Lysa TerKeurst's Blog, page 31

A Few Gut Honest Whispers…

Who knew an unglued girl could scribble some words for other unglued girls and God could take it all to use it for good?

I’m amazed at how He continues to use what I’ve learned through some of my biggest struggles.

In Unglued I unpack so many lessons that I wasn’t always jumping at the opportunity to embrace -

…The moments that have been the absolute hardest to bear during this motherhood journey.

…The uncertain, rocky places in my marriage.

…Each decision to move toward making imperfect progress with my reactions.

Yes, He continues to work through it all.

I thought I’d share some gut honest whispers from a few girls who have been making their own imperfect progress through Unglued. Actually, the reason they’re so excited about it might be because they’ve realized that I’m a LOT crazier than they are.

And it’s always comforting to know we’re not alone.

Christianbook.com is selling Unglued right now for a special price of $5.00! Click here to get your copy.

{Note: The link in this post is a referral link. All proceeds go directly to Proverbs 31 Ministries. Read the P31 disclosure policy here.}

Related posts:

Exploder or Stuffer – Which One Are You?
Do I want to make peace or progress?
Unglued Blog Tour – Let’s Stick Together

Happy Summer!

I’m back from our family vacation at Camp-of-the-Woods in upstate New York. It was so fun!

I’m a lake girl. I really am. Maybe you can’t imagine me being dragged around on an inner tube at 6:30am with a cool 64 degree breeze coming off the water, but it happened. And I have pictures to prove it!

A teeny part of me just wants you to believe I have a daring side that bosses my extreme rule-follower tendencies around every once in a while.

So, I thought it would be fun to share some highlights of our getaway with you. Happy summer!

Evidence of my tubing adventure:

My sweet Brooke and me:

Here’s a peek at preparations for the s’more-making contest we had. The kids were coming up with some serious strategies…

The showstopper of the contest: typical s’more with added peanut butter and banana.

My girls.

Art and Wes got some “man time” to go fishing!

My beautiful view.

Firework celebrations…

My man, a lake, and a sunset make me one happy girl.

Are you making vacation plans or doing fun summer activities? Let’s chat in the comments below.

And a big congratulations to the winner of the Family Rules poster giveaway – Tonia! Thanks to everyone who entered. We had such an amazing response to the poster, Alexander Creative has offered 10% off of any purchase in their Etsy store through this Sunday. Just use coupon code UNGLUED at the checkout.

Related posts:

Friday Favorites: Fun Decorating Ideas
Why Do We Have Such a Hard Time Saying “No?”
Summer Sanity Savers

Friday Favorites: Fun Decorating Ideas

Charlotte has been experiencing a little bit of a rainy season here lately. And by a little, I mean check-the-extended-forecast-and-there’s-a-lightning-bolt-every-day type of season. You might say we’re swimming this summer, but not in any kind of pool.

While the weather patterns are bizarre, I welcome a break from the southern heat. I also welcome the unrushed pace the rainy days bring.

While writing my next book has taken up a chunk of my summer, I am happy to announce….

It’s done!

I turned in all 60,200 words this past Monday.

For the next several days, I just want to use my computer for things that don’t require words : )

So, today’s Friday Favorites post is all about simple but delightful decorating ideas.

Here are some favorites I’ve found:

1) Chevron seems to be the pattern of the season. It’s on clothing. It’s on cell phone cases. And apparently, now it’s on pillows. Which is fine by me – I love the “pop” this pattern brings to a room!

2) Something about Pottery Barn just makes me want to redecorate. Everything. But since that’s a little unrealistic, I’m sticking with this vintage lantern.

3) I may or may not have originally seen this idea as a centerpiece for a wedding shower. Okay. I did. And no, we’re not marrying anyone off. But I just thought this was such a cute idea to brighten up a kitchen area or dining table. It’s simple and cheap to make your own – just fill a mason jar with lemon slices and flowers from your yard.

4) Another DIY decoration – stacking old books to elevate a picture frame, small vase, etc. You can find books like these at your local consignment shop, antique store, or a yard sale!

5) Don’t you wish you could just point to a sign for answers every time your people make you want to come unglued with their endless questions and arguments? This mama does. That’s why the Family Rules poster is so amazing!

And today, Alexander Creative is giving away one of the posters right here on my blog. Leave a comment telling me where you’d hang this in your house as a reminder.

Related posts:

Friday Favorites: A Relaxing Weekend
Friday Favorites – Celebrating Moms Everywhere
Friday Favorites: Cuteness

A Soul That Longs For More

(Below is a little peek into my book, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God – the story of how I really got started on this life-long “yes” journey. And I thought it just might speak into someone’s heart today. Find out how you can dig deeper into the book at the end of this post!)

It all started the day God told me to give away my Bible.

I was exhausted from traveling and speaking. All I wanted to do was to get to my assigned seat on the plane and settle in for a long winter’s nap. Imagine my absolute delight at being the only person seated in my row. I was just about to close my eyes when two last-minute passengers made their way to my row and took their seats.

Reluctantly, I decided to forgo my nap. The last thing I needed was to fall asleep and snore or, worse yet, wake up with my head resting on the guy’s shoulder beside me. No, I didn’t need another most embarrassing moment, so I pulled a manuscript out of my bag and started reading.

“What are you working on?” the guy asked. I told him I was a writer and I was working on a book titled Leading Women to the Heart of God. He smiled and said he thought God was a very interesting topic. I agreed and asked him a few questions about his beliefs. Before long, I found myself reaching into my bag and pulling out my Bible, walking him through some key verses that dealt with the issues he was facing. He kept asking questions, and I kept praying God would give me answers.

All of a sudden, I felt God tugging at my heart to give this man my Bible. Now, this was not just any Bible. This was my everyday, highlighted, underlined, written in, and tearstained Bible. My kids had even drawn pictures in this Bible. I started to argue with God in my head, but His message was clear. I was to give away my Bible.

I emptied it of some old church bulletins and other papers, took a deep breath, sighed, and placed it in the man’s hands. “I’d like for you to have my Bible,” I said. Astonished, he started to hand it back to me, saying he couldn’t possibly accept such a gift. “God told me to give it to you,” I insisted. “Sometimes the God of the universe pauses in the midst of all His creation to touch the heart of one person. Today, He paused for you.”

The man took my Bible and made two promises. First, he said he would read it, and, second, someday he would pass it on, doing for someone else what I’d done for him.

Before I knew it, the plane landed and we were saying our goodbyes. As I stepped into the aisle preparing to disembark, the woman on the other side of the businessman reached out and grabbed my arm. She’d been staring out the window the entire time we were flying, and I thought she’d been ignoring us. But her tearstained face told a different story.

In a tone so hushed I could barely hear her, she whispered, “Thank you. What you shared today has changed my life.” I put my hand on hers and whispered back, “You’re welcome.” Then a knot caught in my throat as tears welled up in my eyes. I didn’t have another Bible to give away, so I gave her one of my books and hugged her goodbye.

It has been said that we are to tell the whole world about Jesus, using words only if necessary. I saw this powerful truth come to life. Though I never spoke to this lady about Jesus, she saw Him through my obedience.

How humbling. How profound.

As I got off the plane that day, I could barely hold back my tears. Three people’s hearts were radically changed.

I believe the businessman came to know Jesus as his Lord and Savior. I believe the same is true for the lady. But my heart was changed in a dramatic way as well. While on the one hand I was overjoyed at what God had done, I was also brokenhearted by the flood of thoughts that came to mind recounting times I’d told God no.

How tragic to miss God’s divine appointments.

I just kept wondering, How many times have I told You no, God? How many times because I was too tired, too insecure, too uncertain, too busy, or too selfish have I walked right past Your divine appointment for me and missed experiencing You?

I lifted up my heart to the Lord and whispered, “Please forgive me for all those noes. Right now I say yes, Lord. I say yes to You before I even know what You might ask me to do. I simply want You to see a yes-heart in me.”

Several minutes after exiting the plane, I was weaving in and out of the crowds, trying to find my connecting gate, when I spotted the businessman again. He stopped me to tell me he had been praying to God and thanking Him for what happened on the plane. We swapped business cards, and, though we lived several states apart, I knew we would stay in touch.

About a month later he called to tell me his life had totally changed. He’d taken a week off from work to read the Bible, and he’d already shared his testimony with numerous people.

When he said this to me, my mouth dropped open. I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that I’d never taken a week off from work to read the Bible. God was definitely pursuing this man in a serious way!

When I asked him what his favorite verse was, he said it was Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” I thought to myself, Wow! Look at how God has already answered that for my new friend.

He also told me that after reading the Scriptures he knew he needed to get involved in a church, so he’d decided to visit a large church in his town. On his way there he passed another church, and a strong feeling came over him to turn his car around and go back to that church.

So he did.

When he got to his seat in the sanctuary, he opened up his bulletin and gasped. Inside the bulletin he saw my picture and an announcement that I was to be the speaker at an upcoming women’s conference. He said he felt as though, once again, God had paused just for him.

That day on the plane, when God impressed on my heart to give this man my Bible, I did not know what would happen. This man might have thrown my Bible into the nearest airport trashcan, for all I knew. Normally, I would have come up with a hundred reasons not to give my Bible away, but that day something changed in me. That day, for the first time, I truly heard the call of a woman who says yes to God: “Whatever God says to do, do it.”

Over 14,000 women have signed up for the Proverbs 31 Ministries’ Online Bible Study of What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, and you can too! Click here for more information and to sign up.

And here’s a fun giveaway to prepare you for the study… five commenters will be chosen to win a copy of the book today.

Tell me about a time when you’ve answered God’s call to be obedient.

Related posts:

Will You Join Me?
The Rip Current of People-Pleasing
I Want to Run Away

Women of Faith Webcast Replay

I had so much fun with my friends at Women of Faith and Saddleback Church on Tuesday. Here’s a snapshot from our planning meeting for the Women of Faith tour this fall. It was all business with Lisa Harper, Sheila Walsh, Holly Wagner, Christine Caine and me.

Spending time with these friends was incredibly refreshing.

And then we did the webcast! We talked about everything. And I mean everything.

Let’s just say Spanx came up in conversation. Honestly, I was relieved at their stance on said unmentionable due to the little problem it caused for me a few weeks ago.

Ahem.

Anyway, if you didn’t have a chance to catch the webcast, the replay is available to watch below!

P.S. If you’re looking for the sneak peek from my new book, take a look at yesterday’s post.

Related posts:

If You See Me Sweating Like Sweet Onions, Here’s Why…
Inside Chatter Webcast Replay Available
The Second Unglued Webcast Replay is Live!

Consider the Trade

(Today’s blog post is a tiny snapshot from the book I’m working on, “The Best Yes.”)

I remember watching a TV show a couple of years ago where an expert lady was instructing a messy lady about how to get organized. I was fascinated.

I am so prone to be the messy lady.

But I want to be the organized lady.

The organized lady taught her lessons and then decided to help the messy lady implement what they’d just discussed. So, the next scene was the messy lady revealing for all the world to see, her closet.

I could tell from the expression on expert lady’s face, she was pleased for such a dramatic situation. Drama makes for good TV because crazy people like me stay tuned in.

And this closet was crazy.

Kind of like mine was at the time.

The expert lady swirled and twirled about like a fairy godmother commanding the wrong items be taken out and the right items be placed in color coded order. I sat there fascinated by how her expert mind could so clearly see potential in this crazy space and know how to do all that needed to be done to turn it into a dream closet.

The final scene was the big reveal to messy lady.

She “oohed” and “aahed” over the progress made. And though she’d resisted the expert lady during the process of needing to get rid of many things, the final outcome was so worth it.

Then the expert lady made the ex-messy lady hold her hand up and pledge one final thing before the show ended. She repeated these words to the expert, “I promise before adding anything new, I will make space by getting rid of something first.”

A silly show about organizing became a great lesson on considering the trade.

If we refuse to release before we add, we will get overloaded.

Ex-messy lady can’t expect to keep that beautifully redone closet beautiful, if she starts adding more and more to it.

I can’t expect to have room for my best yes opportunities, if I refuse to release the clutter.

Now, here’s what’s hard. Here’s where the ex-messy lady struggled. And here’s the reason I sat on my couch observing other people getting organized rather than walking into my closet and actually implementing what I was learning.

How do we discern what to call clutter and what to keep?

And obviously, this applies to much more than just my closet.

Gracious. This is where I get tripped up over and over. I second-guess my decisions because the fear of release paralyzes me into never taking the first step.

That purple shirt is great. I like it a lot.

But I haven’t worn it in over a year.

But is that because it was hidden amongst lots of other stuff? Or because I just don’t feel drawn to wear a purple shirt most days?

If I get rid of it and then need it, I’ll just kick myself. I don’t want to have to eventually buy another one when this one is perfectly good. So, maybe I should keep it just in case.

But then maybe I should keep everything just in case.

After all, it wouldn’t be in my closet if I didn’t think it was great when I bought it. Oh, organizing my closet is just too hard.

So, I trade having an organized closet for a purple shirt I’ll probably never wear again.

Yikes.

That’s not a good trade. Ever.

We must get good at considering the trade – and not just for our closet.

Psalm 119:35-37 is a great set of verses to pray as we seek God and consider the best yes choices for our lives:

“Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word.”

Let’s talk about this.

Have you ever failed to consider the trade?

Related posts:

The Only Thing That Counts
Final Unglued Webcast is Live!
Conversations She Will Have About Me With Her Therapist One Day

You Don’t Want to Miss It!

Lysa is on the West Coast today meeting with her friends at Women of Faith, so some of us on her team thought it would be fun to remind you about the free webcast happening tomorrow.

Women of Faith will be taking over Lysa’s blog to bring us a message on how to overcome feelings of rejection, insecurity, and fear to embrace a deeper understanding of our significance in Christ. It’s going to be an amazing webcast that you don’t want to miss!

So, now you might be thinking… “details, details, I need details!” Here’s everything you need to know:

Who: Lysa TerKeurst, Sheila Walsh, Lisa Harper, Holly Wagner, and special guest Roma Downey

What: Living a Life of Significance Webcast

When: Tomorrow, June 25 at 9PM (EST)

Where: Right here on www.LysaTerKeurst.com

If you don’t have any sticky notes nearby to write all of that down, sign up for a reminder e-mail below:

Type your email address here to receive a reminder
about this free webcast.

Email Address *
First Name *
Last Name *

* indicates required

See you tomorrow!

Related posts:

Sitting At Home, Alone
YOU Can Be On the Webcast!

If your name is Joel, don’t read this…

Happy Wednesday my bloggy friends!

I thought I’d take a break from writing my book. But we’ll keep that a little secret between you and I since my deadline is quickly approaching.

Or it might have actually passed. And I am holding my breath that my editor, Joel, is going to call any day now. Or show up on my doorstep. And with all the love in the world (because he is incredibly smart and kind) demand this manuscript right now. Yikes. Gulp. Prayers please?!

I’m at 47,000 words.

And I need to be at 55,000 words. Or maybe it’s 60,000? Have mercy on my soul.

I was awfully close to finishing last week. But then I cut lots of words after writing this post. Because the person that needed to read that the very most was me.

So. If your name is Joel might I offer you some cookies today and a manuscript next week?

Sigh.

Back to my blog friends. Might I mention today that your hair looks lovely? I know that to be true because mine is currently in such a state of total discombobulation that in comparison, anything would be a step up. I cannot lie. Mine is a situation right now.

But let’s not talk hair.

The real reason I’m writing is to tell you about some fun things going on in the ministry world.

First, Proverbs 31 has… drumroll, please… a brand new logo!

We’re moving into a whole new website design and adding departments to the ministry. Stay tuned for more details on what’s to come!

And here’s another exciting announcement… Women of Faith is taking over my blog on Tuesday, June 25 at 9PM (EST) for a free, encouraging webcast on living a life of significance.

Do you ever have those days where you just feel drained and insecure?

Me too.

That’s why I can’t wait to be with my friends Sheila Walsh, Lisa Harper, Holly Wagner, and special guest Roma Downey to talk about what to do on those days.

Sign up below for a reminder e-mail, and I’ll see you right back here next week!

Type your email address here to receive a reminder
about this free webcast.

Email Address *
First Name *
Last Name *

* indicates required

Now it’s your turn. Do you have any exciting news or praise reports in your life? Or hair suggestions? I’ll take those as well. Let’s chat in the comments below.

Related posts:

Sitting At Home, Alone
The Second Unglued Webcast Replay is Live!
YOU Can Be On the Webcast!

Writers, Compel Them to Grab That Marker of Yellow!

Letters with great potential become words. Words crafted become sentences. Sentences wrestled into sticky statements become quotes.

Quotes that people can’t quite shake, linger.

And when that lingering improves the reader’s life, we see just how much words matter.

Many writers stop at just the crafting of sentences. They rush them into paragraphs and word counts and books that people start but don’t finish.

But what a disservice to that reader stuck with only hastily crafted sentences.

Just a little more intention on the writer’s part would have grabbed the attention of the reader’s heart. And compelled them to grab that marker of yellow and declare, “this must not be forgotten!”

When people stop highlighting a book, they stop reading a book.

And what a shame that is.

Oh, writer of words – want more. Work more. Demand more.

More from those letters turned words turned sentences turned statements. Statements that hold such possibility but only if we, like an artist, work with them. Not just write them.

Weave them together to form something that walks right in line with truth. Not that we ever want to add to God’s truth. But we certainly don’t want our words to subtract from that truth either.

Rather, determine to be a truth illuminator and an illustrator.

A painter of nouns. A sculptor of syllables. An architect of carefully placed phrases. And a conductor of verbs that pop and zing.

Choreograph that empty page into a glorious display of wonder.

Resist the tragedy of typical.

Bomb the boring.

Reject the run-on.

Make good use of the delete button. If you said it well in 50 words, say it even better with 15.

But strangle not that soaring place from which the words come. Smart editing is good. Too much is paralyzing.

So be free. Dare to release that best writer within you.

And then. And only then. When you know you’ve given your words all you’ve got and just a little more,

Hit send.

(This kind of inspiration and instruction is what I long to give writers. I’m kicking around ideas on a type of course or mentoring program I may offer in the near future. If you are interested, leave a comment below and you’ll be among the first to be notified.)

Related posts:

Every Book Starts With A Sentence
Christians Acting Ugly
13 Minutes and 54 Seconds

Push Past Mad

I was spittin’ mad at my man. We had scheduled to watch a movie together but then he got a phone call. A call he had to take.

And instead of being patient and remembering how he had been understanding all the times I’ve gotten phone calls I had to take, I just got mad.

I felt put off.

Ignored.

Less important.

Because this was supposed to be our time together. And I was really looking forward to our time. I wanted to know he was looking forward to our time. That’s one of the most important parts of a date for me- knowing that he is looking forward to it.

But the longer the call lasted, the more I convinced myself he was just doing this movie date with me out of obligation rather than out of a desire to really be with me.

So, when the call went from “it will just be a minute” to over 40 minutes, I shut down and went to bed. Mad. Really mad.

The next day, Art asked if we could try again.

I was still mad. I didn’t want to try again.

Because this wasn’t just about that one phone call and one missed movie. It was about a collection of situations where I’ve gathered up little pebbles of frustration. I carry them around and think it’s no big deal.

Pebbles seem so innocent until they collectively turn into boulders.

And boulders don’t just weigh you down, they wear you out. They don’t just frustrate, they fracture.

That’s why I had to push past mad and talk this through. The scariest place in a marriage isn’t when the talking is hard- it’s when the talking stops.

Keep talking. Keep connecting. Keep pushing past mad.

Related posts:

Answering Your Questions About Pornography, Part 2
The Unraveling Of A Marriage
Criticism Hurts