It's Real

{sidenote: please go to www.sheseeks.org to read a powerful post that goes along with my post, this morning}

I am still living in the afterglow of what happened in my heart yesterday.

I was hit in the face by the power of the very Gospel I base my life upon. I was reminded of its unique ability to change lives. I was reminded of its impact. I was reminded of its message of truth, love and selfless service. I didn’t think I needed the reminder. But I did.

Without going into all the details, let it just suffice to say that the past two weeks in my house have been rough, at best. Others in the church have experienced the same thing. We’ve been tested and tried and felt weary and generally discouraged in certain moments. But we’ve pressed on, believing God for the outcome…knowing that His Gospel and the cause of Jesus Christ never comes up void, no matter what trials have to be endured to get there.

So as I sat in worship yesterday and listened to the Gospel preached boldly and unashamedly, it hit me square between the eyes. It was as if God had given me new eyes to see and new ears to hear, as if I were a child in my spiritual infancy hearing about the miracle of who Jesus is for the very first time in my life. It took my breath away. It shattered my complacency and moved me in the deepest places of my soul, agitating calmed waters that longed to be stirred.

The Gospel jumped off the pages of my Bible, jumped into my bones and infected me from the inside-out. Rarely do I remember a personal moment such as this one, in the bazillions of church services I have sat in in my 37 years of life.

After the service ended, in the midst of men in black shirts working their tails off to break down the stage and lights and serve God with their hands, I noticed a tall, young man making a beeline for my husband. He was weeping, almost uncontrollably. I watched as my husband took him to a side room, much more private than the one they were currently in. To respect their conversation, I won’t go into all the details of what was said between them. But what I will tell you is that this young man, who no one remembers inviting to our church, showed up, became infected by the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and went from death to life in a matter of 5 minutes behind a make-shift stage in a rented room.

And I was reminded, again, that the Gospel is so very real.

As I reflect on it this morning, I am still shaking inside from being hit between the eyes by the saving power of Jesus Christ. I’ve seen other people come to Jesus – many of them – in my years as a believer. But this one had particular impact on me. Maybe it was because the battle the week prior was strong and heavy. Maybe it was because of the reaction of a strong, healthy-looking young man weeping openly in front of people he didn’t know.

But I suspect it is more.

I believe I needed to be jolted back to the reality of Jesus Christ at this particular moment in my life. I believe I needed to go back to the beginning and remember what it feels like to fall madly in love with Someone who isn’t sitting in front of you but is more real than your own family. I believe I needed to see a tangible reason why all the hard work and effort of a fledgling, start-up church where people serve more than they are served is not only worth it, but gravely needed.

All I can tell you is that I sit at my computer this morning wanting to love God harder, serve God stronger, and share His message in a bold, new way. The Gospel has, once again, infected my being and I cannot write about anything else until I remind you of what I was reminded of yesterday…

It is real.

Romans 1:16 – “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…”

Glass-House Living

Confession time.

I just made a mad dash home to update this blog.

In the midst of dropping off my daughter for a playdate and taking the boys to Chick-Fil-A for some grub, I received a text from my girlfriend, Gwen, to let me know that my devotion, Secret Places, was running today on Girlfriends in God {www.girlfriendsingod.com}. Some of you may be stopping by for the first time after reading that devotion. Some of you may be my already-established friends who have come by to see what is new with me. Regardless, I am so glad you arrived here. As you have probably already noticed, I am sorely behind in posting.

My apologies. :)

But I have been spending time this summer being a wife and mom...breaking in my new role as pastor's wife/church planter...launching a new ministry with Proverbs 31 {She Seeks}...and formulating the beginning stages of my latest book. It's been a fun and rich summer. And may I say...B-U-S-Y, busy.

Not too far into my summer full of all these things, I came to the stark realization that I would need to make sure I was not starving my relationship with God in the process. Otherwise, a padded room and white buckled jacket were not too far off. The truth is, good things can go bad when God is put on the back burner for glorious activity. In all of my roles in life right now, the most important thing I can ever do is make sure He and I are in a constant state of communication so my life doesn't get off track. It's so easy to do, and many of us do it.

Just as I wrote about in my devotion this morning, secret places aren't established overnight. They are habits and sins built up over time that cause us to hide from God, rather than stretch out our lives openly before Him. But addictions to food and sex and spending aren't the only "secret place" addictions that can take over our lives. We can also be addicted to doing...going...performing...pleasing...striving...controlling. These things are a bit more subtle and may not be noticed, but rest assured that they can be just as damaging as those we consider more overt strongholds in our life. That is where we must make sure we are constantly checking in with the Creator of the Universe, who knows us far better than we even know ourselves.

May I encourage you today, friend, to check in with your Creator? May I encourage you to open up your life before Him, with no hidden agendas, nothing to hide and no hint of selfish pride? There is great peace in a safe, authentic relationship with God. On the other hand, there is great anxiety in not being real before Someone who knows the pattern of how your heart beats every second. I know, because I have lived both ways.

So, whether you are taking on new roles in your life like me or trying to break free from old ones that have long needed to be weeded out, join me in pursuing a truth-filled, transparent relationship with the best secret keeper of all time.

Pull your shades up...open up the blinds...and enjoy the view from inside your glass house.

Seeking Him

Welcome, friends, to my blog!

To say I am excited about the launch of the amazing new ministry to 18-29 year old women called She Seeks is quite an understatement. Knowing that Proverbs 31 and the She Seeks team has the opportunity, via the web, to pour into the lives of young women we can't physically reach out and touch is an incredible thought. August 10th could not come fast enough for us, and finally...we are here...and we are launched!

{insert loud applause and a couple of woots here.}

If you are a woman, 18-29, I want you to know that as the coordinator of She Seeks I am committed to relevance, authenticity and truth in everything we do. Our entire team is.

If you are of a different life season but you know of a woman of "seeker" age, please relay to them that message and send them our way. :)

Regardless...if you read my devotion on Proverbs 31 this morning or hopped over to sheseeks.org and read my inspirational entry there, please know that my heart's desire is to speak truth into the life of women. It is among my greatest of joys to get to journey with women to pursue Jesus Christ. I am far from perfect, and I will be the first one to raise my hand to say I need Jesus the most. But I am at the place in my life that I am completely ok with acknowledging that I am completely desperate for Him.

My prayer for you today is that wherever you are physically...emotionally...and spiritually -- in whatever life season or circumstance or place in your journey -- that you will open up your heart to the greatest relationship you will ever have and to the greatest Person you will ever know.

He wants you to seek Him with all your heart, and He stands ready to be there when you do.

Peace.

Well, She Speaks has come and gone for another year, and I find myself back at the computer tonight, working again. Hanging out with my literary agent this weekend was a highlight, but she gave me some serious assignments on her way out of town. So here I sit, re-working a proposal I thought was long ago completed on a book I am jumping out of my skin to write. I totally heart her for pushing me to write better, but...

{whew.}

I am not afraid to admit that it's slightly hard for me to concentrate, because I am thinking about all I have to do to get out of town for a few days with my family. I am thinking about the ministry of She Seeks that is getting ready to launch on August 10th. I am thinking about the 327 emails I need to respond to. I am thinking about what to do with the dog while we are gone and what to pack and what loose ends to tie up before I leave.

And as I'm thinking about all these things, my little girl bounces into the room and stands in front of me. Toothless and tanned, she grins as she says, "I love you, mom." I look her over and take in all of her cuteness. My eyes rest on one of her tiny ears, most of which is covered with a shiny, trendy symbol.

Peace.

I know it's silly, but the meaning behind those $8 earrings spoke to me.

And I was reminded that in the midst of a busy schedule full of commitments and contracts and obligations, peace is still available, accessible and possible.

Just as it is in the midst of trial, misunderstanding and disappointment.

Which should encourage all of us since if we are not currently in one of those places, it will not be long before we find ourselves back there, again.

So to my friends who came to She Speaks and got news they didn't want to hear...and to my friends who have been in one of those places I mentioned or may well be by the time they read this post...and for all the other readers in between who just need to remember that Jesus is in the business of bearing the deep burdens of our heart while carefully carrying our everyday stresses...I say to you tonight, the same word I most need to hear...

Peace.

Laser Focused

As I prepare my heart this morning for the exciting weekend ahead (the Proverbs 31 She Speaks Conference), I am reminded of the importance of never forgetting what this life is all about...

Jesus Christ, and His amazing love story.

I know full well how easy it is to get caught up in life drama, fleshly desires and selfish ambitions. I know how hard it is to balance the gifts God has given us to use for Him with our drive and motivation to have personal success.

But let us never forget that Jesus always stands as the most important. The reason. The purpose. The goal. The One.

If He uses us, it's only because He's got enough grace to see past our flaws to our potential.

If He loves us, it's only because He's got an amazing capacity to be unconditional.

If He stays with us, it's only because it is in His character to be forever faithful.

As a young woman starting out in ministry, my friend, Lysa TerKeurst once said something very wise to me. "Don't let the compliments go to your head, and don't let the critiques go to your heart." It's one of the only quotes I've ever remembered that has had the same impact the second, third, fourth, tenth and 100th time I've recalled it. I admit, often those compliments and critiques can ring loudly in the ears and threaten one's focus -- in life, and especially, in ministry.

I share this quote with you today, fully convinced it is the only way to do life and ministry and not get distracted by both the hype that comes with it and the often bumpy road of becoming unpopular for it. The truth is, if we are not laser focused on the person of Jesus Christ, one of those two will, in the end, eat our emotional lunch.

The cause is way too important to lose any potential influencers over either one, either way.

So will you join with me in thinking only about Jesus today? In the midst of your striving...worrying...controlling... and managing...will you remember that He will work out your life much better than you could ever, in your wildest dreams, imagine?

There will be compliments and critiques along the way, my friends. But when we are laser focused on Jesus, our ears are way too deaf to hear them.

"And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus." (Col. 3:17)

What's Ruining His Appetite

THRiVE Church Charlotte is officially 16 weeks old.

In those 16 weeks, we have held a worship service with 250 homeless friends…watched 20 of them come to Christ…moved from a very temporary location in a hotel to our current location at the UNCC campus…developed our very own THRiVE band with an amazing worship leader…seen our children lead out in a mission project to their city…learned what to do with the gifts God has given us…and given the very shoes off our feet to someone who doesn’t have any. And yes, some of us walked out of church barefooted because of it.

We’ve worshipped God at a local park (twice) with creatures great and small, from mosquitos and flies to one very friendly cat. ☺ And we’ve seen what God can do when people decide to come together rather than serve apart.

But this post really isn’t about THRiVE, although there is much in my heart to share about this amazing new work of God. The truth is, there are other amazing works of God all over this city, and we are blessed to serve among them. Many of them have reached out to us to offer encouragement, support, and love since our birth. In that way, it has been both refreshing and igniting to watch this kind of Kingdom mentality at work in a city we all know and love. It gives us great hope for what can be accomplished together.

But my heart is full this morning, and my desire is to offer an exhortation to all of us, as I, myself, have been exhorted by Scripture this morning. This post is meant to encourage you, me, and all other believers in Jesus Christ who will read it, to stop behaving as if God is exclusive to our life, our work, or our ministry.

Ya’ll, let’s just be real honest. It’s a problem for us.

I love the work of God enough to say this as strongly as I can: I am tired of churches and believers getting their feelings hurt and reacting as if someone doing God’s work in another part of the city, they are “competing” against them. I am tired of ministries looking at other ministries as competitors, rather than allies. I am tired of believers feeling like their ministry or church is the elite ministry or church and all the others are doing sub-par work for God. I am tired of people who God chooses to deliver His message being racked by their own set of fears and insecurities stifling the work of God in their own life because they can’t get past themselves to remember the purpose for which they were called in the first place. I am tired of leadership not taking a firm stand of loving each other rather than promoting an attitude of division and resentment for other ministries, ministers, and fellow believers.

With whatever circle of influence I have, I am encouraging this type of negativism to stop.

Paul saw it as harmful, petty, and downright wrong, as he wrote the book of Romans to the Christians in Rome and believers, everywhere. As I was reading this morning in chapter 14, I was reminded of this and encouraged to continue on with the passion to “do something together” both at THRiVE and in my individual journey as a follower of Jesus Christ. I am motivated by its Truth, and I pray it will motivate you, as you read it.

May all of us remember to love those He brings to His table, whether they hurt our feelings, get more recognition, or just flat out do something we don’t like. May we remember not to let our own insecurities and fears hinder the work of God that so desperately needs to get done. May we be convinced that joining hands to do His work will accomplish much more than exclusion ever will. May we put our agendas aside and live only for His. It is my prayer for all of us, believing friends. We can’t start a moment too soon.

{By the way, this passage is long. But it is worth every minute of its reading. I’ve chosen to quote the Message translation because it breaks it down in the simplest of terms and puts thing in such a way even a simple mind like mine can fully understand. ☺}

“Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with – even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. For instance, a person who has been around for awhile might well be convinced that he can eat anything on the table, while another, with a different background, might assume he should only be a vegetarian and eat accordingly. But since both are guests at Christ’s table, wouldn’t it be terribly rude if they fell to criticizing what the other ate or didn’t eat? God, after all, invited them both to the table. Do you have any business crossing people off the guest list or interfering with God’s welcome? If there are corrections to be made or manners to be learned, God can handle that without your help…

It’s God we are answerable to – all the way from life to death and everything in between – not each other. That’s why Jesus lived and died and then lived again; so that He could be our Master across the entire range of life and death, and free us from the petty tyrannies of each other. So where does that leave you when you criticize a brother? And where does that leave you when you condescend to a sister? I’d say it leaves you looking pretty silly – or worse. Eventually, we’re all going to end up kneeling side by side in the place of judgment, facing God. Your critical and condescending ways aren’t going to improve your position there one bit.

So, tend to your knitting. You’ve got your hands full just taking care of your own life before God. Forget about deciding what’s right for each other. Here’s what you need to be concerned about: that you don’t get in the way of someone else, making life more difficult than it already is...

So, let’s agree to use all our energy in getting along with each other. Help others with encouraging words: don’t drag them down by finding fault. You’re certainly not going to permit an argument over what is served or not served at supper to wreck God’s work among you, are you?”

Enough said.

See you at the dinner table! For His sake (and ours), let's get along.

Laundry, Ringtones, and other spiritually significant things

First, I need to brag.

My little Shae did this. By herself. With no help at all. My little 6-year old Shae. The same little 6-year old Shae who goes into absolute hysterics when her brothers don’t acknowledge her new dress looks pretty. (Which, basically, NEVER happens.) She may well have the highest pitched whiny voice ever to be heard, but boy, can she fold some clothes like a pro. 1st grade boys, take note. She likes to cook, too. ☺

But now onto the subject of this post. Which still happens to be about little miss Shae.

Oh, and my Blackberry.

Ever since my free month of “Don’t Stop Believing” ringtone expired on my phone, I haven’t gotten another one. Honestly, my phone rings a lot, and usually during times I don’t want it to. So I have been keeping it on vibrate 24-7, as not to disturb the peace in various places in and around Charlotte. But the downside to that is that I miss a lot of phone calls in the process.

So after retrieving my 27 voice mail messages the other day, I decided it was time for a new ringtone.

The dilemma ensued.

What song should I get? Another awesome 80’s tune? A top 20 hit I secretly like dancing to but have lyrics that aren’t suitable for…basically anyone?

And then it hit me.

I could hear Shae from the other room, reciting what has become somewhat of an anthem in my house as of late, it’s been said so many times. The Hannah Montana “Hoe Down-Throw-Down,” to be more specific. Those of you who know it, know what I’m talking about. It’s rather…(and strangely)…addictive. It involves words said with a southern drawl…specific motions to the words…and a whole lot of sass. Shae qualifies to say it on all counts.

And so she was, “hoe-downing, throw-downing” once, again. I smiled when I heard her, the sound was so familiar and so sweet.

And that’s when I decided to make it my ringtone.

So now, when you call my cell, I hear the sweet sound of my high-pitched 6-year-old saying, “Pop it. Lock it. Polka dot it. Country fry it. Hip-hop…cross the floor…” I’m not sure the general public will appreciate hearing it like I do, but I don’t care. I love to hear the sound of my sweetheart’s voice, regardless of the particular content.

It made me think about how much God loves to hear the voice of His kids…how when He hears our particular and specific “ringtone,” He delights in the prospect of the one He loves being on the other end. I thought about how I smile when I hear that sweet voice of the one I love…and how He must smile when He hears his child’s voice when we place the call to have a conversation with Him.

It is the simple aspects of God’s character that I often lay down and saturate myself in. His pure and undying love. His joy in His children. His devotion and care.

These are things I relate to.

And now, as if it didn’t before, this pitchy ringtone from my sweet little 6-year old, Shae, has even more significance.

Oh, and did I mention she can fold a mean load of laundry?