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Posted on March 11, 2010 - by Mary

Leadership Conference Highlights

Last night was my first night home after spending 3 days at the Resurrection Life Church Leadership Conference. This was my 4th year attending the conference and I feel it’s the best one yet. The main speakers were: Pastor Duane Van Der Klok (Res. Life), Chris Hodges (Church of the Highlands), John Vereecken (Lidere, Vida Internacional) and Chris Moon (Res. Life Cadillac)

Chris Hodges spoke on topics such as: Engaging the Culture, and the main points were:

Daniel 6:1 – excellent Spirit (NKJV) Exceptional qualities (NIV)
4 values for staff: Genuine love for God, Genuine compassion for people, a culture of excellence, and a good attitude.

Chris Hodges also taught on 7 Principles to Make it Through a Bad Day:

Hebrews 12:2: If you want to conquer any land, the enemy is going to come against you
The cross really sets the framework for us: See my previous blog post about the 7 statements Jesus said on the cross

Chris’ also taught the 8 Secrets of Life-Giving Ministry and we were given a handout, but the main points were:

Empowering Leadership
Gift-based ministry
Passionate Spirituality
Functional Structures
Inspiring Worship Service
Holistic Small Groups
Need-oriented evangelism
Loving Relationships

John Vereecken’s topics included: Heroism, where he explained what it means to be a hero in ministry: Extreme sacrifice for a cause that benefits other people.

Phil. 2:5-8 – Jesus gave up His divine privileges so others could benefit
Live a life of sacrifice
Luke 14:26 – Love Jesus more than your own life
2 Tim. 2:3 – As a good soldier of Jesus Christ you must endure some suffering
Phil. 1:29 – You’ve been given the privilege of suffering for Christ
Adopt the same attitude as Jesus had

Each day there were also break out workshops. I attended “The Heart of a Leader” by Ken Reynolds, worship leader at Res. Life, and John Vereecken’s “How to Influence and Lead your Superiors to Create Change”.

Chris Moon gave a really good message about how to Pastor orphans and slaves; there’s a difference between discipline and punishment. Main points throughout the talk were:

We need to sow into the younger generation
The heart of a great leader always leaves a great legacy
In your life, in your church, aim at something
Promote fruitfulness not faithfulness
Reach people where they’re at
Church isn’t for Christians-it’s for the lost
Be a servant leader
Good shepherds always smell like sheep…get with the people
Servant leadership isn’t what you do – it’s who you are. Attitude leadership
Your joy is your greatest strength as a leader (Nehemiah 8:10)
People are looking for an emotional connection. The Spiritual connection will come through that.
Our church should be a happy place-maintain a joyful place
Understand growth is always inconvenient
What you will tolerate will kill you
Luke 14: You know you’re inconvenienced by your language
Luke 9: 62: You will know you’re an orphan and a slave when you have obligation language
Live your life with a “Please Disturb” sign
In a growth environment we don’t choose who God calls
Accept people where they’re at
Don’t put in the hearts of people that they can’t serve because they smoke, drink, lie or have been, or are, in jail. It creates a subculture.
See their potential. Call greatness out of people. All things are possible with God.

I’m looking forward to next year’s conference already! What conference’s have you attended that you would recommend to others?

Posted on March 9, 2010 - by Mary

7 Life Principles Jesus Taught on the Cross

This week I am at the Resurrection Life Church Leadership Conference in Grandville. It is so amazing! We just ended the first full day and the speakers and messages were amazing. I wanted to share the message from tonight’s last session with Chris Hodges from Church of the Highlands in Birmingham Alabama. The title is “7 Principles to Make it Through a Bad Day”. Basically, they are the 7 statements Jesus said on the cross which are 7 life principles for us to live by everyday.

1. “Forgive them Father, for they know not what they do.” Forgive every person who is trying to ruin your life. When you carry that stuff around, the only person it hurts is you.

2. Jesus told the criminal on the cross next to him, “Today, you will be with me in paradise”. (Luke 23:43) Help others who are experiencing your same struggle.

3. In John 19:26, Jesus says to his mother, Mary: “Dear woman, here is your son.” Be sure to be sensitive to those closest to you…your spouse and your children. Don’t go to church and put on that happy face for everyone else, then go home and be mean or grumpy to your loved ones.

4. In Matt 27:46, Jesus calls out to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Until we get to heave there are some things we will never understand. (Job 42:2)

5. “I thirst” (John 19:28) Be Human enough to acknowledge your needs.

6. “It is finished” (John 19:30) Be assured there is a purpose and an end. (Romans 8:28)

7. “Father into your hands, I commit my Spirit (Luke 23:46). Finally, surrender your day to God and let it go.

Posted on February 24, 2010 - by Mary

Proof Jesus IS God

Some of you may not know this interesting fact about me, so I thought I’d share it with you because the issue has arisen again recently. And that interesting fact is…I was raised a Jehovah’s Witness. Yes, that’s right, my parents became JW’s when I was in the 3rd grade and I hung onto their beliefs and was even baptized later in my adult years. I got saved in 1997, when I was 32. A co-worker, who is now my best friend, had been trying to witness to me and I was “witnessing” to her. After much discussion and going back and forth, neither of us getting anywhere really, we decided to pray together and have God reveal the truth to whichever of us needed it. Of course, you know the outcome now, so needless to say, after praying that prayer, I began to see all the contradictions the JW’s teach, right in their own bible. Of course, most JW’s are too brainwashed to see anything different, and most would never pray the way I did with a non JW.

I had to give you that little background because yesterday in church I had a gentleman, someone I’ve never met before, asking me some questions about it. He was saved, I don’t know how long ago, but a while back I’d guess, then he fell away, and then he was searching again and, I think he started going back to church, but he’s also been going to the Kingdom Hall (JW’s meeting place-they don’t call it a church). The main question he had was, “How do you know Jesus is God? How do you prove it to them?” Of course that’s been my biggest struggle, because it is a mystery and it is difficult to wrap my head around sometimes.

Tonight our church began the Experiencing God bible study. Each week we are to do the studies ahead of time, then we go over the main points during the bible study together as a group. I just love how God knows exactly what we need when we need it…don’t you? Anyway, each week, there is also a DVD that goes right along with that week’s lesson and in the video I got the answer to that question. One of the things Henry Blackaby, the author of Experiencing God, said that really stood out to me was: “Jesus gave up his right to know what God was doing when he came to the earth”. So, when we got back into discussion, I asked the leader of our group where in the bible could I find proof of that statement. He pointed me to Phillippians 2:5-8:

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

So, that clears up some huge questions for me personally! Whenever I read verses about Jesus praying to God, I always wondered why he didn’t already know the answer since he is God, but this verse shows that he gave up that right and humbled himself. Of course Almighty God has that ability because nothing is impossible for God. (Luke 1:37)

I invited the gentleman to Experiencing God, but he didn’t show up. I hope he didn’t have second thoughts about going back to the Kingdom Hall. I was able to give him some other good scripture references, so hopefully he will be able to use them if he did go back. I will be praying for him; will you join me in that prayer?

Posted on February 22, 2010 - by Mary

Menopause? Me? No! I’m Too Young for That!

For the past several weeks, I’ve been highly irritable. I’m sure my hubby and probably my children will attest to that! Also I haven’t had a period in 2 months…and NO I’m NOT PREGNANT! Just thought I’d clear that up right away. Pretty sure it’s the “Big M” starting.

I don’t know how I feel about it. I’m kind of excited that pretty soon I won’t have to deal with Aunt Flo coming to visit any more, but then on the other hand, I’m scared! Both my mom and my only sister had hysterectomy’s at my age. But, I’m not claiming that! I’m claiming a “normal” menopause! Whatever that is. I am not looking forward to the hot flashes, unless they don’t get any worse than they are now. Before I was officially “late” I began having “hot spells” where I’d suddenly get real hot, but it would only last for about 30 seconds or so. They’re not too frequent and they usually hit first thing in the morning. I have some hot spells like that at night as well where I throw all the covers off and 30 seconds later, I’m freezing.

But, so far the worse symptom is my irritability. I feel like I want to claw someone’s eye out, often, and really for no apparent reason. People just get on my nerves. I’m not normally like that and have a high tolerance and can usually put up with people’s laziness or stupidity….see there I go again….just being plain mean. What the heck is wrong with me???? Ugh!

So, I apologize in advance if I snap at you suddenly, or just break down and cry for no apparent reason.

And when in the heck did I get old enough to start menopause???? Oh wait! I do have my 4th grand child on the way. I guess it was bound to happen after all.

Are you menopausal? Have you gone through it? Got any tips????

Posted on February 21, 2010 - by Mary

You Were Created for this Exact Time and Place

At church today, I attended both services because I’m learning how to run overheads using ProPresenter…which I love to do…and attending both services really helps the message to sink in. If I don’t attend both services, then I take notes, which also helps the message to sink in. And I can’t take notes when I run overheads because I wouldn’t be able to keep up with the overheads. ANYWAY…

Our Pastor has been talking about our amazing God for the last 6 weeks, and starting this week, our entire church will be studying the “Experiencing God” book. Today’s message was about how God is Omnipresent…meaning He is everywhere all the time. That fascinates me. When I think about how big the universe is, and that God is present everywhere all the time in the universe, how BIG He really is. Actually He is bigger than that, bigger than I can imagine.

One of the scriptures that really stuck out in my mind is Acts 17:26 – “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.” How amazing is that??? It just goes to show God is in control. He created YOU for this exact time and place!

I sometimes wonder if I would have made different choices throughout my life, how my life would look today. One day, Jeff, my husband, and I were talking about what if we would have met years earlier, like in high school, if we would have hooked up then and if I would have had his children. My comment was, “my children would look a lot different than they do now.” But, I think things are just as they are supposed to be.

I haven’t always let God be the Director of my life. I made some really poor choices and decisions when I was growing up, and if I would have made different ones, I know my life would look, probably a lot different than it does now. But, as Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose”. So, I know that things are the way they are today for me because God has “worked everything for the good”.

Have you allowed God to be the Director of your life? If not, what’s stopping you? Why wouldn’t you allow the Creator of the Universe, the One and Only True God, who knows what’s best for you and your life, to be the Director of your life? No, my life is far from perfect, but I know I could not live with God in the center of it.

Well, that’s about it for now. I just wanted to share what was on my heart with you real quick. That scripture really stood out to me today and made me realize I am here at this exact time and this exact place for a very special purpose And so are YOU! So, what are you going to do about it?

Posted on February 19, 2010 - by Mary

Began the 200 Situps Challenge Today

What is wrong with me?! LOL! I love the motivation I have to finally start exercising and eating right! I think the 200 Squats Challenge and the 200 Situps Challenge work for me because they give me a goal to reach. Sure, I could probably set some of my own goals to reach, but they take the homework out of it, ya know what I mean? They teach you how to properly perform the exercises and give you the amounts to perform for each set and so on. I don’t know, I just really feel motivated by these challenges.

So, today I began the 200 Situps Challenge. And while they call them situps, they are actually talking about crunches or curl ups. I use my workout ball to rest my calves on while I do the crunches. I was able to pump out 75, although I’m not sure if my range of motion is up where it’s supposed to be. You’re not supposed to lift your lower back off the floor, and I didn’t, but I was only able to lift the upper part of my back, not the middle part….does that make sense? Anyway, I’m sure my range of motion will improve as I continue doing them. I think I will do them again tomorrow, starting out on week 1, Day 1. I think I will be a little less aggressive with these than I am with the squats…maybe…I really wanna lose the belly fat!!!

Will you join me in the 200 situps challenge? If so, please leave a comment and let me know you did so we can help keep each other motivated Oh, and if you’re tracking your weigh loss progress, be sure to join the Plus Size Bloggers contest to win a Wii Fit Plus!

Posted on February 11, 2010 - by Mary

Stepping up the Exercise for Better Fat Burning Results

Hello! How are you all today? I’m doing great! My thighs are slightly burning and sore right now because I just did 31 squats. Why did I do 31 squats you ask? Because I am taking the two hundred squats challenge! If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’ve been doing Weight Watchers for the last few weeks and am dedicated and motivated to lose 80 pounds by Sept. 1, 2010. So far my weight loss has been super slow so I’ve decided to step up the progress by adding more exercise. I’ve been doing a dance aerobics video which is 25 minutes and is a good cardio workout, but I need to also tone and strengthen my body…not just lose the fat. Plus, when your body has more muscle, it naturally burns more fat. So, I am doing the 200 squats challenge for a couple of reasons: 1) To help my body burn more fat and 2) to get my legs back in shape. I used to have pretty, thin legs, but since I’ve put on the extra poundage and have gotten older (how did that happen so quickly???) my legs are cellulite ridden and heavier. It would be nice to have decent legs this summer

So, the initial test is to see how many squats you can do, in the proper form of course. For my age, 31 is in the excellent range, so I’m pretty proud that I could do 31 to start with. I did take a 3 second breather after 28, so I should probably only count 28, but I did push myself to 31. After doing them, I was out of breath and my legs felt like jello, but it did feel really good to do them.

It doesn’t cost anything to join the challenge, so I encourage you to join too if you’re looking for a great way to get motivated and give yourself a goal to reach. I’ll keep you posted as to my progress. Leave a comment and let me know if you’re going to take the challenge as well.