Our Spring Fresh Grounded Faith events have been amazing. Not only did we see God work incredibly in Waxahachie (if you have no idea what I’m talking about click here), but we decided to hang around a bit down south in Enterprise, Alabama.

For a city that has been through so much, it was such a blessing to see all God’s people serving together to bring Fresh Grounded Faith to a place where they worship a bug! That’s right, I’m not sure that a women’s conference and bug should be in the same sentence (because most women hate bugs), but in Enterprise they have a monument for one. It is called a Boll Weevil. What is a Boll Weevil you ask? It is a beetle measuring an average length of six millimeters, which feeds on cotton buds and flowers. It’s true, they have erected a monument to it in, of all places, Coffee County! I knew I would be right at home here.

As we arrived I was blown away by the southern hospitality and their excitement that Fresh Grounded Faith came to Enterprise. Every person we encountered was genuine, and their love for Jesus ran deep in their souls.

They hosted the conference at Enterprise High School Performing Arts Center. This is significant because in March 2007, a tornado came through Enterprise and destroyed the high school. Eight children lost their lives in this tragic event, so it is a beauty-from-ashes story.

I was joined by D.J. Tanner (for all of you growing up in the ’90′s) from Full House, but her real name is Candace Cameron Bure. She is one incredible young women. Her passion and love for Jesus was so real. God gave her a contagious message about how compared to the holiness and the purity of God, we are sinners who really need Jesus. I know many women were moved by her message.  Dara Maclean joined us for worship and got everyone snapping and singing along with “I got all my sisters with me.” It was a hootin’ good time.

The goodbyes were hard to say to the people of Enterprise knowing that they had worked so hard to bring women from even Florida and Georgia. Their love and commitment to seeing an opportunity to build community for Christ was remarkable. What a blessing it was to be be showered in prayer by being prayed for before we got there and while we were there.

I hope we were a blessing to them because they sure were to us.

Question: Who have you blessed this week? Leave a comment here.

Yep, four of my favorite peeps showed up at our recent Fresh Grounded Faith Event in Waxahachie, Texas. Three of them are pictured here. My girlfriend Lysa TerKeurst, my beautiful daughter-in-law Caroline Rothschild, and my handsome son Clayton Rothschild.  Not pictured — Jesus. And boy did He show up.

If you’ve never heard of Waxahachie, TX (commonly referred to as “Hachie” by locals), then you’re probably not alone. It’s a small little town and a southern suburb of Dallas, but that doesn’t stop them from doing things BIG. It’s true –  they do everything “Big” in Texas, including Fresh Grounded Faith. God overwhelmed us by His amazing power to meet women where they were and not leave them there.

My sister in Christ, Lysa TerKeurst, is president of Proverbs 31 Ministries and the author of two amazing New York Times Bestselling books, Made to Crave and Unglued. She spoke so honestly about how we try to keep it all together (guilty). Yet, God is in control,  so we need to leave it in His hands. Another great thrill was having our amazing worship leader, Dara Maclean, join us on the platform. She has written many songs that penetrate deep to the heart. It was such a blessing to know God was using all of us together; because together we’re better.

There were many highlights of the weekend and too many to mention all, but let me just share two that blessed my little heart (insert Texas accent here):
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Four of my favorite peeps showed up in Waxahachie…one of them was Jesus! Jennifer Rothschild
[Click to Tweet]
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1.We had a group of 49 women come from Kirbyville, TX on a charted bus and guess what? This was their first women’s conference to ever attend! When I got to meet them, I found out that their pastor paid for them all to attend and also chartered a bus. Wow! I think that pastor loves Women’s Ministry and should be a spokesperson for others.

2. As a mama, the other blessing I received was having both of my sons, Clayton and Connor, there with my new daughter-in-law, Caroline. Caroline shared some time on the stage with me. I love that girl. She is an amazing young woman for Christ, and God is using her.

When it was time to leave, we headed to Waco for the night to spend time with family and rejoice in what God had done.  Love Texas, love my peeps there.

Question: What has been a blessing to your little heart recently? Leave a comment here.

It seemed like a typical February day as I prepared to leave for Fresh Grounded Faith in Marietta, Georgia. However, I soon discovered my hometown, Springfield, Missouri, was about to be hit by an ice storm, and I needed to leave immediately on the next flight down south. And boy, I am so glad that I did because 1) what girl wants to stuck in an ice storm, and 2) I would have missed a great big blessing that God had in store for all of us that attended.

As I made my way to the church on Friday night there was a crowd of men and women dressed in red and black to support my dear friends, Mark and Katharyn Richt. Mark is known in Georgia as Coach Richt, head of the University of Georgia football team. The evening was great and, of course, Kathy Troccoli provided us with a wonderful concert, while Mark and Katharyn shared in a chit-chat time about life, football, and marriage.

While it was cold in Springfield on Saturday morning and my Dr. Phil and son Connor could not get to Atlanta, it was a blessed morning in Marietta. Mark talked about what it feels like to be in the “hot seat” as a football coach. He shared from Jeremiah 17:7-8 (But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him), and even though he was facing a losing season at that point he kept saying, “I trust you, God, even if it means the season isn’t going to turn around.”

I loved that, and I think many were moved when he prayed and asked people to trust God.

The weekend was such a joy with Coach Mark Richt teaching and Kathy Troccoli learning the Bulldog cheer (by the way, she has been marked an official Bulldog fan)! It was fun and delightful to be with so many men and women who served and we were able to minister together. One of my favorite highlights was getting to hear from Coach’s son, David, who led us during the prayer time in worship. I remember holding David in my arms as a baby and praying for him, and I am so grateful to see him become such an awesome young godly man.

All I can say is it was a “venti” weekend, and as I left Marietta and headed back to Springfield, my cup overflowed.

Question: Where has God made you overflow with joy this week? Leave a comment here.

My friend Karen gave me a bag of chocolate covered almonds this weekend and I admit, they are almost gone! I can’t help it! Well, actually, I can help it. I just don’t want to! You know how it goes; you eat one, you want another. Eating one doesn’t satisfy; it just makes me crave one more!

But, that’s not how it is with God. It’s ironic the more we long for Jesus – to know him and love him – the more we are deeply satisfied.

Most things in life don’t work out that way. If you develop a craving for chocolate you’re going to keep eating it until you just get sick at your stomach!
Cravings can be a big problem if you’re longing for the wrong things like acceptance or perfection. You can never please everyone; never be good enough. Let’s face it, lots of addictions result from craving things other than Jesus. (And, I’m not just talking about drugs or alcohol; food, shopping, and money all fit into addictions, too.)

So, what to do? How can I crave Jesus as much as, or even more, than I crave these chocolate covered almonds?

My friend, Lysa TerKeurst, says, we “crave what we eat.” Hmmm.I often think I eat what I crave but the truth is that we do develop a longing for that which we consume.

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My flesh and my heart may fail (when it comes to my cravings), but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Psalm 73:26 [Click to Tweet]
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The point is this my sisters: If we consume, enjoy, commune with Jesus, we will crave even more of Him. And, He will become the perfect, satisfying portion for our souls.

The Psalmist said, “The Lord is my portion.” It is not “The Lord is partly my portion,” nor “The Lord is in my portion”; but He Himself makes up the sum total of all my soul needs and desires. Think about it; God Himself is your portion. He is what meets your longings. It is not just His grace, nor His love; but God Himself.

That means, just like I eat one chocolate almond at a time, I grab one moment with Jesus at a time. I stop and listen to His voice through a song. I feel the breeze and think upon His majesty. I read a verse from His Word and absorb His truth. I breathe a prayer as I vacuum the carpet. If we become mindful of engaging with God during our day, we will long to be with Him during our day. Our longing for God is the only longing we will ever have that will totally satisfy us and make us thirst for more.

Oh taste and see that the Lord is good!

Question: What cravings do you need to set aside for the cravings of God? Leave a comment here.

On the first day of our cruise, Joan, Paula, and I stood out on my balcony. The breeze was magnificent and the fragrance of the fresh sea air was invigorating. We just stood there silently until Paula spoke. ”I love the ocean because it ‘rights’ me.” She captured just how I felt with those simple words.

The ocean does seem to put us in our right place. It reminded me of what David wrote, “When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers; the moon and the stars, which you have ordained; what is man that you take thought of him and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3, 4)

Truly, who are we in the vast scheme and size of creation? We are so, so, small. I think we all should feel our smallness every now and then. It puts our size and significance in perspective.

Standing on a balcony overlooking something as big and unsearchable as the Atlantic Ocean can recalibrate your soul. It can slip all the gears of your thinking into place. You realize your insignificance yet somehow, it also reinforces your importance. God is mindful of us. Amazing.

So, again, right before bedtime, I stood out on that same balcony alone. I pondered Paula’s words again and asked the question David asked; “what is man?” I mean, compared to this majesty, it is astounding that God considers us at all.

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“It is about the greatness of God, not the significance of man. God made man small and the universe big to say something about himself.”— John Piper [Click to Tweet]
————————————————–The prophet Isaiah had a settled confidence because he knew his significance to God. He knew who he was in relation to God and His universe.

“Listen to me, you islands; hear this, you distant nations: Before I was born the LORD called me; from my birth he has made mention of my name.” Isaiah 49:1

So, I stood on the balcony and pulled an Isaiah. ”Hey you, island! Before you became a clod of land out there, God knew me! He knew my name. Hey you, distant shore, I may feel awfully small out here on the middle of the ocean in this big boat on this big body of water, but, God knows my name. He knows me, not just about me. He knows where I am, how I feel, and how much I need Him.”

Maybe you need to stand beside something big today. Do you need to see how small you are? Recognizing your true size can affirm your great significance to God.

So friend, let me encourage you to go get “right” by the ocean.

Question: What “big” problem do you need to put into a “right” perspective today? Leave a comment here.

I just got home a few weeks ago from seven wonderful days with Kathy Trocolli (who I affectionately refer to as KT), Point of Grace, Don Moen, Scott Kripayne, and Ellie LaFaro!!

Wow! With a group like that, you can imagine what a wonderful time I had.

The Kathy Trocolli Among Friends cruise had about 250 sailors with us including my friends, Joan and Paula. Every night there was a concert, and each morning (but not until 10; Thank you KT) there was a devotional teaching by me or Ellie. And, I am thankful to say that I experienced no ship drama (amid recent current events). Just a wonderful time with all my sisters and brothers. Plus, I even got to parasail (which was absolutely incredible)! Check out my parasailing adventures with musical artist Michelle Margiotta here.

My first morning session started with quite a surprise. Kathy and Ellie gave me a royal welcome. You must check it out! You will be as surprised as I was!

How have you been carried away lately? Leave a comment here.
 

Bon Voyage!

“Like a feather floating gently in the wind, that’s what it felt like.” That was my answer to Phil when I got off the ship and told him I went parasailing. Have you ever been? Oh my! It was wonderful.

You feel a “swoosh” as you are lifted from the boat and then you just float and glide while rocking every now and then. It feels like some gentle giant hand is pushing you on a mammoth invisible swing set in the sky!

We were up about 400 feet in the air and the ride only lasted ten minutes. It was incredibly peaceful up there. I could have taken a nap if it had lasted longer!

My new friend Michelle Margiotta (who is Kathy Trocolli’s new accompanist) and I decided to be the first off the boat and into the sky. Do you think that is because we were brave.

Nope.

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Deuteronomy 31:6 Be strong and courageous (when parasailing). Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. [Click to Tweet]
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We were first to fly because Michelle was getting more hesitant and frightened by the moment! Okay, actually, she was starting to hyperventilate the more she thought about flying! So, we decided that it was better to just do it than to dread it. And, it worked. After her initial fright, she was just fine and so happy she did it.

And, so was I. (By the way, lest you think I was ultra brave, she was more scared because she could see what she was getting into. I couldn’t! Being blind may have made it easier!)

So, what about you? Is there anything you just need to do? You know, you need to stop dreading and just do?

Dreading takes a lot of emotional energy. So, don’t waste time dreading, just take the risk and do it. You will be so happy you did.

Remember:

1. Always “Go Gutsy” just like my Gutsy Girl t-shirt says.

2. God is always there with you as you “parasail” through the fears you encounter in life.

3. Be strong! Be courageous sisters! I have faith you can face anything that comes your way.

By the way, I would like to invite you on the Girls Get-A-Way Cruise in October. E-mail us below and we will send you all the details!

Question: What thing do you fear most? Leave a comment here.