May is not the ideal month to be without a camera. My good one broke some time back and my backup has officially bit the dust. I'm not ready to invest a huge amount of cash into a new one because there is this little thing called vacation I'd like to be able to enjoy with my family next month.

Here's my question: Do any of you have a $100-ish digital camera that you are particularly fond of? What brand and model is it? Obviously, I'm not expecting professional quality, but there's got to be a standout in this price range. I just don't have the time or energy for research so who better to ask than you girls?!

I'd love to hang around but gotta run to the school for a luau.

Here's hoping my camera isn't the only one broken. Me in a grass skirt is not an image that needs capturing.

Y'all have a Happy Wednesday!

When Luke suggested rather last-minute that we go to St. Simons for Spring Break, after I freaked out a little over the amount of laundry I would have to do to get us here, I started a mental checklist of all the things I wanted to do on the island.

1. Sleep late. {Check}
2. Go to the beach. {Check. But only once because it's been pretty chilly.}
3. Sit in the jacuzzi tub. {Check, check, and check.}
4. Read lots of fluffy fiction. {I've finished The Desperate Pastors' Wives and Matter of Wife and Death. Working on Katt's in the Cradle.}
5. Spend time in the Word with no study agenda. {God keeps leading me to passages on praise. Appropriate for vacation week, yes?}

I'd done Numbers 1-5 by Thursday which left bike riding and a Caramel Apple Spice from Starbucks on the list. Being the multi-tasker that I am, I decided to hit both of those at one time.

Now, Starbucks didn't appear to be too far from the house but apparently my judgement was a little skewed by the fact I was reading the fluffy fiction books while hubby was driving. (And obeying all the speed limit and traffic signs, I should add. You can cheer, homies!) So yesterday morning I jumped on the bike thinking I could get to the Starbucks in no time, drink my Caramel Apple Spice at one of the picnic tables and generally enjoy a bit of solitude before the fam was up and moving.

Whahahatever.

I knew I was in trouble when I had been riding several, several minutes and passed a skateboard park that only takes 30 seconds to reach by car. I considered going back then, but visions of Lance Armstrong and Live Strong started dancing in my head and I convinced myself that I could do this thing.

I pedaled on.

And on.

And on.

I rode past parks, swamps, resorts, the airport, a fire department and I still wasn't there. Just when I was beginning to cry, Luke called to soothe me by saying something to the effect of "would you mind biking across the bridge into Brunswick while you are out and picking me up a few things?"

Smart alec.

After I whined a minute, he agreed to come get me if needed but after all the laughing that was going on I decided, come pulled hamstring or unfortunate highway crossing accident, there was no way in heck fire I would humiliate myself by letting him. So, even though I could almost see the road I would need to turn on to get to the Starbucks., I decided to ride back home just to prove I could. And truthfully, at that point, if I went any further my chances were dicey.

Whoever said the trip home is always quicker than the trip there (or almost there) has never made that trip by bike. And to make matters worse, somehow I missed my little side street and ended up at the local elementary school before I figured out I'd gone too far. Add that to the list of town amenities I'd visited on my excursion.

I can't tell you the joy of finally rolling into our driveway. The reason I can't tell you is because I fell to the ground when I jumped off the bike because my legs were so noodly.

But not noodly enough to keep me from dragging myself to the truck and driving back to Starbucks like any truly civilized, lazy girl should have done to begin with.

Who says I'm not an athlete.

And a driven one at that.

(hardy har.)

Y'all.

I had this whole stinkin' post typed out and blogger ate it. I'm so upset right now but I'm going to soldier through it again. You can be thankful because I'll most likely leave out at least half the words in my aggravation of having to do a repeat.

You're welcome.

I think I began the other post by explaining how, after a weekend of teaching, I am so sick of my own voice that I try my best not to speak much for a couple of days. With that said, other than suggesting to the children they may want to keep the noise level to a healthy roar on teacher in service Monday, I've been relishing the quiet and enjoying all the not talking.

A few of you have asked questions about the logistics of our retreat. I'll try to give you some info and finish a recap in a handy, dandy list format:

1. We began our retreats in our current church four years ago with less than twenty women attending. We rented a cabin at, where else, Eagles Ridge and conducted our Bible study in the great room. We cooked one common meal in the kitchen but mostly ate in restaurants together for the others.

This year we took close to 90 women which is huge for my teeny tiny town. I hear the size of our Exodus was a hot topic of conversation at the grocery store and gas station. Since our group has grown so, we are now renting 6 large cabins and have moved our Bible study to the facility club house. Because we obviously can't eat out together, we decided to offer meals as part of the program. My wonderful mom-in-law Frankie, my precious friend Kaye, and my bff forever Kelly provided the catering. They not only agreed to do our event, but actually enjoy cooking. Can you even imagine? Thanks again to all three of you. Your joyful act of service took our fellowship to an entirely new level.

Don't y'all love their matching aprons?

2. We have four study sessions beginning Friday night. We then meet Saturday morning, Saturday night, and Sunday morning. {Don't start raggin' on me about the Sunday thing. I'm very conflicted about it but as it is, there is a two day weekend minimum stay and if we don't use it we lose it. It being one day a year, the stewardship issue, and our own Sunday morning worship teamed with the blessing of the pastor dictate we stay until Sunday - at least for now.} We have our meal first, then worship in song, followed by the teaching segment.

Saturday is a free day between morning and night sessions in which most girls go shopping. I normally head towards Five Oaks Outlet Mall. However, this year the wonderful, darlin' girls in our group took up a love collection and gave Jenny (worship leader) and me a trip to Gatlinburg Day Spa. I've never been in my life until Valentine's Day and now twice in two months! What?! It's hard to say which spa I enjoyed more but let me tell you, the heated massage table at GDS is an extravagance I never dreamed existed. I didn't think I would be able to drag myself off it.

I have to tell you I was incredibly overwhelmed while sitting in the quiet room overlooking the beautiful mountains. All I could think was, "Who am I that God would allow such a flaky, unqualified girl to first presume to teach His Word and then orchestrate a back rub afterward?" It was more than I could take in. We are some spoiled rotten women in the west and I never want to take such pampering for granted. I am humbled, I do not deserve this outlandish grace, but I gratefully receive it in the love it was given. Girls, thank you, thank you, thank you!

3. Saturday night's session was followed by an after party in which we were entertained by the lyrical stylings of Brooke and Kim aka The Queens of Karaoke. I can't even do it justice so you should really go here and check out the performance on your own.

4. I was so pumped that my sister, Christi, was able to come along with me. Her hubby just took his first pastorate so we are officially sister PW's!

You have to know mine and Christi's relationship to understand that we love each other through sarcasm, i.e., if she makes fun of me then I know that's a compliment - I think. She told me something I said Sunday morning that is probably the most theologically thought-provoking thing I've ever uttered. She tells it better than I ever could here. By the way, y'all really have to read her blog, Just Curious. She is funnier on accident than I've ever hoped to be on purpose.

5. The Gang's all here! Or most of it anyway. This picture makes me smile really, really big. There were women on the retreat ranging from ages 12 through 79. There is no other name but Jesus by which such a diverse group can have such commonality! I love each and every one of you and can not wait til next year!

P.S. I lied about the words.

P.S.S. Spectacular Sins will resume next Monday. Mine and Missy's brains are fried.

....and I'm in Pigeon Forge preparing to begin our retreat sessions tonight. Please pray for an overwhelming manifestation of the Holy Spirit! I wish I could share more, but there's dozens of thumbprint cookies to eat, lots of talking to do, and much praying to Jesus I look forward to before we begin this evening.

I haven't forgotten about the Woman Beside the Man...I just don't have time to do it justice today. We'll resume next Friday. Thank you for such an overwhelming response... We may start doing a couple a week!

Also, I appreciate all of you voting for my friend Merrie's crock pot recipe. Y'all. SHE WON! I can not wait to talk with her to get all the details. She looked amazing on tv and did great. I couldn't be more thrilled!

Okay, I gotta get off here. Y'all have a great weekend!

Okay, so truth is, happy days never officially left but it just seemed an appropriate title considering my oldest boy dressed like Richie Cunningham for a 'decade' birthday party he went to Friday night. Isn't he the coolest?



I know this is totally random, but I just looked up the lyrics to the Happy Days song because it just occurred to me I've probably sung it wrong all these years. I was right. You know when it gets to the part that says, "The weekend comes, my cycle hums"? Well, I've always sang, "The weekend comes, tobacco's fun.." Don't even ask how I heard it that way. I just remember being a young girl and feeling a little naughty for singing about the joy of smoking.

I know. You could have gone the rest of your life without knowing that. But then why should that be any different than anything else I tell you around here?


Anyhoo, I'm a little late in mentioning our high school girls' basketball team played in the State Finals in Birmingham Thursday night. We lost but it wasn't because we didn't put up a great fight. In fact, we dominated the first half and I truly thought we were going home with the trophy. I'm not one to rehash a ballgame, particularly one with rules and play strategies that I do not understand in the least. But pray tell me - if your team has 15+ fouls against you in one game half and the other team has 3, does it not appear that perhaps the officials may have been a little one-sided? We lost by 15 points and the other team got 30 points in foul shots. You have to give it to them, they did not miss. That game was won from the line. But, I will not be bitter. I'm so proud of our girls. The majoritiy of them also play on our softball team which are the reigning 2008 State Champs. You'd never know such talent could be so concentrated here in MiddleofNowhere, Alabama. It's thrilling to watch such excellence and to be brought to tears by the school spirit.

Speaking of spirit, practically our entire town attended the playoffs and it was literally a stand-the-entire-time-and-scream game. Don't you know all of us would die if we had to stand up for an entire church service and here we are jumping up and down like idiots for an event that nowhere rivals the thrill of being in the presence of God Almighty? I'm reminded of Nehemiah 8 and how eager the people were to stand in honor of God's word and then alternately to fall with faces to the ground when they understood the exposition of it. Oh, that our zeal for The House would match, or preferably exceed, that for the arena!

Don't know how I got off on that tangent but since I have, here's praying that same fervor will consume us this night and that we will worship God with an overflowing heart on the Lord's Day tomorrow.

The Weekend Comes and Happy Days are Here Again! Enjoy it, gf's.

Ahhhhh, the greatness of mi casita.

And I'm not talking about my favorite Mexican restaurant EVER. I'm referring to the quaint home where I dwell with the five humans who adore me most on this earth. I know this because they were waiting for me at the door when I pulled into the drive. Never mind the first words out of their mouths were, "Where's my prize????" I know they really missed me. You have to be a mom to know love is the root emotion that fuels the frenzied ripping apart of the outlet store bags.

As much as I treasure spending a weekend teaching the Bible to a bunch of Jesus-lovin' girls, it's always great to return home and collapse onto my own sofa. As much as I love 'me' time, nothing thrills me more to return to the land of 'them' time. There is nothing God has called me to do that could ever justify neglecting the most important ministry He's given me - this family. Luke is so gracious in releasing me to be fully engaged in the subordinate calling God has placed on me but that doesn't at all alleviate the guilt I feel for leaving them to fend for themselves. Not that Luke doesn't take care of things beautifully. I'm just inclined to wife and mother them at any distance whether they appreciate it or not.

All that aside, this weekend really was a blast. I got to hang with my long time bff, Kelly. It is with great joy I introduced her to lip plumper. I've used it before but never felt the need to purchase any until I noticed last week that my upper lip has shriveled away to nothing in spite of my attempts to stay hydrated with nasty water. Not nasty as in our water is nasty. I mean nasty as in I hate it. Doesn't the H2O in Diet Dr. Pepper count for anything?

Apparently not because as I mentioned, I no longer have a top lip so when Kelly and I went in CVS and there were $5 Extra Bucks for buying plumper, I couldn't resist. {Coupon alert: I needed an eyeliner so I used my ECB's and got one for pennies..Go Me!} We couldn't wait to try it out in the car so I ripped open the package and we both put some on. {Another alert: It is a special friend with whom you can share lip care products.} I failed to mention to Kelly that plumper burns as if you'd swiped battery acid on your lips so she thought she was having an immediate allergic reaction. Imagine her relief when I explained there was nothing to worry about since the intense pain was actually a sign this must be some good stuff.

She wasn't impressed.

And y'all, I'm not sure if I am either. I don't know if the burn is in reality a placebo to make you think your lips look bigger or if the stuff actually works. I think my upper lip is making a bit of a comeback but again, it could just be a figment of my imagination. If it weren't for the big score on eyeliner, I would be in a pit of despond if I spent $9 on a cosmetic that didn't make good on it's promise. I'll need to think on this a day or so before I make my final judgement on my faith in Maybelline marketing.

I do wish you could have been in the car with Kelly and me when the numbness took full effect. Our conversation sounded something like this:

Me: Hey Kehwy. We bettew get back to da tabin so I can teach on Fiwst Cowimpians.
Kehwy: Otay, Wesa. But fuhst, wet's doh to Tahbucks.

So we did go to Starbucks. And got the most awesome Caramel Apple Spice.

And if it was way too hot to drink, we never knew it.

Hi! My name is Lisa and I'm having a fabulous day. Et tu?

A few weeks back my awesome sis-in-law Laura Beth asked me to talk about marriage at her MOM's group at Peavine Baptist in Georgia. I drove down this morning and !YAY! I just had the best time ever. In addition to meeting all these new girls I got to catch up with one of my long, lost ballfield bff's, Jennifer who is as crazy now as when our boys shared the baseball diamond a few summers back. What else can I say but that reconnection makes me giddy.

I don't know that I can properly express how much I love meeting a new group of women and seeing how other churches 'do' ministry. I can tell you right now, Peavine is doing mommy ministry well. I fell instantly in love with their leader, Tonya. She is definitely a homechick (my new favorite girlfriend word coined by Lindsee Lou). Tonya's family relocated to N. Georgia from Mississippi after Katrina. Best I can tell, she's settled in and brought her some Jesus along. I am always smitten with lay people who pour themselves out with abandon for no other benefit than to see others encouraged and lives changed. I didn't get a chance to visit with many of the mommies because they needed to run to a different part of the building to get their kids from childcare, but if you have come by for a visit and were there this morning, THANK YOU! I hope to have the chance to drop in on you again soon and in the meantime please come see me here from time to time.

After MOMs, Laura Beth, Frankie(my Mom In Law), Micah (my 2 yr old nephew), and I had lunch at one of my favorite home cookin' restaurants that I've missed terribly since we moved away. The food was scrumptious as always but the best part was the prayer. LB said, "Micah, do you want to say the blessing?" He said he did so we waited. Micah bowed his head, closed his darlin' little eyes and said, "Blessing." And that was it! Hysterical! I've always said you should never catch up on your prayer life at the dinner table and my boy has heeded that advice, I reckon!

And if my day had ended right then things would have been okay. Instead, I came home and Luke was waiting for me with a scary looking piece of paper.

It was a job application.

For me.

How's that for some Valentine romance?

There may or may not be more to share about that at a later date.

Speaking of later dates, LOST! OH MY GOODNESS! I just finished watching last night's episode and thank you, thank you very much, I knew Jin was alive! And as soon as Charlotte read the French on the wreckage, I knew they would see Rousseau. And I knew that Ben was behind freaking Kate out about Aaron. Can it be we are getting a bit predictable, Lost writers?

As if.

Here are a few questions I have:

1. Why didn't Roussea recognize Jin or vice versa when they met one another later on the island? Shouldn't she remember meeting him on the beach and him likewise?

2. The nosebleeds....Didn't Daniel stop that for Desmond by having him contact Penny - his Constant? Can't Juliette, Charlotte, and now Miles do that somehow or does it have to be someone off the island they connect with?

3. Richard has the most awesome eyelashes. Is he born with it or is it Maybelline?

4.. I'm stuck on thinking the young girl holding the gun on Daniel in last week's episode is either Penny's mother or Charlotte's mother. Remember how Daniel told her she seemed familiar? What do y'all think?

5. Sawyer is pitiful. Wouldn't it be nice if Kate could be in both places at once and Sawyer could have Island Kate and Jack could keep Off-Island Kate? I'm not sure it's biblical but it would make for an excellent episode or seven.

I have no idea how I started out talking about marriage with Jesus Girls and ending up hoping a woman can time-travel herself between two men. I'm surely hoping y'all can forgive my flakiness because I really and truly am not as schizo in person as I seem on the computer screen.

Lisa says to tell you she'll talk with you again soon.

I absolutely love the movie '13 Going on 30' with Jennifer Garner and think it should be made mandatory viewing for every girl who ever deluded herself into thinking her teenage ideas and dreams would in any way resemble reality.

Missy's friend (Not a Bow in Sight) has a post here in which she asks us to write a letter to our 20-year-old self. I've purposefully blocked out my life at 20 but, thanks to my mom, here is a picture of me at 17 which is close enough and pretty well sums up all I really cared about during that period in my life: Hair and Clothes. {For the record, this wasn't daily wear. I was getting ready for my Senior Banquet.}




Dear 17-year-old Me,

You are not fat even though you are currently devastated over the size of your thighs. Don't worry, there will come a day when four babies will destroy any possibility of seeing your cut abs and collar bones again, but it is not this day. Enjoy the fact that your whole body fits in that size 2 dress because that thigh you think is so large now will pretty much double in size and half of you will not fit in the circumference of this frock.

Speaking of that dress, twenty years from now you will be mortified that you bought a barrette with matching ruffles as the skirt even though it can barely be seen because of all the back-combing going on. Matchy-matching is just not cute unless you are six. One bit of good news though...the black hose seem to be making a semi-comeback though I should tell you that if you've worn a look once you should never, ever repeat it in a later generation. Not that you won't be tempted to buy that sweater dress and leggings but please, for both our sakes, resist. Your future husband and children will thank you.

The color mauve is butt-ugly and pirouette dolls belong in B-Horror films, not on your bedroom shelves. And that little white lock box on your table? There's more money in that thing than you will ever carry in your wallet your whole adult life. You, my friend, are rich.

But you think you are going to be richer because even now you have plans to go to college and move away to the big city. You just wrote in your Senior memory book that you want to be the CEO of a major corporation. You want a brownstone apartment and you NEVER want a husband and kids. Oh poor honey, we'll get to that in a minute.

You see, the truth is you have all these big dreams and none of them will happen quite like you think. The full college scholarship you just found out about? It will be recalled because of a mystery unsigned paper. You will be devastated because, just like a vapor, all your plans will disappear and the only thing that will console you one little bit is that cute guy standing there when the smoke clears.

That boy is Luke. The one who drove you crazy with the various girls who like to show up at his house. The first guy you ever decided was worth a fight. The one with the mullet you think is so incredibly beautiful. News flash: That hair will have a song written about it one day and it won't be flattering. The good news is that when he decides to cut it all off he'll still be as cute as ever. Your hair deserves a post of its own. {A post is something we'll have to talk about when you find out about the Internet. Total space age stuff that we'll reserve for another conversation.}

And I've saved this last part for last. You might want to sit down.

You aren't moving to New York. You are going to marry Luke and have four children and twenty years from now, you'll live in a town of 800 looking at a picture wishing you could regain that figure and that cash-stuffed lock box. You'll love a show called Lost and wish you could go BAAACCCK and do a few things differently but will quickly realize that God is in control and you couldn't change a thing if you tried.

Oh. Yes, I did mention God. I know, it's a shocker but you should know you love Him and every day you are looking for ways to serve Him more. And that's a good thing because honey..are you sitting down?

You are going to be a preacher's wife.

Lisa? LISA?! Can someone help me here!??

Oh, what am I worried about? 20 years from now you are still here so everything turns out okay. Actually, things will turn out more than okay.

They'll be just about perfect.


Love from 37-year-old,

If you've visited around this neck of the bloggy woods in the past day or so, then no doubt you've caught wind that a scant few of us decided to meet up at a concert down at a little church in Woodstock, GA.

By the way, that guy Travis? Boyfriend can sang. I take back everything I said here about the most powerful worship performance I've ever heard live. TC and Friends with the Woodstock Choir blew the gates off heaven. I was emotionally wrecked after it was all over not to mention my mascara was destroyed. I told Shelly {yay I got to hang with Shelly!} if a couple of hours of pure, unhindered adoration messed me up like that then Heaven was flat going to wear me out. Truly, Jesus is going to have to give me some kind of energized body and long-wearing cosmetics to keep me from feeling and looking like a limp rag for all eternity. {Okay, I know the theology breaks way down there but y'all know what I mean.}

There's a ton of stuff I'd like to tell you about the day but in the interest of brevity and non-redundancy, I just have to share one little funny with you.


The Siestas camped out in the foyer and stampeded proceeded calmly towards the front row when the doors opened at 5 p.m. Our killer front row seats were on the side of the auditorium next to the platform where Siesta Mama hung out and worshipped beside us for part of the night.




Now, to set up the story just a bit, in the midst of all the snot-slingin' praise going on, I didn't even notice she was up there. However, at some point I caught some movement and happened to glance up to see Beth standing there seemingly looking right at me. Then, she did this little scrunched up smiley wave that you would reserve for a bff.


"Wow" thought I. Beth gave me the bff wave. So, I did what any best girlfriend would - I gave her one back.

Thing is, I learned later it was for the stinkin' 10-year-old-doll-baby-daughter of my friend Brooke sitting right behind me. Thankfully, I'm not alone in my thinking because Deedra (who was sitting next to little girl) thought she was waving at her and she waved back, too. A bit enthusiastically from what I hear but I won't steal Deedra's thunder because it is just wrong to do that. Cute Little 10-Year-Old-Girl, it is just wrong.


Bottom line is that once again, I'm an idiot. I'm just glad this time my zeal didn't erupt into the diarrhea of the mouth that I had with this guy at Winter Xtreme.

And I hear a rumor that I'm the least of Pastor Johnny's worries. Word on the street (or FaceBook) is that he had a stalker caught on film at the concert. Now that girl is a fruit bat.

To my homies, Jenny, Deedra, and Brooke: I love you each so much and am so glad you we got to share this day together!

And to all my not-so-invisible friends, I adore each of you more every single time we get together. What a rowdy band we are and I'm so proud to be considered part of the gang. (Y'all do consider me part of the gang don't you?)


I leave you with a couple of pics I love:




Til Next Time !

So, it's been an interesting week. It started out normal enough but by Sunday night, things got a little wonky.

You see, I got this email from darlin' Renee Swope. She just happens to be the fabulous ministry partner to Lysa TerKeurst of Proverbs 31 fame. In short, Renee explained that even though we really didn't know one another at all, God had compelled her to offer me two tickets to the Girls Night Out in Houston, TX. There was only one kicker: I live in Alabama.

Now I have to be honest with y'all. After the initial shocker of being contacted by Renee who I esteem highly, I pretty much resigned that God had made an enormous mistake and my word didn't He know that I live in Alabama and making such a long trip on such short notice was out of the question? Did He not know this was impossible?

No, He did not. You see, I've heard it told that God is all about making ways where there are no ways. He definitely lived up to His reputation.

I told Luke about the email and basically said, "Isn't it so encouraging to know I'm on this girl's mind? Isn't it so good of God to do that? Too bad He's forgotten I can't possibly go. I think He just wanted me to feel good by sending me this note through her. And besides that, WHY should I go? Why would I need to fly all the way to Houston to hear from God? Doesn't He know I can hear from Him right here in Alabama? " And truly, that was all we said about it.

Well that night was the Eleven Year Old Birthday Bash so I didn't have a spare brain cell to think about anything but keeping the Cokes and snacks replenished. I went to bed thinking, "I'll just email Renee in the morning to say thanks but no thanks."

Monday morning during my quiet time, I talked to God about this invitation. I told Him how sweet He was and how adorable Renee was to reach out to me. I told Him I was going to tell her no. And that's when He said one word: "Wait".

Wait? Wait for what? Wait for an airplane ticket to pop out of the sky? Wait for a hotel room to magically appear? Wait for a babysitter to take up all my slack so that Luke could exercise his ministry that was on overdrive this week? And there was still the unresolved Why Question. It just didn't make sense.

So I, being the good girl I am, waited. I took a pack of eleven year olds to a movie and while there I got a text from Luke. It basically released me with his blessing to see how God could work out the details. He believed God was in this invitation and encouraged me to consider it more deeply and not to brush it off based on the externals. How in the world do I deserve a husband like that? The answer?

I don't.

So I cried. Not because Mall Cop was all that moving but because once again I realized there is one person on this planet who will always believe in me way more than I believe in myself and will go a ridiculous distance to make sure I know it. How's that for loving your wife like Jesus loves the church? My man has that one hands down.

Anyway, I could get really detailed here but I'm trying to keep this novel rather than epic length. In short, within a twelve hour time period there was a plane ticket courtesy of my dad who has more frequent flyer miles than the beach has sand. There was a companion for the trip who was gracious enough to drive all the way from Austin to take care of me. There was a fabulous place to stay. And there was a mom and dad-in-law who were more than happy to come to the house to care for the kids while Luke cared for the flock.

So after all the questions of why, there remained one more: Why Not? Not one argument I had made was unanswered. There was absolutely no reason for me not to go. And after God showed off in the details, I had no doubt at this point that once I got to Houston, the why would be answered more fully.

And it was y'all. This post of Lysa's began the process of helping me understand. I can't really detail all God showed me here for you because my heart is still marinating in the conversations I had with some of the most amazing people. What I do know is my being there was absolutely no fluke. However, there is one overarching lesson I've learned through the whole experience that I'm not afraid to tell you.

I believe God wants us to be perched on ready to do The Crazy Thing. The thing that makes no sense. The thing for which there isn't enough money. The thing for which we are insufficient. I was much too quick to default into doubt instead of allowing God the opportunity to clear the highway and then praise Him when He walked with me along the way. I wonder what your Crazy Thing is? I'm not going to tell you not to be afraid because there's no such thing as courage where fear isn't present. What I will tell you is this:

Do it anyway.

Because excellent things happen when you do....Just look!

The whole bloggy group. Missy tells who everyone is here and I'm totally stealing her post so I won't have to rewrite it all. I have to give a special fist pump to Lysa who is just the most wonderfully encouraging woman with the true heart of a mentor. Thank you for building me up, sweet friend!


Me, Melanie, and Amanda. Linda and I had the added blessing of sitting near them during the event. Melanie's necklace is fab and even though Amanda may feel 9 months pregnant, VVPG looks three. Just beautiful!

Renee Swope. Girl, thank you so much for blessing me and being God's messenger this week. You make me wanna be brave.


Oh how I love me some Missy - wardrobe malfunctions and all. {Speaking of wardrobe - I really did have a cute outfit ready to wear but time and opportunity really didn't allow for any freshening up. What you are seeing is my straight from the airplane funkiness. I decided I really didn't care. } I kidded her that the red furnishings made us look like we were hanging at a brothel. Linda and I crashed in her house Thursday night and I think I scared the mess out of Magdelene. She woke up when we were getting ready to leave. I told her I was 'one of mommy's friends'. She looked at me with those beautiful eyes and started bawling. I finally convinced her I was one of the good guys and she was smiling at me by the time I convinced her to lay back down since it was weally, weally, weally early. And I only have one word for Shep: Superstar. That kid is Cool personified. Just like his mama.


***Squeal*** This is Lindsee, a.k.a. The Girl I Want My Daughter To Be When She Grows Up. When I figured out I was really doing this thing, I emailed her to see where she was in Houston hoping I might be close enough to her to see her for a second or two. Imagine how thrilled I was when she replied that she was going to be there! In the same church as me! So great seeing her!

And Linda, how do I not have a picture of us together???? Do you have one?? (She's in the group photo, girls.) Y'all, I saved special props for Linda. She drove all the way from Austin to get me back and forth from the airport. She is a dear friend and faithful prayer partner. I couldn't have made it to Texas without her!

I have no snappy endings. At this point you are probably just happy it's finally over.

The End.

Wow. My last post was heavy, huh? Didn't mean for it to be. Sometimes I just have to purge the fire in my bones and when I read it later I wonder what I was thinking. I hope you heard my heart and that you know it bleeds for you. I'm really not an angry, snot-slingin', maniac though in print you may feel the need to wipe off the screen. I guess what I'm trying to do here is make up to you if I came across belligerent. I'm not sorry for what I wrote because I was compelled. I'm just sorry if it came across harsh because you couldn't see the concern that motivated it. (Nobody has communicated this by the way...it's my own tendency-to-second-guess-myself speaking here. And I'm not fishing for reassurance either. Just doin' some truth tellin'.) To make myself feel better, I'll just claim Luke's verse that he preached Sunday morning and say it is because I am jealous for God's people, his women specifically, that I get all bent out of shape. I just can't stand to see you (or myself) a compliant victim.

Pat Benatar's "Hit Me with Your Best Shot" just popped in my head. That couldn't have been from Jesus.

Anyway, I really intended to lighten the mood by making you a little video clip as a reminder for our Spectacular Sin Book Club beginning on Monday, but the truth is my hair isn't cute today and why would a girl video herself with a less than acceptable 'do?

Anyway, what I was going to tell you is REMEMBER OUR BOOK CLUB STARTS MONDAY! If you are participating, have your Introduction read. If you aren't playing along, please read anyway. I think you will still be able to gain from the conversation. Missy and I talked on the phone this past week (while she was on the way to Beth's Houston Bible Study - I'm so trying to get over my envy) and I can tell you we are equally thrilled and equally unsure the best way to present this material. I think we have a great game plan: We'll alternate leading weekly discussions and determine what we are going to do next by attempting to outdo the previous week. HA! I'm SO KIDDING! Just messing about the typical way we females do things - in comparison with one another instead of going to God on a thing. That's a total rabbit - let's not chase it.

In all seriousness, I love that crazy Missy and can't wait to team up with her to dig into some meaty doctrine. My prayer is that we'll serve it up hot and that you will throw aside any tendencies toward theological vegetarianism. I have no idea what the heck I just said but it came to mind so there ya go.

In other loose ends, I'm about to determine the winner of the John Piper Conference tickets a day late. I'll have the winners posted Saturday. Can't wait to see who gets to travel to Minnesota to hear all the fabulousness!



GAH! I just deleted my signature again!

Something you may or may not be interested in....

A couple of thoughts:

1. I've just got to have me one of those Wonder Woman leotards.

2. Don't be Ninjin' nobody that don't need Ninjin'.

3. Hat Tip to Maury for this piece of Redneck Excellence.

Just when it seemed we had a few moments at home, it's time to pack up and head out! We are joining our youth leaders and 20+ teenagers for the Winter Xtreme Conference in Gatlinburg. Would you think I'm crazy if I tell you I'm so excited about going? Aside from all the great sessions, I am hoping to get to meet up with Tammy whose hubby Tony is one of the speakers. We've been blogging pals for quite some time and I keep missing her when they are traveling in our area. Not this time!! I'm stalking you girlfriend and I am going to hug your darlin' neck if it kills me!

Most importantly, I'm praying our kids get themselves an enormous dose of Jesus over the next few days and that they come back supernaturally empowered to walk that increasingly elusive narrow path. I am especially burdened for young girls in general and all they face in our culture. Please pray for the women who are going as chaperones on this trip that we will have a timely word for our girls as we seek to help them internalize the Word brought by the Bible teachers. (Oh yes, pray that for our men and boys, too!) I am sensing a bustin' loose in my prayer times for this event. So be it!

So I'm off to do more laundry than is humanly possible with one washer and dryer. However, I just got me a word that I should go at it like Zerubabbel. “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”’”

Contemporary Translation: "What are you, O mound of dirty clothes? Before me and my bottle of Tide, you shall be flattened! And I will close the empty baskets with shouts of 'Wahooo!'"

{Stupid, I know...I'm still allowed, aren't I?}

See you after the New Year!

I don't even know where to begin with this one.

When we were shopping today I saw this doll in the Pink Row at Walmart. {That would be what The Girl calls the Barbie aisle.}

Seriously. What the heck?

One thing you may or may not know about me is my issue with birds. I'm not afraid of them per se. I'm just not a fan of all the poop. You see, I was on a field trip once with a bunch of 2nd graders and a flock of birds flew over and pooped on my shirt. You've never been mocked until a bird poops on you in the presence of that many creepy little boys.

That experience left a deep emotional scar that has yet to heal.

So this Barbie brings back that terrible memory and also brings to forefront the fact that - in order for this Barbie to be authentic - she would have to also be covered in bird poopie.

I'm all over details, people.

What completely cracked me up besides the subtle look of distress on her face is the description given on the website:

"Celebrating Alfred Hitchcock's classic film, this incredible collector's doll features our heroine being attacked by a trio of fine feathered foes, just like in the movie. Will these plastic birds damage her delightful handbag or her carefully styled hair? We certainly hope not! Be sure to let Barbie into your home and pray that the birds don't come in with her!"

I know when my eyes are being pecked out and I'm being pooped on by demon birds my first concern is my delightful handbag and carefully styled hair.

Though if I survived the ordeal, I would be secondarily upset about either of those things being damaged.

And speaking of poop, I'm curious if the same Barbie designer also created Barbie and Tanner the Dog? Do y'all realize the doggy snacks are also doggie poo and that Barbie scoops them it up only to return it to Tanner's bowl for him to eat again?

Yeah.

I know y'all appreciate my sharing that with you right as you are finishing up those Lists O' Christmas Cheer.

You are so incredibly welcome.

It is so late and I'm delirious. If this post disappears you'll know it's because I woke up tomorrow with more sense than I have at the moment.

Or if I disappear, it was The Birds.

I haven't intended on being so absent from ye 'ole blog for the past few days but the truth is - it's just unavoidable. I'm a girl who needs some concentration to come up with even the lamest of posts and lately I haven't been able to put a pair of minutes together.

I do have a few things to tell you about when I get the chance to sit a spell. There's my beautiful Christmas tree that I finally finished decorating. (Saving that for Boomama's Tour of Homes!) There's the STRONG Word Jesus is laying on me from 1 Corinthians 16 about the need for Christians to quit being so dern wimpy. {That is myself included. And for the record, Jesus didn't say dern. That was all mine.} There's the trip to the mall with a pack of 5th and 6th graders complete with bungee jumping and snake petting. There's a ball of bacteria my son bought that still has me gagging. There's my husband's driving skillz coming over a dark, foggy mountain last night and my full blown panic attack during the trip. But in happier thoughts, there is also the package I received today from Jeanne Winters with her fabulous new book, Inspirational Home, and faith magnets inside. I'm going to definitely tell you more about her book because just glancing through the pages of simple craft projects has my OCD kicked into high gear. {In the meantime, y'all look for her in Hallmark Stores!)

I just realized I almost spelled Hallmark, H-a-l-l-m-a-r-T, instead. I guess that would be like the budget, hoopty Hallmark. You won't find Jeanne's stuff there.

Just so you know.

Okay, I've got to jump off here and dry my hair before the frizz takes over.

Happy Wednesday! Go to church tonight even if you don't want to!

It'll make your pastor very happy.

And Jesus, too.

p.s. There are currently 294 emails (this time I am not exaggerating) in my Inbox. If you've been so sweet as to ask me a question or request something of me - I promise I'll be in touch soon!

Firstly I have to give an enormous hat tip to Annie Blogs {do y'all know Annie? She's so incredibly cool!) for the discovery of Dave Barnes' other talent.

Who knew? Not me. Until now that is.

Let me preface this video by saying you really need to appreciate movies such as Napoleon Dynamite to "get it". Appreciate them we do, (with the exception of Luke..he's so normal), so the kids and I have laughed our fool heads off watching this one. In fact, we've begun quoting it which is a sign of its true excellence.

Okay, I really have to get out of here before I'm late to church again.

Merry Christmas and Happy Lord's Day!

I have no idea what to write.

Seriously. I've started this post, like, five times already and not one single thing makes any sense. I swear you would think after a few days of rest from putting any thoughts to screen that I would be all refreshed and ready to crank out some truly mediocre material. The reality is not putting thoughts to screen has liquefied my jello-brain to mush.

And it doesn't help that I'm listening to a steady drone of how-to-dress-as-an-individual tips from Disney Star Selena Gomez. {Though her scarf is rockin'. I wonder if I could still pull that off?}

I think the fact I just used the word 'rockin' answers my own question.

Also hindering my ability to think is the house full of kids who didn' t have school today because we had a measly one inch of snow on the ground. It's no wonder the south is mocked by those north of the Mason-Dixon. When it comes to our inability to drive in inclement weather, we flat out deserve it. You can make fun of that all you want as long as my beloved word "y'all" is left out of it.

You can make fun of my driving but don't mess with my Dixie. Some things are sacred.

So anyway, I never told y'all about my favorite Black Friday deal. Most of the things I picked up were pretty nondescript. (That word is for you Cindy Day..) However, one bargain I found still defies logic.

I've been in a redecorating mood as of late. My oldest son desperately needs a more grown up room. For some reason, the Man Child wants the picture off his wall that hung in his nursery. Next he'll want me to take down the mobile.

Geesh. You'd think he was going on fourteen instead of thirteen.

To make him happy and keep him from getting embarrassed over his current digs, I've been on the lookout for a new manly comforter. And y'all...did I EVER come through for my baby! While I was in JC Penneys, I found this. (I chose neutral.)


The bedding set I bought included this quilt, two shams, and a brown coverlet. It was regularly priced at $250 and I got it for $63.90. I still have no idea how! I guess it was 75% off? Or rung incorrectly? Either way, I couldn't jerk the salesgirl's arm off fast enough. It looks so great in Man Child's room. I'm going to paint his room a lovely shade of blue and call it done, son.

Until I move on to The Girl's room that is.

Speaking of which, here are a couple of things I'm considering for her. I like this because she is in love with green and brown. It's also much cuter in person. She also likes this (too wild?). And she LOVES this (what color to paint the walls?). Now I just have to wait on an awesome price reduction to help make the final decision.

So I'm curious. Did you do Black Friday? What sales are you still squealing over?? It's no fun getting a deal if you don't brag about it!