Ladies Day at the Home Mission 2012 Summit

The theme for the Ladies Day at the Home Mission Summit on February 29, 2012 was If Shoes Could Talk. What would your shoes say?

Wanda Powell and Ida Lewis decorated the tables with shoe arrangements...





Wanda Powell welcomed the women and showed the first pair of heels that her husband bought her the first Christmas they were married. They are still cute and in style!



Sandy Atwood did a short skit emphasizing the need to be ourselves - and not always trying to fill someone else's shoes.





Debbie Burden challenged us to put on the shoes of the gospel of peace and be ready to share it with others. She even told us we had "beautiful feet"!!!



Here are some pictures of the lovely ladies attending...





Teresa Womack and Ida Lewis made a purse for each one - there was a surprise in each one.



We laughed, shared ideas, listened, prayed, and enjoyed being together!

How can you keep your time with God alive, fervent and meaningful?

It is so easy to let it drift into routine or even neglect it through busy-ness or other seemingly urgent things. It is easy for our hearts to get cold and even indifferent.

First, we must first recognize that there is a problem if there is no desire to spend time with God. We must pray and ask God to put a desire in our hearts to spend time with Him each day. That is the beginning point.

I love this quote by George McDonald.

“If I felt my heart as hard as a stone; if I did not love God or man or woman or child;
I would say to God in my heart, “O God, see how I trust You because You are perfect and not changeable like me. I do not love You. I love nobody. I am not even sorry for it.
You see how much I need You to come close to me, to put Your arm around me, to say to me, ‘My child.” For the worse my state, the greater my need of my Father who loves me.
Come to me, and my day will dawn; my love will come back, and I shall love You, my God.”

Second, we must make it a priority. Judy Puckett, a former church planter's wife says, "There is NO substitute for personal time with God. If you do not invest time in your spiritual walk with Christ, it will soon become apparent to everyone. You will lack the knowledge and depth you need to teach your children and others. You will lack the maturity to handle problems that are sure to arise in your church or in your family. You will lack the biblical worldview and guidance you need for life skills. And most importantly, you will lack the stability and joy that sustains you in difficult times. You can have all this by spending time in prayer and the Word."

Third, we must have a plan. We don't have to pray an hour a day, but having a planned time each day can help us follow through on what we know is right. Shortly after we were married, I noticed that the first thing my husband did was read his Bible. Some days I did, some days I didn't. After months of failure, I realized that I needed a better plan. I decided that I wouldn't read anything else BEFORE I read the Bible (magazine, other books, email, etc.). Some may think that is legalistic, but it has given me a good habit that pushes me to do what I know I need to do.

I try different things to keep my time with God fresh. I'll share one that has helped me. Often when I'm reading my Bible or praying, my mind begins to wander. Writing down my prayers, a praise thought about God, or something I got from the Bible helps me focus.

How do you keep your time with God meaningful?

Would you share what helps you keep your time with God fresh? Share a comment/idea below and I will choose one response and send you a $20 gift certificate to Amazon - so you can buy a devotional book or music or whatever you like to spur you on.

I know sometimes I may sound like a broken record because I write about this a lot. I really feel this is where we won or lose the battle for victory even in the smallest areas of our life. There is strength and power and love and guidance and all that we need... waiting for us. I need all the help I can get!

Phone a Friend

Who do you call (outside your family) when you have a big need or question about life/ministry?

Do you have other women you can call that have (probably) been where you are and can offer words of encouragement?

Do you women who can speak truth to you so you can continue to change and grow?

I remember feeling isolated and worn out in ministry. That doesn't mean you don't love God or love people. We all feel discouraged and need others to just listen and reassure us that yes, this will pass...God will work...you are not crazy...you will make it. And we need others to help us see where we can grow. Being in relationship with others and learning from them can help us see new ways to think and minister.

Recently my daughter asked to interview me as a part of her training with Campus Crusade. She asked me five questions about ministry and we had a meaningful spiritual conversation.

1. Describe for me one of your best years of ministry? What factors contributed to that being one of the best?
2. What unwelcomed assignments or experiences actually helped you grow and develop in ways for which you are now grateful?
3. Describe for me your relationship with a mentor of yours?
4. What have you done to remain clear about God's call on your life? Describe for me a time you doubted you where the Lord desired for you to serve? How did you move past that time?
5. Describe for me a time when you really had to live by faith or step out in faith to do what God was asking you to do?

I know personally that I don't have enough spiritual conversations with people and I want that to change. It seems we talk about food, the weather, the kids, etc. but not much about God and growing. I know we are all busy, so how can do more of this?

This year in the blog, I am interviewing church planter's wives who have been where you have been and can hopefully shed some light/encouragement/perspective to you. I am really going to write more often (pinky promise!) and hopefully we can build a community of caring women who can ask honest questions and get real encouragement.

In the meantime, why not phone (or facebook or email or visit) a pastor's wife and ask her one or two of the questions listed above? It may start a friendship that will be just what you need to grow and change this year.

Good news! A baby!

Our son, Nathan and his wife, Rachel who live in New York, couldn't be here for Christmas, so they came this past weekend. The first morning they were here, they brought a beautifully wrapped package to the breakfast table. I opened it and was DELIGHTED to see the picture above.

I AM GOING TO BE A GRANDMA!!!!

I've heard so much about being one - it's so fun, it's better than having your own kids, it's like falling in love over again, it's great to spoil them and send them home...I can't wait to love on and spoil this little one. It's hard to keep good news to yourself!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!!!!!

I haven't written in awhile, but a major overhaul of the blog is coming in January - hang on to your hats!

Caring... but setting limits

We've recently visited different church planters and I was taken aback to hear about all the problems of the people they minister to. How do you minister to troubled people day after day and not just get overwhelmed by it all?

We all want to be the hands and feet of Jesus in this world, but how do you balance helping people without letting their problems affect you and your family? Unfortunately, I don't know the answer to that problem, but I see it as one that needs to be thought about and addressed.

My first thought is that we are tempted to not care or get involved with people and their problems. I remember my mom saying when we would leave to drive 1000 miles to the town where we ministered, "I think people who don't care are better off - then it wouldn't hurt so bad when you leave." She didn't really believe that, but that sentiment can be a temptation for us. People have messy lives and it can just be easier to deal with people on a superficial basis and never get close enough to hear about or get involved with their problems.

Since that's not really an answer, how can we care and yet keep our sanity? We do a lot of flying and I think I've practically memorized the flight attendant's speech. ("In the event of a loss of cabin pressure, an oxygen mask will drop from above. If you are traveling with a child or someone else needing assistance, place your mask on first, before helping others.") I think this is a good first principle. Our first priority has to be caring for ourselves. This may sound selfish, but we really can't help others if we are not healthy ourselves. Each person has to decide what that looks like, but it is easy to get so absorbed in people's problems that we neglect ourselves and our families. We have to fill ourselves with the right things or there will be nothing to give to others when it is needed.

Connected to caring for oneself is setting limits. There will always be more people to help; more problems to solve; more needs that could be met. Even though Jesus knew He only had 3 years to accomplish His mission, He never seemed rushed or stressed. He knew when to retreat and pray; when to pull away and rest. Are you on the phone for 30 minutes with a needy person while your family is left waiting at the dinner table? What time have you set aside for rest and pleasure? It's difficult because people's problems can't always be scheduled, but giving with no limits is not wise.

When people come to you with huge problems, what can you do? Recognize that God is the ultimate answer to their needs. Yes, sometimes they do need a listening ear or a bag of groceries or guidance, but we can only do so much. We must point them to the ONE who can help them. That means praying with them and asking God for His wisdom. Helping them find guidance in His Word.

When I find myself overwhelmed with the desperate needs of others (lying awake at 3 am), I hand it over to God. I tell Him that I'm willing to do what I can, but I cannot fix every problem. Even if I did know what to do, sometimes people are not ready or willing to do what they must do to change things.

This is a complicated issue - probably too long for this blog. But I'm concerned that many of you carry heavy burdens and they may be weighing you down. What do YOU do when people come to you with their burdens?

Finding focus/faith

It's been a while....

Honestly, where do the days go?!!

I was feeling a little (actually, a lot) overwhelmed this morning as I was making my weekly to-do list. (I feel that way most weeks.) I won't bore you with my list, but I realized that my first focus this morning was on my lists. Instead of starting my day out with prayer and Bible reading, I went straight to the list-making (several lists for several things coming up).

I write curriculum and today's assignment is about having faith. As I pondered how to introduce/explain/apply faith, I realized that faith is a daily issue. It is not just for the big issues we face, but for keeping our focus and trust where we need it...in the only One who can really help us. The people who went to Jesus for their problems found help when they needed it. It's all about who (or what) we depend on - ourselves, our lists, our family or friends, etc. Going to God doesn't always change the circumstances (although sometimes it does), but it does change us. When I shift my focus to God, I am filled with peace and help.

So instead of list-making/worrying/planning FIRST, I will go to God FIRST! (Then I will trust Him to help me do what is most important and do the other things as I can.)