Do you ever find yourself sitting in the car pool line waiting or at the doctor’s office just wishing you had something better to read than last month’s magazines?

Well I’ve got some fun news for you today … we have just released the Lysa TerKeurst phone app!

Lysa rolls her eyes every time we talk about this project but I keep telling her it’s super cool and very useful. You can access all Lysa’s blogs, her Facebook and Twitter accounts and see where she’s speaking next all while you’re waiting in the carpool line!
Or waiting at the Dr’s office
Or waiting in line at the grocery store
Or waiting to fall asleep
Or … you get the point.

All you have to do is search “Lysa TerKeurst” in the App store and download it. It’s totally FREE and designed to inspire and encourage you wherever you might find yourself spending your time.

And since I’m trying to convince Lysa apps are really cool, will you share other apps you love in the comments section today? She doesn’t have any apps on her phone! Zip. Zero. She’s going to be shocked people actually use and like this new kind of modern technology.

Related posts:

1. Some really cool people, some really cool prizes…
2. Happy 40th Lysa!
3. Raccoons and Really Cool Prizes

It was Brooke’s big “Let’s Celebrate Mommy Day” at the church preschool. All the mommies waited excitedly in the hall for little hands to put last minute touches on the well-decorated room.

I was already feeling off as I stood with all the other moms who’d actually taken time to do their hair and wear outfits. My wet hair was slicked back haphazardly in a banana clip. My black yoga pants had some sort of smear across the thigh. And my tennis shoes looked clunky standing with all the other cute sandals and well pedicured toes.

Finally, the teacher came to the classroom door and welcomed us inside.

A room full of cupcakes, giggles, claps and sparkling preschool eyes greeted us.

The highlight of the room was the clothesline with pinned artistic treasures. Each child had been asked to draw a picture of their mommy’s favorite place. Then the teacher wrote below the crayon masterpiece what the child said when drawing the picture.

There were pictures of beaches and mountains and even a grocery store. The preciousness abounded. Until. I got to the picture featuring my favorite place.

“My mommy’s favorite place is in bed with Daddy.”

Oh have mercy on my soul that could die a thousand deaths right here in the preschool room.

Yes. I kid you not.

So, in a little effort to redeem myself all these years later, I offer you a little motherhood poem I wrote on twitter yesterday. And if you happened to be there on that preschool day when wore I wore my hair in the banana clip and sported the reddest face in the room…might you kindly replace that memory with this little poem? Oh thank you.

Mommy treasures

warm hugs. messy kisses. tangled hair and childhood wishes.

princess twirls. superman leaps.

and crayon masterpieces I will forever keep.

These are the treasures motherhood is made of.

Happy day after Mother’s Day.

No related posts.

Recently, I was studying what causes people to feel spiritually frustrated. The two top reasons? Bible study and prayer.

I get it.

I can clearly remember being a young girl sitting in church sweating because everyone else knew instantly how to get to every passage in the Bible the preacher man referenced. But not me. I was more interested in counting the preacher man’s spit droplets that came flying out with his punctuated words.

I respected that man. But boy could he get fired up and entertain this lost girl.

Others seemed all wrapped up and excited in what this preacher man had to say. They’d shout loud, “Uh-huh’s” and “Amens!” What was I missing?

And then there was my prayer life. Or the lack there-of. It’s not that I didn’t want to pray, but the whole concept of talking to God felt weird. I tried to copy the prayers of those who seemed like they knew they were doing more than talking to the air.

But then my quirky self would sneak in and leave me feeling foolish for what I’d just said to the God of the Universe. “Dear Lord, take this food to the nourishment of my body. (Good so far.) And if you could change the molecular structure of these cheesy fries to be like carrot sticks that sure would be bomb-diggity.” (Huh?)

Like the saying goes, “We’ve come a long way baby.” Except that I’m pretty sure you could still trip me up in finding certain passages in the Bible. And I’m pretty sure you might still hear me say bomb-diggity in my prayers. But according to what Jesus taught in Matthew 6:7, I think He’s okay with that.

“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like the pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

For me, there are two keys to unlocking spiritual frustration with both my Bible study and my prayers:

* Sincerity — coming to God without an agenda honestly wanting Him to teach me.

* Simplicity — talking to God as the loving Father He is.

Why do we make it all so complicated?

I think a few honest moments spent with God reading His Word, sharing our heart, and listening for His instruction are quite perfect. Jesus might even say they are bomb-diggity.

What do you think? Have you struggled with spiritual frustration?

I talk quite a bit about practical ways to grow in your walk with the Lord in my book, Becoming More than a Good Bible Study Girl.

Today, I’m giving away 5 copies! Just leave a comment below telling me of a friend you’d like to bless with this book. I’ll announce all winners on Monday.

Related posts:

1. Sweating in church
2. Why I ate 172 M&M’s in church yesterday
3. Sadly, it’s also a reality in the church

I wrote this book with Shaunti Feldhahn, amazing friend, author and social researcher. In other words, moms, if you really want to know what your girls are thinking, you’ll want to read this. She has woven her amazing research with teens all throughout this book.

The focus of this book centers around ways Satan tries to distract us from God. He wants us to get legitimate needs met in an illegitimate way.

Oh how I wish I’d had this book in my teens years.

Satan comes after us in these three areas:

Physical Desires
Material Desires
Emotional Desires

It’s the same three ways he came after Eve in the Garden of Eden. It’s the same three ways he came after Jesus in the desert.

It’s the same three ways we’re told not to get lured away from God in 1 John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world — the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does — comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Here are those same verses from The Message Bible:

Don’t love the world’s ways. Don’t love the world’s goods. Love of the world squeezes out love for the Father. Practically everything that goes on in the world — wanting your own way, wanting everything for yourself, wanting to appear important — has nothing to do with the Father. It just isolates you from him. The world and all its wanting, wanting, wanting is on the way out — but whoever does what God wants is set for eternity.

So, how do we communicate these truths in an everyday way that will connect with a teens heart? One way to do that is by equipping them with the right questions to ask. For example, under the section on emotional desires, I tackle attention and affection from boys.

Whew… what a topic right?

As a mom of teen girls, there’s a big part of me that wants to say, “stay away from boys until you’re 30!” Okay, maybe 28. Ahem.

But, maybe a more realistic approach is to teach them the right questions to ask before spending time with a friend boy. (And yes, that wording is intentional.)

Worship — Who or what does he worship in the shrine of his heart?

Words — Do his words (spoken and written) build others up or tear them down?

Character — Who is he when no one else is looking?

Personality — Who is he around other people?

Interests — What kinds of things does he do to recharge?

Feelings — Do you feel better about yourself when he’s around?

Attraction — Is your attraction to him centered around something that will stay over time?

When asking these questions about a boy you are interested in, don’t ask based on what you hope will be in the future, ask these questions based on the reality of today.

What do you think about these questions? Are there others you would add? What speaks to your heart most from the verses shared from 1 John 2? Which young woman in your life do you want to share this message with?

Leave a comment and you’ll be entered to win one of five signed copies we’re giving away.

Related posts:

1. The Boy Questions

But when a girl has to trip over 16 fishing poles, a box of worms, and an array of other contraptions with death hooks protruding from them, it just doesn’t inspire the creative flow.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love some fishing now. I do. When I’m sitting in a boat and there are fish waiting eagerly to be caught, I’m all about the poles, hooks and worms.

But, I just don’t want to look at all that stuff when I’m trying to write blog posts and books. For women.

I wanted my space to be clean. Fun in a feminine but not too girly way. And smell like flowers, not fish.

So, my next attempt was to write from my sticky farm table. Which works well if you fancy grease stains on every single one of your important papers along with a little jelly on the side. Because my people, they actually like to eat at the table. Imagine that?

And then there was the stint where I turned a corner of my bedroom into my office. I sat on my bed. I had a garage sale book shelf next to my bed. And little piles that multiplied like rabbits in the springtime.

But then when people would come to the house I’d try to hide all those piles and lose things. Little things like contracts. Lovely.

So when my grown son got an apartment this year, I got an idea. And this idea was clean, fun, and smelled like flowers!

Yes, indeed! Finally after 18 years of ministry, I finally have a real office in my home.

Tada!!!!!

A big huge thank you to my friend, Tina, who knows how to stretch a penny and make things look pretty.

If you have some decorating questions, ask away. Tina has agreed to hop over here and answer some of your questions.

She’s so smart y’all! And thrifty. And hip.

Oh and just in case you are curious…

The curtains, desk, and chairs are from IKEA.

The accessories and lamp are from Marshalls.

The little piles of work are from me still not being as organized as I need to be yet.

One thing at a time people. One thing at a time.

Happy Monday!

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1. The Principal’s Office
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3. Home

So, I retitled this blog hoping to truly give insight into what our Pastors want us to know but can’t really announce from the pulpit.

I’m passionate about understanding how to love and support those who lead my church. But I have to admit, I’m not a heroine in this article. I’m still learning how to apply the Biblical principle of 1 Timothy 5:17-18.

“Elders who are leading well should be admired and valued. Double up on the honor shown them; care for them well—especially those constantly and consistently teaching the word and preaching. For the Scripture agrees, “Don’t muzzle the ox while it is treading out your grain,” and, “The worker deserves his wages.” ”

Paul knew that blessing the Pastor was remarkably important when he said these words to Timothy and now to us all.

A wise, incredibly humble Texan Pastor I interviewed yesterday said, “Some would think double honor sounds excessive, but the reality is no one fully understands the pressures on your Pastor at any given time as they carry with them the burdens of many in the congregation quietly and confidentially… This is not work that you can leave at the office, it weighs on you. I believe it is for this reason Paul calls us to double honor.”

So, how do we apply this? Here are some insights shared with me from Pastors and their wives all over the country:

1. Do the basics consistently.

The greatest way to bless your pastor is to be one of those faithful people who attends, serves and gives consistently. This gives such assurance to a Pastor and their staff.

One of the most well studied Pastors I know on church leadership said, “When people do the regular basics and never make a big deal about it, the other stuff you do for your Pastor is so much more meaningful. Some people try to bless their Pastor on their terms and they are loud about it. They don’t tithe… but hey Pastor-you can use our lakehouse with strings attached.”

Let’s bless our Pastor and his staff with the basics. Give gifts without strings. And don’t toot our horn about doing so.

2. Let go of the unrealistic expectations.

Almost every Pastor I talked to addressed the issue of inviting he and his family over for dinner. While it seems like something we’re doing for the Pastor, it usually isn’t the gift they need. More than spending time with my family, they need to spend time with theirs. Bless them with gift certificates. Or schedule to take them a meal and just drop it off- especially during those busy times of Easter and Christmas.

Of course, they will have friends who are close enough where a dinner with that family is completely comfortable and refreshing. But let the Pastor and his wife initiate this. Give them the freedom to have close friends and not feel guilty or exclusive in doing so. One Pastor’s wife said to me, “I think the thing that discourages me the most is people commenting on my friendships. Using the word clique to describe my friendships rather than just being happy I have a community is hurtful.”

Let’s bless our Pastor and his family with freedom. They need friends. And it’s okay if we’re not dinner buddies.

3. Love the Pastor’s wife.

One Pastor wrote and said, “Please give my wife face to face affirmation.” Another said, “When my wife hears negative things about the church or me-it crushes her.”

Another Pastor’s wife gave some interesting insight into how to greet her so she doesn’t feel like a heel for not remembering everyone personally. She said, “It’s hard when people say-Do you remember me? Instead just introduce yourself and remind me where we’ve met before.”

Let’s commit to our Pastor’s wife the gift of kind words. I know as a female leader, when someone commits to me that they will only say kind and affirming things about me, my ministry, and my family-it makes me feel so safe.

4. Don’t assume other people are encouraging your Pastor.

Send those notes of encouragement. Write the email where you tell him what a difference that sermon made in your life. Don’t assume they get plenty of positive feedback-because usually they aren’t.

Let’s commit to not just be someone who appreciates our Pastor in our hearts-but let’s let them know over and over.

5. Keep studying how to bless your Pastor.

Become aware of how your Pastor best needs to be blessed and step into that role. Make it a family mission to be one of those foundational families at church who stays out of the drama, seeks to give not take, and stays for the long haul honoring him all the way.

And don’t forget the other Pastoral staff who serve so faithfully as well.

It’s Biblical. It’s good. And while I’ve got a long way to go, I’m committed to honoring my Pastors with much more intentionality. What about you?

Tell us how you plan to bless your Pastor this week. Pass a link to this article on to others in your church so the love can spread. Also, if you want more practical ideas, hundreds were posted on my facebook page yesterday. You can read those by clicking here.

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1. Letters to Pastors

Anyhow.

Lesson number 1: If you have the wisdom gift of a few grey hairs starting to sprout, it is okay to color them in with a Sharpie marker. Or leave them if you love them.

Lesson number 2: If you decide to go all out and use actual hair dye, remember a crucial fact. Do not wash the dye out while taking a bath. Yes, I did. And I seriously doubt I qualify to be a grown up sometimes. Honestly, this is not the tan you want.

Lesson number 3: I honestly think women are most beautiful and effective when they are closest to the way God created them. I do. My friend Shari said this one time and I completely agree. Embrace the beauty in His creation of you. Of course me dying my hair darker so I could quit coloring the grey with black sharpie markers doesn’t really fit that little theory. But it works otherwise.

Okay, your turn. Give us your best hair tips. Or worst disasters. Or whatever else you want to add to our little hair chat.

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2. Potty Talk
3. I’ll Be the One with the Greasy Hair

That edge where hopelessness pulls right in the moment where you feel too weak to resist.

I whispered, “I’m slipping God. I can’t stand this for another minute. Much less 5 more minutes. Or 5 more hours. Seriously God. I can’t. I’m trying to be brave. I’m trying to deal with it. I’ve claimed your healing. I’ve begged for your healing. And I truly believe you are healing me. But in this minute, I’m freaking out. And I’m so sorry if “freaking” is a bad word-I’m still on the fence about that one. But, really God, I feel myself falling and I can’t figure out what to grab onto.”

Gosh this is where faith gets awfully messy, isn’t it?

Faith.

Most days, I am like the little kid on the swing going higher and higher, touching the clouds without a single pang of fear. I know the swing will hold me. I know the chains are secure. So bold. So assured. So confident.

Last night, I was terrified of the swing. The chains felt more like unraveling threads with a screaming me dangling at the end. My faith felt small.

But my faith is what was right in front me. And when one falls, out of instinct they grab onto whatever is right in front of them.

And I guess I just want you to know today that even small faith is completely able to hold you.

Because it held me last night. Through the minutes and hours I didn’t think I could press on.

I started recounting all the ways God has made sure my faith was right there in front for this inevitable slip.

I thought about the ways that I’ve seen the hand of God in the past couple of days.

Recounting His faithfulness secures the chains. Shows me I’m not dangling by a thread out on my own.

One of those ways was the discovery that my husband’s sound machine is a gift. That darn sound machine has aggravated the stink out of me for years. But, I discovered that when put on the rain setting, it helps soothe the screeching in my ear.

Without ever having told my Pastor this, he sent me a text saying he was praying for me and God had put on his heart these verses: 1 Kings 18: 41-46.

And what are those verses about?

Rain. The sound of a heavy rain.

A rain that happens in between two vastly different displays of faith in Elijah’s life. One minute he’s swinging with great faith so bold and secure he calls fire down from heaven.

And then only a few verses later we see him dangling by a thread as he runs and hides in a cave.

The Lord soon comes to Elijah in a gentle whisper and shows him what to do at the end of that thread. “Go back the way you came,” (1 Kings 19:15).

God was saying, “Backtrack and remember all the places where I’ve been so faithful before in your life. And know. Know with assurance. And boldness. And confidence. I AM. I AM the same faithful God.”

So, these words slip into my soul. I turn up the sound of rain. I grab onto my faith right in front of me. And discover, I am held.

Related posts:

1. Your Teens: Making Their Faith Their Own
2. Part Two- Your Teens: Making their faith their own
3. Messy Joy

Over sharing I know, but we’re among friends here, right? And you are wonderful friends for caring so much about me.

Thank you.

Seriously, thank you.

One of the emails I got was from my friend, Shaunti Feldhahn. It contained one line that stirred me so much I just had to share it… “Lysa this is news. This is not truth.”

Wow.

I’ve always thought of news and truth as one in the same. What the doctor gave me was news. Honest news based on test results and medical facts.

But what I have access to is a truth that transcends news. What is impossible with man’s limitations is always possible for a limitless God.

So, I find myself looking at the word impossible a little differently today.

Impossible when looked at in light of Shaunti’s note to me could be completely different if I just stick a little apostrophe between the first two letters. Then it becomes I’m-possible. God is the great I AM. Therefore He is my possibility for hope and healing.

I’m-Possible is a much more comforting way to look at anything that feels quite impossible.

I suspect many of us have things in our life that feel impossible. Maybe you just got some bad news. News of an impossible financial situation. News of an impossible job situation. News of an impossible kid situation. News of an impossible friend situation. News of an impossible medical situation.

Whatever news you just got or will get, I pray Shaunti’s advice helps you too. This is news. This isn’t truth.

This is truth:

I AM THE WAY AND THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE.
John 14:6-“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I AM FOREVER FAITHFUL.
Psalm 146:6—“He is the Maker of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them-he remains faithful forever.”

I AM WITH YOU.
Isaiah 41:10–“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

I AM HOLDING YOU.
Psalm 73:23—“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.”

I AM YOUR HIDING PLACE.
Psalm 32:7—“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”

If there is any comfort for me with this on going hearing loss and screeching noise constantly screaming in my ear, it’s knowing that somehow God will use this for good. And that God will be my possible in the midst of what can sometimes feel so stinkin’ impossible.

Of course, I still have those less spiritually secure moments where I feel like I’m going to lose my mind. And cry. And pitch a little hissy fit.

So, please keep praying for me.

And let me know how I can pray for you.

Related posts:

1. Am I ingesting or digesting the truth?
2. The Scribbled Truth that Changed My Life
3. Truth

What a humbling thing.  I love to pray for other people but don’t really like being the one in need.  I think that’s called pride, isn’t it?  Sigh.

I’ve been begging God to please restore me with the gift of normal hearing and to take away this screeching- ringing in my ear.  And maybe in His timing He will.  Until then, I’m trying so hard to remember there are many, many worse things people deal with on an everyday basis.  I have so many things for which to be incredibly thankful.

But yesterday’s doctor’s visit was tough.  Like… come home, crawl in bed, and pull the covers over your head kind of tough.  It was just really hard to hear the doctor tell me yesterday that there is significant nerve damage and I should be prepared this could be permanent.

I wasn’t prepared for the word “permanent.”  Wow.  That seems like a really long time to hear this awful noise in my head and not be able to hear everything else normally.

Sadly, normal hearing is such a gift that I’ve taken so for granted all these years.

On Thursday the leaders of my church are gathering to pray for me.  Again, quite a humbling thing.  But what a gift to have church leaders that came to me and offered.  I love my church.  Yet, another thing I’m very, very grateful for.

Please keep praying for me.  Of course, I want to be healed.  I really do.  But until then, I want to be brave.  And thankful.

Thank you so much again for caring about me…

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