love an adopted child as much as your own."

I beg your pardon?

Let me get this straight: in this age of over-zealous, political correctness, it's not ok to bash any group of people EXCEPT... oh, let's say, a child who has lost both parents?
In a time when orphanages are overrun and the foster care system busting at the seams, Hollywood thinks it's perfectly acceptable to paint orphans as little sociopaths waiting to destroy your family.
Nice.
Oh, it's a horror film all right.
I'm horrified that this movie even made it into production.

Hey, while we're at it, why don't we go ahead and make fun of the children starving in Ethiopia, too? I mean, there's gotta be some good fodder there, right?
Really, what makes them -- what made ANYONE who approved this movie, at any level -- think this was acceptable?
And why would we, who know and love many former orphans, support such rubbish at the expense of children?
I have several friends (like Carole)who have adopted and whom I admire greatly for doing so. Their adoption experiences have been nothing short of amazing. This film is an insult to them and everything they hold dear.

Yeah, yeah... I know... this isn't the first movie to take a swipe at orphans or to make light of psychopathy in children.

It's just "make believe;" what's the big deal?

The big deal is this:
Unless you are willing to step up and actually DO something productive to help the people you mean to exploit, then you really should keep your labels to yourself. We don't really need another horror flick, but millions of children really do need a home.

The ONLY thing this movie will accomplish is to hurt the adoption and foster care programs.
Those prospective parents who have lingering doubts about adoption will leave this film convinced that adopting is not for them.
Meanwhile, as the movie's execs sit around counting their millions, 145 million children will go to bed tonight without a real home and without a family.
145 MILLION!

I've got news for Hollywood; that's NOT entertainment.

If you feel the same, then I urge you to please visit:

ORPHANS DESERVE BETTER

Bon Qui Qui Encore

2009-07-25T13:46:00.004-05:00

After the past week, I needed a good laugh. So here it is again... this just never gets old:

Are You Living Your Dream?

2009-07-21T13:57:00.015-05:00

This fall marks the 3rd annual Healing Place Church Women's Conference: Live the Dream
I cannot adequately express to you how important this conference will be.
You see, I almost didn't go to the first one... I thought, "Well, I guess I should go to support my church & Pastor DeLynn," but my heart was not really in it at the time. I simply saw it as one more thing on my extremely long "to-do" list.

That changed almost immediately.
The opening sequence had me in tears within the first 5 minutes. That was followed by amazing worship and incredibly talented speakers.
The entire weekend went beyond all expectations.
There was hilarious entertainment, great food, and luxurious pampering and gifts. Most of all, there were strong women speakers, who had been through some very bad things in their lives, encouraging other women to step up to the plate.

For 3 days, we laughed, we cried, we cheered, and most of all... we were forever changed.

That first conference occurred not long after I had been given my own dream about this book that I am now finishing. I had not really done much with it by that point, but the ladies who spoke that weekend set my heart on fire.
They talked about how we are each given a task in this life -- a journey, or race, if you will -- and it is up to us to finish that race. It's so easy to get side-tracked and start looking behind you to see what (and who) you've left behind. But this is when we are most likely to trip and fall. (It's impossible to successfully run forward while looking back)

Equally dangerous is looking toward others running their races in their own lanes. What happens, when we start longing for different dreams and gifts, is we start to drift into the lanes of other's, into things we were never meant to pursue.
And that can lead to feelings of inadequacy or frustration.
It doesn't matter what your neighbor is doing or if you think you are "behind."
The important thing is to keep your eyes on the prize and finish strong, completing the work God has put before you.

Let go of what's gone and stop living in the past; Look to your future and make that dream a reality.

I can't tell you how much those words and that weekend changed my life.
I stopped taking for granted this short time I have here.
I vowed to step up and be obedient to the call I knew I had been given.
I quit worrying about what others might think and just tried to please the only One Who really matters.
I began to walk in my own lane, and then I began to run in freedom.

This year's conference will be nothing less than inspiring for all who attend with an open heart.
If you are in need of encouragement and refreshing, you do not want to miss it.
I have never regretted my decision to go; indeed, I thank God I decided to go!
You will, too.

Guest speakers this year are: Christine Caine, Bobbie Houston, Charlotte Gambill, and Natalie Grant.
Trust me when I say, you've never seen or heard anything like this before!

Click here to register or for more info:
LIVE THE DREAM '09

AND
To see the awesome video recap from last year's conference,
CLICK HERE

*******

Where No Church Has Gone Before...

2009-07-17T11:18:00.003-05:00

Stardate: 2009 AD

Actually, I can't say "no church" because I'm sure other churches have visited Bourbon Street, but probably not with the same mission we have tonight.

Tonight is Midnight Outreach Training in New Orleans with Church of the King.
We have actually done training with them before & this will be our 3rd time going to Bourbon Street. I smile when I think about my church and how lucky I am to belong to one who allows us to do this outreach. We are very blessed!

Training for this outreach is extremely important. We have rules and they are there to keep us safe as well as to protect the ministry we are trying to do.
As I've mentioned before, we don't preach at the girls or look down on them or make them feel small in any way. We don't gawk or point or act superior.
That is not our purpose.
We look them right in the eyes and smile and hand them a rose (and often, some other small gift).

The 1st time we visited the strip clubs on Bourbon Street, the ladies working there told us that no one had ever done anything like this before. They were very eager to talk to us and know why we would come down to that part of the French Quarter late at night to give them gifts.
We told them that we wanted them to know they are not forgotten. Some of them invited us to come back.

Attached to the roses and gifts are small cards that will point them back to Church of the King (a non-denominational church) and there is a phone number they can call if they need help.

Tonight, we will also be putting up posters in bathrooms for young women who are caught in the sex-trade industry. Bathrooms are sometimes the only safe havens for these young women and the posters will direct them to a hotline where they can receive immediate assistance.

I've been a part of some great churches who did good work, but I can't imagine any of them doing this.
It's time the church tore down its walls.
We are bringing the church to those who might never visit one, voluntarily.
I pray that some hurting girl will find hope tonight -- a glimpse of another life she never thought possible.
That is our mission.

A Less Desirable Point of View

2009-07-13T20:34:00.008-05:00

I have deliberated whether or not to post about this for a couple of days...
I really do NOT want to turn my blog into a political soapbox or battlefield.

But as a Christian and historian, I just cannot keep quiet about such an egregious lapse in clarity and judgment!
I am referring to the recent interview of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg printed in the New York Times: The Place of Women On the Court

Whether you are pro-life (I am) or pro-choice is irrelevant to my point here.
The real issue is the disturbing implication in what she says regarding abortion. If you click on the above link and go to the end of page 3 & top of page 4, you will see what I mean. For the sake of posterity, I will reprint that portion of the article here:

Q: If you were a lawyer again, what would you want to accomplish as a future feminist legal agenda?

JUSTICE GINSBURG: Reproductive choice has to be straightened out. There will never be a woman of means without choice anymore. That just seems to me so obvious. The states that had changed their abortion laws before Roe [to make abortion legal] are not going to change back. So we have a policy that affects only poor women, and it can never be otherwise, and I don’t know why this hasn’t been said more often.

Q: Are you talking about the distances women have to travel because in parts of the country, abortion is essentially unavailable, because there are so few doctors and clinics that do the procedure? And also, the lack of Medicaid for abortions for poor women?

JUSTICE GINSBURG: Yes, the ruling about that surprised me. [Harris v. McRae — in 1980 the court upheld the Hyde Amendment, which forbids the use of Medicaid for abortions.] Frankly I had thought that at the time Roe was decided, there was concern about population growth and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of.

Read that last line again.

Then, remember that this is being said by a woman of Jewish ancestry.

Do you see the problem?

She is referring (casually, at that) to EUGENICS.
This is not taken out of context and it is not being distorted.
I have read and re-read this statement several times trying to make some sense of it -- find some useful purpose for her saying it -- but there is none.
It is simply racist, classist, and downright ignorant.

As a student of history and a staunch egalitarian, I am offended by this remark on multiple levels.

First of all, she takes a paternalistic tone toward women of lower socioeconomic status as though she is fighting for their cause (opposing the ruling of no Medicaid funding for abortions). But implicit in her sympathetic overtures is a much uglier form of discrimination:
"and particularly growth in populations that we don’t want to have too many of"

Beg pardon?
Which populations would those be, Justice Ginsburg?
Poor blacks? Poor whites? The homeless?
The mentally ill or mentally-challenged?
While we're at it, what about those born with grotesque deformities or missing limbs or who are born blind or deaf?
Where -- exactly -- do you draw the line?
How do YOU define populations you seek to limit?

And if this form of reasoning -- and the slippery slope it creates -- sounds vaguely familiar to you, it should.
It was used by NAZI GERMANY as an argument to exterminate the Jewish peoples!

Is that what we have come to?
Defending morally reprehensible choices by using arguments promoted by Hitler, himself?
In Nazi Germany, it was the Jewish peoples who were the "less desirable" population of people.

How can an intelligent woman like Ms. Ginsburg not see the sick irony in her statement?
I completely understand that she *thinks* she is being valiant, defending the unwed mothers of the inner city, but in her zeal to emerge as the "white knight" of abortion rights, she commits a far worse offense than the denial of Medicaid funding ever could.
She devalues the very existence of the people she is supposedly fighting for!
And in the process, she discredits herself with historians and civil rights proponents everywhere.

Oh, be careful little mouth, what you say...
"for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." -- Luke 6:45b

Angry Christians In a Hurting World

2009-07-10T16:35:00.009-05:00

I recently engaged in an email debate with an angry commenter here on my blog. I do not know this person, and it is very apparent (from his highly erroneous remarks) that he does not know me.
Don't bother looking for it; I've already deleted his comment.

I now seriously regret ever writing anything -- on his blog, or in response to his emails. I should have known that it would only lead to aggravation and a waste of my time.

You see, I believe there is nothing worse than a self-righteous Christian with a moral agenda.
And to take the bait and try and persuade or correct them is (usually) a lost cause.

I should know; I used to be one.
I used to have a lot of anger about a lot of things.
There's no need to go into it all here, but things from my childhood, my adolescence, and even some frustrating church experiences all fed the anger and bitterness I had inside. Hypocrisy in church leadership and anything-but-Jesus-like behavior from those who sat beside me each Sunday did little to extinguish my smoldering heart.

Because (I'd like to think) I am a kind person with a decent heart, I channeled my anger into noble causes. Rather than just be angry and hateful to everyone, I directed my wrath toward those who were racist, sexist, or in any other way, prejudiced. I denounced those who called themselves Christian while engaging in behavior unworthy of that title.
The blatant irony escaped me.

The problem was not in my noticing their wrong, but in my failure to look inside myself and see my own hypocrisy and poor example.
I called myself a Christian and I still believed in "loving my neighbor," but I had never learned the concept of "GRACE before justice."

For me -- and for most angry Christians -- JUSTICE is the battle cry.
It took years of pain and soul-searching for me to finally realize that God is not all that interested in justice. At least, not in the immediate sense.

If justice were His primary goal & concern, none of us would be given salvation because none of us -- no, not one -- deserves the gift He gave us.
We have done nothing to earn it.
Moreover, He has not given us what we *really* deserve!

While I agree that the Bible gives us a mandate to expose heresy and wrongdoing within our ranks, it does not grant us the right to damn everyone to hades or beat them over the head with our club of righteousness.
Really, what (exactly) do we think that will accomplish?

Anger -- in and of, itself -- is not a sin.
It's what we do in that state of anger that exposes the very nature of our own hearts.
Jesus, Himself, showed righteous anger in the temple.
But the story doesn't end with Jesus driving out the money-changers!
Indeed, of all the many stories and parables we are given to demonstrate how we are to live, righteous anger is only one small part.
Much greater in His teaching and example are the commissions to love one another, forgive one another, and extend one another the grace that we have been given. There are more examples of Jesus' COMPASSION than there are of His anger!

Now, instead of looking for the mistakes of others, I try to see myself the way others perceive me. Do they see Jesus in me or do they only see anger and a passion for justice? My prayer is that God would help me change the faults in my own heart, in my own lack of mercy.

Look, if we are filled with such vile contempt for our fellow man -- even toward those we think most deserve it (our errant brothers and sisters in Christ!) -- then how can we ever represent Jesus to the world who doesn't know Him?
If all the world ever sees is the back-biting and slander and poisonous arrows we fling toward one another, they will never believe our message of love, peace, and hope.
And who could blame them?
In the end, we become the biggest hypocrites of all!
Honestly, I'm surprised that God doesn't just "fire" us all for being such poor representatives of His love and mercy.
But there, again, is a testament to His grace.

What will the world see in you?

So Much to Say, So Little Time...

2009-07-07T09:39:00.004-05:00

I really need to get a laptop.

My OWN laptop.

Being out of town for nearly 2 weeks has done nothing for my writing commitment. I need a computer I can take with me so I can write wherever I go. Of course, the laptop I really want is a bit pricey. I have had my eye on a Mac Book Pro for some time now. I'm starting to think that I should get the smaller one, though, so it will be more portable. And it's about $1000 less than the one I have been drooling over.

My goal is to sell enough on eBay in the next couple of months to purchase it along with the software to make it compatible with my PC. Clay and I are well on our way to becoming debt-free so I don't want to use regular income to make this purchase. I would love to pay for it entirely from eBay earnings.
We'll see.

Arkansas was good, but it went by so fast and I didn't get to see everyone I wanted to see or for as long as I wanted to see them. Despite being there 12 days, I found myself wishing I had another week. Even so, it's good to be home.

Despite my lack of notebook, I did manage to get *some* writing done while I was gone. I purchased a small, spiral-bound journal and used it to make notes as they came to me and to organize my chapter topics. It is my goal to have the book finished (or nearly so) by the end of July.
That may sound ambitious, but I need to focus solely on writing, eBay, and my family this month. Everything else will have to wait.

Oh, and exercise. I have really neglected working out these past few months and I can feel it. I have more energy when I exercise regularly. Besides that; I am stuck. I've lost 87 pounds, but I have stalled out there. Perhaps if I start working out again, it will get things moving.

I could go on and on here about all that has happened over the past couple of weeks, but I think I'll just end it here. There's never enough time to say all that I want.
Besides, my book is calling...

Funny Papers

2009-06-20T18:14:00.004-05:00

I have always loved to write and at one time, I wanted to be a journalist (among other things). I wrote for my high school newspaper and I have written for a couple of websites and a small magazine. One of my biggest pet peeves is poor writing (something I even catch myself doing!). I find myself mentally correcting people's grammar and I subconsciously edit (and editorialize!) every news article I read.
Shocking, I know.

A friend of mine emailed this to me the other day and I thought it was hilarious!
You may have seen it before, but I just had to print it here. I rewrote a couple of the comments below, but the headlines are all original:

Man Kills Self Before Shooting Wife and Daughter

This one I caught in the Tribune the other day and I called the Editorial Room and asked
who wrote this. It took two or three readings before the editor realized
that what he was reading was impossible!!!

Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says

No way! Really? Ya think?

Police Begin Campaign to Run Down Jaywalkers

Now that's taking things a bit far!

Miners Refuse to Work after Death

Can't really blame them, can you?

Juvenile Court to Try Shooting Defendant

Whatever happened to a fair trial?!

War Dims Hope for Peace

I can see where it might have that effect!

If Strike Isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last Awhile

Possibly.

Cold Wave Linked to Temperatures

Who would have thought?

Enfield (London) 20Couple Slain; Police Suspect Homicide

That would be my guess, too!

Red Tape Holds Up New Bridges

You mean there's something stronger than duct tape?

Man Struck By Lightning: Faces Battery Charge

He probably IS the battery charge!

New Study of Obesity Looks for Larger Test Group

Ok....

Astronaut Takes Blame for Gas in Spacecraft

It wasn't me!

Kids Make Nutritious Snacks

Do they taste like chicken?

Local High School Dropouts Cut in Half

That'll teach 'em to stay in school!

Hospitals are Sued by 7 Foot Doctors

You think height gives them an advantage?

And the winner is.....

Typhoon Rips Through Cemetery; Hundreds Dead

Did I read that right?

Raisha's (EXTREMELY) Belated Birthday Party!

2009-06-17T20:29:00.010-05:00

If you read my last post, case in point:

My youngest daughter's birthday was at the end of March. It's mid-June.
Yeah, that's what kind of season it's been... I don't think I've ever been this late with the parties, but sadly, all 3 will be late this year.

Sunday evening we held Raisha's 5th Birthday party here at the house. She wanted a
"Wall-E" party so I made Wall-E and Eva cakes. There was a spaceship space-walk for the little kids and older kids got to swim. To top it off, we had a pinata shaped like a star! It was hotter than blazes, but still lots of fun.
Here are some pics from the night:

Wall-E

Eva

The Birthday Girl

Family & Friends!

Make a Wish!

Abel about to smack the pinata!

Frustrated Rant

2009-06-15T09:20:00.005-05:00

I am just about in tears...
Some days, I really do wish I could clone myself.

I know, everyone wishes that sometimes, but lately, it's becoming a constant wish for me... I think that speaks volumes about my life right now and how out-of-control it has become.

I keep hearing Pastor Dino's many warnings against "busy-ness" and Pastor Mike Haman's reminder that God is not impressed with how much we do, and yet, I seem almost powerless to stop it.
Without hurting people, I mean.

People say, "Just learn to say, 'No!'" ...as long as it's not to them.
When I TRY to get control of the chaos -- put my family first, take care of my health, work on the book God has given me to write -- I have to say NO to people I love.
I have had to say no a lot lately.
I just can't keep going at the pace I have been.

I have friends like Carole Turner who seem like Energizer bunnies who can go and go and go. I am constantly in awe of all that she does. I start to feel guilty because I am not giving and doing as much as she does, but the truth is, I just was not designed that way. That's not who I am.

Sometimes, I think, if I ask for some time "off," I am being selfish.
There is ALWAYS a friend in need, someone who needs to talk, a project which needs assistance... And then I look around at my family and wonder when is it THEIR turn? Where do they fall on my list of priorities?

I want to be there for my friends... go to dinner, watch their kids, help them with whatever they need or are going through, but at what cost?

The funny thing is that it's a double-edged sword.

I am grateful for having so many friends and I wouldn't want to give up a single one of them; they are all important to me.
But it's almost like they don't know the others exist.

So, one is pouting because I didn't call her this week, but she doesn't know that I have been nurturing another friend who is going through something really rough. Another is mad because I didn't help her with what she needed, but she doesn't realize that I have been giving and giving to someone else that there is just nothing left.
Another friend is growing impatient for us to go to lunch again, but what she doesn't know is that I haven't had lunch (or dinner!) alone with my husband in months.

I don't want to push anyone away, but I feel like God is telling me to make a choice.
And in my heart, I know it's not even a choice.
HE comes first.
Then my family.
I hope my real friends will understand.
There is only so much of me to give.

Happy SWEET 16 Nadia!! <3 <3 <3

2009-06-03T13:11:00.004-05:00

I can't believe I have a 16-year old~! How did that happen??

It seems like yesterday that THIS PICTURE was taken:

Happy Birthday to my intelligent, beautiful, sweet 16 year old -- Nadia!

I Love You!

The Circle of Life

2009-05-31T16:26:00.004-05:00

I have not posted in a week, partly out of respect for my friends' loss and partly because I just didn't have the heart to write anything.

I have been so sad this past week, achingly sad for my friends -- Herman and Lisa and their other 3 children -- in losing their precious 2 yr. old angel, Vivian. I have grieved and I have cried until there are no tears left. And yet, my life goes on relatively unchanged.
Not so for them.
Their lives are forever altered by the events of a few horrible minutes.

Lisa has been posting on Vivian's Caring Bridge site, using it to journal her thoughts and feelings during these first few days of raw emotion and crushing defeat. Reading her courageous words and realizing just what lies before her humbles me beyond belief.
How can any mother endure such a loss?

At Vivian's funeral last Monday, they played the song, "Circle of Life" (from The Lion King) and it seemed so apropos.
With Vivian's passing comes the renewing of other lives.
By making the choice to donate her precious organs, Lisa and Herman have guaranteed that one or more other babies or young children will LIVE.
Somewhere -- during the same week when we were all fervently praying and waiting -- there were parents hovering over their own children's hospital beds, anxiously awaiting news of a miracle -- praying those same desperate prayers for mercy and intervention.

Sometimes the answer, inexplicably, is "No."
But sometimes when God says "No" to one prayer, He is actually saying "Yes" to several other prayers.
I'm sure this brings minimal comfort to Herman and Lisa at this time, but just knowing that Vivian's death was not in vain -- that somewhere, parents are rejoicing and praising God that their own child will live -- gives hope for the future.
It really is the Circle of Life.

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T14:17:00.008-05:00

In Honor of Those Who Served

An officer spoke briefly at our church yesterday morning, but something he said really hit home with me:
"It's not just about KEEPING peace; it's about
MAKING peace."

Sometimes, some very hard decisions have to be made and carried out in order to achieve this goal. There is not always a peaceful means to a peaceful end.
Sure, in an ideal world, there would be.
But we do not live in an ideal world.
This is our reality:
People fight and die so that the rest of us can live free.

It's horrible and wrong when atrocities are committed in the path to that freedom, but we can never let them overshadow those who fight bravely and nobly so that good is achieved.

And there are some things we should
never apologize for;
Sometimes the end really does justify the means.

God bless our soldiers, police officers, firefighters, and first responders
Those who served and who now serve.

God Bless Baby Vivian

2009-05-21T23:11:00.004-05:00

My heart is broken.
Sweet, little Vivian left us today, but I know that we will see her again. That is a comfort no one can take away.
Please continue to lift up Lisa and Herman and their children during this difficult time of grief and mourning. Pray that they would feel HELD.
I love this song by Natalie Grant; it says it all:

Sad Weekend

2009-05-18T17:14:00.006-05:00

In case you are wondering why I haven't posted since last Tuesday or, if you are a friend in Arkansas, why you have not heard from me while I'm here...

This has been a very rough few days.
Not long after I arrived here (3 days ago), I received some horrible news.
The two year old daughter of a dear friend was found, nearly drowned, in a swimming pool.
I don't know the details -- how she got there, or how long she was under the water -- and those things are irrelevant now, but I do know it was very serious and now this baby girl is fighting for her life.

The past three days are a blur of phone calls and constantly checking my email for updates on little Vivian's condition. I feel so useless being so far away from my friends... I am cutting my visit in Arkansas short so that I can be there for anything they might need.

We have not stayed in touch like we should in the past year or so, but we have known Herman and Lisa for almost 9 years, literally since we first moved to Baton Rouge.
We were in the same homeschool group for a number of years and our children were great friends. Lisa and I were pregnant at the same time and delivered our 5 year olds just days apart.

Lisa is one of the sweetest people I know and she and Herman are wonderfully kind and generous.
After Hurricane Katrina, they opened their home to a family who had lost everything and housed them for more than a year. And Lisa has been an a blessing to me during some rough seasons of my own... when we talk on the phone, it's never a short conversation. I could talk to her for hours.
This family truly is the salt of the earth.

While I would not wish such a horrific thing to happen even to my worst enemy, it seems especially cruel that this has happened to them.

Little Vivian needs a BIG miracle and we need you to PRAY.

People ask, "Why does something like this happen? Where is God in this tragedy?"
But the truth is that God does not cause sickness and death and disease to happen. These things are in the world because sin and evil are in the world.

We may not understand why things happen the way they do or why our prayers are not always answered the way we would like, but we never have to endure such things alone. God's Word promises that we are never alone when we go through something so painfully difficult. He is always with us.

This is my prayer for Herman and Lisa now... that they would not feel alone for a minute, that they would feel His hands lifting them up and the warmth of His arms around them.
And I continue to pray for a miracle for Vivian, even as her doctors begin to lose their own faith in miracles.
Mostly, I pray that something good can come of all this hurt.
Please keep this family in your prayers.

Where's the Calgon?!?

2009-05-12T15:56:00.003-05:00

Calgon, Take Me Away!!!!

Ok, so I just totally dated myself by saying that, but that really is how I feel right now.

Too much on my plate and not enough time to finish everything. I wish I could just freeze time so I could try and catch up.
First of all, I have totally destroyed our schoolroom in my attempt to "redo" it. I am trying to update it & make it a more organized, usable space, but right now it looks like a tornado came through.
On top of that, I have started exercising for the first time in over a year and lifting weights for the first time in more than two years... and I am FEELING IT!

I have had painters at the house for the past 2 weeks which (even though I wanted it) has totally disrupted my schedule. They did an awesome job, though, so I don't really mind. BTW, if you are in the Baton Rouge area and need a good painter, email me & I'll give you his name.

I am making a lot of progress on my book right now, but this is one of those areas where I wish I could just stop the clock. The desire and motivation are there; the time is not.

I have been helping the HP Women team prepare for our upcoming, annual "Pamper Night." I am assisting Elizabeth and Nikki with procuring vendors from various salons and spas in the local area.
This is a HUGE event where we host approximately 1000 women, treating them to a night of free mini-massage, mani/pedi, eyebrow wax, paraffin wax, facials, and more.
I had no idea how much work went on behind scenes, but I guess you never do until you are a part of it.
In any event, the night is going to be FABULOUS and if you are in the area, you do not want to miss it! Monday night, June 8th -- Mark your calendar!

Finally, I am trying to get the girls and myself packed for a week-long visit in Arkansas.
My niece, Tia, is graduating high school and has received a full scholarship to college! I am so proud of her.
If my posts are sparse for the next week, you'll know why.
I promise to post when I return if not before.
Until then, I'm going to continue in the *slightly* organized chaos which is my life.

Happy Mother's Day /**

2009-05-10T16:21:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I Pause...

2009-05-09T11:45:00.005-05:00

and hesitate to write another blog post when I know I've written something that needs to be read.
It's not that I don't want to write something or that I'm slacking on the blog thing; it's just that I want to make sure the previous message gets through.

I have had confirmation from at least 3 different people who told me my last post struck a chord with them.

One friend told me last night that she started to text yesterday (while driving) and remembered my post and decided to wait until she got to a stopping point.
I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

Perhaps that last post wasn't meant for any ONE person, in particular.
Maybe it was just a wake-up call for several people.
In any event, I'm glad I wrote it and I appreciate the positive responses I have received.

Today, I am recovering from another fabulous MIDNIGHT OUTREACH.
No matter how late I sleep on Saturday morning, it always wipes me out, but in a good way.
I feel like I've really DONE something the day after Midnight.

I don't mind being a little groggy or moving a little slow because I know that THIS MORNING, some girl -- somewhere -- woke up and saw her beautiful rose with the Healing Place Church card attached and right now, she is thinking about calling that number.

I don't mind because I still remember the girl who told us last night that she recently lost her mother and she was so touched by our little gift to her.

I don't mind because I may never know how God chooses to use those few simple hours we gave to further His kingdom.
There's no better feeling in the world.
That's something that should give you pause...

Don't Shoot the Messenger!!!

2009-05-06T14:36:00.014-05:00

Ok, let me just preface this by saying it is NOT aimed at anyone in particular! I have a lot of friends (who I love) who do this and this is not meant to be a scolding of them.

But I was convicted to write this post awhile back (like 3 months ago) and I have put off actually writing it until now...
How many know it's never a good idea to procrastinate on something you think God is telling you to do???
Even now -- as I sit typing -- the words are just pouring out.
Perhaps this is to be a warning for someone I love.
Or maybe for a complete stranger.
Or maybe just for me.
Whatever the reason, just know that I felt REALLY, REALLY compelled to write it.

A couple weeks ago, I heard about this story and I could not shake it from my mind.
Then, last week, I saw a member of my church doing the same thing.
At least, I think it was a member... they were leaving the church parking lot. I didn't really get a good look at them, but that's beside the point.

My point is this: What would it do to your testimony -- not to mention your life --if you accidentally killed someone because you were texting while driving?

Yes, I realize there were other things at play (like speeding) when the woman in the article slammed into a bunch of stopped cars, but there doesn't need to be any other extenuating circumstances for something like this to happen.
As stories like this and this point out, even experienced texters are at risk...
And who can forget these shocking photos?
This young man was texting and accidentally veered into oncoming traffic. He did not survive.

Maybe you think: "Well, but I'm always careful and nothing has happened yet..."
That doesn't mean it won't.
Maybe you think -- because you are a Christian or a good person -- that God won't let anything happen to you while you do this, but He will.
Just as someone who binges on food will become fat and someone who smokes may get lung cancer... even if they are Christians.
Even Christians have to face the consequences of their actions.
And so will their families.

If the articles/pictures/rationale above doesn't sway you, then let me appeal to the very basic fact, that as Christians, we are instructed and expected to obey all laws. Furthermore, we should be ever mindful of how our behaviors are being observed and interpreted by others. What we DO is far more important than what we SAY.

If the deacon of a large church texts while driving and causes a wreck, it won't matter that he's a deacon. He will go to jail.
If a nursery volunteer is texting and accidentally hits and kills a pedestrian, a life is still lost. She has taken a life for a moment of her own convenience.
And she will have to account for that life.

I don't care how important the text may be or if you are too busy to stop, if you need to read/return a text,
PULL OVER.
Or wait for the next stop light.
If you have a wreck while texting, you'll be a whole lot later than if you had just pulled over for 2 minutes.

Like I said, I don't know who this was meant for, but if you are convicted by it, consider yourself warned.
God may be trying to tell you something.

Funny You Should Ask...

2009-05-01T10:03:00.009-05:00

I'm always amused when someone who hasn't seen me in awhile says, "Wow! Eighty-six pounds!! You've got to tell me your secret! How did you do it?"

I never quite know how to answer that.

How do you sum up -- in conversational-length banter -- how God has completely rocked your world?
How do you convey that you haven't just lost 86 pounds and 5 dress sizes, you have lost a HUGE part of your old self (which you aren't missing in the least, by the way).

I'm starting to get the whole "Prophet without honor" thing Jesus talked about. People who have known you for awhile are always skeptical when you change. I recently had a guy who has known me for awhile tell me that he can't figure out who the "real" me really is.

Deep down, I guess none of us believe we are capable of truly changing.
But that's the cool thing.
I didn't do the changing.
HE changed me.

Granted, I had to submit and ask for it... I had to be open to the new ideas and perspectives He was showing me, but it certainly didn't come from my own ability to change, because that just doesn't exist.

I am feeling more and more compelled to get my book finished NOW... and I have made some incredible strides in the past 2 weeks.
I just sense, every time someone asks, that my book will do a much better job explaining it than I ever could.

So, if you could just hold that thought...
I promise, I'll get back to you.

Color BLIND

2009-04-29T18:13:00.015-05:00

Racism is a two-way street.
It is not just a white against black offense.

I was born a vehement anti-racist.

From a very early age, I remember hating injustice and prejudice and I flat-out could not understand why people made such a big deal about SKIN COLOR.
I mean, all we're talking about here is differing levels of melanin, people! What's the big deal???

Growing up in the South, I have been exposed to my fair share of racism and I vowed -- as a young girl -- that MY children would not grow up with the same prejudices I had to endure as a kid.
I took African-American history classes in college and studied the writings and words of Malcolm X, W.E.B. Dubois, Frederick Douglas, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

We home school our children and I have employed women's history and African-American history from the very beginning. I want my children to have a well-rounded view of history, not a slanted, one-sided view.

And, more than anything, I have tried to teach my children to be color-blind.
I NEVER want them to discriminate against another person for any reason, but especially not for something as irrelevant as skin color.

Some days (like today) are definitely harder than others in my endeavor to do this. I'll admit; I'm frustrated right now... It's pretty difficult to teach my children not to judge by nationality or skin color when we, ourselves, are being judged -- on a fairly regular basis -- by those same, superficial standards.

Look, I have many friends -- all different colors & nationalities; this is not a blanket statement aimed at any whole group, but this diatribe is directed at the individuals who exhibit this behavior:

Being rude to someone you don't even know simply because they are a different race than you -- that's racism.

Acting annoyed that someone of another race deigned to speak to you -- that's racism.

Being friendly to customers of your own race, but completely ignoring or acting brusque toward those who are not -- that is racism.

And assuming that any criticism or concerns regarding our new president are based solely on his skin color, that is racism, too!
(Interestingly, this offense is committed mostly by overzealous, WHITE liberals!)

I have voiced concerns and criticisms of EVERY president that has been in office since I began voting -- including the ones I voted for, by the way.
I am PROUD that our nation has its first African-American President. It was long overdue!
But I still have concerns and that does NOT make me a racist.

And even though history paints a very ugly picture of racist behavior, sanctioned by laws and government, there is no defense for such behavior -- by ANYONE -- today.
I am not responsible for the actions of >4oo years of idiots. If I could erase the pain and anger and injustice, believe me, I would wipe it out in a heartbeat.

There is only one thing you need to know about me:
I am a Christian.
That is ALL that should matter.
I want THAT to be what you see when you look at me.

I believe that Jesus died for every person and because of that, every person should be valuable in our sight.
We are all made in God's image, no matter what color our skin may be.

And we will ALL -- black, white, olive, ruddy -- have to answer for the way we treat other people and the attitudes of our hearts.
ALL of us.

Honestly, I wish that we could all just blend into one, nondescript skin tone.
But then, I suppose, we would just find something else on which to set ourselves apart.
And as long as we do, hate will continue to win.
We all have to make a conscious decision to hang up those attitudes which work to drive us apart.

Can't we all just be color blind???

Happy Birthday Sweetie!

2009-04-28T21:20:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was my husband, Clay's birthday. He turned 47.
I used to say that he "robbed the cradle," because I always felt so much younger than him, but now that I'm pushing 40, it doesn't feel the same.
We are still 7.5 years apart in age, but the older you get, the less age difference matters.
Unless you are the oldest in the group... which lately, has been more and more frequent for me.
I don't know how I feel about that.

But anyway: ~~~HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLAY~~~!
I love you!

Even if you don't read my blog.
=/

At The Heart of Servolution

2009-04-23T19:58:00.011-05:00

Reading this newest book by Pastor Dino Rizzo has been nothing short of awe-inspiring. I have read many great books in my lifetime, but few promise to change the lives of their readers as this one is sure to do.
This isn't just a book about serving people; it's a formula for a revolution.
A revolution of hearts and minds... a "Servolution."

Pastor Dino defines "Servolution":

1) To initiate a complete and radical change of a person's life through simple acts of kindness for the glory of God.
2) God's kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
3) A church revolution through serving.

The author makes it very clear that his church is not looking for a badge, or a pat on the back, or recognition of any kind. What this book aims to do is share its amazing story of purpose which revolutionized a congregation and which is revolutionizing a city.

The interesting thing about serving Jesus-style is that it becomes infectious. Once you start, you just can't stop! I have seen this at work in my church and within my own family.
The spirit of giving is, at once, contagious and cathartic.
I say cathartic, because serving tends to purge us of our self-centered negativity.

When you are giving shelter to a family of Katrina victims, your problems suddenly don't seem so bad.
When you hand a bag of groceries to a young, single mom with three hungry mouths to feed, your financial situation starts to look pretty good.
When you hold a homeless woman who is addicted to crack and allow her to pour out her soul on your shoulder, you are reminded just how blessed you really are.

Servolution wants nothing more than to share the wealth of blessing which has rained down upon
Healing Place Church since the inception of this mission. It wasn't planned or orchestrated; it was simply taking advantage of the opportunities to serve we are all given, each and every day. It's about filling a need.
Moreover, it's about seeing people -- ALL people -- through the compassionate eyes of our Savior.
When you see the need through His eyes, you are always compelled to act.

So many churches spend time and money striving to build their congregation and increase their attendance. Too many churches today are left scratching their heads wondering where the people have gone.
When a church adopts a heart of serving, people are automatically drawn to it -- a magnetic pull on their own hearts. They WANT to be a part of the effort. They quickly realize that they are part of something much bigger than themselves... something eternal.

Servolution will, in one moment, make you laugh out loud and, in another, leave you speechless. You will weep tears of compassion and even more tears of gratitude.
However you read it you will not be left unchanged.

New Faves

2009-04-21T17:28:00.003-05:00

Two songs I can't get out of my head right now... both very powerful.
Listen.

The Heart of a Servant

2009-04-16T15:46:00.007-05:00

I have been a Christian since I was 10 years old. I truly loved God and believed with all my heart that I was going to heaven. I never vacillated from my convictions even while contemplating law school or possibly, a master's degree in Philosophy.
But I wasn't really happy.
Or even content, for that matter.

Honestly, I don't think I even knew it until my life took a 180* degree turn.

Over the many years of my Christian walk, I couldn't help but feel that something was missing -- something that went beyond just reading my Bible and spending time in prayer. So, I signed up for committees. I was on the "Kitchen committee," and I helped out in "Children's Ministry" and the church nursery. We started faithfully attending Sunday School and joined in a young-marrieds supper club.
But the lack was still there.

When we arrived at Healing Place Church ~5 years ago, I was definitely at a crossroads in my faith. Coming off (yet another) VERY disappointing experience at the church we had just left, I truly wondered if there was anything REAL out there. I was definitely burnt out, with religion, in particular. The church seemed to be full of so many hypocrites. My personal faith in Christ never wavered, but my conviction to attend a local church certainly did!

So, it was with great trepidation and extreme caution that we first visited Healing Place. Sure, the people were super friendly & very warm & welcoming, but we knew that veneers were only so thick. For the first year or so that we were at HPC, I was subconsciously waiting for the other shoe to drop. I was definitely NOT in a good place, mentally or spiritually. I was angry and tired and disappointed and leery. I just knew that I was going to get hurt again.

Truthfully, the amazing worship & anointed preaching is what kept me from just hanging up "church" altogether. I started to get involved -- began working in the nursery -- so that I could feel more a part of this amazing church.
And I really started to LISTEN.
The words coming from Pastor Dino Rizzo's mouth -- and indeed, from all of the pastors' -- were like none I had ever heard before. In addition to a very heartfelt plea for salvation, the message that was being spoken, and in fact, LIVED OUT, in the people of Healing Place, was a message of SERVING.
Get involved.

Get outside of yourself.

Do something for someone else without looking for the credit or glory.

BE Jesus; don't just "talk" Jesus.

It's Not About YOU.

That last one hit me harder than anything else.
The realization that my time on this earth was not about what I think I deserve or "think" I want to do; my time here is meant for me to be the hands and feet of Jesus to everyone I encounter. To look on them with the love that my God has for them... to see them the way HE does.
Get over yourself & start serving others.

And so I did.
I started volunteering in the inner city at our Dream Center and on Midnight Outreach. I signed up to clean the battered women's shelter & visit nursing homes. I took meals to new mothers and handed out bottled water in rush-hour traffic.
And it changed my life in more ways than I could ever list here.
I LOVE serving and I can't imagine my life now without it.
The peace and joy and completion that my life had lacked for so long, are now ever present in the knowledge that I am doing what I was called to do. And my journey thru serving has only just begun.

It's not about earning salvation.
That is freely given by our Savior.
It's about changing the heart of the church -- the image of Christians and Christianity -- by actually doing what Christ asked us to do: SERVE.

Looking back on the past 5 years, I can hardly believe that I am the same person who first walked through those doors. Indeed, SO much has changed for me -- on the inside and the out -- that I feel like a new creation.
Really.
That may sound cliche or pretentious, but that's truly how I feel.

And it's with this new-found love for serving that I now pick up my Pastor's book, SERVOLUTION, and begin reading.
I can't wait to see where this goes...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T15:53:00.002-05:00

Watch This: LOCAL NEWS

Get Your SERVE On!

2009-04-09T10:55:00.007-05:00

Wow! What a week this has been!
I'm really kinda sad to see it come to an end, but as we all know, the "Servolution" should continue every day because that is what we are here to do. Even if it's only buying someone a cup of coffee or smiling at a homeless vagabond, perhaps offering him a bite to eat... That is serving.

I think, too often, people think they have to be part of some elaborate outreach and miss time from work or neglect their families to make a difference. This just isn't so!
Some of the simplest acts of kindness count, and truthfully, it is often the "simple acts of kindness" we take most for granted.
Like not honking at the guy who just cut you off in traffic.
Or paying for the gas for the mom of 4 at the gas pump next to you.
Even taking a colleague out to lunch or for coffee is a way that YOU can serve & show Christ's love through actions, not just words.

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to be a part of (quite possibly) one of the MOST FUN outreaches my church does on a regular basis:
Water Give-Away!
This outreach consists of us standing at a busy intersection during a busy time of day and handing out ICE COLD bottled water to people sitting in traffic.
The various reactions we receive range from baffling to hilarious.

For most, they just can't believe that we are doing this for FREE -- really, for FREE (not just saying "free," and then asking for donations). Invariably, many of them will reach into their purse or wallet & try to hand us a buck or two, but we just smile and say,
"NOPE; this is FOR YOU, Free."

Some people won't even look at us... they are probably so used to peddlers & panhandlers asking for spare change. Or maybe they think we are some wacko cult group spreading propaganda.
The ones who actually take a chance and open their windows always seem both relieved and shocked that it's nothing but a gift -- no strings attached!
I really do think this has become one of my favorite outreaches.

Today, the girls & I will meet up with a team & go hand out candy to people sitting in, & working at, the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles). Those people could seriously use a boost to their blood sugar & something to make the wait a *tad* more bearable. This should prove to be very interesting.

Here are some pictures from our water outreach yesterday.
It was a gorgeous day & an amazing experience.

Me (far right) & some of the ladies I served with yesterday.

Merely a third of our team, led by the very cool
Paul Charbonnet (bottom right)

Me & Karina after the outreach was over...

In all, we gave out 800 (EIGHT HUNDRED!!!!) bottles of water in just a little over an hour!
How's that for efficient?

Servolutionizing Our City!

2009-04-07T22:26:00.004-05:00

If you're wondering why I haven't posted more about Servolution this week, it's because I'm TIRED. =P
But it's a *good* tired, if you know what I mean...

And it's not over yet!
There are still 2 more days of Servolution left, leading up to Easter weekend.

Tomorrow, I am working with HP Women in the morning, planning our big, "PAMPER NIGHT" in early June. This is when we treat women in our church and community to an evening of FREE spa treatments, delicious food, and awesome door prizes! I am on the committee for assigning vendors and making sure we have enough masseuses and estheticians on the floor. Local spas and salons donate their hours to providing these services for our ladies to enjoy in a night of appreciation and encouragement.

After that, I will be heading out with a team to hand out free water bottles at some busy intersection in Baton Rouge during rush hour traffic. I have always wanted to do this kind of outreach & I can't wait.

But the outreach I am most looking forward to, is the DMV Outreach on Thursday afternoon. The girls and I will go with a team of Serve volunteers to pass out candy bars to patrons waiting in line at the DMV. I love it! The creativity of these various outreaches just blows me away.

Oh, I almost forgot!
Tonight, my church hosted "Feed the Children" and held a "PB & Shaq" night.
Shaquille O'Neal was there (he's a native of Baton Rouge) and to get in, each person was to donate 10 jars of peanut butter to "Feed the Children." It was a crazy-fun night & a LOT of peanut butter was donated to go to hungry families across the country. I've always thought that Shaq was a pretty cool guy; now I know he is!

Well, I am off to bed before I fall out from exhaustion... more posts & pictures to come!

Servolution DAY 2

2009-04-04T20:45:00.006-05:00

What a gloriously beautiful day!

Day 2 of Servolution week dawned sunny & bright, cool & crisp -- absolutely PERFECT!
We all met at the Highland campus for the kick-off rally & to get our assignments. The girls and I signed up for the nursing home outreach, but that was just one of several to choose from. Just a sampling of what the volunteers of HPC did today:

*Passing out dog treats @ the dog park (City Park)
*Free car wash
*Painting houses
*Adopt-a-block (picking up trash, mowing lawns, etc)
*Foster-care outreach
*Cleaning the battered women's shelter

Our team, led by the very awesome Mary Beth Guedry, went to one of several area nursing homes. There, we painted the ladies' fingernails and chatted with the residents. Most of us brought our young children with us on the outreach and this was such a treat for the residents of the home... they just fawned over Raisha and spoiled her with hugs & kisses. Raisha colored pictures and gave them out to some of the patients.

We brought some games and cards to play with the residents and Natasha spent most of the time playing "Go Fish" and "Old Maid" with a sweet lady in a wheelchair. Even though her hands were obviously gnarled and twisted from rheumatoid arthritis, she still managed to beat Natasha in the first game and tie her in the second!

Nadia diligently and patiently painted fingernails, gently removing old polish and applying a fresh coat. She did a beautiful job!
I'm so proud of all 3 of my girls for giving up their Saturday to go & spend time with these sweet, elderly people. I explained to them that while many of the nursing home residents have family and friends who come to visit, many of them don't. Spending the day with them, talking to them and loving on them, was the PERFECT way to "be Jesus" to these lovely people... it's a day we won't soon forget.

THANK YOU Healing Place Church for allowing us to be a part of something so beautiful & life-changing!

And So It Begins...

2009-04-03T12:29:00.008-05:00

TODAY
is the first day of SERVOLUTION week!

I have already spotted several of our red shirts out & about around Baton Rouge this morning.
EARLY today, volunteers took FREE donuts to area bus stops to give to people while they were waiting.
And RIGHT NOW, more than 600 packs of gum are being handed out in downtown Baton Rouge to people working in the offices of various government and private businesses.
Later today will be a watermelon outreach at a couple of local high schools... the list goes on and on...

I was up early & off to Sam's to buy 100 red roses to pass out tonight for MIDNIGHT OUTREACH.
Several ladies from the "Moms Lifegroup" met me at the Annex to de-thorn the roses and tie ribbons and cards onto each rose. This evening, these same roses will be given to strippers and prostitutes to let them know that they are valuable and loved, right here, right now, just as they are.

For the next 7 days -- leading right up to Easter weekend -- there will be various outreaches going on all over the city of Baton Rouge.
Indeed, now that approx. 240 churches are participating world-wide, Servolution might be happening somewhere near YOU, in YOUR town.

You see, my church believes in BEING Jesus to those we meet, not just talking about Him.
We strive to be the "hands and feet" who are doing what we were instructed to do: SERVE.

All too often, the enemy would have us believe that we can't do anything until we get our own "stuff" together. That's a lie.
Your life does not have to be perfect to be used by God. If you keep waiting for the day that it is, it will never come. And when you get to the end of your life, you will regret not stepping out sooner.

It doesn't take much... a simple smile, buying the guy behind you a cup of coffee, offering to pay for the groceries of the young mom in line, taking home-baked cookies to your local police or fire station... even picking up trash in your own neighborhood or washing out your neighbors' trash cans are simple ways you can be a servant for Christ.

What are you waiting for?
The world doesn't need a revolution;
It needs a SERVOLUTION.

^\ HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATASHA! /^

2009-04-01T14:14:00.013-05:00

Today is my middle ~~monkey's~~ daughter's 12th birthday...
She's almost a teenager :O
HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATASHA!

Natasha, the INCREDIBLE!

Natasha, the count-pirate (???)

Casual Natasha

Natasha, the big-game zoologist!

Rainforest Natasha =)

Natasha, the "Bumble"-maker

Queen Natasha -- the Magnificent!

I can't believe 12 years have flown by...
I love you more each day!
Have a wonderful birthday =)

@}-- Happy Birthday Raisha! --{@

2009-03-27T10:54:00.016-05:00

Five years ago today... My baby girl was born!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY RAISHA!!

Raisha, the baby kangaroo...

Hey! This tastes pretty good...!

Raisha, the pirate

Raisha, the food critic...

Raisha, the butterfly fairy

Raisha contemplating the inconsistencies of her reality and reflecting on the question re: eternal existence of matter...

Raisha & Eva @ Disney World

Raisha holding "Simba."

I love you!

To SERVE

2009-03-24T15:24:00.015-05:00

You know, all too often, the world judges Christians by the squeaky wheels who make us look so bad... you know the type: hyper-judgmental and anything BUT full of love, the extremists who do everything EXCEPT what Jesus really called us to do: To Love and to SERVE.
Why is that?
Because that is all they choose to see.

-->>They don't see us feeding the homeless at 6 am... or us giving shelter to the runaway who is fleeing abuse.
-->>They don't see us at midnight, taking roses to the strip clubs to tell the girls there that they are VALUABLE and worthy to be loved.
-->>They don't see our volunteers spending countless hours tutoring at-risk youth in the inner city, giving them the time and attention they desperately need, several times a week.
-->>They don't see our college kids and high schoolers using their summer vacation to go and feed starving orphans in Africa and Brazil and Honduras and India...

They don't see it because it doesn't fit into their tidy, politically-correct view of who we are.
But that doesn't change reality.
The "nut jobs" might get the most media attention, but we are the ones building a legacy... for those who are not yet here.

You see, there ARE Christians out there who really are trying to walk out their faith and be the "hands and feet" of Jesus to EVERYONE they meet.
If you don't believe me, just check this out:

At last check, there are more than 200 churches, worldwide, that are participating in SERVOLUTION!

That is simply phenomenal!

What is a "Servolution" you ask?
"Sharing God's love and changing lives through simple acts of kindness."

Our very own pastor, Dino Rizzo, wrote the book, SERVOLUTION which will be debuting very soon...
Here are just a FEW of the things we will be doing during Servolution Week (April 3-9):

*FREE (no donations!) CAR WASHES
*VISITING AREA NURSING HOMES
*CLEANING the BATTERED WOMEN'S SHELTER (and pampering the ladies, too!)
*PASSING OUT FREE BOTTLED WATER TO PEOPLE SITTING IN RUSH-HOUR TRAFFIC
*SERVING BREAKFAST TO HOMELESS VETERANS
*CLEANING/PAINTING/DOING YARDWORK FOR AREA WIDOWS
*PASSING OUT CANDY TO PEOPLE SITTING AT THE DMV
*PICKING UP TRASH & MOWING LAWNS ("Adopt-a-Block")
*FREE AUTO REPAIR & OIL CHANGES FOR SINGLE MOMS & WIDOWS

---->>> And this list is, by no means, complete. This is a mere sampling of the activities we will carry out (and, in fact, DO carry out on a regular basis!).

But, the really cool thing is, you don't have to be a member of Healing Place Church to help out! In fact, you don't even have to live in Louisiana!

"Servolution is about churches partnering together and reaching out to their communities through simple acts of kindness for the soul purpose of expressing the love of God to people in our community."

YOUR very own church can sign up to get involved and be a part of one amazing week showing the world what it really means to be followers of Christ. And there are tons of ideas with practical tips and information for you to get started. Just click here:

Day 6 -- Magic Kingdom Goodbye...

2009-03-17T21:44:00.023-05:00

The saddest day in the "happiest place on earth" is always the last day...

But we still managed to have fun & the weather was (once again) PERFECT!

Getting ready to go into the park... I think Clay's had a *little* too much fun here!

Mickey's house in "Mickey's Toon Town Fair"

Inside Mickey's house!

Mickey's kitchen is a MESS!

On to Minnie's house!...

Making ourselves at home... =)

Does Minnie have anything good to eat?
Let's see... hmmm, just CHEESE.

Cinderella's Castle (up close!)

Inside the castle!

Nadia on "Tomorrowland's Transit Authority"

Raisha & Natasha with BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!

Natasha on the Mad Hatter's Tea Party (Tea Cups)

Waiting in line for "Mickey's Philharmonic!"

Someone's looking a *little* sleeeeeeeepppyy....

Cinderella's castle is most beautiful in the early evening!

The castle lit up at night with the light parade going by...

That's just what I was thinking!
A perfect ending to a perfect day.
Sweet dreams, Raisha...

Day 5 -- Around The World (EPCOT)

2009-03-15T20:40:00.021-05:00

Day 5 (Wednesday) was another GORGEOUS day! Sunny and about 70 degrees, so we decided to take a trip around the world -- World Showcase
aka: the "back half" of EPCOT.

Beautiful landscaping of Mickey from Fantasia

First, though, we popped in to "Club Cool" -- a neat little shop sponsored by Coca-Cola -- which features FREE tastes of soft drinks from all over the world!
My favorites were from Mozambique & Germany.
The ones from Italy and Mexico tasted like medicine! Blech.

Performance in front of the America Pavilion

Natasha with a camel I would LOVE to own in the Morocco Pavilion :)

Nadia and I in front of the fountain in "Morocco"

The beautiful architecture of "Italy"

We had lunch in the Germany Pavilion at "Biergarten"

Clay & Raisha in Biergarten waiting for the "Oktoberfest" show to begin!
Raisha was not a fan of the food here & she thought the sauerkraut made the place smell "stinky."

Nadia wasn't really interested in the show; she just wanted to finish her book!

Natasha being "snacked on" (yet, again) by a hungry lion in the China Pavilion. ;)

Overall, it was a great day... especially since Raisha got to meet one of her very favorite characters: Donald Duck in the Mexico Pavilion

Some thoughts about EPCOT:
We made a point of starting in Canada and working our way counter-clockwise around the "world" which hosts representations of 11 different countries.
Previously, we have always begun in Mexico and we usually peter out about the time we get to France, so I was curious what we had been missing...
Not much, actually.

No offense at all to the people or their countries, but this half of the "world" was far less interesting (for us) than the other side. For one, there were mostly only films and shows geared toward older guests. The educational value would have been OK for Nadia & Natasha, but a 4-year-old is only going to sit through so much of that. Plus, in the Canada Pavilion, you have to STAND for the whole show! Not something our tired, aching feet were inclined to do!

The United Kingdom Pavilion had an interesting toy shop and I bought some wonderful hand cream from the "Scottish" shop, but that was about it.

In the France Pavilion, we decided to have a snack of various pastries since that is one of the things they are famous for. They were good -- especially the profiteroles (cream puffs) -- but I think the Kringla Og Bakeri in the Norway Pavilion has them beat with their fruit tarts (shortcake crust!) and (my personal favorite) Schoolbread -- A bready pastry filled with vanilla creme and covered in toasted coconut... Mmmmm

It's probably a good thing the Norway Pavilion is nowhere near here... I could definitely hurt myself with that Schoolbread!

Here, a man feeds a rather tame (wild) squirrel pieces of his schoolbread.
See? Even the squirrels agree it's delicious!

BEST Quotes From MC'09

2009-03-14T12:43:00.012-05:00

This weekend, Healing Place Church hosted their annual Men's Conference (MC'09) at the Highland Campus. Clay was not able to go because he is studying to take his boards, and (obviously) I wasn't there, but HPC provided a free, live webcast of the event & I kept up with everything through the Twitter reports from friends.

From everything I've read, it has been an amazing event and it's not over yet!

Here, I've provided just a FEW of the amazing quotes I've heard coming out of MC'09.

Check 'em out:

Pastor Mike Haman: "The most dangerous thing in your house is not a gun, knives or power tools. it is your lazy boy easy chair. Comfort has a way of limiting us to the opportunities around us."

Paul Louis Cole: "What you believe WILL determine your destiny. Do you live by conviction or convenience?"
(In other words: don't let your morality determine your theology -- my translation)

Paul Louis Cole: "When a man acts like a child it forces his wife to act like his mother."

Paul Louis Cole: "Men: Your wife should have ALL your login/password info for all your internet accounts. There is NO good reason not to."

(NFL running back & MVP) Shaun Alexander: "Are you doing your assignment or are you just looking for the perks of the job? Don't forget your duty and relationship (with God)."

Shaun Alexander: "Never let your desires shift from God to desiring the gifts of God. Don't chase the gifts, chase God."

Shaun Alexander: "When you get out of order and good things still happen, you're in trouble. You've been deceived into thinking you didn't need to obey."

Paul Louis Cole: "Your kids may not always listen to you but they WILL imitate you. What are you giving them to imitate?"

Bro. Wayne Austin: "As a dad, you're only as happy as your saddest child."

Paul Louis Cole: "Nothing just happens for you as a husband and a dad; You have to work at it. Live on purpose."

Pastor Dino Rizzo: "Marriage isn't about me seeing MY dream fulfilled. Work to see God's purpose fulfilled in your spouse's life."

Bro. Wayne Austin: "When you love your family, you are putting Christ first. His bride -- the Church -- was here before you and it will be here after you."

Bro. Wayne Austin: "God didn't call me to die for His bride - He called me to die for mine. Lay down your life for her - as Christ did for His bride."

Paul Louis Cole: "What you are focused on will determine where you go. Focus on where you want to go, not on what you're going through."

Pastor Mark Stermer: "In a tough economy, God wants to BE first, not CUT first. If you aren't tithing, start NOW. Give your way through the tough times."

Julio Melara: "It isn't what comes in that determines our lifeline, but what we give out. The righteous will continue to be generous."

Dave Ohlerking: "The kids we help in Africa don't know a thing about the Dow Jones. Make sure to remember them."

Many thanks to:
Dan Ohlerking, Matt Bourgeois, Dino Rizzo, Mike Haman, and Brandon Bourgeois for Twittering these great quotes over the past 24 hours! For more information, check out:
HPC Men's Conference '09

Breather

2009-03-14T00:15:00.003-05:00

I'll post more about Disney tomorrow... today has been a long, but good, day.

Bought 100 roses at 8:30 AM, met with moms' lifegroup to dethorn & ribbon the roses, ran errands, came home and cooked an early dinner & then met for Midnight Outreach at 9:00.
Got home around 11:30 -- really, kind of an early night for Midnight, but that's ok.

I am off to bed!

Day 4 -- ANIMAL KINGDOM :)

2009-03-12T21:52:00.011-05:00

Day 4 was sunny & beautiful -- not too cool & not too warm. It was a perfect day to visit
Disney's ANIMAL KINGDOM
Above is the amazing "Tree of Life" that you see when you first enter the park.

If you've never seen it or looked closely, it is truly incredible. Completely man-made (every leaf, every branch!), the trunk is made up of carvings & sculptures of every animal imaginable. Seriously, click on the picture and take a closer look... And this is just one, small section of the tree!

Natasha & Raisha with "Flick" from A Bug's Life

First up was the safari tour where we saw lots of real, live animals living on Disney's very own nature preserve!

I think this guy was checking us out as much as we were him!

Last time we were here, the wait for Expedition Everest was almost 2 hours long, so Natasha and I got a couple of fast passes and waited for our time.
Literally 20 minutes before our fastpass return time, it started raining.
And it wouldn't stop.
And Disney shuts down outdoor rollercoasters
when it rains.
(I don't blame them)
This time, however, we finally got to ride it: TWICE!
And it was definitely worth the wait. =)

The Dinosaur inside the queuing area of the ride, DINOSAUR

All in all, it was a great day... and when the park closed at 5:00, we were headed back to our hotel for a well-deserved evening of rest & relaxation.
Boy, would we need it!...

Day 3 -- EPCOT (Front)

2009-03-11T17:13:00.013-05:00

Day 3 (Monday) was also still quite chilly. And the wind was fierce! It was so bad, I stopped and bought a sweatshirt on my way into the park because I didn't have a jacket or anything.

We decided to focus most of our energy this day on "Future World" aka: the "front part" of EPCOT. We did all the fun stuff: Spaceship Earth (the big ball), Test Track, Mission: Space, and Soarin'... and last, but not least, Raisha's personal favorite: NEMO & Friends!

Here is Natasha, being a "snack" -- for Bruce, the shark.

Raisha, hangin' out with the sharks...

After lunch, we did our old, standby -- "Living With the Land" which features some pretty remarkable gardening! Check out these 9-pound lemons!

Even though we were focusing on the front half of EPCOT, we did make a quick trip to the Norway Pavilion -- our favorite in the World Showcase.
Here, we are riding the "Maelstrom"
("It's very gentle.")
Ask me about this.

Natasha & Raisha trying to look fearsome, but coming off as mostly cute.

Viking Raisha!
Be afraid; be very afraid!
Seriously, she had a complete meltdown about 2 minutes after this was taken!

Later that evening (after we recovered from the meltdown by riding the Mexico "Three Caballeros" ride about 12 times), Raisha was dressed up & we were headed to Akershus @ the Norway Pavilion for a dinner with the Princesses!

We got to see: Jasmine, and Beauty, and Ariel, and Belle, and of course, Raisha's favorite:
Cinderella!

Raisha & Belle

We left the park just as the last fireworks were exploding in the air and made our way back to the front gates along with the 10,000 other ~~lemmings~~ park guests.

That night we were completely wiped out & vowed to take it slower the next day.
Yeah, right.

Day 2 -- HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

2009-03-10T16:19:00.017-05:00

The big hat @ Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Sunday morning dawned gray and cool... and VERY windy!

We knew that there was a forecast for rain, so we changed our plans from "Animal Kingdom" where almost everything is outside, to "Disney's Hollywood Studios" (formerly Disney MGM), where almost everything is inside.

But we did keep our reservations for an early lunch at RAINFOREST CAFE at the Animal Kingdom and it was so cool! I loved it as much as the kids. :)

Raisha checking out the HUGE fish tanks near the entrance.

Nadia & Natasha listening to the "thunder" and the animals coming "alive."

Natasha & Raisha near the waterfall...
Many of these pictures were taken with my phone, so please forgive their quality.

After lunch, we headed over to Hollywood Studios.
What started out as a gray, dreary day was turning sunny and beautiful and COLD.
It was downright chilly!

We walked around a bit and did the usual stuff
(Muppets 3D, Star Tours, Great Movie Ride)
and picked up fast passes for Rockin' RollerCoaster for Natasha and myself.
But then we saw THIS:

ESPN was hosting "ESPN: The Weekend" special
at Hollywood Studios and guess who was there???

Just guess.

Ok, I'll tell you.
CURT SCHILLING and
(my personal favorite) SCOTTIE PIPPEN!

Wait, it gets even better:
They were hosting a televised, special, all-star edition of
"Stump the Schwab"
(one of Clay's absolute favorite shows on ESPN)
and we were going to be in the live audience!

Waiting for the show to start...

There are the contestants with their star-partners!

Scottie Pippen is on the far left (for you poor souls who were not loyal Bulls fans)
And Curt Schilling (awesome Red Sox pitcher) is in the middle wearing the baseball cap.

I love Scottie 1) because he was part of the awesome Jordan-Pippen team that made the Chicago Bulls dominant for so long, but also because:
2) He went to my alma mater! Just a couple of years before I attended there, Scottie graduated from UCA -- University of Central Arkansas!
How cool is that?

Scottie and some poor, hapless dude who didn't know any of the answers. =(
They lost.

Curt Schilling & his partner had equally bad luck. They lost, too. =(

The "Schwab" himself & believe it or not, we actually saw him stumped!

Ice cream stand at Hollywood Studios -- notice the "smoke"
coming from its nostrils?

Natasha & I rode Rockin' RollerCoaster TWICE -- It was awesome!!

We wrapped up the evening with dinner at the 50's Prime Time Cafe where Nadia became the favored pet of our waitress, Elizabeth.
If you've never been to the Prime Time Cafe, you really should try it.

The food is good (not awesome, but good), and the atmosphere is VERY entertaining!

The decor is all 1950's and there are black & white TVs everywhere showing old clips of famous 50's sitcoms.
But even funnier is the way the staff treats the clientele.
The treat you, literally, like one of the family.

And you'd better keep your elbows off the table
and finish everything on your plate!
And if you don't, you will be publicly shamed and made to sing "I'm a Little Teapot" as the poor girl behind us did.
I don't know if I've ever had such a fun dining experience.
NADIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (inside joke)

Day 1 -- Magic Kingdom!

2009-03-09T18:47:00.013-05:00

View coming down "Main Street USA"

Day 1 started out bright and beautiful... The weather was warm and sunny.
Raisha didn't care for the monorail ride from Ticket & Transportation to the Magic Kingdom, but she cheered up considerably once she saw Cinderella's castle.

First stop: Breakfast with Pooh & Friends at
Crystal Palace!

A new tradition for us is to have breakfast the first morning at Crystal Palace with Winnie the Pooh and his friends. It's an all-you-can-eat buffet and the food is pretty decent.
Even better, the characters (all 4 -- Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, & Piglet) come around to each and every table to take pictures with each child. There's no running after them trying to squeeze in for a picture. Raisha loved it!

Tigger was relatively calm... :)

Adventure Land!

After breakfast, we picked up our stroller and headed over to Adventure Land -- home to the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House, the Jungle Cruise ride, Aladdin's Magic Carpets, and (my personal favorite) Pirates of the Caribbean!
Just watch out for the giant, spitting camel as you are coming in to the area. ;^)

On the Pirates of the Caribbean ride:
Sneaky JACK SPARROW!

It's amazing how REAL he looks!
This picture is not very good -- taken without flash with my iPhone

On the JUNGLE CRUISE!
No worries -- this Python doesn't bite.
Indeed, I don't think he's moved since I was about 2!

Headhunter "Deal of the Day:"
Two of his heads for one of yours.
Ha ha ha

Raisha talking to "PUSH" the talking trash can in Tomorrow Land

Natasha and Raisha were so excited to see "Push" -- Tomorrow Land's talking, robotic trash can.
He was very entertaining.
Here, Raisha is "feeding" him a french fry Natasha saved from lunch.

First day was spent entirely in the Magic Kingdom...
Natasha and I rode SPLASH MOUNTAIN (of course) and while we were waiting in line, we overheard that Curt Schilling (Boston Red Sox pitcher whom Nadia adores)
was in the park with his family.
Checking his Twitter site later that night, we found out that it was TRUE!
Even better: Boston was experiencing blizzard conditions and the Schillings would have to stay at Disney for a couple more days.
Nadia determined to wear her Curt Schilling #38 hat every day until she spotted him.
Little did we know, she wouldn't have to wait very long...

Post-Disney Blues...

2009-03-09T14:15:00.005-05:00

Blah.

That's the way we all feel right now... I'm sure part of it is the extreme exhaustion that sets in from a week of non-stop park-hopping. But a lot of it is a feeling of utter deflation after the excitement and anticipation of the past few weeks.
Add to that this cold/flu bug we seem to have picked up and you get the way I'm feeling right now:
Blah.

To help boost my mood a bit (and because I have absolutely NO energy to do anything more productive), I have spent the past 2 days editing photos from the trip and uploading them to my Walgreens account.

I have decided to post a day-by-day account of our trip here, seeing how I never actually got around to blogging while we were there.
So, sit tight... I'll be back in a bit to post DAY 1, complete with pictures.

But first, I need to find an IV bolus of coffee.

M-I-C... K-E-Y... M-O-U-S-E!!!

2009-02-26T22:57:00.004-06:00

Ok, I know that everyone over the age of 35 just hummed along when they read that title. LOL!

Yes, we are headed back to the HOUSE OF MOUSE!
The bags are packed.
The house is clean (relatively).
and the last load of laundry is about to go in.

MANY Thanks to our friends for house-sitting & pet-sitting for us while we are gone! You guys are the best!

I will try to post some pics & blog reports while we are there, but in the meantime, you can enjoy THESE from our last visit...

Now where did I put my mouse ears???

Preaching To the Choir

2009-02-24T10:06:00.007-06:00

I say that because I'm speaking to myself as much as to anyone else...

Whether or not you believe in Karma or "The Golden Rule" is irrelevant.
We are instructed, as Christians -- indeed, as civilized human beings -- to treat others how we want to be treated.
I, as much as anyone, still fail at this, miserably.

All too often, my own pride and SELF get in the way of the "bigger picture" Christ wants me to see. I am easily bruised, taking offense when I feel I have been wronged unfairly.
My feelings get hurt and I start to obsess about what I coulda, woulda, shoulda done differently. Or worse, I lash out at the people who I feel have so unjustly caused me aggravation.
HOW DARE THEY?!

I'm also a bit of a perfectionist. I take pride in being responsible and following instructions I am given, so when I feel like I have let someone down -- or that I have somehow overstepped my bounds -- I get pretty upset and boldly defensive.
Goodness knows, the reprimands have been well-deserved at times and I have been humbled by the grace shown to me over and again.
But at other times, I catch myself being less than forgiving when I feel other people have slighted ME.
Really, who do I think I am??

Acts 10: 34 (KJV) states that God is NO respecter of persons.

That means, it doesn't matter what you do for a living, how much money you make, what your position in the church may be, or how much you do for charity.
--->> YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE.
We are all valuable in God's sight and we should treat each other as such.

I think one thing that has done more to harm the image of the Christian Church -- more than anything else -- is the way we so-called "Christians" treat others whom we consider "beneath" us.

If Jesus showed us one thing, plainly, in His short time here on earth, it's that we must humble ourselves to be great. He was the Son of God and yet, He washed the feet of His disciples and treated everyone -- no matter how small or (by society's definition) insignificant -- as precious sheep to bring in to His fold.
There was no attitude of thinking, "I'm better than you," or "You aren't worth my time."
If Jesus is meant to be the example we are to live by, then why do so many Christians do the opposite?

We get full of ourselves and our "positions of importance" and we don't even deign to speak to others in the Church who are not in our "circle of influence."
We might treat the poor and homeless better and as more valuable than we do that church nursery worker or this parking volunteer. We may think because we've been entrusted with great responsibility within our area of ministry that we no longer have to be Jesus to those within our own ministry.

I think this goes on way too much and it needs to STOP.

Again, I am speaking to myself as much as anyone.
Lord knows I need His grace and constant reminders to get over myself and treat others the way Christ would treat them.
If my actions don't loudly proclaim that I am a child of God -- an heir to His kingdom -- then
NOTHING I "say" with my mouth will ever be heard.

As my friend, Carole, often says: "Grace to ME."

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE!!!

2009-02-22T23:03:00.002-06:00

It WON!!
For the first time in a long time, the Academy has chosen a GREAT movie for Best Picture!
Trust me, if you have not seen this film yet, you simply must.
It's an amazing movie -- very funny, touching, upsetting, and redeeming. You will not be disappointed!

The soundtrack is also spectacular! Even my kids love it!

And the Song from the movie that won (but really, ALL of them are fabulous!): JAI HO!

Giving Your Heart

2009-02-15T20:14:00.009-06:00

It has taken me most of the weekend to recover from Friday ;^) but it's a good kind of exhaustion.

As you know, Friday we had our Valentine's Midnight Outreach and we started bright and early, Friday morning.
I was at Sam's Club when the doors opened at 7 am to buy the 150+ roses for the outreach. Then, I met with a young mothers' play group at 9:30 to de-thorn and tag each one of the roses. We snipped thorns, tied on HPC cards, and curled ribbons for more than an hour.

I went home for a brief respite before I had to meet the rest of the team at a club we've never gone into before. This is probably the "biggest" club in the Baton Rouge area -- not in terms of square footage, but in terms of working girls and (sadly) patronage.
We have been trying to get in for several years, but all we have ever done before was leave the roses and chocolates at the door with the bouncers.

Well, on Friday afternoon, they actually let us come in to decorate the girls' dressing room! It was a pretty large room so we left balloons and roses and flower petals, chocolates and candy hearts and chocolate-dipped strawberries. And we wrote on the mirrors:

"HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY FROM HEALING PLACE CHURCH"

We also gave them a bunch of gifts -- earrings from the Mom's lifegroup & cute water bottles and makeup cases that were left over from our Live The Dream Women's Conference.

We met a couple of hours later to go decorate the dressing rooms of our other two "regular" clubs, then met again at 8 pm to go to the clubs and hand out roses to the ladies.
It's always so amazing to me how warmly they receive us -- the incredible favor that is granted us. And it seems that we always manage to touch someone's heart.

One young girl who was getting ready to work, asked us, "Who are you all? Why are you doing this?"
When we told her that we were the church and we just wanted her to know that she was loved and valued, she was visibly shocked. It was her 4th day on the job. Who knows the long-term impact of that encounter?

To me, this is what Valentine's Day should really be about: Giving your heart -- a heart for Christ -- to those who have never known His love. It's about showing them they are VALUABLE and worthy to be loved. It's not about preaching or shaming or acting "holier than thou..."

It's about being the hands and feet of Jesus.

It's just one small part of the Servolution.

Some of the gorgeous ladies who worked so hard to get the roses ready Friday morning!

Alliece and I at S.K.

Decorating at G.C.

Live the Dream!

Setting up at K's

Alliece checking the decor at K's
Look what was still hanging on the mirror at S.K.'s!!!!
Pastors Dino & DeLynn's Christmas card!

Just a small part of the MIDNIGHT "Dream Team:"
Me, Alliece, Jillian, & Donna (Charity is taking the photo)

Sweet MIDNIGHT

2009-02-12T22:16:00.004-06:00

TOMORROW is going to be amazing!

We have our Valentine's Midnight Outreach tomorrow night (What is Midnight Outreach? Click HERE).
As usual, we will go and give roses to the ladies who are working the clubs & walking the streets -- just letting them know that they are loved and they are valued, right now, just the way they are. But since it is Valentine's weekend, we will also be decorating the dressing rooms, much like we did for the Christmas outreach.

But, even more exciting:
Tomorrow afternoon, we are being admitted to decorate the dressing rooms of a strip club we have never been allowed to enter before! How cool is that?? We won't be able to go in and give the roses during business hours like we do with the other clubs (not yet, anyway), but the club owners have finally relented and are allowing us to come before they open to surprise the girls with decorations and gifts and candy.

I have to be up at the crack of dawn to go and buy 200 roses and a couple hundred carnations on THE DAY BEFORE VALENTINE'S DAY!
Please let me be the first one there!

I am sooo loving the movements my church has started... the culmination of which will be

SERVOLUTION WEEK

in April. We already have more than 70 churches signed up to participate! Talk about making a huge difference. This experience is going to be like no other.
If you or your church are interested in being a part, just go HERE to watch the video, learn more, & sign up.
You do NOT want to miss this!

We are "Reaching the World by Serving One."

I love HPC!

The Prodigal Blogger Returneth (Again)

2009-02-12T17:10:00.001-06:00

Wow; the past 2 weeks are a blur!
I know many of you have wondered where I am -- why I'm not blogging or Twittering much.

In the past 10 days, I have sold & shipped approximately 42 items on eBay. My Spring selling is DONE!
Of course, I found out the juicy little tidbit below (see previous post) AFTER I had spent HOURS taking photos and DAYS uploading listings... the work was already done.
Actually, I'm glad because now I can focus on other things and not do my usual procrastinate-panic-sell routine.

I'm ready for things to get back to "normal," whatever that is.
I plan on posting more tonight, so check back later for a very interesting update re: MIDNIGHT OUTREACH.

WoooHooooo!!!!

2009-02-07T20:10:00.002-06:00

An answer to (eBay) prayers!!!! Read HERE

My eBay Listings!

2009-02-02T12:13:00.008-06:00

This is what I have been working on all weekend. If you see something you like, please bid! I NEED to get rid of my inventory before the ridiculously ~~STUPID~~ short-sighted CPSIA goes into effect.
Therefore, I will be listing like a mad woman for the next couple of days. I need ALL of my auctions to be complete by Monday, February 9th as the new law goes into effect on February 10th.

I have WAY too many items to list, so I am trying to list the very best stuff first. Check it out:

POPCORN*PRINCESS

Obedience Without Compromise

2009-01-29T14:50:00.005-06:00

I have been sick.
For 4 days.

And in my slug-like state, I have had a lot of time to think and pray about what it is that I am doing and what, exactly, I should be doing.

This whole business of having a "call" upon one's life... it's not something to take lightly.
Just ask anyone who's been there.
When God gives you a vision for your life, it's totally up to you whether or not you accept it.
After all, we do have freedom to choose for ourselves.

But a wise Christian will know that choosing anything outside of HIS will is risky business, indeed. While one path is guaranteed to bring you eventual (not always immediate!) peace and contentment in your life, the other path is almost equally guaranteed to be less than fulfilling, sometimes downright painful.

Even so, if you DO accept the call, you must know that the call will now supersede all the other "plans" you may have had for your life.
Those plans may be absolutely wonderful -- life-giving and selfless -- but if they interfere in any way with your calling, no matter how GOOD they are, it cannot work. You have to submit everything to the path you have chosen and listen to HIS directions.

You're probably wondering what I'm talking about, but I've been put to a test this week...

When "Thrive" (our inner-city ministry through the Dream Center) ended in October, I was very sad. I have become very attached to those ladies over the past 2 years and I knew it would be hard to not see them regularly. Each week, I came away just as blessed and encouraged as anyone who attended.
Around the same time Thrive ended, God made it pretty clear to me that I need to get this book finished. In obedience, I cut back on all my obligations and I even stepped down from Elevate -- a decision that I wrestled with for more than 2 weeks.
But I KNEW -- absolutely, without a doubt -- that I was doing the right thing.
And I have made considerable progress on my book.
But it's still not done.

Fast-forward to a couple of weeks ago:
I found out that the Baton Rouge Dream Center is going to start up a NEW Friday group for the ladies and I am asked to co-lead with Jennifer Maggio.
Of course, all I can think about is how I can't wait to see "my ladies" again & how many great ideas we can implement in the group...
Within a day of telling Jennifer "yes," conviction set in.
A Friday commitment would take about 5 hours each week and that's not including planning meetings and personal preparation for the classes.
As much as I support the idea of this class and even though it will kill me not to see Mrs. Augustine and Mrs. Mary and Kenya and the others each week, I know that I cannot commit to it now.

The day I made the decision to step down from the Friday class, I received a call from a wonderful lady in Texas who wanted to use my book to lead a Christian weight loss support group.
Ouch.
I had to confess to her that my book was not quite finished, much less published.

Ok, God.
I hear You, loud and clear.
And I know the path I have chosen is the only one I want to follow.

Is It Wednesday Already???

2009-01-28T16:24:00.002-06:00

Where has this week gone?
I want it back!

I seriously feel like I have had my ear glued to a phone for the past 3 days. The laundry is done, but that's about it. I have been completely swamped tying up loose ends from before I left town and trying to get ahead on things I will have to complete before I leave town again.

And this dreary weather's not helping to motivate me, either.
*blah*

The next couple of weeks are going to be crazy busy & loads of fun (no I'm not being sarcastic... well, not entirely).
My first life group meets tomorrow night, for the 8th time, and my second group meets next week. Since the first meeting of my second group (confused yet?) on Sunday night, I have had 5 ladies contact me wanting to join.
This is great news, but now I must find time to meet with these ladies, either individually or as a small group, to bring them up to speed so the second meeting will make sense to them.
Ok, that paragraph gave even me a headache!

This weekend is hopefully going to be a MAJOR house-cleaning and eBay-listing weekend! I have to get a LOT listed before the ~~stupid~~ short-sighted CPSIA law goes into effect.

On top of that, 2 of my 3 children have their final games for Upward Basketball and I have a dinner to go to on Sunday afternoon, followed by (of course) Super Bowl Sunday night!

There's nothing I would cut out of this line-up, but it does make me tired just thinking about it.
I'm the kind of person who can become overwhelmed to the point of inactivity when faced with so many demands. I'm immobilized with indecision.
Well, that's my story anyway, and I'm sticking to it!

A New Chapter...

2009-01-24T13:52:00.009-06:00

I am finally back from Arkansas & I'm happy to report that my little niece's surgery was a success & she is doing great!
I'm sorry I haven't blogged, but it's so hard for me to sit down and focus when I am not at home on my own computer.
I guess I'm just neurotic that way. =/

In the past week since I have seriously blogged, our nation has made history with the inauguration of our newest president, one of my closest friends is (right now!) on her way to the continent of Africa to get her newly-adopted son, and I have lost another pound and a half.

Yeah, ok.
I know a pound and a half is not earth-shattering, by any means, but when you consider the fact that I have now lost a total of 76.5 pounds since last (late) February -- and I have lost, steadily, without gaining back any at all! -- it's pretty impressive.
I continue to be humbled and amazed by God's faithfulness in this endeavor!

There are moments when I falter and think He will take it all away because I have been so UNfaithful at times.
But He keeps reminding me that none of us *deserve* ANYTHING good He gives us.
Lord help us if we ever all got what we *deserve!*

Tomorrow night begins my SECOND life group for Inside Out (my Christian weight-loss support group). I can hardly believe how far this simple idea (thank you Melissa Fluhr!) has come.
The response to this group has been simply amazing.
I just have to keep reminding myself that each woman who attends is on their OWN journey, and they alone are in control of the pace they set.

I realize that some people have become irritated with me because I am not giving them a DIET to follow or a set of rules or "secret tips" to get them to their goal.
But what I -- and this group -- are really seeking is
TRUE FREEDOM.
We are not looking for a quick fix.
We are broken & we want to be healed.
We want to never again use food for comfort, to abate loneliness or frustration.
We never again want to eat until we are so full
we feel sick.
We want to LOOK at food, differently -- as something that feeds our bodies, not something to fill our souls.

I've said it before; you may not have a weight problem or a struggle with food addiction, but
YOU STRUGGLE WITH SOMETHING
(whether you publicly admit it or not).

You may feel smug and confident when someone obese walks into a room,
but what if your own demons were posted on your chest for all to see?
What if the things YOU struggle with were revealed the moment someone looked at you?

It's true that obesity is the most "unfair" of addictions; after all, one can be an alcoholic or drug addict or pornography addict and the world may never know...
When someone who struggles with food walks into a room, EVERYONE knows without a word being said.
However, while our problem is more publicly "visible,"
so too, is our healing.
God's glory is that much greater when someone who has struggled with food addiction finally overcomes his/her battle and finds TRUE FREEDOM.
That's what I have found.

And that's the next chapter in my book. =)

Coming Soon...

2009-01-19T21:01:00.003-06:00

I promise, I have not fallen off the face of the earth, nor have I given up on blogging. I am out-of-state visiting family. I am here in Arkansas, briefly, because my niece is having pretty serious surgery in the morning. We would appreciate your prayers!

I will be back home soon & will resume blogging then.

Until then, um,... I don't know.
Go read a good book.
=)