the Matts....

...the end is here...

2007-06-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

After 159 posts, I am saying "goodbye" to blogger. Yep, it's official- we have our very own domain!! MeghanandChris.blogspot.com is gone after fourteen devoted months. From now on, check out chrisandmeghan.com!!!!

Bare with me as it will take a lot of playing around to figure out what looks good. While wordpress has a lot of options, those options can be confusing to non-nerds like me! So change your links, your netvibes, your everything- so we can all be on the same page!!

Peace out, blogger!!!

Great word for the day!!

2007-06-18T16:48:00.000-05:00

This is Chris here. Since my wonderful wife has already posted something for the day and posted yesterday, I won’t be very long.

I just want to share a point with y’all from this weekend’s FUSION retreat. Mike really brought the word and this was just one point from one of his messages this weekend. If you weren't there, you really missed out! Here goes:

The purpose of influence is to speak up for those who have no influence!!

Can you say Huuuuuge?!! This is definitely my life mission!!

The scripture reference with the point is Psalm 72:8-14.
Check it out and let me know what you think.

Happy Daddy's Day!!

2007-06-18T11:03:00.001-05:00

I am surrounded on a daily basis by the most amazing men on the face of the planet. I have my incredible daddy who has always been there to love and support me throughout my entire life (no matter what I put him through). I have a great step-dad who has given so much of himself to me and my family over the last few years. I am married to a man who blows my mind everyday and who I know will be the best father to our kids. And I have a precious brother who grows up a little more everyday and constantly surprises me with his maturity. Here are some pictures from my day yesterday with all my favorite men!!

If you weren't there... you missed out!

2007-06-17T10:44:00.000-05:00

Fusion was incredible!! God showed up in a huge way and made it all happen. People experienced Christ and we made so many new friends. There were 107 people there and I had never even seen at least 30-40 of them before yesterday. It was awesome!!

I can't wait to see what God has in store for this ministry. There are thousands of college kids and twenty-somethings in the area that are so hungry for a deeper relationship with Jesus. I wish I had pictures from the retreat to show you, but I will get some up soon. Steve shot some great video of Fusion Field Day: Battle of the Sexes! There's nothing funnier than watching people spin 8 times around a baseball bat and then try and run straight, or watching a 25 year old athletic male hula hooping, or seeing someone potato sack hopping and completely bust it! (It was definitely a spiritual weekend, but we had some serious fun, too!!)

Props to Mike and the Late Nite team for making it happen. Mike delivered some life-changing messages and the whole team created an amazing weekend. I am so proud to get to play a small part in this ministry and in this incredible church. And to everyone who came, thank you for your commitment to know the heart of God a little better.

If you weren't there, you missed out!

I love this...

2007-06-15T10:57:00.001-05:00

The other day I was reading in this book called "Jesus, Life Coach", and a few paragraphs have really rocked my world. I won't over-explain... just read slowly and let the words sink in.

"...Don't hang around negative people. Don't believe the lies that you are worthless or unimportant. Don't buy for a minute the illusion that your money will comfort you more than the relationship you can have with me. Shift your orientation away from sorrow and pain and toward the light of laughter and dance and joy...

Follow me, and I will take you places you never even knew existed...

Follow me, and I will cause you to leap like deer in the dawn...

Follow me, and we will climb mountains and get through valleys and come out of them on top, laughing, living, holding each other, into eternity..."

FUSION TONIGHT!!!!!

2007-06-15T10:56:00.001-05:00

Online registration is now closed, but if you haven’t registered, we still want you to come! Meet us tonight at 5:30pm by the outreach building at the back of the Highland campus. Don’t forget a bible, notebook, pen, towel, toiletries and a couple changes of casual clothes. We can’t wait to see all of you tonight… this weekend is going to be slammin’!!!!!

Totally inspirational...what else can I call it?

2007-06-13T13:15:00.000-05:00

Last week I had the awesome privilege of meeting a girl named Chelsey and her amazing family. Chelsey was in a terrible car accident a few weeks ago and lost most of the feeling in her legs. She also has lost her fine motor skills, but her gross motor skills are still in tact. Her parents are staying at a home in Dutchtown (they are from Eunice) and noticed a guy next door working on the fence. Assuming it was the neighbor, Chelsey's dad struck up a conversation with him and ended up asking about good churches in the area. Well, the guy working on the fence was Joey Laird (Tweez's brother) and he told them all about Healing Place. That Sunday they came to the 12pm service and were totally blown away. They fell in love with the music, the message, and the heart of the church. They met Pastor Dino and he assured them that the HPC family would be there for them...

That's where I come in. Pastor asked me to go to the Healthsouth rehabilitation hospital to meet Chelsey and serve her in any way I could. You know how sometimes you think you are going to bless someone, and they end up blessing you a million times more? That's totally what happened here. Chesley, her mom, and her boyfriend were some of the greatest people I have ever met. She had only been with her boyfriend, Slade, for three weeks before the wreck, and he has been at her side ever since. Can you say "true love"? Her mom poured her heart out to me about how her faith has grown through this tragedy and how she truly believes Chelsey will walk again and be made whole. They beamed with the joy only found in Jesus. Chelsey shared all that God has taught her since the accident. Slade was just happy to play with her hair and hold her hand.

I just keep thinking about Romans 8:28- that God will use everything for His good. This family is a shining example of that. They have grown closer to each other and have drawn into a deeper relationship with Jesus through all the craziness. They could have been angry, but instead they chose to be grateful. They could have given up, but instead they have hope. Like I said... totally inspirational.

Just gotta brag...

2007-06-12T16:30:00.000-05:00

Ok ladies, do your best not to be jealous right now... I have got to brag on my man. This weekend he helped me with all my errands, volunteered at all four services, and stayed for 6 extra house on Sunday to set up for Pamper Night (totaling 10.5 hours of volunteer work that day). Then Monday he worked a 9 hour day at his wonderful job, went home and cleaned our apartment, then came to HPC to help tear down after Pamper Night. Plus, his blogging skills are incredible and he challenges me to a deeper relationship with Christ everyday.

All day I have been astounded at the blessings that God has poured out on me. Chris is by far the greatest gift I have ever received (besides salvation, of course). For all of you out there who haven't yet found "the one"- keep waiting. Don't settle. Take it from someone who has been there and done that- it is SO worth the wait!!!!

Here I go...again!!

2007-06-11T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hey guys, this is Chris checkin' in again. Many of you may have forgotten about me already or possibly most of you may just not care that I'm actually contributing to this blog now, as noted by the multitude of you that commented on my post last week. Thanks Gered, for your one lonesome comment!!! It was much appreciated.

Anyway, I was reading through this book that I read during my quiet time alone with God and I was struck by one of the statements that I read in the pages. The title of the chapter was "Be a voice, not an echo!!" What a strong statement! I could stop there and we could all go about our merry little way and be extremely blessed, but I must share a more compelling thought from later on in the chapter. The author goes on to tell the story of how the CEO of a large hospital system in Texas changed the state of the business by his attitude towards it. His attitude is contrary to the that held by most in business, which is, "No Margin, No Mission". His attitude is the opposite, "No Mission, No Margin." In other words, "If you are Living your mission, you Will make a profit."

I just thought I would share this with all of you. It was really a compelling thought to me. We all have a purpose from God and it is crucial for our success. Pursuing your God-given purpose in life will provide you with more fulfillment than you ever thought possible. You should try it!!

Do you need a little margin in your life? Start living your mission!!!!

What are your thoughts? (insert comment now)

New Children's Cup Site

2007-06-08T09:00:00.001-05:00

Children's Cup has a brand spankin' new website that I love! It's more accessible, has great curb appeal, and though it's technically a blog- it's not at all bloggy!! The new format will make it easier for them to update it regularly, so we will have all the latest info on what's going down in southern Africa. My favorite part is the media gallery, where we get to check out stories, pictures and videos all about the kids.

My heart is in Africa. My heart is with these kids. Praise God for Children's Cup and all that they do to feed, clothe, and share the love of Jesus with families on that continent.

Don't they deserve it? Didn't Jesus die for them, too? We can't blame the children for the actions of their parents, and we can't blame the parents for not knowing any better... It's time to change the world. You in?

Referrals

2007-06-06T14:05:00.000-05:00

As much as I love to blog, today I just really need to direct you to few posts that really shook me.

Here's the one from today from Pastor Dino.

And here's Rob's blog. Check out the one entitled "A Little Thicker."

And my constant favorite, Mr. Dan Ohlerking.

Little miracles along the way...

2007-06-05T11:29:00.000-05:00

First miracle: My husband posted a blog yesterday. Isn't he so great?
Second miracle: Doug Musso got a blog.
Third and most important/ amazing miracle: A man walked in the office today and asked Stacey if anyone was taking a mission trip to Italy this year. Stacey told him about Late Nite's trip and told him I was going and that I am here... I go up there, talk to him for a couple minutes, and he writes me a check for $45. God is so random and so amazing and I love how He works! When I went back to tell Mike the good news, he said, "God is giving you the money in small increments so that you will see little miracles along the way... Signs and wonders follow those who believe."

I have been getting slightly impatient with the speed at which the funds have been coming in. I don't doubt that they will come, but I have to admit- I wanted them to come faster. Isn't it so cool that God sees my impatience and gives me little reminders along the way that He is still in charge and still faithful? I love the God that we serve- the One and only true God. If anyone doubts His existence, I dare them to ask me why I believe.

A Take from the Other Side

2007-06-04T15:09:00.000-05:00

Yes, ladies and gentleman, this is Chris. I know many of you have wondered as to what the Chris of the meghanandchris.blogspot.com has to say about things. Well, I’m here to tell you that I’m making the commitment to share my thoughts at least once a week (possibly more). It will most likely be on Mondays since that seems to be the day when my wife tells me she is least likely to post something. I hope to share something insightful with you each and every week but I cannot promise that will always be the case. Please bear with me as I learn and grow in my blogging skills as I have never been one to put my thoughts onto paper.

So without further ado,
I would like to share with you a simple thought that Mike Haman shared with us at the Go Big Men’s Bible study last Friday morning. It goes like this: “The most important thing about you is what you think about when you think about God.” By A.W. Tozer. I don’t know about you but that really shook me when I heard it! What do I think of God? Who do I think He is? Is He just simply some higher power up in the sky? Is He just some go-to guy that we go to when we’re desperate? Is He just some guy who is keeping score of all the good and bad we do? Or is He the Lord over all of our life? Our Creator! Our Heartbeat! Our Best Friend! The One we live for! Our Abba Father!! He is all of these things and so much more to all of us! I pray that He is always number one in our lives!

What do you think about when you think of God?

PS: There may be times when my posts have random blurbs or rants about football. Like this one, we are only 87 days away from football season!!

Led by grace

2007-06-01T11:17:00.000-05:00

On Monday, my devotional wrapped up the story of Joseph. I have to say, I was a little disappointed. I have learned so much from studying his life. The last entry was entitled "Led by grace". What a perfect three word summary of Joseph! Here's an excerpt from that page- it rocked my world.

...Guard your heart when you have the power to place guilt on someone else. Refuse to rub their nose in the mess they've made. Remember the father of the Prodigal Son. Best of all, remember Joseph. "Don't be afraid," he comforted them kindly. "I will provide for you and your children"...

...Joseph was led by grace. He spoke by grace. He forgave by grace. He forgot by grace. He loved by grace. He remembered by grace. He provided by grace. Because of grace, when his brothers bowed before him in fear, he could say, "Get on your feet! God meant it all for good"...

What else is there to say?

I love these girls!!

2007-05-30T09:39:00.000-05:00

I am SO fired up this morning. Last night's life group was such a huge success!! From the beginning, I have felt like this was a total God-thing, and last night just confirmed that in my heart. I know that "Surrender" is going to make this a summer that will change lives, including my own. These girls are amazing, and Nicole was totally led by the Holy Spirit. She changed up the format a little and it made such a great impact on the whole dynamic of the group. Check out these pictures, and be jealous you weren't there... hope to see all you girls out there next week!!!

Surrender life group

2007-05-29T14:48:00.000-05:00

To all the ladies out there, we would love it if you would join us for our life group tonight at 6:30pm at the home of Mollie White. It's called Surrender, and we feel that God is going to grab hold of our lives this summer so we can live the amazing journey He has called us to live. Email me at meghan.matt@healingplacechurch.org or call me at 413.0463 with any questions you may have. We love you and can't wait to get to know you better this summer!

Chris and I had a glorious Memorial Day weekend. It was such a treat to get to spend 3 straight days together. The celebration at church Saturday night was a blast and the fireworks were incredible! God totally hooked HPC up, as usual. Chris and I fall more in love everyday. It's really a wonderful life.

On a sad note, check out Charles and Kristen Young's blog. A little boy that they have been ministering to in the local hospital has passed away, but God is going use them in a huge way to share the love of Jesus and His gospel to the boy's family and friends. What an honor and privilege to serve Him!

My little brother is graduating!!!

2007-05-25T14:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, it's crazy. My brother is graduating from high school. I'm completely weirded out right now. We went to lunch today with Mom, Mr. Dan, Grammy and Chris to French Market Bistro in celebration of the big day (Chris is my brother's name, too, so this might get confusing). Chris K. (brother) got SO much great stuff- all of which I picked out. He is going to be so cute this summer!

Here are just a few of the reasons my brother is so terrific:
He is- selfless, caring, loving, respectful, intelligent, talented, humble, gorgeous, sweet, grateful, funny, just plain wonderful... the list goes on.

Thank you, Jesus, for the blessings of an amazing family. I'm SO glad Chris K. is staying in town for college- my heart would hurt without him here. I love that kid!!! (Yes, he's 6'1, but he will always be a little brother to me!)

FUSION- be there!

2007-05-24T09:17:00.001-05:00

It's official.... Late Nite is having our first EVER retreat on June 15-16 at Tall Timbers!!! You do NOT want to miss this. The cost is SO small- only $50.00 per person or $115.00 for married couples. This includes food, lodging, and all of the retreat fun. If you are between the ages of 18-30, you need to be there! We are designing it especially for you and it's going to be an amazing time to gather together and see God show up in a huge way. Call my office at 753.2273 ext. 257, email me at meghan.matt@healingplacechurch.org, or check out all the info here and sign up online!!!

I also want to congratulate all the graduates... Elevate graduated Tuesday and I had the honor of serving at the ceremony. I cannot fully express my gratitude for them and everything they have added to my church, my community, my world and my life personally. Those guys inspire me to work harder, love stronger, have immovable faith... just thinking about them makes me tear up. I love them so much!! Please be in prayer for Katherine's mom. She is battling cancer, but we all know she is going to come through victorious in Christ! We miss you, Kathy! :) Of course I have to give a shout-out to my favorite Elevater of all time, Ms. Lauren Best. Not only is she smokin' hot, but she's one of the best friends I've ever had. She blows my mind, honestly. This post says it all.

And saving the VERY best for last, my amazing brother, Chris, graduates tomorrow... Because talking about him will be very lengthy and I don't want this post to go on much longer, I will save my gushing on him for another day or two!

Psalm 92

2007-05-22T09:04:00.000-05:00

Lee Domingue dedicated his first book to his family and wrote something sweet about each of them. Of his wife, Laura, he wrote that she was his Cedar of Lebanon. Delynn has been stuck on the scripture Psalm 92:12-14 and has sited it the last few times I have heard her speak. Here's how is goes:"But the godly will flourish like palm trees and grow strong like the cedars of Lebanon. For they are transplanted to the Lord's own house. They flourish in the courts of our God. Even in old age, they will produce fruit."

Here's the significance: Palm trees are known for their long lives, so to flourish like them means to stand tall and live long. Cedars of Lebanon grew to 120 feet in height and up to 30 feet in circumference. They were solid, strong, and immovable. Those who place their faith firmly in God are upright, strong, and unmoved by the winds of circumstance. It refreshes me today to know that if I stay rooted in His Word and in His House, I will be able to stand strong and flourish, no matter what is thrown my way.

Last night I was reading over old notes and saw something that Zhenya Kasevich said in Late Nite. He was talking about faith, and said that God will sometimes give us problems so that we will spend more time with Him. While Elizabeth was doing flow at HPWomen, she reminded us that we don't have to always spend 3 hours a day in our prayer closet, but that we do need to regularly pause our lives and acknowledge God in our circumstance. I pray that I spend so much time with God that I become like a palm tree or a cedar or Lebanon, and that God doesn't have to give me problems just so that I will hang out with Him!!

Do I love like this?

2007-05-21T18:13:00.000-05:00

So, I am sitting at my girl LB's desk at the Annex before Women's Night, and she has Ephesians 5:33 taped onto her computer. As I read it, I was taken aback by the way I am commanded to love Chris, and how I too often fail.

Here's the whole verse from the Amplified Translation:
However, let each man of you [without exception] love his wife as [being in a sense] his very own self; and let the wife see that she respects and reverences her husband that she notices him, regards him, honors him, prefers him, venerates, and esteems him; and that she defers to him, praises him, and loves and admires him exceedingly].

Thank goodness for my eyes being opened to this verse. I love that the Amplified went into so much detail and really outlined how I should be living and loving. God is so cool... back to getting ready for service now. I already got some "rev" and church hasn't even begun yet!

A Tribute to my Mom(s)

2007-05-15T14:28:00.000-05:00

So, I think we would all agree that I have the most amazing mother ever. (It may be a toss-up between her and Mary, mother of Jesus, but it's a close race) Rob Gros may have a cool graphic with his mom's name, but my mom's the hottest, so I am showing pictures!

Not only is she drop-dead gorgeous, but her insides far surpass her outward beauty. She honestly lives "It is better to give than to receive." She would literally give the clothes off her back. She makes sacrifices every single day so that Chris, me and Chris can have better lives. My mom loves Jesus with all her heart and shows that love to others every minute of every day. She never ceases to amaze me with all that she does for others and with the kind words she gives at the moments we need them most. Thank you, Lord, for bringing her into my life to show me the way. I am so blessed to have a woman of such integrity and character in my life! I am also very grateful for my beautiful grandmother. She brings such joy to our family!

This year was my first with my two mother-in-laws. They have added so much value and love to my life and I adore them both so much! There are many people on this earth who don't know the love of one mother, and here I am with three. I am so thankful for their love and support in our lives!

What a weekend!!

2007-05-15T09:07:00.000-05:00

Friday night, Chris and I watched the LSU baseball team lose by about 13 runs with some old and new friends (Jason, Grey, Drew & Gretchen). The game was lame, but we cut up and had so much fun! Then on Saturday, about 70Late Niters gathered for our second annual "Mudbug Mowdown"... and we definitely mowed down!! Props to Grey for planning and organizing that event!

We had an amazing Mother's Day on Sunday. We got to serve at 2 services, and then had a fantastic lunch at Primo's (P.S. I have the GREATEST mother in the WORLD!) After Mom opened all her presents, we headed off to Target where we were blessed with free groceries and kitchenware, courtesy of Mr. Dan. That night we got to hang out with Chris' mom and her side of the family... it really was a blast. They grilled some steaks and slammin' baked potatoes... then we had Grandpa's homemade ice cream. What else could a girl ask for? Plus we got to talk to Chris' family in Texas, which capped off an already great day.Yesterday was Kristin's lingerie shower/ bachelorette party! WooHoo!!! After a great shower full of awesome girls, some of us bridesmaids all rode out in the Excursion to Hello Sushi (we polished off all the rolls in about 5 minutes). After some TCBY, we headed back- the car rides were definitely the most fun of all. Check out these pics from dinner. Our stomachs hurt from laughing so hard and our waitress probably thought we were nut jobs!!!

Yes he is...

2007-05-09T16:40:00.000-05:00

Isn't my man the most beautiful being ever created by God? Yes! Yes he is!!!!

A Vertical Focus

2007-05-09T10:05:00.000-05:00

When Joseph's brothers were traveling from Canaan to Egypt to get Simeon and meet with Pharoah's first-in-command (who they didn't know was Joseph), I wonder if they were thinking negatively or positively? We pretty much assume that they were in panic mode- they had discovered money in their bags so it appeared that had stolen all that food during a severe famine, they didn't want to let Jacob down, they were scared for their lives, and they were beginning to really feel guilty for what they did to Joseph so many years before. Would we have an upward focus during a time like that in our lives?

When we're on a journey from Canaan to Egypt, we tend to view life horizontally rather than vertically. We tend to be resistant rather than open. The first step (according to Chuck Swindoll) is to recognize and admit your negative mentality. It seems that admission is the first step to breaking any bad habit. Next, force the vertical focus until it comes naturally. No habit just lays down and dies, especially if the devil's got anything to do with it. We have to make forced, conscious decisions to think positively. And lastly, stay open to a new idea for at least five minutes. (This hits home for me big-time!) When something new and unexpected confronts you, tolerate the possibility of it for at least five minutes. You will be surprised at the benefit of staying open.

Keep me accountable on this!! I want to dream bigger, live with more faith, and expect more from my life and my marriage. Chris has huge goals for his life and for us, and I need to enlarge my dream capacity to match up with his :)

A Horizontal Viewpoint

2007-05-08T10:24:00.000-05:00

So, God rolled me up this morning about my lack of trust in raising funds for Italy. We have trusted Him with so many huge aspects of our lives, why are we not trusting Him with this little thing? First, one of the most amazing women in the world, Lauren Best, helped me put some things in perspective. Then, I went to read my devotional that I missed yesterday, and it was about a horizontal viewpoint. Jacob had it when his sons left Simeon behind in Egypt. He was supposed to be the patriarch of the clan and instead of rising up in faith and trust in God, he froze in fear and assumed the worst. He was looking horizontally instead of vertically!

It's easy for us to judge him and say we would trust God, but if that's the case, why didn't we trust Him last week? When we think of our most recent test (in my case, Italy), did we rest calmly in Him? Or did we push the panic button out of fear? I think my finger was on the button much too often.

Humanly speaking, we have been programmed toward defeat. We all too often leave God out of the picture. We rationalize around it by calling it something else. I am the Queen of Rational Thinking Land. God has been definitely working in me about this!!! I am starting to really be able to truly, honestly, completely, fully, and with my whole entire heart trust God in things I never thought possible. I know this money will come because He wants His word spread in Europe. I finally have peace. Praise the LORD!!!

(And for the record, my amazing husband has always had peace about this... these things just take me longer. That's why he's the leader of the house!)

Missions trip...

2007-05-03T13:10:00.000-05:00

Hey guys... we need your help! You gotta pray for us to be able to raise this money for our mission trip in the fall. I have been busting my booty with support letters, house cleaning, baby-sitting...everything I can possibly do short of going crazy. I have been working 7 days a week to get this cash raised. We are still 6000 dollars away from our target, and I am getting a little concerned. I know God will provide, but I am just wondering when! Hehehehee.....

God-willing, we would love the opportunity to minister to the people of Italy. Please join us in prayer for this... and for me to have patience...ok y'all are the best!

P.S. For all of you who have given financially and with prayer already, we are SO GRATEFUL for you. You have given us such peace and joy. Thank you thank you thank you so very much!!!

Calm before the storm

2007-05-02T13:21:00.000-05:00

... I have recently felt like my life was too good, too calm, too perfect. I knew a storm was coming...

Hurricane Life has arrived. Thank God I trust Him with it.

It's great to wait...

2007-05-01T11:51:00.000-05:00

God has really been speaking to me through my daily devotional and bible readings. (I know, that's kind of the point, eh?) The story of Joseph is killer. If anyone ever had to wait for anything in life, it was him. In periods of waiting, I find myself getting restless, even sometimes thinking God has forgotten about me, or that He won't fill the desires of my heart. What I have been taught the last week or so is that it's in that time of waiting that He is refining me. (And boy... I definitely need to be refined) It's amazing to know that He will lead me through the fire, and I will be brought forth as gold!

It's when it seems like nothing is happening that God is at work most inside of us. All whom God uses greatly are first hidden in the secret of His presence, away from the pride of man. Abraham waited for the birth of Isaac. Moses didn't lead the Exodus until he was eighty. Elijah waited beside the brook. Noah waited 120 years for rain. Paul was hidden away for three years in Arabia. The list doesn't end!

During the waiting period, trust God without panic. It's God's job to deal with the cup-bearers of your past. It's your job to be the kind of servant He has designed you to be. Be faithful during the waiting periods of life. God will not forget you or forsake you.

Kickball Tournament

2007-04-30T16:43:00.000-05:00

We had a blast on Saturday at the Kickball Tournament. Almost 40 people showed up- some played, some spectated (like me). Check out these pics:

My man's got nice form, huh?

Family reunion & KICKBALL!!!

2007-04-27T09:03:00.000-05:00

So I realized this morning I haven't gotten to tell you about last weekend when Chris' family came in town! We went to Slaughter for a family reunion, and I met a lot of people. Chris' Granny is one of 13 kids, so there were tons of people there. The best part was getting to hang out with Lauren and Chase. We had such a blast! Check out some pictures:

Also, don't forget about the KICKBALL TOURNAMENT tomorrow from 1-3pm at Highland Road Park. It's going to be so fun! (I will only be watching, of course, and partaking in free snoballs!) Check out Mike's blog for some hilarious videos. I'll post some pictures of the festivities soon!

Lessons from Hosea

2007-04-26T09:17:00.000-05:00

Johnny Green tore it up last night at Life U with some great lessons from the life of Hosea. If you want to hear the whole message, order it from the product booth... but I have to share some things I learned. Hosea is killer!

God told Hosea to marry a prostitute. Hosea's entire life was an illustration of God's relationship with the Israelites (they were unfaithful time after time, and He always took them back and showed them unending compassion). I got rolled up with this verse: Hosea 6:6- "I want you to show love, not offer sacrifices. I want you to know me more than I want burnt offerings." It's not about what we do for God or His people, but it's about our relationship with Him. He wants us to be familiar, intimate with Him. I can't be so busy serving God that I don't know Him! Sometimes it's easy to get wrapped up in the "ministry"- we see all the acts of service we do and we think that's enough. God just wants true relationship with us- that's what we were created for!!

Something else Johnny pointed out was great: The pathway to idolatry is through your greatest need. Satan tempted Jesus with bread, because that's the thing He needed most. What does the devil tempt you with? What do you feel is your greatest need? Financial security? Then money will be your god... Companionship? Then you'll fall for the first person who walks through the door... Power or recognition? Then you will do or say anything to be noticed or promoted. We have to quit worrying about fitting into culture and focus on fitting into HIS standard.

The greatest lesson of this whole story is God's compassion and unfailing love. He has a passionate desire to take us back when we drift away. He doesn't act out of impulse or anger, but out of His purpose for us. He sacrificially faithful, no matter how unfaithful we are! He blows my mind!!!

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

2007-04-25T14:33:00.000-05:00

Several people have walked by my desk and seen the book I'm reading, with the immediate response of, "That's the Starbucks book!" God bless Starbucks for getting people interested in this story, but they have nothing to do with this. You HAVE GOT TO read this book. Yes, I love Africa and people might say I am biased, but if you are human, this story will affect you. Go here to check out more info on this amazing book. Here's a excerpt from the website.

"A gripping story of a child’s journey through hell and back. There may be as many as 300,000 child soldiers, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s, in more than fifty conflicts around the world. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them. He is one of the first to tell his story in his own words.

In A LONG WAY GONE, Beah, now twenty-six years old, tells a riveting story. At the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. Eventually released by the army and sent to a UNICEF rehabilitation center, he struggled to regain his humanity and to reenter the world of civilians, who viewed him with fear and suspicion. This is, at last, a story of redemption and hope."

This book will change your life. Period. Don't want your world rocked? Don't read it.

Eco-friendly? Not so much

2007-04-24T10:26:00.000-05:00

You have to go to Carole Turner's blog to check out this great post. I didn't read it at first because it looked a little lengthy, but now that I have read it, I think everyone else needs to as well. Political or not, worried about the environment or not, if you care about anything that's going on in America right now- read this!

More awesome people servin' it up for Jesus!

2007-04-24T08:46:00.000-05:00

Terry Olivier did a SLAMMIN' job preaching at Late Nite on Saturday. It was his first time to preach in that setting (he speaks at Refuge frequently) and he amazing. It is refreshing to see that this ministry really is secure and has a huge future with guys like him behind the wheel. His message on "What is Love?" was so strong, and he offered great insight that I had never heard before. You should order a copy from the products booth if you weren't there to hear it.

Also, Elevate full-time and Dan Ohlerking are in Africa right now. Check out their blog here. They also all have individual pages that they have been blogging on since they got there... you can link to most of them from my blog roll.

Finally, check out a blog by Jason Laird here and then see what Pastor Dino said here about the same guy. Marcel Terrebone and his family are a huge asset and blessing to HPC and I'm glad they are getting the shout-outs they deserve!!!

Need a cleaner house or a babysitter?

2007-04-20T14:19:00.000-05:00

As most of you know by now, Chris and I will be traveling with Late Nite in October to bring the gospel of Christ to Italy. Together we must raise $7000- this amount covers airfare, transportation, meals, lodging, ministry supplies, and a care package for the missionaries. Through various types of outreaches, giveaways, and concert-type events, we hope to reach thousands of college students on campuses in the area.

We are making our babysitting and cleaning services available to you for the next few months in order to help raise the necessary funds for the trip. Chris and I will baby-sit together on various nights, and I will clean on Mondays during the day. Please contact me by email (meghan.matt@healingplacechurch.org) or on my cell (if you have the number) if you would like to employ our wonderful services. Y’all are the best! Thank you in advance for thinking of us!

Boys better bloggers?

2007-04-20T09:56:00.000-05:00

Ok, girls... we need to step it up! I was organizing my blog arrangement on netvibes today, and I realized that I read way more guys' blogs than girls' blogs. So I did some looking around, and I discovered that I really do know more guys with blogs than girls. This upsets me! Of the blogs I read consistently, 6 are families and of those 6, the man in the family is almost always the writer. (This doesn't include the blog I share with my hubby who never posts!) In addition to family sites, I read 9 girls' blogs, and 15 guys' blogs!

Ladies, what's the deal? I realize that there a lot of girlie blogs out there that I don't read, but that's because they're either boring or rarely posted on. The fact is, there are a lot of random, funny, and spiritual blogs out there written by dudes who post very frequently.

Are there any good girl blogs that I am missing out on?
(P.S. The word "blog" was mentioned 12 times in this post, including the one in this sentence)

3rd time's a charm

2007-04-19T14:45:00.001-05:00

Ok, so I know I have posted twice today, but I had to make sure everyone reads Ps. Dino's blog entry for today. It is STRONG!

Gettin' rolled up!

2007-04-19T11:03:00.000-05:00

So, I am pretty much the most grateful person in the universe right now. Pastor Dino did an amazing job with Staff Meeting and Sub30 today, and some of the things he said really hit home. I won't give you all the points, but I want to share some of my favorites.

He first discussed Psalm 84:10 and what it means to be a doorkeeper. It's such an honor to just be on the edge of what God is doing! I would rather scrub floors in the House of God than be an honored guest in a palace of sin!

Marks of an MVA (Most Valuable Assistant, because we are all assistants in the House)
*Get the job done without drama- can't be quarrelsome and must be able to contain emotions
*Address your ego- let go of selfishness and schedules
*Always be respectful- even though some people are really hard to be respectful to
*Tremendous people skills- can't say "That's just the way I am"- that's defeat!
*Be likable- can't be a barrier to what God is doing in someone's life or will do later

How do you keep loving what you're doing?
*Expect moments that aren't pretty- see the ugly stuff and still love it
*Receive and look for correction- correction is attached to anything life-giving
*Accept the litter you were born into- your family at home and your family in the House
*Don't take it for granted- God can do it without you, so be grateful!

Sanjaya has left the building!

2007-04-19T08:26:00.000-05:00

YES!! My day was made yesterday when he was FINALLY voted off American Idol! Now the competition can really begin. My favorites are Jordin Sparks and Blake Lewis. Jordin has the best voice, plus in every article I read on her it portrays that she holds Christian values, which I obviously appreciate. Blake is the most talented overall musician and definitely has something that no one else on the show has ever had.

I know Melinda is a favorite to win, but if she does, she will end up just like Fantasia, Reuben, Taylor- one decent single that sells a decent amount of copies, then falls off the radar. Fantasia is starring on Broadway right now which is amazing, but she wasn't much of an "American Idol". Kelly and Carrie are the only winners who have had success and longevity, and it's not necessarily because they were the best singers, but they had the most star quality.

Who do you think should win? Who do you think will win? Why?

Hudson's off the ventilator!

2007-04-18T13:21:00.000-05:00

Baby Hudson is now officially off the ventilator, and Gena is on the way to the hospital to hold him for the first time! He is still on the oxygen, but his lungs are expanding and collapsing on their own, so that's great news! There are a few more things he needs to do before he can go home, but we are believing God it will be sooner rather than later!!

Temptations of Prosperity

2007-04-18T11:14:00.000-05:00

My devotional this morning was really good, so I wanted to expound on some of it with you. (The lessons come from the story of Joseph, specifically Genesis 39:1-6. )

The first great point is that God was the secret to Joseph's success, not luck. It also says that Joseph found favor with Potiphar- he didn't ask favors. This just made me think of times when I ask for blessings at work when I should be more concentrated on going the second mile for others instead.

It goes on to discuss the temptations that come with prosperity. For the record, Chris and I are not exactly "ballin' outta control", but we do have enough to pay our bills, get a few extras now and then, and give some away. We are blessed with amazing families and incredible jobs. We have some of the best friends in the world. I would consider that pretty prosperous. The temptations that come with prosperity are far greater (and far more subtle) than those that accompany adversity. No longer are we worried about just having faith that God will come through- now we are faced with greed, deceit, and all those ugly sins that creep up on us when things get "peachy".

Thomas Carlyle wrote,"Adversity is sometimes hard upon a man, but for one man who can stand prosperity, there are a hundred that will stand adversity". In other words, for every 100 people who face adversity and get through it, there is only one who is prosperous and maintains righteousness. That's rough!

What are your thoughts?

Why...

2007-04-17T15:21:00.000-05:00

I got this off Dan's blog... (click on it to see a larger image) It definitely hits a nerve in me! What about you?

Praying in April

2007-04-17T14:55:00.000-05:00

So Chris and I have been taking the month of April to really press in and seriously pray our hearts out about our future. Here are some questions we are asking God:

*Do we move to Africa or just do frequent short-terms trips there?
*How many kids to we adopt? From where? And most importantly- when?
*Do we adopt first or get pregnant first? And should I quick trying to control pregnancy by human means and just leave it all up to God?
*How are we going to raise $7000 for our mission trip in October?
*When should we begin the process of buying a house?
*We need patience!

As you can see, we have a lot on our minds. Ultimately, we just want clarity. Like Johnny said this weekend: God is the compass- He points us to Him and everything else falls into place. But we want MapQuest with step-by-step details!!! We will be attending the adoptions workshop at the end of the month and we pray that will help give us some of the answers we need.

We hope that you will join with us in prayer for these things! We could really use your support, prayers, and encouragement.

Hudson is here! Hudson is here!

2007-04-16T10:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday morning at 8:59am, Toby & Gena Bohl welcomed their third beautiful child into the world, Hudson Durant William Bohl. He was born 7 pounds 10.6 ounces and 20.5 inches long. Everyone is doing great! Hudson was 3 weeks early and his lungs were a little underdeveloped, so they had to put a tube in him to lubricate them. He's making improvements and should be out of NICU in no time. Keep him in your prayers. He is absolutely beautiful (what else would we expect from that family). Chris and I got to stay with Chase last night, and he's such a proud big brother. We love that whole family!!!

More pictures to come soon....

The Tweezmeister and T-Money

2007-04-13T17:26:00.000-05:00

You gotta check out HPC Refuge pastor Tweezy's blog. That dude is really changing the world, one life at a time. I pray for boldness, courage and passion like his. He epitomizes what this life should be like.

Also check out the Tullos crew here. They are the j-high pastors and brand-new parents. They are SO committed and sold-out to seeing the next generation stand up, stand out and change the world. They are raising up an army of little soldiers doing huge things for Jesus.

Chris and I are so honored to get to work in ministry alongside such amazing 20-somethings.

Displace Me

2007-04-12T14:18:00.000-05:00

Ok, so everyone knows my burden for Africa. One organization that is doing a lot to benefit that continent is Invisible Children. (You can check out everything they're doing here.) They are doing this amazing event on April 28th called "Displace Me" to raise awareness of global poverty. Right now, almost 38,000 people have signed up to take part in this awesome opportunity in 15 cities around the country. Only 376 people have signed up for New Orleans, so I want to challenge all of you to check it out and try to commit if you can. I won't be able to make it due to church responsibilities, but if you can be there, I know it will rock your world.

Read this excerpt off the website, or just go read all of it.

"When Hurricane Katrina hit this country, we saw for the first time what a displaced American looks like. Now we’re asking you to voluntarily become displaced, leaving the comforts of your homes, to imagine for 24 hours what it’s like for the millions of people in Northern Uganda who have been displaced for more than ten years.

The Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) has abducted thousands of children, subjected them to torture or sexual violence and forced them to fight in a violent guerilla army for 21 years—making it the longest running war in Africa. In hopes of providing protection from this rebel militia, the Ugandan government forcibly evicted its Northern citizens from their homes—giving them 48 hours to relocate into camps. Today, more than 1.5 million Northern Ugandans remain far from secure, suffering nearly 1,000 deaths per week due to inhumane living conditions in the camps.

Alcoholism, sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS, inadequate sanitation and lack of education have caused immeasurable damage to two generations and the near-total destruction of Acholi culture. Water is scarce and people are reliant on food to be delivered by foreign aid. If the food isn’t delivered, the people starve. This April, the already meager rations delivered by the World Food Program to the camps will be cut in half due to lack of funding—with school feeding programs and support for HIV/aids victims soon to follow. This will indisputably increase the number of deaths among those already suffering from severe malnutrition—mostly among women, children and the elderly. That is why the timing of this event, and your participation are so crucial.

“Displace Me” is the nationwide event giving Americans the chance to respond.

By traveling to one of our 15 camps and gathering together, the strength of our size will make a visible statement to our government and media that the citizens of the U.S. demand action in ending the war in Northern Uganda, in order to send the Acholi people suffering in the camps and the abducted children back home. The point is to travel; the point is to become displaced yourself."Saturday, April 28, 2007 say “Displace Me” and leave your homes to bring them home.

CHALLENGED MUCH?

Day of Rest

2007-04-11T19:26:00.000-05:00

I took today off after an insanely crazy last few days. I love my job and I wonder everyday why has God chosen me to do His work. With the extreme honor of working at HPC comes extreme fatigue from time to time. Thank you, Mike Haman, for giving me the day off!! I slept til 10:30am (only woke up thanks to loud neighbors- gotta love apartment living), ate lunch on my couch with my man, went shopping with my mom, and spruced up our place with a little spring decor. Right now I am watching my amazing hubby do some housework so I can relax. It's truly a wonderful life. I am so looking forward to going to "work" tomorrow. Everyone there is like family to me, and I miss them when I can't see them!

I heard that this weekend we set a record attendance (even more than last year at the River Center). Praise God for all the lives brought to Christ and His everlasting grace. Last night's concert with Vicki Beeching, Rebecca St. James, and Delirious was great. I think about 1500 people gathered to rock out and worship our incredible Savior. Jesus has been so good to us and I really don't deserve it, but I sure am grateful for it!

One more thing- Chris and I have gotten the chance to become friends with an awesome guy in our church, Eric Doucet. He and his family are completely sold out to doing whatever it takes to serve God and his people. Check out their blog here.

Easter 2007

2007-04-09T18:51:00.000-05:00

We had the amazing privilege of serving at some of the Easter weekend services and it was such a blessing! The worship was absolutely incredible- it moved me to tears several times. The emotion of what Jesus did for me- filthy me- blows my mind. I just can't believe that He went through all that so my stupid, ridiculous, selfish sins could be erased and I could be close to my Father. Getting to serve with my husband is always a highlight for me, too. (Plus he looks really good in a suit!!)

I am so grateful that Pastors Dino and Delynn are so committed to HPC. They bring so much anointing, class, righteousness, humor and purity to every service. As always, they really stepped it up this time. Pastor Dino was raw, uncut, and honest about what Jesus endured for each of us. The altars were packed at every service. After fourteen years of being lead pastors, they are still as grateful today for what God has given them as they were when they first began. Thank God for his many blessings!

(Check out Lance LeBlanc's post on his Easter experience. It is strong!!)

Broken ankles and old friends.

2007-04-06T10:46:00.000-05:00

So, last night my fearless leader, Mike Haman, broke his ankle while playing an intense game of kickball with his 8 year old daughter. While sliding into home, he put his right foot underneath him and rolled on it, causing it to pop and break in a bad spot- he will be having surgery on Monday. Needless to say, he won't get to be a part of all of the Easter weekend services as we had planned, and he is majorly bummed out! As much as I hate this for him, I know that this staff is facing opposition, and that means something great is coming! Angie Bellard and Sherri May both have a broken foot, Pastor Dino's back has been hurting, and a very pregnant Gena slipped and fell on a wet floor in Jason's Deli. Add all this in top of sickness going around and Mike's ankle, and I know the devil is MAD! Let's continue to pray for the harvest this Easter- I can feel something amazing coming!!

Also, my old youth pastor from First Methodist lost his daughter, Marianna Wimberly, to lupus and Chrone's disease on Monday. Her brother and sister were friends of mine for a long time & we all grew up in church together and attended youth camps together throughout the years. Though I haven't spoken to them in quite some time, my heart and my prayers are with this family as they endure this difficult season ahead. You can read about all her life here- she was dedicated to making other people's lives better and worked with children in hospitals. I pray her life is a testimony to the grace and love of the Father.

New things

2007-04-05T16:30:00.000-05:00

So, Michael Griffis taught me how to add fun stuff to my blog. Look up and down the sidebar, and scroll all the way to the bottom. See all the stuff I added? Tell me what you think... I want comments!! I am still learning, but I am excited about the possibilities!!!

Also, we are showing the Passion of the Christ tonight at the Annex I at 9:30pm. After the movie, we will have a great time of worship. We hope you can make it tonight and to one of our seven weekend services. It is all going to be incredible as we remember the resurrection of our Savior!!!!

the biggest loser winner!

2007-04-04T10:06:00.000-05:00

Gotta give a shout-out to our boy, JP, who won the HPC Biggest Loser competition! The contestants started on Jan 9, and ended yesterday, April 3. The top 9 people lost a total of 197.7 pounds in just 12 weeks. JP came in first, losing 37.2 pounds and 14.1% total body weight! Terry placed fifth dropping a whopping 30 pounds and losing 9.6% of his weight. And our wonderful Pastor came in 7th, with a total loss of 17.7 pounds and 6.8% of his body weight.

These guys worked really hard and we are really proud of all of them. I wish I had bunches of money so we could treat them to big steak dinners! JP also won his division in the Fat Boy 5k Saturday!! Check out this great pic of his shocked expression after he was given his medal:

So go check out JP's blog right now- he's an awesome guy with some cool things to say. And he keeps it short and sweet, unlike me :)

Italy Trip

2007-04-03T13:17:00.000-05:00

In October, Chris and I will have the awesome opportunity to travel to Italy to bring the good news of our Savior to those precious people. We would love it if you would partner with us- we need prayer more than anything, and of course it takes money, too.

Here's why we are making this such a high priority in our lives:
**Did you know that every major religion except Islam is declining in Western Europe? Did you know that more than 250,000 cities, towns and villages in Europe have no Christian church? Did you know that Europe is now labeled as "Christophobic" and "anti-religious"?
**With the help of missionaries, the church in Africa is growing 50 times faster, and the church in Asia is growing 43 times faster than in Europe.
**In measuring church growth over the last century, Europe's rate was the lowest in the world. In fact, a new study shows that fewer than 7% of people go to church each week, and by 2040, the number of churchgoers is projected to drop to just 2%. ?
**TIME magazine called it (Europe) the darkest place in the world, spiritually speaking. (TIME magazine, June 8, 2003 Issue)
**More than 250,000 cities, towns and villages in Europe have no Christian church. (TIME magazine, June 8, 2003 Issue)
**Only .1% of Europe is Evangelical Christian

We are partnering with an awesome project called Italy for Christ. They have been around for over 20 years, dedicated to penetrate the country of Italy with the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are on this earth to populate Heaven and plunder Hell- That is why we are each raising $3500; that is why we would spend hours upon hours doing whatever it takes to raise that money; that is why Chris is taking off 8 days of work; and that is why it will be worth every penny we raise. Someone has to go there and tell people about the love of Jesus, and I am honored that God would choose to use us.

Please join with us in prayer for this amazing opportunity!!!!

Urgent Prayer Needs

2007-03-29T08:56:00.000-06:00

I know that there are millions of prayer needs out there right now, but I have a few I would love for you to join in with me for:

1. Bob Engram: God pulled him through his 12 hour surgery yesterday and He gets all the glory. Mr. Engram had a huge tumor in his throat and during surgery they had to remove some vital things, leaving him to speak with a voice box the rest of his life. His family is at his bedside and fighting over who gets to spend the most time with him. He is surrounded by love and knows that God is with him, but let's pray that the Lord's peace would just penetrate his hospital room and the hearts of those who love him!

2. The family of Melanie Moore: She passed away over the weekend from a brain aneurism. She was only in her 40s! She had been married and divorced twice when her daughter was killed in an awful car accident last year. She and her first husband (the child's father) reunited after her death and were remarried in August of last year. She was a teacher who impacted the lives of over 500 students. She was also our neighbor at my mom's home before she got married, and she blessed my mom's life tremendously. Her children and husband are devastated, so I pray that God's supernatural peace and comfort surround them. They have now lost two family members in just one year!

3. DeeDee Wilbert: Her only son, Drew, passed away this weekend at the age of 21. Mrs. Wilbert taught special-ed for many years, and she and my mom have been friends for ages. I had the privilege to teach with her at Broadmoor, and I know Drew had her heart. Please just join with me for her to have embrace the grace given to her by God so she can get through this terrible ordeal.

4. Tom Bell: He is a co-worker of my dad's and he fell down some stairs a couple hours ago and has slipped into a coma. Please pray for healing and restoration of his body and for his family to embrace God during this traumatic time.

Interesting how all of these prayer requests are for God's peace, comfort and grace. Isn't it good to know that He always offers them to us, but it's up to us to reach up and take hold of His promises for our lives?

Lauren Best of Song

2007-03-28T15:33:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to give a shout-out to my friend Lauren Best, AKA "LB". She has a great blog that you should totally check out here. She's one of those really amazing Christians that just make you wanna be better, and I love her for that!!! I think she's really one of the greatest people I have ever known, and she's definitely one of my very bestest friends. She doesn't judge me in my most obvious times of imperfection, she'd drop what she's doing if I needed her, and she's 100% completely committed to making Jesus famous worldwide. I love her!!!!!!!!!!!!

Check out her man's blog here. He's pretty great, too.

Elevate of the Month

2007-03-27T14:25:00.001-06:00

Please join me in congratulating Ms. Katie Fontenot for achieving the extraordinary award of becoming Elevate of the Month.
Katie is a true example of "the goal is more important than the role." She has a heart for outreach and a gift of making people feel included, valuable, and encouraged. You can always count on her to be happy and positive about any decision made. Katie serves with Michelle and Tiffany helping make Elevate possible and she works so hard at all that she does. Katie has a contagious heart for the Lord and passion for his people to find what she has- and she will do whatever it takes to make His name famous. If you see or talk with Katie make sure you congratulate her on this awesome achievement. Congratulations, Katie! We love you!

Fun Tuesdays

2007-03-27T14:01:00.000-06:00

Got a few words about a few things....

Weekend was awesome. I can't believe I get paid to do what I LOVE!!!

Check out JP's new blog. It's pretty cool, and he's a great friend, so check it out here.

Don't forget to watch American Idol tonight at 7 on Fox. Sanjaya will stink it up as always and make the whole competition look stupid, but hopefully he will be gone soon.

Chris and I are beginning to fundraise for our mission trip to Italy. Please pray for favor and finances!! (and contact me if you feel the need to give! :)

Big weekend!!

2007-03-23T15:38:00.000-06:00

First of all, if you're a dude, you need to be at HPC tomorrow at 8am. I know it's early, but we are having an awesome Men's Gathering with two great speakers... Plus you get two free meals. You'll be done by 12, but your world will probably never be the same. I mean, seems like a no-brainer to me.

Also, Zhenya Kasevich will be speaking at all the services this weekend. He is the pastor at Hillsong in Kiev, Ukraine and he is great! You may remember his message from the last time he was here:"Oh my gosh!" attitude (pronounced ah-tee-tood). His wife, Vera, is also a dynamic speaker, and their son, Roma, is the youth worship leader at their church (think Ukranian Joel Houston). They are such an incredible family and we are so excited to have them with us.

Also, Sunday morning we will have Reuben Morgan leading worship at all three services. That is definitely something you do NOT want to miss. He is absolutely amazing! His music has had a huge impact on my life and the lives of so many of my loved ones. Some of the songs we sing most here at HPC were written and/or recorded by him originally (like "Mighty to Save").

Sunday night I get to be a part of a women's leadership roundtable. I will get to hear from Vera Kasevich and Delynn, plus get to hang out with girls who love ministry as much as me. This is going to be such a cool weekend and I am pumped!!!

Great blog

2007-03-22T12:44:00.000-06:00

It's really hard to pick a favorite blog in the huge blogisphere we live in... but I have to highlight one of my favorites. Dan Ohlerking has an amazing blog full of great info. Dan also helps about 150 other people with their blogs, and is a big part of our blog's meek success. Besides being a computer genius, he is also an all around great guy and wonderful dad to all 587 of his children (just kidding- he has 5)! He has some great content as well as links to other great bloggers. It's definitely worth checking out.

Of course, I always recommend reading the websites of Mike Haman, Pastor Dino, and Late Nite. I am honored to get to be a part of so many great things happening around here!

GET RID OF SANJAYA!!!!!!!!!!!!

2007-03-21T15:17:00.000-06:00

If you watch American Idol, know anyone who watches American Idol, or live on planet Earth, you have probably heard about the worst singer/performer to grace the stage since William Hung... his name is Sanjaya Malakar.

Yes, he seemed halfway decent at auditions, and it was sweet that he cried more than his sister when she got cut and he made it, but he has been terrible ever since. Week after week, his performances literally make me cringe. I usually have to change the channel after mere seconds because I cannot stand to watch or listen anymore. What makes me sick is that so many great people have been sent home, and this Michael Jackson wannabe stays week after week. Last week he honestly looked like a little girl- curly hair, two earrings, tight clothes... if he could sing or perform like Mr. Jackson I could forgive him, but he's worse than the most horrendous karaoke.

What's worse is that there are websites out there promoting him so that he will win and American Idol producers will look like idiots. The voters are the ones who will look like idiots- we are the ones who got rid of Jennifer Hudson and Chris Daughtry so soon. Moral of the story: tune in tonight to see who goes home (because it won't be him, even though he is far worst). Watch next Tuesday so you can see my point. Feel free to disagree, but I will always have my humble, yet correct opinion! :)

Now everyone say, "God bless, Sanjaya." Jesus does love him and did die for him, but the top ten of American Idol is not his home!

great weekend, new attacks

2007-03-20T08:52:00.000-06:00

Chris and I had an awesome weekend! We got to hang out with his family in from out of town, got in a Holy Ghost throw-down for a few hours at Late Nite Saturday night, had the opportunity to eat dinner with an awesome couple, Gered and Brandi Lambert, and celebrated my best friend's birthday. Plus last night I got to stage direct at HP Women and got a great Word from Pastor Mike Haman (yes, he did preach at HP Women and it was incredible!)

For the past month or so, Chris and I have really been blissfully happy without a care in the world, and I knew that would make the devil mad. Boy, was I right! Within the past 24 hours I have dealt with three separate attacks. Poor ole' Satan... he tries so hard. Too bad for him that we are victorious in Christ and no weapon formed against us shall prosper. Even his best effort is useless against us when we have Jesus by our side. I know saying this will make him even more mad and he will just keep attacking- which isn't really so much fun- but I count it an honor to be persecuted because of Christ.

P.S. Gotta give a shout-out to my TERRIFIC friend, Stacey. She reads my blog and is just an amazing person in general.

the Matts are in town!!!

2007-03-16T14:24:00.000-06:00

We are SO excited that Chris' family is in town!!! We get to go hang out with them tonight in Slaughter, LA and then Lauren and Chase are coming over to spend the night with us! Tomorrow the parentals are coming to meet us and we are going shooting and hanging out most of the day. The trip will be MUCH too short, but I miss them A LOT and can't wait to spend as much time together as possible in the next 24 hours.

I had the opportunity yesterday afternoon to be part of the after-school program at the BR Dream Center and it was awesome. I had the pleasure of hanging out with an amazing 8 (going on 30) year old girl. She was sweet, well spoken, articulate, and has seen way too much violence at a young age. Her dad is in jail for killing two people, her brother is dead- victim of a shooting in the back as he tried to help a friend. Despite all this, she has big dreams for her life. I pray that God blesses me with the opportunity to positively affect her life and the lives of many other girls whose futures hang in the balance. Keep the BRDC in your prayers- God is doing huge things there and I am so honored to play even a tiny role.

A good Word and a prayer need!

2007-03-15T07:39:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Apryl Brignac challenged me with an awesome Word. We were discussing my improvement in the area of friendliness and overall good attitude, and she reminded me of a great scripture in Proverbs. The Bible says in Proverbs 11:25b (NIV) "...he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed." This really encouraged me. It's not that we should be nice to people just so that others will be nice to us- that's not our motivation. It is just great that God rewards us with kind words when we freely give them to others. Want to be refreshed? Encourage other people... if His Word is true- which it MOST DEFINITELY IS!- then He will bring people to you to lift you up as well!

Speaking of encouragement, please keep my dad in your prayers. He began a new job last week and the devil has been discouraging him. I am believing that this is a total God thing and that when my daddy displays patience and trust in the Lord, He will flood him with the blessings he has deserved for a long time.

Have an awesome day! I get to go hang out at the BR Dreamcenter later and I am PUMPED!

Love song

2007-03-14T10:10:00.000-06:00

I read something today that I had heard before, but really struck a chord in me this time. "Let my life be a love song to You." I am pretty sure it's a Casting Crowns song or something, and it's probably in the bible somewhere, but I saw it on a blog.

I mean, think about it. Do we really live every day showing love to our Father? I know that in my thoughts, my words and my actions, I am not always showing love. What if I recorded everything I thought, said and did on a daily basis- would that truly be a love song to God?

I want my life to be a love song to Him. I want him to look down and smile at me, knowing that I am exploding with love for Him. I know that I show Chris everyday how much I love him, but do I tell and show Jesus love as much as I tell my husband? Am I treating a man better than my Lord? After all, Jesus is my Savior, my lover, my friend, my father, my everything... let my life be a love song to Him!!!

Congrats, Alisha and Shaun Gyger!

2007-03-13T07:53:00.000-06:00

This weekend we traveled to Ovideo, Florida to see Chris' cousin, Alisha, marry the man of her dreams! It was a beautiful wedding, and love was definitely in the air. Not only did Alisha and Shaun look obviously blissfully happy and in love, but the family and friends there made love even more present. Alisha has two great sets of parents and they all united together to make this day extra special for her.

We got to spend some quality time with Chris' mom, aunts, uncles, cousins- the whole fam! Aunt Donna and Randy gave us a great place to stay and lots of food :) We got to hang out with Kayla and Jacob, who we love. It was a great time.....

Until we went to leave on Sunday- our flight got delayed three hours (due to maintanance), we get on the plane, fly around a while, then they decide it's to dangerous to fly any higher because of cabin pressure issues. Why they put us on the plane in the first place is beyond me. Anyway, then they realize we were too heavy to land, so we circled Florida a few times, then landed back in Orlando. Once at the airport, we discovered they had no alternative route for us unless we got back on a broken plane, so we forked out more money, stayed in the airport hotel, and woke up the next day at 4:45am to get on another flight home. It was joyous. (I later found out some people got back on the plane, only for it to be broken AGAIN!)

We had a great time anyway. Late Nite was awesome and so was the missions seminar. So, pretty much it was a beautiful weekend overall!

Goooooooin' to the chapel...

2007-03-09T12:09:00.000-06:00

and we're gonnnnnna get marrrrrried!!! Chris and I are traveling to the huge (haha) city of Ovieda, Florida this weekend for his cousin Alisha's wedding. She is marrying an awesome guy and we are excited to get away for a couple days. We won't be at Late Nite this weekend (SAD), but Mike is going to BRING IT with an awesome message about missions. I am so upset about missing this time, since missions is SO my heart... I will definitely be ordering this one.

Also, don't forget (another thing I have to miss)- the missions seminar is tomorrow from 8am-1pm here at the Highland Campus. If you are remotely interested on going on any mission trip this year, you must attend this workshop. It will be fun and really informative, and it's the first mandatory step in the application process for mission trips.

Check out http://www.joycemeyer.org/Cambodia/ to see an awesome work we are partnering with this year. Thank God for churches and people who are so KINGDOM minded- who aren't just worried about their church or their zip code, but take seriously what Jesus said in Matthew 28:19- "Go and make disciples of all nations..."

Have an awesome weekend!

Happy Birthday to Mike!

2007-03-08T14:34:00.000-06:00

Today is my amazing boss' birthday! He is turning 33, which he so wonderfully pointed out this morning is the age Jesus died at. Last night he found out he and Rachel are having a baby boy! I was going to try and get him a present, but nothing could beat that.

Mike is really such a man of high integrity and strong character who lives up to his word. He is dependable, responsible, loving, patient, and gracious. Everyone wish him a happy birthday when you see him next. He has made a HUGE impact on a lot of lives over his ten years in ministry, including my own.

P.S. My husband is still the greatest man to walk the earth since Jesus... in my humble, but correct opinion.

Strep throat is of the devil

2007-03-07T14:28:00.000-06:00

So, this weekend my hubby gave me an amazing present. It was huge and pink and worth lots of dollars- STREP THROAT!!! He had it last week, and gave it to me. It was the worst case I have ever had- I get it like once a year. I couldn't even swallow a tiny little Advil! And then the doctor gave me these horse pill antibiotics that were impossible to get down. Chris just got a shot and was better in 24 hours, but I am a wuss so I opted for the pill. Big mistake. I was in bed Sunday through Tuesday. I attempted to do a few things on Monday, but that didn't turn out too well for me. I left Chick Nite before it even started bawling crying because I was in so much pain. I made Chris come home from his life group and take care of me. Then I cried so hard I choked and couldn't breathe. That was fun. I hadn't slept in a week- first because Chric was sick, tossing and turning- and then because I was sick- in pain, unable to swallow my own spit, coughing, and nauseas. Yesterday I was really starting to feel better until I took my medicine. It had me laid out, fatigued, feeling like I was going to throw up for 4 hours, so I decided no more pills. Last night I gave it to God and His healing, and this morning I woke up feeling great. My throat is still sore and I am trying not to talk too much (haha), but God has healed me and I am soooo grateful!

Please pray protection over our team. Terry has been sick today, Kristin's head has been getting bad again, I was sick, Chris was sick, Stacey O. and her kids have been really sick, a virus has been going around the nursery, Angie/Marc/Romaine were all sick last week- the devil's mad at what we're up to, but we will not give him what he wants! We will be victorious!

WOW Jam!!

2007-03-02T16:50:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow is WOW Jam at Gus Young Park. This is going to be a slammin' time of blessing the inner city community. We will be doing makeovers, stuff with kids, and all kinds of other great activities... followed by a time of worship and teaching. Chris and I will be serving in the "Kids Corner". (Where else would I be? Duh! Little inner city kids are my most favorite people... besides Africans.) Anyway, I know God is going to do something amazing- lots of seeds will be sown and lots of souls will be brought into the Kingdom. Then on Sunday, everyone who dedicates their life to Christ will get baptized in that same park! How awesome is that?!

Everyone pray for this event. This is the first huge, key thing the Baton Rouge Dream Center is doing to reach out to the community around them. And if you can't make it- see you tomorrow night at Late Nite!!!!!!!!

the challenge... you up for it?

2007-03-01T13:25:00.000-06:00

THIRTY-NINE... "Thirty-nine days til Easter, thirty-nine stripes our Lord took for us." That's one of the many great things Pastor Dino said this morning at staff meeting, but this one stuck. I pray that in the next thirty-nine days I put aside my role, my ego, my logo, my selfishness and go after THEM for HIM. His grace was ushered into my life, and it's my turn to help usher it into others' lives. For every stripe He took for me, I want to give something back to Him.

This is the time to step it up and lay it down. Step up our passion, our worship, our devotion, our love, our compassion, our sacrifice... and lay down our agenda, our selfishness, our pride, our egos, what we want... all to see the lost come to know their Savior. Jason said something really cool last night at One Way- there are about 22 prominent world religions. Almost all of them pray, they all have values and beliefs, most have been around for a long time... So what's different about ours? Christianity is the only one with a SAVIOR! And it's our turn to spread the Word!

What are you going to do in the next 39 days to make sure everyone knows about Him? As we worshiped last night, I looked around and felt overwhelmed with joy. In front of me stood pastors and worship leaders ushering in His presence. To my left was my mom, who just started coming to church with me a year or two ago, and is now such a testimony to the work of the Lord. Next to her was Krystle, my best friend of 10 years who has just rediscovered the love of Jesus in her life. On my right was my amazing husband- God's greatest gift to me. And next to Him stood two of our great friends, Robbie and Jason, who have helped shape him into the man of God that he is.

Someone came after all of us... who are you going after?

One Way!!

2007-02-28T10:35:00.000-06:00

Tonight we are having our first One Way of 2007 and I am fired up! I can't wait to come together with all the campuses to worship. It's always such an awesome time! This service begins a 40 day countdown to Easter. Over the next 40 days we will reach out to the inner-city through WOW Jam, have tremendous services with Christine Caine (including Chick Nite March 5), watch the HPC Arena begin to progress and host many other events. This is a crucial time for HPC and we need to be in prayer throughout these 40 days. I believe it will be a season like no other. God is blessing and people are being reached!

Also, from tonight til Friday, the our staff will be hosting the "HPC Experience". 28 pastors and staff from churches all over the country are coming here to learn how we do what we do. What an honor that people would travel so far to learn from a church that's only 14 years old!! We are so humbled that God has chosen to use us in this way.

P.S. Today is Chris' first day at his new job! Everyone pray, pray, pray!!!!

Finished book, new opportunities!

2007-02-26T17:07:00.000-06:00

So I finished The Barbarian Way less than a week after I started it. I really think it changed my life... I will not settle for domesticated Christianity anymore! Just call me "Barbarian"!!!!

Also, after months of struggling financially and wondering about Chris' job future, God totally hooked him up with a job with a huge future. Chris will be working for AppOne, Lee Domingue's company. What an opportunity! They are really sticking their neck out for Chris, and I know he is going to step up and get the job done with excellence and humility. Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness!

Remembering an amazing man....

2007-02-21T11:54:00.000-06:00

I just left the funeral for Warriner Siddle, an incredible man of God. He was never satisfied- He always wanted more out of life and wanted to give everything inside Him to Jesus. He lived the way I hope to live- the barbarian way. Warriner received a new liver seven years ago and he thought of it as a second chance at life. He went to Africa on a mission trip and almost died because of complications between the transplant and a necessary shot he had to get. His wife, Ms. Trudy, says he had 9 lives. Warriner was a world record setting, gold medal winning power lifter. He sang in the choir, was involved in Pioneers, and helped head up Cooking for Christ. Whatever he did- he did it for Jesus and to further his Kingdom. He lived a very abundant life. He was praying for healing this year, and God gave it to him. He took him home to be with Jesus and party in Heaven. His funeral was truly a celebration of life filled with people who loved him.

Thanks for inspiring us all, Warriner. You are missed.

Being a Barbarian for Jesus

2007-02-20T15:06:00.000-06:00

So this weekend we were able to go see my Grammy in Lake Charles. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! I have never played so many games of Crazy Eights in my life! We laughed so hard that we cried. I got some clothes, some vintage jewelry, and a new book. In the last month or so, I have read The Freedom Writers Diary and Tuesdays With Morrie. I loved both, but I have really felt that this year was my year to become a radical, bold, raw follower of Christ. I have heard great things about a book that helps to "unleash the untamed faith within", so I picked it up this weekend. I started it this morning, and right now I am a third of the way through. It's called The Barbarian Way by Erwin McManus and it is INCREDIBLE!

I wanted to share a couple lines that really struck me from the pages I have read. "Jesus understood His purpose was to save us not from pain and suffering, but from meaninglessness." Can we say "STRONG"? This life isn't supposed to be peaches and cream. Amazing Christians go through intense hardships. I mean look at Paul, Stephen, and so many others. The best people on earth go through some of the most difficult trials, and sometimes God's plan is not to save us from it, but to use us through it. So many pastors preach prosperity, like it's just something that comes along with loving Jesus. Meanwhile, there are missionaries in third world countries being killed by witch doctors. Jesus called us to live a dangerous life- I mean do we really think he died for us so we could be constantly comfy?

The second line was this:"Have we become so refined and so civilized that the benefits of our faith have become more precious and more valuable to us than the Benefactor of our faith?... Rather than living a long life, are you willing to live a life worth living?" Thank you, Jesus, for forgiving me when I put my life, my routine, my schedule, my comfort above You. Though I want to live a long life and have had many years of ministry when I die, my life will have been worth nothing if I ignore the calling God has placed on me because it is uncomfortable! Leaving my family and friends to go to Africa scares the daylights out of me, but what scares me more is not living the destiny God has placed in me...

God, make me raw, uncivilized, passionate, bold, hungry, and barbaric for You!!!

Linking

2007-02-16T16:25:00.000-06:00

So, I have added several links on my sidebar. I highly recommend all the blogs that I have links to. You should check 'em out. They are such a blessing to me. And thanks to Dan "the blog man" Ohlerking, who finally got my sitemeter fixed on here. I never could keep track of whether people were actually reading or not (since NO ONE leaves me any comments!!)

Also, don't forget about Late Nite tomorrow night. Mike is talking about the man on the mat. No, not Chris Matt... another mat guy.

Sunday we are going to see my Grammy!!! I am SO excited. Chris got a day off (praise Him), so we are taking Sunday and Monday to go see her. Mom is coming, too, which is great since she's been in the Bahamas for a week. I have been going CRAZY without her! I guess I need to get used to it if I really wanna spend time in Africa in a couple years.

Ok, see you tomorrow night!

Cool Valentine's Day Facts

2007-02-14T11:07:00.000-06:00

FUN FACTS:

-According to American Greetings, Americans probably began exchanging hand-made valentines in the early 1700s (um...even though America didn't exist until 1776, so maybe they mean the Americas?). In the 1840s, Esther A. Howland began to sell the first mass-produced valentines in America.
-An estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year, making Valentine's Day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year. (An estimated 2.6 billion cards are sent for Christmas.)
-Approximately 85 percent of all valentines are purchased by women. In addition to the United States, Valentine's Day is celebrated in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, France, and Australia.

HISTORY: WHO WAS VALENTINE?

-One legend contends that Valentine was a priest who served during the third century in Rome. When Emperor Claudius II decided that single men made better soldiers than those with wives and families, he outlawed marriage for young men -- his crop of potential soldiers. Valentine, realizing the injustice of the decree, defied Claudius and continued to perform marriages for young lovers in secret. When Valentine's actions were discovered, Claudius ordered that he be put to death.
-Other stories suggest that Valentine may have been killed for attempting to help Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were often beaten and tortured.
According to one legend, Valentine actually sent the first 'valentine' greeting himself. While in prison, it is believed that Valentine fell in love with a young girl -- who may have been his jailor's daughter -- who visited him during his confinement. Before his death, it is alleged that he wrote her a letter, which he signed 'From your Valentine,' an expression that is still in use today. Although the truth behind the Valentine legends is murky, the stories certainly emphasize his appeal as a sympathetic, heroic, and, most importantly, romantic figure. It's no surprise that by the Middle Ages, Valentine was one of the most popular saints in England and France.

New hair :)

2007-02-12T17:04:00.000-06:00

So, I just chopped off all my hair and I love it! Check out the pictures... hope you like it, too!

Let's talk about faith... faith...faith!

2007-02-08T11:29:00.000-06:00

You remember that song? It's says let's talk about faith faith faith, or gotta have faith faith faith, or something. Anyway, this weekend at Late Nite Pastor Mike will deliver a strong message on faith. You won't wanna miss it- it's something we all could use a bigger dose of in life. Apparently he informed the congregation at Life U last night that you're not a dangerous Christian until you've been to Late Nite on Saturday night at 7:30. So, I send out the same challenge to you! Be hardcore for Jesus and come see us this weekend!

P.S. Tomorrow is K-lo's (aka Kristin Rentz, aka future Mrs. Thibodeaux) 25th birthday! Make sure you tell her happy birthday and remind her how much you love her :)

The word of the day is.....

2007-02-02T14:10:00.000-06:00

FAITHFUL! That word has just been sticking out like crazy! This week Pastor Dino and Pastor Mike have both told Chris how faithful he is to the House. Today, someone told me the same thing. And as always, God has been so faithful to us. We have a little extra cash this month again and we are able to bless others. He's just been hookin' us up bigtime.

Also, I wanted to share something from staff meeting yesterday. Lance LeBlanc (Annex Campus Pastor, Creative Team Director and HPC Goofball) taught and all of his fourteen points hit hard! We all got rolled up. One thing that hit me hard was the connection between the tithe and my paycheck. He was telling us to be grateful for what we make and not complain... he brought up the point that there's thousands of people who work their buns off and then give their money to the church so that we can do what we all LOVE to do. It doesn't seem fair... so many work blue collar jobs, labor all day, some work 60 hours a week- then they come to church on Sunday and give God His 10% and part of that goes to us. I am so grateful that I get to do this everyday. Plus, God has given us such a special calling. I pray that I never ever take it for granted, and if I do- someone roll me up again!

Vision Night 07

2007-01-31T07:36:00.000-06:00

Sunday night we gathered as a church to hear from Pastor Dino about his vision for us in 2007... He also filled us in on some great things that God did through us in '06. I am so honored to be part of such a giving church: over $1 million to missions and outreach, 65,000 meals served by Cooking for Christ, 1300 free medical encounters, a miracle offering of almost $600,000 over and above tithes, 1800 Christmas vouchers given away at $25 dollars each (that's $45, 000!), and most importantly- 1400 recorded salvations!!! Thank you, Jesus, for what you have done!!

2007 is going to be amazing with 2 campuses in D-ville, the BR Dreamcenter, the new campus in Mozambique, almost 15 missions trips, a national women's conference, HPCTV reaching almost 600,000 homes, and Thirty Days of Hope for Cambodia. We are praying that God prepares us to be used in such a powerful way. NONE of this will happen without Him.

I pray that God makes me more passionate, more radical and more bold. Basically, I am going to have to get uncomfortable and step out for Jesus more than ever, but I want to be a "kamikaze Christian", as Mike Haman would say! We are the generation that can change the world for Him, so what are we waiting for?!

Good news!

2007-01-26T08:06:00.000-06:00

We have extended the 24 hour prayer room for another week. We as an HPC staff are committed to praying for the needs of the church, as well as for salvation of the lost. It's pretty cool to know that 24 hours a day, someone is praying for those who are hurting, who do not yet know Christ. If you or someone you know has a need, please fill out a prayer request card at church or online. Those card are prayed over every day... your need will not go unnoticed!

Also, I wanted to share with you a cool movement that's going on to help kids in Africa.
Check out this blurb from their website.
"Invisible Children, Inc. changes culture, policy, and lives through collisions of poverty and power. The Mission is the ultimate goal of Invisible Children—the resources, skills, and funds that hit the ground in Uganda, providing healthcare, safety, employment, and education. Invisible Children, Inc. believes that changing the lives of people in underprivileged areas is just as important as changing lives in the western world. The only way change can come in Uganda, and other places in need, is to educate and empower the rest of the world to do something. One of the darkest things about Africa is the rest of the world’s ignorance towards it."

I am so happy that so many people are finally getting on-board to help Africa. With all the tragedies there- in Uganda, Rwanda, the AIDS epidemic, millions of orphans- I am thrilled that people are finally doing more than just taking notice- they are taking action! Of course, organizations like Children's Cup and Mission of Mercy have been doing amazing things for years to bring the hope of Christ to the people there. Chris and I want to one day do work in Africa through Children's Cup... they are some of the best people in the world. Please pray for these organizations... donate money when and if you can. Your pocket change goes a long way in these countries.

Hunger pains and the prayer room

2007-01-24T14:20:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I am hungry. Really, really hungry. I'm such a wimp! I am on Day 3 and already having trouble. But, what's so cool is that I know my hunger is bringing me closer to God through sacrifice. Plus, He really does speak to me loud and clear when I honestly put Him first. It's so cool.

Also, I know I talked about our 24 hour prayer room yesterday, but I cannot tell you how amazing that place is. You walk in the room and can feel the anointing just dripping down. The Spirit is so thick in that place. There's a map to pray over countries, a station for taking communion, a table with books and papers where people wrote scriptures, and chairs to sit and meditate in. It's the greatest place. It's so neat how a meeting room can turn into a throne room for the Father. I plan on being in there everyday for the rest of the week, and I hope you do, too. Don't be surprised if God rocks your world while you're in there. He has definitely rocked mine!

Prayer and Fasting

2007-01-23T12:18:00.000-06:00

The words "prayer" and "fasting" are not the most popular words in the Church, and especially not in America. We live in a land of ease and convenience. We want everything pre-packaged, fast and right now! Sacrifice? What's that? But ultimately, we have to sacrifice for God. I mean, just look at what He has done for us- not only sending Jesus, but giving us his grace, mercy, love, compassion, strength and hope all the time-even when we deserve it least. It is when we quiet the voices inside our head and in the outside world that we can best hear from God. (Though the voices inside my tummy sometimes interfere with my fasting!)

Yesterday we started 14 days of intense prayer and fasting. This week we will have prayer 24 hours a day in the Creative Room at the Annex leading up to Vision Night this Sunday, January 28. There will be a staff person there at all times to open up the room to anyone who wants to join. We really want to concentrate on the lost during this time. We want to get loud and crazy remembering the lost and asking for God's grace to touch them as it has touched us. The truth is, someone probably spent a long time praying for each of us before we sold out to Jesus.

So take the next couple weeks and commit them to God- pray and fast and throw down with the Holy Ghost. Do whatever it takes to reach the next level with God as we get into '07!!

First Late Nite of '07

2007-01-16T15:38:00.000-06:00

We kicked off Late Nite '07 this past Saturday and it was a BLAST! The worship team served up an amazing time with the Father, Mike challenged us on our spiritual fitness and being "hurried" in our spiritual life, and then we got to watch the Saints beat the Eagles on the big screen!! What more could you ask for?

Check out our new website... it's healingplacechurch.org, click the ministries drop-down bar and hit Late Nite. You can read all about "the crew", new life groups, and all kinda fun stuff. David Song did a great job setting it up for us, and T.O. came up with all the info and the general design. He also wrote the funny blurbs about everyone... so anyway, just check it out.

Can't wait to see everyone this Saturday night. If you stick around after we'll have a slammin' life group fair and some nacho libres!!! Really, we'll just have nachos, but it's going to be super fun!

It's me, Grace, again

2007-01-11T12:58:00.000-06:00

Ok, so I pretty much think God is trying to teach me something. It seems like everywhere I go the word "grace" is brought up. I knew it was something I need to work on- having grace with others- but the signs are getting pretty obvious. As I blogged yesterday, God really gave me a word about His grace being sufficient in my life. I recently became reaquainted with an old friend, who has a child named Grace. Everywhere I go I hear about grace. I think all the time about how much grace people have with me when I act stupid... and this morning the first song at staff meeting was "Your grace is enough." I have told you before that sometimes- well, usually- God has to smack me over the head to get a point across... Once again, consider me "smacked."

Call me out when I don't have grace with you... it's one of my goals for 2007, and I want the accountability.

P.S. I love this church! After one song at staff meeting today, Pastor told us that the TBN lady told him that we were the best church she's ever worked with in the entire country, and we should be the prototype for everyone else. He told her we are the best staff on the planet... then he canceled the meeting and took us to Frank's! I love this place!

His grace is sufficient

2007-01-10T09:19:00.000-06:00

That verse in the bible (2 Corinthians 12:9) took on a whole new meaning for me today as Stacey and I discussed His grace in our lives. Her mom had called her cell phone and left a really cute message, and Stacey said something about having one the greatest moms on the planet. As well all know, I ADORE my mother, so we got to talking about it. As we talked, we contemplated the fact of how truly blessed we are to have such great parents. I mean, really- I was born in America to a middle-class family, I have ALWAYS had food on the table at least three times a day, put there by two very present and active parents. They still help me financially when I need it and they helped put me through Elevate so that I could live my dream... and now I get to work at the greatest church in the entire world, with the most amazing people on earth and do what I love every single day. I am married to this incredible man of God (who happens to be my very best friend) and we have a great place with brand new things. On top of all that, God has put more dreams in my heart that I know He will bring me through.

I was not born in Cambodia or Uganda or somewhere that disease runs wild and poverty is the norm. His grace in my circumstances is enough to constantly fill me. But He doesn't stop there- He pours out His grace in a new way every single day! He pours it out when I ask for it and when I don't deserve it. He unleashes His amazing grace all over my life- in my heart, mind and spirit. Without that grace, I would be the ugly, drunk, messed up girl I once was... but this prodigal daughter came back... and He was there- once again- with open arms... and now I get to live a life I once only dreamed of.

His grace is sufficient for me.

Late Nite '07!!

2007-01-09T14:28:00.000-06:00

Only four days til we kick off Late Nite '07!! We are super pumped to see the amazing things that God is going to do this year. I am so honored to get to be part of the team making it happen. Who woulda thought, just a few years ago, that God would use ME of all people?! It is a very humbling thing to see His grace in action. I have really felt a call to holiness the last few days. I mean, we are all called to be holy (in the Greek, to be "set apart"), but this change has taken my awareness of it to a whole new level. HATE sin and LOVE righteousness. That's what we gotta do. Mike sometimes refers to me as a "Kamakaze Christian" because I am so "hard core"... others sometimes remind me to work on having grace with people... but I will not be easy on myself in this area. My pursuit of excellence is only going to increase this year, and I will not apologize for it!!

On another note... my mom and I went to go see Freedom Writers last Friday afternoon. WHAT a good movie! There was a couple rough spots, but overall, I went away with such a feeling of "I can do anything" and it was great. It's a true story about a teacher who changes the lives of some kids who had a really tough life in Long Beach after the Rodney King riots. Race relations there were horrible. They all killed each other just for their color- and not just black and white, but hispanic and Asian as well. Last night, Chris and I went to Barnes & Noble so I could buy the book. When we got home, I couldn't put it down. The book is journal entries from the students over their four years in Ms. Gruwell's class. As much as I love the inner city, you must KNOW I love this book!

Finally, I would like to pledge to blog more... my loyal blog readers have gotten annoyed with my lack of blogging- I will promise to make time for it... but ONLY if you sometimes leave me comments so I know you are out there!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year!

2007-01-04T11:38:00.000-06:00

So, a LOT has happened since my last post... which is why I haven't posted. Busy times... Here's a recap.
We delivered loads of toys and clothes to an amazing inner city family because of your generosity. We attended like 10 Christmas functions. We spent 6 days in Texas for Chase's 17th birthday and New Years where we played a riveting game of monopoly that I ruled!!! Chris my husband, Chris my brother, and I all got really sick. We drank yoohoos and hung out with great family... That's it in a nutshell. Check out some pics...

I hate making New Years resolutions because they are hard to keep. I prefer short term goals. However, there are two things I WILL do this year. 1. Live a healthier lifestyle- especially eating. We went wild over the holidays and now its back to getting in shape! There are some pants in my closet I intend to fit into in the next few months.... 2. Spend more time in God's Word. After Elevate I was actually tired of reading the bible because we had to read it SO much, and as I have gotten back into it, I have realized how much I really missed it. I love to read the Bible... so this year I WILL make sure to make time for it.

Anyway... that's it for today... have a great rest of the week!!

Late Nite Social a huge success!

2006-12-19T11:21:00.000-06:00

We had our first Late Nite Social this past Saturday and it was AWESOME! We ate GREAT food, watched a great video, heard great testimonies and statistics, gave out great awards to some great people, and had a GREAT time!!! Even though it took over 6 hours of set-up, lots of people stuck around after the party to help out and we got everything torn down and put away in just over one hour! Praise ye the Lord!!! We have such amazing leaders and volunteers who are willing to do whatever it takes- I love HPC people!! I love this church...........

Yay for Chick Day!

2006-12-12T13:26:00.000-06:00

This weekend was so busy, but so fun! Chick Day was incredible. I know so many girls poured all their blood, sweat and tears into it and it definitely paid off. The food was great, the fashion show was the funniest thing I have ever seen, and the message April Simons brought was truly life-changing... the shopping was great, too. I got to hang out with my mom and we had a blast! I love my mom. She's really the greatest. She's definitely my very best friend besides Chris... I really can't say enough nice things about her. And yesterday I got to hang out with my daddy... He's the greatest, too. I've always been such a daddy's girl. It's truly a blessing to have such a strong relationship with my Father in Heaven AND get to have such amazing parents here on earth. It's something I do not take for granted. Plus I have the greatest husband, brother, and in-laws. I mean, what else does a girl need?

The devil tried really hard to steal my joy yesterday- like REALLY hard. And I did break down and cry a couple times, but after I was done, I was able to thank God for His blessings and put all my faith and trust in Him again. I know I have made progress in that area, and yet I still feel that I have so far to go. But to be honest, it's way better to just trust him and remember all the times He has come through instead of worrying and crying.

So Devil, just keep on trying. It only strengthens me. During this holiday season I am going to keep my eyes on the One who gave it all for me.

Staff Christmas Party

2006-12-08T17:01:00.000-06:00

We had our annual staff Christmas party today at the Country Club of Louisiana. It was a great time of food, hanging out, laughing, and reflecting. It's so much fun seeing everyone all in one place!

The Year in Review video was once again HI-larious! Lance and his team did such a great job. I was crying I was laughing so hard. Six fellow staff members got up and spoke about their most memorable moments from the year. They had us both laughing and crying. It really has been a great year. I feel so incredibly blessed and honored to get to do life with these people. I have made the best friends I could ever ask for, met the man of my dreams, and I get to do what I love every single day. Life is grand, ain't it?

What this season is all about

2006-12-06T14:24:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to let you all know of an opportunity to help the less fortunate this year. I know many of you give through projects at your churches or through other organizations… but there is a family that is very close to our heart that needs help. Through inner city ministry years ago, Sarah Haviland and I met this lady (Ms. Maude) who has over 20 grandchildren. They live in a very poor area of Baton Rouge and the children sleep 2-4 per bed. Their living conditions look like something out of a third world country.

We thought about just going through the HPC Christmas gift delivery, but because of the large number of kids and the low number of donations, we have decided to adopt them ourselves and make their Christmas as special as possible. We are going to do all the leg-work (gift buying, gift wrapping, gift delivering, etc.)… All we need are some donors that would be willing to give financially so that we can make this happen for these great kids. If you feel in your heart that this is something you would like to be a part of, please leave a comment, send an email or call me as soon as possible so we can work something out.

Here are some pictures from last year...

A phone call...

2006-12-06T14:15:00.000-06:00

So, I have decided to terminate my advertising everyday what I am grateful for due to the fact that people who check our blog daily has dropped to half of what it used to be. Obviously, my blog watchers don't enjoy it, so I'll change it up a bit. However, I still intend on thinking constantly about what I am thankful for.

While I was watching the front desk for Stacey today at lunch, the sweetest lady called. Her name is Ms. Pauline and she can barely see. She was looking for John 9 in her bible and couldn't find it and was getting kind of upset. I figured out that she was looking in 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, so I talked her through it and got her back to the Gospel of John. Turns out, John 9 is the story about Jesus healing the blind man. She was so desperate to find that story about healing to help her keep the faith. She begged me to pray for her eyes to be healed, and she told me about her financial problems because she can't get a job with her vision, and she can't get a car until she gets a job. It just made me think about everything I have... which I know I have been blogging on for a couple weeks... Anyway, she totally made my day. She thanked me a hundred times. I just wanted to reach through the phone and give her a big hug. If you think about it today, please pray for her. She still believes in the power of God, and so do I.

Day 15 of gratitude

2006-12-05T14:16:00.000-06:00

I love the holidays! I love the cool air and the Christmas parties and everything that comes with it! This week we have our staff party as well as the Chick Day. It's going to be super fun.

Also, as you have noticed by now, I switched up the blog template. I got bored of the other one and this one seemed more my style. Thank goodness for Dan Ohlerking who came to my blogging rescue. This template was missing some things I need and his geniusness added them for me.

Something else really cool happened today... I heard from a friend I haven't talked to in years, and we got to chat for a long time. She is having a hard time because her family just found out her dad has panchriatic cancer. He is going to M.D. Anderson this weekend for some tests... if it hasn't spread, they can go in for surgery and hopefully get it out. So, we're praying for that or just miraculous healing. If it spreads, this cancer is very deadly, so please keep Katie and her family in your prayers.

And here's a few more things I am grateful for...

A happy, healthy family.

Lots of free meals this week.

A job where people come before paperwork.

Holiday parties!

My really hot and amazing husband.

Cute shoes ( I mean maybe it's superficial, but at least I am grateful :)

All the great things organizations like Children's Cup do for the poor and the hurting.

Look at my other baby....

2006-12-04T17:43:00.000-06:00

This is Wally... my cat. My original baby... who is treated like my child. He even has a stocking on our mantle and gets lots of Christmas presents. Luckily, he and Chris have grown to really love each other, too. (Good thing since he is the third body in our bed and takes up a LOT of space.)I felt the need to share something else I am SO grateful for!!!

Slumber Party!!

2006-12-04T17:29:00.000-06:00

Today, I am grateful for all the Elevate girls who came over Friday night! We had so much fun!!! I loved having fun girl time to watch girlie movies, talk girlie talk, and eat lots of junk!Here are some fun pics...

(These are Kat's cool cat PJ's... oh yes, they're hot...GRRR!)

Oh, and props to my man for giving up his house so we could all have a night of "holiday frosting and girl bonding." :)

Cool quote for the weekend

2006-12-01T15:33:00.000-06:00

Since the liklihood of my posting over the weekend is slim, I wanted to leave you with a cool quote. It's a Joel Osteen quote, but Brooke reminded me of it yesterday...

"Stop talking to God about how big your mountains are... and start talking to your mountains about how big your God is."

I LOVE IT!

It's gonna be a great month!

2006-12-01T12:45:00.000-06:00

The month of December is my favorite month of the year... people are nicer, the weather is great, people actually talk about Jesus, we get to give and receive presents, and we get to have parties!! Tonight I am having a little Christmas slumber party for the girls in Elevate full-time.

I really felt that God wanted me to connect with these girls on another level, and I thought this would be a great opportunity to do it. They are all amazing women of Christ and challenge me all the time to grow and learn and be more on fire for Jesus. I can't wait for tonight!!

Tomorrow, Chris and I get to go have our pictures taken and our Christmas cards made! I am so excited that this is our first Christmas as a married couple! People have asked why we don't just get a wedding picture put on a card, but there are a couple reasons I decided against it. #1, this is a Christmas card, not a wedding card. #2, we wanted a card to commemorate our first holiday together to cherish for years to come. Anyway, I am really excited :)

Also, we played this video at church a couple months back and Pastor Dino has it on his blog- http://216.70.117.172/me_english.htm. Check it out- it might rock your world.

And here are some more things I am grateful for- day 11 of my new great habit!!!

I am thankful for the extra money God gave us so that I could put together this little party for some amazing girls and get some beautiful Christmas cards made.

I am thankful for cable TV so I can watch The Practice every morning and Without a Trace every night.

I am thankful for Children's Cup and the events they put on and the love they give those special kids in Africa who all have my heart.

I am thankful for friends who offer to cook for us.

I am thankful for a job I love to come to every day.

I am thankful for a husband who trusts God first, and me second with our finances.

I am thankful for all the recent campaigns to fight the tragedies in Africa.

Until next time....

Ten days of Thanks!

2006-11-30T09:26:00.000-06:00

So, it's Day 10 of my new thankfulness habit formation (kinda of sounds like something geological, eh?) It's amazing how great things are when you see them from this perspective. Perspective can really change everything. As cheesy as it may be for me and as boring as it may be for you, listing things I am grateful for has really been amazing for my heart... and my brain. I suggest everyone do it a few times a week- and no repeating answers!

I am thankful for a mom who loves to come to my little apartment to hang out with me and my husband and tells me how great my cooking is (when it's terrible in comparison to hers, and after I had to call her 37 times to ask how to fix what I messed up while making it!)

I am thankful for a true ministry job, where ministry really, actually, truly comes first.

I am thankful that I get to listen to all the Elevaters preach- it's not only encouraging to see God speaking through them, but I learn a LOT from them.

I am thankful that we have bunches of Christmas parties to go to :)

I am thankful for the Home Depot gift cards Chris got at his honeydo shower because we got a great Christmas tree, wreath, and poinsetta- all for free!!

I am thankful that God hooks me up with free lunches and cool ways.

I am thankful for SALVATION! Guess that one should have been the very first!!!

Day 8 and happy turkeys!!!

2006-11-28T09:55:00.000-06:00

So, we went to Texas for four wonderful days over the break... It was SUCH a good time. Of course I got really sick on Friday and have stayed sick ever since, but it was still very enjoyable. I think I gained 5 pounds, but oh well :) We got to meet Chris' brother's new girlfriend... she's a cutie. Her personality kinds reminds me of myself (kinda scary for him...hehehehehe).

I know I skipped Days 3-7 of my thankfulness pledge on here, but I was with family so there was no time for blogging! I kept my promise of being grateful, I was just unable to share it with the world. Here are some more reasons I am thankful...

I am thankful for a mother-in-law who cooks amazing food and teaches me how.

I am thankful for a washer and dryer to wash our huge mounds of dirty clothes we seem to accumulate.

I am thankful for my new brother and sister who I simply ADORE! (and who also enjoy our marathon games of UNO!)

I am thankful for another set of parents to love me and take care of me even when I have a bad attitude (Me have a bad attitude? I know that's hard for you to believe!!)

I am thankful for my parents who endlessly give me everything I could ever need- emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

I am thankful for a brother who is definitely the coolest 18 year old on the planet!

I am thankful for a husband who thinks I'm hottest in PJ's with no make-up on.

I am thankful for a real Christmas tree in my living room, a garland wreath on my door, and a beautiful poinsetta that all bring color and vibrancy to the season.

I am thankful for the EXTRA money we have in our bank account right now... God IS FAITHFUL!!!

Giving thanks, Day 2

2006-11-22T12:51:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for a marriage orchestrated, ordained, and blessed by God.

I am thankful for the very best friends a girl could have.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be a part of a church who takes care of the poor and hurting.

I am thankful for the fact that I always have money in the bank and my bills always seem to get paid.

I am thankful for a vehicle to drive to Texas to see family.

I am thankful that I work for a man who has the highest grace, mercy, patience, and love for me.

I am thankful that I have food to eat on Thanksgiving and loved ones to share it with.

That's good for now............... :)