Terribly Interesting

I honestly would never want to read some boring book on leadership, but the word parable drew me in. I wondered what I might see wrapped in a story that I might not see in a guide book to leadership. As page built on page, I thought this was such a brilliant concept. The story made concepts and problem areas come alive in a way that no chart or diagram ever could.  I could see myself in the people in this story. I could see my own struggles and reluctance. There were clear examples of how how being a good follower grows you into a great leader. James shows the types and levels of followership as well as follower abuse. Often, in the church and in ministry people abuse power and hurt those who are seeking to serve the Lord under them. This is an excellent resource for seeing clear to the type of leadership and follwership we are called to. It is also a call to cease complaining about our leaders and our jobs and follow well. Grab your copy. This is an excellent read. This...

Adding to my saga of things breaking down, we had a blow out in my van last week. It was pretty intense. The headlight blew out of the car. The fender was knocked off by the tire tread. The front driver's side panel has the same appearance as though we hit a deer. The a.c. was knocked out. We were okay though. I feel as though God had his hand on us. Denbigh was able to maintain complete control of the car. Our girls never got upset even though they were hot and it appeared we were stranded. Our car was still driveable. We made it to camp for Denbigh to lead worship with literal minutes to spare. As we were coming in to downtown Huntsville, I wanted to hear from my Abba. I needed to talk to him and hand another thing into his hand. I put my face into my hands and repeatedly whispered, "Kyrie eleison. Christe eleison." (Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy). I looked up to see a rainbow far ahead of us. I started shouting about the rainbow. I had to shout bec...

When I read The Hole on the Gospel, I was quickly enamored by Richard's heart for the least. I loved getting to see his heart develop and God grow his desires to love and care for the world. It has been no different reading Unfinished. Richard reminds us that we are not deciders of the gospel, we are disciples. Our task is to do what it says. Our mission is to populate the kingdom of heaven. The church in our day has the knowledge, the funds, and every conceivable thing to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. The mission remains largely unfinished.  The book is full of stories of ordinary people called to use what they had to share the gospel. Some were called to give up everything and some were called to better use what they had. The point is that we need to be on mission wherever we are or wherever God calls us to go. Read this book and challenge yourself.  This book was graciously provided by Thomas Nelson Publishers for review.

Perhaps you saw a post about our tire blowing out, knocking out the head light, and ripping off the fender on Sunday. Jesus protected us from a serious accident, but there is much repair needed. Come Monday, we went to Discount Tire to get the tire replaced. We took two cars so we could get around while the tire was being replaced. We also came home in two cars.  I was driving the van back and since it had no a.c., I decided to stop and get the girls and I a drink. I was turning the corner and I saw a couple that looked like they may be handicapped in some way. Then as I was sitting in the drive-thru, they walked in front of me with their little girl and a baby in a stroller. The little girl, about 7, looked at me and I just felt the craziest rush of love for her. The cashier was being a bit slow. That gave the perfect amount of time for God to impress upon my heart to buy them dinner. I had twenty bucks in my purse. God had twenty bucks in my purse. I asked the cashier t...

Sometimes, you feel like you are on the great hamster wheel of life when you have small children. You spend the majority of every day doing the exact same thing in an almost precise cycle. It generally culminates in a shed tear or two. This alone is enough to drive a person to their knees crying out, "help" to the Lord.  Add in traveling with my husband and three small children to lead worship for months out of the year. I am in one hotel room with my children for ... months. Denbigh leads worship sometimes six times a day. Add practice. He comes home, a three and a half hour drive, on Sundays after a ten p.m. service on Saturday night. I never see him. My van started making a horrible noise. It died while driving it down the road to get lunch. It started back up, but who knows. During the last few months, we had kids swing on my daughter's curtains and bend the rod, get sharpie on her heirloom bedspread, get stripper on the butler pantry counter, the table...

Recently, while perusing books with my girls in Target, I grabbed Anne Lamont's newest book. I simply love her literary voice. She has a style of writing that makes me want to curl up and drink coffee with Jesus. It's a restful tone. Now, before I go any further, I must tell you that Anne is no where near your usual Christian author. She has view points on things that make my skin crawl. Sometimes, she refers to God as "she" and many other things that most would balk at. I look past that to her searching and her story.  You can tell that Anne has a deep yearning for Christ and is learning to rest in reconciliation. Her simple approach is profound. Say a simple prayer exactly as you mean it. When things are painful and dark and words seem so superfluous, ask for help. Thank him for what he has done. Then stand in awe.   There are lines to take away from this.