Asking for More

After having attended She Speaks in 2008 on a Women's Leadership track, I came home equipped with encouragement and resources for future assignments that were, at that time, still undisclosed by the Lord. Since then, He has opened up doors for ministry using the lessons learned at the conference.

Now I am asking Him for a scholarship to go to She Speaks again. God knows how much I have used what I brought home from the last time, and how I need to GROW in wisdom for the next phase of His work. He also KNOWS how I long to embrace some of my cyber-girlfriends who will be there. :)

A little over a year ago, I took on a new role as (I hesitated at the title..) Head Deaconess. What is that? The list of "duties" of the Head Deaconess didn't really appeal to me. They included visiting the hospitalized, assisting with communion elements, and baptisms, and prayer.

Though those things are important to me and I don't mind helping or doing them, that is not where my passion is for ministry. My heart is more in building, mentoring, and discipling women. I told Pastor this, and he said, "Well, we need that too! Would you be willing to take the position and add your heart to the ministry?"

I mentioned to him my aversion to the title "Deaconess", which sounded obsolete to me, and he suggested I put in a request to change it. So...I'm still working on that one, but my experience over the course of the year has been rewarding and fruitful! I attribute that to much prayer, the lessons learned in 2008, and the reading and listening I have done since returning.

Through my previous She Speaks experience, I learned to start with a mission statement, recruit to the vision rather than "duties", assess the needs of our women and set out prayerfully to meet them. By the grace of God, these things have been happening, and our women are growing in passion and community.

Besides the Deaconess ministry, I have had a few opportunities to speak to women, and would love to grow in God's grace to give effective messages, and to gain confidence. I've been helped by listening over and over to the CD of Micca Campbell's message "Capturing The Heart Of Your Audience" from 2008, and the recommended book by Andy Stanley, "Communicating For A Change". 

So I am at a point where I feel like I need more. More encouragement, and fresh vision. I am excited that there will be workshops for event planning too since that is something we are working on and I have a dream to do in our small-town, up-North neck-of-the-woods.

So, here I am Lord (asking), send me!
Thank you Renee Swope, for this opportunity!

Returning home

Upon returning to the airport @ 1:10am, and having her sister wake up to get her and offer her hospitality (bed & breakfast upon waking)

she sleeps @ 3am, she gets up @ 7...she visits (her parents and sisters before driving home). She shops (groceries on the way). She texts (her son to see when he comes home from work). She cleans (they didn't do too bad!) She prays (with a friend in need) She waters (over dry plants). She sweeps, she weeds, she unpacks, she visits her husband, she praises in the middle of all of it, and all the while is waiting for her quiet time alone with Jesus...ahh

The confrence was jam packed full of amazing stories of God's love and grace and enabling of His people to glorify Him with His abundant gifts.

My own experience is one of God's stories. To go alone...to stay with 2 people I have never met, (and enjoy them tremendously!) To have peace all the way through, for this anxiety-prone girl was a miracle. I told hubby I could tell a thousand women were praying for this confrence.

Beautiful. That is what I came away with. God's girls are beautiful! They radiate love, and faith, and grace. They exude the fragrance of joy, and peace, and hope. Our desires are for Jesus to be magnified through our tiny little lives. What a privelege. What a glorious honor to be united with the King of Kings and called to take His message to our little corner of the world.

When I was doing all those things on Monday afternoon, the Lord was speaking to me about the fact that all we do speaks. It says something. Our lives speak. Our actions, our words, our looks, our choices, our priorities, our passions. All of what we are and do speaks to those around us.

I recalled Lysa talking about being in preparation in the ordinary things of life, like David tending the sheep. I remembered a verse saying "who despises the day of small things?" to Zerubbabel in Zechariah 4:10. Here the Lord was talking to Zerubbabel about the things that He was going to do through him (not by might, not by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord" (verse 6) The promise that not only had he laid the foundation, but he would complete the temple he was building. Isn't that what we are in process of too?

This morning I had to study for a test for an online class I have been taking. The opening prayer in one chapter read as follows:

Lord, we consecrate ourselves to you; we sanctify ourselves without regard to divisions! Build us together with those who love You as we do! Make us a living temple and then draw all men, even all nations, unto Yourself. (scripture refrences 2 Chr 5:11-14; Eph 2:21,22.)

As I meditated on that, I thought that was what we were doing! We had set apart ourselves and the weekend without regard to divisions-in Chronicles the divisions were the tribes of Israel, while @ She Speaks it could be denominational divisions or locational divisions. We were being built together with those who love the Lord, and He was/is making of us a living temple to draw others to Himself.

Glory, Glory!!

At first I felt as if I had to go full speed ahead and make sure I utilized everything I learned so I wouldn't forget/or have spent the money in vain. God corrected me quickly in my heart...It is my work. Wait on Me. Yes, His yolk is easy. I am His. I wait.

What delight it was to meet friends from our little blog world.

Robin...you are so sweet, thank you for letting me room with you. I enjoyed our talks past midnight...

Angie, you and your sister are the cutest girls with beautiful smiles. I am so glad we got to meet face to face and hug. I'll never forget sitting there telling the Lord how I wanted to meet you and then turning around seconds later and looking in your face. Praise Him! As soon as I get photos in the computer, I'll post a pic of clouds that look like snow-covered mountains in Alaska. Yes, I got to see the glory of God in the friendly skies on Sunday. I was in awe...

And now, it is time for she sleeps...

She Speaks

Okay, so I am doing two posts in one day. Amazing for me. I have been feeling a bit silent lately. I think quiet in all areas of my life as if I am waiting for my next assignment. My children are independent, in that Ethan has his wheels now-and a job or two. Our small group disbands for the most part for the summer. My Bible study is in somewhat of limbo for difficulty of coordinating schedules. There is no Sunday School. I am in waiting...

The She Speaks confrence is Friday. I am flying by myself into North Carolina. I am rooming with two "sistas" who I have only met by email, but am very grateful to have gotten roomates and a room in the confrence hotel (as opposed to one where I would have to shuttle) I was a last minute registrant. When I first learned of the confrence, it was full. I was put on a waiting list and eventually recieved an email that they had made more openings. I knew that the Lord wanted me to go...

I have to admit, I have had a vision or desire to speak, and have had a few small opportunities at my church, I have always thought about writing a devotional or ???(back of my mind) but mostly I have been leading Bible Studies and teaching Sunday School for 14 years. I have also had a vision of having a women's confrence in our town, but all of that is in "waiting" mode too. I think the Lord wants me at the confrence to increase or add to the vision He has for my life. I am very excited, and have no real expectations except to hear from Him and recieve "further instsructions". I am also really excited to meet women whom I have seen or touched base with in this blog world. It has been a very enriching experience to read God's stories in the lives of so many women.

I have been looking around at the blogs listed in the May 28th post on the Proverbs 31 blog. There is a list of some of the gals attending (I guess there are 500 attendees total!) Some have lost husbands within the last year (way too early) some have health issues with children, some have alot of children!! One has come through severe car accident/coma and all of them love Jesus and know Him and His power at work in their lives. What could be more powerful than a bunch of us together? (ooh, I just envisioned a boquet of flowers giving off a wonderful aroma and being very beautiful) I am so exciteed to go and grow and glean from one another. I am so looking forward to what the Lord is going to do among us.

Father, Praise you for our family of believers- it is so vast!! I await your amazing grace this weekend to do amazing things in the lives of your daughters! I pray a hedge of protection over all of us and our families. I pray that all flights would be smooth. I pray that we will all arrive on time and not lose our luggage. Meet us there and fill us with more of you! Ignite our hearts! Draw us near! Revive us and help us to be built up in our faith and love. Thank you that the weather looks like it will be nice in NC. May your will be done among us! In Jesus' beautiful name, Amen.