Being the only man at a women’s conference. | Stuff Christians Like – Jon Acuff

More hilarious stuff from Jon Acuff.

Mom Connection Craft

Check out this simple yet fabulous craft project the Mom Connection gals did last month!  You need a clipboard, some pretty paper, a little ribbon and glue.  These would make great gifts, especially for teachers, and the materials are very inexpensive.

If you're a mom with young children and would like to connect with other moms to do crafts, hear from guest speakers, go on field trips and more, contact Susan Smith at susan@trinitybible.org or (337) 406-2801 x122.

Big God, Small Stuff

I love hearing other people's God stories, especially those where God moves in unexpectedly, shakes things up, then pulls everyone safely out the other side with completely changed lives.

I can name a few occasions in my own life where that has happened, but those incidents are few and far between. After all, it might not be a good sign if God has to jump in and change our lives on a daily basis.  But when I hear a lot of amazing Big God Stories I start feeling a little left out and I wonder where he has been in my own life.

Did God unfriend me? Has he forgotten about me? Did he get bored with me? Should I do the rebellious child thing and be bad just to get his attention?

I will often convince myself that I've been demoted from Child of God to Not-Worth-My-Time-And-Attention Acquaintance of God. I forget that our really big God is not just interested in our really big problems. He's all about our small stuff too. When I get so focused on looking for Him in those big, life-changing moments, I forget to even notice all the amazing little things he does for me on a daily basis. God doesn't just show up on a "need God here" occasion, he's always here. Are you paying attention?

I'll give you an example. This year we're planning another big Halloween party/neighborhood outreach thing at my house. We get a lot of trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood and many of them are inner city kids who don't have a safe neighborhood for trick-or-treating.

Deviating from our past Wizard of Oz theme, this year we are doing Alice in Wonderland. I had managed to convince myself that it wouldn't be as much work as Oz. I often lie to myself like this and I am just gullible enough to believe my own lies. I thought maybe we could set up a table like the Mad Hatter's Tea Party and I could make some giant mushrooms out of chicken wire. Easy peasy.

Sounds fun, right? It always does to me too, until about the first part of October. That's when all those fun ideas break down into a lot of work and I begin to wish I'd never even started it.

About a week ago the regret set in and I wondered if there was any way I could back out of it that didn't require a hospital stay. Then I made a mental note to never, ever try to do this again. I filed it next to an identical mental note that I made this time last year.

I was just about ready to start praying for a kidney stone when Dennis told me that I needed to get in touch with Jamie Knight because he was about to participate in a fundraiser where local realtors made gumbo and set up booths with different themes and there was an Alice in Wonderland booth at this fundraiser. I made a mental note to actually attend the fundraiser...then forgot.  Obviously my mental note system needs work.

Fortunately the day after, Jamie contacted me and said that the people who had the Alice booth were going to toss out all their decorations but he saved them after learning about our Halloween theme. He described them as large cardboard cut-outs, the kind that might be used at a prom.

I thought to myself, "Score!!!" This was just what I needed! I wasn't sure what the props would look like but even repainting them would be easier than creating from scratch.  This rejuvenated my enthusiasm for our project and I began to think that maybe things would work out after all.  In my mind, these cardboard cutouts were obviously a gift from God, one meant to tell me not to give up.

A couple of the cutouts formed a heart-shaped arch and were much too tall to fit in the back of my Durango, so Tammi Reynaud offered to pick them up and bring them to my house in her pickup.  We went together to the house where they were temporarily stored and brought them back to my house.

While we were chatting in the truck, I was telling Tammi about our plans and how the cutouts would work perfectly and sure would save me a lot of time and effort as far as creating our theme.  With the decorating part pretty much taken care of, I told her that the only thing I was still concerned about was what kind of Jesus we would be handing out.  I wanted something that would go with our Wonderland theme but it has to make sense.  I didn't want to just make a little card and stick a white rabbit on it and call it done.  That matches the theme but it doesn't make sense.  What does the white rabbit have to do with salvation?

Then Tammi said the most beautiful words I'd heard in days, "what if you use the king of hearts and say something about how Jesus is the King of our hearts?" OH MY GOSH!  That's perfect!!!  I never would have thought of that on my own and I (stupidly) wasn't even asking for Tammi's help, I was really sort of mentally complaining out loud.

I am convinced that in that moment, Tammi was a vessel for the Holy Spirit who used her creativity to provide me with the perfect solution to my problem.  I was SO pumped!!  And I also realized that I was pretty much locked into this deal since it appears that for whatever reason, God wants it to happen.

Pretty cool, right?  Well, that's not all.  Tammi and I were fleshing out how the King of hearts idea could work and we both thought it would be really neat to use actual playing cards.  Then I was blinded by this vivid mental image of a box of flea market goodies that my sister had mailed to me a few weeks ago.  Inside the box was a ziploc baggie full of...you guessed it...about 6 decks of playing cards.  Several hundred kids come through our neighborhood on Halloween night so it might take all 6 decks.

Now, I can over spiritualize just about anything.  When I get a good space in a crowded parking lot I am sure that space was God ordained just for me.  I feel sure he arranges budget-friendly sales just for me such as when my deodorant is buy-1-get-1-free.  But this?  This just can't be ignored.

Let's recap: 

1. The Green family plans a little neighborhood outreach event.  
2. Right after I lose my passion for it, Dennis and Jamie have lunch.  Jamie tells Dennis about the Alice in Wonderland booth at his fundraiser and Dennis tells Jamie about the Alice in Wonderland Halloween party at my house.
3. Jamie saves the Alice decorations from their dumpster destiny and offers to let us use them.
4. Tammi steps in and offers the use of her pickup to move the decorations.
5. In the process of decoration moving, Tammi comes up with a perfect idea for how to present the gospel to our trick-or-treaters.
6. Shamayn, my sister, unknowingly sent me the cards I would need to make our gospel idea happen.
7. Which brings us to Kevin Bacon.

I just can't write that off as coincidence...not when so many different people have solved problems that they didn't even know existed! 

I believe this is a perfect example of God working in the little, almost insignificant details of my life.  I can't even write this off as an answer to prayer.  I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I didn't pray for any of this.  In the beginning I prayed for an idea and I told God that if I got a good idea from him I would take that as my cue that he wanted this to happen.  The idea came so we proceeded but I didn't pray about it after that.

I am so thankful that (at least this time) I was paying enough attention to see all the work that God was doing in this tiny little part of my life.  He didn't unfriend me!  He's still my BFF!

Sure God can step in and save me when tragedy strikes and my life starts a downward spiral.  He's God, he's supposed to work big miracles like that.  But he made sure that my sister sent me the playing cards I would need for the idea that Tammi gave me to use at the event that Jamie and Dennis revitalized. Seeing how God works in the little stuff of my life makes me realize just how much he loves me. 

Now I can relax and look forward to our Halloween ministry event with a lot less stress and anxiety.  I still can't believe how easily Tammi came up with her idea after I'd spent days chewing on it and coming up with nothing.  I know I would never have come up with the King of hearts angle.  All I could think of was the little bottles that said "eat me" or "drink me" and what good was that?!

Little bottles.  Life giving water.  From the King of our hearts.  I have about 500 little bottles that I bought several months ago for a reason that I could not name.

Oh yeah.  God IS my BFF!

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1.02.28

A Year of Biblical Womanhood

Check out what Rachel Held Evans will be doing for the next year in preparation for her new book.



Wow! Could you do it? I don't think I could or would even dare to try. You can keep up with Rachel's progress on her blog.

New Thursday Night Study

 Measureless Love by Beth Moore

Join us on Thursday  nights starting October 21 for this 4-week, no-homework study on God's vast love and how it transforms us.  6:30-8:15, led by Marti Thomas.  Sign up at the welcome table for the study and childcare or contact Marti, marti@trinitybible.org.

Click here and scroll down to watch a preview of Beth's teaching: Measureless Love 

Quote for the Day

A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ that a man should have to seek HIM first to find her. ~Maya Angelou  Thanks to Lisa Roskin, who posted this on FB today.

Mom Connection

Moms had a great time of fellowship, encouragement and creativity at yesterday's Mom Connection.  Karen Kulbeth, one of our great mentor moms, spoke on "When the Handwriting on the Wall is in Brown Crayon," thoughts on meeting God in the midst of being a busy mom.  Moms also made promise baskets with 365 of God's promises - one for each day.  Enjoy these photos:

H + HCO3 -> H2CO3 -> H2O + CO2

That's the chemical equation that Susan Comeaux taught at last night's bible study.  You probably know it as the volcano science experiment: add vinegar and baking soda and . . . blurp - a homemade volcano!  What really happens is that the hydrogen and the bicarbonate soda transform into carbonic acid which then transforms into water and carbon dioxide (the bubbles that go blurp).  We don't see the intermediate step of the carbonic acid but it's an integral part of the reaction.
The chemistry lesson in all of this? God's Word + Prayer -> Knowing God's Will -> Doing God's Will.  Sometimes we don't see the intermediate step but it happens anyway.  And the energy produced by our transformation is just what God desires in our lives.

A Prayer for the Day

Lord of Hosts, I revel in the truths of Your majesty, power, glory and dominion over all things in heaven and on earth. In spite of so many appearances to the contrary, nothing can happen that comes as a surprise to You or escapes Your control. You order the events of history in ways we do not understand, and in spite of the vastness of human evil, Your plan will be accomplished. I pray for the insight of a growing biblical perspective on the events in my life and in the world. May I move with confidence in Your sovereignty, even when things seem to make no sense to me. I thank You for Your patience and comfort, especially in times when I try to run from You or feel sorry for myself. I want to renew my mind with Your unchanging truth in a changing world, so that my assurance is in Your often-mysterious ways in the affairs of the sons and daughters of men. Thanks to Ken Boa: Plans Will Be Accomplished: A Prayer

Need Help Staying in God's Word?

Here's a great selection of devotionals you can have emailed to you daily: http://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/. Some are specifically geared to women - in the workplace, at home, in their 20's, etc.

Everyone Loves a Love Story

My good friend Tanya Whitaker and her husband Kent are speaking at TBC this Sunday.  They have an amazing story of God's love in the midst of tragedy & I don't want to spoil it here.  But they also have a great story of God's love in the midst of romantic love; read it here: http://www.biggerpicturemin.org/but-not-in-church.  Because everyone loves a love story.

Congo Women's Magnificent Mile at Runner's World

Congo Women's Magnificent Mile at Runner's World. Read this story of amazing women in the Congo sent to me by Stacy St. Cyr.

Raising Children

I wish I'd thought this way when my children were young: Instead of hoping to give your kids more than what you had, how about helping them do more than what  you did? More giving, more serving, more listening, more caring, more trusting Jesus . . .

Thanks to Craig Groeschel for this great thought!

The Book

The Bible is by far the most fascinating, beautiful, challenging, and frustrating work of literature I've ever encountered.  Whenever I struggle with questions about my faith, it serves as both a comfort and an agitator, both the anchor and the storm. One day it inspires confidence, the next day doubt. For every question it answers, a new one surfaces. For every solution I think I've found, a new problem will emerge. The Bible has been, and probably always will be, a relentless, magnetic force that both drives me away from my faith and continuously calls me home. Nothing makes me crazier or gives me more hope than the eclectic collection of sixty-six books that begins with Genesis and finishes with Revelaiton. It's difficult to read a word of it without being changed. Rachel Held Evans, Evolving in Monkey Town.

Why Glenn Beck Isn't A Big Deal

Many people I know think Glen Beck IS a big deal. This may make you mad but I have to ask: how well do his positions match up with scripture? Provocative musings on this here:Why Glenn Beck Isn't A Big Deal

Nobody Wants a Mediocre Marriage

Here's a good article entitled "Defending Your Marriage Against Mediocrity."  The pretty good can be the enemy of the great.

How to Post a Comment

Click on the title of the particular blog post and you'll get a page with a box for comments.

FREE BOOKS!

After I opined in my previous post that you should read everything by John Ortberg, I thought I should back up my words.  I have 3 copies of "When The Game Is Over, It All Goes Back In The Box," one of his best.  The first 3 to post a comment get them!

Spiritual Pathways

Susan Comeaux opened the Thursday night study on James by asking the class to take a "spiritual pathway assessment." We discovered that we are a diverse group; we had someone in each of the 7 pathways: intellectual, relational, serving, worship, activist, contemplative and creation.  If you'd like to know more about your unique way of experiencing God's closeness, read God is Closer Than You Think by John Ortberg (actually you should read everything by John Ortberg).

Four Times a Week

106 women started bible studies today!  A recent Barna research study showed that taking in God's word four times a week is the most significant contributor to real spiritual growth and intimacy with God.  

Book Review: Evolving in Monkey Town

This is not technically a book review since those are supposed to be objective and I've never read a book that I didn't like. If I don't like a book, I stop reading it as soon as I decide that I don't like it. Doesn't everyone? It would be strange to me to hear of someone deciding they didn't like a book on page 25 but they read all 400 pages anyway...unless they're getting paid to read it. Which I am not. So this is not really a book review but more of a, "hey, I loved this book, it really put into words a lot of the things I've been feeling lately and it really made me think." But that's a little wordy for a blog post title, even for me.   

The aforementioned book is Evolving in Monkey Town by Rachel Held Evans. It caught my eye at the library in the 'new release' section. I had no idea what the book was about but I picked it up off the shelf because it had "Monkey Town" in the title. How could I not pick it up? I was surprised to find that it's a Christian book. The author is from Dayton, Tennessee, home of the infamous Scopes Monkey Trial of 1925 where creationists and evolutionists duked it out in a mock trial. From then on, Dayton was known as Monkey Town. The "evolving" part of the title refers to Rachel's evolving faith.

The book describes Rachel's spiritual journey (so far anyway, she's young) from her fundamentalist Christian childhood, through her years at an ultra conservative Christian college where she began to have serious doubts about her beliefs, and finally to the place where she is now which is still spotted with doubt and unanswered questions. Rachel asks some hard questions and for most of them she doesn't get any answers. There's no neat and tidy resolution at the end. The best part about it is that instead of letting her doubts destroy her faith, she learned how to see them as a necessary and vital part of it. As a result, her faith and her love for Jesus is now deeper and more solid than ever before.

If you choose to read this book (and I hope you will) you should be aware of a couple of things. First, Rachel uses quite a few $10 words that I will admit I had to look up. At first I thought she was trying to sound very educated or maybe impress the publisher since this was her first book. But after reading for a while, I realized that she probably really uses these words in everyday conversations. The good news is you really don't have to know the definitions of Rachel's uber Christian words in order to understand what she's saying and enjoy the book. They're just scattered throughout the pages here and there. Here are a few that I'm willing to admit I had to look up: apologetics, eschatology, dispensationalism, hermeneutics, religious plurality, secular humanism, and Anabaptist.

Another thing you should be aware of is that you will probably not agree with everything the author says. She was raised a very conservative Christian fundamentalist/apologetics junky (do I get $20 for combining 2 big words with a slash??) but she has recently discovered that she might be an evolutionist and, even worse, a democrat! :)  She wrestles with how to have a biblical worldview in a world that is constantly changing. She is also learning to embrace the notion that faith changes as well.

The turning point for Rachel came while she was in college and saw footage from "Behind the Veil" on CNN. She watched a muslim woman named Zarmina being executed by the Taliban. This caused Rachel to face some of her questions and doubts head-on. She struggled with what she calls the "cosmic lottery" that allowed her to be born into a Christian home in the U.S. while Zarmina was born to a muslim family in Afghanistan, severely hindering if not completely preventing her exposure to the gospel. Why would God do that? Why would he allow Zarmina's  life on earth to be filled with pain and torture from the Taliban only to continue it after death since she surely would not be going to heaven? Rachel was no longer willing to accept platitudes such as "God's ways are higher than our ways"; platitudes she herself had used so many times when she didn't have an answer to some else's hard questions.

As Rachel grapples with some hard questions, she discovers that she doesn't have all the answers like she thought she did. She writes, "With the best of intentions, the generation before mine worked diligently to prepare their children to make an intelligent case for Christianity...As a result, many of us entered the world with both an unparalleled level of conviction and a crippling lack of curiosity. So ready with the answers, we didn't know what the questions were anymore. So prepared to defend the faith, we missed the thrill of discovering it for ourselves."

The death of muslim woman half a world away brought a Christian woman into the arms of Jesus, who she calls "God in sandals". She learned that "healthy doubt (questioning one's beliefs) is perhaps the best defense against unhealthy doubt (questioning God). When we know how to make a distinction between our ideas about God and God himself, our faith remains safe when one of those ideas is seriously challenged."

If you like Donald Miller or Anne Lamott, you will probably like Rachel Held Evans. She says out loud what a lot of us think from time to time but would never dream of voicing. She's controversial yet comforting, and evidently she's not too discerning because she's my new Facebook friend.

Football Season is Almost Here!

This is too fun not to post! Only 11 days until college football season starts . . . Perfect Hors d’oeuvre For Football Season!

Women’s Bible Studies Fall 2010

Thursday Mornings Beginning September 2

9:00 – 11:30 am

Contact Donna Bulliard, donnab@cox.net, 417-0603

Marti Thomas, marti@trinitybible.org, 406-2801 x104

Ephesians - The Church: Rooted in Love, Walking in Power (Precept Study)

Chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, targeted by grace, children of God united in a single family, inheritors, holy, redeemed, forgiven, raised from the dead and seated with Jesus Christ in the heavenlies! How can you not study Ephesians!? Before Paul even hints at how believers should live, he lays a rock-solid foundation: who we are in Christ! If you think you're just a cog in a machine, if you don't know your true identity, then this study is for you.

Cost: $25 or order at www.precept.org after 8/22/10

Duration: 11 weeks

Format: 1+ hours of daily individual study, weekly group discussion

Leader: LaDonna Sprayberry, 235-7669

Teach Me Your Ways – Genesis (Precept New Inductive Study Series)

Begin at the beginning - Creation, marriage, sin, civilization. Then learn about God's continuing lovingkindness and faithfulness to His covenant people, even when they let Him down. This study spans all 5 books of the Pentateuch.  We’ll do Genesis in the fall; you can continue with Exodus starting in the spring.

Cost: $12 (all 5 studies) or order at www.precept.org after 8/22/2010

Duration: 9 weeks (Genesis)

Format: 15 minutes of daily individual study, weekly group discussion

Leader: Verna Guidry, 981-2275

A Woman's Heart: God's Dwelling Place (Beth Moore)  

Why did God choose to dwell in a wilderness tabernacle and what does that mean to your life today? Explore the fascinating account of the building of the Old Testament tabernacle, the significance of its intricate design and its pivotal role in God's eternal plan, the grand fulfillment of its purpose by Jesus Christ, and its variety of meanings for your walk with God today. In this 10-week in-depth Bible study you will be challenged to prepare your heart, like the holy of holies, to become a home for His love and glory — a dwelling place for the Most High God.

Cost: $20 or order at www.lifeway.com or Lifeway Stores after 8/22/2010

Duration: 11 weeks

Format: 45 minutes of daily individual study, weekly group discussion & video

Leaders: Beth Bee, Sarah Loftin & Donna Bulliard, 417-0603

Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl

by Lysa Terkeurst, President of Proverbs 31 Ministries

How might our lives look if we were so filled with God's truths we could let go of the pain of our past, not get tripped up by the troubles of today, or consumed by worries about tomorrow?  It's impossible when we try to make it happen on our own by doing more good Bible study girl things like praying, reading the Bible or going to church. But going through the motions of these activities will not fill our souls. True fulfillment is never found in seeking to do enough, be enough, have enough, know enough or accomplish enough.  We will be setting our hearts and minds on God and letting Him change us, rearrange us and redirect us to live out the message of Christ.

Cost: $20 or order at www.christianbook.com after 8/22/2010

Duration: 7 weeks

Format: 20-30 minutes of daily study, weekly group discussion & video

Leader: Lisa Delahoussaye, 839-1747

Thursday Evenings Beginning September 2

6:30 – 8:30 pm

Contact Marti Thomas, marti@trinitybible.org, 406-2801 x104

2 Peter: How To Be Kept From Falling (Precept In & Out Study)

In a day when false teachers are leading countless people astray, to live effectively for Christ we need to know the truth. Learn to live effectively and grow in spiritual discernment.

Cost: $16 or order at precept.com after 8/22

Duration: 9 weeks

Format: 30 minutes of daily study, weekly group discussion

Leader: Michelle Lafleur, 983-7053

James

James, a “bondservant” of Jesus Christ, sets out to instruct us about how faith should “look” in real life. In this epistle, he gives us many wise words of useful instruction. Yet the truths of his words are still so powerful that they will wake and shake believers from all backgrounds and cultures who have “ears to hear” them carefully. This book gives Christians practical guidance on how we can live for Him.

Cost: $7 or order after 8/22/2010 at www.explorerbiblestudy.org

Duration: 6 weeks

Format: 20-30 minutes of daily study, weekly group discussion

Leader: Susan Comeaux, 230-2913

Eat Pray Love

I really want to see "Eat Pray Love" because I really like to eat, pray, love . . . and travel.  But this post at Redeemed Girl Blog gives us 3-D glasses for viewing the movie: Redeemed Girl's Response to Eat Pray Love | Redeemed Girl Ministries

Leadership Growth

Check out this webinar for women: Women Leading Women Webinar featuring Elisa Morgan, author and publisher of Fulfill Magazine & former CEO of MOPS, on Wednesday, August 25 at 3 pm central.  Elisa will speak to the challenge of leading other women and how to lead with your real self, holding back nothing.  It's free but you have to register: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/344388355

The Land Between

One of the best Leadership Summit talks I heard was entitled "The Land Between: Finding God in Difficult Transitions."  The biblical reference is the desert wilderness the Israelites crossed to get from Egypt to the Promised Land, but it goes by many names: illness, divorce, unemployment, rebellious teen, loneliness. 
What grows in the desert? Actually a lot.  It is fertile ground for complaining, bitterness, resentment and, ultimately, for God's discipline.  But it is also fertile ground for hope, trust, perseverance and, ultimately, for God's provision. Your heart is in danger in the land between; it can be a place of transformational growth or a place where faith goes to die.  Your choice.

Leaders Are Learners

42 of us spent the last two days at the Leadership Summit, which I consider to be the most challenging & encouraging Christian conference on the planet.  (If this weren't a church blog, I would say it is the best butt-kicking any Christ-follower can get.)    I'll blog some of the most interesting insights in future posts but for now, here's a link to summaries of all of the talks: http://bit.ly/d7TkEL. It may be one of those "you had to be there" things but it's worth a look. 


 And lest you say, "Me?  I'm not a leader, " consider this definition: a leader is someone who has influence with others.  


And leaders are always learning. 

Anne Rice's Christianity Crisis

This column by a young conservative Christian political writer highlights the struggles that young Christians have with the church.  How do we offer both grace AND truth? Anne Rice's Christianity Crisis 

Real Housewives of the Church

Here's one woman's struggle with how God views her.  I like her conclusion: We are all equal in the eyes of God: equally loved, sinful, and redeemed.  And I like her advice: instead of running from God when his word makes you feel uncomfortable, dig deeper to get to know him.  As Folly | Christianity Today | A Magazine of Evangelical Conviction

"Love Stories" Coming August 21

Make plans to be here Saturday, August 21, 9:30-11:30 am, for "Love Stories," our fall women's ministry kickoff.  Signup for the event and childcare is August 8 & 15.

Everybody Likes Food

Shannon told me that this blog would be more interesting if we included crafts, articles on women's issues, recipes, etc.  No crafts in my world - so here's a recipe.  I served it at bunco last week & got lots of compliments.  Either it's tasty or all my friends are nice.


Tomato Tart
1 can crescent rolls
8 oz. sliced provolone cheese
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
4 tomatoes, sliced lengthwise
2-4 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 
3 tsp. minced garlic (fresh is best)


Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray tart or pie pan with nonstick spray.  Press crescent roll dough into pan, pressing evenly over bottom & up sides; press edges & perforations to seal. Prick dough with fork. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown.  Meanwhile, in small saucepan, combine oil, basil & garlic.  Cook over low heat just until heated.  Arrange half of the provolone cheese slices over crust; top with half of the tomatoes.  Sprinkle with 2 tsp. parmesan cheese.  Repeat layers.  Spoon oil mixture over the pan.  Sprinkle with ground black pepper if desired. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes or until crust is deep golden brown.  Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.  Double the recipe for a 9x12" casserole dish.

Let's Make This A Conversation

I'd love to make this blog a conversation among women.  What helps you connect with God in an intimate way? What's He doing in and through you these days? All comments welcome . . . 

Somebody Just Slap Me

So I chose spiritual refreshment over cleaning closets, pulling weeds or curling up on the couch with a novel.  Here's how I spent my day with God:

• I listened to some great worship music, sang out loud & even danced.  Robin Mark's music appeals to my wild Irish genes.  
• I re-read Exodus, Numbers & Joshua, which have been the foundation for our summer study "One In A Million."  I was reminded of all the places God takes us on our journeys through the wilderness to the promised land of abundant living in Christ.
• I enjoyed a constant conversation with the Lord, hearing so much from the Holy Spirit that I scribbled furiously throughout the day. (I can hardly read my handwriting.)
• But mostly I bathed in His grace, held fast in His love. 

Love wins out.  Somebody just slap me.

Why Is It So Hard?

I spend time in the Word almost every day.  I teach weekly and study the Scriptures in preparation.  I pray often (though not often enough).  But I'm still starved for time with God. 


Every other month we cancel a staff meeting & spend a half-day alone with God.  Our staff meetings are irregular during the summer, so I asked everyone to take a whole day off to spend with Him.  I've cancelled twice so far but the guilt of being a lousy leader finally got to me.  Mark is gone all day today (Saturday); what a perfect day to spend with the Lord.  Why do I suddenly want to clean out closets? Why does pulling weeds in 95 degrees appeal to me - for the first time ever?  Why is it so hard to make time for the One who loves me so much?

God is Always Moving

In our study of Exodus this week, we looked at how journeying toward God's promised land requires us to leave things behind - perhaps people, habits, hidden little sins, comfortable places.  We set aside fear, we grieve & we let go.  The destination is worth it.

What Would You Like to Learn This Year?

It's planning time for next year's women's bible studies!  What would you like to learn this fall?  If you have specific books of the Bible, topics or studies you'd like us to offer, please let us know.

I Get the Israelites

We're studying Exodus in our Thursday night summer study.  Here's my summary so far of the Israelites' journey towards the Promised Land:
God provides freedom from slavery by sending plagues that force Pharaoh to let His people go.
God provides a pillar of cloud by day & fire by night to guide them.
The Israelites see Egyptian soldiers pursuing & react with fear, doubt & grumbling.
God provides safety by parting the Red Sea.
The Israelites get thirsty & react with fear, doubt & grumbling.
God provides fresh water.
The Israelites get hungry & react with fear, doubt & grumbling.
God provides manna, every single day, enough for each person.
The Israelites get tired of manna & react with fear, doubt & grumbling.
God provides quail.
The Israelites arrive at a camp with no water & react with fear, doubt & grumbling.
God provides water (again).
To be continued . . .

Women Are the Same All Over the World

I just returned from a mission trip to Haiti.  The country is full of rubble and grief, and I hope the world doesn't forget this devastated country and its beautiful people.  I spent lots of time with various Haitian women and participated in a women's program with our sister church in Picot, Haiti.  Despite the obvious differences of color, economic status, living conditions and language, we weren't very different.  Women are the same all over the world - we want to make a difference in our communities, if married we want to love our husbands and be loved by them, we want to care for our families, we want our children to have better lives than we have, we want to know God.  Pray for our sisters in Haiti, especially those who have lost family, friends and homes in the earthquake. 

Same Old, Same Old

My screensaver word for today is inertia, defined as “the tendency to remain unchanged; in physics a property of matter by which it continues in its existing state, unless that state is changed by an external force; resistance to change in some way.”  That’s us, unless we let the external force of the Holy Spirit become our internal force -  and change us.  None of us wants the “same old, same old;” let’s resist inertia.

Bible Studies Start Today!

Summer Studies start today!  
Thursday mornings, 9-11 -  Ruth: Kinsman Redeemer
Thursday evenings, 6:30-8:15 -  For Women Only(What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men) AND One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land

A Spiritual Checkup

Last week I had my annual checkup: blood tests and lots of questions.  It got me to thinking about a spiritual checkup. How is your spiritual blood pressure? (I think here that high is good.)  Do you have a sense of urgency about staying connected to Jesus, letting His lifeblood be your lifeblood?  Is there any bad cholesterol (sin) clogging your arteries, preventing His power from flowing through you? What are you taking for that?  For me, I have to be in God’s word daily or the sin piles up like sludge and I get really comfortable with spiritual lethargy.  I also take medication for an underfunctioning thyroid; if I don’t, I barely have enough energy to make it through the day.  What are you taking to maintain spiritual energy?  It seems like God has wired each of us to need a different medication: prayer, meditation, music, nature, time with friends who challenge and inspire us, serving, scripture. How do you fill your soul and stay healthy?

The Girl Scouts Had It Right

I remember my Mom getting ready for Sunday – ironing our clothes, putting vaseline on the girls’ patent leather shoes, cooking a roast so we wouldn’t devour each other after church.  We probably don’t do those things any more but we can still prepare for Sunday.  I wish I could say I prepare every week but . . . yesterday I did.  I knew Dennis was preaching on Jonah, so I read the book and thought about what God might say to me today.  I dealt with some junk in my soul (i.e., sin) so I would be prepared to worship God and to experience Him. I asked Him to open my eyes to others’ needs and to show me whether to respond with a hug, a prayer, a word of encouragement or comfort.  I can’t wait to see how today goes.  It feels good to be prepared.

What's for dinner?

A couple of days ago I attended the introductory class for one of our summer bible studies.  LaDonna Sprayberry used a great illustration to encourage us to study on our own and to come to class to share what we've discovered.  She said spending time in God’s word and then going to bible study is like making a delicious dish and taking it to share with others.  Sometimes our dishes are complicated and fabulous; sometimes our dishes are simple and ordinary; sometimes we don’t even have a dish to bring.  But we come anyway and we get fed from others’ dishes.  Life in community is a great big feast - what’s for dinner at your house?

This is how it's supposed to be

Yesterday I witnessed a holy moment.  It looked like a bunch of women sitting around crying but it was really a Holy Moment, the kind of moment with a capital H and a capital M. A young couple from our church moved away several years ago. This week we found out their baby is in PICU in critical condition.  Their friends decided they needed to pray for them so a group of busy moms got babysitters and gathered in our auditorium to pray.  Some moments our auditorium becomes a sanctuary and this was one of them.  They prayed for Kara, Scott and Baby Henry, they wept, they raised their hands to God in prayer.  Perhaps Kara was too tired or too fearful to pray but her friends prayed on her behalf, much like Aaron & Hur held up Moses’ hands when he grew too tired (Exodus 17).  It was a moment like so many I’ve seen at TBC, a living picture of the family of God. This morning we hear that Baby Henry is a little better, the first good news they’ve had. We’re grateful for God’s mercy and for each other.

"Sex and the City 2" is generating lots of chatter. Consider this blog on what we are REALLY looking for and where to find it: www.redeemedgirl.org/sex-and-the-city-movie.

God's call from mundane Christianity to a radical experience of Him will take us down roads that, honestly, are quite narrow. Not many travelers take this route; it's easier to stay on the main road where there are more people and far less uncertainty. But God's way is too unusual and mysterious for boredom to even be an option. Paraphrased from "One in a Million, Journey to Your Promised Land" by Priscilla Shirer. This summer study starts Thursday night, June 10. Join us!

Cheer for the Lady Cajuns in the softball super regional tonight! Several of the girls have been in our college women's bible study. 8 pm, ESPN2.

Women's summer studies start next week. Here's the lineup; email shannon@trinitybible.org to sign up. We'd love to have you join us!

SPECIAL CLASS Thursday, June 3, 9 - 11:15 a.m., led by LaDonna Sprayberry - Biblical Overview - get the big picture of God's grand story. All women welcome to come to this stand-alone session. Childcare available; check signup sheets for openings.

THURSDAY MORNINGS

June 3 -24, 9 - 11:15 a.m., led by LaDonna Sprayberry

Ruth: Kinsman Redeemer (4 weeks), $6.75
If you were a slave, who would buy your freedom? If you had an enemy, who would come to your defense? In the Old Testament, this buyer-defender known as a "kinsman - redeemer" was usually a close relative. If you're a believer, you already have one -- Jesus Christ! This rich study shows how Jesus both bought us (redeemer) and advocates (defends) for us, offering us an opportunity to rebuild our broken lives. Childcare available; check signup sheets for openings.

July 8-29, 9 - 11:15 a.m., led by LaDonna Sprayberry Hosea: A Love That Will Not Let Me Go (4 lessons), $9.00
Hosea was the last prophet to the Northern Kingdom of Israel before they were taken captive to Assyria. He cried out to a nation caught up in harlotry, a nation which chose to abandon God and go after pagan idols. In Hosea you can learn how God deals with those who turn away from Him and about a love that will not let you go. Childcare available; check signup sheets for openings.

THURSDAY EVENINGS

June 10 - July 29, 6:30 - 8:15 p.m., led by Donna Bulliard & Marti Thomas

One in a Million: Journey to Your Promised Land by Priscilla Shirer (7 weeks), $15.00
God calls us from mundane Christianity to a radical experience of Him. If you hunger to experience God's power, hear His voice and live in His promised abundance, join this journey. Childcare available; check signup sheets for openings.

June 10 - July 29, 6:30 - 8:15 p.m., led by Lisa Delahoussaye

For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn (7 weeks), $15.00
Subtitled "What You Need to Know About the Inner Lives of Men," this study is for every woman who wants to understand and support her husband in becoming all that God intends him to be. Be warned - this is not about changing him, but about changing you! Childcare available; check signup sheets for openings.

Let's Become Dangerous Women

The 2010 TBC Women's Retreat unleashed a passion to become dangerous women, risk-takers for God. If you want to join the movement, start with this prayer from Lynne Hybels' book, Nice Girls Don't Change the World.

Dear God, please make us dangerous women.

May we be women who acknowledge our power to change, and grow, and be radically alive for God.

May we be healers of wounds and righters of wrongs.

May we weep with those who weep and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves.

May we cherish children, embrace the elderly, and empower the poor.

May we pray deeply and teach wisely.

May we be strong and gentle leaders.

May we sing songs of joy and talk down fear.

May we never hesitate to let passion push us, conviction compel us, and righteous anger energize us.

May we strike fear into all that is unjust and evil in the world.

May we dismantle abusive systems and silence lies with truth.

May we shine like stars in a darkened generation.

May we overflow with goodness in the name of God and by the power of Jesus.

And in that name and by that power, may we change the world.

Dear God, please make us dangerous women.

AMEN.