Refresh

God flipped my day around

2011-02-10T14:48:00.000-05:00

I had so many different things planned for today but things took a turn. Poor Eddie got so sick last night, started feeling yucky right before dinner and it gradually got worse and worse. Needless to say it was a long night most especially for him. Anyway, plans changed and I stayed put with my sick man at home. Days like that used to bother me much more than now. I've come to learn that it's all within His plan and His timing so I try to go along with His flow.
So happened after my quiet time I tuned in to The Today Show and it kinda got my blood pumping or rather boiling. They were doing a segment on butt lifts and the whys and hows and what fors. That may not be a new thing but I guess this morning it just seemed to wash over me in a way that I sat there and thought "just what lengths are we going to go to to get that perfect self we so want". They had celebrity butts that they wanted theirs to look like, unbelieveable!! What in the world!!! I listened to those women explaining themselves and my mind raced to all the things God has taught me lately that is the exact opposite of everything that was before me at that moment.
Back up to yesterday...I was listening to a message about how obsessed we are with celebrities and getting attention on ourselves at all cost, even if it's bad attention, at least it's attention. And how so many people may not necessarily want to be a celebrity, although many do, but they want to be all around it because somehow that makes them feel good about themselves and they begin to believe that somehow they relate. My poor hubby came home for lunch about that time and I pulled him right into that and we both thought "how interesting, explains a lot".
After The Today Show God sent me scurrying back to some other studies I had done and digging through some stuff. He led me to some things about how obsessed women are with gaining attention from men whether it's their husband or any man even men they don't know, just have to feel that somehow they can catch his eye. We are just desperate to feel good about ourselves it's just odd that we look in all the wrong places and go about it in all the wrong ways. And I don't just mean teen girls, I mean women. This show was about grown women wanting in my words "fake bodies created by some doctor to look like some celebrity that they are infatuated with".
I also thought about a young girl brought to my attention by someone that is just obsessed with guys. The funny thing is it seems that any guy will do, actually not too funny. One boy even made the comment that "she doesn't even have a type, like she likes all of them and they all look different and are very different, she just has to have someone".
And we think we women have made progress, I'm not so sure. The thing that tears at my heart the most is that this isn't just lost women, it's women who will tell you they have a relationship with Jesus yet it's so opposite from what He teaches us and tells us. He created us the way He wants us to look and He loves us no matter what and He's longing to give us the attention we so desire if we will just give Him the time it takes to do that.
I'm pretty thankful He flipped my day around. He used it to teach me and reteach me, now may I apply it in my own life.

Girls Night Out

2011-02-02T15:54:00.000-05:00

Got word this morning that Girls Night Out with Anita Renfroe and Mandisa is SOLD OUT!! This means a lot more to me than just selling out a concert. It tells me that women in our church and area are hungry to be together and worship Jesus together. Eddie and I have talked a lot lately about having that feeling that God was up to something and something BIG. We have been feeling that way for a lot of reasons, some things we could see, other things we could feel, and still other things that after years in ministry sometimes you just get that "gut feeling". We also know that God never works that Satan isn't there working too. It's made us more disciplined in our prayer life and more determined to not get sidetracked with trivial matters or things of the flesh that we know Satan wants to use to throw us off the main road. That's never easy but when we rely on His power and yield to His way, it becomes possible because we know that ALL things are possible with Him and He works ALL things for our good. I'm praying that He does some huge things in the lives of many women in the days to come. The more we trust Him and rely on Him, the more faithful He shows Himself to be and we are encouraged in our walk. Our part is to keep trusting for He is ALWAYS faithful.

Dinner with the girls

2011-01-31T10:09:00.000-05:00

I'm sitting here on Monday morning with the rain coming down having finished some great quiet time with the Lord and getting ready to do my physical workout in a moment. I couldn't let the day get gone without reflecting on our Friday night Refresh dinner with some fabulous girls. We sold out that event and it was fabulous. Our guests were not only tremendously informative but extremely engaging and enjoyable. I'm so thankful for all the ladies that poured so much of themselves into planning that night from selling tickets to getting parking lot help and everything between and beyond. So thankful to our Millbrook home girls for coming out and sharing a Friday night with us and LOTS of visitors who came to be a part.
Next up...the Anita Renfroe/Mandisa Girls Night Out. Don't miss this ladies. We are going to have a blast. As I told the ladies Friday night, if you just need some let yourself go worship time and a need to laugh your head off this night is for you!! Tickets are selling well here and through WAFJ. Don't let this one sell out before you get your ticket.
Love you all and so grateful for the privilege to serve you. Praying your week will be refreshing and you in turn will refresh those God brings along your path.

Anita Renfroe - Before I Eat

2011-01-27T14:40:00.000-05:00

Team Meeting

2011-01-26T17:04:00.000-05:00

Had a great meeting with our Refresh team today. I am so excited about the passion our team has to serve the women of Millbrook and our community and beyond. We are so excited about Friday night's event. We sold out with a week left to sell tickets. I hate that some are missing out but selling out is also a good problem to have.
Millbrook is the happening place to be right now. There are so many opportunities for families and students, singles, men, women, just everyone. Keep your eyes and ears open for a place to connect and get involved. The easiest way to get others excited about what's going on is to be excited yourself. I told our team today that I honestly believe that this is best place to be no matter your age or season of life. I'm praying that if others believe that as well and are positive, we won't be able to hold all the people that God brings in...wouldn't that be incredible?!
Before we turn around it will be Girls Night Out with Anita Renfroe and Mandisa March 12th. YOU DO NOT WANT TO MISS THAT!!! WARNING...Tickets are selling!! Get yours now. We have group rates so get you a group together and make a night of it with your sisters in Christ. Refresh is going to be March Madness at Millbrook...so much going on so stay informed.
Much love to all and remember we have worship and bible study every Sunday...come join us!!

Who is on your bus

2011-01-24T12:22:00.000-05:00

Eddie and I talk a lot about who is on our ministry bus. He's made the comment that you can't get the bus going in the right direction until you get the right people on the bus. Praise God at this moment he knows the right people are on the bus and we are headed in the right direction. It's so obvious when you focus on all of the different ministries and see how God is blessing and people are excited and motivated to serve and be a part of things. We are so thankful for the ministers and wives we are serving with and all that each bring to the table. We are also blessed by some awesome church members who are serving with passion and a positive and encouraging spirit. Being surrounded by God's people is the best place to be.
On the other hand it's also important who you allow on your own personal bus. Eddie and I were on the road last week and I was reading the Baptist Courier and saw the article Who's on your Bus? If you get a courier, read that article or go online to read. Here are some of the highlights that Eddie and I pondered from the article...
...the author spoke of his love for hanging out with people who "get it". Me too!!
...who we allow on our personal bus is huge. We don't have control over the people we are around day to day but we don't have to invite them all onto our personal bus.
...we decide where our bus stops, who gets on, and who gets off.
...who we invite to share our journey is of huge importance because of their influence.
...Jesus invited 12 to join him and we know of those 12 He had the inner circle. Scripture speaks of the influence our circle has on us.
...hanging with negative, destructive, toxic people is not advised as we live in perilous times.
...when the blind lead the blind, they both end up in a pit Matt. 15:14.
That's a lot of meat to chew on. Why do sometimes we think that choosing our friends wisely stops when we leave our teen years? I know we talk to our kids a lot about choosing wisely who they surround themselves with but it's just as important that we adults do that as well. It's so much more than just those we have things in common with or enjoy hanging with. It's about those who encourage us and hold us accountable and push us to be more influential Christians. So, who's on your bus and why are they there?

When others attack

2011-01-08T21:17:00.000-05:00

I've spent the beginning of this new year in the gospel of Mark. Since I spent most of last year in the Old Testament and I'm doing the Beth Moore study on David, I kinda thought I could use the balance. I love studying the life of Christ anyway and it's been a while.
Mark 3 is full of riches and so much I had never paid attention to before. Right off the bat in verse 2 it says "some were looking for a reason to accuse Jesus, so they watched him closely...". Does that speak to you at all? Have you ever known anyone who just looks for a reason to accuse? And can't you just see them standing off watching with that accusing look just waiting for Him to mess up? How often do we watch from a distance and then do the same thing whether it's against Jesus Himself or His children. We accuse not having a clue what we are even talking about. We make judgments that are false, we jump to the wrong conclusions and worse we spread that to others. I also thought how strange it is that we find it strange that people do this to us. If people did it to Jesus and we are His followers, won't people do the same to us? We will spare ourselves hurt if we stop being shocked when others, whether believers or unbelievers, accuse us unjustly or watch us closely hoping we mess up.
My commentaries point out that the Pharisees had already turned against Jesus. They were jealous of His popularity and His authority. They valued their status and their opportunity for personal gain so much that they lost sight of their goal as leaders which was to point others to God. They refused to acknowledge Him because they didn't want to give up their treasured position and power. When Jesus exposed their attitudes He became their enemy instead of their Messiah and they began looking for ways to turn the people against Him. They hated Jesus because He challenged their proud attitudes and dishonorable motives. What is my primary reason for following Jesus? What is yours?
For some reason this made me think of a time when I was a young teenager and I overheard adults talking against our pastor. I remember being so angry about that, maybe God was preparing me even then to stand up for pastors haha. But I remember going home and saying something to my parents about it and they told me that everyone's not always supportive and loyal to the pastor and sometimes adults say things about others that are more their opinion and not fact. I also remember going off on this rant about why I thought that was wrong and unjustified and I never quite got over thinking less of those adults for their attitudes and what they said. Now certainly you don't have to be a pastor to be accused or hated, we have all been there. I just don't think it should come from within the family.
One of my focused prayers for this year for my Millbrook family is that we would be so passionate about Christ and so passionate about our church that we would want to share both with everyone and that we will truly be a family. I have some family and friends who go to churches in other areas and they will take you to the mat in a second if you say anything less than outstanding things about their church and the people who serve there. They really do wonder why anyone would go to church anywhere else. We should be quick to defend our Lord and the church family He has called us to not in an obnoxious way but in the same way you would defend your normal family if someone attacked them. I would pray that if you go to another church that you feel the same way about where you go. My thing is, if you don't feel like you go to the greatest church in the area where God is working in the mightiest way, then why do you go there? Just saying... Remember Experiencing God...find out where God is working and get in on it. By the way, we could bring others in on it with us.

Refresh Opportunities

2010-12-15T14:03:00.003-05:00

Well I have to say that Refresh women know how to have fun. We had the best time at our Tacky Christmas party this week. We had 75 women which was awesome but even more awesome was that we had a great representation of women from our teenagers to our senior adults and everyone in between. I absolutely love having women of all ages come together and enjoy one another. Our next big event is our dinner in January emphasizing a healthy woman. Dr. Cindy Besson will be with us along with Nutritionist Cindy Katts and a personal trainer. March 12th will be our Ladies Night of worship with Anita Renfroe and Mandisa. Start spreading the word.
New bible studies will kick off in January. Tuesday Connection groups will meet at 9am and 7pm studying Priscilla Shirer's Jonah study. Thursdays with Beth Moore will be meeting at 9am and 7pm as well doing the new David study. Our 18-23 year old young women will be together again on Monday nights and they will be doing the Beth Moore study of David as well. Please let me encourage you to join one of these connection groups and be in God's Word to start the new year off right.
Keep your eyes and ears open for all that will be going on...we don't want you to miss anything. Keep a check on the website, facebook page (please join if you haven't), newsletter and Sundays at Millbrook. We will try our best to overpublicize everything so noone misses anything.
Praying that all of you will have a blessed Christmas season focused on our Lord Jesus and enjoying time with family and friends. Love to all.

Women in Ministry

2010-09-07T14:14:00.000-04:00

I guess some of you have noticed the name change from heiress to refresh. We are now Refresh... Millbrook's Women in Ministry but most of the time you will see and hear us referred to as Refresh.
We had a great meeting the last Sunday with lots of women interested in getting involved. Basically we talked about where we have been and where we are going. We have many opportunities for many to get involved. Keep looking for information and my plan is to send out a letter to all millbrook ladies giving some more details. If you are interested please call me or facebook me, signups are available at all times.
Just to let you know our fall connection groups have kicked off with bible studies on Thursday mornings, evenings, and Wednesday mornings. Girl Time, our college girls study, will start this coming Monday night. Get involved, the more the merrrier.

Summertime Bible Study

2010-07-06T15:20:00.002-04:00

Hey Heiress girls...I'm sure this summer is finding you just as busy as I have been. I know some of you have spent much time traveling, enjoying your family and the day to day stuff that never stops. I really do hope in all of the busyness though you are making time for some bible study. I know most of us are not in an organized study this summer, although some of you are and have shared with me from it and that is awesome, most of us are on our own. For some reason it seems much more difficult in the summer when we are so off schedule but it is so important. I did a study on my own of Judges the first part of summer and loved it. God showed me so much just reading through the scriptures and praying and doing some word study on some passages. God's Word truly is LIVING and ACTIVE. Here are some of my highlights:
Canaanites greatest threat to Israel wasn't its military but its religion idealized by sexual immorality, selfish greed and materialism. It was a me first, anything goes society.
Too often God's people want Him to keep His promises while excusing themselves of their responsibility.
Each generation failed to teach the next generation to follow God.
Perhaps God has left obstacles in your life, hostile people, difficult situations, baffling problems, to allow you to develop faith and obedience.
Our enemies can come from within our own land.
Overlooking personal accountability and blaming our problems on others doesn't move us closer to God and moves us toward rebellion and backsliding.
Do we just want power, prestige and praise?
We act just like the Israelites when we put God outside our daily events instead of at the center of them.
Anyone who has not totally submitted to God will end up doing whatever seems right at the time.
When we get away from God's Word all kinds of evil can follow.
Have a blessed week girlfriends.

Convention Fun

2010-06-21T19:03:00.002-04:00

Actually just had a moment to sit and relax and reflect a bit on our week away. It started with some Myrtle Beach fun. We had a few days for a family vacation so we squeezed it in. It was probably our last for the 6 of us so we tried to make the most of it. We had a great condo on the beach thanks to a friend, thanks Dennis!! We enjoyed lots of good food, brilliant sun and view, tons of laughs, and of course a little baseball...USC at Coastal and a Pelican game.
We spent a night in Jacksonville enroute to the convention and worshipped with the believers at First Jacksonville Sunday morning. There were over 200 middle school and high school students filling the choir and about 50 in the orchestra. It was unbelieveable. Mac Brunson is a great preacher but it has a rich history of strong preaching and leadership and it's very evident.
Convention was great. My favorite is always the Pastor's Conference and this year was no exception. It was loaded with fabulous preaching: David Platt, Andy Stanley, Francis Chan, and Matt Chandler. All were extremely challenging and willing to shake you right out of your comfort zone. There was no doubt when they finished that they have a passion for Christ that is unmatched. They are all definitely not into pleasing people or walking according to the standards of this world. They are all about pleasing Christ and doing whatever it takes to remain kingdom minded. A few highlights:
Matt Chandler, pastor in Texas recovering from brain cancer...
We must be a gospel-centered people. Our only hope is the atoning sacrifice of the cross. Without spiritual depth, people walk away when the going gets tough. We don't drift towards holiness and godliness, we must be intentional. It's a mark of Christian maturity to run TO God. The heart is the issue that leads to external actions. We seek to control our sin rather than destroy it.
Francis Chan, just resigned church to focus on love relationship with Jesus...
Criticism can cause us to lose courage. We can't focus on anything much less our relationship with Christ, we text while talking, work on computer while eating, etc. We lose intimacy in the busyness of it all. We've lost our perspective on what it means to be successful, our view and God's view is very different on success.
Andy Stanley, pastor in Atlanta...
There are times you know what to do and just don't do it. People live forever somewhere. If it doesn't bring others to Christ, don't do it. Become preoccupied with reaching people, not keeping people. Time is running out, it's the time to reach people. We may offend with the gospel but don't offend with other things.
David Platt, pastor in Birmingham...
Basicly, stop hoarding and get rid of stuff. Talked a lot about the sin of self-indulgence and he didn't mean the non-churched people. We are busy spending on the American Dream. We were created for a global purpose, not for a bigger house and nicer cars. David Platt doesn't do missions, he lives missions!!
It was a great week. Bill and Alicia Howard and their kids were with us. They have huge hearts for ministry but more than that love Jesus and we are so priviledged not only to serve with them but to call them friends.

Thoughts become things

2010-05-25T09:56:00.003-04:00

I received the following from a great friend a few mornings ago. It came just when I needed it...God is so faithful. We used it as a family before a big game the boys had recently. I want to share it with you because it's not just about sports, it's about life and how we choose to live it. Also a great testimony to the things we may be teaching our children and others by what we say and how we live. Enjoy...

I had the opportunity to hear Colt McCoy's Dad speak this Tuesday morning to the Dallas Christian Leadership Prayer Breakfast. The breakfast is an annual breakfast that was started by Tom Landry and other Dallas leaders over 40 years ago and the speakers are usually amazing. Colt McCoy and his Dad, Brad, were supposed to deliver a combined message; however, Colt became sick on Monday and could not join his Dad on Tuesday morning. In the end, it was a blessing because Brad McCoy delivered a message on raising Colt and his two other boys that was truly amazing! The cliff notes are below. I took copious notes because he prefaced his speech by stating, "I am going to talk about the four principles with which we raised our three boys." They are incredibly applicable to us as parents (regardless of the sex of our children) and they made a significant mark on my heart.

Brad McCoy said that he and his wife raised their children according to the following four principles:

1. "Prepare your child for the path, not the path for your child." Brad said this is not just for our kids - it is for us as parents. The road is rough, narrow and hard to find. We have a book (the Bible), a map vis-à-vis the Bible and God to help us. We must prepare ourselves and our kids for moments in life when doors open and close. He cited Proverbs 22:6: "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." He also cited, almost in jest but also in reality, Proverbs 23:13, "Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you punish him with the rod, he will not die." It was a funny contrast, but a real contrast. He then said, "Dads, fight for your kids, prepare them!"

2. "Prepare to be our best." This was one of the four McCoy family mottos. He cited 1 Corinthians 9:24, "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize." He stated that every day he would take his kids to school and upon them exited the car, he would say to them, "Do your best and be a leader!" He said that they listened every time and even as they got older (4th, 5th and 6th grades) he would repeat these words even if they said, " Yeah, Yeah, Dad, I know, do your best and be a leader!" He said that as a coach for 27 years, he would always lead his team onto the field and leave his team at every practice with the chant, "Expect to Win, Play to Win." And he implored us as parents to instill the same attitude in our homes and in our children. He cited Jim Collins book, Good to Great, stating that good is the enemy of Great! We don't aim high and miss - as we would like to believe. In fact, most times, we aim low and hit the mark! As parents, he implored us not to aim low! Aim high!!!

3. "Be a Leader" He stated that we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses - great leaders that we can draw from and that our kids can draw from. He said we are all at the mercy of time and money and asked a rhetorical question: How do you spend your time and money. He then said that how we spend our time and money is a direct reflection on where our true priorities lie. Convicting! He then said as a leader that he has always loved the quote by Ghandi (even though he didn't ascribe to all of Ghandi's beliefs): "I will not let anyone walk through my mind with dirty feet." He said that as he taught this principle to his three boys that Colt McCoy turned this phrase into his own words: "Thoughts become things." Colt would tell his younger brothers as he mentored them, " You can't talk like that or think like that, because thoughts become things that play themselves out in your life."

4. "Prepare for Open and Closed Doors." As a Dad, he said it was painful beyond all of his years on this earth to watch his son get hurt in the first series of play in the National Championship at the Rose Bowl. A perfect setting. A setting his son had dreamed of ever since he threw the football with his Dad in the front yard as a kid. As a Dad, he went over to his son's hotel room after the Championship loss and the demoralizing fate for such a NCAA football star. He went to his son's room to cheer his son up and was praying to God for the right words. He entered his son's hotel room to find his son finishing a devotional. A devotional that read as follows: "My positive energy must be better than my negative energy. My certainty must be me stronger than my doubt. The battle is won before I ever start the fight. I choose faith over fear. Leave a legacy of excellence, love, dedication and service. Jeremiah stated, 'Blessed is the man who's trust is in the Lord.'" He said as a Dad, he had to find a corner of Colt's hotel room to sit down and cry over the maturity of his son. His son was prepared for open and closed doors! Wow.

He then finished his speech by stating that as he consoled his son under the Rose Bowl stadium, after it was readily apparent that Colt would not be able to go back onto the field and play for the Longhorns. And as he was trying to motivate his son, his son motivated the team and his Dad. His son stepped into a new mantle of leadership. Rather than return to the field in pedestrian clothes, Colt insisted on returning to the field to help his team win. He walked back onto the field in his uniform and helped the second string quarterback read the defense and mentored the second string quarterback over the course of the 3rd and 4th quarters. He said that his son had been studying "trust" in a Bible Study all year long leading up to the National Championship game. He said his son had told his mom and dad that he didn't know why he had been studying that "trust" concept all year, but he fully knew why in the moments leading up to the National Championship loss. He told his parents that he came to the conclusion that God had "prepared me for years leading up to that game, because He wanted me to "trust" Him!" As his son, Colt, was approached by news reporters after the Longhorns had lost the National Championship, the reporters asked Colt how he was feeling and Colt replied: "I always give God the glory. I never question what God does. God is in control of my life and if nothing else, I am standing on the Rock!"

Brad McCoy said that his cell phone began lighting up with texts after the game with friends, ministers and family members wildly acclaiming the statement that Colt had made to the reporters. He said that he received letters from non-believers, Jewish ministers, Muslim ministers and atheists in the days following the game - all pointing to the AMAZING statement that Colt had made after the game. He said that as he entered Colt's hotel room that night, he asked his son, "What did you say after game?" [He had not been able to hear it in the mayhem of the stadium.] Brad McCoy, Colt's Dad, asked two to three times, "Son, what did you say after the game?" Colt said, "Dad, I don't know. I really don't remember what I said. All I remember is that the reporter asked me a question and I prayed that God would supply me with the right answer." Wow.

Brad McCoy then ended his speech by telling a story about a young football player that he was coaching back in his hometown. He said the young football player approached Brad McCoy after he returned from Pasadena and said, "Coach, I heard what your son said after the game, but I have one question: What is the rock?" He said it's funny son. We sing about it in church. He then began singing accapella: "My hope is built on nothing less, Than Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly trust in Jesus' Name. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand; All other ground is sinking sand. When darkness seems to hide His face, I rest on His unchanging grace. In every high and stormy gale, My anchor holds within the veil. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand; All other ground is sinking sand. His oath, His covenant, His blood, Support me in the whelming flood. When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my Hope and Stay. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand; All other ground is sinking sand. When He shall come with trumpet sound, Oh may I then in Him be found. Dressed in His righteousness alone, Faultless to stand before the throne. On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand; All other ground is sinking sand." By the end of his singing, the entire room of men and women were singing in unison with Brad McCoy. It was truly an amazing morning for the Lord and a truly amazing speech for us to learn from as parents.

Back where you belong

2010-04-27T09:50:00.002-04:00

Remember when we were going through the book of Jonah and we were talking about getting back where you belong? I think there's different ways that can minister to us and one of the ways it ministered to me was in the practical sense of things.
A while back I was in a funk. I hate when I get in those. Most of the time they come on somewhat unexpected but when you begin to break it apart and dissect it I can easily see how and why it happened. I wasn't so much in a spiritual funk, it was more emotional I guess or maybe a little of both. Anyway, I began to pray God would snap me out of it and He did! He changed my surroundings, my circumstances, and most of all showed me how I got there, hopefully so I will avoid it next time.
I found myself caught up outside of my calling. It wasn't anything bad it was just stuff. Stuff He had not called me to. Stuff that took my time and energy and took me away from my calling to a degree that kept me stressed and under time restraints.
God called me years ago to be a wife and mother and minister alongside my husband. I have found many times through the years that Satan will try to lure me away from those things and make me busy with other stuff and at times he has succeeded. I am not a happy, joyful person outside of my calling.
Eddie and I were talking the other day about how that can happen in the church. People feel like they have to do it all and have their hands in every ministry. It leads to stress and burnout. God has called all of us to use our gifts and minister but we need to streamline those and make sure it's His calling for us in certain areas. Sometimes He's calling others to get involved but we are in the way taking a spot He has actually called someone else to take. My challenge is to find out exactly what He has called us to do and do that with all of our heart. That calling may change over the seasons of our life and we only know that when we are tuned in to His voice. Let's listen to Him.
I am so thankful for His nudges and very thankful that He changes things for me when I can't or won't change them myself.

Beth Moore Saturday

2010-04-22T10:56:00.002-04:00

Hey girls...praying all is well with all of you.
Just wanted to shoot out a quick post for all going to Beth Moore in Atlanta. I will miss you all but my boys have a game that day that I thought I could bring myself to miss but I just can't soooooo I had to bail and catch Beth the next time around. Just can't trade in my boys for anything else.
Want you to know that I will be praying hard for all of you. For those of you who read her latest book you have a great idea of how good this Saturday will be. I've gotten some prayer requests from some of you for various things that you are praying this weekend will offer some answers over. I will be praying hard for you. Would love some more requests if any of you feel the need to share. You are gonna love being in the church setting with her. It's a different kind of awesome.
I've also heard from some who are having to miss for various things just like me. I'm praying for you too. I know how tough it is to be torn and want to be in two places at the same time. Just trust that God has something special for you as well and we never regret choosing family EVER!!!
Praying:
...safe travel
...salvation for some
...a change in mindset for some
...a fresh sense of God's love and grace
...for ALL to leave SECURE in HIM
...for Beth...it's been a rough week for her as I'm sure she will share
...a renewed sense of His presence
...for Travis Cottrell as he leads in worship
You all ENJOY and come back sharing with the rest of us. Love and blessings to all.

Church Health

2010-04-20T08:55:00.002-04:00

As Eddie brought up several weeks ago we will be putting some focus on church health at millbrook. Thankfully we are an extremely healthy church but as we all know even in our personal life there are things we can do to improve. I know personally for physical health I could eat a little bit healthier, sleep a little more, exercise more...just basicly improve in every area. As I think about spiritual health I have much to improve on as well. What are some areas you need to work on both physically and spiritually? For those of you who are members at millbrook, how can we better our spiritual health that will make millbrook healthier? Just as cancer and diseases hurt our physical bodies, there can be cancers that hurt the spiritual body if they are not healed or possibly cut out. Some things start out little and insignificant that if left untreated can fester and harm the body. That's why we need to daily repent of our sin, wrong actions and attitudes. Some potential disease causing agents...
...attitude of self-importance.
...desire for power and position for self-glorification
...the need to be stroked
...the need to be asked instead of jumping in and offering help
...pride and ego
...fault-finding and criticism
...inability to get along with others
...self-righteousness
...attitude that "my ministry" trumps all the others
...jealousy
...backbiting
...mask wearing
...pretense
...not keeping the main thing the main thing
...neglecting our alone time with God
...prioritizing worldly stuff
...not having eternal mindset
...buying into the world system Hollywood style
I'm sure you can think of plenty of others but I've seen all of these wreck havoc on lives and churches. Let's do a daily check-up and see how God can work through those willing to be a pure vessel for His glory!!

Insecurity has to go

2010-03-09T09:29:00.002-05:00

A lot of us are reading Beth Moore's new book on insecurity and I am so grateful to be hearing from many of you. It's been such an encouragement to know that we are together sick and tired of being insecure and having to deal with the junk over and over that comes from insecurity and we're sick and tired of having to deal with others who won't deal with their insecurity and project their stuff onto us...does that make sense.
God is still in the healing business and He can definitely heal our insecurities. Remember who we are in Christ? Remember the blessings we have in Christ? We are heirs with Christ and God intends for us to live an abundant life here and now and our insecurities get in the way of that abundant life God has called us to. It may take work and cooperation on our part but God can heal us. Acts 4 shows us the crippled man who was healed and Peter proclaimed..."know this...it is by the name of Jesus Christ that this man stands before you healed". I for one want to stand before you healed of ALL my insecurities. They have caused me enough grief!!
Some of our worst decisions come from being insecure. We project our insecurities onto others and leave them standing there wondering "what in the world". I talked with someone earlier in the week who was struggling with whether someone was mad at them or just plain mad. We internalize "stuff" and then it comes out onto others. One thing I have learned is I can't control what others think or how they act. If they're mad at me I have to trust they'll just be honest and tell me and tell me why. And if I'm just the one it gets taken out on I just walk away and ask God to deal with them and whatever's going on in their life. We can't make people like us or approve of us. We also see in Acts that as the apostles were experiencing power and God's presence in their life others were jealous and threatened but they were more concerned with God than others...a good lesson for us as well. Let's deal with our own insecurities and pray hard that others will deal with theirs and not take everything to heart when others act as they do, most of the time they are acting out of their own insecurities and anger (which so often comes from insecurity). Love you all and let's deal with our stuff so others don't have to.

True Faith

2010-02-22T14:28:00.003-05:00

I spent some time studying this morning in the book of Hebrews. There are great truths there on faith that I needed to focus on once again. Hebrews says that faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. The beginning point of faith is believing in God's character. He IS who he says He is. Then we must believe He will do what He says. I spent some time thinking about the priviledge of having personal access to God through Christ without some system. We have so many priviledges associated with our new life in Christ. I thought about those who have spurred me on
(10:24) in my faith, encouraging me and challenging me. I thought about some of the moms I looked out on on Saturday night at a banquet with their daughters. Moms who have strong faith and are passing it down to their girls and instilling values in them and a love for Christ and the things that matter in the kingdom. I thought about the priviledge of being raised in a Christian home and taught to love the things of God. I thought about mentors who loved God's Word and taught me as a very young mom to spend time in it even if the laundry didn't get done that day or there were toys left on the floor. I caught from them the excitement of studying His Word and more than that trusting God with the things I held most precious. I love some fellow minister's wives who really get it. We walk this road together, understanding things that only minister's wives can "get"...how the things that bring you most extreme joy can at times bring you the most pain. I love how the body of Christ is so vast, much bigger than we think about most of the time. I love how He's introduced me to His children in Florida and then through them His children in Canada and China and He lets us connect over something as silly as Facebook. I've been able to see that He's bigger than my bubble and He is very busy working all over the world. What a priviledge to be one of His. Oh for the grace and mercy of God, where would we be without it.

Famous Last Words

2010-02-09T16:13:00.002-05:00

I was in the book of 2 Timothy this morning. It took on a different meaning than the other times I've read it. Either I had forgotten or never realized that this was Paul's final letter. As I read it I tried to keep in mind that these were the last words of this great man of God. There's never been another like Paul,aman of deep faith and conviction. So often it is easy for us to serve Christ for the wrong reasons: it's exciting, rewarding, maybe it's relief from guilt. It's much harder to serve Him during difficult times. Paul never quit. He made the Jews mad because he claimed Jesus was God. He made the Romans mad who worshipped Caesar. The Greeks were mad at Paul for saying Jesus was human. He still didn't quit. He knew that even though he was in chains, God's word was not. (2:9)
Paul challenges us throughout this book to live a holy life, to have nothing to do with godless chatter or evil desires. He challenges us to be prepared with sound doctrine and equipped for the last days for they will be difficult. One of my favorite verses is in this book, 1:12---I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.
What legacy will we leave behind? Are we training up others to carry on when we are gone? We have a responsibility to the next generation. What will they say about us?

A fellow blogger

2010-02-03T15:25:00.001-05:00

This is a blog posted by Steven Furtick's wifeJanuary 28, 2010
New Thru 30 Thoughts... Love
32 "If you love only those who love you, why should you get credit for that? Even sinners love those who love them!33 And if you do good only to those who do good to you, why should you get credit? Even sinners do that much!34 And if you lend money only to those who can repay you, why should you get credit? Even sinners will lend to other sinners for a full return. Luke 6:32-34

I heard a preacher once say that you can measure the way you love by looking at how you treat the person you love the least.

It's an interesting thought. Often when we think about out ability to love, we measure ourselves by the way we treat the people we love the most (our kids, our spouse, our friends). But Jesus said even the sinners love those who love them.

The real test is how you treat the people you don't like. The person that sits next to you in class that no one likes. The coworker that gets on your last nerve. Your ex-husband or ex-wife (ouch!). Someone who really hurt you.

Jesus went on to say

35 "Love your enemies! Do good to them. Lend to them without expecting to be repaid. Then your reward from heaven will be very great, and you will truly be acting as children of the Most High, for he is kind to those who are unthankful and wicked.36 You must be compassionate, just as your Father is compassionate. Luke 6:35-36
Holly. Great reminder for all...

Psalm 103

2010-02-03T09:31:00.003-05:00

Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits---
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Praise the Lord O my soul.

The word is insecurity

2010-02-01T09:50:00.002-05:00

I'm sure most of you have heard that the new book by Beth Moore entitled So long, Insecurity hits the bookstores tomorrow. I wish I could describe how excited I am to read this. This has been a huge struggle for me my entire life, just a constant battle. As I have read excerpts from different venues I have gotten more and more excited. I believe it will have a huge impact on women, and men, in all walks of life and I am praying an ENORMOUS impact on mine. I know that if we are honest we all battle this to some degree or have at some point. I would love to know how many of you are planning on reading this. I know so many of us are doing bible studies and teaching right now but I would strongly encourage you to try and make a little time to read this one even if it's a chapter a week. I would also love for you to post comments on our heiress facebook wall as you go through the book about how God is using it to do a work in your life. If you don't want to put something up for all to see please email me your thoughts if you can, I promise not to share them if that's your choice. For those who do not do facebook, email me. I would love to learn from some of you and be encouraged. I will be posting but don't want to be the only one. I want to hear what you all have to say. Your encouragement can do wonders for others. Can't wait to get there and get my copy!! How about you?

What's a friend to you

2010-01-27T14:55:00.003-05:00

After lunch with a friend the other day I started thinking about friendships. I probably ponder things too much and outthink myself at times, but when my mind goes that way most of the time I just go with it.
I started thinking about the things I look for in a friendship and what has made them successful or not so much. As I came to determine the qualities I look for in others it led me to examine my own life to see if the qualities I look for in others are evident in my own life. Some were definitely there, others I'm sorry to say were not. I took that as a challenge to allow God to make some changes in me and tweek a few things. It also made me very aware of how many times we have expectations of others that we don't fulfill in our own life.
I'm not a very needy person or high maintenance. I enjoy long stretches of time to myself and I prefer quality and quantity time with family over anyone else. Therefore I probably don't give a lot to others who do want more of a friendship than I require myself. I've been told before that I'm not a very good friend because I don't give a lot of my time away. I've also been told I am a good friend for whatever reason. I don't guess it matters too much either way since we can choose to be someone's friend or not (however we are called to love ALL).
What about you? What kind of friend are you? What do you look for in a friend? Do you attract high maintenance people who require all your time and attention or are you the high maintenance one? Can you pick up with a friend you haven't seen or talked to recently just like you've been together all along? For someone to be your friend, do you have to do everything together, do you have to be talking on the phone if you're not in the same room, do you give your friends room to grow and breathe? Can someone still be your friend if they don't agree with you or if they are courageous enough to speak truth to you even if it hurts a bit.
My parents have some of the same friends that they've had since their college days. I think that's awesome. They've raised kids together, been there through thick and thin for each other and even now meet almost every Friday night for dinner. Sweet. In this day of facebook some of us have hundreds of "friends". In true friendship I don't believe there can be that many. Maybe we've lost the meaning of aquaintance and friend...they are different.
Prov. 27:17...Do our friends make us sharper in our relationship to Christ or duller? More to think about...

Girlfriends

2010-01-25T17:33:00.003-05:00

God has definitely blessed my life with females of all ages. Some of those most precious to me are in middle school believe it or not. Yes, they are loud and drama seems to be part of their daily life but they live life out loud. They amaze me at how much they love Jesus and His church at their tender age. Nothing feels better than getting a hug from them, actually I kinda look for that on sunday mornings and they so sweetly oblige me. I also love just a bunch of high school girls. Some of them have put up with me since before they can remember but probably most remember me since 7th grade when they had to put up with me every sunday night getting all in their business and pushing them to study the Word and let Christ have full reign. Boy has it been fun watching those girls meet God in the valleys and on those mountaintops. I'm sure there were times they were so sick of my face but way too sweet to let me know. Now I have the pleasure of spending every monday night with some college girls digging into God's Word with them. I was married by the time I was their age so I love hearing them talk about campus life and praying for their friends they go to school with. I love how mature in the faith they are and how they seem to rest in God's plan for their life. They make me so happy I'm a girl when I feel their compassion for others and see their eyes light up and dance as they study God's Word. They are free with their hugs too and I love how real they are. They share their hearts so freely and I love that.
I also love the girlfriends God has given me who are actually in my own age bracket. God is so good. I got to have lunch with one of them last week. She's one of my most favorite people. The waitresses probably wonder how in the world we can talk so long and so fast. It really is sad when they come back the 3rd time for our order and we still haven't looked at the menu. Yikes. She's a friend and a mentor. There's a group of women in our church I am so thankful for. They swooped in when we moved here and took me right under their wing. They have been faithful for many years serving in our church, always supportive, always loving and free with encouragement. Most of them have raised their children and are now loving being grandmothers, what a heritage they are passing down. I'm always in awe of these women, how steadfast and committed. I don't think I've ever talked to anyone who had a bad word to say about any of them.
I so hope you have women in your life like them. Women who have high standards, walk the talk and talk Jesus in every area of their life. They are sold out to things that have eternal significance. They are the ones I constantly badgered with questions when my children were younger and even now as they have walked just a little ahead of me in time. I asked them, "how did you get your kids to love church so much", "what did you do when...", "how did your kids turn out so good", "how did you teach them blah blah blah". I feasted off of their insight and wisdom. I am so grateful for them. If you don't have this in your life, begin to pray for that and see who God brings your way.

The Highway to Haiti

2010-01-20T09:32:00.000-05:00

The Highway to Haiti

Colossians 3:12-17

2010-01-20T09:05:00.002-05:00

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Coming Soon

2010-01-18T09:44:00.002-05:00

Just want to throw out a quick word for you all about this coming Sunday.
For those of you who missed yesterday, we are starting a sermon series next week on Jonah. It is going to be ahhhmazing!! I have the inside track on that one so trust me you don't want to miss it. It's gonna be lots of fun and very insightful. Can't wait to see the "new look" of the worship center.
Also, hearing great things about our bible studies, you girls ROCK!! We have a study for all ages, our college girls are wrapping up a study and then getting ready to jump into Revelation...wow, pumped about that. Our Discipler girls are in the Word every Wednesday morning in small groups and receiving a great message from Blanche Conger. Our Thursday groups are learning how to break free, praise God He brings freedom! If you are not a part of one of these connection groups, it is NOT TOO LATE!! Jump right in, we love new members!
Absolutely love hearing from so many of you via different ways about what God is doing in your life. He is a busy, on-time God, who is rich in mercy!! Take advantage of writing on our Heiress facebook wall, if you are not a member..JOIN.
Just another way to encourage one another and share a word of what God is doing in so many lives. Praying daily for the women of our church and community that God would continue to use us all right where He's planted us: home, school, work, church. Let's share Christ everywhere we go. When we truly realize what we have in Christ, we will not be able to keep it to ourselves! Love you all.

There's Gonna be a Wedding

2010-01-05T19:51:00.000-05:00

There's gonna be a wedding
Yes, it's true...Michael proposed, Chrissie said yes and the Leopard clan is thrilled...and BUSY!! Some background and info...Michael Hux came into our lives last May when he came to Aiken from Florida to be our high school student intern for the summer. Chrissie was serving at the same time as our student administrative intern. They were in a teeny tiny room with 3 other interns. She was the only female and came home the first day from work proclaiming that this was going to be a looooonnnnngg summer, way too much testosterone. As it turned out it wasn't quite long enough for her, she hated seeing it end and Michael was heading back to Florida. It was one more whirlwind summer. God did a huge work in the life of those two over the summer. He began showing them that He didn't just bring Michael here just for a summer job. I've always believed that when we follow Christ closely we will run smack dab in the middle of God's will and this was His will for them. Of course Eddie and I had concerns that this may be a "summer romance" and didn't want anyone hurt. We also didn't know very much about this boy everyone called "Hux" or "Huxy" so we had to start checking that out. I remember asking Chrissie one day, "what in the world is it about him?". Her answer did it for me. She said, "Mom, he is so real. Christ is real to him and I can't find any fake in him. I've watched him worship and there's just something about him." That did it for me. I knew that Christ in him was drawn to Christ in her and there was no reason trying to fight it. See real is huge to our clan. We don't like pretense and despise fake. We're not real good at putting on a show or pretending things we don't feel or believe. Chrissie doesn't trust easily. She's mine that stands back and really examines things and people. She just doesn't jump into things nor does she automatically trust people and assume going in that everyone is great and nice and has her best interest at heart. So for her to be swept off her feet so fast, so out of her personality, had to be a God thing. We have grown to love Michael almost as much as Chrissie does. He treats her with such respect and tenderness. I have loved watching them together especially as they watch each other. He's madly in love with Chrissie but better than that, he's madly in love with Jesus. He has the biggest heart I've ever seen, I'm constantly telling Chrissie to "be sweet" and "don't hurt his feelings". He's just precious. They balance each other perfectly. They have the same goals the number one being to share Jesus with as many people as they can. They love people and have great people skills. We watched them all summer with our students. They have such a genuine love for them. Eddie has said over and over that they will do great as a ministry team and he doesn't say that about everybody I assure you. He has full confidence in this young man taking care of his first-born child, his first daughter. I am praying however that he will make it through that ceremony. I envision lots of tears for many of us but praise God they will be tears of joy and excitement. We are having so much fun as we talk about and plan this wedding. I've told her if she turns into bridezilla I will quit. So far, so good. We would appreciate many prayers as we go through this time together. Our biggest goal in planning this wedding is that Christ will be glorified instead of Michael and Chrissie and that their marriage will bring much glory to Him. I'm sure there will be many blog posts regarding all of this because that is where we are right now. Would greatly accept any suggestions, advice or the like but mostly the prayers. Praise Him from whom ALL blessings flow. We are a blessed people indeed.
dawn leopardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11346324893186241702elldjl@gforcecable.com0
tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8509872836106428835.post-67042551510356283452010-01-04T10:35:00.003-05:002010-01-04T10:44:49.548-05:00

Looking Ahead

2009-12-31T09:00:00.002-05:00

We were at First Baptist Spartanburg this past Sunday and heard a great message for New Year's. Thought I would pass on the points of the message.
Dr. Wilton preached from Acts 2:14-47. It was Peter's sermon and gives us 7 solid foundations that enable us to look ahead with confidence.
1. Stand up and address the crowds. Make up your mind what you believe and be willing to stand up in front of the crowds and proclaim it.
2. Stick to the Word. It's the only thing that is absolute Truth.
3. Focus on Jesus. When we take our eyes off of Jesus we will begin to sink and the sharks of this world will eat us alive.
4. Celebrate because Jesus is Lord. We don't get to vote on whether He is Lord. God made Him Lord, not us.
5. Respond with a repentant heart. God requires repentance. This is something we need to do every day.
6. Act upon God's instructions. In other words do what He tells you to do. He asked the question, "what is God asking you to do?" The little girl behind me answered out loud, "be nice". Loved that, she was really listening.
7. Anticipate all God will do for you. The future is as bright as God's promises.
Praying God's richest blessings on you and your family for the New Year. What difference will you make this coming year for God's Kingdom?

Tour of Homes

2009-12-15T14:06:00.002-05:00

What a great time we all had last night on our tour of homes. We had 80 women on 2 buses and 2 cars following as we traveled around Aiken in the foggy, rainy cold mist. The weather didn't dampen our fun though. One of the fun things about women is we can all talk and laugh at the same time and still know what everybody is talking about. Many thanks to Jimmy Callahan and Randy Robinson for driving us around and of course many thanks to Beverly Willis, Bernice Miller, and Heather Young for allowing us to visit their beautiful homes. As I told the ladies on our bus we are already willing to sign some up for next year so if you or anyone you know would like to offer to be a hostess for next year we would love to hear from you.
Isn't it great that God allows us to have so much fun together with our Christian sisters. It's so interesting to me that year after year 2 of our largest number-wise things that we do is tour of homes and bible study. Isn't that awesome? One is strictly fun and "fluff" and the other is fun but in a different way. Thankfully both involve a lot of bonding, laughing, sharing even though they are very different events. God is so good. He gives us everything we need just when we need it. And come January I'm sure we will all be in great need of bible study starting back. We will be doing the new edition of Breaking Free by Beth Moore. I know many have done this study before but the workbook is new and the messages are all new so I know we will all benefit from it. I continue to hear from some that that particular study was an all-time favorite. Our college-age girls will be doing Beth Moore's study on Revelation. I was so excited that they chose that one saying they had wanted a study on Revelation for a while. That says a lot about our young ladies that they are so hungry for the Word and long for it. Our Disciplers group will start back in January as well doing their indepth study of God's Word. To know that so many of you are in a regular indepth study thrills me to death. There's nothing like it and bible study stands alone in it's purpose...allowing God's Word to get in us and do it's work in us. Praise God His Word changes lives and attitudes. He has done a work in my life and so many of you have shared what He has done in yours as well. Don't take time off from Him during the holidays just because we are not in study together. Enjoy your time with Him and we will be back together in a few short weeks. Love to all and many blessings. Dawn

We are royalty girls

2009-10-13T13:47:00.002-04:00

Welcome to our blog site for Millbrook's Women's Ministry now known as Heiress. Vickie Oprea and I will be posting here from time to time but I wanted to kick it off and explain a little bit about "why Heiress?"
I have felt for a long time that if so many of us really realized what we have in Christ that it would be reflected more in our lifestyles. I was telling our college girls bible study group that the reason we do bible studies for all age women is not about learning more ABOUT the Bible but that our lives would be changed by what we study. I love how Beth Moore says that our theology has to have a collision with our behavior.
Girls, we need to daily take hold of the fact that we are children of the King. We are part of the royal family. We are God's children and we need to understand like never before that in this fallen world God is our only hope. His Holy Spirit within us proves we are His children, heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. His power works within us to transform us. We don't have to wait for heaven to inherit all that our Father wants to give us as His children. We need to claim now our full identity as His children and live daily like we are His children. I tell my kids all the time, "you're a reflection of your mom and dad so don't forget that". Sometimes that is said in jest but it's so true. And as God's children we reflect Him to others and hopefully that is a positive reflection.
Just what does our true identity in Christ involve:
We are justified.
No condemnation awaits us.
We are free from the law of sin and death.
We are acceptable in Jesus.
We are righteous and holy.
We are blessed with every spiritual blessing.
We are forgiven.
We are marked by the Holy Spirit.
We can come into God's presence.
We are members of Christ's body, the church.
We will have eternal glory.
Girls, Christ is our model and the more we know Him the more like Him we will become. Let us daily look to Him and claim our inheritance and behave like we are always aware that we are children of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.