1. So the busy [but, oh-so-good] season has begun! I was out of town for work a couple of days this week… and let’s just say I know for sure that I’ll never be a ‘country girl.’ – I’m just sayin’. [Not that I live in a major metropolis or anything…]
2. Enjoyed attending the Deeper Still Event in Birmingham with friends [and 14,000 other women] so much! I originally had something different planned for the weekend so it was a treat to get to attend at the last minute. [Thanks girls!] We shopped, had a nice dinner, ate chocolate chip cookies, lingered at Starbucks, – and worshipped together.
3. First up was Kay Arthur – Bible Teacher Extraordinaire. She knows the Bible so well and can pluck out a verse to apply to any situation. What a role model she is for all of us! I can only hope to grow in The Word and be as active when I’m 77 years old [she never sat down for the entire two hours she was teaching us-] Wow.
4. Next to speak was Priscilla Shirer – Love [LOVE] her Bible studies. And it was just wonderful to see her live and in person. She encouraged us to go to The Faith Place – That place where we’re not just studying The Word – but taking risks and stepping out in faith and claiming God’s promises to us. [She showed how these promises aren’t placed in our hands – but within our reach – and given to us when we move toward them in faith.] She talked about taking the next step of action regarding whatever God has been talking with you about. Wonderful.
5. And then lastly was Beth Moore. I know I’ve made no secret about how I’d skip the video portion of our Bible Studies those first few times we did one of her studies. Something about her voice [a little Anne-Heche-like] and her teaching style was a little ‘preachy’ to me at the time. But let me just say that the Lord has used this woman to bring the Bible ALIVE for me – I’ve never loved history – but with Hs guidance – she makes it REAL.
6. I’ve been to a couple of simulcasts where I’ve seen her “live” – but this was the first time ‘in person.’ It was a joy to hear her teach on Guarding the Treasures that God has given us – much like Mary did in Luke 2. Two points that stuck with me – 1] The enemy seeks to take away our treasure – and when we feel we can’t see any, we need to look to Jesus, and 2] We often miss the treasures in our lives because, instead of looking for them we’re filling our lives with ‘things’ [TV, computer time, games / hobbies, etc] that fill up all the space in our lives. We need to take the time to ‘just be’ with God and look for the treasures around us each day. [Could it be that 'treasure' is equal to 'Joy' - my word for the year?]
7. They ended the event with a little ‘spontaneous’ Q&A. So fun to see a little of their personalities come through – and this is where Miss Kay [as Priscilla called her] rolled out scripture for almost every subject. Loved hearing The Word being applied to our lives today at the spur of the moment.
8. I came home to some happy guys as the Auburn game had just ended. Regardless of how things turn out – there’s no denying that Cam Newton is an unbelievable football player. They showed me some highlights of the game – my favorite being when Cam knocks the cap off a referee and then, standing a good foot taller, puts it back on him while patting his head and then his butt. Too funny.
9. Sunday afternoon Craig started cooking for his work luncheon: smoking 4 chickens and 50+ pounds of meat. It’s a lot of work – but he loves it. And it smells [and tastes oh-so-good.]
10. And lastly, [life’s not all perfect] - let me rant a bit about upscale hotels [full beds instead of queen, no vents in the bathrooms, paid parking and internet, no complimentary breakfast, ETC.] and GPS devices [PEOPLE – if you look around at your surroundings there’s no need to plug in a GPS to go ten blocks! I mean, really, c’mon…]