Hey Friends!
First, let me acknowledge that I am officially part of the “forget to fill you in” club. Yes, I have become one of those annoying people who leave you hanging and left to wonder. I recognize that I owe you some long overdue updates on a few things I have blogged about in the recent past, so let me get right to it. (For those of you who weren’t tuned in to this blog at the time, please stick around to read about an offer I hope you won’t refuse! :))
In my reference to Kris Lawing in my last post, I realized I hadn’t updated you lately on his condition. Because he has a team of people who are closer to him than I am, I thought I’d simply refer you to his caringbridge site for you to read for yourself. I do know that he has been in the hospital the past few days after having an additional procedure and is still in his battle with cancer. Please keep Kris and his family in your thoughts and join me in praying for God’s sovereignty in this situation. Many of you have posted messages on his guest book, and he has told me personally how much this has meant to him. You blog-friends rock!
I also mentioned my sister, Jen, in my last post. As you can read here, Jen is a 25-year- old wife and mom who has recently been diagnosed with MS. After seeing a neurologist who specializes in this disorder, Jen has finally decided on a treatment option that best suits her. So…after getting the insurance details worked out (the medication is astronomically expense) this week, she will begin her treatments. Please be in prayer for Jen and her family as she travels down this unknown road and manages her condition. She is truly the sweetest of souls, and, needless to say, means the world to me.
Several of you have asked about our personal Biggest Loser competition among some of our couple friends. Well, let’s just say that we were a bunch of “losers” with this, but not in the weight category. :( We did pretty well for a few months but did not lose the weight any of us wanted to. Seems we prefer meeting over a Starbucks Strawberries and Cream with a shot of Mocha and talking about how we want to lose weight to actually going out and trying to lose it. Hence, I am back at the drawing board and still wanting to lose those 23 pounds I’ve gained. Sigh.
On a positive note, I will be embarking on a new fitness journey, as three of my friends and I are taking tennis lessons, starting in a few weeks. What is the sudden interest in tennis, you might ask? Well, I have to say that I have wanted to learn to play tennis for a long time but never had friends who were as bad as me at it to have to play with. (Sorry, girls. :() And it’s not what you’re thinking…I’ll have you know that I have only mentioned to one of them how very cute tennis outfits are ONE TIME. So it’s not entirely about the tennis outfits. (Ok, maybe just a small side perk.) Those of you who have read about my goals for good health and weight loss in the past, I can almost hear the skepticism in your mind right now, as you read this post. But hey – once I can actually look decent in the tennis skirt, I will post a picture of me in one. THEN you will believe me! :)
And now…without a clever segway in sight…I present to you the offer I hope you won’t refuse!
I am traveling to Houston, TX, in a few weeks to speak to a group of women at a large church there. As I am getting my message together, (for some reason, God prompted me to write a new message for this event...again!) I find myself needing another story about telling the truth and how the truth sometimes hurts. It can be a funny story or a child story or whatever story you want to share, but I’d love for you to share your true stories about this with me! I know you’ve got some good ones!
And for the one I choose to use, I will send you a two-book set of my books, The 7 Hardest Things God Asks a Woman to Do and Behind Those Eyes: What’s Really Going on Inside the Souls of Women! (valued at $25.00) Two for the price of one story…hopefully that is a deal you can’t refuse! Please feel free to tell your bloggy friends about this, as well. I’d love to have maximum participation. I’ll post the winner sometime next week.
And on the Houston note, please say a prayer for me as I go and share the message of Behind Those Eyes. I am speaking on Sunday, August 10, in the evening. I can’t wait to hear what God has to say to all of us!
Oh, and one more thing. Don’t be surprised if you visit my blog in the coming weeks and see that it had a major face lift! I’m finally getting someone who actually knows about blog design to do one for me. I’ve peeked at it, and it is looking awesome! It will have some new features that several of you have asked for, like an opportunity to subscribe to my blog. Thanks for the interest!
Well, friends…that is about all for now. I will post again on Monday with another question in my series. That is, if I survive the diet I just started yesterday. (Sigh.)
Again.
Lisa
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8 comments:
Ok. So I have a story for you about telling the truth to myself and how it can hurt. I am a working mother of two who was not keeping it real until probably six months ago. I was trying to be the perfect wife, mother, employee and christian with everything tied up with a neat little bow. My husband would tell me that I wouldnt last long going the rate that I was going. My kids seemed happy , but I felt that there was something so not right. I finally got brave enough to ask God to show me what I was doing wrong. Girl, did I get shown!!! It was the truth in my face with all the ugly and boy did it hurt!!!! I realized that I was cheating God, my husband, my kids friends, my family, my colleagues....EVERYONE. No one was getting the real me. So much so that I didnt know what the real me was anymore. It was as honest as honest could be. I saw myself for exactly how not perfect I was and it was very real and scary. The good part is that through that I have begun to piece myself back together. I realized that my family, friends and God for that matter have always loved me and didnt care if I was all the things I was trying to be. It has helped me tremendously in working to be the person that God wants me to be.
First, can I tell you I squealed with delight when I read that you will be in Houston in a few weeks? You made my day! I live only 1 1/2 hours from Houston and most definitely will try to go and see you speak, if you will let me know what church you will be speaking at. Will you, pretty please?
Second, I have a story I would like to share, can I email it to you or would you prefer it to come in the form of a comment?
Blessings to you,
Shannon
A few years back, God asked me to step up the plate on anuthenticity. I've always been a pretty real person, but he has been giving me the words to speak to other women to encourage them to remove the veil.
I live in Houston and would love to hear you, if you can, please offer details.
Hey girls!
I am thrilled by you sharing your stories (Shannon, thank you for your email...I got it and will reply back to it). Thanks so much for your honesty and willingness to share your heart. Keep them coming, ya'll! Oh, and if you have one that is funny, that's ok, too! I may use it somewhere else. (Like the time my 5-year old daughter told me my tummy was kinda "squishy." Oh, how the truth hurt. But it was true!)
Thanks for asking about the details of my Houston schedule! I would love to see you when I come! I will be at the Champion Forest Baptist Church for a ladies' night out event (complete with a fun fashion show, evidently) on Sunday, August 10. I believe I start speaking sometime around 7:30 or so. The women's ministry director there is Donna Grindal. I'm sure if you call the church you can see about coming. I'm not sure if it's a dinner or what. I will try to find out some details and post it on my blog in a few days!
Hope to see some of you soon!
Lisa :)
I am such a truthful person (really I am...to a fault), I'm having a hard time thinking of one for myself. I'll ponder it some more.
Can't wait to see the bloggy makeover.
peace~elaine
Lisa,
This is tough. I have funny to sad truth tellers. I'll probably have to email it you. :)
I'll be praying for your assignment in Houston sista!!
Love ya,
Lelia
I hope your trip to Houston goes great. When exactly is it?
I have a story, but I need to contemplate the ramifications -- for others as well as me -- if I tell it. Let me pray about it.
Wow, well...I'm sure I have a bunch, as I used to have a bit of a problem in the area of "fibbing." Yeah, uh huh, just little fibs now and then--per hour.
Seriously, though. I'll start on the first one that comes to my mind and see if any others flow. But how will you know for sure if I'm telling the truth? (wink)
My husband and I are on opposite ends of the personality chart in almost every area. One is in the area of money management. If I have $5.00 in my pocket, I will most certainly buy something for $4.99. If my husband had the same $5.00, he would either still have it two weeks later OR he would have invested it and watched it triple a time or two.
Fast-forward from the back-story. I got myself into a little debt situation one Christmas early on in our marriage. I had bounced a few checks in my personal bank account, and I was too prideful and insecure to tell Brian about it. Soooooo, I took advantage of a "special offer" that came in the mail to consolidate my debt into one card.
I'm guessing you know where the story goes from here, but honestly, I just KNEW I could put some of my paycheck aside and pay the thing off in 3 to 6 months. Well, you guessed it. The enemy had already sunk his claws into this area. I actually spent a little more and made no progress whatsoever in paying it off.
I went to my big sister for help. I had bailed her out so many times before. But God used her as the voice of truth, and she encouraged me over and over to tell Brian what had happened. I refused to take her advice for a few weeks.
When I got the next bill, I fell down on my knees and wept. Oh, God, anything but telling Brian what I've done. He'll think he married a total loser, and he'll never forgive me for this. Please help me out of this.
I'm certain the Lord answered me when a verse I had memorized as a kid came to the forefront of my mind, humbling me, convicting me.
Jesus said, "If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples. Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free."
I repented, humbled myself and asked for courage to do the right thing. Shaking in my pretty new "unpaid for" boots from SteinMart, I went to Brian and told him the truth. He was so hurt. But he forgave me, and compassionately so. We came up with a plan to pay off the debt, and it took almost a year of handing over my paychecks and working through how to budget. We also began to pray that the Lord would give me over to His fruit of self-control, all the while helping Brian to become less "rigid" in the area of finances as well.
Anyway, it was traumatic at the time, but it was a necessary pain to receive the blessings we've received ever since.
Thanks for the opportunity to win your book!!!! I hope this story can be used to help some other wife who is swimming in insecurity or drowning in disobedience. It's tough livin' life sometimes.
Hope Houston goes well, and let me know if you're ever in the Dallas area. ;)
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