Speak When Spoken Through

The unlikely Mom

2011-12-07T00:04:00.001-05:00

Welcome friends of Karen Ehman. If you didn't come here from there go there NOW. She's doing this awesome Christmas carnival and you can win some fantastic stuff!

If Karen is introducing us, hey, I'm Whitney. Thanks for popping by. I'm a Mom. When I used to introduce myself to people I'd start with that and then list a mini-resume to try and beef it up a bit. I want you to like me and be kind of impressed. Because I'm a pretty anemic Mom. I felt like my resume needed a little shine. Six years later, I'm good with being a Mom. Most days that singular job is more than I can pull off.

I didn't expect to like it much less love it-being a Mom. I knew that by some divine intervention I would love my children; I prayed I would like them. Because in general I don't really like kids. I think I have the spiritual gift of disciplining other people's children. Anybody else? If you've ever finished this sentence in your head, "what he really needs is a good..." you know what I'm talking about. No? Just me? Okay, please, please, please still be my friend.

So anyway, I knew I'd love my kids, but the dailiness of actually being a Mom, I wasn't' sure I'd like that.

This doesn't come naturally to me. I've seen natural Mom's. I had one. I hang out with a whole sorority of natural Mom's almost every day. For me, being a Mom (at least a good one, a Biblical one) takes a whole lot of Jesus. You know?

I forget until after noon to change my toddler's diaper-his OVERNIGHT diaper! We eat fast food a lot. My boys play their DS at the table when we go out to dinner. I've been called out by more than one of them for "not talking nice to Daddy." Seriously, do you feel so much better about yourself? (Subscribe now; I'm a daily dose of mommy-feel good!)

I have endured more sanctification in the last six years than I think I had in the ten prior. Nothing reveals my overabundance of flesh like three little boys. Motherhood doesn't hide a multitude of sins, in my case it highlights them. Where I should offer grace, a short fuse flares. Where they should hear gentleness, a snarky comment flies.

It would be so easy to stay focused on all my frailties. The list is so, so long. But as I sit here, counting contractions and awaiting the birth of our fourth son in six years I am filled to overflowing with joy, anticipation and sick cocktail of indigestion and back labor. For all the difficulties of motherhood, it is inexplicably wonderful. There are a million reasons why but for me it is summed up in Hebrews 11:1.

"Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."

In motherhood, God graces me with the ability to see the things hoped for-transformation, sanctification, mercies new everyday. I can see my boys years from now walking out their faith. I see a day when I don't lose my temper. I can see days when I'll inherit daughters. I can see fruits of the Spirit harvested in my children by their Dad's faithful family devotions.

Yes I love motherhood, but not because I'm a good Mom. I serve an always good God.

Tate, I promise to love you as lavishly as I can. I promise to always seek forgiveness of my sins even if it means making confession to you. I promise to show you how abundantly God redeems. I promise to help you be the man your Dad is. I promise to make sure you know this world does not revolve around you. I promise to help you know more than just Bible stories, but the God of the Bible. I promise I'll probably break like a thousand promises but I will love you forever. Just forgive me if there are moments (brief moments) when I don't like you so much. Just keeping' it real...

What if bible stories aren't enough?

2011-10-31T09:35:00.003-04:00

Nearly 70% of church-raised high school graduates are walking away from their faith and the church after entering the college campus.

Let me put a face on that statistical reality. I will soon have four boys, Cooper, Dylan, Ryder and Tate. (Tate should make his arrival in mid to late December.) If this statistic holds true, two of my boys, possibly three, will abandon their faith after they leave our home.

It will be tossed aside like old cleats, high school trophies, too-small clothes-outgrown and unnecessary.

Think about it in terms of the children in your family. How will your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews fair? What about the kids in youth group or in nursery and children's church for that matter? Etch their faces in your minds. Time is moving faster, children maturing earlier and our culture becoming more and more antagonistic to Christ-followers.

I read statistics like this one and think, "not my kids." My kids will be different.

I've talked with parents whose children have walked away. Their kids knew the stories too. Their kids were shuffled to Sunday School, weeknight church programs, youth camps and bible studies. They played the sword drills. They could recite the right answers.

These were the kids the surveyed; the study conducted by a major evangelical denomination. These young adults were inside our church culture, raised in church-saturated homes. They weren't on the periphery. They are my kids, and probably yours too.

So what happens?

I'm still trying to master potty training and "please and thank you," so clearly I don't have the answers. But as I pray through this sobering reality God is whispering that not having all the answers doesn't mean I can ignore the question.

So what if bible stories aren't enough?

One of the reasons I'm a theology geek...

2011-09-06T22:05:00.003-04:00

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was a naive but optimistic college freshman attending my first day of class. I had signed up for Christian Ethics, 9 am Monday morning. I was anxious to study any theology class at my "Christian" college. My professor was young and engaging. He introduced himself and said,

"I hope none of you came to class hoping to have me blindly affirm all the things 'your Pastor' told you in church. We won't just regurgitate things we've heard preached from the pulpit. I expect you to take Scripture and prove your position. This isn't about bible stories, but applying Scripture to the gray areas of life and ethics."

He had me. I was exhilarated! This was going to be awesome! All of that quickly dissipated as he continued, however. Over the next 20-30 minutes he began to critique and criticize conservative evangelical theology. Those of us who dared challenge him, he would ridicule and belittle. I left completely deflated and more than intimidated. I now knew why no other freshmen had signed up for this class.

Over the course of that semester, I was tested in harder ways than I had ever been before or have been since. He was critical, argumentative, condescending and unbiblical.

It wasn't easy, but I survived. I didn't get through it because I was always prepared or always right. I didn't always speak in love. I said things I had to go back and retract. I spoke in haste rather than in Truth. There were times I was motivated to correct a wrong rather than protect the Truth.

I survived because I had a Dad who taught me to love the Word, not just the stories but the theology. I survived because despite my pride, which was often too present, I had been taught to love the Truth more than I loved my opinions. I had been taught to love Truth more than I loved being right. I had been taught that God didn't need me to defend Him, but He invites me to "stand firm" not for my glory but for His own. I had been taught these things by my favorite professor, my Dad, Dr. Alan Posey.

I talked to my Dad almost every day as I studied the Word, wrote papers and prepared my oral defense. He was a sounding board and a Truth-teller. I treasured his advice and counsel. He is a man who is zealous for the glory of God and the veracity of Scripture. He is wise and knowledgable. (And I quickly discovered the value of both.) He is gracious, patient and tender. The Sword is always safe in His hands. I am glad I am his daughter and his student.

I learned a lot during that fall semester 1996, but it wasn't in the classroom. It was in the hard stuff of Scripture under the shepherding of my ever-patient Dad.

This experience was one of those watermark moments in my life. It shaped me then and is shaping me now. More on that later...

Back from Back-to-School Hiatus

2011-08-29T12:06:00.002-04:00

Hello friends. I'm back after taking off the month of August. With two of my babies in school, I needed to be readily available for them. Dylan is going to Pre-K for half a day with a noon pick up. Cooper is in 1st grade; I pick him up at 3:00. It feels in some ways like I spent the last month in my car. (Oh you mother's of teens, how do you do it?!) While entertaining a very active 2-year-old Ryder, home alone for the first time in his life, I've ben a busy gal. I had neglected to appreciate how much entertainment for Ryder and help for me Cooper and Dylan had been. Needless to say, we have all missed them.

We are all adjusting to this new season of life, and I have learned as much if not more than they have in the first few weeks of school. Motherhood is course with regular exams, isn't it? I am so excited to share some news with you about some of the things God is teaching me. I'll be tackling a huge project here in the coming months, and I'll need some faithful, fearless participants. Come back soon for an update! I'm so excited I can't type fast enough. God is up to some big stuff!

Hugs,
Whit

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Twas the night before school...

2011-08-07T21:02:00.002-04:00

Hello bloggy friends. Whit here. Sorry some of you have been looking for the final session of our "Because I Said So" summer series. I lost my flip (camera) which is sort of critical for uploading video. Dorky. Scatterbrained. Preggers mother of three. But the lost coin has been found! We'll be up and running tomorrow so check back then.

But for now, I am preparing to get up WAY earlier than I have all summer long to get two, count them, TWO boys ready for school. Dylan our chivalrous, charismatic four-year old heads off to Providence with big brother Cooper. Coop's entering first grade, and he is beyond ready. When did I age into a mother of, gasp!, two school-aged children?

And in case you missed it, we are preggers with number four. We also found out two weeks ago it's BOY number four. I'll post more on that later. I can't decide. Are we doing such a fine job that we've been entrusted with another, OR, is God giving us one more shot to finally get it right? I'm not sure I want to know the answer.

It takes a lot of Jesus for me to be a good Mom. Maybe He knew I needed a lot more sanctifying. That's the more likely reason.

Night, night.

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"Because I Said So" - Session 5

2011-07-09T22:17:00.004-04:00

Hey friends! It's Whit. I hope you guys are doing well. I can't wait to hear from you this week. This week's lesson is rather long. You may want to watch it in two sittings. This one stepped all over my toes and feelings. Forgive me in advance, but I hope the Spirit does some good work in each of us.

BISS Session 5 from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

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"Because I Said So" Session 4

2011-06-27T23:35:00.002-04:00

Dearest friend,

I hope you are enjoying our summer journey. Please share this study with friends. Because each lesson is independent they can join at anytime, catch up at their leisure or just take in a lesson or two. I'd love to grow our little fellowship here.

There have been some questions about our assignments. The assignments are repeated week to week, and are the same for every week. My hope is that the Spirit will help you glean personal applications that are rich and worth mining for. I can't wait to hear from you.

For this weeks lesson share which of the areas you love the Lord with best-your heart, your soul, your mind, your might or your strength. Further, which area needs to be developed?

By the way, I am serving at our church's Kids camp this week. I will be out of the loop, so no lesson this week. I'll be back on Wednesday of next week with our next lesson! Can't wait!

"Because I Said So" - Session 4 from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

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"Because I Said So" Session 3

2011-06-17T09:43:00.003-04:00

Hello dear friends.

I hope you all are doing well. I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this week's lesson. When I started this study I truly expected God to stretch my heart and actions related to obedience. I'm learning that obedience is a healthy and natural by-product of passion for the glory of God. How about you?

"Because I Said So" Session 3 from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

"Because I Said So" Weekly Assignments

2011-06-12T00:19:00.003-04:00

Ladies,

I have wonderful news! We have nearly 80 women joining together for this summer's study. Because new friends are joining us everyday I decided to post this link so that you (and others) can download our weekly assignments anytime.

Feel free to follow this link: https://files.me.com/wpcapps/5it4gm

If for whatever reason this link doesn't work, email me. I'll send you the link personally.

"Because I Said So" - Session 2

2011-06-11T20:27:00.001-04:00

Here is Session 2. For those of you who emailed me this week asking to join the study, I will be sending out the assignments later this evening. While at the beach our network went out so I was off-line most of the week. Thank you for your patience. I can't wait to hear what God is revealing to each of you!

BISS Session 2 from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

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"Because I Said So" Session 1

2011-06-03T21:25:00.004-04:00

Dear friends,

As you may or may not know, I am leading a summer bible study called "Because I Said So." The study will look at the call of God for obedience and a few of His subsequent commands.

This study will:
-provide insight on why obedience is a hallmark of an intimate relationship with the Lord
-offer context on the larger call of obedience
-unpack some of the major areas of obedience that unlock keys for spiritual fruit

If you're a part of the group already, welcome! If you're just hearing about this...it's not too late. Our sessions will be uploaded weekly. Leave your email address in the comments below, and I will email you the weekly assignments that correspond to each session.

Thrilled to journey along side each of you. I long to be not just a hearer of the Word, but a doer as well!

P.S.About the video-
1. Sorry about the background. I'm a shade above "corpse;" I really should know better than to stand in front of a bone-colored wall!
2. I desperately needed a haircut. The weird (and annoying) flip is gone as of today.
3. We are evolving in our video technique. We'll work out the kinks as we go!
4. Grace, grace, grace!

Untitled from Whitney Capps on Vimeo.

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Teaching them to obey...

2011-05-16T21:04:00.001-04:00

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My one thing...

2011-04-11T17:12:00.000-04:00

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A Yeah God Day

2011-01-04T22:56:00.005-05:00

Condemnation or Conviction?

2010-11-17T14:50:00.004-05:00

A few ramblings for today...

Why I don't blog way more than I do blog.

2010-11-15T22:48:00.003-05:00

Ya'll. I have issues. I really do. I've been praying a lot lately about why I blog, and why I don't. I don't way more than I do. And I've been asking myself and God why. Here's what I've come up with.

It's not because I don't have stuff to say. I do. I really, really do. God is always abundantly faithful to regally convict me when I need material. You see I promised Him I would only teach what He's taught me. He never fails. Conviction is consistent. Material is bountiful.

It's not because I don't like it. I love reading comments. I am a "words of affirmation" gal. Satan tells me all the time that nobody cares about what I write. That it is a waste of time. Your words help me combat that deceptive whisper.

It not because I don't have time. It really doesn't take that long. It takes longer in my head than it does in reality. Do you do that? Dread doing something because you tell yourself you don't have time. It will take too long you say; only to discover it probably takes less time than the eight other things you did while putting it off?

So if those aren't the reasons. What are the reasons?

It's a little bit because this process feels a little self-absorbed. When I write I think about you. And what you'll think about me and what I write. Will it sound haughty, smart, witty, wrong? I should write just for Jesus. I know. But you are there looking back at me from the screen. Out there. In cyber space and in reality-simultaneously intimidating. And I'm stuck thinking about you, me and if you'll like me or not. It's silly but true.

There are more reasons I'll share later. Again, material abounds.

But can I ask you a question? What aren't you doing that you really want to do? Lose weight? Read to your kids? Love on your husband? Start a bible study? Clean out your refrigerator? Stop watching T.V.?

We all have "those" things. You know them. The thing that eats at you partly from misplaced guilt partly from neglected conviction.

It will fall into one of two categories. There are things we wish we would do that God never called us to. Then there are the things we don't do that we know God is calling us to. The critical issue is knowing which we are struggling with. I know God has confirmed that blogging is one of the things He IS calling me to. So I am looking at the excuses that I use to avoid it in hopes of being more obedient. But that's step two.

Here's my challenge after walking through this process. Do step one. Think about what you're not doing. Don't start with "why don't I..." or "why can't I...". Instead ask, "Does God want me to...". Answer that question first. This is really hard to do. You will be hounded by all the reasons and ways you are inadequate. I've been wading through my list for weeks now. It ain't fun. Don't get stuck. First answer the main question. Where is the source of my guilt-condemnation or conviction; self or Spirit? I have some thoughts on the difference. I'll share more later this week.

Meantime, I'd love to hear your thoughts. I promise to let them nourish my heart not enlarge my head.

Lessons from BSF

2010-10-04T03:29:00.003-04:00

I know it seems a little odd to just pop back on here after so long. I have a "hey I've missed you video" scheduled but technical difficulties interfered. I'll try again tomorrow. In the meantime, here's a quick update of one major thing God is teaching me these days.

Are you dense? I know that's rude to ask, but I think I must be dense; and I'm wondering if I'm the only one. Lately everywhere I turn God seems to be trying to get my attention about the same thing. It's a recurring message that has bled into Dad's sermons on Sunday morning, our Wednesday night Bible Study, my personal quiet times and passages I'm studying for BSF (Bible Study Fellowship.) It will take me some time to unpack this, but for now let me just summarize. God wants me to distance myself from this world. He is offering stark and strong reminders of what a desolate yet seductive place I live in. He is asking me to turn from sins that I have become far too comfortable with. I think I look a little too at "home" here. I'm not 100% sure what He wants me to do about it, but I think He's getting ready to ask me to move into a new realm of faith and discipline.

Here's a passage from my BSF lesson this week. It's from the book of Isaiah 1:5-

"Why should you be beaten anymore? Why do you persist in rebellion? Your whole head is injured, your whole heart is afflicted."

While studying this passage I felt the Spirit say some sobering things to me. I have become a part of a rebellious nation. I don't want to offer a dissertation on the state of America. God is displeased I think, but rather than having me shake my head or wag my finger, the Lord of Hosts is asking me to see my personal rebellion. I am responsible. America is made up of millions of evangelicals who like the American dream more than we like our Heavenly mandate. I have become complacent and lukewarm.

Like verse 5 says, my rebellion has perverted Truth. My head is injured. I allow sin to be overlooked or ignored. My heart is afflicted with hardness and excuses.

God is speaking to me. I am seeking desperately to listen. I only know the diagnosis right now. I am awaiting the prescription. I am on my way to getting well.

She Speaks Scholarship

2010-04-21T00:10:00.001-04:00

Yeah, I thought that might get your attention. If you're dancing in your chair, then you've probably heard about the Proverbs 31 She Speaks conference. If you're a little confused but intrigued by the idea of winning something worth hundreds of dollars, go here. No really. Go there. Go there now. I'll wait.

Okay. Now if you're sold on She Speaks, or if you're even slightly curious check this out. Hey check this out even if you're neither. You may know someone who could be...

I am so sorry about the weird thing my earrings were doing, but I did that off the cuff, and so there was NO WAY I could do it twice.

And on another note. We are regular gals. We aren't perfect. We are flawed, and so I wanted you to know that we don't have it all figured out. But we aren't getting hammered daily regarding our interpretation of Scripture or how we apply it to our lives because that's something we take ridiculously seriously. We do our homework. We study. We prepare. We pursue excellence. We are prayed up, but it happens. It's probably not "regularly." The gals I'm on the team with are some amazing sisters, and that needs to be said. After watching the video I wanted to clarify that point. Oh, and I totally put on makeup at 11:28 pm because I'm just that insecure. I currently have on a tshirt with spit up on the shoulder. What can I say I needed to feel kind of put together. Please don't judge me.

Okay, here are the contest rules:

This contest is for women who have never attended She Speaks. And it is for women who would otherwise not be able to attend. If you can afford the conference-please do not enter to win a scholarship. Comments should briefly tell us what winning would mean to you in answering God's call to speak. We will be taking comments until midnight on Friday, April 23rd. A winner will be randomly chosen from all the comments and announced Monday, April 26th on the Proverbs 31 website. Here's the even better news. You can enter multiple times by leaving a comment on each of our blogs. And to make it easy there's a list on my sidebar of the other P31 gals in on the contest. You can also enter through our She Reads, She Seeks and Rad Revolution sites. Happy commenting.

Can't wait to hear from you!!!

Free to Be Me.

2010-02-17T13:27:00.002-05:00

Hey guys. Yesterday's carnival was fantastic. You new friends are so fun. Thanks for taking the time to leave your "what I like about me" comments. I was astonished at how many Jesus-girls still struggle with being ourselves. "The Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak"-or wrinkled or dimply or freckled or saggy or flabby. Well you get the picture.

I hope we can endeavor together to give up on ourselves, and find Jesus-yes, more and more and more of Jesus.

The winner of the $30 gift card from Francesca's is Lisa Smith from lifeoflisasmith dot blogspot dot com. This sweet sister is beginning a fierce fight against cancer. Lisa, email me at wpcapps@me.com with your address, and I'll get the certificate out to you. Find you something special and girly. Know when you wear it that this little community of the blogosphere will be praying for you.

The Proverbs 31 Blog Carnival

2010-02-16T00:01:00.001-05:00

Hey friends. It's a party, and it's a big one!!! Nearly the entire Proverbs 31 team is celebrating today with giveaways, encouragement and fellowship. We are group of women as diverse as you can imagine held together by a passion for women and for the Word of God. Because we are all different, if you take the time to look around our blogs you'll find us all celebrating various things-things we've overcome, things we've endured, things we've experienced, things we've learned, things we've been changed by.

Today, I am celebrating me. Oh, please, please, please keep reading. I'm not egomaniacal. I'm not supremely arrogant. I'm just a girl who is FINALLY good with just being me. I am FINALLY comfortable in my own skin.

Have you ever felt like a human being trapped in a chameleon's body? I spent years feeling like I didn't really know who I was or maybe who I wanted to be. There's not time to deconstruct the whole saga so let me paint you a picture. In high school I endured several extreme makeovers.

I spent middle school working my way through the store 5.7.9. At some point that deteriorated because it's 5.7.9 not 13.15.17. So, I went through a grunge phase. That was easy because I was not affluent and the idea is to try to look poor, but it was too dark for me. Then I tried the Abercrombie phase-not so easy on a tight budget. It didn't last long. Oh, and I had a muffin top when I was thirteen. Abercrombie is not made for girls with muffin tops. So then I tried pulling off an athletic look. I'm too round for that. It was fashion, and it was fiction. Athletic I am not. I eventually settled on preppy. It was the best fit-part lazy, part chic.

Each phase represented a new effort to feel good about me. I tried relentlessly to figure out who I was. I knew God had made me me. I knew deep in my soul that I was uniquely Whitney, I just didn't know what that would look like. Please know, this wasn't just about fashion. It wasn't just about materialism. It was about a young girl wanting to feel good about who and how God had made her.

Eventually a young woman gave up. I just got tired. I stopped wanting to figure it out. I decided to just enjoy being me-today. Thinking about my public persona was too exhausting, and really too selfish. I stopped trying to find myself, and devoted myself to finding God.

Then unremarkably it happened. I just became myself. And now at 31, I kind of like just enjoying God. Unexplainably, as a result I enjoy me. I am the most transparent person you will likely ever meet. I am ridiculously flawed. I make the same stupid mistakes. My prayers aren't, but could easily be scripted. I'm on my face about the same sins over. and over. and over. I'm not proud of it, but I am me. And I am growing. I'm not so worried about how God wants me to appear as much as who God wants me to be. It's incredibly freeing.

So today I'm celebrating the journey of finding myself. It's a journey that I completed when I gave up. I gave up on myself. I'm a quitter, and I like it.

Now, I am a girl who still loves fashion, and I have found my "me" store. If you don't have a Francesca's Collections near you, find one. If you can't find one go online and enjoy a little fashion heaven on a mama's budget. I can't pull off everything on the site. But ya'll part of enjoying me is knowing I have one dimple in the right place, and a host of others in the wrong places. I have unruly eyebrows. I have enormous hips and tiny, um, let's just say that A-line is my friend. But I have a nice neck and really great earlobes. Play to your strengths girls. I love me some big earrings, a cute necklace and a nice tunic.

So leave me a comment about what you like about you. I'll pick a winner and send you a $30 gift card from my favorite little fashion joint.

Now go celebrate with some of the best gals in the world: (You'll find their links on my sidebar, so click away. They've got good stuff for you, and I don't mean the give-aways!!)

Wendy Blight www.WendyBlight.com Wendy is giving away a copy of the One Year Chronological Bible and her book Hidden Joy in a Dark Corner: The Transforming Power of God's Story.

Shari Braendel www.ShariBraendel.blogspot.com Shari is givng away 3 beautiful jewelry pieces to begin a spring wardrobe with! One for a Glamour Girl, one for a Movie Star and one for a Rock Star!

Micca Campbell www.miccacampbell.com Micca is giving away her book An Untroubled Heart, and a cute clutch purse for those fun summer evenings!

Melanie Chitwood www.melaniechitwood.com/ Melanie is giving away One marriage conference call (see her blog for details) and her new book What a Wife Needs from Her Husband.

Lynn Cowell www.LynnCowell.com Lynn is giving away a prize for mom and a prize for a teen girl in her life – the 3 book series B.A.B.E. series by Andrea Stephens (Beautiful, Accepted, Blessed, Eternally Significant) for the teen and for Mom a $10 gift card to Starbucks along with Lynn’s CD “Building a Bridge to Your Child’s Heart”.

Karen Ehman www.KarenEhman.com Karen is giving away a Winter White Basket centered on Psalm 51:7 "Wash me and I will be whiter than snow" that includes Skin Milk body wash, a white loofah, Winter White Citrus Bath & Body Works products, white lily linen and room sprays, white hot cocoa, a white mug and white-chocolate macadamia nut cookies. Along with it, a copy of her book on celebrations entitled Homespun Memories for the Heart: More Than 200 Ideas to Make Unforgettable Moments.

Suzie Eller www.SuzieEller.com Suzie is giving away a webcam!

Zoe Elmore www.zoeelmore@blogspot.com Zoe is giving away a journal, a copy of My Heart's Cry by Anne Graham Lotz and a piece of jewelry Zoe style!

Charlene Kidd www.CharleneKidd.blogspot.com Charlene is giving away a $20.00 Starbucks Gift Card and a copy of Karen Ehman’s book: A Life That Says Welcome, Simple Ways to Open Your Heart and Home to Others.

Tracie Miles www.TracieMiles.com Tracie is giving away her CD "Overcoming Stress with Extraordinary Faith" and a Soulmates Slipper with Christian Notepad and Pen.

Rachel Olsen www.RachelOlsen.com Rachel is giving away Bread for Life": a hardback copy of The Daily Message: Through the Bible in One Year by Eugene Peterson (which you can read this along with her this year) and the Williams-Sonoma Muffins cookbook.

Wendy Pope www.wendypope.org Wendy is giving away a copy of her book Out of the Mouths of Babes and her CD Yes, No, and Maybe of a Balanced Life

Luann Prater www.LuannPrater.com & www.EncouragementCafe.com Luann is giving away an Encouragement Cafe mug and t-shirt for both sites!

LeAnn Rice www.LeAnnRice.com LeAnn is giving away a copy of her cookbook Sharing Grace: Recipes- Family Traditions-Gift ideas and a Starbucks gift card.

Susanne Scheppmann www.susannescheppmann.blogspot.com Susanne is giving away her Birds in My Mustard Tree Bible Study with an I-tunes gift card.

Renee Swope www.ReneeSwope.com Renee is giving away Lysa TerKeurst’s Becoming More Than a Good Bible Study Girl DVD Set and her CD message, Living Beyond the Shadow of Doubt on DVD.

Lysa TerKeurst www.LysaTerKeurst.com Lysa’s give away is a Mom's Book Club gift pack including 4 copies of Lysa's book, Am I Messing Up My Kids?and a 30-minute Q&A conference call with Lysa.

Van Walton www.vanwalton.blogspot.com Van is giving away her DVD for children - From the Pound to the Palace

Glynnis Whitwer www.GlynnisWhitwer.com Glynnis is giving away her book work@home: A Practical Guide for Woman Who Want to Work from Home and a French Country Wire Silverware Basket

She Reads www.shereads.org She Reads is giving away two novels, Watch Over Me by Christa Parrish and Screen Play by Chris Coppernoll, and chocolate, courtesy of the authors. They will tell the story of how their writing brought them together - a love story, quite literally, fit for a novel!

RadRevolution www.RadRevolution.org Our ministry to teen girls is giving away a copy of Do the Hard Thing along with a RadRev t-shirt! /div>

Work It Out Wednesday-2.10.10

2010-02-10T22:42:00.003-05:00

Okay so this just barely counts as Work it Out Wednesday. My apologies. No real reason. No life shattering drama, just a rough day in the life of this Mom. My world isn't so different from yours. It's not more difficult. It's not busier. It's just life, and life today was hard.

I was not a great Mom today, and it was one of those tough days where I didn't care-at the time. Now, while my sweet boys quietly sleep, I feel the pangs of guilt, the sting of my tone, the hope of short memories. So I am sorry for them and to you. But there it is.

So for Work it Out Wednesday, let me just ask you this. Are you friends with those in your own home? Are you friends with your family?

Today I would have to say "no".

I have a bad habit of being too real with the sweet people who share my immediate space. On more than one occasion my beloved has said, "you would never talk to somebody at church this way." He is right. I am not confrontational. I am regretfully, perpetually happy. I am not easily angered. I don't get my feelings hurt very often. I love my friends, and I want them to love me.

At home, I am different. Maybe more real, but certainly less long-suffering.

So for today, and tomorrow let's befriend our family. Extend the grace we would to our best friend. Hold our tongues because we would never say those words to a friend. Soften our tone. Drop what we are doing.

Come back Friday and let us know how it goes. Oh, and we'll pick back up with David and Jonathan next week.

Meditate on It Monday-2.8.10

2010-02-08T13:10:00.003-05:00

Friends and fans,

Here we are for the second installment of Meditate on It Monday. We had some great discussion last week about what friendships mean to us. You all had some great ideas about how (and why) we should nurture those.

I asked a question last week, that I'd like us to ponder a little more deeply today. I was curious if your friendships benefit you, your friend or both. Remember? Here's why I asked. I operate off a general friendship principle that this is a give-and-take kind of set-up. I have told you guys that I don't think I'm a good friend. I don't typically handle high maintenance relationships very well. I always feel like I drop the ball. Ugh. I don't like that about myself. (I'm working on it. Really I am.)

Alright, more confessions. I am also, unfortunately, coming to the realization that I am kind of a selfish friend. I like to feel valued, and needed, and to the degree I feel these things, I invest in my friends likewise. In short, relationships that thrive are ones where I both give and receive. I assumed this was a basic and universal tenet for friendship.

It is not.

Look with me at 1 Samuel 14:6. Here is a quick introduction to Jonathan, son of Saul. He is royalty's next in line. His father is King. In this passage we discover that Jonathan is a man of character, confidence and integrity. I like this kid.

So it's no surprise that when he is introduced to David in 1 Samuel 18 that the two would hit it off. David has just slain the giant. He is a veritable hero. Scripture tell us that the "soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul." (1 Samuel 18:1)

Well sure. They have a lot in common, don't they? Character. Confidence. Integrity. The list, well, kind of ends there. Think about it. David would never have run in the same circles as Jonathan. David would have never been afforded the company of the King. He's not royalty. He's not even wealthy. He's a shepherd. Under normal circumstances these two would not have been friends.

Did they have the same background? Hardly. Did they share similar interests? Unlikely. Did they have similar expectations for the future? Doubtful. I always thought these fellas were fast friends because of all they had in common. Now I think they were best friends in spite of it.

Look at the next few verses:

"And Saul took him that day and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David and his armor and even his sword and his bow and his belt." (vs. 2-4)

Jonathan does something remarkable. He gives David his most cherished and valued possessions. For Jonathan to shed his own clothing was not just sacrificial, it was monumentally significant. Jonathan was a soldier. His armor served to protect and project. It reveals that he is highly capable and highly valued. Without it he is vulnerable-in more ways than one. He literally gave David a piece of himself.

David gave nothing. What could he give to the son of a king?

Was their relationship mutually beneficial? Hardly. And Scripture records this relationship for all of human history as a hallmark of fidelity and friendship. I'd say that's worth pondering.

Meditate on that today. I'll be back on Wednesday with a way we can see this reality lived out in our own lives.

Work It Out Wednesday 2.3.10

2010-02-03T09:06:00.002-05:00

Hello Friendship Project participants!

(Don't know what the Friendship Project is? Join up! Read this and this, to be part of our 2010 campaign! It's not too late.)

For today's "work it out" assignment I'd like to challenge you to look at your list from Monday. Consider sending a note or email to someone on your list with whom you have a valued friendship. Make it personal. Make it real. Make it special.

Friendship is an investment. It takes time, energy and sacrifice. Thank those individuals in your life who have made an impact. Shouldn't they know that we appreciate their efforts?

Alright, go forth and thank friends. And remember to come back here for Feedback Friday. You don't have to wait until then to share your experience, but I'll be back with my update then. Can't wait to hear what you do, and how God ministers to your friends (and to each of us) through these efforts!

Hugs!!!

Meditate On It Monday-2.1.10

2010-02-01T11:37:00.005-05:00

Friends and Friendship Project Participants,

Happy Monday morning, well almost afternoon. I am sorry to be posting this later in the day that I would like. The dreaded sinus infection hit our house. I was sleepy, medicated and stuffed up last night. I was in the bed early though not sleeping as soundly as I would have liked.

At any rate, here is our topic for the day: Think about the relationships in your life. I'd like for you to consider how many valuable friendships you have in your life right now. Think about it, and maybe list them. Here are a few questions to ask yourself about these relationships:

-Why do I consider this relationship to be valuable?

-Is it valuable to me, to my friend or to both of us?

-What would be lacking in my life if this relationship were not present?

-Am I cultivating this relationship, or has it become stagnant?

Think about these things. As we move through this campaign, let's take a serious look at the friendship vacancies and friendship values that are present in our lives.

Proverbs 18:24 NIV

A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Friendship Project Update 1.27.10

2010-01-28T15:51:00.002-05:00

Fans and friends,

I've started a movement. Just writing that makes me feel all Joan of Arc-ish. It's not quite so severe, but I do think it is just as significant. I'm hoping banded together we can be liberated from the tyranny of busy-ness and isolation. I am hoping we find fellowship with friends. And so I've set up a little Facebook group dedicated to the Friendship Project. If you are on Facebook, consider joining us. If not, you can follow along right here as we kick off the campaign. The goal is to see what happens when women stop being busy and start being friends.

Today I'm announcing the the first organized initiative of the Friendship Project. Beginning next week I will be posting a series of weekly updates that invite your participation. Ready?

Join me for:

"Meditate On It" Monday

"Work it Out" Wednesday

"Feedback" Friday

No need to stress about where we go from here. Don't obsess about how this works. This isn't a big picture obligation. It isn't intended to be overwhelming. It's not just one more thing on an already-packed to-do list. Let's just do what we can to open our hearts, and perhaps more challenging our schedules to see, really see each other. Relationships aren't meant to exist just on screen or paper, but in flesh and blood.

Join me. Let's make some friends.

And now just for old time's sake:

Do you like me?

Circle "Yes" or "No"

Or-

Check out the Proverbs 31 Website to learn more about me and the ministry changing my life and the lives of women all across the world.

Your new friend,

Whitney

2010-01-12T14:10:00.003-05:00

Friends,

My sweet friends Luann Prater and Carol Davis are doing an amazing conference in Charlotte in just a few short weeks. It will be phenomenal!!! I wish I could be there, but I can't. Just wanted to pass along the details in case anyone can go, be blessed, and come back to share how fantastic it was?!!

Check out this video for a word from Luann:

This event is ONLY $119! THIS INCLUDES OVER-NIGHT STAY, ENTRANCE TO ALL CONFERENCE SESSIONS/ALL CONFERENCE MATERIAL, BREAKFAST & LUNCH ON SATURDAY!!! The bad news is...space is limited, so don't wait, register today.

From Luann:
“We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.”—E.M. Forester

This team of women at Encouragement Cafe' are charged up and ready to "let go" and we want desperately for you to come along with us!

God scoops up all of our pieces and parts and makes it whole. Watch how He takes our little and magnifies it into something so incredible that we will NEVER be the same!

Maybe you've never pictured yourself as radical.
Maybe you've never thought that God would ever ask you to step into something more.
Maybe you've never really experienced ABSOLUTE, BOUNDLESS, ABANDON and quite frankly the thought of it scares you to death!

Let me whisper in your ear a little truth:

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

God wants to do reconstructive surgery on the hearts of each one of us. We all live lives of quiet desperation, yet getting trapped in the mundane was never God's intention for our life! He wants us to not only LIVE victoriously, but to display that victory so others will be drawn to Him!

He has promised to show up in a unique and marvelous way. Will your 2010 look just like all the other years or are you ready to let God do something EXTREME in your life? Trust His way.

"No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him." 2 Cor 2:9

Isaiah 55:13 "This will be for the Lord's renown..."

From Carol Davis:
As we get ready for the Encouragement Extreme event in January, I can't help but think that God really means for us to go to the EXTREME in our faith. The Bible says that Jesus came to give us ABUNDANT life. Are you living an abundant life?

I have to admit that most of my days seem pretty ordinary. The laundry, the meetings, the "what's for supper?" You know the routine. But, somewhere in my heart...there is a part of me that longs for the abundant...the extreme life of faith that God has already purchased for me. If you have that longing too...then meet me in Greensboro at the Embassy Suites, January 29th and 30th....and we will lock arms and run hard after Jesus.

And when the weekend is over, the world will see a group of gals that have absolute faith in a great big God.

I look forward to the journey with you!!!

From Ramona Davis:
There are so many women God is calling to come out onto deeper water with Him. He has asked us to provide a place and environment in which His Spirit can move and take all of our hands and bring us by faith to a place of deeper commitment in our relationship to Him.

That’s what Encouragement EXTREME is all about. If you have felt His call in your heart, then this event is for you. He wants to encourage us to be EXTREME for Him and impact our little corners of the world.

Come, join us as we take each other’s hands and launch out!
I can’t wait to meet you,
Ramona Davis

Friendship Project Update #3

2010-01-04T23:19:00.003-05:00

Greetings friends. Hey! It's 2010!! Ain't that a kick in the head? If you've hopped here from the Encouragement for Today devotions by Proverbs 31, thanks and welcome. I hope you enjoyed today's devotion. Friendship is a topic I'd really rather not talk about. Why? Because I am a TERRIBLE friend; I mean really, really bad. Here are a few examples.

-I rarely remember birthdays.

-I never call to chat.

-I forget to ask about the thing you asked me to pray about last week.

-I take the last piece of bread.

To make matters worse, I am an introvert. I play an extrovert on t.v. and in life, but I love, need, c.r.a.v.e. mental white space. In have a few really, really close friends. And they laugh every time I tell people I'm not a good friend. They testify (to my embarrassment) that I am a really good friend. Here are a few of the examples they use:

-I have a knack for making other people feel comfortable.

-I ask good questions to get people talking.

-I am so comfortable with new people.

So I started wondering. Where is the discrepancy? I am not a good friend. I have this on good authority from a Highly reputable source. God has convicted me about my lack of commitment to real biblical friendship. He is working on me, and I am working on it. So why do my friends think I'm a good friend?

I think it's because I'm a good acquaintance. I do acquaintance-ship well. I know how to get to know you only so far. I rarely make the leap from social to spiritual. I don't make the sacrifice to invest in women. Don't get me wrong I have friendships-deeply intimate, spiritually nourishing friendships. I could. not do life without these gals. But here's the rub. There are countless women in my circle of relationship and even influence who desperately need, yet lack those same kinds of friendships.

Here's what the Spirit said to me about those gals even as He brought their faces to my mind:

"Whitney, you are waiting for someone else to do the hard, dirty work of friendship. You keep hoping they will connect with anybody but you. You've learned to be polite yet evasive. You have brushed them off as needy and "unique." You've pleaded your inadequacy as a friend as excuse not to engage. Daughter, invest. Connect. Sacrifice. Give."

Oh, friends. I did not want to hear that. And maybe more particularly I did not want to do it. But I will. I am. Friendship ISN'T always mutually beneficial, sometimes is sacrificial. It isn't always a give and take, sometimes it's just give. It isn't always easy. Often it is really, really hard.

Here's what I've learned so far. I have relationships where I experience friendship.I get the "take" as I give. But there are relationships where I demonstrate friendship. I demonstrate it in hopes that this new friend will experience the joy of biblical friendship. I won't do it perfectly, but that's not really an excuse.

I'm doing it. You?

P.S. Please join the Friendship Project fan page on Facebook. I'll be posting more details about the project there (and here.)

Walking the Walk-Friendship Project Update #2

2009-11-29T22:00:00.003-05:00

If you've stopped by from the Encouragement for Today devotion, welcome. I am posting a video update today. Let's chat...(hey, if you have trouble opening this, leave me a comment. Oh, any other comments are welcome too!)

The FriendshIp Project 2009

2009-11-11T23:30:00.003-05:00

Hey ladies. Check out the video below. And be gentle, it's my first time shooting a video and actually uploading it. Oh, I'm so nervous, but this will be totally worth it. I am so excited about this! Come back tomorrow for details on how to join our (soon-to-be set up) Facebook page!!

A quiet womb and a broken heart

2009-11-09T00:42:00.000-05:00

Welcome to those of you joining me from my "Encouragement for Today" devotion.

I'm not really myself right now. I spent this weekend at a retreat for my home church where I taught a series of sessions regarding the biblical mandate for friendship. It was an amazing weekend. I am in love with my friends. I am so blessed to have deep, abiding, make-me-better-than-I-am best friends. But this weekend I learned the stories of so many women in our church. In just a small delegation of women from our church, we had women who have:
-buried spouses
-who have lost homes
-suffered various and wretched forms of abuse
-survived infidelity
-come from unbelieving, broken or abusive homes
-buried parents or children
-had miscarriages both early and late-term

As I heard their stories I wept. We shared our desire to reach outside ourselves to use these experiences for others benefit; it is a ministry borne of pain. It was a supremely emotional weekend, but I savored every moment. I was spent in the best sense of the word. My Mom and I left the retreat laughing and celebrating our God-weekend. He was so, so good. As we were sitting over our last lunch before re-entering life we got a call from my Dad.

My brother and sister-in-law had just found out they lost their baby. My sister-in-love was just 12 weeks pregnant. After some spotting they went to the doctor and sat patiently waiting to hear the promising, sweet swooshing of an in utero heartbeat. It was a long silence interrupted by the tears of a young couple with a quiet womb and broken hearts.

I shared this weekend that the early chapters of Luke demonstrate the grace of God and the priority of friendship. God blesses Mary, the soon-to-be mother with a friend equally unlikely to be in that favored position-Elizabeth. Of all the things the angel could have told Mary, he assures her that Elizabeth is also with child and that with God nothing is impossible.

Elizabeth had chosen to keep herself hidden from everyone, but not Mary. These two friends walk this journey of expectancy together. Hearts are knit together for all kinds of reasons, but for women I don't know that many things draw us to another woman more than the knowledge that she knows intimately what we're feeling. She has been there.

Shared experiences transcend age, race, creed or distance; but that doesn't make sharing those experiences easy, does it? Shared experiences also require shared emotions. It can be hard to go back to that place of raw wreckage, to join someone in their pain. It requires revelation, transparency and risk.

But can I ask you to consider going there? I know you don't know my sweet, trembling, grieving sister-in-love, but she is amazing. She is resilient. She is faithful. She is private. She is choosing to deal with her grief at home with my brother. I support that, and I want to support her on her terms. I would love to gift her with encouragement and comfort that only someone who has been there can offer. I have not been there. You?

If you have ever experienced a miscarriage would you consider leaving her a comment here? Thank you in advance for entering her pain. "For nothing is impossible with God." Luke 1:37

Un-miffed. Part 2.

2009-11-03T23:08:00.000-05:00

I'm back. Sorry to leave so abruptly last night. I have a ten-month old with a double ear infection. A ten-month old who awoke six times last night between the hours of 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. A ten month-old who has been sleeping through the night since four weeks old. I knew something was up because he was.

So one wild and hairy day later filled with a drive to drop off my (currently) healthy four year old and two year old at Nonnie's, a visit to the doctor's office and countless squirts of Germ-X; I'm back home and back to give you the rest of the story.

So to recap, I'm struggling to find my mustard seed. It's there. I know it is. I can feel it. In fact, I can almost see my boys running through that house, scarring up the floors, nicking the paint, ruining new pairs of jeans in the yard.

But I am struggling. Is it okay for me to believe that God will give me THIS desire of my heart? Do I dare expect Him to act on my behalf for something so selfish? This is the question I asked my husband. You see He's a realist. Well, he says realist, I say he's a pessimist. He points to all the things God IS NOT doing as evidence that this may not be His will for our lives. I point to a dialogue I had with God..in my head. I can't say I blame him for wanting more proof. (By the way, my love advice? Date someone you can be in love with sure, but marry someone you can be in life with. I found one; he's a keeper!)

We decided to look to Scripture to see how faith works. What can we hope for?

My beloved points to Hebrews 11. This hallmark of faith testifies to those who believed God. My beloved points out wisely that many of these super saints received a promise. They believed in something God told them. They had an encounter with the Living God and received a promise or command from Him.

So does what I heard from God constitute a promise? I decide I'd better keep digging.

I look to the gospels. Over and over Jesus either commends individuals for their faith or shames them for their lack thereof. Many of the individuals Jesus healed were healed because of their faith. Presumably they had had no prior interaction with Jesus before going to see Him. They believed in Jesus' capacity to grant their hearts' desires.

Where does this leave me? Why am I un-miffed? Well here's where I am today. And because this seems to be a sort of gray area in Scripture I reserve the right to feel differently tomorrow. But today, well today I've decided the only reason not to believe God for my heart's desire is to protect my heart from disappointment. So what if I'm wrong?

You see what I know to be true about God WILL NOT change if He doesn't answer my prayer. His ways are perfect. His timing is without flaw. Unfathomably, He loves me more than I love myself. He purposes only good for me. I will not be moved from what I KNOW to be true about God. Experience doesn't trump Scripture. Period.

So it's a no lose situation for me. Either God answers my prayer or I learn more about His character and His purposes for my life. Until God tells me something different I'm going with what I heard. Hearing the voice of God isn't as hard as believing we've actually heard the voice of God. So today I want to tell you I heard God. What I heard I believe.

How about you? Have you heard something from God you want to believe? I don't have anything to lose. You?

Un-miffed.

2009-11-03T01:44:00.001-05:00

Okay. Update time. Our house hasn't sold. We did, however, have a couple walk through. They seemed pretty interested. That was two weeks ago. So no real update there.

We did find a house we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE! There is, however, another couple bidding on it as we speak. So no real update there.

I can't totally say that God is moving or moving us. I know it doesn't sound like much of an update, but hang with me. I was having some quiet time last week. I was practicing the discipline of silence. Friends, that spiritual discipline eats my lunch. It is so hard not to fill the silence...with thoughts, with praise, with prayers, with my grocery list.

I was sitting there fighting off flesh and sin when the Spirit asked if I believed God was able to meet my needs, to take care of me. I immediately responded, "of course."

Unexpectedly, my mind filled with images of our new home. It is that house we found; we were in it, doing laundry and life. God promised a future I could almost see and savor. I immediately wiped my mental screen blank.

"Lord, I am not seeking You regarding our home. This time is meant just to enjoy You, to offer you my silence as an act of worship." As I sat congratulating myself on my piety, my head filled with images of my new home again.

This time I was getting worried that my flesh was threatening to invade my time with God by distracting me with images of what I want, need, hope for. Maybe you've experienced this? Something in you tries to make worship, or Bible Study or prayer time all about you? Oh, no? Okay. That's just me. Anyway, so this time rather than just offer up a prayer, I offered up my crucifixion.

"Father crucify anything in me that isn't led by your Spirit, anything that doesn't honor You or leave you room to move. This time is not about me. I die to myself, God."

Thinking I'd done more than enough to ward off future distractions, I silence my heart and mind to revere the Lord. Within moments it's there again. Our red house. The one my four-year old stood on the deck and asked God to give us. The red house I've been eyeing for over 18 months. The gorgeous craftsman, European on nearly four acres. The house that features the kitchen of magazine spreads and my dreams.

I start to wipe it away when God whispers, "do you believe I am able?" Do you trust I can AND that I will?"

And that's where the conversation ended-a conversation that really never should have been a conversation to begin with. See, I stink at silence! Anywho...

So this is where I've been for over a week. I mean, do I trust that HE can? Maybe more to the point, am I allowed to trust that He will? I don't really live in the "name it; claim it" arena of faith. And yet, I sincerely believe God was trying to get through my doubt-laced, self-gorged heart. I believe He was trying to give me a promise. I think He was looking for a mustard seed.

In turn, I have spent the last week looking for a mustard seed too. Come back tomorrow to see what I've found. Until then try today to sit in silence before God. Can't wait to hear what you hear. You?

Miffed.

2009-10-20T23:26:00.003-04:00

Girls, can we chat or more to the point, can I vent and you listen? Thanks.

I am miffed at God. Don't freak out on me. He knows it. I've had some pretty frank discussions with God lately. You see, I don't pretend with God. I revere Him, and I love Him. And you know what, I know that I know that I know He loves me. He is the omniscient One. So I figure it's kind of foolish to "play church" with God. He is my most trusted friend, but right now, I'm a little irritated.

My husband and I put our house on the market in April of 2008, literally a month before the gloom and doom news started. In eighteen months we have had two couples walk through and three price reductions. I'm pretty sure it's not a good sign when your price reductions outnumber your showings. Ughh!

"Why oh why," you ask, "would someone leave their home on the market in this economy?" Oh, girlfriend, I have asked myself that question a thousand times. Here's how I've rehearsed it in my head.

We live in a city 40 minutes from our church. It made sense when my beloved and I both worked outside the home. We chose to live near jobs and drive to church. That was also before we had children. BC (before children), it wasn't a big deal to drive to church and small group three times a week. Now well, it's a little difficult. We get up at 7 am to be at church by 10 am. We leave for small group two hours before it starts...and we still rarely make it on time.

All of this begs the questions "why oh why, would you not just change churches?" Well, we simply love our church. Our pastor believes you should find a church whose vision captures your heart and soul. Then never, ever leave that church unless the vision changes. Don't leave cause you got mad at somebody. Don't leave cause you don't like the worship. Don't leave cause you don't like how they spend God's money. Don't leave cause it's too far a drive.

We believe wholeheartedly our church's vision will build the Kingdom and glorify God. We trust the leadership with our lives. Our Elder board are the four of the five most godly men I know. (My beloved isn't an elder; he is, however, a Deacon.) The way we see it, a church where you believe in the vision and implicitly trust the leadership, is a rare jewel.

Secondarily, our best friends are members of our church. We have been doing small group since our church's inception. My beloved and I have built life-changing, world-altering friendships through three different groups. Right now I can name at least six different couples who would be at my house tomorrow if my world fell apart or if I just simply asked them. We love their children, and they love mine. We do life with them. We know they love us for who we are while challenging us to become more like Jesus. How ridiculously blessed are we? I say these friendships are world-altering because we are absolutely changing our world to be nearer to them. Friendships like these are totally worth the effort. (Sarah, we will get there!)

So it's a pretty persuasive case for moving right? Oh, but that isn't all. Add doing ministry and life with a church full of people we love to the fact that our parents, brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews are all in the town where our church is. We love, love, love our families. For this season of our lives, forty-five minutes feels like too far.

Here's the thing. God knows all of this too. We sincerely believe He has confirmed that Crosspointe is the place where we will give our lives in service to Him and the Kingdom. He has led us in leadership. He is ordaining more opportunities to invest, serve and share. He knows where our families are. He has blessed us with a growing family. He has called me to ministry. The only thing He has NOT done is sell our home.

And you know what? God is not constrained by economies. He doesn't have to wait on the Fed. God moves in the lives of men to accomplish His good will. It doesn't matter that Georgia has an inventory of for sale homes to last more than a decade. God is bigger than all of this.

So, I am miffed. My heart has pled my case to my Father. I have been in prayer. I have asked how I can align my will with His. I have searched my heart to see areas where He wants me to grow in Christlikeness. I have promised to sacrifice my will to His own. I am submitting.

Here's the tension. The Word promises that we can bring our requests before Him. The Word teaches that His plans are perfect. The Word pledges that He will not withhold any good thing from His children. My mind concedes. I trust. My emotions, just haven't caught up yet.

Can you relate? Have you been in a situation where you willfully chose to believe God is Who He says He is, and will do what He says He will do? Or, are you still letting your emotions shape what you believe about God?

I've been burned enough to know not to be led by my emotions. Emotions are dangerous. The Word of God is sure. Today I exercise faith. I have made my choice, even if I don't totally feel like it. You?

P.S. If you know anyone looking for a home in Lawrenceville, GA check out this link and put them in touch with us!

And a friend's a friend forever...(finish it you Michael W. Smith fans)

2009-10-13T10:00:00.002-04:00

If you are stopping by my blog from the Encouragement for Today devotions by the P31 team or if Lysa sent you by to say hello, welcome! Stay a while, It would be great to hang out with you.

Do you Facebook or Twitter? Those are some crazy little gadgets, aren't they? I love how it connects me with people I haven't had contact with in years. Just as nifty, it connects me with people I actually saw at church on Sunday, but didn't get to sit down and talk with. When it comes to Facebook in particular, I'm kind of just a Facebook stalker. I don't really post a whole lot; I just sneak a peek inside other people's world. I love looking at pictures of their kids, their trip to Disney or Grandma's 90th Birthday party. In all honesty, though, I rarely engage.

That got me thinking, am I that way in life? Do I really engage with my real-life, not-via-email/Facebook/Twitter/Blogging friends?

Girls need friends. I am a 31-year-old mother of three, and I still desperately need friends. I need girlfriends to talk to about diaper duty, the best laundry detergents and which farm has the best pumpkin patch this fall. I need to come up for air from the daily-ness of Mommy duty. My girlfriends let me be me.

Maybe I should take it a step further. It's not even that I just need friends. According to Facebook I have like, 347 of those. No, I need relationships-deep, real relationships. I need the kind of relationships that will ask me tough questions, help me deal with sin and keep me accountable to follow through with the lessons God is teaching me. My best friends don't just let me be me, they push me to be more like Jesus. But these kinds of relationships are hard work. They don't just happen overnight or a via a Facebook status update.

These kinds of relationships require that I engage. It's the same word we use to describe a couple's pre-marital status. It connotes a pledge or a vow. I want to be the kind of friend that pledges to help make my others' lives better-more like Jesus. You?

I'm writing a teaching series on the topic of friendship. Leave me a comment on your experience with girlfriends. Love 'em, need 'em or leave 'em? I really would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks friends. And hey, how are you more like Jesus today than yesterday?

Delayed potty training

2009-10-06T23:46:00.001-04:00

Before you commit too much time reading this post, let me be up front. It's about poo or stinky or whatever polite euphemism you have for it. Hey, I'm a mommy of little ones. A lot of my day deals with potty issues.

My four year old is potty-trained, but you know because he's four I'm still pretty intimately involved in the process. I also have an infant who poops all the stinkin' time! So the two and half year old is not training yet. Please don't judge me. I have enough Mommy guilt of my own. His older brother just flipped the switch around three (after a few unsuccessful months of "trying.") So this time I'm avoiding all the accidents and head ache and just biding my time. No, I don't know if that's best, but it is what makes sense for us.

Here's why I know that. You see not long ago I was getting ready to put this same two-year old down for his afternoon nap. Yeah, afternoon nap, as in well after noon. Let's just say like 2:00 pm. Anyway, it was about this time that I realized this sweet, happy, middle child was still wearing his diaper from the night before! (Yes, we are contributing to his therapy fund now.) I am appalled. I am embarrassed, and I am a repeat offender. You see, it wasn't the first time this had happened. Clearly, I'm not with it enough to add potty training to my list of daily responsibilities.

Now just in case you don't think I'm crazy enough let me let you in on my relationship with God. I talk to God about all kinds of things...even poop. Really, I worry that I'm not being attentive enough to my middle son. So I thought I'd chat it up with God about potty training.

"Should I just make the commitment, make the switch and go for it? Cause that could be a lot of trouble."

He lets me go on and on about it for a few minutes. When I take a rare breather I realize He doesn't really weigh in on the whole potty training issue. Nope. That would have been too easy. Instead He prompted me to apply this potty training philosophy to how I deal with sin in my life. Wait for it. There really is a correlation.

You see, as it pertains to most of the sin in my life, I'm kind of waiting to flip the switch. It would appear that I think that one day I'll just wake up mature enough to stop having these embarrassing, um, "accidents." No to mention the convenient truth that I like spending a lot of time on the internet. I really do like being right which means some unfortunate arguments with my beloved. And listen, I'm not proud of it, but apparently I really do like to gossip as much as the next gal. I've gotten pretty comfortable with my stuff.

Not to mention that practicing holiness would require work. And I am likely to have a few embarrassing moments along the way. Which sounds good until God reminds me that while I wait to "flip the switch" I am sitting in my own filth. And friends, that's not good for anybody. I've got some growing up to do, and I've been putting it off for too long.

So how about you? Are you sitting in something? Are you waiting to tackle the poop in your spiritual life? Let's do it together. Sure we might mess up, but I don't really want to be a thirty-one year-old toddler. You?

"ME"ntal Block

2009-10-05T20:35:00.005-04:00

Hi, I'm Whitney, and I'm a wanna-be blogger.

I know I probably shouldn't tell you that, but hey you could look at my post frequency and come to the same conclusion on your own. So, I'll save you the trouble. I'm a poser, a wanna-be.

I just have such a hard time getting stuff out of my noggin and onto this screen. It could be because I have a four year-old, a two year-old and an eight month old...oh, and they're all boys. But come on, any Mom knows you really can't use that excuse. Kids are kids. One is hard when you have one. Two is hard when you have two. Three is hard when you have, well you get the picture. I'm betting that gal on TLC birthing her like, 20th kid would say this ain't no

cakewalk, you know?

So my blogging infrequency isn't really about that. It also can't be for a lack of material because, as previously stated, I've given birth to three boys in four years. My house is some kind of crazy. Hilarity happens on a regular basis. Now I will say that it regularly happens that by the time I sit down to actually blog about said hilarity I can't remember it. Even then, however, that's really only a part of my problem.

I have discovered recently that I am a little freaked out by the whole prospect of blogging. I agree with it in principle and in practice. I love the idea of a cyber community. I love sharing life and offering what little encouragement I can. I love seeing inside another person's world. I love seeing Jesus in the little things that happen in your world and mine.

But putting something down that will likely be "out there" (wherever "out there" is) for all eternity is more than a little intimidating. And everything I read about blogging says that whatever you put out there is a part of your branding, your image. What?! That's like more pressure than high school. I didn't love it the first go round so you can get why I'm more than a little worried about what you think about me.

Does anybody else out there struggle with this? I'm afraid if I write too often or tweet too much then you'll think that I think my life is all that. People in high school thought I was stuck up because I was too insecure to inject myself into random conversations and peer groups. I wanted too be friends with everybody. I just couldn't let myself relax enough to hang out. That's only one tiny part of my problem, but let's move on. I think I'm already at novella status!

Okay so you probably know more about me than you wanted to, and in the unlikely event that anyone is STILL reading, hang with me. I do have a point.

I'm working through my issues because, well, Mommy's don't get to have issues. We're too busy obsessing about the issues we're giving our kids...anywho...

I really do want to hang out with you more often than once a quarter. So I'm just going to try and get over myself. Will you still be my friend? Cause right now I'm a little nervous. I don't even know if I can do this, but I want to. I started blogging because I wanted to share what God was doing in my life with people who might see His activity and be challenged or (God willing) changed by it.

Since I started blogging for reasons that had nothing to do with me, I think I shouldn't not do it because of reasons that are all about me. How egotistical would that be?

So here's my point. What are you not doing because of you? Have you built something up in your head to be bigger than it really is? Are you putting off something God has called you to do because you're freaked out by well, you? Are the messages in your head keeping you from moving forward into what's next? Are you more than a little worried about what other people will think of you?

Let's dive in together. I'm sick of me. You?

Oh, and I WILL see you tomorrow.

That Post-SAT feeling

2009-07-30T23:00:00.001-04:00

Wow. The second day of team time at She Speaks is over, and my brain is mush. Do you remember leaving the SAT's? Your know, you could barely remember your name, and you answered every question with an almost indistinguishable, monosyllabic grunt? That's how I feel. This day was chock full of wonderful encouragement, edification, training and fellowship. I am simultaneously full and empty. I have been given much, but have not much left to give.

Don't worry if you are attending this weekend. The P31 team will be recharged and ready to see your sweet faces on Friday!!! We can hardly wait. Friends, God is up to some big stuff!

One Wild Sorority

2009-07-29T22:43:00.004-04:00

If you happen to be dropping by from the Proverbs 31 devotion, thanks for stopping by. If you've read my devotion, you know I am a mommy to three little boys. I love, love, love my life, but I also love a little break from it every now and then. This weekend I am in Charlotte for Proverbs 31's Annual She Speaks conference. So for the next few days I am not a Mommy (in the daily, active sense) I am speaker, encourager, dreamer and girlfriend. If you are coming, I can't wait to meet you.

If you aren't joining us, then you are likely sitting at home knee deep in the dailyness of life. If you are a Mom I want to encourage your heart with some valued input from a dear friend of mine. This Mommy-in-the-trenches is my roomie for the weekend and the Editor of the Proverbs 31 Woman magazine. Meet Glynnis Whitwer. Enjoy this guest post from Glynnis about one harrowing (and low/high) day with her kids. Ah the fellowship of motherhood. We are one wild sorority!

Mopping Up After An Emotional Meltdown

By Glynnis Whitwer

"I am living proof that a competent woman can go from being in control to a major meltdown in less than an hour. And in a wild 60 minutes, my confidence that God could use someone like me plummeted – and I was ready to resign from everything.

It started out as a normal weekday morning. It was 7:30, we had 50 minutes before my three boys needed to leave for school, and everything was running smoothly – at least I thought it was.

However, at 7:45 a.m. my middle son, Dylan, reminded me that he needed baby pictures for his Super Star of the week poster. As we sat on the floor sorting through photos, my oldest son, Joshua, told me he had volunteered to help decorate for a party at 8:00. Josh had mentioned the party earlier in the week, when he told me he was bringing 32 gallons of orange juice! After I explained that would cost about $90, which was steep for a school event, we settled on something more affordable. In the hubbub about the juice, I neglected to learn the date of the party.

Well, it was today. At least I was dressed, but had wet hair and no make up. We raced to the car, and I pushed the automatic door opener. It started to open then ground to a halt as a bike fell against it. By this time it was 8:10, Josh was late and the other two needed to leave in 10 minutes. We cleared the obstacle, and were starting to leave as I heard the phone ring. Dylan had answered it and yelled into the garage, “It’s the school. They wanted to know if you are coming. I told them you were on your way.”

I had no idea why the school would be wondering if I was coming, and I was already frustrated. Assuming the call had something to do with the party, I turned to my son and spoke in an elevated and annoyed voice, “What did you volunteer me to do at the party? Why is the school expecting me?” In the two-minute drive to school I launched into a full-blown lecture on why Josh should never volunteer me for anything before he talked with me. He got out of the car without a kiss, and shuffled off, shoulders hunched.

I raced home to get the other two boys out the door, late I might add. How I wished I could have collapsed on the couch with a cup of coffee, but the morning wasn’t over. In fact, I had 15 minutes to get to church for a Bible study, for which I was bringing snacks and leading a small group discussion. Unfortunately I still wasn’t ready.

As I raced to my bedroom, I glanced at the calendar and froze. There it was, an 8 a.m. meeting with my youngest son’s speech therapist. That was the phone call from the school! The speech therapist, the homeroom teacher and the assistant principal were waiting for me to show up. The worst part was they thought I was on my way.

I instantly burst into tears. Not just the sad, slow-drip-down-the-face kind, but sobs. Sobs that came from feelings of inadequacy and being completely overwhelmed.

I was frustrated that I hadn’t looked at my calendar, and that I hadn’t avoided the “emergencies” by preparing the night before. But more than anything else, I was devastated that I had lectured my sweet Joshua because I thought he’d done something wrong. As I recalled his confused, hurt face, my sobs grew deeper. I hadn’t even kissed him goodbye. My apology to Josh had to wait, but I confessed my sin to the Lord, and felt His forgiveness.

Being an unattractive crier, I now had wet hair, no makeup, and red, puffy eyes that no amount of foundation could hide. I managed to fix my hair, slather a tube of concealer on my face, get to the Bible study and slide into my seat with seconds to spare.

During the praise time before the Bible study, I felt shame once again for my behavior earlier that morning. Even though I knew God accepted my confession, a spiritual battle began in my mind. Fiery accusations pierced my thoughts, “How can God use you when you are quick to blame and can’t keep your act together? If people knew what you are really like, they would never let you lead a Bible study.” That’s right. What am I doing here? I mentally agreed. Tears started to fall, as I wondered how I could get out of my responsibilities that morning.

Before I could back out of the room, the Lord spoke to my heart, “Child, you have been forgiven. Don’t feel shame over what you have done. I have chosen you because you have value. I know what you can be.” The Lord knew Satan’s condemning words would crush me, and He stepped into the gap between my heart and the lies.

In my moment of weakness, God lovingly reminded me that He chose me and believes in me. It was just what I needed to hear.

As I reflected on that morning, I saw how feelings of inadequacy paralyze people from being used by God. It’s easy to get drained by responsibilities and overwhelmed by needs. And many times we fall short of our own expectations. How Satan laughs with glee when we allow those circumstances to define our worth. If I didn’t know God’s truth about my value, I would have quit every ministry responsibility that morning.

There was lots of mopping up in the aftermath of my meltdown morning. I got through the Bible study by God’s grace, and was able to apologize to Joshua that afternoon. I didn’t quit any ministry responsibilities and I learned a valuable lesson: When the meltdown mornings hit, we need to hit our knees. Ask for forgiveness if necessary, and don’t allow Satan to creep through a crack in your armor of faith. It’s all he needs to start weaving a web of lies in your mind about your worth, or lack of it. The truth is that we have unbelievable value and worth, not only to God, but to those around us."

See why I love her? Don't you feel better just for hearing her story? There is safety in numbers. Okay friends, my brain is done. Hugs until tomorrow!!! Oh, and kiss your kids goodnight; this Mommy is missing her smelly boys.

Mommy Meltdowns and Moments

2009-07-27T23:16:00.003-04:00

Dearest co-laborers for the next generation, (a.k.a. Mom's)

Do you ever feel physically beaten up? Today was one of those days for me. We have hit a stride with our 7-month old, which is A.W.E.S.O.M.E. He is an amazingly easy baby. Which is good because his older brothers may well kill me. All before breakfast I had handed out two bouts with time-out, one spanking and multiple "this behavior is unacceptable" discussions. I so did not expect to be navigating the world of "he hit me" and "I had it first" so soon. You wiser, well-versed Moms are laughing aren't you? This is the stuff of toddler years, isn't it?

My Dad is a Pastor, and like myself, he is a true introvert. He would often come home after a day of ministry and report that he was out of "people dollars." Ya'll can I confess that these days this Mommy is nearly bankrupt of toddler dollars well before noon? Before NOON?! I don't bother to pray for patience anymore. I'm not sure there is enough. I do, however, pray for stamina. They are wearing me down!

I have found that on days like these commiseration is sometimes the best encouragement. I need girlfriends. I need someone to say "I know what you are going through." And while my husband is a remarkable man, he doesn't get it. How could he? This is a unique job the scope of which can't really be appreciated over a 4-hour stint while I'm out with my girlfriends. Recently I was trying to explain how stinkin' hard this is. I said that while I wouldn't trade staying at home what I did from 8-5 at Chick-fil-A (where I worked full-time before staying home) was WAY easier than what I do now.

(Now, for all you working Mom's I know you have the double portion. You do all I do and work. I know getting up at o'dark thirty and hauling kids to a sitter/daycare, sitting in traffic, and getting to work without getting cheerios or spit up on your outfit takes a literal act of God. I did it for four months, and I don't envy you.)

What I did at Chick-fil-A was hard, but so much easier than this. I felt daily affirmed and rewarded. I was valued. I saw immediate pay-off for hard work, etc, etc, etc. My sweet husband looked at me intently and said, "then go back to work; our household budget would thank you." You see, he can't understand.

This is the hardest and best thing I've ever done. I wouldn't trade it for all the money in the world. But today I am tired of explaining why sharing makes Jesus happy. I am tired of cleaning up spit up. For today I wish I could see that this is making a difference. For just today I want someone to say I have been there. How about you?

For the rest of this week I will be at the Proverbs 31 She Speaks Conference. I'll be investing my dollars in other women who feel called to speak, write, lead and serve all for the glory of God in the name of the Gospel. In my absence, enjoy some Mommy meltdowns and moments from some of my dearest girlfriends at Proverbs 31. They'll be sharing Mommy moments from the trenches. Many of them are well on the other side so they know what they are talking about. Be encouraged-oh, and laugh at their expense, they won't mind.

Hugs until next week.

You Tube Virgin

2009-07-16T22:43:00.004-04:00

Thanks so much for all the kind comments and commiseration. The encouragement from Mom's in the trenches and Mom's on the other side has been invaluable. The only thing consistent in our collective experiences is the sweetness of surrender and sisterhood. We are in this thing called Motherhood together. We are not alone.

If you don't receive the Proverbs 31 Woman Magazine visit http://www.proverbs31.org/p31womanmagazine/thisMonthsFeature.php.

I wrote a feature about that very thing. Failure. Fellowship. Friendship. (By the way, I have no idea why that picture of the magazine is enormous. Sorry for the extreme close up.)

If you are here, and you're in the midst of something that seems exhausting and overwhelming listen to this. Know that right now, the best thing we can do is seize the day. Enjoy. (I sure hope this works.)

Wonder Mom

2009-07-14T10:48:00.002-04:00

If you're stopping by from the Proverbs 31 Devotion, thanks for clicking on over. I'd love to get to know you a little better. Hi, I'm Whitney, but to my boys I'm Wonder Mom! We're friends so I can tell you that most days I'm just fudging my way through this motherhood thing. I make more mistakes than I can count. But just this morning I was simultaneously folding clothes and having a sword fight with my two-year old. Nothing spectacular. My form could certainly use some work, and in the end I did take the fatal blow. But I went out in style-lots of chocking and gasping for air as I fell to my death. As I laid on the carpet breathing my last my sweet, tasmanian devil little boy fell on my chest and yelled, "Yeah Mommy!" Then he kissed my lips and said, "Wake up sweeping booty." (For the uninitiated, let me translate. That's two-year old speak for "Sleeping Beauty.")

Isn't motherhood a kick in the head, or a stab in the heart?! What can simlutaneously exhaust and invigorate? Or more to the point, how can I love the company of my children yet countdown to naptime everyday? How can I feel like a supreme failure and still be heralded a super hero? Motherhood, it's a wonder we survive!

Are you a Mom? Do you know where I'm coming from?

Over the next few weeks I'm going to be doing a series of posts about Mommy Meltdowns and Moments. Stop back by for some encouragement and a good laugh. See you in a few! I'm being attacked by a rogue band of dinosaurs!

Working Dad

2009-06-25T14:55:00.006-04:00

We had a discussion the other night at small group about finding Kingdom value in our 8-5 jobs. We are reading John Piper's "Don't Waste Your Life." (I highly recommend it!) I made the argument that in respect to finding value and meaning in the "daily-ness" of life, women have it easier than men. I'm now a stay-at-home Mom who works a little on the side, but even when I still worked full-time, I was a "working Mom." The moment I birthed our first-born and returned to work that became my title-"working Mom."

Sure, I worked at the corporate office of Chick-fil-A. Sure, I helped make Operator selection decisions. Sure, I contributed to our recruiting efforts across the country. But ask me (and anyone else for that matter) I was not an employee, I was a working Mom. Few things I did from 8-5 compared to the significance, joy and satisfaction of being Coop's Mom. It is ever more true now that I have three little ones for whom I am accountable.

Rarely (if ever) does anyone describe my beloved as a "working Dad." He, like most men, is defined almost exclusively by his career. Think about it. When you meet someone new one of the very first questions you'll ask is "so what do you do?" In the case of my beloved, the CEO, a catch all title for what he does is quite difficult to pin down-businessman, engineer, technical specialist, manager. He does a lot of things, and all of them excellently. However, the thing I think he does best is be a Dad. He works tirelessly most days more than 10 hours, and then spends the rest of his time wrestling with the big boys, showing them how to play video games, changing a diaper, feeding a rowdy crowd dinner, saying bedtime prayers.

Not unlike most Moms I know, his job is never done. He is a full-time employee and a 24/7 Dad, but rarely is he acknowledged as such. I don't expect my little blog will change societal mores, but it must change me.

I need to affirm my husband as the remarkable businessman AND father that he is. He doesn't do either in a vacuum. In each role he adds incredible value not only to the world and our family, but to the Kingdom. He is a man of incredible integrity. He seeks the welfare of others and success of his company at all times. He is zealous for excellence in all he does. He is quick to offer advice or prayer as the occasion arises.

If he finds it difficult to see the benefit of what he is doing perhaps he needs a more vocal cheerleader. What about the working Dad's in your life?

I love you darling. Thanks for being more than a man. You are my heart's desire. Our boys are immeasurably blessed.

Time Warp...

2009-06-21T22:48:00.003-04:00

Hello long lost friends. To those faithful few who keep checking back in to see if I've posted anything new, you are too kind. Sorry I've been MIA. Did you know that life with a three-year-old, two-year-old and a six-month old is kind of hectic? I fall in the bed most nights (when I usually have good intentions of bloggging) in a near stupor. Lots of rest for the weary.

So I have much to update you on. We celebrated a momentus occasion in May. My sweet husband, the CEO, completed his MBA program and with a 3.98 to boot!! On top of that he was selected as speaker for his class a delivered an awesome commencement speech that thrilled my heart. We couldn't be prouder or more relieved. He loathed it, but learned a ton. Three years thankfully passed quickly and there will be no more nights where Daddy leaves us to go to school. I am no longer a single parent. Praise Jesus.

So how do you appropriately honor such a significant achievement? Italy? Greece? New York? Oh no friends, with three little kiddos, you go to Disney World. Eight days of fun, family and funds!! It was awesome. It was the first vacation hubs has had in three years that didn't require him to study late into the night after we'd all gone to bed. What a treat!

So we're figuring out life at the Capps household. It's a new normal, and I am loving it. I hope to be here more frequently these days. I'm emerging from the newborn fog...I can see the light. I have lots of updates on other things too, but in the meantime let me just say, I'm back!!!

I've missed you!

I left my heart in Wisonsin

2009-03-09T22:10:00.007-04:00

Last weekend I went to hang out with a bunch of yankees in Wisconsin. At least I thought I was hanging out with a bunch of yankees. Turns out these sweet ladies must have been southern-wannabes because they took this redneck in and made her family in less than twelve hours! (And they only moderately made fun of my dialect.) Except for their puffy Land's End coats and the frozen lake outside my window I would have sworn I was south of the Mason-Dixon.

Fun observations:

1-These people actually purchase and wear the stuff that keeps Land's End in business; I always flip to the section of the catalog with the cute canvas totes. Now when one arrives in the mail I'll think of my Crossroads sisters.

2-My first thought when looking out my window to the empty marina, "Why aren't there any boats on this lake?"It literally took me a couple of seconds to realize that the lake was frozen solid. Clearly local folks aren't caught off guard by this phenomenon and pull their boats out in time to have them safely docked elsewhere for the winter.

3-Crazy, I mean crazy people up in them parts actually drive out and park on said lake. And even crazier ones still actually hike out to the middle of that bad boy, drill a hole, sit in a shack and fish! Give this sweet, southern pansy a warm Red Lobster restaurant any old day.

4-I was at a retreat for a Southern Baptist Church that lives just outside Chicago. Illinois. Now that's as crazy as four inches of snow in Atlanta. In March.

And that's just what I returned home to find-four inches of snow and two very excited little boys and one very excited big boy. While it was delightful to be home the snow made me think of my new family, and I realized I left part of my heart in Lake Geneva.

More tomorrow on the amazing things God did in that place. It was cold outside, but the Fire kept us warm inside. I love it when the Holy Spirit shows off...

The Third and Final Installment

2009-03-06T23:44:00.005-05:00

Long overdue; pictures of our third son. And yes, we think we are done. But then again how does the phrase go-best way to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans. We will see.

We interrupt normal life

2009-01-24T16:32:00.002-05:00

Okay so I only got halfway through my year in review, but I had something come up or out as the case may be. I'd like to introduce you to Ryder Capps, our third son. He joined our family the first week of January. We are home and doing life. At this point that's about as much as I can say. I'll be back with pictures very soon.

2008-A Year In Review

2009-01-01T23:27:00.005-05:00

The title of this post almost makes me want to give up before I even start. How on earth do I summarize a year? But I want to do a better job of cataloging our life, God's faithfulness and even some of our failures so that the boys have the stories long after we have forgotten. So, here goes...

In January we took Cooper to his first trip to Disney World. Feeling (I think quite accurately) that Dylan wouldn't remember much we chose to leave him at home. It was a great time for the grandparents to get some time to spoil him all by himself. Chad and I made some amazing memories. What a blessing!

In February we celebrated Dylan's first birthday. My goodness how time flies. In a blink our baby was a year old. Surrounded by family I spent most of the day pinching myself. Over and over on days like these I hear the Spirit whisper "it's the kindness of God that leads to repentance." God has been incredibly kind, and I have much to be repentant for.

Dylan has proven to be an absolute joy and a constant distraction. His energy, sweetness and mischief know no end. Chad and I are constantly amazed at his ingenuity; it's usually aimed at ways to injure himself or break something. He is a delight nonetheless. We tell people regularly that he is the alpa male between he and his brother. Charming and savvy, he will undoubtedly give us stories for years to come.

March and April disappeared into summer without a lot of fanfare. We did decide during this time to put our house on the market...what timing, right? We are sure God is leading us to move back to Covington so we figure this is the first step. We are trusting His sovereignty like never before. Following his will in this life change will surely require His supernatural intervention.

May will forever be remembered as the Mother's Day we discovered we were pregnant with our third (and last) child. I have always wanted three children. This was a sweet and yet poignant moment. I was thrilled to find out we were pregnant, and yet in my marrow I knew I'd never enjoy that news again.

In June I attended the Proverbs31 SheSpeaks conference as a member of the speaking team. I am honored and overwhelmed to be in the company of such amazing women. God is using this ministry to grow me up, and graciously open doors to serve. May the Kingdom grow and God be glorified.

Summer came to a close in a flurry of vacations, trips to the park and play dates. As summer wound down we celebrated Cooper's third birthday. We started potty training, slowly but surely. And remarkably Cooper started to read. His ability to process and retain information is mind-boggling. He knows all of his colors, shapes and alphabet. He can count to 40 or 50, depending on his mood. Coop knows not only his alphabet, but also every phonetic sound the letter makes. He also has an uncanny ability to sing countless praise songs from memory. Our little three-year old is a walking juke box.

I know, I know I'm that Mom, but you see Chad and I don't take any credit for this. God has been remarkably good. Daily my parents' maxim is affirmed-sometimes good parenting happens in spite of our best efforts not because of them. What can be more proof of overwhelming, irresistible grace?

Halfway there. More to come tomorrow.

More to come tomorrow...

Inquiring minds want to know...

2008-12-31T12:21:00.005-05:00

Dear friends,

Thank you a million times over for every Spirit-prompted recollection and inquiry about our soon-to-be growing family. I am so sorry for the lack of details. This Christmas has been wonderful for us as Cooper and Dylan participated like never before in celebrating the birth of our Savior. Which basically means they ate cookies, wrote out lists for Santa and anxiously awaited Christmas morning and the great unwrapping event of 2008. We did manage a brief reading of the Christmas story, decorating a birthday cake for Jesus and displaying the nativity scene. They played with it just like thier figurines from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I hope reverence will be a learned trait. Then again, child-like affection for the wisemen, shepherds and baby Jesus was just too sweet to correct. I tell myself there will be time for that.

So all that to say we spent a lot of this Christmas in the here and now enjoying the newness of the season when seen through the eyes of a three and almost two-year old. It really was magical. Ryder was the ever-present gift of the advent season reminding us not-so-gently that he would be making his entrance soon. I've been contracting pretty regularly for more than three weeks now. We were able to get the contractions to slow, but not stop completely. I spent most of the week of Christmas on semi-induced bed rest. Our goal was to make it past Christmas day...and we did. According to the doctors my body is simply ready (likely due to the fact that this is my third pregnancy in four years) even if Ryder is not. As of Sunday we were at 37 weeks so there won't be any need to stop labor now should it progress on its own. So now we wait.

All of this is made increasingly difficult by the fact that Dylan came three weeks early in very quick fashion, roughly three hours of labor and twenty minutes of pushing. Also we now have two children to make accommodations for while we are in the hospital so we can't exactly dart out the door unexpectedly in the middle of the night. Finally, we are about 40 minutes from the hospital with no traffic. So it would be awesome if we had a little head's up that Ryder is ready to join the world. But that's all the bad news.

Here's the good news. We are all healthy. According to all ultrasounds, Ryder is perfect. I feel 37 weeks pregnant which is to say not great, but not terrible. The boys are excited and ready. And Chad...well he has been simply more than I could ask or imagine. He spent four hours at Wal-Mart the other night stocking up on groceries. He even went so far as to ask for the brand of popcorn I was looking for and searched out the exact kind of mushrooms I needed. He has done laundry, cleaned the kitchen, honored every silly craving and request, tucked me in at night and gotten up with the kiddos so I can sleep in a little late. And he tells me regularly how beautiful he thinks I am. How ridiculously blessed am I?

So sweet friends that is our long belated update. After two trips to the hospital only to be sent home we now wait for baby Ryder to join our little family. My heart leaps at the thought. Every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of Lights. I am a woman overwhelmingly blessed.

P31 12 Days of Christmas!

2008-12-03T10:08:00.002-05:00

If you are dropping by from Karen's blog party...welcome!! Isn't Karen the best?! I just love her, and the twelve days of CHRISTmas is such a wonderful idea. If you haven't been to Karen's blog follow my link at the right to Karen Ehman's blog. She's one of the amazing P31 speakers I aspire to emulate. She is hosting an interview with each of us over the next couple of weeks. Best of all each interview features a great opportunity to win a fun Christmas prize.

So I meant to post last night, but a severe case of indigestion and Braxton Hix hit. I was relegated to a heating pad with Tums in hand for most of the night (and early morning!) Yikes. What can I say? I'm 34 weeks prego. One question, do you remember each pregnancy getting progressively worse? It seems my body is taking a beating this time. Is it because I'm taking care of a three and two year-old? Or is it that I am now older...even if only by a couple of years? Any advice from you seasoned vets out there?

Okay, I'll be back with more updates and Christmas fun tomorrow. I'm still a little out of it. I didn't get to sleep until about 4 a.m. Here's hoping the boys nap for a while today so Mom can too!

Blessings sweet bloggy friends!

Bringing up boys...

2008-11-05T23:05:00.004-05:00

If you are dropping by today from the Proverbs 31 devotions, welcome. As you may have read, The CEO and I will be welcoming our third son in the coming weeks. I can tell you now that I can hardly wait. Had you asked me how I felt several months ago my answer might have been different.

At the onset of the pregnancy I was hoping for a girl. I'll be honest though. It wasn't so much that I was hoping for a little girl. No, in truth most of my dreams revolved around the joy of a friendship of an adult daughter. My Mom is one of my best friends. I looked forward to the days of spending time as allies, peers and accountability partners. Those days would be far into the future, but I dreamt of them nonetheless. So to discover that I will never have that kind of friendship (and all the wonderful memories in between) with a daughter brought some feelings of sadness.

It was during this period of mourning the loss of those dreams that a dear friend called to offer encouragement. Mindy said she was certain that God was blessing our lives with another little boy because the CEO and I can be trusted to raise godly men of faith, character and integrity-men who will make a difference for the Kingdom. I was in tears, speechless and terrified. What an honorable calling! (It's no different than raising daughters who will gladly submit and serve certainly, but daunting nonetheless.)

I have prayed regularly since that conversation that I will in fact be worthy of the call. The CEO and I have been blessed to have amazing earthly Fathers who have set the bar high. Their strength of character and tenderness of heart warmed our affections toward our Heavenly Father at young ages. I will admit that in the chain of faith I am the weakest link for our boys. My beloved seeks the Lord, serves Him faithfully and models that for our boys. He loves me second and demonstrates it on a regular basis. I am not worthy of him.

For my part I am endeavoring to show that in our home Daddy is in charge. First is God; second is Daddy. We all (including Mommy) love and obey Daddy. I want our boys to value their Dad as head of our home, a capable and devoted leader. I want them to aspire to be men like him.

Things were going well until one day a couple of months ago. Our family had just enjoyed a week of vacation at the beach. Trying to get everything packed up, keeping two toddlers entertained and getting ready for a six hour car ride had left us a little stressed. We had managed to get most of the car packed and the boys strapped in their seats when a slight disagreement erupted. After several minutes of "discussion" I got in the front seat while the CEO finished loading the car. I was rather frustrated when a sweet voice from the back said words I will never forget.

"Mommy, did you disobey Daddy? We don't disobey Daddy. We all obey Daddy."

I was in tears, speechless and terrified.

So when the CEO got back in the car I apologized, and we headed on our merry way. Several minutes down the road I confessed the impetus for my sudden broken and contrite heart. He was impressed and amused, and he has yet to let me live it down. I don't know that this is the kind of parenting Mindy had in mind when she said we were raising godly boys. I guess my parents were right, good parenting sometimes happens in spite of ourselves.

I can't say yet if this is a lesson my boys will remember, but it's one I will never forget.

The Proverbs 31 Woman

2008-09-24T21:52:00.004-04:00

Have you ever taken the opportunity to read Proverbs 31, particularly verses 10-31? It can be a rather intimidating experience. On any given perusal I can close the passage feeling encouraged, convicted, overwhelmed, frustrated, defeated, movitvated or some combination of both. Consider just a few of her noteworthy characteristics.

"She is a woman of noble character." Is that how friends and family would describe me? I'd say I often act like nobility or maybe just a diva. I can be demanding and dramatic. I'm not sure that was the biblical mandate.

"She does not eat the bread of idleness." Is reading blog after blog or spending unconfessed hours on facebook considered idle? What about the fact that I can recite full episodes of Friends, give you an up-to-date state of affairs between Jim and Pam or McDreamy and Meradith? Idle?
Now I don't watch any of these until after the kiddos are in the bed so can I take credit for the "her lamp does not go out at night" endorsment?

Seriously this gal rocks and I am just barely rocking along. So why am I a part of a ministry called Proverbs 31? Our ministry endeavors to bring "God's peace, perspective and purpose to today's busy woman." We are a group of women who don't profess to adequately represenet the P31 Woman, but we have hearts that desire God's best for our husbands, our children and our communities. To that end we wake everyday seeking to submit to this Biblical call and serve with a passion beyond ourselves.

Women who have been touched by this ministry have had abortions, are dealing with the shame of rape, rising above abusive relationships, helping hurting children, surviving job layoffs, enduring cancer treatments, mourning the loss of a parent or a child or a spouse. If we serve the lighten their load, spur them on or turn their faces to a Loving Father then I am more like the Proverbs 31 woman in that moment than maybe during any other part of my day. Maybe I am not always the perfect Proverbs 31 woman, but there is a ministry helping other women become what sometimes we only long to be.

Why am I telling you all this? Because this ministry needs support from people who believe in a vision of helping women live beyond themselves. Don't feel pressured, and don't feel obligated. We trust the Holy Spirit to do what He alone can-prompt hearts to follow obediently to places of faith that stretch them beyond themselves. Maybe supporting Proverbs 31 would stretch you. Listen to the Spirit and then respond in obedience.

To God be the Glory.

"See just how snake-like I can be..."

2008-08-13T00:55:00.012-04:00

One of my favorite books is Roy Hession’s Calvary Road. If you’ve never had the opportunity to read it I highly recommend picking up a copy. It is a classic that I reference and read often.

I’ve thought in the last few days about one of my most well-read, regularly-visited passages.

Here’s the context-I’m struggling right now. For the last few days Satan has had a field day with me. My emotions are raw. My responses are harsh. My patience is tested, and I am tired. Relationships that should bring comfort are bringing conflict and criticism. My flesh wants to plead my innocence. I want to call into account the circumstances as justification for my actions. My will protests. I will not bend “the proud, stiff-necked I,” as Hession would say.

In Calvary Road, Hession talks a lot about brokenness. God is beckoning me back to one particular passage where Hession asks the reader to consider Christ. Here’s an excerpt:

“For this reason we are not likely to be broken except at the cross of Jesus. The willingness of Jesus to be broken for us is the all-compelling motive in our being broken too. We see Him, who is in the form of God, counting not equality with God a prize to be grasped at and hung on to, but letting it go for us and taking upon Him the form of a Servant-God’s Servant, man’s Servant. We see Him willing to have not rights of His own, willing to let men revile Him and not revile again, willing to let men tread on Him and not retaliate or defend Himself. Above all, we see Him broken as He meekly goes to Calvary to become men’s scapegoat by bearing their sins in His own body on the Tree. In a pathetic passage in a prophetic psalm, He says, “I am a worm, and no man.” (Psalm 22:6) Those who have been in tropical lands tell us that there is a big difference between a snake and a worm, when you attempt to strike at them. The snake rears itself up and hisses and tries to strike back-a true picture of self. But a worm offers no resistance, it allows you to do what you like with it, kick it or squash it under your heel-a picture of true brokenness. And Jesus was willing to become just that for us-a worm and no man.”

I am not fond of this passage. I have struggled for years with the idea of Jesus as a worm. I prefer to think of Him as a valiant yet obedient victor even in death. I struggle with the picture of my crowned King as one of a worm. I even told God so. I argued with Him about the accuracy of such a portrayal of Jesus. I suggested that Hession had overstepped and not balanced the greater message of the Word that ascribes Jesus the glory, honor and power due His Name.

In the midst of my brave and heart-felt defense of my Savior, the Risen One interrupted my thoughts and asked simply, “Do you defend my character or your arrogance?”

“My darling daughter you rail against the idea of Me as a selfless worm while resting on my provision as a spotless lamb. Is it because you hate the idea that I ask you to be just as selfless, just as broken?”

It was true. I don’t hate the idea that Jesus is a worm; I hate the conviction that I must become one as well. This dialogue with the Lord occurred nearly nine years ago during my first reading of Calvary Road. The Spirit brought it to my mind again today.

So if you’ll excuse me I’ve got to go dig out my copy and walk the path of brokenness. It’s time to bend that“proud, stiff-necked I.”

P.S.-Extra credit for those of you who know which movie today's post title was quoted from.

My start value

2008-08-11T23:47:00.004-04:00

Hi, ya'll. If you're coming by from the Proverbs 31 devotion, welcome. I'm so glad you stopped by.

I'm just sitting here paralyzed on my sofa mesmerized by the discipline, skill and thrill of men's Olympic gymnastics. This is quite addicting. Really why else would a tired, anemic 18-weeks-pregnant mother of a three year old and eighteen month old still be awake at nearly midnight?Curses you Olympic coverage broadcasters! You are now my enemy.

I know it's really my own fault; so I'm desperately trying to justify my new addiction. I'm turning this into an educational experience. You see I just learned that each man's routine has a unique start value based on the difficulty of the tricks and choreography planned for a particular apparatus. One gymnast's start score on vault may be a 7.5 while another gymnast may begin with only a start value of 6.25. This start value caps how high a gymnast's potential score can go. The start value is then combined with a score for an athlete's execution of choreographed skills.

Now I know you don't really know me, but please don't judge me too harshly for what I'm about to tell you. Here's what I've been thinking-what is my start value spiritually? Sure I'm not always the most consistent athlete, but where's my baseline? What's my contribution to the team? Here's what I came up with:

Daughter of a world-class preacher: 1.725

Lifetime church membership and involvement: 1.25

Wife of deacon: .5

Children's worship leader: .5

Proverbs 31 Speaker: 1.00

Small group leader: .75

I wasn't even done mentally totaling my score when the Spirit whispered, "Whitney, your start value is 0.00. All the credit for a perfect score was in the execution of a perfect life." He didn't need to say anymore. I knew immediately how foolish and fleshly I had been.

I wish I could tell you that I don't normally assess my spiritual life quite so legalistically, but I think I do.

Many nights I have fallen asleep while mentally sizing up my day. How many times was I short with my children? Did I spend time alone with the Lord? How long? Was I gracious and loving toward Chad? Did I spend enough time in preparation for leading bible study? How does this compare with the amount of time I spent reading blogs and watching television?

So tell me, am I the only one?

Hiding my junk

2008-05-30T20:47:00.003-04:00

My husband and I put our house on the market this week. We've been prayerfully considering moving back closer to our families, but couldn't settle in our hearts the ideal timing for such a change. On Mother's Day God answered our prayers for clarification when we discovered that we are pregnant with our third child. For those of you keeping count, that's three babies, three pregnancies, three varied and growing sets of stretch marks in less than four years. God has been so faithful and gracious. So we are moving closer to home. Here we grow...

Anyway we spent all of Memorial Day cleaning our house to get it ready to show. It's amazing how much more junk I notice when I think about perfect strangers walking through and critiquing our home. It was a full day's work. We cleaned out, threw away and hid an obscene amount of really unnecessary stuff (i.e. junk). I have watched enough HGTV to make this process a little bit easier. I knew ahead of time that less stuff equals more open space. Without the visual interruption of clutter the eye can take in the full size of the room, the bones and beauty of the space. We all know that buyers appreciate a clean slate. It's easier to see the good stuff without all the junk. I know this, but in the midst of all the cleaning out I still questioned if people really care.

Let me be a little more specific. Could a buyer overlook the winter coats and hats dropped in the bottom of my pantry floor? Would they mind the empty video game boxes stacked neatly in the corner? I know they'll look in my junk drawer to see empty medicine bottles, matches, broken sunglasses, playing cards and takeout menu's. But doesn't everyone have a junk drawer? Surely visitors won't mind tubs of the boy's winter clothes clogging up the closet space.

During the process I couldn't help but wonder if it was time for a spiritual open house. I sense that I've been storing unsightly clutter for far too long. It's a lot of junk really. I think I could make a better use of the space if I'd just let some things go. I'm afraid when people look at my life they see spiritual clutter (i.e. sin). Can they appreciate the bones and beauty of the work of God in my life or does their eye stop on all the junk? Do they see an overcrowded life that squeezes out the space the God longs to fill with His peace, presence and holiness. Will they notice good but unnecessary things that fill the void?

Let me be a little more specific. Could someone look past my too-often indulged habit of gossip? Will they really mind the irritability I often display with my husband, and what about the petty jokes made at his expense? I know they will look at me and see gluttony, pride, a love of television and a lack of discipline. But doesn't everyone have stuff they struggle with? Do they wonder about a woman who leads small group, teaches women's conferences and disciples youth but can't regularly sit and be still before the Lord?

My personal challenge for the next few days is to look at my life not the way a perfect stranger would, but the way a Perfect Saviour would. It's unlikely He will look past the things that I'm far too complacent about. Once I've taken a spiritual inventory I'm not going to just hide the junk. I don't know about you, but that junk always seems to reappear and at the worst possible time. No I'm going to do my best to let my junk go. Friends I'm moving closer to my Father. Here I grow...

Perfection Paralysis-an ode to my favorite bloggers

2008-05-28T22:43:00.006-04:00

To the two of you who have checked my blog over the last several months only to find that nothing new has been added, I apologize.

But I've been sucked into this universe of blogs, and I have loved every minute of it. I have bookmarked more favorites that I can possibly read in a day-believe me I've tried. Blogging, or at least reading others' blogs is truly addicting. Unfortunately I don't need another distraction to feed my procrastination. I am not a disciplined person, and my new blog obsession isn't helping me be productive.

I'll tell you though it's not the vaccuum of time reading that annoys me. I've been thoroughly blessed by the journey of so many amazing women, mothers and families. The most debilitating part of this new addiction is what it does to my good intentions and self-esteem. And I have had good intentions, really good intentions. I even have several entries written and ready to post. Here's my dilemma-I now know the landscape of the world around me.

Now I'm not just the new girl who doesn't know anyone. I know who the cool gals are. I know better than to try and mingle or sit with them. They are too perfect, too polished, too poised for the likes of me. And lest they turn a critical eye my way I'd like to remain as inconspicuous as possible. Hence...no posting. (I know what you're thinking, "No one reads this blog anyway. Why do you care?" I know you are right, but did you ever have trouble walking down the hall in ninth grade because you just knew all those seniors would stop their very important conversations to notice and make fun of you? Of course they never did. They were too busy with their lives to care, but the anxiety weighted heavy on your ninth grade psyche didn't it? That's how I feel.

Great writers must find their voice. That's what I love about the bloggers I read. Lysa is witty and warm with a passion for Scripture that comes through when you least expect it. Marybeth is as real as a cup of coffee and writes in a way that makes me think she could be my friend. Renee's life with two boys helps me dream about my future. BigMama is hilarious yet poignant-sometimes in the same sentence! The Nester is so perfectly imperfect that I'm jealous. She writes her passion with such humor and wisdom that I know she is who she says she is. It's too good to be fake. Lots of Scotts reminds me to see Jesus in everything...what perspective she has, and she's a mother of triplets!

Me? Well I'm still looking for my voice. And I kind of hate to do that in front of all you nice people. But saving my thoughts under file and folder sort of defeats the purpose of having a voice at all. So bear with me. I'm trying to overcome the paralysis of perfection.

We'll chat tomorrow, I promise.

Oh, but make sure you check out Lysa's blog. She's doing a Mr. Linky for all the chicas headed to the SheSpeaks conference in a few weeks. Oh the pressure meeting most of these gals live and in person. I'm sure to have pimple explosion from all the anxiety. And oh heavens, what on earth am I going to wear? I don't have to be perfect; I dont' have to be perfect; I don't have to be perfect.

To Steal, Kill and Destroy

2008-03-21T00:48:00.007-04:00

I have never hated Satan more than I do tonight. If I am completely honest I am not sure I have ever hated Satan at all. I think more than anything I have dismissed him as a defeated, diminished figure whose influence over my life died at Calvary. I am learning that while this statement is true theologically, practically speaking to dismiss Satan is a danger of monumental proportions. He is not a laughable caricature in red; he is a thief bent on heartache, submission and destruction.

Recently I have had the heart-wrenching opportunity to weep with friends who are experiencing the devastating consequences of ignoring Satan. One innocuous decision, one tiny step away from the gracious watch of the Lord, one day spent outside the wisdom of the Word thrust them into a world of spiritual warfare that produced some catastrophic casualties. The details of their story don't matter-not because what happened doesn't matter but because it is the same story line of deception and betrayal that Satan has been perpetrating since the Garden. Sure the characters' names, the object of idolatry and the scenery all change, but the story is the same. And the details don't matter because my point is the same-don't dismiss Satan. Don't fixate on him. Don't fear him, but in the Name of God, don't dismiss him.

He is real. He attacks. He loathes holy things and is hungry for destruction. Praise God my eternal security is assured, but my temporary peace and happiness can be snatched away by this defeated but defiant enemy of God. John 10:10 alludes that that this thief comes to steal , kill and destroy. As a follower of Christ he can neither kill nor destroy me.

But I wonder if stealing is still an active part of his arsenal for attacks on the believer. I live this side of eternity in a fallen, dark world. Satan desires to make it as attractive as possible, and he will rob me of all that is really beautiful to make this dull, dingy, disgusting world seem lovely. I have decided I will not submit to his sweet, gentle persuasion that wants to harden my heart to "small" sins, dull my conscious to the Spirit's conviction, distract my mind from the wisdom of the Word. There is too much at stake, and I can tell you that God does not tolerate a forked tongue or a divided heart.

"Oh Abba,

Protect my wretched heart. I am too dull of mind to fight this battle. Enlighten me to the darkness in this world and in my own heart. May I hate Satan and sin with a renewed vigor. Father make me vigilant for holiness that You may be fully glorified in me. I pray Lord that the Holy Spirit would have full sway over my too-often defiant will. Burn away the callouses of my conscience. Prick my heart and oh dear God I hope I bleed."

The new girl.

2008-03-19T00:40:00.002-04:00

Hi new bloggie friends. Sorry if I seem a little shy and awkward. I feel a bit like the new girl who just walked into a very crowded cafeteria on the first day of eighth grade. Everyone just stopped to check me out and a hush falls over the room. I sense a collective eye roll as they all go back to their trays or corn dogs, pizza and cinnamon rolls. I don't know anyone. I'm not sure where the line starts. I don't have anywhere to sit. I can sense that there is clearly a hierarcy, a pecking order, an unspoken lay of the land. It may take me some time to see where I fit in. I'm still trying to figure this thing out.

I'm not quite as nervous as I was just six hours ago, however. What changed? Well I had a makeover. I mean a makeover that most nervous eighth graders would kill for. Did you see my new look? I, uh my blog, got an eyebrow wax, new makeup, color and highlights and I think we look about twenty pounds lighter. Oh I'm still a little self-conscious, but I so love my new look, don't you? (By the by go see my "stylist" Jennisa if you, I mean your blog, needs a little work done.)

Now with the vast wisdom of a nearly thirty-year-old, I know that the bloggie universe has not stopped to acknowledge my entrance into this brave new world. And I know that it's just in my head. I know that this moment isn't really monumental to anyone but me. But it's a big day, so enough lurking in the doorway.

I'm grabbing a tray. Can I sit with you?

Meet Whitney

2007-03-14T22:16:00.007-04:00

Sample message

I'm nauseous-literally nauseous. How do I introduce myself? Seriously. What would you really want to know about me? What could I write that wouldn't sound fake and fluffy or so self-depricating that it appears I'm soliciting approval. You know what I mean. It's like a gal who is a size minus four saying she hates her thighs. Sure she may feel that way, but who really wants to hear about that?

I like to think that above all else I am genuine-genuinely Whitney. So, as best I can tell, this is me. I am a follower after Christ. Loving God has always come easily for me. I fell in love with God because my earthly Dad is simply amazing. I can honestly say that my early inclinations towards God were that if He loves me like my Daddy does, I'll love him forever. How ridiculously blessed am I? Loving God is easy; submitting to God isn't. However, for the most part I have mostly good days in my journey of faith, but that's only because I don't like to think about, admit or confess lingering, long-held, too-often repeated sins. I'm working on that. Genuinely.

I am a good wife, but that's only because I'm the only wife my husband ("the CEO") has ever had, and well, he doesn't know any better. I'm learning that my primary call in life is to promote, encourage and serve him, and that this is serving Christ. I've learned this lesson because my Mom is the best example of servanthood I've ever had the privilege of witnessing. I've learned through the clarity of motherhood that probably 75% of the reason I think my Dad is amazing is because my Mom never, ever let me think otherwise. Her infatuation for him was second only to her love for God. My husband, the CEO isn't blessed to have me, but he is incredibly blessed I had my Mom. I am now working to live up to her standard. God has shown me quite clearly and painfully that I lived the first six or so years of my marriage thinking he was lucky to have me. I'm not proud of that, but it's true. Every argument, every assertion that I was more forgiving, less stubborn, more flexible were my veiled attempts at saying what my sinful, deluded heart was feeling, "you have no idea how good you have it mister." I will live the next sixty years with this amazing man (God willing) trying to make up for my prideful, hard heart. I am the lucky one. Genuinely.

I am a fabulous mom, but only because my boys are two-years, four-years old and six years old. And we are pregnant with boy number four. Not only are they too young to refute my rock star status as a mom, but also they are too young to embarass me in ways that state the obvious-I'm making this up as I go. I figure I have a few more months to live in denial at least until the two year-old says something horrifying in public. Then I'll be outed. I'm not naturally gifted to be a Mom. I really do have to work at it. This kind of makes me secretly hate all my best friends. I try to focus on just one thing for a period of time in hopes of eventually mastering other Mommy aptitudes. Right now I'm trying to teach (and show, which consequently is harder than teaching) that in our house Daddy is most important and valued. I tell them that we all, including Mommy love and obey Daddy. God is first and Daddy is second. Check back often to see how I'm progessing. I figure I'll move on to other Mommy aptitudes about the time my boys head to college-maybe.

For the other particulars, I am a member of the Proverbs 31 Ministry Team. God made me to build the Kingdom by mothering three boys first, and encouraging women through the teaching of His Word, second. I love both! His dreams were WAY better than mine. I had hoped to be the sideline chick on ESPN for college football. Yeah, this is so much better. It's a great feeling to wake up and realize you have the life you never dreamt of having...

Where's Whitney?

2007-03-13T22:16:00.000-04:00

Speaking Topics

2007-03-12T22:17:00.000-04:00

Resources

2007-03-11T22:17:00.000-04:00

Contact

2007-03-10T22:17:00.004-05:00

For questions, comments or booking information please contact Barb Spencer or Kelly Langston our Proverbs 31 Speaking Ministry Coordinators at speaker@proverbs31.org.

Our team will be happy to provide sample CD's, a ministry brochure with my topic overviews, references and testimonials.

You can also hear a sample of one of my talks under my "Meet Whitney" page. We look forward to hearing from you.