Today was a funny day…

Begin…toilet overflow.

Next…homeschool mutiny.

Followed by… House alarm going off every 30 seconds (no I am not exaggerating.)

Culminating in…me stabbing the alarm to death with the pointy end of a paint brush.

So… I guess there’s really no point to this post. But what a funny day.

Loves xx

A couple of years ago, I was given a set of two paintings by a Louisiana folk artist, the daughter of a former slave, named Clementine Hunter. At first glance, these paintings did not seem very special. They were quite rudimentary in their style. In fact, they looked a lot like something my children could have painted. They were in their original frames, which were worn out and rough with use. And to be honest, the subject matter of the paintings (scenes from plantation life) seemed offensive and embarrassing. So I accepted the gift graciously, but I placed the paintings in a back guest room in an inconspicuous spot where no one would be likely to see them.

Recently, however, I saw a television show where folk art was being valued for insurance. Some of the paintings on the show were similar to the ones I had, and they were being valued for several hundred dollars. I immediately thought of my own paintings and decided to do a little research. What I found astounded me. Other paintings by Clementine Hunter – paintings just like the ones hanging obscurely in my guest room – were recorded as selling not in the thousands, but in the TENS of thousands! “What??? Are you kidding me???” I thought to myself. I couldn’t believe my eyes. What I thought were just kitschy examples of folk art had turned out to be coveted, signed originals by a legendary folk artist. Far from being embarrassing, the subject matter of her paintings was regarded by critics as documenting history itself. And those old worn out frames, which I had thought about replacing many times, only added to the authenticity and the value of the pieces. Needless to say, the paintings were promptly removed from the back room and proudly displayed on the dining room wall. I now love these paintings and the story they represent. And I love telling the story of how I discovered their value.

The truth is, the paintings were always valuable, even when I was hiding them in my guest room. The fact that I didn’t recognize their value didn’t diminish it in any way. Just like those paintings, you too are an authentic original. Maybe there are things that you think are embarrassing or just unlovely about yourself. But God sees through those things at the masterpiece that you really are. Ephesians 2:10 says, in fact, that we ARE God’s masterpiece – His workmanship. Like a painter that creates with a brush or a sculptor that creates with clay, God created you with intentionality and purpose to reflect His glory in a unique and authentic way in this world. So don’t devalue the kind of masterpiece you are and hide yourself away. Come out into the open and let God shine His light on you and show you the value you have in Him.

Shhhh…I’m sitting here in the hospital writing this post very quietly. We are beyond grateful for the outpouring of support and love we have received over the last few weeks. We count ourselves as very blessed because of all of you!

I’m writing to update all the girlfriends in my world about what’s going on with Celebration Sisterhood this month. Before I rattle off a list of dates, though, I want to remind you of something:

Celebration Sisterhood is not a meeting. It’s not just the name of our women’s ministry. It’s more than that. Celebration Sisterhood encompasses every single female who calls Celebration “home.” I believe it is God’s best plan for each of us to fully embrace the journey of life together–linking arms and smiling at the future! No matter which location you attend, whether you actually go to Sisterhood meetings or not…you ARE the sisterhood! You ARE part of a company of women who belives in you! And you DO belong in this circle of friendship!

With that said, there is major strength to be found when we gather as one to worship. So we have made gathering points for this purpose throughout the semester. I have written them below, and I sincerely hope you will position yourself with us at one (or more)!

Sisterhood Mornings:

Wednesday mornings at Midtown and Thursday mornings at Orange Park, both at 10 AM. This semester we are studying the ever-elusive pursuit of BALANCE! Begins February 17th.

Sisterhood United:

Friday, February 19th at Midtown, 7 PM. The Sisterhood gathers from across the church in one venue! Guest speaker, Delynn Rizzo, kicks off our series, “The Road Home: Heart, Wisdom, Courage.”

Sisterhood Nights:

Every third THURSDAY night at Midtown and Orange Park at 7 PM. We are continuing with the ”Road Home” series– plus lots of other fun stuff along the way! (Please note, this is a change of night from last semester.)

So I hope you will write these dates on your calendar/Blackberry/ iPhone/fridge and make plans to join in. You ARE the Sisterhood–so it just won’t be the same without you there!

Love,

Kerri

LBxoxo

What a huge past couple of weeks this has been! Finishing up an incredible season of fasting and prayer, finding out about Stovall’s heart condition, experiencing the outpouring of faith and love on our behalf from friends both near and far. It’s crazy how many twists and turns life can suddenly spring on us. Suddenly we find ourselves in unfamiliar territory– places we never thought we would be.

If you had told me 21 days ago that I would be sitting in a waiting room in the cardiology wing of Mayo Clinic writing this blog I would have probably laughed (albeit a bit nervously!) Yet here I am in the frozen tundra of Rochester, MN! The roads of life have twisted and turned to unexpected places, but at every corner I find love waiting– and I find SO many reasons to be thankful.

…thankful that nothing can separate me from the love of God
…thankful for family that lays their schedules aside to support us
…thankful for friends who reach out in concern and prayer
…thankful for a church that is behind us every step of the way

I can’t help wondering as I walk the halls of the hospital how many people here are passing through their trials without all the love I have experienced. How many of them are even passing through their trials without the hope that only Jesus can bring? I bet I would be surprised if I knew how many peope there were in that situation. So I’m glad I’m here for a season with the opportunity to pray and to reach out. Over the next 21 days I think my assignment is pretty clear: bring hope.

What about you? Do you feel like you have a specific “assignment” at this season in your life? If so, let me know–I’d love to hear about it.
LB
Kerri xoxo

I almost never do this, but this really spoke to me and so I thought I would repost it here. I hope it blesses and encourages you as it did me!

Hey gorgeous ones,

Wow – it’s been a while since I blogged anything – which is neither by design nor intention. Anyway, trust you are well, trust you’ve had an amazing New Year period, trust your heart is feeling confident about the new decade before us.

Sometimes we can look at people who we admire or perceive as being on the forefront – and think that they are so amazing, so incredible. We can think that they never feel inadequate or incapable of the task before them. We can think that they “wake up” with profound twitter thoughts resounding in their spirits, that then to your amazement, get posted hours before you’ve even surfaced (let alone had a coherent thought for the day). Sometimes we can think that THEIR CONFIDENCE is never challenged.

Well, I’m going to let you in on a little secret – there isn’t one who feels like this. We’re all human and we’re all facing the same reality of living our individual lives to the best of our convictions. There are times when it’s easy and there are times when it’s a walk of faith.

This morning I read (and twittered, ha) about the simplicity of faith! Paul says in (1 Timothy 1:19) to “Hold fast to faith”… and then the Amplified Bible enlarges the meaning of faith as being “that leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence”.

I’m a simple girl. By nature I grew up shy and not overly confident about my contribution to anything… but many years now with Jesus and many years that have proven Him and His Word TRUSTWORTHY in my life, positions me differently when it comes to confidence.

When your confidence wanes, do what the Bible says again and again and again and again… LEAN IN!!! Lean your ENTIRE HUMAN PERSONALITY into Jesus. If it helps, physically imagine yourself leaning, resting, taking a deep breath. Imagine yourself cuddling up with God, with your BIG heavenly Father, with a God who has been around the block a few times and then some! Cuddle up in a way where you DRAW STRENGTH from simply being near to someone much stronger than you.

Hey, I’m leaning in today. God’s got a big chest… and if all of humanity leant in, He could handle it. And not only handle it, but LOVE IT !!!

Take care,
Bobbie
(xoxo)

Visit Bobbie’s blog here: http://thecoloursisterhood.com/blog/bobbie

Last year for the fast, I posted a LOT of info about fasting. I re-read it a few days ago, and to tell you the truth, it’s good stuff. Super practical – that’s my specialty. Rather than retype the whole thing, I thought I would post the link to the archives as today’s post so you can go back and search the topics you find relevant. It just so happens that today is day three of the fast for those of you joining with us in Awakening, so read that post, especially if this is your first time to partcipate. Praying for an amazing 21 days of disconnecting from the world and drawing closer to God!

You can start here and you’ll notice that the one at the bottom of the page is actually the first post. Then you can scroll up for more recent posts. There are three pages for January so when you finish with the first page, scroll to the bottom and go to Next Entries for later posts.

This week I am not officially fasting, but I am preparing my body for it. It’s really difficult to go straight from holiday eating into a fast, so I find it helpful to take a week to transition. This week (January 4-10), I am eliminating all meat, white grains, and refined sugars from my diet. I am also cutting back on dairy (I might have a little cheese in a salad) and caffeine (I will still have cream in my coffee). I will eliminate all processed food from my diet as well. This is the week I begin taking any supplements to support detox (How I Fast Part 2: Supporting the detox process).

Starting on January 10th, I will do a more restricted version of the Daniel fast for seven days. This means eliminating all dairy, all grains and legumes and consuming only fruits, vegetables and soy protein. I use soy rather than whey protein because it is plant based and easier to digest.

From there, I go to seven days of just liquids (which will include non-dairy smoothies and vegetable broths), and then a week of only juices and water (includes hot tea). When the fast is over, I add foods back in very gradually. You have to really commit to this because it is hard to not just eat everything you are craving!

Happy New Year to all of my friends out there in your various time zones! I pray that you all have an amazing 2010. As you know, we are preparing right now for our annual 21 days of prayer and fasting, called AWAKENING. This year, we are going for the TOTAL LIFE CHALLENGE – a person revolution in body, soul, and spirit! Preparing early is the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success. Here is what I do to prepare early:

1. Decide what kind of fast I am going to do. Most people do a form of the Daniel fast.

2. Decide on a devotional plan to follow for the next 21 days. We have a companion devotional to go along with Awakening and I also like to add the One Year Bible to the mix.

3. Decide NOW that you will attend at least one prayer and worship night and make whatever adjustments you need to make in order to be there.

4. Clean out all the junk food from your house. Just get rid of it – throw it away or better yet, donate it!

5. Make a list of all the things you need for your fast and make a time to get them. If you are taking supplements of any kind, now is the time to purchase them.

6. Plan what you will eat if you are on a partial fast such as the Daniel fast and have those items on hand. This is especially helpful if you have children who are fasting or if you are still cooking for your family but you are fasting. Cook ahead and freeze – this will pay off big time on the long run!

Hope this helps as you get ready to seek God in a special way to kick of this new decade!

Now is the time I begin preparing for the Awakening 21 day fast. My holiday eating is behind me (ok, no pun intended there), and I am eager to start the new year off right. 2010 is not just the start of a new year, but of a new decade. These last 10 years passed so quickly, bringing so much change along the way. I definitely want to be spiritually, mentally, and physically prepared for all that lies ahead.

That’s why I LOVE that this year’s theme is AWAKENING: Total life challenge! In case you haven’t noticed, we are not only spiritual beings! Our spirit is closely knit to our soul (mind, will, and emotions). And we have one body with which to walk out our God-given purpose on this earth. Let’s prepare to squeeze every ounce of potential out of the upcoming 21 days of prayer and fasting. I truly believe that the spiritual work that God does in us will (and should, actually) have an impact on us in our soul and bodies as well.

To find out more about AWAKENING, you can visit the website at www.awake21.org. Start preparing now to have the best possible experience from January 10-30.

In my final post in this series, I want to share a few things I learned in general about parenting through this. I am by no means an expert, but the principles I learned in ABA helped me in general with some parenting skills. The one main principle I took away is this:

There is a payoff.

It’s a truth of human nature that we are motivated by reward. Not everyone is motivated by the same kinds of rewards, but we are all motivated by something. This is true with our children as well, in both their positive and their negative behaviors. If we can identify the payoff and associate it with the desired behavior, we will make motivation an ally in our efforts. I think it’s very reasonable to expect that children must be seated while they eat, must not be excused from the table until they have cleared their place, must ask before helping themselves into someone’s pantry for food, and so on.

“What is the payoff?” is a question I am always asking myself as I navigate parenting. The answer to this question varies from child to child and from season to season. What motivates Annabelle at seven will very likely not be the same thing that motivates her at 12. I consider it my job to find what motivates her and continue associating desired behaviors and character traits with those payoffs. That might sound manipulative at first, but what it really teaches them is that they have the power to make choices that lead them closer to their desired outcomes – or not. If you want to eat dinner, you must sit down at the table; otherwise, no dinner. If you want to make good grades, you have to attend class and study; otherwise, poor grades. If you want to keep your job, you must show up on time and perform well; otherwise, no job. If you want your marriage to be strong…well, you get the picture.

If we are always intervening for our children and never allow them to experience the painful consequences of their poor choices within the safe confines of the home, it sets them up for world of disappointment when they finally leave the nest. Their experience will have told them that no matter what choices they make, everything will just work out. What a delusion! But that is what we are teaching our children when we never let them fail. We drive their homework to school when they forget so they can still get an A. We finish up the science project for them until 3 am. We let them take a “sick day” because they are not quite prepared enough for that quiz. Of course we should be supportive and loving, but we cannot continually shield our children from negative consequences. That doesn’t actually protect them. It teaches them that their choices don’t have true consequences; and nothing could be further from the truth.

Note: For more on this topic you might want to read Boundaries With Kids by Drs. Townsend and Cloud.