If you were in my car today, you would have heard this conversation:

Einstein: Hey mom, me and the boys have a new game we've been playing
that's really fun...It's called homerun derby. It is awesome!

Me: That's good...how do you play?

Einstein: Well, we each bat and whoever hits your car gets
a homerun.

And while I'm proud the boys are playing together without killing one another, am I wrong in hoping this particular game doesn't catch on??

I was stunned to find out this morning that my dear friend Iris at Sting My Heart had given me the 'Encourager of the Month' Award. To receive this from someone who is such an encourager herself has just made my month!

Iris is the one who encouraged me most with the 'I AM' study even to the point of making the study button for me. When I got overwhelmed with the project, somehow I knew she was rooting for me so I kept on. There is something magical about accountability and once I told her I wanted to do this thing, I didn't want to disappoint her or the Lord. So thank you Iris, from the bottom of my heart, for all you did to 'spur me on'. I love you, sister!

"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together,as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another - and all the more as you see the Day approaching." Hebrews 10:23-25

Please click the button above for her own words about the award. And hang around her blog for a while! You'll be oh so glad you did. :)

Have a fun Friday!!

When I can remember to check it, I get a kick out of looking at what Google searches resulted in people finding my blog..This is the most interesting one as of late:

"How to rescue wild rabbits who can not survive"

And they landed on this post:

"If We Can't Take Care of a Cabbage"

So my conclusion is this - Our inability to grow the biggest Cabbage Plant in Alabama was actually a ministry in disguise to impoverished and malnourished wild rabbits. We can now let go of the Cabbage knowing our sacrifice was not in vain.

Jack Hanna would be so proud.

It's Thursday again? It's amazing how each week my Thankful list evolves from the week before...Here goes!


1. I am thankful for VBS next week. I pray children's lives are changed by the Scripture they will hear during this week. I pray that in a sea of Alabama/Auburn decorations, my Georgia Bulldogs will stand proud.

2. I am thankful my dear Mamaw is head over heels in love with Darla, her new caregiver. I still have to tell ya'll that story..I'll do that soon. Mamaw actually called Darla 'wonderful'. She has never used that word about another human being in her life. There is some miraculous stuff going on around here...

2. I am so thankful the kids our out of school and my brilliant new rule for preventing them from turning into lazy slugs. When they wake up, they can eat breakfast before they dress and do chores. However, there is no other eating until they are showered, dressed, and chores are done. They didn't eat lunch yesterday until 3:30 p.m. If you see them and they are looking a bit peaked, just know they didn't get their beds made. I'm thinking I could use this rule on myself.

4. I am thankful my hubby cleaned out the garage. It is getting a little cluttered again which makes him a tad bit unhappy. My response? 'Welcome to my world.' And no matter how messy it gets, its a good world to be in..:)

5. I am thankful for my friends M and K who gave us GLORY REVEALED!

6. I am thankful for the kid's ballgames all being at one field tonight. I am also thankful they are not charging gate admission for children...We spend a small fortune at tournaments!

7. I AM THANKFUL FOR VACATION!!!

8. I am thankful for Jesus Christ who keeps me sane in my chaos, is my strength when I am weak, is the voice of reason when I am unreasonable, is enough for all I lack. Praise and Glory and Honor are reserved for Him alone!!

I hope you have a blessed week! Go visit Iris at Sting My Heart for more Thankfuls...:)

(Scroll down for today's installment of the "I AM" Bible Study....)

"Who am I?"

That, girls, is a loaded question. The world tells us our identity is defined by our appearance and possessions. In a sense, the world is correct in identifying our worth as something outside ourselves. However, notice when Moses asked the question in the above referenced passage, God did not respond with a list of all Moses' qualifications. Instead He said, "I will be with you."
This Christmas, I received a phone call from a dear friend and fellow church member. She also happens to be on the City Park Board and is in charge of orchestrating the town's Annual Christmas Parade. I will never, ever as long as I live forget this conversation. Here is the condensed version:

C: "Hey Lisa, how are you, yada, yada. I've been praying about who to ask to be the Grand Marshal of the Christmas Parade and your name keeps popping into my mind. Will you do it?"

(You can get a Preacher's Wife with the 'I've been praying about it' hook every.single.time.)

Me: Stunned silence. "Yes, I'm still here....why on earth are you asking me?"

C: "Well we all love you, you do so much for the school, and you would just be perfect! And remember, I prayed about it."

Me: (Because the letters N-O do not exist in my alphabet) "Oh sure, C, anything to help!" Cause it's just what I do, ya'll! I just say, Yes! To anything! To everything!

Can anyone relate?

I hung up the phone and immediately went into 'translation/read between the lines/ulterior motive' mode. Not unlike a Looney Tunes cartoon robot, I spit out this calculation: The Council must have asked every notable person they could possibly think of and they all had "previous engagements".

Here is how I know this:

Grand Marshals are supposed to be citizens of renown - people who have a title, a tagline. Mayors, State Representatives, School Principals, Beauty Pageant Queens. Steven Spielberg was the Macy's Day Parade Grand Marshal this year complete with all the characters from his Star Wars Epic. How do you follow that, for Pete's sake? Not that my town's Main Street is 5th Avenue, but Steven set a daunting standard, nonetheless.

With that said, I'm fairly certain a Grand Marshal is not a Preacher's Wife. Not a PTO Secretary. Not a Regular Mom. How exactly do you tag-line a girl like that? "Lisa McKay - Beauty Queen Wanna-Be", or "Lisa McKay - She Has Some Mad Copier Skills", or better yet, "Lisa McKay - 1983 Walker County Spelling Bee Champion". And instead of C3-PO and Chewbacca walking in front of my car, the only representative figures who could march in front of me would be deacons and fast-food employees.

The more I thought about what I had just gotten myself into, the more wigged out I became. I called C. back and said, "Sorry, but can't do it. It doesn't make sense. No one knows me and they will laugh at me." She encouraged and begged and cajoled until I got off the phone still obligated to ride in the front car in the parade. I still cringe.

I was really out of sorts about the whole thing at church that night so I ended up telling a couple of friends what had been asked of me. Now let me say that first and foremost I knew I was underqualified but no one wants it to be confirmed by their peers. Do you want to know what they said, "Why did they ask you?" Oh, thanks for that.

The situation quickly deteriorated as the word spread quickly. One person whose name begins with DEWAYNE won the contest for the most one-liners to make fun of me. "Hey, I hear they are going to vote you in as mayor. I hear they named the Library after you. I hear the town is going to put up a statue of you at the 4-way stop." (Which is a big deal ya'll because we only have one - in the whole town.) Hardy, hardy, har.

The more that was said even though it was in good humor, the more mortified I became and I began seriously whining about it. "Why did they have to do this to me? Why in the world could they not have asked someone who made sense for this?" This went on and on for a couple of weeks. And then I got my real dose of humility.

A woman I dearly love (also on the Town Council) had heard enough of my complaining and said to me, "Lisa, this town loves you and could have asked anyone, but we asked you. Now quit treating us like we didn't know what we were doing and just consider it an honor!" Ouch.

And there was my visual for Moses' commissioning at the bush. It was like asking him to be the Grand Marshall of the parade with absolutely no credentials! It was risking being rejected yet again as his brethren did when they said, "Who made you prince and judge over us?" Moses knew the Israelites would ask who sent him to their aid. He himself did not quite know until God gave a fresh revelation of His covenant name. Even with God's continued reassurance, Moses still argued. A key concept we can take from Moses' conversation with God is that He invites dialogue, but never doubt. God graciously answered Moses' questions, but his anger burned when he doubted God was able to execute the Exodus through him. It took God finally saying, "ENOUGH! I'm asking you to do this because I love you. Consider it an honor!" to quiet Moses complaints.

God is asking no less of us today than to believe He is sufficient to accomplish any and everything He could ever ask of us. He doesn't choose us because we are qualified, but because He wants to trust us with His Wonders. The thing about Wonders is that they aren't very wonderful if they do not originate from the ordinary. Let's explore this a bit in our Discussion.

Discussion Questions:

1. How would you answer the questions, "Who Am I?"


2. Have you ever been in a situation where you felt inadequate because of your lack of a 'tagline'?

3. Do you have skills or position that you believe God could use mightily if only He would?

4. Have you ever lost a position or station in life you believe could have 'helped God out' with something He has asked you to do? If you haven't lost out, do you perhaps feel you have to gain this in order to be useful to the Kingdom?

5. How are you with your dialogue vs. doubt conversations with God? Which does God hear most from you?


6. Do you believe God's Wonders become more wonderful if they originate in the ordinary? Any Scripture references come to mind?

I am so excited that our study continues to grow and about the wonderful insights you have on your blogs each week! Sign the Linky below if you want to post your responses on your blog and remember to encourage the sistahood and revisit previous lesson posts from our new girls.

Blessings on your week!

Sunday was a double Diet Coke kind of morning...by that I mean there are times a girl just needs a little more 'umphh' to get going. I got a good chuckle from my SS teacher, Glen, when I walked in with one DC already open and a fresh reserve standing by. He jokes our starting bell is the pop of my coke can...And BTW, Glen is the most awesome teacher ever, even though he is quite old..(that was for you, Deedra...:))

I needed some extra mojo seeing as I stayed up obscenely late getting ready for our first ever Awana Awards Ceremony. I am not afraid to say it looks like me, Cubby Bear, and Sparky did some heavy partying in my living room Saturday night. We confetti'd the place with Lamb/Elephant Patches, multi-colored crown jewels, and toasted the wee hours with a vat of Diet Coke and Kit Kat Bites. Suffice it to say, I am not bathing-suit ready but my brain is sufficiently pickled and my blood sugar topped off for the holiday weekend.

You know how you have those seasons where you think, "If I can just get through 'so and so' then I will be be able to relax?" Well, my mantra since May 1 has been, "If I can get through speaking at these three banquets, ball season, end of school, Awana Awards, finishing some work projects, and VBS, then I'll be okay." Though I've loved every single thing on my list, I am very excited I've only got two more items to check off until FLORIDA BABY. And as Toby Mac says, 'I need some time with God on a mental vacation.' He sooo rocks. And I do believe I am the only Preacher's Wife anywhere who regularly quotes my boy, Toby. Yo.

What do I have planned for vacation? Oh a few fascinating things:

1. Watching the complete Seasons 1 and 2 of 'Lost'. Now that Season 3 is over, I have more questions that answers and I missed almost all of 2. And my ocd'ness will not let me watch 2 unless I start with 1. Go figure. I'm completely jazzed over having time to do this. But my hubby? Notsomuch. Though he does prefer this over the Napoleon Dynamite marathon we had last year.

2. Finishing my course work for my New Testament class which includes taking two tests and writing a 6 page paper on Paul's missionary journeys....This class has been so stinkin' hard! It is a survey which means it superficially covers everything from Intertestamental History to Gospel Harmony to the Life of Paul. I am ready to get specific.

3. While not doing numbers 1 and 2, lying in a vegetative state on the beach while listening to 'Glory Revealed' over and over on my iPod. At the risk of being unfaithful to Toby Mac and Mark Hall of Casting Crowns, I must admit I also *heart* Mac Powell.

4. Getting a good cellulite-camouflaging tan. No explanation needed.

5. Reading a great novel...I need a good fiction book to take...any recommendations ?


Because I know there isn't a one of us who can't use a break, I do hope a vacation looms in your future. If you've got one coming up, for kicks, tell us where and what you plan on doing?! I love to hear about your get-aways.....

Have a Great Memorial Day! Don't forget to hug a vet....Vet-eran than is. Not your vet-erinarian though Sandy, you would probably come closer to doing that...kidding, love ya.:)

Exactly what percent off is that?? How much money will I be saving from the reg. price?

And exactly who was the oxymoron who put that sign out?

No. I did not buy the flip flops. That would have made me an ultra-oxymoron :)

I think that is all the randomness ya'll can stand for one day...Have a fun Holiday Weekend!

Today my little 4 year old daughter abruptly started bawling in the living room. That kind of cry only means one thing - number 3 Boy has exerted some form of torture on her.

Number One Boy came carrying her into the kitchen....As in many previous altercations, I tried to get to the bottom of what exactly had happened.

Me: Why did #3 hit you?

Princess: (snubbed up crying) Because I was just trytrytrying to be next to hiiiimmmmm......

#3 (from the living room): I DID NOT HIT HER! (lying)

#1 Boy: Yeah right! She may cry ALL the time but she doesn't cry about nothing!

Let that one sink in for a minute...Cause ya'll, there's lots of reasons for tears from a lone princess in a testasterone filled world. It is quite distressing when your three brothers will not wear pink feather boas, let you sit in their laps while they are trying to beat the final level of Mario Kart, or try out your new body glitter lotion while wearing your favorite plastic
high-heeled shoes. Nevermind how unforgivable it is when they don't want to watch Barbie as Rapunzel in the car dvd player.

So if she cries a little more than her brothers deem necessary, and if she gets petted a little extra by her momma when no one is looking...well, can you really blame me? :)

Wow...another week! My list is quite random today...Hope you can hang with my stream of conciousness! :)

1. I am thankful for my friend Melody at Kids, Cakes, Dishes, Laundry who is the real life Ace of Cakes. She did one for a Coming Out party that you simply have to see. No - it's not that kind of Coming Out party...Just go here and scroll down to the last cake...trust me, you'll be so glad you did. And if ya'll don't already visit her on a daily basis, you just have to! She has me belly laughing every single day...You Rock, Melody! :))

2. I am thankful for a husband who prays for me... He is constant encouragement to me and I indeed am blessed. I am also grateful for a few more speaking opportunities that seem to be arising out of the ones I have just completed. I love my God and I surely love bragging on Him so any chance I get to do it, I'll suck up my nerves and go! :)

3. I am thankful today is the last day of school - I think (I am positive it is the last day of school - I think I am thankful about it :)) I'll be praying for a measure of sanity this summer and for some fun, free things for the kids to do. Ya'll got any good ideas for the North Alabama area? Just don't suggest this zoo.

4. I am also thankful that all my kids had wonderful, godly teachers this year...I know opinions differ in the public/Christian/homeschool debate, but I have to say that God has called our family to a wonderful place where the darkness typical of many public schools has not yet reached. I am able to have the 2-6th graders come to our church once a week for Bible Classes, for Pete's sake! Where else do you find that??

5. I am thankful for my brilliant little children. (They take after their mom) All three of them won top Reading Honors and my oldest got High Achievement (Highest GPA) in every single subject for 5th Grade.....Keep it coming baby, mom and daddy need some scholarships..:))

6. I am grateful for AWANA. This was our first year at our church..We averaged about 80 kids per week and they have learned sooo much. Our awards program is this Sunday...If I can get through that and ball season and I will honestly lay in bed for a week..:))

I hope ya'll have a week full of immeasurably, unexpected joy! :)

For more thankfulness, go see Iris at Sting My Heart!

NOTE: This article is a repost of my recent CWO writing...It just fit the quote so well I couldn't resist! Also, I ask for your prayers as I go speak at a women's banquet tonight...I am so excited yet my nerves always want to rise up as the time approaches :)) I'm thanking you in advance!


We are a baseball family and this spring has found us chasing hard after three boys on three ballteams, eating our weight in nachos and hotdogs, and feverishly washing uniforms night after night. The pace is maddening but the boys love the sport and their mom and dad love watching them play it.

With that said, our oldest has had a difficult year. He is on an overcrowded team whom he has never played with before. Translation: He has become a benchwarmer for the first time in his 7 year 'career'. Now, he is the kind of child that believes about himself what others believe about him. He thinks because he doesn't get to play that his coaches must not think he is good, therefore he has worked very hard to live down to their expectations. My heart has been broken as I have watched his esteem fall in direct proportion with the number of slots his name has slipped in the batting order.

During his last game he wanted to get a great hit SO badly but he struck out and later was thrown out at first. I knew he was devastated and couldn't wait to hug his sweet neck after the game. When he came off the field, I put my arm around him and said, "You okay?". I'll never forget his reply. "Not really. I didn't do one significant thing today."

How often has the enemy fed us that line? "You aren't good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, talented enough; therefore, you are worthless." And we hang our heads in agreement and accept whatever implications this will have in our lives. We adopt a mindset to expect rejection, anticipate failure and ultimately live a defeated life because of it.

I see this in my boy's face as he steps up to bat. He doesn't believe there is a homerun in him and it kills me because I know there is! I've seen that child in action! I've seen him earn the coveted game ball in the Little League World Series. I've cheered him on as he sent a hit soaring over the outfielders' heads. I've cried my eyes out as he made the play at the plate that won the big game. I know he can but I just don't know what to do so that he will remember.

I imagine God gets just as frustrated. He's got to bang His enormous head against the walls of the Beautiful City. "I know you can do this! Don't you remember what we have been through together? What else could I possibly do to prove to You I love you? How many more times do I have to provide before you have faith that I will always meet your needs? When are you going to accept that I am enough, that I am Who makes you significant?"

I had a long talk with my precious boy. "Who are the most important people in your life?", I asked. He answered appropriately with, "God first, then you and dad". Good answer. "Well God, me, and dad think you are Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, and Javier Lopez all rolled into one, baby boy, and don't you let someone who is not the most important person in your life make you ever think otherwise. You choose to believe who loves you most." As soon as those words came out of my mouth I realized they were a God-inspired answer. We have to make a concious choice every single day to whose voice we will give power. Will it be the Father of Lies or the Voice of Truth? (Love that Casting Crowns song) Because let me say to you that if we choose the Lie, then he has gained all he ever wanted: precedence in our hearts and minds over God.

Dear Ones, choose to believe the One who loves you most! Choose the voice of the One who is on your side, the One who knows you are Esther, and Mary, and Hannah all rolled into one. He knows your heart and through Him what you are capable of and will not rest until you are convinced you are enough because He is enough.

I believe along with God that you have a homerun in you yet. Batter up!

2 Chronicles 20:20 "Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed."

A little sidenote: Just got a call from the ballfield - MY BOY just crushed a ball into left field and was batted in to score the first and only run of the game! I do believe he has heard the Voice of Truth!


For more responses to In Other Words, visit Christine at Fruit In Season. This topic is one that really strikes a chord in women and I know, Christine, that your choosing of this quote is Spirit led!

I finally have what few photos I was able to take at our Women's Banquet loaded! Typical of me, my camera battery was almost dead when I arrived so I wasn't able to get as many photos as I would have liked. I mainly wanted to show you the amazing tables the girls came up with yet again this year.

Our Spring Banquet is an annual event for which women volunteer to be Table Hostesses. They are responsible for decorating their own table any way they like. Some use their personal china, some go whacko and buy dishes :), but one thing you can count on is that they are all as different as the personalities that put them together! I can not tell you how fun it is to come in and see what each woman has created.

I shared with the girls when we moved to the sanctuary for my preaching :) that looking at what each one does with a white table cloth as a base just screams of the creative work of God. I imagine Him at Creation with a blank canvas delighting in all the different 'themes' He could dream up...He could have made our world all beach or all desert. All mountains or all icebergs. But, instead He is a God of variety and I love that about Him. Knowing He continued that creative work in each of us should convince us even more that we are beloved in His sight. He has yet to make anything He did not call Good!

On a lighter note, don't we girls know how to throw a part-ay? Now our men get together and eat "wild game" and "barbeque" on paper plates with their fingers. Not us honey. We drag out the fine china, dine on grilled chicken and pasta salad (with forks on the proper side of our plate I might add), and enjoy our little fancy schmancy selves while we do it. A girl needs a little refinement in her life. Heaven knows I don't get it at home when my kids are throwing green beans at me from across the dinner table. Oh yeah, I needed this night out.

For those of you who attended, I hope you enjoyed this night 1/4th as much as I did cause that means you had yourselves an awesome evening...Thank you again for all you did to make the night so very special..

I love you girls!!

:)

Today I had the joy of having lunch with our Senior Ladies in the 'Steadfast' Sunday School Class. One of the class member's sister has the most wonderful cabin on the mountain where we live. I spent the afternoon, alone I might add since Luke stayed home with the children, laughing and eating and laughing some more with the most precious women (and a few hubbies) you can imagine! They truly are the backbone of our church and I want to be just like all of them when I grow up! We hiked through the woods and looked at beautiful mountain laurel and rhododendrons in full bloom. It was such an enjoyable day. So enjoyable in fact, I couldn't wait to call Luke on my way home and tell him all about it.

Me: Hey hon, just wanted to call and tell you I'm on my way home...

Luke: You are? Oh good. You might want to hurry. Number Two decided he would help the Princess with her braids. He has a brush stuck in her hair and I can't get it out.

Me: How long has she had it in her hair??????!!??

Luke: Oh, about an hour.

So while I was gone, laughing, eating, hiking, with nary a care in the world, my precious little 4 year old girl was walking around in yesterday's clothes with a hairbrush hanging in her hair. Here is what I found when I got home:

If you are slack jawed right now with the words "Oh.My.Goodness" on your tongue, well you'd be having the same reaction I did. It took me FORTYFIVEMINUTES to get that brush out of her hair. It looked like she got it caught in a motor...Needless to say, Number Two was a little distraught. All he could manage was, "I didn't mean to!!!" I don't know what gave him the idea I might blow a gasket :) I am still just baffled as to why in the world the child thought he wanted to help braid her hair?? I still have no words.

So I'm thinking the next time I need to be away from home, in addition to putting away the sharp knives and rat poison, I'm totally locking up the round brushes. Because they are, after all, very dangerous.

Hi Girls! It's that time again...how about we go have a Caramel Apple Cider at the Cafe'? Just so happens that is my FAVORITE Starbucks drink...You can have coffee if you want...I'll stick with the sweet stuff :)

Do you ever get tired of feeling you are not _____________ enough?

(Fill in your own blank)

Click on the Internet Cafe' button to hear God's response in

"Enough is Enough".

I was in Walmart yesterday and decided to torture my winter-bloated, melanin-deprived self by trying on swimsuits. I suppose I did this because I wasn't yet convinced I was not beautiful after the last attack on my esteem by my darling 4 year old daughter. Anyway, I chose three suits that were just a bit more 'hip' than the one I purchased immediately after giving birth to my 11-year old son. I have told myself for 11 years I would not buy another bathing suit until I lost 15 lbs therefore, because I do love my McDonald's double cheeseburgers, I am still wearing it.

I found three fetching little tankinis that I was relatively sure would hang low enough to cover the baby bump. That would be the 4-year-old baby bump that does not actually house a baby. So, as we were heading to the dressing room, my daughter spotted a fairly large clothing rack and said, "Hey mom..Behind those clothes over there looks like a pretty good place where no one will see you."

Now. We have been clothes shopping together plenty of times before but I don't remember that we have ever been in the dressing room at Walmart. We reserve our dressing room visits to Kohl's which happens to be the single most awesome semi-department store to ever be created. So apparently, my little princess thought that since she had never seen a dressing room at Wal-mart that I would just shuck my duds in the least crowded corner and no one would ever know the difference. I wonder if there is a special Walmart intercom code for "Crazy Naked Lady on Aisle 4"?

After I assured her that no, not today or ever, would I be changing clothes in public at the Walmart we checked into the dressing room. I will spare you a play by play but I will tell you that while I was trying on the suits, my very loud little girl was exclaiming, "WOW Mom, THAT one will fit you because it is REALLY BIG. I mean REALLY BIG. And I know it will cover your big 'ole bottom because, well look at it! It is REALLY BIG! Boy, is that a BIG ONE. That is the one you need momma. The Big One. The Really Big One. Cause it is Big."

Would you be surprised if I told you I did not buy a bathing suit yesterday? I think I may try again in say, oh, another 11 years when it will no longer be necessary or appropriate for my daughter to be in the dressing room with me. Cause her mouth? It is a really Big One. I mean really Big.

Big - but adorable. :)

We have three boys. (Yes, I know. Condolences appreciated) One and Two are very close and have a love/hate relationship with number Three. One and Two were in the bedroom bouncing off the walls while the Preacher and I were trying to have five minutes to catch up at the end of the day.

Preacher: "Guys! Go out for just a minute so your mom and I can
talk! The next boy I see in my room is getting a whippin'!"

One and Two (from the hallway - all sweet and suspicious): "Hey Number Threeeee! Why don't you go see Dad in his room??"

Can't you just feel the love..??

I heard the coolest tip the other day that I have not yet tried out for myself but if it well, actually worked, could be a great way to save Christmas money!

I have a friend who has opened a savings account at the bank inside her Walmart. Every time she shops there, she writes her check for $10-20 over the amount and promptly deposits it into savings. She does this all year and has quite a chunk to use towards her Christmas shopping..

I thought this sounded fabulous! Though I think you have to have a spare $100 lying around to open the account which could be an issue, in theory I can't think of an easier way to somewhat painlessly save for Christmas!

We'll see if it Works for Me!

See other great tips at Rocks In My Dryer.

Hi Girls!

I wanted to let you know that I will be postponing this week's "I AM" lesson until the following Wednesday. I have two other speaking engagements in this upcoming week that are consuming my thought and prayer life. I am so grateful to have these opportunities to worship with different groups of women...I had a blast Saturday night in Georgia with the church where my brother-in-law and sister serve as the youth ministers. I am careful to mention them both, because as any ministry wife knows, behind every good pastor is a woman who has worked herself to the bone taking care of her man's details!

This is the second year I have spoken at their church and I have to tell you the coolest thing about last year. Their theme was "Fruits of the Spirit" so I taught about the soil of our heart sometimes being parched and dry and the need for the downpour of God's Spirit upon it...Just as I was getting to this point in the talk, there came a rainstorm so incredibly loud you could not hear a word. Do we ever have a God of visuals! It was so overwhelming to me that He would give us such a vivid illustration! I'll never forget that night or this sweet group of women..Thank you again, Shiloh!

Back to the I AM study...In our next lesson, Moses will meet God at the burning bush. If there is one scene in all of Scripture I want to give my undivided attention to, it is this one! I hope you will use this extra time to do an extra week's study if you aren't already through number five. I also encourage you to go visit the girls who are just beginning the study and comment on their insights. There are new women beginning all the time and they need to hear from you!

Again, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for participating in this journey with me. Your insights are incredible and have greatly enhanced my teaching of this material. I never dreamed just three short months ago that God would have given me such a precious new group of girlfriends. I even learned a new word for you from Deborah, our sister from South Africa. You are Dolla Friends! Intrigued? Click Here! It is the coolest girlfriend thing I've read in a long time..:)) Love ya Deborah, my new dolla friend! I mean really girls, who'd have ever thought we'd be studying together from half way around the world! Our God is HUGE!

Blessings on You!

Lisa

My #2 son is in 3rd grade and this year, Bonnie Plants gave each of the school children a cabbage plant to use in a 'Grow the Biggest Cabbage in Alabama' contest. Ours started out well but apparently a small animal located the new flora and promptly ate it until it was nothing but a 3 inch stalk sticking out of the ground.

On Friday, #2 brought home a sunflower he had started from seed to give me for Mother's Day. When he showed it to me he said,

"After what we did with the cabbage, I can not believe my teacher thought we could be trusted with another living thing."

Someone go ahead and call Children's Services - cause if I can't be trusted with a cabbage and a sunflower, how in the world are the 4 kids going to survive?!

I've been tagged by Christine and Iris and Carol for the Seven Random Things About Me play-along. Ya'll are so gonna wish you didn't ask:

1. I freak out when anyone breaths in my airspace, i.e. I can not deal if hubby is sleeping face to face with me and is breathing out into the air I am breathing in. I am convinced that I will asphyxiate (spelling?) on his carbon dioxide.

2. I can not stand for closet doors to be open. I can' t lie down in my bed if the closet doors are not shut tight with the lights off....Don't ask, I don't know.

3. I am horrified of tornados. In my nightmares, I dream my kids blow away and I can't find them. I have been known to strap my kids to me with belts in bad storms so if we blow away, we'll blow away together.

4. In another life I would have loved to have been a secret agent - all CIA and stuff. I love the Bourne Identity movies, Alias, etc. I think I would have made an awesome spy.

5. When I graduated high school, I had no desire to ever have children. I planned to move to New York City and be a career woman and never marry. I now live in a small Alabama town with a pastor husband and 4 kids. "Man makes his plans, but God takes his steps!" God must still be laughing His head off over that one..

6. I love epidurals. I think a good epidural is the most divine feeling I have ever experienced. I would love to lie in bed with an epidural for an entire week. Is there anything wrong with that??

7. I won the county spelling bee in 4th Grade. My 4 year old daughter found the plaque a couple weeks ago and now proudly has it hanging on her wall. She thinks it is really cool I could spell 'lasagna'. :) I obviously can not spell asphyxiate (sp?)..That must have been in the 5th Grade contest which I did not enter. I figured out by then how uncool spelling bees were..

I hope we are still friends and that the above doesn't qualify as TMI. :))

I think most of you have been tagged by this already, so if you are reading this and have not been, tag yourself and let me know you are playing so I can link you up!! :))

Happy Mother's Day!

I will be traveling to Georgia today to speak about being 'Beautiful to God' at a Mother's Day Banquet. I am so excited, and as always a bit nervous, to worship there tonight!

Now you girls who are going through the 'I AM' study have an idea on some of the material. So can I ask you to pray that these women tonight will embrace their 'City Girl'? And also that the young girls there will understand that in their quest for worldly beauty, if they reveal flesh they will only attract flesh! But if a godly girl reveals her heart, then the boy's heart she attracts will be one who will honor her instead of bring her shame. I so much want our young girls to get it that they are never too young to be complete and confident in Jesus Christ instead of looking for their worth in a toxic relationship. A challenge to us moms - if we don't get it, they won't either. Confident moms = Confident daughters. Oh we have to get this one right.

I wish all of you a blessed Mother's Day. I hope it includes at least one indulgence for you! If you are a daughter, tell your mom at least one specific thing you appreciate about her. If you are in a place of longing to be a Mother, I know sometimes this can be a painful day. I pray God will comfort you in the knowledge that through Him, she who has no physical children can be the spiritual mother of so many more. You have no less opportunity for impact than one who has given birth. Whatever your station, embrace it! God will be glorified in our 'yes' spirit.

I love you girls!!
Have a beautiful, blessed weekend!! :)

UPDATED: JUST GOT BACK FROM THE BANQUET....WHAT A PRECIOUS GROUP OF GIRLS YOU ARE!! HAVE A GREAT MOTHER'S DAY!

Well it is official. I am older than dirt with all the wrinkles and smells to prove it.

A couple of weeks ago, I got an eye infection - apparently from an allergic reaction to pollen according to the Indian doctor I saw. Actually he said something like.."hmmm, i beleeee you ah haveeng an allergeeek reeeactshun to poleeeen." So I'm taking that meant my orbits were rebelling against all the yellow dust in the air. It's times like these you wish you had those little cartoon windshield wipers for your eyes like Sponge Bob. Anyway - that's not the worst of it.

He prescribed this medicine that was both an antibiotic and anti-inflammatory. It was white and thick and when I put it in my eyes, it spilled out leaving me looking like I was crying Mayfield's. Well obviously, I dabbed away the excess but I didn't wash it completely off. I just let the dampness air dry around my eyes. WRONG ANSWER.

I started noticing in the next day or so that I had, oh, say about 194 new wrinkles around my eyes! At first, I thought they would go away with the swelling from the infection. No ma'am, they did not. I am now the proud owner of a cracked, Arabian desert for a face. Thank you, Falcon Laboratories.

I am telling ya'll this cause I am seeking Biblical permission to sue:) If ya'll have any verses that will convince the Preacher I am not just being "dramatic", please send them my way. He is just not understanding that it is my civic duty to make these evil people pay for not slapping a warning label on this medicine that said, "Caution: Will melt your face off your everloving skull."

To add insult to injury, my four-year-old daughter was sitting in the chair behind me yesterday. She gave me the sweetest hug with her face in my hair. She stopped and said, "Your hair smells like old lady hair." I pulled her off me and said, "Exactly what does old lady hair smell like?" I'm thinking she might still redeem herself and say 'roses' or 'Avon' or some other delightful fragrance I associate with my grandmother. Instead she pulled my hair up to my nose and said, "Exactly like this." And when I opened my mouth to protest she said, "And your breath smells like chicken poop and I am not going to smell it." I shut my mouth.

After this assault, I have but one final request (after I wash my hair in Febreze and brush my teeth with my Emeril BAMMIN' Cinnamon Toothpaste that is):

Somebody get a shovel cause I have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel...

Have a great Friday..I'm sure I will - that is if I can drag my depressed, demoralized self out of bed. :)

UPDATED TO CLARIFY: The suing remark was a joke, girls. I am not going to sue FALCON LABORATORIES. I AM JUST GOING TO OUT THEM FOR THIS UNLISTED SIDE EFFECT! But seriously, I'm just poking fun at a day in the life....And yes, I know that I am drop dead gorgeous to God! Four year olds are just way more critical than He is..:)))

Do you ever do things and wonder, "What was I thinking?"

Last night, I made two kinds of Hamburger Helper. Yeah, I know, Loser Mom supper. That's okay cause my kids think HH is Gourmet all the way baby so I went with it. I meant to buy 2 boxes of Beef Stroganoff (their personal favorite) but ended up with a Mexican box instead. So, we had a buffet where you got to choose! (Look out Ryans) I also had corn on the cob which was very tasty by the way.

As chance would have it, there was more Mexican left and since I love all food south of the border, I ate it with the corn. Now there are two things a girl who has the stomach of a 90 year-old and snorts Nexium should not eat at 8 p.m. That would be anything that sets your mouth on fire and corn. I woke up in the middle of the night with a churning pit of lava in my stomach. Ugghh..

It was because of deadly combo #1 of Mexican HH and corn on the cob that I discovered Deadly Combo #2. Read On.

I went into the kitchen and ate 3 Rolaids. I LOVE Rolaids better than any candy so this wasn't such a big deal. But, because I ate so many, I had a bit of a chalky taste in my mouth so I decided to drink a swig of Diet Coke to wash it down. You know that Mentos/Diet Coke explosion phenomenon? Can I tell you it also works with Rolaids and Diet Coke? That stuff went spewing like a volcano out of my mouth, up my nose, and I'm certain through my ears. I thought my head was going to pop clean off my shoulders!! So, if you are up in the middle of the night with a fire in your belly, be sure you drink water with your antacid because Diet Coke + Rolaids = Certain death.


I feel it is my civic duty within the Sistahood to pass these tips along to you. You know all that talk I do about those 'unrecurring opportunities' for ministry? I do believe this was one of them and I do not want to be found unfaithful by not sharing my God-given wisdom with you, dear ones!

Consider yourself warned of yet another of Satan's schemes. :)

This morning as I was going through your Lesson Four "NLIP - Not Like I Planned" Study posts I had a little thought I wanted to share with you...

As I looked at the NLIP acrostic, something jumped out at me..

NoLIP

So can we conclude that when we have a NLIP moment, we will give God NoLIP about it? :)

Just a thought......:)

Also, don't forget to check back in one Lessons One through Three (Click the button above for the links)...There have been several girls newly join and progress along in the study and they need your encouragement to not feel 'behind'!

Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your hard work and discussion on this study...What an awesome group of girls you are!! :))

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?

Let's have a little fun and use our imagination for a moment. In your mind's eye, picture Moses a mighty, powerful prince of Egypt being pulled throughout the kingdom in his chariot. He would have been wearing traditional Egyptian dress, elaborate make-up, a headdress. Now picture him on the balcony of his palace overlooking the splendor of Egypt. Anything he desired was but a wish away, yet he was unable to enjoy all this privilege because something, or Someone, deep within him was whispering to him, "It is time."

The Exodus, Acts, and Hebrews passages noted above all describe Moses' meeting with his brethren. It happened that when he arrived, an Egyptian was beating a Hebrew. Moses reacted by killing the Egyptian and hiding him in the sand. The following day Moses happened into a fight between two Hebrews. When he tried to intervene, the stinging accusation came, "Who made you a prince and judge over us?? Are you intending to kill me as you did the Egyptian?" Then Moses was afraid and said, "Surely the matter has become known." Exodus 2:13-14 To give further detail to this scene, consider the words of Acts 7:25. "And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand." In effect, the Israelites were saying, "Who died and made you boss?" And in the words of my boys when they perfectly execute a basketball smackdown, Moses was RE-jected.

Moses supposed they knew! He supposed God made him the Prince of Egypt for a reason. He supposed all his power and his might and his position would be the perfect combination for negotiating a release for his people. He supposed this was the once in a lifetime opportunity to deliver his brethren. He supposed.

What a dangerous word, supposed. It assumes we can plan our own steps, design our own destinies, create our own fulfillment. It presumes others will understand how they fit into our delicately laid plans. It expects there will be no one who would dare throw a cog in the machine. What do you do when the gears grind to a halt and you find it is God holding the monkey wrench? We have faith. We'll get to that more in a moment.

I would like for you to consider a few Hebrew and Greek word definitions used in our focal passages to further understand the implications of the encounter between Moses and his people. This is going to get very interesting!

We have already determined that Moses thought his flesh and blood would understand that he was the one who would bring about their deliverance. The word used for "rejected" or "refused" means, "the idea of falsehood or of a contradiction not only with reference to the object, but on the part of the subject against himself." So in essence, when the Israelites rejected Moses, he then rejected his own self and calling. Is this ringing a bell with anybody!!? I am feeling like the Hunchback of Notre Dame about now.

The words, "who made you ruler and judge over us", actually prophesied the role God would give Moses over the Hebrews. Acts 7:35 says, "This Moses whom they disowned saying, 'Who made you a ruler and a judge?' is the one whom God sent to be both a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush." The word the Hebrews used for 'judge' was a person who "was elected or nominated to become part of a tribunal and arrive at a conclusion." The Israelites did not trust this prince of Egypt and they sure did not elect him to act on their behalf. Praise the Lord, man's rejection will never trump God's acceptance! A naysayer in your midst will not thwart God's good intentions in your life to act on His behalf!

I love this next part! In the verse above, the word 'sent' is the Greek word, 'apostello'. Do you see something familiar? Moses was not only a prophet, but a God-ordained apostle. How cool is that? The word means, "to send forth on a certain mission". A certain mission indeed! Can I encourage you in the fact if God can accomplish the cross-country relocation of 2 million people by the obedience of one man, then He is SO ABLE to work out the details of your calling to a good end! The most important thing to remember is even if it is Not Like We Planned, there is never to be a doubt that our outcomes are exactly Like He Planned. We can rest knowing that our God has it covered. This knowledge is where faith lives which brings us to our close.

Hebrews 11 is perhaps the most inspiring chapter of the Bible. It beautifully recounts the stories of many men and women to whom God made promises yet they never saw them realized on earth. However, their faith did not waver because they knew "God would provide something better". (Hebrews 11:39) We are told in Acts 7:35 that Moses was not only a judge for the people, but that God gave him a double-blessing and made him a 'deliverer' as well. This word in Greek means, "to bring forward a ransom". There are so many parallels to be drawn here between Moses and Jesus Christ, but again I must exercise restraint because of the confines of this blog study. However, let it sink in deeply that, just like Christ Jesus, Moses' ransom was the sacrifice of his very life. Moses refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh's daughter and instead chose to be identified with the people of God. He did not have to step down from his exalted position to aid the oppressed; however, there was an undeniable, God stirred Spirit at work within him that would not let him rest until his people were free. And though things did not go according to Moses' plan and he would soon find himself fleeing to Midian, he did so in faith. "God, I don't understand why not today. But I will trust You for someday."

By faith Moses' parents hid him for three months.

By faith Moses refused to be called a Prince of Egypt.

By faith Moses denied the passing pleasures of sin.

By faith Moses considered the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.

By faith Moses recognized a greater reward.

By faith Moses endured because he saw Him who is Unseen.

Sisters, when things do not work out like we planned, when the diagnosis is not what we wanted, when the child is in trouble, when the bills are not paid, when the job is just too stressful, when the loved one continues to reject the Lord, the only way we can endure is following hard after the One who is Unseen. Trust in the One who is refining and preparing you to either be delivered or to be a deliverer. On any given day, you will always fall on one side of that line or the other. No matter which it is on this day, the only way to endure is by Faith.


Discussion Questions:



1. I am going to present to you a little acrostic to begin our discussion today. What is your latest NLIP? (Not Like I Planned?)



2. How did you react to your NLIP? Are you still upset about it? Happy about it? Baffled by it? Explain.


3. Have you ever attempted to step into an area of ministry and found your desire rejected? Did this cause you to question God and yourself? Perhaps distrust what you perceived to be your calling?


4. Do you harbor any bitterness towards any individual or situation which you believe waylaid your best laid plans?


5. Have you had a life experience or trial that left you with a shaken faith because it ended in an NLIP? Please share if you feel free.



5. Based on Moses' response of faith to his own rejection, how will you re-evaluate your own experiences or look at future ones differently if a NLIP presents itself?



I realize these questions are kind of 'ouchy' today. Share as much as you feel comfortable. Please remember that others read your blog so be gentle if you think something you may confide might 'stir up stink' as my mamaw would say. You are always welcome to email me a personal note if that is more appropriate.

Have a blessed week! And THANK YOU for taking to the time to study with me! It is an honor you can not fathom.

Just a note: If you need links to other lessons, please click on the study button at the top of this post.



If you are just finding this study for the first time and would like to look at it from the beginning, simply click the button above for the Welcome and Instructions.

A couple of reminders:

1. It is never too late to begin this study! I encourage you to go back and dive in on the Introduction and Lesson One! Do not ever feel behind because I am currently posting several weeks ahead. My intent is for this to be a 'work at your own pace' series that will remain timeless. The only way this can happen is for those just finding the study to keep it current by posting fresh responses and comments.

2. If you are posting your responses to the Discussion Questions on your blog, simply sign the Mr. Linky under the Lesson you are currently on. Please link to your post and not your homepage for ease in surfing. If you do not want to post on your blog, you are still free to place your thoughts in the Comments section of the lesson.

3. Visit, comment, visit, comment! :) Don't forget to check in on all of the Lessons to comment on new participants. There is some awesome ministry taking place in the comments of these posts. I am overwhelmed with how open you girls are willing to be and with the encouragement you are offering one another. I believe Blogland is a place where we can be much more open than we could ever be IRL. Sometimes that is a bad thing. In this case, it is a wonderful thing. Some of you have risked being very vulnerable in your responses. I pray you have found the strength you need from your sisters to work your way towards better days!