This weekend I drove to Atlanta with some friends from church to attend the Deeper Still conference with Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer and Kay Arthur. It was exhausting...but good. As always, these bible teachers were passionate. VERY passionate. Priscilla was my fave of the weekend....very deep but very relational...like Lysa Terkeurst. Kay was on a mission to discuss politics which I sort of zoned out of a bit, and I don't think I was the only one, but it could have been due to only 3 hours of sleep....but I'd never heard her before so didn't know what to expect. Beth brought it home, as usual, but we were all so tired by the afternoon session a few in my group (Heather and Vicki, I won't say your last names!!!!) nodded off to sleep and I caught myself almost falling asleep, too. Okay, okay, I know it was Beth Moore, but why oh why did she have to be last??? Oh yea, so we wouldn't leave! But all in all, the overall message of the weekend was that YOU HAVE TO HAVE YOUR OWN THING GOING WITH JESUS. Don't depend of Beth or Lysa or any other speaker (even your pastor) to go to Jesus for you and do the work and you just do the bible study, so to speak. Know what I mean? You have to have your own quiet time each morning, with praise and worship and petition. You have to intercede for others (okay, they didn't say that, but that's what I think). And you have to then be quiet and let Him speak to you. Do you know what He's been saying to you lately? I know He's been dealing with me on a few issues and it's not always easy to hear. It's not always easy to admit we don't have it all together....oh wait, that would be NEVER do we have it all together! But sometimes God just wants to make us more holy. Priscilla said that Holiness is important to God. We must be set apart. We must really, really work on that. In our alone time, in the quiet of our homes. It's important, really it is.
On a side note, I know this blog is usually about bringing you fashion advice. But I'm just needing a break right now...I'll call it my summer break....just like school kids. I need to refresh myself, study, read, be with friends, be with family, be with Jesus. I'm getting geared up for fall events beginning in August and I'll have a fresh new approach when that time comes. Bear with me, if you will. For now, I'll call on Lisa Boyd from Simply His blogsite to post some pics of our personal shopping time we had together last week. I'm home for a few weeks...loving it. My son and I helped Marybeth move into her new house today....with her 6 kids and all. I can't wait for her to post pics for you all....what a great house.....perfectly picture perfect with the most beautiful trees and a GREAT yard! Hope you are all well....have a fun relaxing week, Beautiful Blessings, Shari
Monday, June 30, 2008
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Confidence
Last night I was invited to speak to a local bible study group of 20 women. I was so thrilled to do so and minister to this neat group of young women, mostly young moms. Fun, fun, we had and even though they looked a little nervous upon arrival, they were all loosened up by the end of the night!
After much fun and many personal consultations I got to talk one on one with them at the end of the night. The thing that touched my heart the most, however, was a girl who was a guest. She asked me if I've always had confidence. Hmmmm....I think so, but then I told her (after some thought) that my confidence comes from God....it is what I would call "God-confidence". You see, I may have always "pretended" to be confident but on the inside I wasn't. When I learned how to have a relationship with Jesus, He started filling my heart with "real" confidence. Teaching me little by little that only true confidence comes from Him. One of my favorite scripture verses is 2 Timothy 1:7 which tells us "for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline." I told her about that because I've had to memorize it so I can bring it to mind when I'm feeling less than confident. When I'm feeling scared or not in control. When I am lacking and feel "less than".
Ugly ole satan has a way of making us feel that way...less than. As long as we feel like we don't compare or can't live up to others, then he wins. And I won't let him have his way cause Jesus wins that place.
The other thing I wished I had told her is that she saw me being confident in what God has put me on earth to do. I know, that I know, that I know that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. I am energized by it. As tired as I was from this weekend, I was energized after speaking last night. Because I am doing what God wants me to do. I deal with all kinds of shortcomings, oh so many....but confidence in speaking about what He's called me to is not one of them. Oh yea, sometimes I can't believe I get to do this, sometimes I wonder why in the world He picked me, sometimes I am scared to get up for fear of saying the wrong thing, sometimes I disappoint and hurt someone's feelings, sometimes I forget scripture, sometimes I don't think I can do it. But then, He says, that is exactly where He wants me. Depending on Him, allowing Him to work thru me, to say the things He wants me to. And then I go to work. And then I open my mouth and pray the right things come out. Confidence....that God will allow me to continue to reach out, and bless others as they bless me. I pray you will ask God to fill you with a confidence today that can only come from Him. And He will. Beautiful Blessings, Shari
After much fun and many personal consultations I got to talk one on one with them at the end of the night. The thing that touched my heart the most, however, was a girl who was a guest. She asked me if I've always had confidence. Hmmmm....I think so, but then I told her (after some thought) that my confidence comes from God....it is what I would call "God-confidence". You see, I may have always "pretended" to be confident but on the inside I wasn't. When I learned how to have a relationship with Jesus, He started filling my heart with "real" confidence. Teaching me little by little that only true confidence comes from Him. One of my favorite scripture verses is 2 Timothy 1:7 which tells us "for God did not give us a spirit of timidity but a spirit of power, love and self-discipline." I told her about that because I've had to memorize it so I can bring it to mind when I'm feeling less than confident. When I'm feeling scared or not in control. When I am lacking and feel "less than".
Ugly ole satan has a way of making us feel that way...less than. As long as we feel like we don't compare or can't live up to others, then he wins. And I won't let him have his way cause Jesus wins that place.
The other thing I wished I had told her is that she saw me being confident in what God has put me on earth to do. I know, that I know, that I know that I am doing what I am supposed to be doing. I am energized by it. As tired as I was from this weekend, I was energized after speaking last night. Because I am doing what God wants me to do. I deal with all kinds of shortcomings, oh so many....but confidence in speaking about what He's called me to is not one of them. Oh yea, sometimes I can't believe I get to do this, sometimes I wonder why in the world He picked me, sometimes I am scared to get up for fear of saying the wrong thing, sometimes I disappoint and hurt someone's feelings, sometimes I forget scripture, sometimes I don't think I can do it. But then, He says, that is exactly where He wants me. Depending on Him, allowing Him to work thru me, to say the things He wants me to. And then I go to work. And then I open my mouth and pray the right things come out. Confidence....that God will allow me to continue to reach out, and bless others as they bless me. I pray you will ask God to fill you with a confidence today that can only come from Him. And He will. Beautiful Blessings, Shari
Monday, June 23, 2008
I'm Back!
Oh my.....please forgive me for the delay in posting this month....it has been a crazy time and to top it off, She Speaks just ended. Whew! If you were there, you know how amazing it was, in so many ways. Exhausting also. I don't know why this is, but when you're in the midst of it all, it doesn't feel tiring, but then you come home and just want to melt...and sleep. At least I do. But I couldn't cause we had small group last night and it was game night...now that was fun! We played the game "imagin" and laughed so hard I almost cried. If you've never played it, it is a great game to play with anyone....family, friends, anyone...but better if you know the people a bit!
Mexico was good. Rainy, but good. It was a great place to re-connect with my husband and son after a busy speaking season. Luke was hardly to be found because he made so many friends with all the other kids there he was off having fun, rain or shine. He played every game they had available from beach volleyball, beach soccer, pool volleyball, pingpong, and whatever else they had! The activity leaders told him if he ever needed a job they'd hire him...so now we call him "resort boy". We also went horseback riding....amazing time!
It was awesome meeting everyone at She Speaks! So many bloggers, speakers, and writers! Today I even got to go shopping with Lisa B from SimplyHis blogsite! She attended She Speaks but her husband joined her for shopping today! She is a completely new woman....she's probably on her way back home now as she ended the day with a new haircut, too! I hope she'll pop over and help me post pics of her before and after wardrobe....Lisa, can we do that?
Tonight I'm speaking to a small bible study group of 20 women so I've gotta run and get prepared for that (I've gotta leave in 15 minutes and I'm not dressed yet) so tomorrow I will probably turn all phones and computers off and just relax and play with my family!
I pray you are well and off to a wonderful start to your summer vacation. Would love to hear from you! Thank you so much for praying for me during this past month as She Speaks drew near. I appreciate it more than you know. Beautiful Blessings! Shari
Mexico was good. Rainy, but good. It was a great place to re-connect with my husband and son after a busy speaking season. Luke was hardly to be found because he made so many friends with all the other kids there he was off having fun, rain or shine. He played every game they had available from beach volleyball, beach soccer, pool volleyball, pingpong, and whatever else they had! The activity leaders told him if he ever needed a job they'd hire him...so now we call him "resort boy". We also went horseback riding....amazing time!
It was awesome meeting everyone at She Speaks! So many bloggers, speakers, and writers! Today I even got to go shopping with Lisa B from SimplyHis blogsite! She attended She Speaks but her husband joined her for shopping today! She is a completely new woman....she's probably on her way back home now as she ended the day with a new haircut, too! I hope she'll pop over and help me post pics of her before and after wardrobe....Lisa, can we do that?
Tonight I'm speaking to a small bible study group of 20 women so I've gotta run and get prepared for that (I've gotta leave in 15 minutes and I'm not dressed yet) so tomorrow I will probably turn all phones and computers off and just relax and play with my family!
I pray you are well and off to a wonderful start to your summer vacation. Would love to hear from you! Thank you so much for praying for me during this past month as She Speaks drew near. I appreciate it more than you know. Beautiful Blessings! Shari
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Florida
Hi all! I just flew in from Florida today after spending the last 6 days there. What a treat, what a time! From Saturday to yesterday, I was able to spend time in the Keys at a beautiful beach house that was lent to us by a beautiful friend, Diana. There were 10 of us there and actually, Patti and I got to tag along with the girls from R4G to their yearly retreat...it was awesome and amazing and so very refreshing! The worship in the evenings was a very rich time and I feel so blessed to have been invited...thankyou R4G chicas. Gabi cooked for us at every meal and we never left the beach house! I didn't wear shoes for 3 days! Nor did I wear makeup...yes, indeed!
But I must tell you about Saturday's event. Vilma Rodriquez hosted a spectacular event at The Signature Grand in Davie, Florida, near Ft. Lauderdale. It was a Modest is Hottest Fashion Show but girls, this one was so different. Tickets were $40 each, the food, the decorations, everything, was amazing. But, let me tell you why this event was so different. A few weeks ago, someone anonomously donated $10,000 so 250 girls from foster homes and shelters could attend. Yes, you read that right. These are girls and foster parents who NEVER would have been able to come to an event like this. Right now I can't even express the scope of what happened there, but let's just say I will never be the same. Girls heard the gospel, many for the very first time. These girls came from VERY abusive backgrounds, they came as drug addicts, depressed, girls who have no hope...except in Christ. They came in with sad faces, and left smiling. We laughed, we sang, we ate, we worshiped. We talked about modesty, we talked about life. God showed up. God showed off. It was His day...wow....is all I can say. For now, I will ask you to pray for these girls. Many gave their lives to the Lord on Saturday....please pray for them. I am humbled that God would use me, but mostly awed that He wanted these girls at this event. He made a way for them to come. They are all so special....I don't even know what to say. When I get the video, I will put it on my website...you absolutely MUST see this. Wow. I love you all! I am off to Puerto Villarta, Mexico for 8 days with my family.....I'll be back then! Love you, Shari
But I must tell you about Saturday's event. Vilma Rodriquez hosted a spectacular event at The Signature Grand in Davie, Florida, near Ft. Lauderdale. It was a Modest is Hottest Fashion Show but girls, this one was so different. Tickets were $40 each, the food, the decorations, everything, was amazing. But, let me tell you why this event was so different. A few weeks ago, someone anonomously donated $10,000 so 250 girls from foster homes and shelters could attend. Yes, you read that right. These are girls and foster parents who NEVER would have been able to come to an event like this. Right now I can't even express the scope of what happened there, but let's just say I will never be the same. Girls heard the gospel, many for the very first time. These girls came from VERY abusive backgrounds, they came as drug addicts, depressed, girls who have no hope...except in Christ. They came in with sad faces, and left smiling. We laughed, we sang, we ate, we worshiped. We talked about modesty, we talked about life. God showed up. God showed off. It was His day...wow....is all I can say. For now, I will ask you to pray for these girls. Many gave their lives to the Lord on Saturday....please pray for them. I am humbled that God would use me, but mostly awed that He wanted these girls at this event. He made a way for them to come. They are all so special....I don't even know what to say. When I get the video, I will put it on my website...you absolutely MUST see this. Wow. I love you all! I am off to Puerto Villarta, Mexico for 8 days with my family.....I'll be back then! Love you, Shari
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