I'm all about a party and a good time, but......

Yes!!!!!  It's almost time to head to Houston next week!!!  I'm so thankful to be meeting Robyn in the Mexican eating capitol of the world! Many of you that are going I have been to conferences with before and I get to see your sweet face again and hopefully spend more than 5 hurried minutes with you!  Some of you I will be meeting for the very first time and I may be slightly nervous about that. ;)  We always wonder.......Will she look like she does online? Will her personality match up to what I think I know about her via twitter, facebook, and blogs?  And really.....it's ok if we don't all match up 100% to what we think someone should be or look like or act like.  We have one thing in common that is the BEST out of it all. We are there to celebrate Him.

Jesus!   

We are flying into Houston from all over the United States to celebrate the fact that we have memorized 24 scriptures over the past year! Y'all....that is something to celebrate!!!!  Grab your party hats and horns and bibles and get ready for a mighty fine good time!!  I attempted this memory work thing two years ago with LPM and our beloved leader, Beth Moore, but didn't make it one scripture past summer. The lazy days of summer apparently destroyed any ability to memorize anything. I didn't feel good about putting down John 3:16 or "Jesus wept" as my memory verses so I just quit.

So here we are and my handy dandy spiral is full of very personal scriptures that I look back over and truly see a story being told from 2011. I can start at the beginning of the spiral and imagine a movie of my life taking place as I relive each reason or event why I picked that particular verse.  It is truly a beautiful thing.

The Word came to life last year and He showed Himself faithful in ways I would never be able to articulate to you. The movie that I see in my head as I look through His Word this past year is full of fear, joy, anxiety, promise, and hope. The ending is glorious. The ending is His faithfulness shining brightly and the promises of Who He is pierces my heart like no other time in my nearly 42 years. As Beth taught me through her Believing God bible study, "God is who he says he is." 

I would do great harm in my desire to bear His image well if I simply patted myself on the back, had a great time in Houston, having a fabulous time with friends, returned home memorizing nothing for 2012, and not sharing the power of the gospel to others.

Why are you going to Houston? What are you going to do about all that you have memorized this past year?

The journey has just begun for me....The Word is alive and active. Pass on its power and might in 2012. Every single one of us who have memorized these 24 verses can testify to the Lord's desire and ability to show Himself faithful over a period of time in our lives.

We are called to be sowers. I pray that we sow the most important Seed we know of into as many lives as we can.

Love y'all dearly!Now.....in your best "Cool and the Gang" voices lets all sing....Celebrate good times come on!!!! 

I wish someone would have shared this nugget with me when my kids were younger....

I'm all about this new year!!  I mean I'm ALL OVER THE newness of a new year. I'm thinking and dreaming and planning and hoping and praying for all manner of "NEW" in this year of 2012 for myself and my family.

New Years Day night I took my middle son to Sonic for a milkshake and low and behold our local book store was open right around the corner. And what do you think I did??  Why yes....I went into this book store after we bought milkshakes and bought me a fancy shmancy new journal. In red. :) I'm in love. This is a part of that "newness."

Isn't she lovely?  I have written something in this journal since the 1st day of January. I have no particular "thing" that I'm determined to write in it. It's simply a place to put my thoughts. Good, bad, and ugly plans to go in here. Where is that lock? ;)

Yesterday I went to my journal and with it being the 1st day of school, I recorded what I wanted for my children this semester.  My oldest is 15, middle is 14, and the youngest is 11.  I am praying these things over my children...EVERY SINGLE DAY....NOT AS NEEDED....EVERY SINGLE DAY.....

**confidence: "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him." Jeremiah 17:7

**courage: "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."  Deuteronomy 31:6

**peace: "He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it."  1 Peter 3:11

**goodness: "A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold." Proverbs 22:1

These 4 topics are specific to each child, yet fit under an umbrella for the three of them. As I look back, each child has a specific reason why a particular topic came to mind as I wrote them down in my journal. Funny thing is...I didn't spend a whole lot of time wondering what the topic or theme would be. It quickly came and I had it penned in about 3 minutes. 

This is what I want you momma's of younger kids to do...to develop and maintain a habit of....

Pray DAILY for specific things for your child. Pray for their day and whatever their need may be for that day, but also pray specific topics or themes over them DAILY! 

If you feel your child needs prayer for self-esteem or discipline in an area, then you find you an oh so perfect scripture that meets that need and pray it DAILY for your sweet baby. Don't wait until you see a hole or weakness.

I think you get my drift here! Start praying specifics for them while they are young. Keep record of it. And commit to pray for your sweet son or daughter.....beyond what their need may be for that day.

Love y'all so~

Swimming in my sweet spot

When I hear the words, "sweet spot" I think of a baseball bat. Having 3 boys that play a lot of sports, I'm pretty sure that I have heard them talk about this sweet spot on a bat and that is exactly where you want to hit the ball. It's that place where the ball hits the bat and makes the hit a really good one! It's also a tricky spot to find and a tricky spot to find on a regular basis. Seems to me a lucky thing, but what do I know. The environment is never the same....the pitcher, the speed of the throw, and the type of the throw all matter when it comes to that pitch finding the sweet spot on the bat.  And apparently....it's a pretty awesome thing to a kid when that ball makes contact in the "sweet spot."  A kid knows when they have found that sweet spot. The fans do too.

I'm a girl. I don't play baseball. I have no clue what that feels like.  But, I do know this....as I enter into this new year there is one thing that God is impressing on me that simply won't let up. It kinda makes my stomach hurt when I spend a lot of time thinking about it.  A stomach ache in a good way, I guess. Maybe more of an excitement. Regardless, it's that feeling in my stomach when I know it's time to DO and quit thinking.

God is pushing me into a sweet spot with Him. My pastor calls this sweet spot in our lives the place where we are living and serving Christ with great passion for Him and the Kingdom. And wouldn't you know....this is exactly what he preached on this past Sunday. I hear ya Lord.  Ummmm.....what is that "sweet spot" place of ministry for you?  Where is that "sweet spot" place of ministry?? Do I even know what my sweet spot in ministry is?

I've realized in the last 24 hours that I'm desperate to serve Him well this year. I mean serve really, really well. Time to get over my sweet, cushy, sort-of serve type of lifestyle. It's time to "rise up sleeper."   (Eph 5:14)

God has that sweet spot for you. Do you know yours?  If you have no clue, kind of a clue, already serving in that sweet  spot, I pray you spend some time talking to Him about it. I pray we all rise up and serve Him well starting NOW! The days are evil. It's time to do the thing!!!

Let's jump into 2012 thrilled, awake, excited, anxious, full on faith, no holding back, ready to ride the roller coaster  and serve Him oh so well this year.

I'm in!!!  No more sleeping for me!

 "this is why it is said:
   “Wake up, sleeper,
   rise from the dead,
   and Christ will shine on you.”
 ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, ²⁰ always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:14-21