March 2011

Weekend Update

What an incredible weekend! We had been looking forward to this one for some time now. Now it has come, gone and it exceeded my expectations.

I love when our whole launch team is in town to begin with. The Vogt’s weren’t able to join us till Sunday afternoon but they did make it for our Sunday meeting. To have friends Jared and Sarah Bryant in town with their girls was wonderful! Getting to hear the heart of our church covering (Global Ministers Network), share our vision, talk, listen and glean from their wisdom was encouraging.

Something else that happens on these weekends when we are all together…

For a while, not everyone on our team knew each other. A few couples lived in different cities. Ray and I were the common denominator. Now, everyone is getting to know each other…this has been awesome to see unfold.

And we are all different…

I love getting to see how each member of our team has different personalities and passions. It shows and it is awesome! I got an email this morning from Ms Katie Moore, telling me how it had her cracking up thinking about it. When we spent some time brain storming ideas, all of those differences were obvious. We all like the idea of being around people who are just like us, think and respond like we do. This team certainly has some personality and gifting diversity. I really couldn’t imagine it any other way!

Fear not the differences…it is what makes it all work!

Happy Tuesday!

Ready…set…go!

I’m not sure if you have seen my husband’s posts this week…if not you should check them out here. Every day he introduced a different couple who is joining us in the beginning of planting Revive Church. We have known some longer than others but each of the stories makes my heart smile. Can’t believe the amazing people that God has brought together to form this launch team.

What an exciting weekend we have a head of us! I am so excited about these next few days. We have been Skyping with the Moore and Vogt’s for our weekly core team meetings (the rest of the team joining us in our living room). Thank God for technology! This weekend, they are making the trip to Austin. It’s not the first visit but it is always great to have the whole team here. Our friends Jared and Sarah Bryant are coming down from Dallas. They are our connection with the church planting network we are a part of. We are ready to talk and set strategy!

We had a friend in town this past week and got to show her around Austin. I always love the opportunity to spend time just driving around this awesome city. It has had my heart for a long time and I still can’t believe we are back here.

There is lots of excitement! It can certainly seem a bit overwhelming when you take a step back and look at every unknown ahead…then, you look at the possibilities!

Have a happy Friday and a great weekend everyone! I will post an update from this weekend on Monday.

Purpose is not punishment…

Just some thoughts on purpose to start off your Monday.

This is not the first time I have attempted to read through the bible in a year. The first time, I got stuck going through Leviticus, it took me forever. I finished the New Testament but took forever going through portions of the Old Testament. Since I have started reading through it several times, you get the point that I have read through Genesis and Exodus quite a few times by now…

Something caught my attention this last time going through Exodus.

With all that Moses did, went through, endured…you can call it what you want. Some of that stuff was just plain hard. Never did I ever read where Moses asks God “is this because I killed that Egyptian”? Correct me if I am wrong, but I also never read where Paul asks God “is this because I used to persecute Christians”? Both of these great men had pasts that were a bit on the shady side if you will. There was some “stuff” that they would likely rather have forgotten.

What I notice about these two people in particular was the weight that they carried and the purpose that they always had before them. There eye was on the task at hand. Vision was their driving force. God as the focus, God as the reason and the heart of God for the people they were leading pushing them onward. While there were questions, I never read reluctance in following their mission.

Today, I doubt you will hear anyone following hard after God ask if the vision burning on the inside of them is because of some choice they made as a teenager…

Don’t fear your purpose, don’t fear the vision! It’s not a punishment. Don’t fear where God may lead you…

Not Alone…little bit of a mom moment

I didn’t even think I was going to get a blog posted this week. I have been a bit busy working and experiencing a tad bit of writers block.

Then, I was surprised as I sat to read my bible and study a bit this morning. I had something to write in the moment I least expected. I wasn’t even planning on it…and it was not what you may expect. I was encouraged and challenged as I read this morning. My bible study on Ruth is in its last 2 days and I have loved every bit of it. I love how out of this seemingly small, yet beautiful story is really a huge story of God’s faithfulness and His will orchestrated into something so great. Love the greatness of God and how it goes so far beyond what we can even begin to dream.

In the midst of studying…

Then my mommy moment hit…I am reading, studying…I have gotten up because Sophia had been demanding milk for the last 10 minutes and Cephas insisted on yet another snack. I had made them wait but I had to keep my word when I said in a minute. I get back to my studying. In the background, my kids are watching Dinosaur Train on PBS…this episode was about dinosaurs going to the bathroom. The song was “every dinosaur poops”! You can’t make this stuff up! Nothing like a dinosaur using the word and poop and feces in a song to take your attention off reading of 1 Samuel…

This is why I decided to write…

Sometimes as a parent, I need to be reminded that I am not alone! Every time I get to talk to a friend of mine, we laugh at each other as we hear the other correct/feed/clean their kids (thanks Anna…I am glad I could bring some extra joy to your day). I could probably do a “mom moment post of the week”…maybe I should.

We love God, we seek God…we have kids…we discipline our kids….and through our kids, God grows us daily!

Anything I can do, you can do better…

Have you ever been simply amazed by someone? I know that I have been scared. I’ve been heart-broken. I know that I have faced the unknown. I know that I have been thrown outside of my realm of comfort…and been scared some more. Then you know of or hear of someone who after the fact, you are fully convinced that they make it look good. You know…handle it all with perfection as if such a thing exists. I know that that perfection is something we make up in our own crazy heads but still…in that moment, you think they have something figured out that you have somehow lost the manual on.

I have been doing a particular bible study that couldn’t possibly more perfect timing. Not long after the first of the year I started Kelly Minter’s study on Ruth. I am encouraged, challenged and intrigued. Yes, the book of Ruth points to the Cross and Boaz serves as a type and shadow…but what I am focusing on today is Ruth herself. The resolve, the boldness and faithfulness is not something that we see every day in our culture.

Ruth says after tremendous loss and several attempts at dismissal by her mother in-law “where you go I go, where you stay I stay. Your people will be my people and Your God, my God. Where you die, I will die and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely if anything but death separates you and me” (Ruth 1:16-17).

It is no wonder that after this statement, her mother in-law stopped urging her to leave and was silent. Those were words that will make you shut up, say “alright then” and change the direction of the conversation.

Have you ever had a conversation like that with someone? I have (looking at your Ms. Smith…that sounds general but trust me she exists)! After that kind of conviction, there is no going back!

I look at how she followed instruction and worked tirelessly. It makes my jaw drop a little bit when I make a feeble attempt to put myself in her shoes. Kind of like when you read Proverbs 31. We like a few verses but the rest of them, we just say “aw, that’s cute…good for her….that perfect Proverbs 31 woman”! I really am ok, don’t need counseling and know that there is so much to learn from that book and chapter…really. Back to what I was saying…there is something that we can miss. It all comes down to where her strength came from.

The author of this study said this “I am inclined to want to emulate her bravery and determination, and yet I am reminded that it was the breath of God that carried her to such heights”.

And there is nothing more to say today….

Happy Thursday everyone!