Priscilla Shirer's Blog, page 45

Unfinished Business

I love Pinterest.  I really do.  

I jokingly call it the 'online abyss' because one pin leads you to another pin, which easily leads you to another pin, which ultimately leads you to several hours of pinning crafts, recipes and other great ideas! I can easily get lost in that world. Easily! I never realized how much I actually loved it until I had to move a couple of years ago….

…and found my love for Pinterest in a small box I'd like to call ‘unfinished business’.

There were a few projects I just had to throw away because, truth be told, they didn’t turn out anything like the picture! But there was one in particular that I saved that I want to share with you (because I believe there's hope). I’ll start off by sharing what the finished result is supposed to look like.

Ooooh. Doesn’t it look glorious?

Yeah, well, unfortunately this is what I actually ended up with.

Ha! That's it, folks! That's my final result.


Sadly, I never made it past step 2. My mind had already wandered over to my next pinned project. And there I went, right along with it. So, I pushed aside my incomplete project to make room for my next, let’s face it, incomplete project. Sigh.

As lighthearted as my Pinterest projects are it made me think of serious matters in my personal life that I begin but don't complete. I’ve caught myself many times stopping a project or a task right before I'd get to the finish line. Or I’d jump from one project to the next only to find myself in a balancing act between several different projects. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with multi-tasking but with so many things grabbing for our attention it can be difficult to focus on a single task. And in some cases, to actually complete it.

Do you have any unfinished business that you need to complete? There’s a peace that comes with finishing what plans God has placed in your lap to do. Whether it be completing your degree, cleaning out your closet or writing that apology letter…let's get to it! Before the next big thing distracts you, pause, give yourself time to absorb the moment you are actually living in and ask God to help you see Him in the process.  

Today may be the perfect day to pull down that box that’s been on your to-do list and begin unpacking. With God’s help, you can do it…I can do….we can do it...let’s do it together.

What are you committed to finishing?  I'd love to hear!

- Nicole -

Guest Blogger: Amena Brown Owen | The Mystery and Honesty of Marriage

A poet.

A speaker.

An author.

Amena Brown does it all. Her words are rich and robust - bursting at the seams with wisdom and eye-opening insight. Every time she takes a platform, audiences sit forward in their seats, riveted by her presentations.

That's what I did the first time I heard her.

This woman is a phenomenon. She's the fresh breath of authentic air that people have been looking to find. She doesn't sugar coat truth or try to catapult around difficult topics. Instead, she addresses them with a unique, personal style that inspires and incites to action.

Amena is a "divine antagonist" of sorts - an urban prophet stirring up the souls of folks all over the world.

But, she'd tell you herself that she is also just a woman who loves a man - a wife seeking to honor her husband and bring the Lord glory through their union. I'm grateful for her guest post today about the mysteries of marriage.

Enjoy it. Respond to it. And then get to know Amena. You'll be all the better for it.

Your sister,

Priscilla

Marriage leaves little room for selfishness. But every now and then you forget you don't just live for yourself. You forget that it is not your spouse’s twenty-four hour job to entertain you, please you, make you happy, tell you your morning breath smells like grape bubblegum, and that any gas you pass is a waft from a bed of roses.

Marriage gets real. In real marriage there is no sitcom, no theme music, no cutting away from or to the drama. You say vows, start a life, move-in. You bring your stuff: clothes, books, experiences, stories, wounds, character, love. You and the one you fell in love with, the one you couldn't get enough of, the one you stood at the altar and promised to be faithful to, spend the rest of your life deciding what to keep and what to discard, reminding each other of what’s important.

Marriage is challenging. Especially when you forget you can't do it by yourself, when you forget you and the love of your life, no matter how much love you have, don't have arms strong enough to hold a marriage together. Only God's arms are strong enough to do that, God, the one who brought you together, keeps you together, teaches you everyday how to love and be loved.

Marriage is tough. When you’re tired, when you fight, when misunderstanding, brick by brick, builds a wall between you. When busyness, responsibilities, hurts, baggage, become bigger than elephants in the room of your relationship. When your anger creates a kind of tug of war that keeps you from sleeping side by side at night. When you look at your husband and wonder if the two of you can make it through this. Survive.

Yes, marriage is hard. But is anything worth it in life really easy? When you stood at the altar, wide-eyed and believing, you didn’t say you would work and love and commit because it would be easy. You said you would live this life together with the kind of fierce love and commitment that God shows to you every day.

Each morning you wake up and God hands you new mercies before you can sip your first cup of coffee. So today, give your eyes a chance to see your husband and your marriage through a new lens. Make a decision that you will pray and work and love and commit. Not because you’re strong enough but because God is more than strong enough for both of you.

Marriage is a mystery. The same God who can take two lives, stories, personalities, gifts, ways of doing things and make them one, is the same God who exists as One and Trinity. So let the master sculptor make one out of the two of you. Let the same hands that carved out the universe shape you and what your marriage will become.

Amena

Hello Fabulous You!

Seeing YOU is a treat for me!

Like, for real.

If I had it my way, the segment of our women's ministry that actually requires me to BE WITH WOMEN would cover 100% of our activities. But, our reality is much different. Those times when I get to travel to where you are and get a good look at your smiling faces are really quite few and far between.

Rightfully so.

There are three rapidly growing boys right here in my home that need tons of attention and beyond that, plenty of study and writing that require me to be alone in order to get anything sensible written down on a page. I can't be with women if I haven't prepared. And the hours spent in preparation are far more than the ones actually spent delivering what I've prepared.

To be fair, these times of solitude are a breath of fresh air - a welcome change from the busyness that life can often bring - but I'm always anxious to see you.

Like, for real.

So, when you send me photos of your Bible study groups or your cute lonesome self reading one of our resources in the Lazy Boy chair beside the fireplace, I just smile from ear to ear and giggle a bit. That's exactly what I did when I got this twit pic:

So fun!

I print so many of the photos that you send me and pin them a make-shift bulletin board that is on the wall in my office. So, thanks so much for tweeting YOU. Gives me a chance to feel connected even when I'm just making lunch for these kiddos, folding laundry or writing alone in my office. Seeing your tweeted lessons and insights from what you are studying is an added bonus!

Since there's not a way to attach photos to our blog, I thought it would be fun to do a Bible Study Roll Call. If you are in one of our studies or you are just reading one of our books, tell me your name, what study or book you are engrossed in right now and what city you live in. You can also leave the name of your church or where your study group is being held.

This will not only give me a chance to "meet" you and pray with your specific details in mind but it might also allow someone in your area to know where they can go to join a Bible study group!

Looking forward to "seeing" you today! Thanks for letting me serve you.
It's a joy!

Priscilla

Guest Blogger: Jan Greenwood | The Friendship Factor

Jan Greenwood has been a breath of fresh air in my life. Knowing her has brightened up my heart in a way I didn't even know it needed. Her depth of insight, stability of character and endearing personality cause anyone who crosses her path to lean into her friendship and mentoring.

As a pastor of women at Gateway Church, just an hour or so from my home, I've seen her influence thousands of women through personal discipleship and with stirring messages from their platform. And when she prays. . . my, my my. . . when this woman prays, you can feel the heavens open and God's Spirit come. She carries an authority of Spirit that has been developed on her knees through times of difficulty and trial.

She has come forth as pure gold. And her love and appreciation for others is solid proof of that.

Enjoy getting to know her today.

You'll be so glad that you did.

 

Today is my daughter's 23rd birthday. I’ve just spent about an hour checking out her instagram and twitter to see who’s celebrating her special day with us. (I know some people think that’s stalking…but she is mine, after all!) There I found lots of sweet friends sharing memories of good times together and reminding Ashley of her special qualities.

Something struck me…

Ashley has many friends. They range broadly in age, profession, and passion. She has friendships that were formed in her earliest years, in her teen years and certainly in her college years. Now she is forming relationships with passionate, God pursuing women from all over the world. Her life is filled and influenced by women who are excellent role models and who are encouraging her to follow consistently after the call of God on her life with passion and strength. Many of my friends are her friends and many of her friends are my friends.

How did that happen?

Well, her story is a little different from mine.

I started out with a lot of casual friends, but somewhere along the way I separated myself from almost every female relationship in my life. In high school, I began to hold all girls at arms length. I don’t remember ever thinking of having relationship with my mom’s friends. And when I entered the workforce, I distinctly remember hoping I would have a male boss.

I was void of the benefits, joys and challenges of female friendships for many years. I didn’t even realize that I was so relationally destitute.

Thank God, God knew!

When Ashley was just six months old, we moved to a new city and a new neighborhood. And surprise! One day a woman, who would become my first real girlfriend, knocked on my door. Thanks to her gentle manner, loving countenance and humble attitude, she reached through my wall of self-protection and grabbed my heart. She changed me from the inside out. I experienced a healthy female relationship that began to transform my life.

And guess what? Her little girl, who was nine months old at the time, became Ashley’s first girlfriend. Today, they still claim each other as close friends and confidants.

Have you ever wondered what your world would look like if girls could just get along? What if women cheered for one another, rather than competed? Is it even possible to have healthy female relationships? Is it worth the effort?

Let me assure you, it is possible, it’s worth it and it’s happening all over the world in increasing measure.

Women everywhere are beginning to awaken to the realization of the subtle lies of our enemy that divide us from one another. Mentoring, mothering and friendship have become “in fashion” again. Ashley’s generation is teaching my generation to dare to trust one another, to connect to one another, to care for one another.

Today, my friendship capacity is huge. I think of every woman as my friend, my sister, or my daughter. As my heart grew tender, it opened a door to the gift of friendship for me and for my daughter. We grew together and as a result she has an experience I never knew. Her life has been shaped for the good by what I call The Friendship Factor. Having female friends or not having female friends greatly shapes a women’s life experience.

I can’t help but muse about the impact of this trend in our world. I wonder how the Kingdom of God is being impacted by the shift that is occurring. I wonder at the power of a mom to shape and share relationships with her daughters (both natural and spiritual) that are life changing. I find myself hopeful and excited about the potential reach and influence of women who love one another and embrace healthy female relationships. Who will be saved? Who will be healed? Who will be rescued?

You never know when your next friend (or next daughter) will appear. Be watchful! Be awake! She just might come knocking at your door, or maybe you will have to reach into places of darkness and distrust and grab her heart. Are you willing? Are you ready? How is your friendship factor?

Your friend,

Jan Greenwood

Not of this World

Yesterday, I read a blog post by Mandisa that really struck a chord.

In her blog she talked about why she did not attend the Grammy awards the night before. She was bare and transparent when mentioning her several reasons why. For one, she didn’t want to deliberately place herself in an environment that is so open and unashamed with its ideals.

She went on to write, “I have been struggling with being in the world, not of it lately. I have fallen prey to the alluring pull of flesh, pride, and selfish desires…”

As I read on and as she poured out her heart, my head was nodding up and down in total agreement. It made sense. Her blog resonated so much with me and it left a persistent nudge on my heart. It was the type of prodding that let me know that this blog wasn’t just a casual read. It was the kind that would make me think more deeply than I first intended.

All of what she said, I could relate to. Well, minus the whole part about winning a Grammy or two!

Minor…minor detail.

Ahem.

I fell asleep last night with her words still in my head not sure how to navigate through them. So, I prayed. I prayed that the Lord would guide me and reveal things in me that I needed to purge from my life.

When we pray, God hears.

My answer was written down for me in my devotional this morning. On time. Just waiting for this day. I had to laugh a little at how personal and intimate it was. Today's reading centered on the names of God and how to make them personal to your own life. The name, El Bethel, was highlighted this morning. El Bethel means the House of God.

So perfect.

Our body is His temple. Am I honoring Christ in all that I do? I mean, in all that I do. Or does the world have a little hold on my decisions? I have to be mindful of what I watch, the things I listen to, the words I speak, the company I keep, the time I spend, and even the foods I eat.

In all that I do are my actions and decisions a reflection of Him?

If you have a moment to jump on over to Mandisa’s blog, it’s a very heart transforming read. She also recorded a scripture that I’d love to share with you in this post…

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. 1 John 2:15-16 (NKJV)

- Nicole -

AWAKEN REGISTRATION BEGINS TODAY!

So glad you are here today!

You'll be among the first to know that registration for our next Awaken gathering is available beginning today.

 

Whether you live in the DFW area or not, you are more than welcome to attend. It would be my honor to serve you! Register for Awaken here and please spread the word to your family and friends! All are welcome :)

AWAKEN INFO:

April 8, 2014

The beautiful NEW worship center of First Baptist Dallas

1707 San Jacinto
Dallas, TX 75201

Program begins at 7:30pm (Doors open at 6:30pm).

And while registration is FREE, it is required.

My Word for the Year

Every year since I was about 15 I’d make a list of new year's resolutions. And every year since I was about 15 I’d break some, if not most, of those resolutions. I wasn’t the best at keeping them and that’s something that has followed me to this day.

Last year I decided to try something different.

I still made a few resolutions for personal and spiritual growth but I also chose a word for the year.  It was a word that I’d keep tucked in my wallet and take out whenever I needed a reminder or encouragement. I didn’t choose this word. It flagged me down. It was a word that I kept hearing repeatedly for a couple of months preceding the new year. I would hear that specific word in conversation with a friend; I’d hear it while listening to a song on the radio; it would ring loud and clear in messages being preached; or was plastered all over that faithful highway billboard sign...with flashing red letters.  It was magnified.

That word was surrender.

The Lord was definitely preparing me for 2013 because I found myself whispering that word under my breath on many occasions througout the year. Whenever I was faced with a situation that wouldn’t go my way…

Surrender.

Throwing an internal tantrum (with dialogue included...yeesh!) would have been ideal for me. It was my go-to solution before I would finally decide to get down on my knees and pray.  The order of things needed to change.

Surrender.

That word was a constant reminder that, okay Lord, this...this?...is in your hands. That situation that I no longer had control over is in your hands. I’m surrendering this moment, this day, this year to you because it is in your hands.
My will, my wants, and my desires....surrendered. In doing that, it had brought such a peace within each situation I was faced with and gave Him control over my life.  Less internal tantrums, more trusting in the Lord.  Less of me, more of Him.

2014 was around the corner and it was time for a new word. The Lord had been graciously dealing with me on the size of my faith. My faith was strong at times but other times it was an obvious struggle to get it bigger than that mustard seed! So this year I decided that my word was going to be limitless.  

I tend to think that what I see is all that is possible. It has to make complete, logical sense for me to even fathom it, right? The impossible? Well, if I can't imagine it happening…it’s not possible of it even happening! That’s what I found myself basing my faith off of - my limits.  It's not until I stop to realize that I’m dealing with God, someone who is not confined by the limits we face. God isn't confined to the beat up box that I've placed Him in.

You're telling me He can do beyond my wildest dreams? And then some? Indeed.

So as I go through this year, my personal prayer is that God takes down the barb-wired fence that's choking my thoughts, my dreams, and my desires, so that I can live in the abundance He has destined for me...for us...to walk in.  Abundance in love for Him and others.
Abundance in my trust in Him.
Abundance in the confidence that I have in Him.  And then some.  

He is able to do exceedingly, above, and beyond all that I can ask or imagine to ask! (Ephesians 3:20)  

Do you have a word that you've been carrying around with you for 2014?
I know we are almost a month in to the new year but it definitely isn’t too late. If you aren’t the resolution writing type (or even if you are!) have you thought of having a word for the year? Something that you can whisper to yourself as a reminder of who God is in your life? This is something you can determine during your quiet time with Him. Add a scripture or two to go along with your word!  Write it down on a piece of paper and place it in strategic places around your house, in your car, or at your desk so that you'll always be reminded.

What’s your word for 2014? If you don’t mind sharing, I'd love to hear!

The Tyranny of the Urgent

Cleaned out the top drawer of my night stand this weekend. Ran across a favorite ponytail holder, writing pen and gift card to a local boutique that I thought I'd lost long ago. It was just like Christmas all over again.

And I also found this:

It's a tiny little pamphlet given to me by an older woman in the faith nearly a decade ago. Written in 1967, each of its short pages is packed with a jolt of practical wisdom that is just as poignant in this century as it was in the last.

Check out the statement that I underlined on page 5:

That's the first line (among many) that I highlighted - a reminder that everything is not nearly as critical as it seems to be at first. The discerning must prayerfully consider how they can maximize the gifts God has given them and the time in which He has allotted for them to be used.

Jesus did it.

...or He didn't.

There were so many demands placed on Him by others who either wanted Him to demonstrate His power or from some who were trying to exploit it. And most of those man-delegated opportunities He refused to indulge. Not because He wasn't compassionate or aware but because He was on assignment. So, instead of being swayed by the whims and requests of the masses, He diligently asked the Father what His assignment for Him was, and then He stuck to the plan and only did those things.

Not everything.

Just the assigned things. The divinely delegated things.

After only three years of ministry, Jesus could confidently say that He had completed the work that the Father had given Him to do (John 17:4) and it was only possible because He hadn't fallen prey to the tryanny of the urgent.

What are some of the "urgent" things that most easily sway you from your main priorities? Take a few moments to leave a comment listing some creative ways that we can discipline ourselves to stay on task to our God-given mandates today?

You are fiercely loved,

Priscilla

Guest Blogger: Wynter Pitts | Girls and Squirrels - 3 Ways To Avoid The Drama

The first time I laid eyes on Wynter Pitts' magazine - For Girls Like You  - I knew it was going to be something special. . . just like her. Filled with creativity, beauty and refreshing conversation, both she and her magazine are a breath of fresh air.

Wynter's a mom. That's the headline of her resume.

She loves her four girls with a passion so fierce and focused that it compelled her to create a solution for the lack of suitable entertainment options available for her brood. Instead of whine and complain, she got busy forming a magazine for tween girls and filling it with fun, engaging articles that hundreds of young girls are enjoying. 

I'm grateful for women like this - innovators, creators, life-lovers, mothers, wives, friends. She inspires me to be a better, more intentional mom and to use what God has put in my hands to edify others and honor God.

You'll love getting to know Wynter today and, if you are a mom of girls, a subscription to this magazine is just what the doctor ordered!

Enjoy!

Priscilla

 

Girls and Squirrels - 3 Ways To Avoid The Drama

I am not really sure of the details in the story I am about to tell you.

Here’s what I know -

It was dark and I was asleep. I am assuming it was somewhere between midnight and 5 a.m. when our two oldest daughters (9 & 6) came storming into our room in a panic. Ok, actually it was probably just the 9 year old in the panic and her little sister wasn’t really sure why she was hurrying into my bed. She and I were on the same page. Confused.
I could hear the commotion happening but I could not balance my thoughts enough to respond. I was lost somewhere in that awkward place between good sleep and the realities of motherhood.

Here’s what I saw -

The confused daughter was sitting in the middle of my bed, patiently rocking herself while sucking her two fingers. The older one was panic-stricken. Tears were flowing excessively and while words appeared to be coming out of her mouth she just couldn’t pull herself together enough to make them string into a sentence. Her emotions had taken over.
Somewhere in the midst of trying to focus on the girls, I got a glimpse of my husband doing some sort of manly, protective, king of the jungle ritual. He hopped out of bed, ran to the bedroom door, skipped over to the window, fixed the blinds, jumped across to the other side of the bed and mumbled, “Where’s my bat?!” He then took off to finish the routine in the living room.

At this point I sat up and asked, “What is wrong,” to which my sweet girl replied, “I heard a squirrel crying in the creek.”

Huh?

Exactly.

I am pretty sure my husband was responding to the exaggerated emotions of his baby girl rather than the realities of what was happening. He probably never even asked why she was so upset. Of course, to his defense, it was dark, he was exhausted and barely awake.
However our little bedtime drama caused me to wonder how often this scenario of over-reaction plays out in my life on a daily basis.

I am guilty of reacting to my kid’s emotions.

I think we can all agree that kids are emotional. Often they respond, think and live within the realm of how they feel. On the other hand, as parents it is our responsibility to provide them with tools to help guide them through processing their feelings. It is also our responsibility to respond and react according to their realities instead of getting caught up with them in their emotions.

If it’s just a “squirrel” our facial expressions, gestures, and words should reflect that.

Here are three simple tips to help you avoid getting caught up in the emotions.

1. Listen to your children

Really listening to my daughter’s explanation that night might have eased the tension and led to a very different and less eventful evening. We often times respond to their body language, tone, or our immediate perception of the situation. Taking the time to listen might change everything in a moment.

2. Understand the environment

Our home backs up to a wooded creek and the whole back wall of our house is glass. From my daughter’s youthful vantage point everything out of those windows were magnified. Remembering this can help me put myself in my daughter’s shoes and see things from her perspective. Know what is going on in your child’s world. Is she having problems with a friendship? Did she not sleep well last night? Understanding these variables will help you be somewhat more sensitive to her needs.

3. Choose the appropriate tools

A bat did absolutely nothing to solve our dilemma with the sad squirrel, but a hug probably would have done the trick. Figure out early what approach or tool might assist you, rather than adding to her breakdown.

The next time a squirrel gets upset in your backyard pray for wisdom on how you can apply these simple tips to help avoid the drama.

What are a few practical things you do to help your child sort through their emotions?

Trouble Maker

I admit, I got into a lot more trouble than my siblings. Honestly, during my teenage years, I probably got into more trouble than all of them put together. Of the four of us, I was the one who kept my parents up late at night worrying, distressing about my fierce rebellious streak and wondering how in the world it had gotten there.

I’d bring home notes from teachers explaining why I’d been sent to the principal’s office . . . again. Then my parents would take me back to the one bedroom that was down a different hallway from the rest, where we’d talk . . . among other things. (Ahem.)

If there was a theme to my troublemaking, it was usually because of something I’d said or the way I’d said it. “My mouth,” as my mother called the culprit. And that mouth appeared all set to cause me a lifetime of trouble if I didn’t do something to soften it and restrain it and put it to good use.

So my parents, um . . .

They helped me with that problem.

Every time I spoke out of turn or too much or too rudely or too grown-up for my age, they were very faithful to discipline me appropriately. But the discipline part was never the end-all of the situation. There would also be a conversation afterward, where my parents would talk with me about why my mouth was getting me into trouble, and how I could change all of that if I’d just take it seriously.

Or maybe if I’d just take it in a different direction . . .

They were the first to plant the idea in my head that my aptitude for talking could actually be a benefit to me, even to others. They encouraged me, for example, to read to our family some of the poetry and monologues I’d been writing, occasionally even allowing me to present them at church during service or at a special program. Rather than stifling me, they put a microphone in my hand and encouraged me to edify others instead.

My mother’s sister, also, who directed the children’s ministry at our church for nearly three decades, put me up in front of a Sunday school class of six-year-olds and let me teach them a Bible lesson when I was only ten. That was my first time teaching the Bible, and it lit a fire in my soul for it that has never gone out.

Then as college drew closer, my dad directed me to think about taking up communications as a major. (I didn’t even know such a degree plan existed.) He even set me up with an internship at a Christian radio station in the city where I’d be studying. And after graduation, he was the one who advised me to consider speaking and teaching as a career and ministry.

Turns out this mouth of mine didn’t need to be stifled as much as it just needed to be redirected by loving, caring parents who could see beneath the surface of my youthful foolishness and imprudence. And I’m so glad they did—so appreciative that they valued encouragement and instruction every bit as much as correction and discipline. It’s sure made all the difference for me.

What are you seeing in your children that God is asking you to steward instead of stifle?

You are fiercely loved!

Priscilla