Are You Living Your Dream?

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

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At The Heart of Servolution

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

The Heart of a Servant

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...

The Hope of America

One of the BEST messages I've ever heard Pastor Dino preach... I'm gonna do my best to summarize, but I couldn't write fast enough to keep up.
He was on FIRE!

Fact: By TOMORROW, this Presidential election alone will have cost nearly 2.4 BILLION dollars.

Where did all that money go?
Travel Expenses
Speaking engagements
Debates
Signage
Political fees
But mostly: ADVERTISING

Advertising???
Couldn't there be a better use for that money?

The HOPE of America is not a candidate, not a false "messiah," not a budget cut or medicare overhaul. It's not about who is the better speaker, the better comedian, the most handsome, or most charismatic. It's not about race, creed, partisan politics or religion.

It's about what WE, as a Church, are doing to make a difference in this country.

It's about GOD'S PEOPLE DOING GOD'S WORK for GOD'S GLORY.
Period.
That is the hope of America.

Why?
Because no matter how much faith you put into your candidate -- how much you believe (or want to believe) that he or she is going to be your nation's "salvation" -- they will eventually disappoint.
It's not about DEMOCRAT or REPUBLICAN; Both parties have failed miserably, historically.

The REAL Hope of America is about REAL CHANGE -- Not change that is just talked about: rhetoric designed to placate the masses without offering any REAL example of actually DOING ANYTHING.
Think about how much money has been wasted already on political nonsense...

How many meals for hungry children could have been bought?
How many medical treatments provided for those who have no access to hospitals?
How many children sold into sex slavery (human trafficking) could have been freed?
How many orphans could have been adopted by couples who cannot afford the cost-prohibitive adoption fees?

You want to talk about real CHANGE -- real HOPE?
How about...
--> 1 MILLION water bottles given to the thirsty
--> 15 THOUSAND Thanksgiving meals given to the poor
--> 5 MILLION meals to sub-Saharan African AIDS orphans
--> 2 DREAM CENTERS serving the people of the inner city on a DAILY basis.
--> THOUSANDS of roses and chocolates given to prostitutes and strippers to show them real LOVE.
--> HUNDREDS of yards mowed, houses painted, tree branches cut & cleared.
--> HUNDREDS (Thousands?) of blue tarps provided to homes with damage from hurricanes Gustav & Ike
--> THOUSANDS of FREE medical checkups, immunizations, teeth cleanings, & tooth extractions

This is what my church has done in just a few short years with only a fraction of the cost of this ONE presidential election.
And we've done so much more that is not listed here!

"We, as a people, have provided CHANGE to the world that government could never provide!" -- Dino Rizzo

That's why we can't get discouraged by a few numbers, a candidate, or all the media hype... We have to continue to sow into the future of our nation! We have to step up and be the Church that Jesus called us to be.

WE (God's Church) are the real Hope of America.

New Video Posted!

You've got to check out this video from last Saturday's SERVOLUTION!

Servolution 2008!

S - E - R - V - O - L - U - T - I - O - N

TOMORROW'S The Day!!!

So, I clicked on the Servolution website to get a new link for this blog entry & this is what I see!
It's my oldest daughter, Nadia, from last year's SERVOLUTION!
How cool is that?

Last year, Nadia and I had the privilege of doing manicures at the inner city block party. Tomorrow, we will go to the battered women's shelter and do a little pampering on the ladies and a bit of cleaning on the shelter.
We are SO excited to be a part of this amazing experience once more!

This will be the second, annual "Servolution" for
Healing Place Church -- a term coined by our very own Pastor Dino Rizzo.

So, WHAT is a servolution, you ask?
Think HUNDREDS (maybe a thousand this year??) of volunteers -- all in RED "Serve" shirts -- dishing up some love to the Greater Baton Rouge area.

There will be block parties and car washes and free water bottles handed out on street corners.
Some of us will visit hospitals and give snacks and cold drinks to the staff.
Many will visit local nursing homes & one group is going to make the local foster home sparkle!
Various groups will simply go from neighborhood to neighborhood in the inner city and "adopt-a-block" in which they pick up trash, mow lawns, do minor repairs, whatever they can to show love to the people on that block.
There will be grocery give-a-ways and free medical screenings and free dental care for the kids.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture.

I absolutely LOVE being a part of a church that does something like this!
Don't you think the WORLD could use a little
SERVOLUTION?

You can read about LAST YEAR'S Servolution
here and here.

HIS story In The Making

Ok, so you probably get the play on words in my title name (Her Story -- history -- get it?).

But I think that our lives should be all about adding to
HIS Story:
Making a difference in this world and showing Christ to those who think no one really cares...

Last night was another amazing night of MIDNIGHT OUTREACH.

We met at the church around 9:00 to pray and Alliece was telling some great stories to a couple of newcomers... then, when she prayed, she asked God to "give us more stories."
Did He ever!

Last night began with the realization that one of our "usual" strip club stops was shut down. There was a police raid a while back and apparently, there was some "not-so-legal stuff" going down in there, so they are closed for business.
We headed a short way down the road to another "usual" stop.

This club is an interesting story, in and of, itself.
You see, we've been informed by his bouncers that the owner is a practicing Satanist.
Um, yeah.
A Satanist, strip club owner who allows the Church to come in and give roses and chocolates to his employees.
Wait, it gets even better...
There is another strip club further down the road that we have been trying to get into for ages (no luck). Last night the Satanist dude comes out to greet us and fill us in on the closed strip club's details... then he asks us if we are going to _______?
Alliece tells him no, they won't let us in.
Get this: He CALLS the other strip club and tells them to LET US IN!
After a year of trying to get in, we finally got to go in to _______ and they seemed glad to see us! We gave the working girls roses and make-up kits and gave all the bouncers and managers chocolates and gum.

Then we headed to the inner city to look for prostitutes and to show love to the community.
We came upon a street where a man had JUST been stabbed in a fight. The fire truck and paramedics showed up right as we did and we ended up staying on that street for a good 45 minutes or so.
While there, we were able to hand out roses and chocolates to the good people sitting out on their front porches and in their yards (at midnight, no less) and gave them fliers inviting them to the Winbourne campus for church. There were kids running around everywhere so we invited them to Vacation Bible School and gave them free chocolate and gum as well.
The cool thing was that while we were there, we "found" a lady who used to come to Ladies' Thrive all the time, but whom we hadn't seen in a while, and Alliece "found" a young prostitute that she had lost track of a while back.

All in all, it was a great night and I think God more than honored our request for "more stories" to tell. All I could think about was how each of these people -- the strippers, the prostitutes, the pimps, the drug dealers, the homeless, and the poor -- each one of them are an integral part of the bigger picture, the bigger story:
HIS story.
And I feel honored to have been allowed to play some small part in that...
THANK YOU, Healing Place Church, for giving us the opportunity to participate in such an amazing outreach!