I woke up this morning to a crisp chill in the air, and realized it's beginning to look and feel like Christmas. I love this time of year- especially once the high stress part of it is taken care of and you can sit back and relax. My girls make it especially exciting because they both get into the spirit so much. We have always enjoyed the whole process of getting the house ready, doing some baking if we can squeeze it in, and the decorating of the church among other traditions
This year because I haven't felt so spiffy they basically did our house for me-- it made me proud to realize these special young ladies are quite capable of handling the "mother christmas" all by themselves.

The "It's a Wonderful Life Series" has been so great. Yesterday Joel preached about " No Man is a Failure that Has Friends" and it really impacted me. It is a joy to serve such an awesome group of women, who instead of being takers are so life giving to me and my family. I just wanted to take a moment and tell each one of you how much I love and appreciate your friendship. You love and serve along side of us without being judgmental and are so supportive of the vision of Life Church. I am truly blessed to have so many wonderful friends in this church. Once a supposedly wise old sage of a pastor's wife told me-- to be successful don't let your people get to close to you in ministry--if they see your flaws they won't respect you. I am so glad to say that I now know that is HOGWASH! There is nothing better than serving along side women that are real, relevant and relational!

I am looking forward to 2007- it's going to be an incredible year for the women of Life Church!

Hi Everyone--
Geez sorry for the long delay in getting my blog back in shape. As many of you know I have dealt with some pretty tough physical issues over the last year that have kind of made things like blogging seem unimportant. I mean it was , ok.. so do I cook supper or blog? Hmm, I think Joel would prefer the food!

I want to thank all of you for your prayers, support and understanding during this time. It has been a kind of tough thing to go through but I am confident that God has His hand on me, and on the things I go through. After much searching, lots of office visits- I feel we have found an answer. Seems that most of my so called " emotional issues" have been originating from a hormone/low thyroid/ adrenal issue that was finally discovered after a Dr's appt. in Baton Rouge. I want to especially thank my "pastors wife/spiritual mom" who not only listened with compassion to me cry, but also made me take charge of what was going on and to continue to seek out qualified help.

Within 1 week of taking the medicine, I feel like I've been given a new lease on life. God does uses doctors to help bring healing to our lives.

Astoundingly I had asked over and over about having my thyroid checked, but had always been told it was in the low to normal range. Listen to your heart ladies, and take charge of your health. I believe that God gives us wisdom and insight into what is right/wrong with our bodies.

Here are some symptoms of low thyroid:
Hypothyroidism is the medical term for a sluggish thyroid. It can lead to a wide range of hypothyroidism symptoms: I've placed red stars by the symptoms I've have been dealing with-some since I was just a teen.

1 .severe fatigue, loss of energy*

2.weight gain, difficulty losing weight *

3.depression and depressed mood *

4.joint and muscle pain, headaches *

5.dry skin, brittle nails

6.brittle hair, itchy scalp, hair loss

7.irregular periods, PMS symptoms/fertility problems *

8.calcium metabolism difficulties

9.difficulty tolerating cold and lower body temperature *

10.constipation *

11.sleeping more than average -I did this for years, always saying I needed at least 10 hrs. per night-- then in the last 16 months I had horrible insomnia *

12.diminished sex drive *

13.puffiness in face and extremities

14.hoarseness

15.bruising/clotting problems *

16.elevated levels of LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and heightened risk of heart disease

17.allergies that suddenly appear or get worse

18.persistent cold sores, boils, or breakouts

19.tingling sensation in wrists and hands that mimics carpal tunnel syndrome *

20.memory loss, fuzzy thinking, difficulty following conversation or train of thought* i thought I was going nuts

21. slowness or slurring of speech * this one drove me crazy

Subclinical hypothyroidism may present itself with mild versions of these hypothyroid symptoms, or often just fatigue or depression. Hypothyroidism often occurs along with insulin resistance, and these two conditions share some similar symptoms. Click here for more information about the signs and symptoms of insulin resistance.
In some cases, hypothyroidism leads to a goiter, an enlargement of the thyroid sufficient to be externally visible. The gland enlarges to try to compensate for its sluggish production. Goiters can also result from an overactive thyroid, called hyperthyroidism. In this case, the gland enlarges in response to attacks by antibodies, which are triggered by the thyroid's overproduction.

I want to encourage you to keep being open and honest and seeking help for all the issues you face in your life. I love each and everyone of you. We are looking ahead to a great year in 2007--

don't miss our It's a wonderful life series in December!

We had a terrific fusion service Wednesday night where the youth took the main service and we worshipped together. I was very proud of the whole team. They worked non-stop for almost 2 weeks getting everything together. Beck did an awesome job on the word, NOT for SALE. The worship band was electric. I can't help but brag on my daughters. I was a proud mom as I watched Hannah take to the stage to help lead us into worship. She has been dreaming of that moment since she would practice with a fake mic as a little girl. She has bloomed into a beautiful young women. Then right to my right I see Rebekah standing on the front row, leading the others into worship unabashedly and definetly unashamed. I was filled with joy to see what God is doing in the life of my children.

Brad, Ean, Bj, and all the others who worked so hard as well-- I am proud of ya'll!

D is for daring.

I know most of us think that being a risk-taker is so unfeminine--but that is exactly what so many notable Godly women in the Bible did! To be a woman of God you have to never let yourself get comfortable with not stretching out and taking huge risks for God. When I was a younger chick, I just loved adventure! My whole married life has been one incredible journey with many turns and twists filled with all kind of suspense, drama and adventure. Now that I am getting closer to 40 (oh, did I really say that?) I find it much easier to get "settled in" than I used to.

Think about Sarah--wow, she did get in trouble for the laughing thing but imagine her being willing to follow Abraham on his journey while God lead him all over. Old Abe was 75 years old when he decided to pack up and set out on this journey, leaving everything familar behind to follow God's leading. Sarah went right along behind him, no wonder she is mentioned in the word for being so submissive...

Genesis 12:1-4, “Now the LORD had said to Abram: 'Get out of your country, From your family And from your father's house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.' So Abram departed as the LORD had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran.”

Then we have Rebekah, who didn't mind watering camels for a stranger and setting off to find her "true love" without ever seeing him. How many of us would be that daring?

Ruth of course, decided to be daring enough to stick it out with her mother-in-law after her husband had died and she really didn't have to put up with that mil anymore. She also wasn't a weenie and got out there in the fields to do manual labor where only men hung out, and she was a minority that was frowned upon. But most of all she snuck in and laid at Boaz's feet -- that is way out there daring. God rewarded her for it and she was grafted in to the genealogy of Jesus.


Then you've got Rahab the harlot, hiding God's people in her house and letting scarlet ropes down the windows in the midst of war. Imagine being her--that had to be incredible.

Hannah risked her "dignity" to speak out in faith to the priest and voice her petition for a child.

The of course we have Mary who took a huge risk to be willing to allow God to fulfill her destiny.Think about it! Being Daring is a key element to being a leading lady! Tell me the steps you taken to be daring in your passionate pursuit of Christ.

Love you all-- have a great week!
A

I hope you all had a chance to be in service with us last Sunday. God has really been touching me through our current series. It's all in the mind. This Sunday Joel taught on Truth or Snare.. the way the enemy gets us to believe his lies and the way it affects our life. I have been currently going through a very hard season since January, due to some lies the enemy had spoken into my life. Many of you may not know but I have been struggling with severe depression for over 6 months and it has been a huge battle. Why am I telling you this? For 3 reasons, the first is because God promises me that if I confess my faults I will be healed. The 2nd is so that you will pray for me, because your prayers are dynamic in working on my behalf. The 3rd is so you that you know that you are not alone in the struggles you face, but that we all have our battles no matter who, what or where we are.. in other words, just because you are in leadership it doesn't mean you are superhuman.

James 5:16 (New International Version)
16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

I love the way this verse reads in the Amplified Bible:

James 5:16 (Amplified Bible)
16Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].


Some points from Sunday's message that hit me right in the face like a bucket of cold water were these:

A LIE BELIEVED AS TRUTH WILL AFFECT YOUR LIFE AS IF IT WERE TRUE.

The devil:
When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. John 8:44

Jesus: Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free. John 8:32

I realized in that moment and from a conversation with my loving and supportive- but- I'm- gonna -tell- you -the- truth husband this weekend that I had been taking lies as truth and my point of view was being filtered through an exagerated negative lens that was blurring my ability to focus on reality. I had to renounce any agreement with those lies the devil had been telling me and take away their power over me. Once I had that lightbulb moment ( I know, I've been in this a long time... I should be way past this!!!) I said .. ah ha! I see what you are up to!
Not anymore..

See the enemy is sneaky-he'll find a way to wound you that cuts the deepest because normally the wound comes from relationships and people that matter to you the most. Think about it, your childhood wounds come from parents, family members, teachers or best friends. As adults our wounds come from people whose opinion we value and people we love and trust. But undoubtedly the wound will come from someone who you think is telling you the truth-even though we don't realize the enemy may be filtering added nuances into what we are hearing.

The second point that really woke me up was this one:

RECOGNIZE THE EMEMY’S LIES.
There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. Proverbs 14:12
Actually it was this specific point where the light bulb clicked on:


This was the actual root of the problem and I had to get past it. It doesn't matter what people think of me if I know that my God sees my heart and my motives are right and pure. I tend to be a very sensitive person, while this is a good quality at time it can be a problem as well because you can be easily wounded. I am so thankful that God has helped me re-focus my attention off of a few negatives to see the over all whole picture which is extremely positive, exciting and lifegiving. I've determined to not allow negativity or negative people rob me of anymore of my time or my joy. I've installed a spam filter on my mind-- and junk goes directly to the recycle bin to be deleted. Life is just to short to be spent focused on the wrong things.

char·ac·ter (krk-tr)n.
The combination of qualities or features that distinguishes one person, group, or thing from another. See Synonyms at disposition.
A distinguishing feature or attribute, as of an individual, group, or category. See Synonyms at quality.
Genetics. A structure, function, or attribute determined by a gene or group of genes.
Moral or ethical strength.
A description of a person's attributes, traits, or abilities.


One of the main qualities we need to be leading ladies in our walk with Christ is the virtue of having a good character. In spanish, we used the word caracter.. it basically means a persons attitude or disposition. When people think of you, what would be the first word they used to describe you? That is a scary one for me- knowing that I so often fall short of what I desire to be . So what is your character like? How is your attitude and outlook on life in general? Your character is what people know you for, either being nice, giving, stuck-up, bitter and striving, or gentle and peaceful, tender, rough, funny or serious, negative , positive, sweet or sour?. And on the list could go..

Proverbs 12:4 (Amplified Bible)
4A virtuous and worthy wife [earnest and strong in character] is a crowning joy to her husband, but she who makes him ashamed is as rottenness in his bones.

God exhorts us as women to have a virtuous and strong character so we can be a crowning glory to God. The scripture above doesn't just apply to those of us who are married, remember that we are all the bride of Christ. What does Jesus say about your character? Is there some area that needs to be changed? I know I have several present issues I need to work on in my own personal life.

God gives us a checklist for the quality control of our character here in 2 Peter

2 Peter 1:5-9So don't lose a minute in building on what you've been given, complementing your basic faith with good character, spiritual understanding, alert discipline, passionate patience, reverent wonder, warm friendliness, and generous love, each dimension fitting into and developing the others. With these qualities active and growing in your lives, no grass will grow under your feet, no day will pass without its reward as you mature in your experience of our Master Jesus. Without these qualities you can't see what's right before you, oblivious that your old sinful life has been wiped off the books. ( The Message Bible)

So just as I have just taken a little character tune-up.

Here' s a checklist :
Do you have:
_faith?

_good character (goodness)? if not what area should I work on?

_spiritual understanding? (knowledge) if not how can I grow deeper in my relationship w/God?

_alert discipline? (commonly known as self control) (ouch)

_passionate patience? (preserverance....double ouch)

_reverent wonder? (godliness-being like God)

_warm friendliness? ( are you a good friend?--brotherly kindness)

_generous love?



Here is the NIV transaltion of this passage: 2 Peter1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

So remember that C is for character. Don't beat yourself up if you didn't feel like your check-up went as well as you would like. Take the one area that bothers you the most- or needs the most work and focus on it for 21 days.. that is how long it takes to make a habit. Then move on to the next area.. and with God's grace and help you'll be on your way to developing a more
Christ like character..

Have a great week! I love you all..
Don't miss tomorrow.. Joel has a great message prepared for tomorrow!