Sunday, February 19, 2012

A wild and wonderful day

Kathy & Becky
It's hard to know where to begin this post because it's a journey that began almost forty years ago. 

My wild and wonderful life with Jesus began when I was nine. Something amazing happened. Jesus's Spirit (whom we call the Holy Spirit) entered into my heart and life and I became forever changed. 

So it was pretty cool last week when Becky and I had the opportunity to talk about the Holy Spirit via six short videos we were producing for our newest Bible study, Jumpstart Your Life. These videos represent our walk with the Lord and the difference He makes through His Presence called the Holy Spirit.

Michelle L.
We asked God to show up in a big way--and He did. The day of shooting was long, grueling, fun, but mostly Spirit-filled. There were six of us involved in the production, and all the team members performed equally important roles. Amy and Kathy proved to be perfect directors; finding and creating excellent locations for the vignettes, approving wardrobe and offering suggestions without hurting anyone's feelings. Michelle F. is simply the most calm and reassuring producer who somehow makes things happen. And Michelle L. is a patient, talented videographer.

More to come about the actual shoot, but suffice it to say that last Wednesday was truly a wild and wonderful day with Jesus--and friends.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A very girl-y Valentine's Day

Katie, Julie, Audrey & Chan


Want to know a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day? Spend it with a few girlfriends. The menu: sparkling cherry juice, pork tenderloin with cherry sauce, heart-shaped pasta, cherry sorbet, and almost-Martha Stewart chocolate chip cookies. Dinner conversation: favorite TV shows, best time to take a college class, how to cook, and facts about two-year olds. Interesting.

On the day of love, it was so great to spend a little time with some girls I love. A special day!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Happy bIrthday, dear sister

I've known her over half of my life. She's not my birth sister, but she is my sister. Linda is married to my brother. Last weekend, I had the honor to celebrate Linda's Jubilee birthday along with seventy of her closest friends. Here's a few things about Linda:


She's fun
She's' serious
She's creative
She's a good friend
She's a great sister
She's pretty
She has three amazing daughters (than she has graciously shared with me)
She loves people
She loves Jesus


And I love her... Happy birthday, dear sister!

P.S. Do you know what the Jubilee year is? It's referenced in Leviticus 25:11

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Jumpstart!

If you were to ask me, "What's one of the best things about co-authoring a Bible study for women?," I would answer by saying, "Just look at this photo."

This is a shot of eight really cool gals who participated in the launch of our newest Jumpstart Bible study. They did the study together and then, for graduation, they celebrated by having lunch together. I love that! It represents so well what Becky (my co-author) and I feel Jumpstart is all about. 

Jumpstart is a short study that can be done as a group, or with just one girlfriend. But however you choose to do it, it's a relational approach to how God wants us to interact with others in His world. 

If you participated in the study but didn't have the chance to go to lunch with someone afterward, let me challenge you. Take another study of some kind! Then--invite someone to lunch with you. Celebrating is half the fun!

If you're interested in doing Jumpstart with a friend, go to our website and click on Jumpstart. There, you will find our first study: Jumpstart your Heart. Soon, our new study--Jumpstart Your Relationship with God and Others--will also be available online.

So what are you waiting for? Grab a friend (or two!), set aside some time, and jump into Jumpstart!