Sneek Peak at Christmas Colors 2010

I love decorating for the holidays and each year I try to come up with a different theme, or color for the Christmas season. This year I decided to keep things light and fun. I won't be going all out like last year. As a matter of fact I'm leaning towards only putting up one tree, and the outside won't be decked out with all of the usual lawn ornaments. Simplicity is the key (well as simple as I can get considering my love of decorating). I still plan to decorate the main rooms (diningroom, familyroom, foyer and stairs) but the word is low key with a bit of whimsy. So am I the only crazy person who does a different theme each year?

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Holiday. I will be spending the week hanging out with family and preparing for Thanksgiving Day. Granted, the only thing I have to do is pick up some rolls and a pie from our local Sam's Club! That is the beauty of holding the holiday celebrations at my mom's new home! Of course any holiday celebration with my family usually includes some crazy scheme, so it will be interesting to see how this year unfolds (pictures to come). So how will you be spending the holidays? Any Thanksgiving traditions to share?

Its all or nothing!

Honestly, I don't know where she gets it from. But the girl has to go all out, its all in or nothing. If you tell her she is going to be cheering in a game then she does it from head to toe! Nothing has changed, she is the most girly tomboy I know. And we all know how I feel about sports. This is all her dad's fault! Just Sayin.

The Black Queen of England! Who Knew?

So as many of you know this summer Nicki and I took a cruise to Canada with my mom and cousins. One of the tours we took was to a Black History Museum. Today while surfing through some of Nicki's photos I came across these pictures.

I have always had a fascination with the Royal Family. As a young teen I started reading romance books written about England (a few were written by an actual princess if I am not mistaken), many times about a prince and princess! When Princess Diana married Prince Charles I was glued to my TV just like everyone else in the world. I "followed" (can you imagine what it would have been like if we had twitter back then) her life from that moment on. Even keeping a scrapbook of the big day. I even ordered a smaller version of the engagement ring, which I still have to this day.

I was delighted to hear of the upcoming marriage of Prince William and Kate, and just as before have been following the story. I guess you can say I am a bit of a "royal family junkie" (hello, Disneyqueen addict here). So imagine my surprise when I read about Queen Charlotte, Black Queen of England! And all of those years we waited to get a Black Disney Princess, and there was a real live flesh and blood black queen all along! And how I missed this bit of info during the tour I will never know!

Where Will You Be In 6 Months?

We want YOU to be with us in Nashville, May 10-12,2011!

So, Pastors’ Wives …Put Armed & Dangerous on your Christmas list! We will be living it up at a beautiful hotel …laughing … connecting … encouraging … and relaxing. Early-bird pricing ends with the close of 2010. Starting January 1st, the price will move from $275 to $325, so consider signing up soon. You can email any questions to Lori at leadingandlovingit[at]me[dot]com . And, most importantly, you can register here. We’d love help getting the word out this week via FB & Twitter. So, please let your Pastor’s Wife friends know about the retreat.

Now … who’s in?

2nd Anniversary in Pictures!

Yesterday Marc and I celebrated two years at WABC! It turned out to be a very good day, filled with lots of surprises. Marc had a friend speak during the morning service for him, which allowed him to sleep in late that morning and allowed us to spend all day Saturday together. Its not often that we get a chance to enjoy the entire weekend just hanging out. We also had a surprise visit from a friend that we attended church with years ago. He actually found our church on the Internet and just happened to pick Sunday to come by and visit. His family will be moving back to the area after being stationed in another state for the last few years.  

That afternoon the church held an anniversary celebration. The guest was our home church Greater Mount Zion. And as expected they showed up and showed out! I think for Marc the favorite part of the whole day was the tribute that the youth did in his honor. Afterwards they showered him with gifts (so many that we had to stash them under the pew where we were sitting so that the aisle would be free). Marc has drawers and shelves in his office filled with snacks and candy which he passes out to the kids (young and old). Thanks to the youth we now have a whole new batch of snacks that he can share. The flowers and Godiva Candy were gifts given to me. Of course I am sure the girls and I will be cracking open those fish crackers and pretzels before he can get to them. lol

After the service we set down for dinner which included Baked chicken, mac and cheese, yams, greens and for Marc his favorite ribs from Smokie Bones. And yes, if you haven't noticed I wore the official "First Lady" attire for the occasion. Including high heel shoes and stockings. All of which will go right back in the drawer this week! I figure I can do it at least once a year, but no more then that. I was hot and uncomfortable the whole time but I was told several times I looked very pretty. So mission accomplished. My mother will be very pleased that I did not embarrass her and the family. LOL

Trust God!

When you think your all alone, trust God. When you can't seem to find your way, trust God. When your world seems turned upside down, trust God. When you question the path your on, trust God. When your friends and family don't seem to understand, trust God. Whatever life seems to throw your way, trust God. In good times, in bad times.......... trust God. No matter what, trust God. Are you putting all of your faith and hope in God? If not, trust God!

Ethnic Blends, Mixing Diversity Into Your Local Church!

If you have read my blog or follow me on twitter for any length of time you know that I am a big supporter of churches being multi-ethnic. Its one of the reasons my family was first drawn to New Life Providence in Va Beach. And although we are leading at WABC, its been a long time vision of my husbands to lead a multi-ethnic church. It was through New Life Providence that we were first introduced to Mark DeMaz a few years ago after attending a Trans  Ethnic Conference. At the time I picked up his book "Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church. This summer we were blessed to hear Pastor Mark again at the second Trans-Ethnic Conference held at NLP. I'm sure a large influence for us at the idea of a multi-ethnic church community started during our years as a military family. Over the years our children were exposed to many cultures, and backgrounds. But like most people of our generation we returned home and immediately sort out a church that looked like "us". Over the years it just became a comfortable hat to live under. But over time we questioned the community of friends and even the church of which we were a part. Everyone knows the saying by Martin Luther King in which he states the at 11 AM on Sunday's morning is the most segregated hour in the nation!

Dr. Mark does an excellent job of laying out a biblical mandate for the need for multi-ethnic diversity in our local churches. And not just along racial lines, but generational, and economic lines. His new book Ethnic Blends which he co-wrote with Michael Emerson delves into the difficulties, obstacles and actions that will be needed by churches who wish to embark on this journey. In the book they give you tried and true suggestions for how to go about doing this. Granted its not an easy journey, but they back it up with scriptures. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking to start or transform your church and community,but also to those who are  curious about this and may consider it just a trend. I think you will be surprised by the biblical basis.

I received this book for free. I was not required or influenced to give a positive review in any way. The opinions expressed here are that of my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, part 255

Fall Fest 2010

We had the best time on Saturday hosting our first Fall Fest! We used a kit from group publishing (I can't say enough how much easier its been to host events since I started using their resources). We had carnival games (the kit made this very easy to pull off), lots of free food, prizes, and a boat load of candy! The ladies on the planning team did a great job. We had a few glitches but considering the fact that it was our first year I thought it went very well. From everything I heard on Sunday the kids had a great time (even pulled in some kids from the neighborhood) and are looking forward to next year! I am still amazed at the generosity of the people at this small church. With the exception of a few items, everything for this event was donated!

Sometime's a girl has to do what a girl has to do!

Yesterday Marc had to travel out of town for work. It just happened to be in the city that my sister lives and my mom just happened to be in town also. So I dropped everything I was doing (literally) and rode with him to hang out with them. I even left my camera at home on purpose so that I wouldn't be tempted to spend the day behind the camera. I had a great time following them around while they ran errands (we even surprised one of my cousins with a visit), and then I got in the car with my mom and traveled for an hour back to her home (Marc picked me up later the night after he finished all of his jobs). My mom conveniently lives and hour between her daughters so thankfully we can each just hop in the car and be at each others door in a matter of a hours. We spent the remainder of the afternoon talking about family, my grandmother who died when I was nine and pouring over pictures of family events. She gave me a tour around the house of all of the things she had done since my last visit and shared dinner together. All in all it was a pretty good day and even though I have tons of stuff to do over the next few days (not to mention playing catch up today) I'm so glad I made the decision to drop it all and hang out for the day. My mom really is like a good friend, and I love it when I get to see my little sis. All of the "stuff" on my to do list will still be there tomorrow, but we never know how long we have with a love one. Sometimes a girl just has to do what a girl has to do!

I had to insert a picture (I hate blog post without photos), and since my birthday celebrations for the year have come to an end.......why not include a picture of my cute babies who are now all grown up!

80's Style Birthday Party!

We surprised Nicki this weekend with an 80's style birthday party for her 25th birthday. We originally told her we were throwing her cousin Jennifer the party so we asked Nicki to pick her up so she wouldn't suspect anything. When Jennifer came through the door first, we yelled, "Surprise!" with Nicki yelling along with us.  When we yelled "Surprise, Nicki!" she was so shocked she was speechless! The photo of her on the floor was after she realized the party was for her! It was priceless. Too bad I didn't get it on video. I was too busy jumping up and down while laughing.

We played songs from the 80's, she sang karaoke (with family and friends as back-up), did an 80's trivia game and the guest acted out her favorite 80's tv shows! We ended the day with Hello Kitty cupcakes. I spent that morning cooking all of her favorite dishes (string beans, mac and cheese, chicken fettuccine, tossed salad and zucchini casserole). Its probably the last big meal I will cook for a while and its the last of the big birthday parties I will do for my kids (who are now 25, 26, and 27). As a matter of fact I think its time someone threw me a party! LOL

Why?

Can someone explain why this man insist on messing up perfectly great pictures. Well potentially great pictures! LOL

Cancer Walk: A Family Affair

I love my family! When I'm feeling all alone, they remind me that God has been good to me and has blessed Marc and I with some pretty cool kids! So I couldn't let the week go by without taking time out to say thank you to my daughters and my husband for supporting me this past weekend at the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk. This is the 4th year that the girls and I have walked in support of the cause and in memory of my grandmother and friend Gail. This year my niece Jasmine joined us. When we came across the finish line I could not help but feel emotional, but I was especially thankful for God's grace, his mercy and his favor.

Book Review: "Transforming Church in Rural America" by Shannon O'Dell

I recently read a book on leading in a rural church. I became interested in, "Transforming Church in Rural America" written by Shannon O'Dell partly because I actually grew up in a small rural town; my grandfather and godfather both lead in rural churches. The title was what first attracted me to reading the book but once I started reading I was immediately struck by the similarities between the authors story and that of my husband and mine (especially his background in transfering from youth ministry to that of Senior Pastor) even though we are leading in an urban setting.

 I believe Pastor Shannon's book is an example of transformational leadership that churches in various minitry settings could learn from. He offers some practical solutions for not only rural America, but ideas that can be adapted by main stream churches located in suburban or urban areas. Especially churches that have been on the scene for a while but who have gotton stagnant in their thinking or even given up believing that their church can make a difference in their communties. His story has a mixture of humor, some pain but a large portion of hope. You can tell that he was someone who has been humbled by his experience. He had to totally rely on God to do the extraordinary under seemingly impossible odds.

When Pastor Shannon started, he had a small congregation (which if you know most rural areas, it is pretty much the norm), but in a matter of a few years his church grew and they now minister to 1,000 of people all over the world. Talk about fufilling God size dreams! He does not offer a magical formula but his story does convey the importance of seeing the bigger picture and trusting God to work the plan even when we can't see where he is going with it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and at one point I could not put it down. I actually read several passages out loud to my husband and he too enjoyed it. His testimony gave us hope that transformation is possible especially when you listen to God's voice and his vision for ministry. Many of the things he implemented are not just adaptable to ministry but in our personal lives as well. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is leading a church in a rural area, but I would also suggest it to those who are leading in churches that are looking to transform their community, ministries or church.

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as a part of their BookSneeze.com Book Review Bloggers Program. I was not required or influenced to give a positive review in any way. The opinions expressed here are that of my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, part 255

Standing the test of time.

There are only a few people in life that I call my "Soul Sister'. Many of you know about Kelli because of my blog, and a few of you who know me personally know about the Dress Sale Buddies. We were a group of ladies who traveled twice a year to the woods basically to collect dresses for our daughters. Not that big of a deal except we slept in a car overnight and stood in long lines with hundreds of other mothers to get $60 or $70 dollar dresses for $14.00! That's how it started but in the process we became life long friends. Even our husbands and children connected....all over a dress! Years later our girls have outgrown the fancy dresses, but the friendship has sustained the test of time. Last night we got together for some laughter, some good food, lots of chatter, a few tears and then ended the evening with prayers. Good Stuff!!!! It was just what this soul needed (and I felt like a teenager when I "tip toed" in the house at 2 AM. LOL).

The Randomness That Is My Life!

1)I have had writers block for the last week! Honestly I think my brain was on lock down last week when we had 5 days of nonstop rain! Not having sun does something to me.

2) I have been busy planning this, so that might have been part of the problem. Anytime I am working on a "project" it consumes me. Does that happen to anyone else? I am so excited about our first Fest. I told one of my team members that we are expecting 50 kids, but I am asking God for 100 men, women, and children to come through our doors!

3) The month of October is also grand central station for birthdays in my family. TJ turns 27 and Nicki turns 25 (add in my moms birthday on Halloween, a couple of cousins here and there, and a nephew). Well you get the picture. We had a lot of babies born in October!

4)I'm still in that fall decorating mode. I figure it will be done by Thanksgiving. Just in time to take it down to start working on Christmas. Can you believe how many Christmas decorations are already out in the stores? I am resisting because I do most of that shopping after Christmas for the next year! I have four trees this year, we will see which ones make the cut. LOL

5) Its been a great week at WABC. We had a new member and one of our little ones in Children's Church gave her life to Christ. Her grandma and I had a conversation a while back and she had told me how excited her granddaughter was to be baptised. I think at first they thought she might be to young, but Marc and I both were baptised at a young age and I think we turned out pretty good. At the staff meeting last night Marc told her grandad that if he wanted to he could assist in baptising her. I think that would be awesome!

6)Next month Marc and I will celebrate our 2nd Year at WABC. In reality we have been there almost three yrs (the first year as interim pastor). This year our home church will be our guest at his celebration service. This meant a lot to my husband because he still feels that connection to the people and especially the youth that he ministered to all of those years. I am praying that it is all that he hopes and dreams of.

7)I have been loving hearing from the various speakers at the JustOne Conference, but I have especially enjoyed meeting and connecting with so many Pastor's Wives. It makes this fisbowl life we lead feel not quite as lonely as it did in the beginning.

8)Speaking of Leading and Loving It, did you catch my twitter rant about plane fairs? I had hoped to fly Southwest for the Leading and Loving IT Retreat next May because they take you directly to Nashville, vs Delta (which I love) but which routes you through Atlanta. Well as much as I love Delta, I hate Atlanta's airport. But the prices were crazy so good old Delta it is!

9)This flight will be the first time I have taken a flight alone since 1985. Which at the time was my first ever plane ride! Technically I was not alone because I had a 4 month old and a 1 1/2 year old with me. But I had never ridden in a plane or been anywhere on my own ever and was headed to join Marc to live in Germany of all places! I was so scared that at one point my mom said I told her I wasn't going. 6 years later I cried like a baby when we had to leave!

10)This weekend I get to hang out with 4 of my best girlfriends for a "Girls Night Out"! We have been trying to do this for months (actually for almost a year). Thank goodness one of them finally said enough is enough we are getting together, nomatter what. Everyone should have a girlfriend like that. Thank God I have several! Needless to say it should make for some interesting pictures and a great blog post! So stay tuned.

11)I'm also walking this weekend with my girls in the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk. The weatherman has promised us sunny skies so I am very excited! One year it was pouring down rain. Not the way you want to walk, especially with crowds of people!

The Girl is C-R-A-Z-Y

When you have a night of tornado watches, and flash flood warnings most people cuddle up in bed with a good book and the flashlight. Not my child! She decided to make up her face and scare the mess out of me! We are all fine, only a few limbs down here and there, but I'm ready for the rain to end and for the sun to shine! Granted I won't be bored with Nicki around to entertain me!

A Few Good Men and Women!

I am soo excited about our upcoming SlimeTime event, especially the opportunity to connect with our community. But I'm even more excited about seeing my girls in their costumes! I can always count on them for a good laugh and for pitching in when needed. The last time they were in a costume was this summer for VBS. They were my hero's! Quisha (who does not know yet that she will be the yellow light bulb) will be doing crafts with the kids. And Nicki (who has already started looking for a purple wig and "diva" catsuit) will be doing the face painting. Which is right up her alley since she loves playing with make-up! But having said all of that I am still in need of a few good men to step up to the plate and be the Dewd Drop, Fizz The Beaker and Max the Battery! Any takers? LOL

Dare To Dream, But Don't Forget God In The Process!

So many of you prayed for our ministry last week and for our "Dare To Dream" Event. I thought I would share a few pictures and also say thank you. At one point it did not seem like we would be able to pull it off (we had people backing out left and right). In the end I think I (along with our speaker) learned a valuable lesson. Anything worth having takes some time. Not everyone will see the vision until they "see" the vision. But even if that does not happen you still have to move forward. The last night of the event I got to catch the end of Pastor Steven Furtick's 24 hour message based on his new book  "Sun Stand Still". It was a "AHA" moment for me. Sometimes you have to go out on a limb to fufill your dreams. Having that kind of faith starts with believing that God can and will fufill your impossible dreams. Basically you need to have faith tell the sun stands still! I wrote down some notes from his sermon and shared them at church. I thought I would share them here also in the hope that it would bless someone in the same way that it blessed me.

1) When you’re down to nothing, God is up to something. 2) If you keep your hands open to God, you will always have everything you need to fulfill what God has put you in the position to do. 3) Don't put your faith in the strategy; put your faith in the Savior! 4) Until God is all that we have, we don't realize that He's all that we need! 5) Hearing the word initiates faith. Speaking the word activates faith. Doing the word demonstrates your faith 6) God can take the worst news of your life and convert it into the greatest opportunity for Him to shine through you."

Last week I was so focused on the process, that I almost missed the blessings. Daring to Dream is always a good thing, but when you dream don't forget to include God!