Priscilla Shirer's Blog, page 53

Just Keep Driving, Just Keep Driving

Good Morning!

I hope y'all had a good weekend. I can not believe it is almost August, this summer has literally flown by!

(Although, I must say I am looking forward to cooler weather...boots, scarfs, hot Starbucks drinks...oh my! Anyways I digress...)

Since joining the Going Beyond team my morning commute is longer than I have had in the past. I have to admit for the past few weeks I haven't really used that time well. My drive time is usually spent with me toggling between several radio stations and not thinking of much more. 

But at the Grand Rapids event last week Priscilla shared about how log an average of 13,500 miles a year in our cars. She mentioned that since we spend so much time in the car anyways we might as well use it for something. This has really inspired me to think about how I spend my time.

So this week I am turning my morning commute into my morning quite-time. I am going to listen to worship music, start memorizing a scripture, and listen to what God is saying to me about this week. The ride to work is actually the perfect time to do this for me...a set amount of time, with only me and the road. 

Here is the verse I am focusing on this week: 

Matthew 11:28-30 "Come to Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."

Here is my worship playlist:

(Click here to download for spotify users)

How do you spend your time in the car? Have you ever tried a car quiet-time?

Happy driving :)

green

Pillow Talk.

I've been on a pillow buying binge.
I've been in my apartment for a few weeks now but I'm still trying to settle in. There are boxes and bags all over the place! I left most of what I own back on the east coast, so little by little I've been on a quest to fill my tiny space, and hoping to make it a little more like home (you may remember me mentioning last week that I bought a couch).

 

I'd outfitted my bedroom with well, ... a bed, and a small nightstand, but the 'big room' as I like to call it, was completely empty, and I got this crazy idea in my head that pillows would do it.
So, I went out last weekend, explored one of the trendy neighborhoods I'd been dying to see, and popped into a couple of my favorite "home" stores , searching for inspiration … and a clearance sale.

 

 

 

I came home with a decent sized stash of knick knacks, and a stack of pillows, and promptly piled them on my small sofa.

 

 

 

Overload, much? Or maybe I've just subscribed to that idea that everything is just bigger in Texas.
Well, the other morning I found myself roving over yet another site advertising a pillow sale and it hit me: This COULD be a problem.

 

I'm done shopping for now, and I'm pretty sure at least a couple of these need to go back to the store.
The good thing is, I've remembered that 'home' is really where our Father's heart is, and that has given me incredible peace over the last couple of days!

 

But I'm curious to know: how do you settle in to a new season?! 

 

P.S. I'm STILL trying to decide which of these I should keep! What do you think?

 

~AshleyM.

A Wednesday Treat!

Hey there!

Hope you are fantastic today.

Glad you popped over to the blog today, 'cause I'm talking to a friend that I'm sure you'd love to hear from.
Last week, Ms. Beth arrived in Dallas for 24 hours of rest. I scooped her up from the airport around 5:15pm and took her directly to one of my favorite Dallas boutiques.

You heard me right. We left the airport and went immediately to shop.

That's just our way. We didn't pass "go". Didn't stop to collect $200. We just went straight to the store. We had to hurry because it was going to close at 7pm. Fought rush-hour traffic and arrived in time to have 45 minutes inside.

Lots can happen in 45 minutes.

Then, since we have a tendency to work up extreme hunger when we are frantically ripping through a store that is about to close, we went to dinner with my sister Chrystal.

We ate and laughed ourselves silly.

When we left the restaurant it only took a few minutes of drive time before Ms. Beth let out a yawn. Then another. I knew that if she was yawning she had to REALLY be tired. Cause in all these years I've known her, I've not ever seen her do that. I mean, not once can I ever recall seeing that woman yawn. She just seems to be like the energizer bunny - going and going and going.

But her 4:30am wake up call was catching up to her. So, I took her home and put her to bed . . .

. . . .but only after we made her do a little work around the GB offices to earn her keep.

She struggled to keep up so Jerry helped her along as much as he could.

(We decided she's not right for the job though. Should definitely stick to speaking.)

In the morning, my boys and I scrambled her some eggs along with sausage and toast. Then the two of us sat down to record a video that was intended for her blog community - a group that has spent the first half of the summer doing the "Gideon" Bible study together. We had so much fun goofing around on tape that I thought I'd post the video here for you to enjoy as well.

So, sit back for a few minutes and take a peek :)

Have a great day friend!

Priscilla

Welcome to Monday!

Hello Friends!

Our team just got back from an incredible weekend in Grand Rapids, Michigan for the last Priscilla Shirer Live of 2013. It was Ashley (Moss) and mine's first PSL event and we could not have had a better time. Although it is was a short trip (Friday night-Saturday morning) the Lord moved in a mighty way.

Hundreds of women gathered together for the soul purpose of leaning in and hearing from God; a great way to spend a weekend if you ask me! Several groups in attendance drove several hours across states and even across the border (shout-out Canada girls). It was so fun to be able to connect with so many of you.

We were so refreshed with anointed worship lead by Anthony Evans and three soul-stirring messages brought by Priscilla. She spoke on living our lives in the Faith Place with an empty quiver (2 Kings 13:15-19), shared with us the 5 P's of Bible Study and how to live our lives in the God margin (John 2).

Because of the fantastic world of social media everyone in attendance and even you at home are able to connect through our event hashtag #PSL13. In honor of this we wanted to share with you a little break down of the event through tweets, Instagram and even a few retweets. Please also consider joining us by praying for the requests that were texted in durning the event, click HERE to view. 

 

Which one of these points are your favorite? Respond and let us know how you will be applying them to your life.

Blessings,

Green

*****Kingdom Woman Winner*****

Thank you for the great response on Chrystal's mom #fail blog Wednesday. The winners of the contest are:

Madelein Smit

Pam Masson

Audrey Dombrowski

Please email info@goingbeyond.com to receive your copy.

Meet the {OTHER} Ashley

Hey there!

 

So glad you've come today 'cause we cannot wait to introduce you to the newest member of our ministry team.
We already feel like we've known her forever because she is delightful!
Thank you for helping us welcome her!


Enjoy,
Jerry & Priscilla
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Hi! It's Ashley ... the other one!

LOL
Whew! I JUST moved here two weeks ago, and I'm still not sure what to do with myself!

I'm originally from Northern Virginia, and even though I'll proudly wear my burgundy and gold come football season, I PROMISE you I'm going root for the Cowboys, hard ... even if they are in the same conference.
In the short time that I've been here I've bought a couch, joined a gym, locked myself out of my bathroom, and accidentally bought seventeen dollars worth of apples. Yes, my friend ... seventeen. And, I'm sure there are more little adventures to come!

 

Anyhow, you must be wondering what I'm doing here, and I’ll be honest … sometimes I still wonder the same thing!
I’d been on staff at my home church in Virginia for a while, but I began to feel like God was calling me to move to Dallas. I didn’t take it lightly (believe me: I PRAYED), but add a divine connection and a few short months, and well … here we are!
It’s a bit scary to have moved to a city I know {almost} nothing about, but it also feels GOOD and I’m so excited to build with Priscilla, Jerry, Ashley, and the rest of the Going Beyond team.

 

I'm truly going to miss my family and friends (SO GLAD for email, my phone and social media), but I am WILDLY excited about this new season of life, and excited to grow my faith and let God use my gifts the way He’s planned. I think I can count the folks I know here on a hand and a half, so this will be quite an adventure for me! I can't wait to share it with you. :)

 

 

 

Getting to know me:

I drink A LOT of coffee (I prefer americanos and soy mistos but any and all will do … except decaf!)
I enjoy working out (I taught spin classes in graduate school to make extra money)
This is NOT my natural hair color, though I've enjoyed many shades of blonde!  
I'm a chronic gum chewer, and my absolute FAVORITE candy is popcorn flavored jelly beans
I LOVE sneakers, wedges and stilettos!

Until next time!

-AshleyM.

The Kingdom Women Give-away!

Hi friend!

I’m so excited about a brand new book called Kingdom Woman! It’s hot off the press and ready for your hands and heart. Since I’m close friends with the authors (*wink*), I asked Chrystal to share her heart with you on our blog today, and then sign three copies of the book to give away to kingdom women like you!

So, take some time to read below and then leave a comment for your chance to win. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

From Chrystal Hurst. . .

Can I just be honest?

I have worked really hard over the years to do motherhood well. I have read books, made frugal and wise decisions, cooked healthy meals for my family, and maintained some sense of rhythm and order in my home. I have created home management binders, scheduled my children down to 30-minute intervals, gone to conferences, invested in chore charts, and taught myself (and them) how to bake bread.

There have been seasons when some of those activities have worked well. And there have been LOTS of times when I could not seem to pull off a well-run house, properly behaved children, or delicious and appetizing meals no matter how hard I tried.

Sometimes I just straight up #fail.

So, on behalf of all the women who have had great moments of failure in their parenting, their careers, or in their personal relationships, I will walk to the front of the room, grab the microphone and announce to the world:

Hello. My name is Chrystal. I believe I am a Kingdom Woman. And sometimes, I #Fail.

Case in point:

In my ongoing struggle with the #fatdemon, I have a membership at the gym near our home. I normally spend about 30 minutes on the elliptical machine, then migrate to the recumbent bike, where I read for 20 minutes while keeping my heart rate a tad elevated. Then, I come back home, shower, and have a few precious moments of quiet.

Then the day begins.

And the plates begin to spin.

Many days, I can keep them spinning. More days than I'd care to mention, they all come crashing down.

And there was this one series of mornings where plates had stopped spinning one by one and I just did not have the energy to pick them up and give them a whirl.

I didn't care.

I didn't care that we were eating the same three or four meals over and over again. I didn't care that the house was in chaos. I had no desire to keep up with my homeschool schedule or my home management binder. No chores were done, there was no order, and the bread -- well I don't think there was any bread -- homemade or otherwise.

I just needed a break. So, I decided to go to the gym.

Well, I decided to go the gym...kind of.

I packed a change of clothes, my toiletry bag, and a towel. I woke the kids and told them we were going on a surprise ride. They joyously came running out of their room, still donned in their pajamas, and went sock free into tennis shoes before jumping into the car.

We ALL drove to the gym.

I marched in nonchalantly at 9:00am, signed in, then proceeded to take my kids to the gym's kids club. They were excited beyond belief to have this wacky morning experience and were pleased to have random playtime replace regular school time. They ran in to the fun zone as I ran out the other way and shut the door behind me.

Then...did I go to the elliptical? No.

What about the recumbent bike? Nope.

Did I try something new like a class or the stair climber? Absolutely not.

I went to the locker room, dug a book out of my bag, sat down on the comfiest chair I could find and read. Instead of a half hour on the elliptical, I spent 30 minutes on my behind enjoying the kid-free, good life in the locker room of the gym. After that, I took a fabulously long hot shower, primped in the mirror, searched for gray hair to pluck and escaped the realities of my life.

A full 90 minutes later, I emerged from the locker room with not one calorie burned, or muscle fatigued, but with my sanity intact. I felt like a new woman. I picked up my children from the kids club and went home to slowly and selectively pick up plates and start spinning just one or two again.

Do real “Kingdom Women” have days like this? Well, certainly not the kind of lady I’ve always thought of as one.

So does that mean I'm not her?

Am I a Kingdom woman when I struggle? Am I Kingdom Woman when I need a break? Am I Kingdom woman if I admit that I'm tired and need to make room to breathe?
Am I a Kingdom woman when I #fail?

Maybe you are asking yourself that same question.

Well, as the self-proclaimed leader of the "Kingdom Woman #Fail Club" I declare to you this day:
You can be a Kingdom woman when you struggle. Just don't give up the fight. Keep going and doing your best to move forward.

You can be a Kingdom woman when you need a break. Just don't break for two long. Stop. Gather yourself together. Then get back to work.

You can be a Kingdom woman when you are tired. We all get tired. Rebalance your priorities. Learn to say no.

Then, figure out which plates God never asked you to spin (like maybe making bread and having kids scheduled in 30-minute intervals), let them go and then ... B-R-E-A-T-H-E.

You can be a Kingdom woman even when you #fail.

Simply take the lickin' and keep on tickin'.

~~~~~~~~~

Now, it’s your turn! Share a few sentences about your “Kingdom Woman” #Fail and you’ll automatically be entered to win a copy of the book. You have from today until Saturday, July 20th to comment. We’ll post three winners on Monday!

Have a great day - you Kingdom woman, you!

Love ya, 

Priscilla

P.S:  To learn more about Chrystal and the Kingdom Woman book go to chrystalevanshurst.com/blog.

When Passion Goes To Church

I'm fresh back from New York City. I had a few days in this lively and exciting town topped off by a glorious Sunday at the one and only Hillsong Church. As always, lines of people wrapped themselves around the building all day (I'm not exaggerating) waiting for an opportunity to file through the doors of the Irving Plaza in Manhattan.

Yes, folks, that the Irving Plaza AKA one of the oldest Rock N' Roll clubs in New York. Now home, on Sundays, to Hillsong church where throngs of worshippers gather to passionately worship God.

Sure, the place might look like this on other nights:

But for the six pulsing, fill-to-capacity services on Sunday, the club/bar is transformed into a sanctuary where God's Word and worshipful praise to His glorious name ring out with power (and it still looks pretty much like this - except people's hands are lifted in a different direction and for a different purpose).

And, it's refreshing.

Yes. It. Is.

Because the passion of these people, many of whom weren't raised in churches lined with soft padded pews under the watchful gaze of a suit wearing preacher with shiny shoes and bellowing voice, is so real you can almost touch it. In fact, a journalist from Details Men's Magazine (who was there to write a story on the church) mentioned to me that although he doesn't believe in God and hasn't ever really been to church there was something special - something he could feel - happening here.

And indeed there was. . and is.

The vast majority of the believers that gather here aren't from the Bible belt - where churches with tall steeples dot every street corner and potlucks in the fellowship hall proceed a nice Sunday afternoon nap. Nope, some of these folks didn't go to Sunday school as a child and weren't taught Scripture at an early age. Many of them just got saved - like yesterday. . .or last week. They are brand new to Christ, to His church and to His family.

And that's just the way Hillsong NYC wants it. They opened their doors right in the heart of the city for the purpose of inviting anyone and everyone who would come . . .and especially anyone and everyone who might not come if they weren't in a bar/club, with loud music, strobe and spotlights and a pastor who wears a mohawk and tatoos.

This is church.

And it's working.

The palatable excitement and eagerness of these new believers is reminiscent of a kid the night before Christmas (remember that feeling)- they are expecting Jesus to show up with something so they are eagerly looking for Him. They haven't been lulled to sleep by comfortable, convenient Christianity - not out here in these trenches of the sin-sick city where lives are at stake and just "playing church" is not an alternative. (And just to be clear we, who live in the Bible belt, are also in the "trenches" and there is just as much "sin-sickness" to be dealt with. Our trouble is that we'd rather polish it up real nice than deal with it and we're not better off for it.)

So, as I watched these fresh Christians' willingness to stand in line outside the building and then (for many of them) stand inside during the service; as I watched them sweat from the faulty AC system and bunch into too-small seats, I wondered if my passion matched theirs. I wondered if I'd become so familiar with church in my Bible-born-and-bred life that the fervor of my faith had dulled a bit.

Was I willing to stand?

To wait?

To serve?

To adjust?

To be inconvenienced?

Or have I - have we - gotten so use to the "comfort" of church we've forgotten all about it's main cause and mission.

Which is not to make it easy for us to find parking. . .or check our kids into Sunday school. . .or make sure it's easy for us to get hot coffee before the service begins.

Nothing wrong with these things - as long as they aren't what we come for.

The bottom line is this: familiarity can be the thief of enthusiasm and appreciation.

That's what I'm taking away from church this weekend. Lord, help us never to become so familiar and comfortable that the raw passion and excitement you redeemed us for begins to wane.

So glad ya'll let me vent sometimes. Thanks for listening. . . and responding :)

Priscilla

A new friend: Ashley

Hello Everyone!

My name is Ashley Greenwood (my friends call me green) and I am so honored to be the newest member of the Going Beyond team!! The GB team has helped build the ministry with such tender care and responsibility, it is with a humble heart I am stepping into this season, grateful for the ground they have plowed. I can wait to get to know y’all and see what the Lord has in store for this journey.

I am a native Texan (in case that “y’all” didn’t clue you in) and the oldest of four siblings, all younger brothers…Matthew, Luke and John (no, I’m not joking, yes, my dad is Mark). I had the opportunity to move home after college so my evenings are often spent fishing, wrestling, and watching River Monsters with the boys.

(Matthew, John, Luke and I)

In May 2012, I graduated from Dallas Baptist University with my BBA in Marketing and have been working in the non-profit/ministry field for the past year. I feel so blessed to operate using my education as well as my heart for ministry. I spend most of my time with my family and friends, shopping, hoarding nail polish and finding hidden restaurants (foodie-in the making!). It has been fun being able to go to college and now live and work in Dallas.

My mom is the women’s pastor at our church and was the one who first introduced me to Priscilla at our women’s conference, Pink Impact. Like you, I am a huge fan! Not only is she a phenomenal speaker, author and teacher...she is one of the most genuine people I have ever meet. I am beyond (BEYOND) thrilled to be able to serve under Priscilla and Jerry. I know the Lord has something very special for this time. Although it is easy for me to second-guess my abilities, I do know the Lord has called me to Going Beyond Ministries. As such, He will equip me for everything He has in store. I am meditating on this verse, I hope it brings encouragement to you in whatever you are walking through.

 

Looking forward to getting to know y’all!

Grateful,

green

Keepin It Real, Ministry and Community

Hey friends!

Ok. This is nuts but...we've always been straight shooters around here, right?!

Well, I'm leaving Going Beyond.

Did I just hear you gasp? Are you as shocked as me? It came out of the middle of nowhere really....I went to lunch with one of the elder's wives from my church and she said, "Annetta, you need to move in with us and join the Residency team of our church." My immediate response was "Um, with all due respect, no. I love the Shirers. I love what I do...ANDDDD Linnae just left." BUT she made me promise to pray about it over the weekend.

Big mistake.

Never pray about something when a woman of God is praying for your heart to be open to that thing...needless to say, 3 days later (after a convo with the Shirers and family and others) I called my friend and said I was "in."  Nuts!

Overnight my life has shifted in so many ways!! Boyfriend broke up with me (who knew a creative gregarian wasn't the perfect fit for a methodical engineer?! I've heard opposites attract...but in our instance, they don't stick :)), moved out of the "sorority house" (not a REAL sorority, but I lived with 4 other girls...so it sure felt like it!) and am changing jobs. And not just ANY job, but an international ministry with dear friends (FAMILY!) swapped for the local church (folks I've done ministry with for years but never as close as I will be in a few weeks). Whooooeee! Life is about to change...

So..As I was cleaning out my desk yesterday, alternately crying and laughing at mementos from the last 2 years here, I came upon a few observations I thought y'all might wanna hear...

The Shirers are just as legit as they seem. I absolutely love being a part of their lives. Priscilla really is always that fun and hip and wise...her brief "pop-in's" the office are always a massive source of joy for us...she is phenomenal at asking "are you good? What's going on with you?" And we love getting her insight. She is one of my FAVORITE people to talk boys with...that is, outside of Jerry Shirer. That man is WISE y'all, he and Priscilla work because her amazing strong self is matched by his amazing strong self. God so so knew what He was doing by putting them together!

Ministry is ministry is ministry. Yes, your local church woman's ministry looks a whole lot different than Priscilla's ministry in some ways. Jetlag and late hotel check-ins aren't really in your normal day-to-day. BUT. Hearing from God, obedience, His personal touch to you, His ability to move just as powerfully in your day-to-day or in your ministry...these things are ALL the same. And I will dare say, jet-lag looks a whole lot like sleep deprivation from the arrival of a new infant...

One of the things God has called Priscilla to do is to equip you to do His call on YOUR life where you are. NEVER think it is any less of a calling than someone else's. Your obedience in raising godly men and women who just happen to be your kids or in starting a ministry to women at your church or loving on your neighbors or whatEVER it is...that ministry is IMPORTANT. He has created you for such a time as this...so GET TO IT. God wants to use you! Get out there and be used!

WHO you do life with is more important than what you do in life. Ok. So maybe that statement is oversimplifying it...

a little bit.

Maybe.

But at the same time, there is a ton of truth in that: who are you walking with through this season? I've had some incredibly difficult seasons in circumstances, that were actually phenomenally fruitful for me personally. And the key to that whole thing was community. I had intentional girlfriends who consistently pointed me back to Jesus. Case in point: Linnae Hoppe. She is this amazingly discerning little creature, our beloved Linnae. She knew when to let something be a stress and when to make it a non-issue. She helped my emotionally high-strung self to just chill in so many situations.

Ok. I've learned so so so much while He has had me here. And I'm sad to go in so many ways...but I keep thinking, if He's taught me THIS much in 2 years, just THINK how much I'm going to learn in this NEW season!!

I love y'all and will fiercely miss hearing your wise, fearless insight..you've spoken truth over my life...and I'm so so grateful. Praying His increased anointing and opportunity..He is the God of abundantly above and beyond!

xxox

annetta

 

P.s.  If you would like to keep in touch, feel free to follow me on twitter: @annettabox tweet, tweet. :)

Little Fish, Big Fish

So, we're a fishing family - at least me and the boys are. My man could take or leave a trip to the pond but the little men and I pop over to the pond across the street every single chance we get. And this past week was no different.

We were on our yearly family vacation to Pine Cove Christian Camp where they have a gorgeous lake stocked with tons of great fish. I've been fishing off of that dock since I was five years old so now it's a special treat to take my boys to the exact location where I once stood as a child and help them cast out their own lines.

We pinned some hotdog meat or breakfast sausage to our hook (cause we're serious and professional fishermen) and then lowered it right down into the water in front of where we are standing. No need to cast it out far cause we could see tons of little perch just waiting for the food we'd feed them. It was exciting to reel in little fish . . .after little fish . . . after little fish.

We were happy and content. . . until Jason, a father who was fishing nearby with his own kids, asked us if we had a larger hook. We shook our heads - only came with the slender perch-catching kind. He told us not to worry as he took our tiny perch off the line and held it in one hand as he dug in his tackle box for the biggest hook I've ever seen. Then he asked me to cut my little hook off of our line and attach one of his big ones.

So, I did - fishing knot and all (told you I was a professional).

And then. . . .

THEN. . .

He stabbed the tiny perch straight through with the bigger hook. I could barely stand to watch but was in too much shock to do anything else (I ain't that professional). Jason handed us the pole as if everything was normal and told us to drop the line, with the catch-turned-bait, back down into the water. He'd seen a couple bass swimming by and knew that our new bait was the perfect lure to snag them.

I stared at him.

So did my sons
Then my oldest, Jackson, did what he said, dropped the line back into the water.

And then. . . .

 

Yup, that big thing swallowed up our little thing in one gulp. Took the hook down his gullet until it got snagged too deeply for him to wiggle his way out. We were beside ourselves with hilarity and excitement as we pulled in this nearly 5 pound bass. My son made sure everyone in the camp knew that he was the one who made the catch. He was so proud. . and so was I.

But not proud enough to mount him on a plaque to display in our home. Just proud enough to take him over to my mother's house and have her fry him up to eat.

Delicious indeed.

My sons spent the rest of our camping trip hooking little fish for the sole intention of using them to catch bigger fish.
Little fish. . . that lead to bigger fish.

Hmmmmm, somehow I think there is a spiritual principle here. In fact, I'm sure of it but instead of laying one out there for you, I'd rather just leave you with the story and let you draw your own . . .

. .and then leave us a comment telling us what it is.

Or just telling us about your families last fishing trip or summer vacation :)

Have a great day. You are loved!

Priscilla