Breaking the Silence

It really just started out as taking a break

over the summer to spend time with my family.

This whole not writing thing.

Then I realized it was a bit more than that.

A time to let God speak to my heart.

A time to speak to the hearts of others in my life.

A time to use my words more in other ways.

In prayer. 

With Him.

At home. 

With family and friends.

So I took the time.

I planned to start writing again once school started.

And I tried, but the words got stuck.

You see, right about that time some things happened that 

have been tough for me to talk about let alone write about here.

These things have challenged me in every way possible.

And I really didn't want to write about it.

Then I couldn't write anything.

So continued the silence.

I really miss writing.

I know that to begin again I have to break the silence on the hard stuff.

It was really difficult to do that with friends,

but I am so glad that I did.

Not only have they been so loving and supportive,

but it has given me a chance to do the same for others.

Being vulnerable opened that door.

Maybe I could be ok being vulnerable here too.

So looks like it's time to share.

So today is the first step.

Where I say...

Hello again, friends.

How I've missed you.

 Blessings,

This Is The Place

Five Minute Friday is where gather with my sweet friends

to write our hearts on a page for 5 minutes prompted
by the friend who encourages us to write bravely - Lisa-Jo.

I love this community more than words can express. 
They are my people.

Today we write about VIEW.

This is the view from my Abba place. 
The place He calls me to when the sun bursts through the trees, 
the light breeze wafts warm, and the birds sing beautiful songs.
This is the place where He speaks words of love and grace to my heart.
This is the place where I reveal myself to Him holding nothing back.
This is the place where I give thanks for all He's given 
and I boldly ask for more of Him in everything.
This is the place where I not only offer my life to Him, 
but also the lives of my warrior and sons.
This is the place where I bare myself to Him heart and soul 
taking off all that hinders this closeness to Him.
He sees me here.
And I see Him.
In the flowers blooming with bright colors, 
in the birds soaring high above the trees, 
in the squirrels fearlessly jumping from limb to limb.
In my warrior working with his hands planting, watering, and growing 
both the garden of flowers and the garden of our sons. 
All of it pointing to Him.
Sometimes I am overwhelmed with all He does in this place.
This place where I lift my hands and bend my knees. 
This place that is His. 
His and mine.

Do you have a special place where you meet Him?

Blessings,

Organizations Helping in Oklahoma

Many of us are watching the devastation in Oklahoma on television. 

Some of us have family and friends in this area. 

All of us are heartbroken.

Will you join me in praying for all those touched by this disaster?

If you are looking for a way to help, here are some

of the organizations mobilized in the area offering relief.

American Red Cross

You can donate by visiting the website or 

text REDCROSS  to 90999 to make a $10 donation.

The Salvation Army

You can donate by visiting the website or

text STORM to 80888 to make a $10 donation.

Samaritan's Purse

You can donate by visiting the website.

Convoy of Hope

You can donate by visiting the website or

text CONVOY to 50555 to make a $10 donation.

World Vision

You can donate by visiting the website.

HopeMob

You can donate by visiting the website.

Operation USA

You can donate by visiting the website.

If you know of any other organizations helping,

please feel free to share them in the comments.

Blessings,

Wall Shaking Prayers

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:29-31

There is such incredible power in prayer. 
Power we don’t tap into enough in children’s ministry.

I know that most of us incorporate prayer into our weekend services. Opening the service in prayer, praying over the offering, and praying within small groups. What I am talking about is prayer beyond that.

Here are a few things that you can do in your children’s ministry outside of Sunday:

◦Have a meeting. – Not the usual meeting, but a prayer meeting instead. Gather your team to focus completely on praying for the ministry, team, children, and families.

◦Enlist your congregation. – Ask the members of your church to devote one day a week to pray for the children in your ministry as well as the ones who will be coming.

◦Encourage & equip your team. – Most of your team is already praying, but you can give them a list of the children in your ministry to pray for by name. You can create a devotional to encourage them in this time of prayer.

These are just a few ways you can lead everyone in a focused time of prayer.

You can read more about equipping your prayer warriors here:
Equipping Our Kidmin Prayer Warriors

Imagine the power that would come from this prayer time.

Everyone praying bold, wall shaking prayers for the kids in your ministry.

How are you encouraging your team in prayer?

Blessings,

You Meet Me Here

Today I am joining Lisa-Jo and friends for Five Minute Friday.

This is where we come together writing for 5 minutes without editing or overthinking.

I love this community.

Check out what everyone's is sharing on the word HERE here.



Oh how I love this place.
This time of the evening when everyone is tucked into bed and the house is quiet.
And You meet me here.
After all that goes on in the day, I come to You with everything.
Some days the only thing I can do is sit and absorb the silence.
Other days I come with prayers and can't stop the flow of words.
Prayers that I lift up to You.
Knowing that You hear each one even when I can't put them into words.
I know that I come to this place in the morning, 
but I long for these moments in the evening as well.
I just can't end the day any other way.
I come to You.
Sometimes so full of joy and sometimes broken.
But I know that You want me here no matter how I come.
It's overwhelming to think that You desire this time with me even more than I do.
This place is ours. Yours and mine.
Before I lay my head down, You speak to my heart.
You tell me You love me.
And there is peace.
Goodnight, Abba.

It is good to proclaim your unfailing love in the morning,
your faithfulness in the evening.
Psalm 92:2

How can I pray for you today, friend?

Blessings,

A Peek Into My Small Group

I have had a few people as me what small group looks like for me in our children's ministry. I lead a small group of girls in third through fifth grade.

Here is a peek into my small group.

We are dismissed from large group time to break out into our small groups. One of my girls will grab our small group bucket which contains our activities and supplies. As we gather in our circle, I will ask how everyone's week was and if anyone has something about it that they would like to share. Now in a group of girls this could take some time, so I usually limit it to just a couple of stories.

I ask everyone to open their Bibles so that we can read our Bible verse together and talk more about it. For example, this past weekend our Bible verse was Proverbs 3:5, so I first asked if Proverbs was in the Old or New Testament. As the girls were looking up the Bible verse, I told them about Solomon and how he asked God for wisdom and that Proverbs was written to share that wisdom. We will then read the verse aloud a few times as not everyone has the same translation and the girls enjoy reading how it is worded in their Bibles. Then I asked the girls what they think it means to trust God with all of their heart. Then I asked the girls if we should only trust God for some things and not others. Then I asked what it means to them when the verse tells us not to depend on our own understanding. We listened to everyone's answers and discussed each of them. We do this on a regular basis with our weekly Bible verses.

At this time we will move on to our activity provided with our curriculum. Sometimes I will add a craft to our activities which the girls can take home as a reminder of what they have learned and a way to share with their families. This past week we made beaded bracelets with a heart on them to remind us of our Bible verse. This activity time is when my girls are most talkative. They share about what is happening in their lives, talk about our Bible story, and really connect with each other. 

I guide the conversation by asking questions, but for the most part I am listening more than talking during this time.

Towards the end of our time together, I ask the girls if they have any prayer requests. We listen as each one shares. I repeat each one and remind the girls to be praying for each other through the week. The girls will also share any answered prayers during this time. Then we pray together. I ask the girls if they would like to pray out loud and explain that no one has to do so. We do "tap a knee" circle praying. Once a girl is done praying, she will tap the knee of the girl beside her. If someone doesn't want to pray aloud, then she will tap the knee of the girl beside her. This goes on until the circle comes back to me and then I will close the prayer.

Most times the girls are released to their families from our small group. If we happen to have time left before pick up, then I usually break out playing cards (Uno is our favorite right now) or blank paper and colored pencils (I get lots of artwork to hang on my fridge this way). We continue our conversations in the extra time.

Although I am a big believer in planning and preparing for each week, there have been times when the Holy Spirit has prompted me to put all plans aside in our time together. This happened once when one of my girls shared that they were being bullied in school. We spent our time in group discussing this issue and I watched these girls encourage and love on each other. You can't plan those moments.

I love these sweet girls and am so very blessed to be part of their lives. They are smart and funny and sassy and so very precious. In this circle, I have watched them grow in their faith, love on each other, and become a tribe.

What does small group look like for you?

Blessings, 

My Life A Prayer

I pray to God
—my life a prayer—
and wait for what 
he’ll say and do. 
Psalm 130:5

How can I pray for you today?

Blessings,

What I'm Reading - Lead Your Family Like Jesus

My Thoughts

What I love about Lead Your Family Like Jesus is that it isn't another "how to" book that you can use to check things off of a list to be a better parent. Instead it is a book that invites you to learn more about Jesus and implement those lessons in your home with a servant heart like His. Each author writes from their experience as parents and all they have learned along the way.

I especially loved the chapter in which Tricia Goyer shared about her experience of getting overwhelmed by her every day schedule. She and her husband sat down to look at everything she was doing and came up with a plan. She assigned each activity with a number from 1 to 4. 1 being those things that she had to do. 2 being things that she should do. 3 being things that she enjoyed doing and helped her. 4 being things she was afraid to say no to or things she did to look good to others. She ended up cutting out all the 4s and even some of the 3s. Doing so enabled her to refocus and evaluate her heart in all she was doing.

I also loved that Tricia shared how she prays for her children. 

She prays for their:

Head - that they will always lift their heads to look to the Lord and that they will allow God to life their heads when they are hurt or discouraged,
Shoulders - so they will learn to let God carry their burdens,
Knees - that they will get on their knees before God regularly, and
Toes - that a community of believers will surround them and keep them on their toes.

Love these messages from Tricia Goyer!

Enter Today - 3/25- 4/16!


About the Book

Does your family need a five-star general at the helm? A psychologist? A referee? Ken Blanchard, best-selling co-author of The One Minute Manager and Lead Like Jesus, points to a better role model: the Son of God. Joined by veteran parents and authors Phil Hodges and Tricia Goyer, renowned business mentor Blanchard shows how every family member benefits when parents take the reins as servant-leaders. Moms and dads will see themselves in a whole new light—as life-changers who get their example, strength, and joy from following Jesus at home. This user-friendly book’s practical principles and personal stories mark the path to a truly Christ-centered family, where integrity, love, grace, self-sacrifice, and forgiveness make all the difference.

You can purchase this book here:

Amazon.com - Lead Your Family Like Jesus

About the Author

Tricia Goyer is the award winning author of over thirty books including Beside Still Waters, Remembering You, and the mommy memoir, Blue Like Play Dough. Tricia is a regular speaker at conventions and conferences and is the host of Living Inspired. She and her family make their home in Little Rock, Arkansas where they are part of the ministry of FamilyLife. 

Learn more about Tricia at her website: http://triciagoyer.com.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

Riding the Rollercoaster

Leading a small group of preteen girls is both rewarding and challenging. They are in that in-between stage and learning how to navigate new waters and we are part of the journey they are taking between child and teenager. Part of this new path is changing hormones and the emotions that accompany them. 

A preteen girl’s emotions can be up one minute and down another. 

This rollercoaster of feelings can sometimes manifest itself in bouts of tears.

Here are four pointers in dealing with this kind of emotional outburst:

◦Deal with it. Don’t ignore it or trivialize it. The situation may seem silly, but to a girl in the midst of the outburst it can be scary and overwhelming.

◦Talk about it. Taking the girl aside and giving her a chance to share how she is feeling and helping her identify why she is feeling that way is a huge help.

◦Normalize it. Reassure her that what she is feeling is normal for her age. Let her know that other girls are going through this same thing.

◦Pray about it. Take this time to pray with her and for her. Let her know that God wants to hear how she is feeling and will be there for her.

Part of being a small group leader of preteen girls is riding this rollercoaster with them. We are here to support and encourage them along the way.

I wouldn’t trade a moment of it and am so blessed 
to be a part of my small group girls’ lives.

Blessings,

Praying For A Marriage Revival

My Heart Beats for This One

She smiles at me under her lowered eyes as she enters the room each week. She hugs so tight yet whispers her hello to me. She moves into the room slowly with shuffling feet. She stands back from the crowd of boisterous girls with such longing in her face. She doesn't join in the chatter and giggles. During worship she sways back and forth singing praise to Him low enough that you would have to bend down to hear her voice. And then we gather in our circle to talk more about our lesson that day. She hesitates to raise her hand to answer a question. 

But today...such boldness. When I asked my girls for prayer requests, her hand shot up and she told us about her papaw who is sick. When the time came for this circle of girls to pray, her head bowed and her hands opened in front of her. In that moment when she would usually tap the knee of the girl sitting next to her, she instead prayed this quiet reverent prayer to Jesus. With each word offered, her hands raised a bit higher to Him. She didn't hesitate. She didn't whisper. 

This brave, sweet girl raised her voice to a God she knows, asking Him for healing. Thanking Him in advance for all He is going to do. Thanking Him for the girls sitting in the circle. Asking Him to answer all of their prayers today. Thanking Him for the gift of me.

Oh my precious girl. 

I wept. My heart overflowing. Knowing that she knows Him. That she lifts her hands to Him. That she doesn't stand back from His presence, but enters boldly before Him.

My hearts beats for this one today.

 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me..."
Matthew 19:14 

If Momma Ain't Happy

As a wife and mom, I am the thermostat of our home. I am responsible for setting the emotional temperature of our family. My mood will set the tone each day and my husband and children will respond accordingly.

That is a huge responsibility and I have to be ever conscious of my mood and how it effects my family.  Life can be challenging and negative emotions can be stirred up during those times. Emotions aren't wrong, but letting them control me is.

Feelings don't just happen; they are always preceded by a thought.

- Judy Rossi

Our thoughts are so important in shaping our emotions. What we hear in our heads travels to our hearts. We have a choice to let the negative thoughts take root and create negative feelings or replace those thoughts with the truth. His truth.

In 2 Corinthians 10:5, we are told to "take every thought captive" which means that we have control over our thoughts. It is only by the power of the Holy Spirit that this is possible. For once we become children of God, we have the Holy Spirit inside of us and letting the Spirit control our minds leads to life and peace (Romans 8:6).

In Romans 12:1-2, God commands us to offer our bodies as a "living and holy sacrifice" as an act of worship, which includes our minds. We are to yield and devote everything to Him - from our thoughts to our actions. He goes on to say that we are to let Him transform us into new people by changing the way we think. We need to be molded daily by His truth and not the lies that we often hear in our heads.

Under God's economy, nothing really changes until our minds do. Transformation is the fruit of a changed outlook. First our minds are renewed, and then we are transformed, and then everything is different, even if it stays the same.

- Mark Buchanan "The Rest of God"

He tells us in His Word exactly what we should be

thinking of instead of those negative thoughts.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. 

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.

Philippians 4:8

In God's Word, there is a truth for every lie the enemy tries to get us to believe.

Feeling alone?

Be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.

Matthew 28:20

Feeling tired?

Those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
    They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
    They will walk and not faint.

Isaiah 40:31

Feeling defeated?

For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Only God's truth will renew our minds and change our behavior. 

The lies keep us bound and His truth sets us free.

What negative thoughts are you struggling with today?

How can I pray for you today?

Blessings,

Encourage One Another

Encouragement is a powerful gift.
We all need someone in our life to offer that gift.

Someone to say Stay on This Path.
Someone to say Do It Scared.
Someone to say I Believe in Your Dreams.
Someone to say Never Stop Praying.
Someone to say You Can Do This.

It is a wonderful thing to have an encourager in your life, 
but it's is even more so to be married to that person.
You see, D is my partner in all things.

When I shared my God-sized dream, he said...
"This is what He created you for, babe."
When I shared about my fears, he said...
"Trust Him and all He has for you, babe."
When I shared my discouragement, he said...
"He's preparing you for something great, babe."
When I shared about my doubts, he said...
"You can do this, babe. I believe in you."

He doesn't just give the gift of encouraging words, 
he also prays with me and for me. 
His constant prayer through this has been 
"God do something greater in her and through her."

Not only do I have an encourager in my husband, 
but I also have a God-sized dream "buddy" - Jenn.
I am so blessed to be paired with her as we walk out what God is calling us to do. 
I am so looking forward to all He has in store for us in this journey.

God always goes above and beyond what I could possibly imagine and also gave me the gift of a group of incredible women that have become sisters to me - Nikki, Mandy, Michele-Lyn, Tereasa, Jenni, Stacey, Mary Beth, Tobi, Heather, and Kara. Love that we are walking through life together offering encouragement and prayer. What a blessing they are to me.

Who is walking with you?
Who is encouraging you?

My friend Holley Gerth invited me to join a group of dreamers that she affectionately calls her God Sized Dream Team. What a blessing to be part of this group. 

We will be gathering each week on Tuesdays at Holley's to encourage each other and you to dream those God sized dreams.

Won't you join us?
What is your God-sized dream?

Blessings,

Fasting for Freedom

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: 

to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, 

to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 

Isaiah 58:6

Today I am beginning a week long time of fasting and praying for those 

in the bondage of slavery and those working so hard to help free them.

As part of The Exodus Road team, I have listened to the stories 

and viewed the pictures that make me weep.

Stories like Sarah's and the pictures of children.

They have become more than statistics for me.

My heart is broken for them.

Each one is mine to lift up to Him.

Will you join me in praying for their freedom?

You can learn more about The Exodus Road 

and how you can get involved by visiting our website here:

The Exodus Road

You can connect with us on Facebook here:

The Exodus Road - Facebook

and follow us on Twitter here:

The Exodus Road - Twitter.

Blessings,