It may be the same for many of you in your churches. I know at Kinetic we are getting ready for our fall kick-off of small groups, retreats and the new fall bible study and sermon series. I have just become the children’s minister (Our youth and children’s guy is leaving to plant a church in St. Louis!) and the lazy days of summer are quickly getting replaced by meetings, planning sessions and volunteer gathering. As I try to juggle the stress and pressure of the impending fall, I also still want to be able to take time and enjoy what is left of summer with my kids. This pull from opposing forces sometimes leaves me wanting to weep or immobilized by indecision and fear. Which choice will be best for today?

God tells Moses in Exodus 14:15, “Why are you crying out to me? Move on!” So I am taking that call to heart and moving in the direction of fall, steadily accomplishing each task bit by bit. And I remind myself of the lessons taught in Kid’s church last fall, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9. Lessons I am glad to be reminded of today.

The book is all about his childhood growing up in West Africa while his parents were missionaries there. His love for children is evident and his description of what Satan desires to do to the weakest among us from the moment of birth is haunting. He also tells of the village culture in Nielle, where he grew up.

He honestly shares the abuse he an his sister and other classmates experienced at the hands of the boarding school they attended. This book reminds us of how important children are now, not just in the future, but now, as they are learning and developing into who they will be. Now is when the impact is the most important.

I loved reading this book, even though it brought me to tears over and over again. I appreciated Dr. Stafford’s transparency and his vision for hurting children all over the world today.

If you were to ask me how I have arranged my peas (things in my life), I would quickly draw for you a pyramid with one pea at the top, representing God, two peas in the next row down, representing me and my hubby, three peas in the next row, representing our kids/family, and four in the bottom row that is everything else…even church planting…even needy, hurting people…even good works/ministry. But in reality, sometimes my peas get scrambled and the kids or my marriage ends up down farther and the ministry takes up center stage.

Sometimes I am not the only one arranging those peas, if you know what I mean. That can be a hard one, really confronting your spouse about time for protecting the marriage or the children. Ministry does tend to consume us and become our whole lives! Husbands do have a tendency to think that if you have it all under control at home, well, all the more time for him to get work done. Brilliantly, God has hard-wired us as emotional beings to be in tune to the emotionality of the world around us and to bring attention to those moments.

The problem with that is, it usually takes a big impending disaster (say a hurricane on the horizon) for us to make the major changes we need to turn a tanker around, or to even just bank it a little more to the right to change trajectory. Maybe it is not totally off course yet, but could end up there without constant attention to the wheel. While our husbands are manning the wheel of the church, it usually falls to us to man the wheel of the home and marriage and to keep him abreast of the situation. (not the Jersey Shore guy!)

I constantly have to be diligent to make sure that I am staying on course. Here is where I mention a word we all know and love and usually espouse to, boundaries. But sometimes we let our guard down and before we know it, little foxes have crept into our marriage and family and we need to move into action!

There are times I have to remind my husband, that if our marriage goes to pot, that doesn’t bode well for the church. Let alone our kids. If we save thousands of people, or even hundreds, but our children go to hell in a hand basket because we have not invested in personal relationships with them, discipling and modeling Christ, what have we won? We have failed our first and most important duty.

I come from a generation of parents who often put ministry first. I can’t number the PK’s I know personally who have really gone the wrong way because Dad or Mom was too busy growing the church or saving lost people, or scattering seeds, that they forgot to tend their own garden first.

So while I know we all know the right answer, take a moment and think about it, where are your peas?

My favorite thing I look forward to each year, besides the phenomenal spouse track they offer, is Francis Chan. He has been a main speaker for several years now and he usually closes out the final session with amazing and moving teaching.  This year was no exception and he shared with us a little about his recent resignation from the church he planted in Simi Valley, CA about 16 years ago. Next to his talk, one of the best things about him being at the conference is that the MC for the week, Eric Bramlett, usually does a hilarious parody of some rock song as a means of introducing Chan.

You can download Chan’s talk or youtube it, but I am going to include the video of the song Eric did. Scroll down and enjoy!

Springtime is one of my favorite seasons of the year, especially after a winter like the one we have just had.  I know many of you have been buried under a ton of snow until just recently. There is nothing like whipping up a great salad to chase away the winter blah’s and facilitate the happy thought of bathing suit season.

I am so excited to see strawberries at the local grocery store! Here is a simple, healthy and light recipe for Strawberry Spinach Salad.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

6 cups fresh spinach, washed and dried or 1 bag

2 cups strawberries, sliced

½ cup sliced toasted almonds

(you can also add a can of drained mandarin oranges for a pop of more color and a shot of vitamin C or feta cheese for a little surprise)

balsamic vinegar - to sprinkle on the salad

To toast almonds:

1. Preheating oven to 350° F.
2. Spread nuts in one layer on ungreased baking pan.
3. Bake 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown.
4. Let cool.

This brings me to Tuesday night. This week is Local Missions Week at Kinetic.  Our Kinetic Kares Team arranged for community service opportunities around the city of Charlotte each day and Tuesday night was Bingo night at Aldersgate Nursing Home.  I signed our whole family up, minus the two year old, to participate in playing Bingo with the elderly.

Since Noah, Chloe and Alex had never been to a nursing home before, I had a little briefing time with them prior to our leaving. I explained that there would be people in wheel chairs, people who may be really sick, some might be happy and some might be grumpy, but we were going tonight to play Bingo with them and show them God’s love. I also explained they couldn’t be really loud or wild. Noah wanted to know exactly what he was expected to do and since I wasn’t sure, we had another little discussion about how when you are on a mission trip, you have to be flexible and just help wherever they need you the most.

When we got there, I was amazed at how gentle and well behaved the kids were.  They seemed to instinctively know to be patient with our new friends. Chloe and Alex helped hand out Bingo cards and when I turned around, I saw Noah wheeling a gentleman to the table. Noah and Chloe helped the residents find the numbers on their cards as we called them out. Alex sat on a sofa with Caleb Mulholland and they played quietly as the game continued.

Finally, it was time to leave and we returned the residents to their appropriate floors and put away the game. As we were loading into the van we prayed for the people with whom we had just played Bingo. Before I could even ask what the kids thought, Noah and Chloe were both asking to go back and help again! They said they knew the residents really needed their help. Even Alex, at 6 years, said he had a good time, but that he was tired.

I wasn’t sure what reaction the kids would have, but I must admit, I was a little surprised at their eagerness and willingness to go back again. I had hoped they would feel blessed by serving, I guess I just didn’t realize they would be so enthusiastic! Then I was gently reminded by the Holy Spirit of 1 Timothy 4:12: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” What a blessing!

Last summer, my family and I were heading back from an awesome vacation to Colorado. It is our most favorite place to go! If it works out, we usually try and stop in Colby, KS at a hotel there that has an indoor pool that’s open all night. Of course, we don’t take advantage of the all-night swim, but at least we can stay in a little later. Our girls love it! It’s a good stopping point between Colorado and our home in Kansas. Right beside the hotel is a little playground area. So it works out perfectly because while my husband Matt fills up our vehicle, I take the girls over and they play a while until we are all ready to go.

On this particular morning after we checkout out while I watched my daughters play, I noticed something. Something sad, something that broke my heart, something that I know breaks the heart of God. There were two cars parked pretty close to the playground, one with Kansas tags, and the other Colorado. I noticed a cute little girl that didn’t want to leave her mommy. I noticed a mom that was hanging on to her daughter, not wanting to let go either. Then I noticed a dad, who was standing quite a bit off to the side waiting patiently until the other two said their good-byes. I couldn’t help but stare. It really was one of the saddest things I’ve ever seen. Tears were welling up in my eyes.

The more I watched and the more I tried to figure out what was going on, the more I realized that the mom and the dad were separated at least, and they share a daughter together, and it became evident to me that this little girl was going to stay with her dad for a bit. I could tell that the dad was growing a little more anxious, uncomfortable, and maybe even a little impatient, as the little girl hung on to her mom. Not a pretty picture. But there he was, waiting patiently until finally the mom walked over and buckled her little girl in her daddy’s car. I don’t recall a single word spoken between the two parents. Seconds later, the mom drove off headed back to Colorado. Again, it absolutely broke my heart to see this separation, this division, this innocent little girl in the way of hurt and pain.

This got me thinking. If this kind of separation between a family breaks the heart of God, how much more does it break God’s heart when we are separated from Him? The good news is, we don’t have to be separated from God. You know the story of how He died on the cross for you and for me, bridging that gap, that huge separation, between Him and us. It doesn’t stop there though…we have to make that decision to come near Him too, not wanting any divisions between us. He won’t force us to love Him, but He longs for us to love Him back.

Being a Christian woman myself, and the wife of a church planter, I see the importance of planting seeds. I believe we tend to shy away from this at times, because we think we have to do it all alone! Thank God that we aren’t alone…and that He can take it from here. Paul writes in I Corinthians 3:6…”I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.” You see? We can be involved in planting those seeds in people’s lives, but God is the God of growth. We can be that “tool” that encourages and challenges others to dig deeper into God’s word and stand back and watch the growth that takes place in them. The Bible says that “neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”

Do you have any family members that are separated from God? What about friends? Co-workers? Neighbors? You know who they are. What kind of seeds could you be “planting” right now in their life? To some, you may be the only one that can do it. I’m no farmer, but I do know that planting takes time. My husband’s grandfather plants a garden every year. He does have help from a few family members that live near him, but it is always a lot of work, time, and energy on his part to get it ready. My family travels back for one day in the summer to help with that garden. We pick, snap, and pressure cook the green beans and then get to enjoy fresh vegetables throughout the winter months. I sure didn’t do anything to get that garden ready, but I am thankful that I get to enjoy that labor that was put in for us. Thankful that my grandpa “planted” those seeds, watered them either by his own hands, or by the rains God pours down…and then thankful that God takes it from there and grows just what we need. I know for myself, I am extremely thankful to the many that have planted seeds in my own life, wanting me to grow in my relationship with God.

Remember that family I mentioned that was separated? To have that picture in my mind still makes me sad. But what should break our heart even more is the thought of that family being separated from God. For that little girl, it would seem that she is separated from her mom and her dad for just short periods of time. Though that would be very painful, imagine being separated from God for all eternity? Who will plant the seeds of love, hope, forgiveness, and reconciliation in that family’s life? What seeds will you plant today? Get your tools out…start diggin’…start plantin’…and watch the God of growth do His thing!

Hence this blog about jeans. A few weeks ago I was facing a huge dilemma. I had 3 pairs of jeans that I just wore over and over. I had my “skinny” jeans, from Buckle, that I really can only wear a few days each month, but they sure are cute. Then I had a pair of “dark denim” jeans that were a little more dressy and had a mid-rise waist, so they helped prevent the muffin top roll that is left over from pregnancies (see 4 kiddos above). They were a couple of years old, but these were my favorite. Finally, I had a pair of long and lean jeans from Gap that were about 6 years old. They were a little stretched out and the cuffs are tattered and ratty, but they are real comfy.

It happened one Wednesday, when I squatted down in the dark denim jeans and the crotch ripped out! The seam had come apart, about an inch long, a month ago, and I had repaired them with a bonding strip. I knew then I needed to make a shopping trip, but I kept putting it off… till I lost a few more pounds. There was no repairing this though.  Both sides of the center seam were ripped, exactly where my right and left inner thighs made amicable communication millions of times each day, “S’cuse me, pardon me, s’cuse me, pardon me,” as they brushed against each other with every step I took.

This turn of events meant I had to go shopping, at once! If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have anything to wear to church on Sunday since it was far too cold to wear a skirt without pantyhose. I also was going out of town that weekend and had to have SOMETHING decent to wear.  So thus began the torturous adventure of jean shopping, almost, but not quite at loathsome as bathing suit shopping.

I tried my staple, The Gap, but something had happened to me or to them in the years since my last denim purchase and they did not fit like I remembered.  None of the styles fit! I tried my other favorite store, Ann Taylor Loft, to no avail.  I tried on and tried on everywhere with no luck.  Finally, on my way to another store, between prayers of desperation and pleas with my Jehovah Jira (my provider), I spotted a Stein Mart.

I thought, why not? What could it hurt to look there? I must have tried on 20 or 30 pairs of jeans there. But unbelievably, I found 3 or 4 pairs that actually fit! Not only did they just fit, but they were mid-rise (tucked in the muffin top), had cute stitching on the pockets, some whiskering and all in a dark wash that supposedly makes you look leaner. I am slightly embarrassed to say it, but I fell in worship and praised God quietly there in that dressing room. He really did care to clothe me like the lilies of the field! These jeans were name brand, a size smaller than I normally wear (who cares if it is vanity sizing!) and a fraction of the normal designer price tag.

What more could I ask? I bought two pair and am considering returning to get a third style for summer. I know, I know, maybe having the perfect pair of jeans is a little vain.  But I have to be able to set up church each Sunday in them, teach elementary in them and then appear as the pastor’s wife in second service in them without embarrassing anyone. That shopping day, God really came through and blessed me with more options in jeans than I ever thought I would have. My outer thighs were a little chafed from pulling on so many pairs of jeans, but other than that, it was practically a pain free process.

I just thank God for caring about even the silliest, vainest things that his children worry over. And I am reminded again that if He will clothe the lilies of the valley in such beauty, how much more will He care for me or you?

We had an amazing weekend; about 211 on Sunday morning and 70 on Monday night. This didn’t include any mission team members or well-wishers.

A bunch of my co-workers came, which was my favorite part. Hearing them rave about it and actually be excited about church was so cool.

Marissa’s teacher, who is a Christian, had an awesome experience on the way to church. As she was getting gas a woman approached her and asked if she would buy her some gas. Wendy gave her $5 and drove away. But, she felt like God was telling her to go back to that woman and invite her to church. After checking with me, she went back to the gas station and told the girl that she would fill up her tank with gas if she went to church with her.

The girl, who is from China, came to Verve. It was the first time she had ever heard the name of Jesus. As they were sitting in the lobby the girl pointed to a man and said, “That man helped me too!” How cool is that? I’m not sure if she’ll come back, but what an amazing “first” experience for her!

Another mission team arrived yesterday and one more comes tomorrow. We literally could not have started this church without them. They worked around the clock on the building, passed out thousands of fliers, and helped at our services. What an amazing group of people!

Thanks again for your support and prayers!!!!!