Priscilla Shirer's Blog, page 81

You're Invited

The are a couple
interesting things happening pretty soon that I wanted to tell you about.

I'll start by telling you
about a special party that I want to invite you to.

 (https://www.facebook.com/LifeWayMen?sk=app_111519718935721)

On Wednesday, March 14th at 11:00am CST there will be a launch party on Facebook for a new book called "Kingdom Man".
I'm so honored to be a part of this party and honestly, there are many reasons
why. . .but one in particular.

The author is my daddy!

Is it ok for me to be proud
of my Dad and brag on him a bit today?

The fact is: I AM so
stinkin' proud of Dr. Tony Evans. Sure, I'm astounded when I consider all he
has accomplished in his 40 plus years of faithful ministry both locally in the
Dallas area and across the country through his radio ministry. The awards he's
received and achievements he has accomplished are jaw dropping really. And at
62 years old, the richness of his teaching only deepens.

But, all of those things
are not what make me most proud of this man.

You see, the reason why I
can confidently stand behind him is because I can vouch for his integrity and
authenticity. He taught me what it means to be a person in love with Jesus, His
Word and His church. Daddy didn't talk one way from the pulpit on Sunday and then
live a different way on Monday through Saturday. Our church experience was an
outpouring of our home experience.

Isn't that the way it
should be?

Well, it certainly was
for me

I'm grateful for a legacy
of faith. So humbled that the Lord gave me a "Kingdom Man" for a father.

A man who takes
responsibility for his family.

A man who loves Jesus and
counts it as a privilege to serve His body.

A man who loves His wife
as Christ loves the church.

A man who doesn't pass
the reigns of leadership in his family to another.

A man who is a tender
caregiver yet fierce warrior all at the same time.

 

This is a Kingdom man:
the kind of man that we should be encouraging our husband to be and our sons to
become.

 

So, tomorrow on March 14th at 11:00am CST, I'm hoping you'll join me for this launch party because even though this is a
book that is overtly "male", it's worth it for us to get a copy for ourselves.

Why?

Well . . just listen to
the subtitle: Every Man's Destiny. Every Woman's Dream.

The man of YOUR DREAMS is
found in the pages of this book. If you are a single woman, you need to hear
what Dad is going to say at the party and read what he wrote in this book
because it's going to help you spot the man you want and avoid all of his
counterfeit peers. Married women need to read it so that they are better
equipped to support the man they have and help to call out the qualities of
character that God has placed in them.

 

Oh yes. . this book is
for you and me just as much as it is for any man.

So, count this blog post
as an invitation for a party that I just don't think you'll want to miss!

 

Until then, I'd love to
hear the characteristics and qualities that are most attractive to you about a
"Kingdom Man". What kinds of traits to you think qualify a guy to bear that
title?

We will choose 4 names
from all those who post a comment by Thursday night and will give our winners a signed copy of
"Kingdom Man"! Winners will be announced Friday! 

Looking forward to seeing
you at the party.

Priscilla

Things You Need To Know About

This month launches the beginning of events and travel season for us here at GBM. As you know, we just had our very first Awaken event at the end of February and from there we will have the privilege of participating in the many things God is doing in different churches and ministries all over the world. 

I wanted to make sure that you guys are aware of some things coming up in the next few months for us:

1. Jerry and Priscilla left last night for Australia to be with Hillsong Church for Colour Conference and will be there for a few weeks. Please be in prayer for the thousands of women gathering in Sydney - it's going to be an amazing time!

2. We will have a new resource available soon from the teachings that Priscilla did at the Awaken Event, so if you weren't able to join us that evening or want a copy of the messages, be on the lookout for this resource on our homepage.

3. We had a few glitches with our website last week and I want to make sure you all didn't miss Priscilla's Jewelry Box for this month! Check it out here

I'm sure we will be hearing updates from Priscilla soon on their trip. Blessings upon you and your week and we will see you here tomorrow!

Much love,

Linnae

Quote for today: "Do your acts of love, despite your lack of feeling"

Central Market

Every Thursday night some friends and I from my church gather at my house for what we call "Life Group". It would be similar to a community group or a small group from your church, if you are familiar with those sayings. 

Last night we decided to do things a little differently. This month we are focusing on evangelism, and so for this week we decided to split into small groups, find different spots to go to dinner and encouraged each group to pray before they go and see what the Lord might have for them while they are at dinner: is there someone they could share Jesus with? Is there someone there that just needs to know that God loves them? Is there someone there that needs a word of encouragement? We couldn't wait to see what God was going to do. There was such expectancy in the air knowing that we were all going out into the city of Dallas at the same time to share the love of God with people.

A few girls and I went to a place called Central Market here in Dallas. Central Market, by the way, is one of my favorite spots here. If you visit, you must go. It's like Whole Foods, except local, smaller, and their take out food is incredible, not to mention their sushi bar! Sorry.... I tend to get distracted by food. Anyway.....

So we met, prayed for our time together, and then dispersed and all went to get our food with the intention of loving on people in a normal, natural way, and just wanted to see all the things that God might want to do.

We came back to the table with some super awesome stories and also some not super awesome stories. But we were all so encouraged to see how easy it is to share the love of God with people when we are INTENTIONAL about it. It's amazing to see, with a little prayer and intentional conversation, how people's lives are literally changed when we speak some very simple words to them about Gods love.

I want my whole life to be this way - every single day I want to live with the expectation and intention that the people I meet and encounter are not just by chance and that I have the opportunity to extend Gods grace and love in a profound way if I will only open my mouth and speak. 

I want to be so focused on OTHERS and not my own little life so that I won't miss any opportunity to give what God has given me: His love.

It's a great world we live in with great opportunities. I hope this weekend we can all grow in this area together and I'm praying that we have awesome God encounters as we are intentional with our time and words.

Have a great weekend!

Linnae

I. Heart. Food.

I heart food. I appreciate the planning, preparation and anticipation of it almost as much as I love the vibrant mix of flavors as they hit my tongue. For this self-proclaimed foodie, Priscilla's Jewelry Box this month spoke in a way that not much else can! I loved the wisdom behind it...I'm praying for you and for me both to crave the pure Word of God. I get so caught up in satisfying my physical stomache that I forget to foster the appetite of my spiritual stomache. Doesn't Scripture say "Man shall not live on bread alone but by every Word that proceeds from the Mouth of God"? SO good!

So for all the women who have been pregnant, are currently, will be one day or can imagine being pregnant, grab your favorite mug, slip on your snuggie and tuck your feet under you as you soak in what's sure to be a refreshing gem!

Until next time..Bon Apetit!

Annetta

Bushes and Believers

Sunday I visited my cousin. I do that often – pop into her house for no good reason other than to let our children play together while I engage in good conversation with her.
I like her house. There's something calming and restful about it despite the four rambunctious daughters whose voices ring out in shrill treble-cleft notes through the hallways.
I love those girls.
I'm not sure if I can pinpoint exactly what makes her house so endearing to me but I'm pretty sure it has something to do with the trees and bushes that surround it. No matter what room of the house you're in, the windows will reveal a lush landscape with beautiful trees and flourishing bushes.
We talked a bit about her bushes this past Sunday (no idea how the conversation led to that :) and she mentioned something interesting about a couple of them that are planted in her front yard. . .
 

 
It's odd that one bush could be so dry and deadened while the other, planted right next to it, is so lush and vibrant. They are in the exact same flower-bed and they are receiving the same nutrients, yet one is noticeably deteriorating. I wish I was some sort of botanist so that I could figure out why but. . . I'm not.
 
Even still, this duplicity in the flowerbed got me thinking about Matt. 13:8:
And some [seeds] fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty and some thirty. . . .
 
In Jesus' parable, each of these harvests came out of the same soil and yet they didn't all produce the same prodigious results. Sure, they were all productive but some were less so than others. It couldn't be assumed that just because the soil was the same that the results would also be similar.
 
The Christian life: Often, we gage how we are doing and the crop we are yielding by looking at those we are planted beside. We attend the same church, engage in the same Bible study or serve in the same ministry so maybe we've subtly assumed that the fruit we are bearing matches the fruit that we are admiring in their lives.
But is it possible that our admiration of someone else's "hundred-fold" harvest is keeping us from clearly seeing our own "sixty fold" or "thirty-fold" results? Even more, is it possible that we are hiding our less than stellar crop behind their robust one hoping that no one will see the difference?
 
These things always become clear. . . .
So look again.

 
We have to ask ourselves: which one of these bushes represents the fruit we are bearing in the kingdom of God?
 
Priscilla
 

Taking God At His Word

"For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God". 2 Corinthians 1:20

Recently the Lord has really cemented this verse into the depths of my heart. No matter what situation I face He continues to bring me right back to this Scripture....over and over again. I didn't really understand why at first, but He later revealed areas in my life where I was not fully trusting Him. Doubt and fear were overshadowing my faith and I didn't even realize it. It was affecting my prayers, my worship and most of all, my relationship with the Lord and He was using this verse to get my attention.

One thing He showed me is that I needed to start wholeheartedly believing that His word is true. I would say in one breath that I trust God, but then I would find myself secretly worrying about the situation. My Pastor says it perfectly. He says that it's not enough to simply believe in God, but we as followers of Christ need to start believing God. Believing that each and every promise He has made in Scripture is available to us.

He also reminded me that He is completely incapable of breaking His promises. If we ask God if His promises in Scripture apply to us, His response is going to ALWAYS be, "Yes"!

Lord, if I delight myself in you, will you give me the desires of my heart? His response will always be, Yes. Psalm 37:4

Lord, I am brokenhearted. Can I trust that you will be near to me? His response will always be, Yes. Psalms 34:18.

Lord, if I seek you with my whole heart, will I be able to find you? His response will always be, Yes. Jeremiah 29:13

Lord, I am weary and burdened, will I ever be able to find rest? His response will always be, Yes. Matthew 11:28-29

Lord, financially I am in a tight spot and I don't know what to do. Can I trust you to meet all of my needs. His response will always be, Yes. Philippians 4:19.

Sometimes it's so easy to believe God's Word for somebody else and to stand in agreement that the promises of God are going to be manifested in their life, but when it comes to our own personal situations we quickly embrace worry, fear and doubt.

My friend, God's promises apply to you and to me! No matter what our past has been or the mistakes we've made, His promises are true and can be fully experienced in our lives.

Let's stand together in taking God at His Word!

Praying for you,
Antrenette

He's Always Been Faithful

If there is one word that I had to say that my life has been about or what my journey with God has been like, it is the fact that He has been FAITHFUL. 

I'm amazed by how He has in the past and in the current days gone OUT of His way to confirm His faithfulness over my life. Between breaking and re-establishing relationships to receiving prayers and words of encouragement from people, it all seems to come at exactly the right time so that I never have to doubt that God loves me and that He has a plan and purpose for my life no matter what my circumstances may be. Not only that but they are GOOD things and His ways lead to more life and depth and freedom than I could ever imagine. 

Walking with God has been such a wild adventure and I love that I get to testify that the One who created this earth and everything in it cares about the very details of my life and that He wants to build a great story that I get to be a part of. Amazing!

I think it's good to know what our lives are about if we are walking with the Lord and to realize and testify the things that He has done in our lives. 

Do you have a theme or verse or "word" that seems to have defined the things God has done in your life? I would LOVE to hear the different ways that God is moving and working in your life today! 

Christ's Miracle to One, Impacts the Church

What experiences with Christ do you have that contribute to the Kingdom?  Priscilla takes a minute to share a few thoughts from her quiet time here...

No matter what part of your walk you're in, baby Christian or mature believer, you've experienced Christ working in your life.  I love how Priscilla sees this in the story of Joanna.  Joanna experienced the work of Jesus in the middle of her pain.  What happened on that day didn't stop there.  Jesus' salvation of Joanna's son didn't just stop with bringing the son back to life; He used it to impact the son, the Church and Joanna's future.  

I love this.  What experiences do you have today that will contribute to the Kingdom tomorrow?  How has God worked in your past that impacts your today?

Know that you are loved and prayed for this weekend...may He Speak in your life today!

 

  The GB Team

Creative Handiwork....

AH!  Y'all...as you may have heard quite a few times these days, I LOVE to be creative!  Putting something together from scratch, whether it be an opener for an event (complete with lighting, musical production, costumes and video) or a decorative wall piece for my bedroom (see the origami crane branch I made below!) or a yummy meal (you better beLIEVE this San Antonio gal can cook a mess of enchiladas and guac!!), I am energized by starting from scratch and then seeing a created finish! 

Here's the wall hanging!

 

As you might remember, I moved into a dreamy little apartment a few weeks ago and have been in full-on nesting mode ever since.  THIS weekend, a guy friend has offered to help me craft a handmade, distressed headboard for my bed!  I'm including a pic below of the prototype...any thoughts? 

I'm also having a little house warming party and in DESPERATE need of some new recipes for snacky foods...I'm putting together some of my fav oatmeal, chocolate chip, white chocolate chip cookie bars.  But I need another sweet thing and a few savory things...do you have any tried-n-true snacks that are go-to's for you?  I want to try them!  

Ok.  Back to work...I'll quit dreaming of my soon-to-be-amazing headboard and warm, melt-in-your-mouth cookies...mmmm.....

 

xx

 

annetta

So Many Boys So Little Time

Monday evening, my sister dropped her three boys off at my house to spend the night. An early morning doctor's visit was going to make it impossible for her to tackle the AM "out-the-door" rush the following day so it just made sense for them to bunk here for the night.
Already asleep, my own 3 boys didn't know that their cousins had arrived. That is, until the next morning when they discovered one another and went into a full-on celebration of each other's presence. They couldn't believe that this great fortune had been bestowed upon them on a school night! They had no idea about the doctor's visit and didn't care that this whole arrangement had nothing to do with their enjoyment but everything to do with their mother's ease. The secret slumber party was thrilling to them. Just the fact that they had been in the same house overnight on a Monday made them overflow with enthusiasm.
And in the midst of all of this celebrating. . .all 6 of these boys needed to be dressed, fed and prepared for their day - some at school, some at mother's day out, some going to Grandma's house.
Unbelievably, it happened. . . and without much incident. Six boys dressed, six tummy's filled, six pairs of shoes found, six mouths of teeth brushed, six backpacks in the car.
And all of this with only 1 meltdown!
Thank you Lord! If I didn't believe in miracles before this I certainly do now. 

Jesus is alive I tell you! He's alive!

Small victories like these in a woman's day are to be acknowledged! When something goes smoother than we'd thought it would or another thing becomes a joy when we thought it might be anything but one, we ought to pause and smile. These small reprieves are little gifts that we shouldn't ignore!

So, have you had a "little gift" lately? Maybe one that you didn't recognize at the time but want to take a moment to celebrate now?

Go for it. I'm listening and celebrating with you!
Priscilla