We're home!

We are home and I'm a little brain fried and will need several days to process all that happened this week. It has had a huge impact on me. God was truly involved in every moment we were there because though there were over 10,000 people there...I felt like I made wonderful friends every day. God took a HUGE event and make it intimate for me. I met so many people, enjoyed numerous stories of God's work in this world, and saw His involvement in every one of them!

I don't think that a post could ever recount all the things God did this week! I will try to debrief for the next few days and enjoy having my girls home and will try to post some details this weekend. Truly my heart is full and I am changed by this opportunity to go to ICRS.

**I also had a wonderful time on a conference call with the ladies around the US that are going on the Women of Hope vision trip to Central & Eastern Europe. I found out that I will be traveling to Krakow, Poland as my assignment along with Paula Hemphill. Please pray for me as I also found out that they are having a women's conference in Krakow and I am the speaker for that conference! So please begin now to pray that God will begin to give me the message to share with these women and leaders. Thank you for walking this journey with me!**

I so covet your prayers. Thank you for your support on this journey!

AMAZING!!!

OK, I can't even describe how amazing this conference has already been! On Sunday we went to a worship service that was led by Anne Graham Lotz and worship led by the Daniel Doss band. I had never heard Anne and she totally brought the Truth down on us! She was truly a blessing to me and God used her to speak to me personally. The Daniel Doss band is brand new...but utterly awesome! Jay and I got a free new preview CD today and met them for a little while and they are truly worship leaders.

That afternoon we congratulated Vicki Courtney as she won the CBA award for best youth book o the year! Go girl! We had a chance to chat for a while with her afterwards since we have the same blog designer. I was so glad she won!

Then, we headed straight to a concert time about the power of music. It was led by Nicole C. Mullen and we got to hear not only her but Jeremy Camp (who rocked!), The Annie Moses Band (a classical band who is ringing the Renaissance style back to churches...can't wait until there CD is out in October) and several other new released bands. It was powerful and we had front row seats which made it seem like they were in our living room singing!

A truly God moment that has stuck out to me and will stay with me is when I went to the bathroom and saw Karen Kingsbury (HUGE fiction Christian writer) and her mother standing outside the concert. They were must hanging out along with her assistant. I smiled at her (knowing who she was but hating to just run up to her) and she said "hi there". I walked over to her and she began to ask me about my book (our badge is an author/artist badge). She and I along with her mother just talked about how good God is, how powerful His Word is in our lives, and women's ministry today. She asked if her assistant could take our picture together for her website (I am dying at this moment!) and then I went back inside. I felt an instant connection and reality about my time with her.

Well, today she was signing her book...and I know my friend Paula loves fiction (don't tell her I got this for her...she doesn't read my blog) so I stood in her line which was about a mile long. When I got a few people away she waved at me and her assistant came over and talked with us. As I got to her...she beamed and hugged me. Then, with about 100 people still in line she pulled me close and began to give me Godly counsel and advice. She invested in me this weekend.

I tell you all this for a very important reason. I realized today that we all have God given influence. We can either focus that on ourselves...or we can invest in others around us. I was very moved that she took time to focus on others and to use her influence for others instead of just being too busy or too famous to talk to women.

I haven't ever read one of her fiction books...but her name is well-known. She made an impression on me this weekend of a woman God has used in outward ways, but has kept humble in the inside. Wow...she is a mentor for me and others by how she acted. I even have tears right now seeing how precious her walk with God is and how she loves others.

I say this to give you a glimpse into some of the hearts of those people on the backs of the books you and I read. Yes, there are many who are about self. But, I was convicted that I have made blanket assumptions about the Christian market that are not always true.

I have another awesome woman that I met today who took time to bless me...literally. She placed her sweet motherly hands on my face and told me she was proud of me. It was Kay Arthur. We were in the hall and I giggled like a stupid school girl when I saw her. Her assistant stopped to say to say they liked my coat and I just smiled...what do you say to Kay? But, she saw the badge and asked what God was doing in my life...and I told her in the few words I could muster up. She took my face with both hands and blessed me. She told me that she was grateful for younger women who might take the baton as she gets older. Later her assistant came over to Jay at the New Release book signing tonight and asked for our Bible study! I didn't even know about it until afterwards...what a cool God we serve. I am totally overwhelmed right now.

Gosh, God is showing me that there are AWESOME Godly women behind these resources and books. Truthfully, I had been quite discouraged by the "Christian machine" that is the media market right now. I was wrong in that. I pray that you will read this...not as a chance to say I met Kay Arthur and Karen Kingsbury...they are just women. They are lovers of Christ just like us, but isn't it great to really, really, really, know that these women are humble servants of God looking to be a blessing to others? It has changed me. It has challenged me. It has convicted me.

This is super long...but I had to process today. There were a lot of other life changing events and amazing women I have connected with who have blessed me. I love hearing their stories and sharing our passion for the Word of God to take over our lives and those around us! This post is mostly for me as I want to always remember the women I met today that are blessed to be a blessing. But, for now...I go to bed...

ICRS here we come!

We are leaving for the International Christian Retail Show in Orlando, Florida and we are so excited! We will have the opportunity to meet and share with people from all around the world who are involved in Christian ministries. We will be meeting with the authors from Winepress at a wonderful dinner Sunday night. We just received the catalogue that was mailed all over the US and I am excited to meet other authors and hear their God stories!

Please pray that we would have Divine appointments all week. I know that we will be surrounded with so many opportunities to share what God is doing in DFM and I pray that we will be good stewards of this time. I pray that we would focus on the prize of Jesus Christ above all else this week. We know God has allowed to go to this for His reasons and we don't want to get distracted by anything at all!

If God brings us to mind, please pray specifically for these times:

Sunday night: Author dinner: pray that we will meet and glean from all the amazing authors and their stories. May this time be full of encouragement and support!

Monday evening: New Release Party - Pray that we will have Divine meetings with women who desire to thrive in this life. We aren't just signing books at this convention! We are there to share the message of hope through daily dependence on God and His Word. Pray that those books will land wherever God plans!

Monday evening: Meeting with musical group Beloved - pray that God will allow us to encourage and glean from this group. May God's will be accomplished as we talk about the direction God is leading our ministries.

Tuesday afternoon: Formal book signing - pray that again God will bring the women (or husbands) who will desire to thrive in this life by the power of God's Word. May God give me precious moments to share and listen to women from around the world.

Tuesday evening: Dinner with Danya Clairmont founder of our agency -pray that this will be a wonderful time of friendship and encouragement! May God use us to sharpen each other and enjoy sweet fellowship together!

*Please pray that we will be humble stewards of this time. May Jesus be lifted high and that HE may increase which means we MUST decrease!!

Thank you for walking this journey with us. Thank you for those who will pray this week as God leads your heart. Thank you for caring enough to stop by here and join your hearts with us. We love you so very much!

Jay's Birthday!

Last week, before the girls left, we celebrated Jay's 34th birthday! We had a blast and enjoyed having a great day all about dad.

The girls and I spent the whole day getting things ready for when he got home. About 3 months ago, the girls had seen an M&M cake that they wanted to get Jay for his birthday.

So, as we went to Kroger where we had seen this cake...it was gone! So, the hunt began with phone calls to just about every Kroger near our home. We finally found the beloved cake and the girls were so very proud of their choice. Jay was thrilled that it was an M&M...and that it was an ice cream cake from Carvel.


The girls loved picking out their own presents for dad...and they really did a great job!

Anli went for an "Auburn Tiger" shirt and Virginia chose a video game themed one.

That was the most special to Jay...having his girls pick out the present THEY wanted to give him! We then headed t

We went to his favorite restaurant next, and then headed over to the roller skating rink for some good 'ol skating fun! I'll share the photos from that tomorrow because there are so very many of them.

I will be able to share photos of the fun the girls had last week with Jay's family, but I have to wait for them to be able to send them along to me when they get home. I look forward to seeing all the fun they had!

I'm back!

Well, after a week fasting from blogging I am happy to be back at it again! This past week was wonderful...yet very hard since our girls were away the whole time. I REALLY had a hard time with it this time. Just being here at the house alone was really a challenge. I hated that my house was always clean and quiet! I even had to find other places to write just to get away from all that quiet!

I had to work on our new biblical series for women that is coming out this fall. One day I got my breakfast at Chick-fil-a and wrote in the parking lot. One day I sat under a tree and enjoyed the amazing time with God and wrote. The last day I found my way to the library and wrote. Over all it was a very good time with God where I learned lots and was able to hear from Him.

But, one thing that was confirmed was that I LOVE being a mom of those beautiful girls now resting in our house! Day in and day out, I can forget that being their mom is much more of a passion that any writing or speaking I will ever do. I don't miss writing and speaking like I missed those two this week. It is truly the most joyful ministry!

*A quick break in blogging as one of those amazing girls just came to serve me pretend cookies on a little silver platter...see what I mean...glorious!*

I have lots to update on during the days before they left which was Jay's birthday and our anniversary. Jay and I enjoyed a great week of hanging out and lots of talking. It was great to have time to go out to dinner, eat ice cream together, walk, drive around looking at houses, and talk some more! We so enjoyed our time together, but always we were aware that 2 of our 4 were missing. It just reminds me of the wonderful grace of God in our lives to allow us to journey together through this life.

God was great to convict me of several things and challenge me in others. I am refreshed by dedicating this time to Him. I'm going to need it with the crazy schedule we have this fall...a week filled with time alone with my Heavenly Father was truly a blessing!

I'll start updating this week...but for now...it's good to be back!

Blog Fast

This week our girls are going to spend the week with their grandparents. I am going to miss them terribly, especially since I will be home alone all week while Jay starts work at his new job. But, God has been very clear about the focus of this next week...writing!

Our new Foundation Bible Series for women is coming out in the fall and we have to get going to finish it in time! So, while I love to blog...I will be fasting from this during this next week in order to focus on what God wants to say. I will need to spend the time I have writing there instead of here.

It helps that my favorite subjects won't be here to photograph and enjoy this week:( So, you may want to wait to check back until next Sunday...and then I'll have LOTS to catch up on when my girls get back from this amazing vacation! I will be updating on Anli's tests results hopefully today or tomorrow...so keep that in your prayers please.

Pray for Ginger and I this week as we work diligently on finishing this project. God already has another one lined up once this one is finished...The Sand Dollar Life: Living Whole in a Broken World. The cover is AMAZING...love it! This one is already a retreat I have done in past years, but it will be one of our short topical studies we will offer at our website for ladies' or teen groups. But, I have another group in September that already wants to order it...YIKES!

So, I say farewell to you my friends this week. I will really miss this time to blog...it's a wonderful time for me to reflect. But, I'll be back next Sunday with lots to tell and hopefully a finished product!

Update on Anli's EKG

We just got home from a trip to the Children's Cardiac division of Kennestone Hospital for Anli's EKG. It went very well, though they wouldn't tell us anything about the results. We will know more in the next 24 hours about the test and the Cardiologists recommendations about Anli's use of this medication. They did inform us today that because Jay has mitra valve issues with his heart, she is at the elevated risk level.

Checking her oxygen levels and pulse...all was well here!

Starting the EKG. The stickers were a little cold (Anli said) and she told us this machine looked like an octopus with 12 arms and legs! So, cute!

I couldn't tell a thing from her computer! I hoped to get a photo of her little heart rhythm, but no luck!

We will update as soon as we hear something from our doctor or the cardiologist. Thanks for your prayers...keep them coming!

Pray for Anli today

Oh, like father like daughter! Anli was SUPPOSED to be getting out of the bath and putting on her PJs...but decided to go a little further! She is too much like her daddy...and looks like him too. She's a blast and makes us laugh on a daily basis, and she doesn't mean to which is the funniest part of all!

But, on a serious note, please pray for us today as she goes to the cardiologist for a routine ECG. Our pediatrician wants us to go have this test run in accordance with the new American Heart Association alert for children on ADD (Anli) or ADHD medications. There has been found a risk of cardiac arrest, so they are sending us to get an ECG this morning to make sure her sweet little heart is doing just fine. Jay has a heart issue...so it runs in our family.

Please pray with me this morning that the doctors would have wisdom and that God would reveal any risks or abnormalities so that we can make the right decisions. We have asked the Lord that Anli would have peace and would trust God above all else with this test.

This is just a routine test for us as adults...but for a little one who has no idea (though Jay has explained every last detail to her...you just have to know Anli) there is still the unknown. Thanks for joining us in pray this morning at 10am. I will update this afternoon on our visit!

Swim Lessons

Both of my girls have been swimmers since they were about old enough to walk. They love the water and enjoy swimming! I used to be on the swim team when I was younger and Jay is a certified lifeguard...so why in the world would we be sending them to swim lessons?

Well, when we are in the pool with the girls...they want to play with us and not learn stroke work from us! So, about 2 weeks ago I got a card outside our apartment door about a girl who teaches private lessons. I gave her a call and each girl had their own private lesson yesterday at this amazing pool with a huge water slide!

Anli works with Anli to work on breathing.

Doing the backstroke!

Virginia has really mastered the backstroke too!

Virginia breathing to the side...that was a huge accomplishment for both of them!

They did amazing (she said) and we will be taking some more lessons throughout the summer. They worked on the 4 strokes and breathing to the side instead of bringing their head straight up. I was super proud of their work and now it's my turn to keep them practicing until the next lesson. But, they picked it up very quick!

After lessons, we were able to stay there at the pool for a while and play. Then, we headed to Subway and got a yummy lunch and ate it under the arbor at our apartment complex. The weather was awesome and just right for drying out after a long swim time.


I don't know what Jay was thinking when he took some leftover fabric pieces and put them on last night! He looks like a trip back to the 80s. I had cut the legs off of several pairs of leggings since they were getting too short...now they are shorts...and apparently leg warmers for Jay!

Monday Morning News...

Jay woke me up this morning with the coolest news ever...he finished the entire Bible today! I'm sure he has read all the books of the Bible throughout his life, but over the past year he has been traveling through the One Year Bible. He finished it this morning! What a way to start your Monday...I have some other weekly news so check below for another post! Have a GREAT Monday!

Week in Review!

Last Saturday we headed to our new favorite family fun spot...Lifetime Fitness! We joined along with several of our friends and we love it. It has a great climbing wall that Jay and the girls love to hang out in several days a week. Anli is our competitive climber...but Virginia likes to climb too! This place allows us all to enjoy climbing together. Yes...I even climbed using the auto belay! I'm terrible...but it was fun!
Here Anli comes down using the auto belay. It's really cool (and for me a little freaky) to be climbing on the auto belay. But, it allows Jay to belay one of the girls while the other one climbs on their own! We got to see our good friends that Prachts there too.
On Sunday, we celebrated Father's Day by going to church and then heading to see Kung Fu Panda. It was so cute and the girls loved this bigger than lifesize panda! Virginia ran over as fast as she could and struck the kung fu pose. Jay loves movies, so it was a great movie we could all enjoy!
Then, we headed out to Baskin Robbins for some ice cream. Jay LOVES ice cream, so this was a must for his Father's Day celebration. It was such a nice night we sat outside and enjoyed our night with the BEST DAD around!
Anli chose blue raspberry sherbet and her tongue was a crazy shade of blue! She is just like me when I was little...I was all about sherbet too!

Monday began a week of dance camp for the girls at First Baptist Woodstock. The whole week cost $17 for each girl! So, we signed up for this past week and another week in July. Virginia took the ballet camp, while Anli was in jazz class. They had a blast! They went all week and each of them had a cute little dance routine to show at the end of the week.

Monday night was Jay and I's first Strictly Strength class at Lifetime. On Saturday, we each met with a personal trainer to help us assess where we are physically and what we need to do meet our goals. We had our strength, flexibility, cardio/oxygen level and body fat tested.

It took around an hour and then they told us our body age...mine was 34 years thankfully since I am 34 years old! But, the trainer told me that I need some major strength training. I am an aerobic kind of girl...not so much a strong kind of girl. That is why it is good to get this assessment...because running and aerobic activity wasn't going to meet my goals.

So, he gave us some classes to attend. Jay went with me and we BOTH were about to die!!!! It was a solid hour of strength training every muscle group in our bodies. I mean it was like boot camp...but it was awesome! We have gone 3 more times this week (which is our assignment until we meet for our results in August). I was so sore...but now I'm doing better the more we go.

But, most importantly...I have a ponytail. You don't know how long it's been since I have had one of these. OK, it's not a big one...but I think it counts:)

Tuesday, before dance camp, we headed to Kangaroo Bob's for Caleb's birthday celebration! It was a blast and basically deserted the whole time. The kids had a great time and we loved getting to celebrate Caleb's 7th birthday with him!
Happy Birthday Caleb!

On Saturday we headed to out to breakfast together and then went swimming at Lifetime. Then, while I worked out Jay took the girls climbing again. We ate a yummy, yummy lunch at the Life Cafe and I had an amazing hummus wrap! Then, we headed home for a day of relaxing together.

We got home around 1:30pm and for the rest of the day we played together as a family. We built buildings out of blocks with Dad, we made a doll house for our Bobble Heads as girls, we made milkshakes for dessert, and gathered up in Virginia's bed and read our Kids Through the Bible.

It was a perfect day!

We have an amazing Through the Bible in a Year with Kids. It takes about 7 minutes to read the portion for the day...and in a year...you have read the entire Bible with your kids! Talk about a worthwhile investment of 7-10 minutes a night. We spend time talking through what we read together and the girls can ALWAYS answer all my questions. They really get it!

I tell my girls several times a week...invest in what last! Invest in the things that will last today...the Word of God and the souls of men (or kiddos!). It's worth every minute!

Catch up post!

Well, today I am going to work on finishing up our Families on Mission trip. I have lots more to post from the past week, so I need to get up to date! Maybe I can do a week review tomorrow...

Rick is the NAMB staff person in charge of all Families on Mission! There are 6 locations with over 700 people attending this summer! It started last year with only 200 people...it's growing like crazy! We are thrilled to be project coordinators for next year, along with 11 other locations...it will be a busy summer for Rick next year! We loved getting to know Rick and he became like family.

This is the first day headed out to our ministry site at the KOA campground. The kids were so excited to get there and do VBS and meet lots of friends!

The first day Jay was in charge of the Bible story time. He did a great job...as always! The girls and I were in charge of music all week and had a blast. We had already done VBS the week before at our church, so we knew all the fun motions and the words.

After VBS at the campground, we would go back to the hotel for a little while, then head to the nursing homes. We were able to visit 3 nursing homes while we were there. It was awesome! We all made gift bags and gave the residents LOTS of wonderful gifts. The kids also made cards and pictures for a homemade gift. What an amazing thing to see your kids love on people like Jesus did...a glimpse of the kingdom of heaven!

Here the kids do a few VBS songs for the nursing home residents! They loved it...Tuesday was a huge day for me. This little girl named Nina showed up for VBS. While we were doing the craft, we had a few minutes to talk. She told me that she didn't go to church...and that "the devil is not a bad person...my brother told me so."

Her brother had told her that if she really wanted a puppy, the devil was the one to pray to for that. He told her that Satan would give her the things she wanted. I was a little shocked at that. I asked her what she thought of that. She told me that she was really scared to pray to Satan.

I asked her if she had ever accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and she said never. We talked and talked through scripture and through the kids tract that we had been given. She prayed to receive Christ that day, and this is the smile of a girl who was set free from fear...

The amazing thing is that the next day...her BROTHER came to VBS. He was in all black and didn't say much, but participated in everything we did! And the cool thing...he came on the day we gave the Gospel message...the ABCs. What an awesome God we serve! This is a picture I hold very dear to my heart.

On the last day we did all kinds of fun things! We had face painting, sno cones, and...Jay did balloon animals while we were there!

After VBS and the nursing home on the last day, we headed with our team (our new family) to the creek for some fun! The day was hot and the kids had not EVER complained one single time while we were ministering. They were AMAZING! They gave all they had everywhere we went. I was humbled by all of the kids and how awesome they did all week.

They had a great time wading and cooling off. It was great to just play together too! The women waded some, but mostly sat and talked along with snapping all the photos!

We were finished early on Thursday, so we headed to downtown Cherokee and enjoyed some tourist traps. We met a buffalo!

We danced the "friendship dance" and really enjoyed some Cherokee traditional dances and music.

Well, after this photo we headed home. We were all very sad that the week was over, but each of us was excited to get involved here in our own town doing some of the same things! Already our family is planning on getting involved with My Sister's House in Atlanta. We hope to do movie nights with the kids there at least once a month...and hopefully much more!

It was a sensational week. God was HUGE! We are grateful for such an opportunity...and we hope to see you next year!