Everyday Imperfect

        A couple weeks ago, we had a special service at our church.  Usually, the kids would go into their own class or kids church, but my husband felt strongly about allowing the usual kids leaders time to be with the other adults for this special service, so guess who was volunteered to be with the kids?      Actually, I'm not even sure if my husband volunteered me, or if I volunteered myself, or if it was just understood that I would do it... it just happened, and I was totally ok with it.       At least until the day before the midweek service.  I knew what I'd be teaching on, I had my outline, my game, an activity, a back-up activity in case I needed it, AND a song to start out with.  But despite all that, I started getting soooooo anxious about it.     It has been YEARS since I've taught littles at church.  I was a youth leader by myself for a while about ten years ago....before that I taught a Sunday...

 Last week, we learned about how the enemy can come at you so much with little sideshows and distractions that you start to question and doubt and loose our focus.  Well, this week I have three big weapons to help you do what will be the most effective way to conquer those distractions! Replace your thoughts with the truth of WHO HE IS, which is what the busy-ness of those sideshows tries to distract us from:   YOU ARE THE CHRIST!! Now when I say "replace your thoughts", that's really a concept you'll find in the Bible.... the "renewing of your mind" concept!! (but that's full subject for another day) So how do we turn from the distraction so that we can start again to FOCUS ON THE TRUTH: God’s already given us 3 weapons to combat distraction : Weapon #1: THE WORD   Christ himself used this weapon when Satan came to tempt and distract him from his fasting & praying.  When you have these things coming against you -trying to distract you from your TRUT...

  As a child, the only time I ever heard about fasting was when the preacher of our little baptist church happened to mention or preach on Jesus being tempted in the wilderness.  In my teen years, when my family started going to a Pentecostal church, I saw where some people made fasting and prayer a regular part of their devotion to the Lord.  This was a new concept to me, but I couldn't help but notice those who practiced periods of fasting and prayer had a lot more power and faith in their relationship with God.   I know there has to be others in my shoes from back then - wondering what the big deal is with fasting added to your prayers.  So I thought I'd jot down a few truths I've learned along the way (with the help of some awesome pastors I've had, as well as MY pastor and leader - my husband!).   Because this is the way my brain functions, it will be somewhat of a list format, but please feel free to ask questions for clarity's sake.  As I tell m...

Figuring out how to walk in this new chapter of ministry has been ... fun, we'll say.  Actually, I quite enjoy the planning and creating and feel that this new season God has me walking in is completely ordained by Him, so I do feel at peace about it.  I had considered doing a brand new blog or website, but after chatting with my husband about it, we realized there were many good, God-given things in my old blog that really could help more people still.  So we decided just to give this one a makeover, and continue to let God us it however He sees fit.  I'll be sharing some of my favorites from the past on my social media, but feel free to go through here and comment on your faves as well before I share them these coming weeks.  As part of a life update, this new season is one that I've honestly dreamed about for sometime, but never felt it would really come to pass.  And, like most God-ordained seasons, it does look a little different than I originally thou...

This last weekend, I missed out on joining my team at a conference featuring none other than THE Rachel Hollis (author of Girl, Wash Your Face) and Nichole Walters (business coach extraordinaire - you need to check out her podcast!). I really missed being with my entrepreneur friends, but I got to go instead to another women's conference - Replenish 2019 - with my church group and about 1200 more women in south GA. It never fails - the times that I think I just don't have time for this conference, or that I should be doing something else - or just feel too drained to go to a conference like this ....those are the times that I get the most from the conference! You know, I don't know why that takes me by surprise. Whenever I'm stressed out or even just not wanting to be around people, those are the times when there is some something extra special in the services or fellowship that I just needed --- even if I wasn't completely aware of it till I...