So maybe it's more like a crop duster than a jet but this morning, I'm flying out to Oklahoma to teach a retreat to a darlin' bunch of girls from Grace Church of NW Arkansas. (They are on the border of Arkansas/Oklahoma hence all the state-hopping.)

I wanted to tell you more leading up but I'm just flat out of time so I'll try to share some pics when I get back. I covet your prayers. First that the Lord would cleanse my heart and my prone-to-wander mouth. But mostly I pray for these girls. None of us ever goes on a journey such as this without expecting to hear a specific word from God. Satan has long tried to keep me focused on my own abilities (or lack thereof) guaranteeing a roller coaster of emotions on my part if I feel I didn't say the right thing. (It normally comes in the form of calling myself all manner of idiot when I'm done.) BUT, God has done a hard-fought, transforming work to bring me to a place of full confidence in HIS ability to use stammering lips coupled with His Word to change hearts. So, if I ramble, may it be in scripture and not stupidity. And, Dear Jesus, above all may you be glorified and may we all be changed. (Hi Grace Girls! Aren't you so glad you've asked me to come? :)


Okay, gotta run. Thank you so much for your encouragement and support. I love you all, Homies and Non-Homies alike. :)

Wow. This has been one week where God has absolutely rocked my world from Houston to Atlanta. I'm working on telling you all about it but I have a more pressing question as I continue to work on study notes for my church's "Stronger" Retreat.

I love music - particularly as a way to reinforce the message of Scripture. My problem is I'm somewhat of a band snob and I don't venture out and buy cd's unless they are among about six of my favorite artists. Because of this, I know I'm missing some fabulous music. What I'm asking you is this: What are some of your favorite songs that reinforce the idea of being powerful, strong, standing our ground, etc. etc. You get the idea. I want to make an iPod playlist to both pump myself up and also to make available to the girls who are coming for the weekend.

Can't wait to see your faves!!

The title of this post cracks me up a little. Congratulations! You've just won some spectacular sin! Aren't you thrilled?

Remember yesterday when I told you I had an amazing surprise for you from a very special pastor/theologian/teacher/author? Well, it's time to spill before I bust a gut from all the secrecy.
On behalf of Desiring God Ministries, Abraham Piper (John Piper's son), has graciously offered FIVE COPIES of his father's book Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ for me to give to you! *squeal*cabbage patch*booty shake*fist pump*whoot whoot*

{So I'm a little excited.}

My first intention was to do a simple giveaway in conjunction with a review. But, the more I thought about it I realized there was no way on earth I could adequately tell you about this book in one 3-4 paragraph post. Truthfully, my adding any commentary to this work would be like giving my Kindergartner a Crayola to color over a Monet. The word 'injustice' comes to mind.

The truth is, this isn't the kind of book that I want to breeze through. It's one on which I want to feast. Traditionally, one doesn't sit at a banquet table alone. He or she is surrounded by family and friends which brings me to my next thought.

What do you think about Book Clubbing Spectacular Sins? About discussing it chapter by chapter (perhaps sometimes through live chat?) and truly studying the scriptures in relation to sin and suffering? Girls, it is vital that we become diligent in girding ourselves in knowledge and understanding over these hard questions so that we will always be ready to explain the hope within us. 9 out of 10 times I have the opportunity to talk about the Lord with an unbeliever they inevitably say, "If God is so loving, why do such horrible things happen in the world?" I want to be able to answer that question authoritatively instead of with a string of cliches that find no basis in Scripture. Only when we settle those issues in our own minds will we be able to do the same for someone else. As Piper says, "Knowing great things about God will make us ready not to collapse under cataclysmic conflict and personal catastrophe."

I want to know those great things. Don't you? This Book Club will definitely be a No Fluff Zone. We are SMART girlfriends and it's time we started believing it! Let's consider great things and build a little muscle in our physical and spiritual noggins. You with me?

{Crossing fingers and hoping you will say yes..}

Okay, first things first.

To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment. No bells or whistles or hoops. You can earn a double entry by linking to the giveaway and leaving a second comment with the post url. I will use a random number generator to choose FIVE WINNERS on Friday, November 7th.

Secondly, let's see about the Book Club possibility Poll Daddy style:




Okay, now we need to consider when to begin...



Alrighty then. I can't wait to hear your thoughts! Again, thank you to Dr. John and Abraham Piper for being so extravagantly generous with this giveaway. Your awesomeness knows no bounds!

p.s. I have to give a special shout-out to my dear friend Brooke who gave me this book for Pastor Appreciation. I've already highlighted every other sentence. Good stuff, girls. Good stuff.

When Luke and I served as NAMB missionaries in Mississippi, part of our ministry was in the Crisis Pregnancy center located in Clarksdale. The work they do is vital and I don't think enough can be said for the lives that are saved as a result of their labor - both the lives of unborn children and the lives of the mothers.

I've been privileged to have met (online) Pay Layton who is the author of the bible study, Surrendering the Secret. This study deals with the pain many women experience post-abortion, especially if this is something they have kept hidden. My friend Melinda at Traveling the Road Home is hosting a giveaway of FIVE study kits. I would love it if you would visit her to find out more of this wonderful study and enter for a chance to win.

Blessings on you!

Lisa

This weekend I traveled to Pigeon Forge to teach a retreat entitled "Sarah: A Woman out of Control." (I may have mentioned it a time or three). While I was preparing the material, God opened my eyes to many things but perhaps the thing most relevant personally was trusting that God's will where I am concerned will be accomplished even in the face of human impossibility. There are promises God has made towards me, but I am the world's worst at trying to finagle the details to make sure what I believe He desires has the opportunity to come about.

Because we all know God needs help in working all things together for good, don't we? Let's say I'm convinced God has led me to apply for a job or seek a ministry position. Don't you think I'm doing God a favor by emailing and following up continually? Really, what if the person forgets me and ends up messing up His calling on my life? And then there is always the hubby. Won't God appreciate the rest if I play the Holy Spirit and manipulate him into being a more godly man instead of making God take the time to mold him Himself?

Girls, the one who neither slumbers nor sleeps is not lax where your details are concerned. If He wants you to have that job, it won't be given to another. And if He wants your hubby to step it up, a pounding heart will gain much more than a pounding head. Give God the opportunity to work on your behalf! In my experience, He's not very fond of splitting glory.

Oh well, I didn't mean to go off on a tangent. Let me show you some pictures!

This is my Mom-In-Law, Frankie, and My Friend Kaye. I can't just call Kaye by her given name. It must be preceded by My Friend or it just isn't the same. All of you should aspire to be a friend to these two girls. They plan these retreats twice a year as a way to bless their churches and girlfriends. There is such a diverse group there every time and I can't tell you how much I look forward to my times with them. And, it would be enough for them just to go through the trouble of coordinating the travel arrangements but THEY COOK. And we aren't talking cafeteria food, honey. Just let the words Paula Deen, mac-n-cheese, pinto beans, meatloaf, chicken casserole, biscuits and gravy, homemade chocolate cake, etc. etc. float around in your mind and then you'll have some small idea of the smorgasboard we girls are treated to for mealtimes.

What? Did I hear you say you want to be on Frankie and Kaye's friend list? They would be delighted. :)

Christy, Melanie, Mary Lynn, and Jerri. I'm praising God for some promises He's fulfilled for Melanie. Her DIL Christy is a hoot! Mary Lynn and Jerri co-organized the weekend and worked tirelessly in the kitchen with Frankie and Kaye. Y'all, I can not say enough about the deliciousness of the buffet they prepared or how much I know we all appreciate how hard they worked to make sure the girls enjoyed our weekend.

Ellen and Margaret. Margaret is going on a cruise in October that follows Paul's missionary journeys. I'm so jealous happy for her I could die.

Christy and Judy. Both of them sweethearts! I wish I had pictures of every woman there but my picture taking abilities are limited. Please know I'm crazy about every one of you!



I already mentioned that My Girl turned 6 over the weekend. Her aunt Laura Beth brought her this Princess balloon and I swear you would have thought she'd given her a pair of rhinestone flip flops. Mostly, I think she loved it so much because of who gave it to her. The Girl loves her auntie.

Here's a shot of part of the group. I had so many pictures of individuals and dern if they aren't mostly blurry. This was such a fun group of women. I knew about half of them and the others I fell in love with instantly. Oh yes, notice how high the ceiling peak is. You'll need to refer back in a moment.



The pretty tables. The goody bags had some awesome loot inside.

Okay, now here's where I get to tell you about Laura Beth's Balloon Retrieval Skillz. Remember how I told you The Girl was bonkers over the balloon?

Well, she accidentally let it go.

She was sobbing.

Right as it was time for me to teach.

Now obviously I couldn't run down to the store and get her another and y'all, these ceilings were crazy high. Thankfully, crazy tall Laura Beth came to the rescue.

She couldn't bear seeing The Girl so brokenhearted so, get this, she STACKED TWO CHAIRS ON A TABLE TOP and tried to reach the balloon string.

She wasn't tall enough but there was no limit to her crazy so she decided to hold The Girl up, ON TOP OF THE TWO STACKED CHAIRS ON A TABLE TOP, to see if she could reach it. By this time, it was either have a heart attack or take pictures.

I chose the pictures.

When we realized that the toddler on top of the auntie on top of the two chairs on top of the table wasn't going to do the trick, one of the ladies dug through the kitchen drawers and found barbecue tongs. I don't think it occured to any of us to take The Girl out of Laura Beth's arms so she could snap at the balloon string.

Laura Beth got the balloon, saved the day, and The Girl was smiling once again.

You rock, LB!!

Here's The Girl with her Grandmama (Laura Beth's and Luke's mom). I love this picture of them!

And this is probably my favorite picture of the retreat. The Girl was clearly not interested in hearing anything her mother had to say during the sessions. In fact she said, "Mom, is there something I can do while you are talking because I know it is going to be really boring."

There's a referral I'll put on my bio.

Otherwise, she was such a total angel for all four gatherings and of course, everyone there just babied her to death. It swelled my heart for our first Mommy/Girl getaway to be centered around The Word. I just look forward to the day when she'll pretend she's listening to me instead of Purble's Place and Barbie.com on the headphones.

I still have more pictures of The Birthday but this post is already as long as my arm. I'll spare you until tomorrow!

Quick Question:

I'm working on finalizing some retreat material for a study called, "Sarah: A Woman out of Control". No slander meant to our girl, Sarah. The ultimate point will be that we need to get comfortable with the fact we aren't meant to hold the reins to our lives.

Anyway, I'm praying now over the portion of Scripture where Sarah got her Ishmael - and then despised him. (Genesis 16) Have you ever manipulated to get something you wanted and regretted it deeply when you got what you asked for?


Just curious...I want to be sure I'm speaking in relevant terms on this point and thought you girls could give me some insight...

Love ya!

LESSON EIGHT

Instrument of Wonders

"When the Lord saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!' And he said, 'Here I am'. Then He said, 'Do not come near here, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.'" Exodus 3:4-5

I am fascinated by the word 'call' that is used in this verse. It is not merely a shout or command, but when used with a name, is an establishment of authority over the one being called. The same concept is found with Adam in the Garden with his naming of the animals thereby establishing authority over them. God was in a sense beginning His commissioning of Moses by reminding him who was in charge. We'll see in next week's lesson how Moses tried to argue that point, but make no mistake, God allows dialogue but never disagreement where His will is concerned.

After God called to Moses, we find that he responded much like Abraham when he was asked to sacrifice Isaac. Whether in prosperity or pain, when God called the response was, "Here I am." I pray that when my God comes looking for me that He doesn't have to search for me in the bushes as He did Adam and Eve in the Garden. God did not call out because He didn't know where they were. He wanted them to realize how far they had run from Him. It is a wise woman who constantly asks the question, "Where am I?" in her walk with the Father.

Moses is told not to come near because he is 'standing on holy ground'. The terminology used in this phrase tells us the ground was consecrated and was in essence a place of cleansing. Though God used all those 40 years in Midian as preparation for Moses, he was living in past tense as an alien and stranger in a land not his own. God was extending an invitation to start over, be clean, and to be used of Him to work His wonders and spread His fame. It was time for Moses to lay aside the prince and the shepherd as well as any other pre-conceived idea of how he would bring about Israel's rescue and become the God-defined deliverer he was born to be.

Girls, I have no way of knowing where you are in life. I simply know where I have been in mine. I have experienced difficult times in the past that I can look back on now as preparation periods for my 'now' ministry. When I have endured long times of waiting, it has always been followed by a time of an intense encounter with the Lord where He lit a fire to have me recognize to some extent the reason I had to go through that trial. That fire was not only for illumination but also for rejuvenation and restoration depending on what my state of mind was at the time. I know our lives would be so much easier if God would just show up in our azaleas and tell us audibly what He would have us do. But you know, He did that for the Israelites and they doubted Him nonetheless. I'll take His written Word and Holy Spirit anyday. I can forget what a voice tells me. The power of it fades when hard times come however, I can never forget what a black and white word tells me day after day. What the Bible tells me is God loves mankind and He has chosen to reveal Himself to them through me and you. What will we do with that commissioning? God's deliverance will come! I pray we will be a willing instrument through which He brings it. Let it be, Lord. And let it be me.

Let's apply what we've studied with a few Discussion Questions.

1. How current is your God? Is he up to date on all your issues or do you have old hurts you still hold behind your back?

2. Has the enemy ever told you there are situations that are 'old news' that are better left stuffed down? Or perhaps because they were so long ago they can't possibly be affecting you now?

3. In the matter of established authority, does God truly reign in your life? Where are you when He calls your name?

4. Do you ever feel God has forgotten you in your 'west side of the wilderness'?

5. Have you ever experienced a time of cleansing where God has illuminated and rejuvenated you? If not, do you find you are in need of this now?

Please know I pray for each of you as we continue this study together. I appreciate your emails with your very personal responses to what God is doing in your life. When His Word falls on the fertile soil of our hearts, He promises it will bear fruit. I'm counting on us being some citrus-y (is that a word??) girls when we are done!

Blessings on you!!!

*UPDATED: Hey Round Two Girls! Where are you? I think I may have buried last week's Lesson with some other posts so it wasn't clear this one was up. I'm reposting Lesson Four this week and since Round One is complete, I'll start posting a new lesson every Wednesday. Sound good? Can't wait to hear from you! :)

Girls, I have to start out by telling you the subject matter of this week's lesson is, in my friend Iris' words, Stinging My Heart. You see, yesterday, I had this lesson all typed out with everything completed but the Discussion Questions. I worked on it for six hours. With an exploding brain and a great sense of relief for having it done early (which in and of itself is a miracle for me) I clicked the "Save As Draft" button, saw the material appear in my Dashboard and went to bed.

This morning I woke up, turned on the computer and guess what was no longer in my Dashboard? You guessed it, honey! Lesson Four was no more! And can I be honest with you? I'm still mad about it! I have whined and moaned and felt sorry for myself ever since. Today was one When Things Did Not Work Out Like I Had Planned. The only way I can feel better is to believe that God must have wanted to give me a visual - a sermon illustration if you will. I get it, Father. Thanks for that. (It's okay to talk to Him that way ..... He knows I love Him.)

Which leads to our topic today. When circumstances do not fall in line with our preconceived notions of what is best for us, how do we react? Do you, in my Southern slang, pitch a hissy fit? Do you become angry, bitter, or lash out? Or do you mope, pout, and withdraw? If I am truthful, and I must be because it is in the Preacher's Wife Handbook, then I have to confess I have probably acted like many of these depending on the circumstance. Today was a combo day of hissy fit and moping. Today we are going to continue our study of Moses in the context of learning how to react when all of our best laid plans come to naught.

In our last lesson we established that a "forty year old time was fulfilled" for Moses at which point God stirred a longing in the "lower deeps of his nature" to go see about His brethren. Godly stirrings will always cause a desire for action or else a sense of misery for the thing not being done. My husband pokes fun at me because I have so many grand plans and intentions. I am an energetic beginner but fizzled finisher. There is a personality test here in which I found out I was a squiggle and a circle. (Go take it, it is really accurate!) Basically what that means is that in a project, I am your big idea girl but don't count on me for details or seeing a thing to completion! However, in matters of spiritual calling, I can only describe my desires as a fire in my bones that would cause me to spontaneously combust were I to hold them in. To help you understand what I mean, I will tell you I could not have gone to bed tonight without getting this study re-typed. Oh sure, it would have been fine with you if I called it off until Thursday or postponed a week, but I LOVE doing this. It is a godly desire and I would be miserable if I didn't complete it! On the contrary, I can still live with myself if I don't get around to sewing new cushions for my porch swing or getting my scrapbooking done. Do you get the picture?

'Wide Open Spaces'

By the end of his long life, Moses had his eye on one person - the I AM, Yahweh, his Jehovah. Above all the names Moses could use to speak to God, perhaps the most precious to him was Friend. How else could he climb Mt. Nebo that final day of his life, knowing he would never return? I've read this last Chapter of Deuteronomy so many times always wondering what that scene must have been like. So, imagine my delight when I found the account of the day according to Jewish Tradition as recorded by Jocephus, a Jewish historian. Now remember, this is Jewish Tradition, not Scripture but captivating nonetheless. Just don't get hung up on any extra-Biblical details.

With that said, get yourself a hanky and read Jocephus, Antiquities of the Jews 8:48-49 (*Note - scroll down to Chapter 8, verse 48-49. There was no link for these specific verses. I didn't build them into the post for sake of space.)

Saying Goodbye

Being in ministry, Luke and I have had to say goodbye way more times than I like to count. The first time was when we left for college from the church we were both saved in the year before. Most of the years prior to my salvation, I hadn't cried many tears. I was cold, strong, and self-controlled. The major work God did in my life in that first year after I was born again was simply to turn my black heart into a feeling, beating thing again. During our last Sunday at church, I cried every tear that had been penned up for the last ten. I didn't think I would ever be the same again having to leave those people I had learned to love so much behind. BUT - a wonderful thing I've learned is this: Goodbyes are always followed by hellos.

I can only imagine the things in your own dear lives you've had to say goodbye to: loved ones, church fellowships, jobs, homes, dreams and expectations or perhaps many combinations of these. Based on what I know about God, I can safely say if He has allowed a goodbye in your life, He has replaced it with a hello you never asked for or imagined. What we are seeking in this last section of study is God as our Portion and the satisfaction for our souls.

There is no more beautiful picture of this concept than that of God and Moses alone on that mountain. Moses who had been a Prince of Egypt, a judge and prophet to millions and here he stood overlooking the Possession he'd sought for 40 years knowing he couldn't enter. A lesser man would have been bitter and disappointed but Moses had come to know God Himself as his inheritance and salvation.

Though he would never step foot into what he believed to be God's promise to him as well as the children of Israel, his joy was found in knowing his Canaan was about to be ultimately fulfilled. Just like Hebrews 11 tells us, we may not ever see the thing we believe God has promised us on this earth but our hope is in the ultimate rest of our Savior Jesus Christ. I believe I can also scripturally show you Moses looked forward to the rest of Jesus Christ as well. You are going to love this.

I want you to remember with me Moses' Song in Exodus 15, particularly verse 2 which reads, "The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; This is my God, and I will praise Him, My father's God, and I will extol Him."

Let's look at the word 'salvation'. The Hebrew for this word is 'Yeshuwah'. For those of you who may not recognize this word, it is the Hebrew for Jesus! I have chill bumps each time I read its meaning, "something saved, i.e. a deliverance". Okay, hold on because it gets better. The root word of 'Yeshuwah' is 'Yasha' and means "to be open, wide, or free. i.e. to be safe, to bring salvation, get victory." The opposite of this word is 'to be bound'. So what was Moses saying in his prophetic song? God has become my Jesus. He is my deliverance, my safety, my wide open spaces, my unbinding, my Promised Land.

It only makes sense that Moses would have been saddened by being told he could not enter Canaan, however, he didn't need the 'here' because he looked ahead to his reward and persevered because he saw Him who is invisible. (Hebrews 11:27-28) Girls, sometimes God says 'no'. It may be because of our own sin or more often simply because God is keeping us safe from circumstances we can't possibly know. I love The Message version of 1 Peter 5:7, "Live carefree before God; He is most careful with you." He is careful with you. Oh I could just collapse in a heap in my Father's arms knowing I am safe in His heart. He is careful with me because I am precious to Him. He doesn't want anything to come my way that He hasn't carefully planned. If I do have to experience the fire, He wants to go in first instead of having me run off on my own. Our Father is very careful. Very watchful. Very much in love.

The View From the Top

I live close to Chattanooga, Tennessee and one of our famous tourist attractions is Rock City. The site is perched on the side of Lookout Mountain and, if you believe all the marketing hype, you can look off and "See Seven States!" Along the landing, there are several stands with the metal binoculars that allow you to see for miles.

I always think of Rock City when I read how God called Moses to the top of Nebo and began showing him the Promised Land broken down into each tribes' inheritance. As I prayed over this scene while I was walking just this week, the song 'Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus' came on my iPod (The Third Day version of course). I cried like a baby as I pictured Moses on that mountain looking over the Promise. In my own imagination, I believe Moses' death came just as in the song, "Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face. And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, in the light of His Glory and Grace." As the earthly Canaan dimmed, the unfading one appeared. Oh, that we could all go out in such a whisper.

It's Time

There is so much more that could have been said and so many better ways to have said it but I pray from the depths of my heart that God impressed at least one truth from this study that will indwell your spirit, abide richly, and change the way you move through this earth. I hope you know you are beautiful in God's eyes. That you are enough because He is enough. That you have enough because He is your satisfaction. He is all that and more - so you don't have to be.

Instead of our list of Burning Questions, I would like to leave you today with just one:

What is one thing God has taught you through this study?

Blessings on you!