Thankful too...

So as I was scrolling through random inspirational quotes in my google images and I immediately stopped at this quote from Tony Robbins. 

As I thought through that I realized how easy it is to shift from walking in expectation of what you want or think should be to walking in appreciation of what is and what HE has done.  It's also ridiculously easy to walk in expectation instead of appreciation.  After playing though the things I appreciated in my day today I felt compelled to share this on my Instagram and have now made a public charge to allow our gratitude to shift our attitude and the attitudes of those around us this holiday season. November is traditionally "thankful month" and I know full well we don't have to wait until November to be thankful- we should live thankful lives all year long- but this season serves as a sweet reminder. So I invite you to join me as we learn to be #thankfultoo2015 because we have no idea how our thankfulness might open the door for someone else to be thankful too. 

January, 2015

This is the month that everything changes, or so it feels.  My daughter moved to San Marcos to start her new journey at Texas State in the McCoy Business School.  My son starts driving and becomes a little more independent.  Everything I know and am used to as a momma has changed.  And it's hard.  The truth is, I'm super excited for both of them.  These are major milestones and they are definitely worth celebrating.  This year for me is about releasing.  Releasing my kids on the assurance that the foundations we have spent years, lots of prayers and lots of tears laboring and laying will begin to produce a harvest.  Galatians 6:9 is one of my favorite verses and it states "let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up".  God has me on a journey of taking Him at His Word, His part and my part.  Well my part is to not grow weary, do good and DON"T GIVE UP!  So whoever this is for, that's our job.  Continue to fight, continue to press in, continue to pray, continue to plant seeds.  I will be sharing my "fruit" which I lovingly refer to as #everydaypearls.  These are the things that I choose to see with a Kingdom perspective and celebrate them as victories.  They are all around us.  I challenge you to find the pearl in the everyday too. M

disconnecting?

Fasting is a means of disconnecting from the distractions of daily life and consciously choosing to bring God into greater focus. Giving up physical nourishment is the first step in engaging the process. If you think about it, though, we nourish our souls as well as our bodies. We do so through reading, talking, socializing, playing and leisure. When we fill our souls up with all those things, we don’t feel hunger for God.

During this time of fasting, we are sure to feel physical hunger, but let’s be intentional about cultivating spiritual hunger as well. Let’s draw away from the crowds, and lay aside for a season the activities we use to nourish our souls. Instead let’s allow ourselves to enter a state of spiritual hunger – a hunger for righteousness. Jesus said that being spiritually hungry is a blessed state, because we can be sure of being filled with food that truly satisfies our deepest needs. (Matthew 5:6)

During this time, you will find that being still before the Lord will set you in a place of increased strength, peace and hunger for God. Are you disconnected from the things that nourish your body and soul? What do you need to deny yourself so that this can be a powerful time in your life?

Birthdays simplified

Just wrapped up a day out at cinnamon creek bow range with Riley and his friend Cade.  What a joy to celebrate my boy this weekend coupled with great weather!  Crazy to think that 15 years ago today I had no idea I'd be meeting my little guy who's entrance into this world was long awaited.  Little did I know he would be early and this would be our last day as a family of three.  Something happened on that day, January 19, 1999 that forever changed me and our family... But I'll post that tomorrow.  But for today, we're celebrating everything Riley with everything he loves- cabellas, shooting his bow, friends and wrapping up with some family time at dinner at one of his favorite spots.  Because the truth is birthdays are a big deal. My mom did a great job of this when I was young and I do my hardest to carry on that tradition and plan to continue through the generations that follow.  This is a time to feel valued and celebrated.  People make fun of me, but I don't care, because God created life and life is such a gift we must treat it like one!  As is was signing the boys in at the shooting range I passed by. a mom walking in with cake and cookies and balloons and a little part of me thought "I miss that" but then chad snapped me back into reality and said "I don't". We've got the best of both worlds. A fun day with simplicity.  No hassle. No stress. Just fun. The boys went and shot and chad and I read and talked and just chilled  Then we played with them. Then I ditched all three boys and came to the truck to write.  Simple.  I kinda like it. The even better part is I was able to text chandler to pick up the cake and stuff we needed. What a blessing to have grown up kids. Not gonna lie, there are days that I miss little ones... But my heart is so full with anticipation for when the time comes (not anytime soon I know) that we get to be grandparents and impact the next generation!  So for now, I will enjoy my older kids and treasure the moments like today. Birthday. Celebrations. Simple. Family.  Perfection.

D6 Conference Notes- Transitioning to Family Ministry

TRANSITIONING TO FAMILY MINISTRY

Leading Up-

I do my best to do things well and with excellence 

I try and use my time and influence wisely. 

I prepare for meetings with my senior leadership.. he’s relational so I might not get to cover everything but after all the “chit chat” and he looks to me and says “whatcha got” I'm prepared. 

I try and solve my own problems and just ask for his feedback wisdom or input instead of expecting him to solve them for me.  I share the STORIES- the wins

I inform him ahead of time of anything in my ministry areas that is a concern or may have “gone South” so he hears it from ME FIRST

I let him know what I need from him- when I’ve been hurt or frustrated

Leading Down

ENCOURAGE

Lead by LISTENING
Know their strengths and weaknesses

Use your words wisely—planting seeds

Leading In-

Stay filled up and when you’re not…remove yourself from the spotlight and refuel (close your office door, leave for the afternoon- whatever) the quickest way to loose trust is to react out of emotion when we are running on empty physically and emotionally

Spend time in the WORD that’s not study or preparation!

Leading Out

From the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks

When you have the buy in from your leadership above you, your team below you, and you are walking in the fullness that God created you for you have the ability to lead out of the anointing God has placed in you for the benefit of the body.  If any of the above are out of order your outward influence diminishes. 

Growing a dynamic Ministry

To kids- 

know their needs

put the right leadership in place

create experiences, be creative and FUN

To students- 

know their needs 

supplement the home

foster relationships with their peers and adult leaders in their lives

invest time energy and resources into them

To families- 

schedule with purpose

Know their needs-if you don't know ask!  Poll parents, sned a group text, utilize social media

Be a blessing to them instead of always expecting from them

To leaders

Know their needs

Love in their language

Tiers of leadership

Annual blowout-celebrate them—across the board not separately—our YOU ROCK EVENT with the tshirts for everyone and the additional gift for those serving for longer

Keeping your most important ministry your priority

FAMILY FIRST
-schedule your time wisely and stick to it—supper club night- my kids know

Scheduling meetings after dinner—make and keep dinner a priority—stats about family dinner

-love in word and ACTION- love spelled T-I-M-E

-attend church AS A FAMILY

Leading all the ministries effectively and strategically

-       -work together for events- trunk or treat, date nights/student serve days

-       -church wide is family wide- 

-       -meet quarterly with the mens/womens/freedom ministry leaders to see how you can compliment what they're doing or they can come alongside what you're doing.

-       -communicate about the crossover between ministries, we are ALL ON THE SAME TEAM

-       -continually encourage each ministry area- as a leader your number one job is to listen, listening takes time, time is a huge commodity

-       -vision that embodies the objectives to navigate the kids from cradle to college that impacts and affects the whole family

PREP-A-RA-TION

prep·a·ra·tion

ˌprepəˈrāSHən/

noun  the action or process of making ready or being made ready for use or consideration.

1. 
   

   This has been something I have had to do a lot more of lately...more than I am used to at least.  And i've learned a lot about myself along the way.  I've learned where my strength lies and where my deficiencies poke me in the eye!  I've been preparing to do things I don't do on a regular basis, things I've never done before, things that take time and energy and brainpower that seem to be insufficient these days as I try and balance the spinning plates I call LIFE.  So here's my two cents on preparation:

   
   

   -MAKE THE TIME DON'T TAKE THE TIME

   You have to carve out, schedule, fight for the time to prepare for the things that are important.  If you just try and "take the time" and throw it in a tiny window of yoru already packed schedule it won't be the quality you want or the task deserves.

   
   

   -UNDIVIDED ATTENTION|UNDIVIDED HEART

   Preparation is the most important part of the task, even or project.  Weather it's a Bible Study, preparing to teach or lead in any capacity, an important meeting, a lunch date with a friend, dinner with our family- we must go in with an undivided heart and undivided attention.

   
   

   -SURRENDER IT ALL

   In the end, if we have made preparation a priority the only other responsibility is to surrender it all to the Father and trust him completely with the outcome with the fruit that will come from your preparation, your time and energy invested, and giving the person or project your undivided attention.  

   
   

   The cliche is true "give God your best and He'll do the rest"

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

Game plan-Scott Crenshaw

These are my notes and Take-aways from week 2 of the Game Plan Series.

TEAM CAPTAIN

God ill give you family. Whatever you bring me.

Call out the greatness in you

There's a team captain in your family

Team captain leads the team when the coach when he's not in the field

Calling or responsibility to that.

Top ten mistakes to avoid.

Thinking the job is over after being elected or selected.  It's not just about the title

Try to please everyone.

Not confronting difficult issues

Not planning ahead

Leadership revolves around the sport on the field.  - They're accountable for their actions all the time. We are the house if his. He dwells with us. Don't just talk Jesus at church.

Giving 80% effort expecting 100% results.

Expecting to do a good job with out leadership training.   Learns m&f grow in what it means to be a team captain in our families.

Our homes are different.

1/3 of marriages will be into blended families.

Build trust and build respect as you build relationships.

Blending. Relationships. Be patient.  

Single parents. We love and support them.  

Deut 24

Take care of the widows and fatherless

God has a heart for the single parent

Picking a team captain. Arnold Palmer

Consider the culture of the team.

What does the team need.

God knows what your team loos like and he chose you.

Team. You're not in it by yourself. Community with other people.

Team captain is a part of a team

Don't do family by yourself

- small group community

Captain. Anything with more than one head is a monster.

Leading well starts with surrender.