Rhinestone Jesus - A Book Review & (another) Giveaway!

When I first heard that Kristen Welch was writing a book, I was in.  I really didn't know much about her, but my heart was already All In because I fell in love with the Mercy House a year or so ago. While we're not friends 'inrl' - I have prayed for her, and this ministry, and have popped over to her little corner of the Interwebs at We Are THAT Family often, so hearing that Rhinestone Jesus was coming soon stirred me up something fierce.  

I appreciate Kristen and her honesty... her realness and her ability to say it like it is.  I know, this 'gift' usually comes hard fought and battle worn and this book? This is the story of the power of saying Yes to God - not when you have your life figured out and all your ducks in a row, but right in the middle of your Mess. As the tagline suggests, it's a book about waking up, about taking a risk and saying yes to God, 'when sparkly, safe faith is no longer enough.'  (I know... you want it already, right?)

 So - this little book and I have been having coffee dates with White Chocolate Raspberry mocha's and a coral pen in hand... We have curled up on the couch together and laid down in bed to read.  When my husband said something like, "Is that another book?" my response was a nearly whispered, "Yes, but this one may send us to Africa!"

Ya'll... you don't even know.  Well - maybe you do.  But go to Africa? No... that was what, as a new Christian, I feared He would call me to do. However in the last couple of years, between bloggers and books and God simply stirring my heart and waking me up... my No is less emphatic. So... that's a start, yes?  But, here's the thing - at the heart of this book, of her heart for this book - is the assurance that we all have our own "Sweet Spot"... our own "one thing" and yours (and mine) may not be Kenya, most likely it may just be around the corner of where you live. But we are all invited in to say Yes... to do both small and big things, starting right where we are!

Kristen writes about real life... about how she set out to change the world and then life happened, and it drained, and it left her a little disillusioned.  She is achingly honest about marriage and parenting and how God redeemed and healed and began stirring her up towards being authentic and real and saying, as she puts it, #YesinmyMess.  All of that back story sets the stage for the miracle of Mercy House.

Mercy House captured my heart long ago, around the same time I was leaning in to the reality that as a Mama to an Only, my mothering years were coming to a close. (Ha... I know.  Well, I know now!)  So last year, I was honored to join in with a group of bloggers to help raise funds for The Mercy House.  Maureen, and Kristen and her family, and these teen girls and their babies and the real need pulled at my Mama heartstrings and I couldn't not do something... some small thing... to join in and make a difference; to make a dent.  So I took my small Yes and joined it with many others and all of our offerings added up fast!  In the book Kristen writes, "We are ordinary.  God is anything but."  A group of ordinary strangers bonded together with a God Who is anything but and we watched Him bring each Phase to a close, early, fully-funded!  "Fully Funded" became my new favorite phrase and with the release of Rhinestone Jesus officially set for tomorrow, in His divine timing, on the same day a reality of 'fully funded' is getting the keys to the second home purchased for The Mercy House so we can reach more girls... change more lives... one (or two) at a time!

I loved this book and highly recommend it! Some of the proceeds from Rhinestone Jesus will go to The Mercy House, and as much as I love that ministry, I love the message within this book: That you can change the world!  That your Yes matters.  That God has a plan and a purpose and when you step in and step up and find your 'one thing', your 'sweet spot' - God partners with you and takes your ordinary, and makes it Extraordinary!

I love how Kristen honors marriage and parenting and knows that those are priorities... how she encourages family prayer and devotion time while keeping it real and actually doable, how she encourages us to write out a family mission statement, serve together, and find out what our own sweet spot is!  This book will stir you up and give you courage to say Yes in the middle of your Mess... knowing that God works with us and through us; in us and for us.

One of my favorite quotes from the book, talking about your Sweet Spot, is:

"Your sweet spot isn't some elusive mystery that God dangles over your head just beyond your grasp. It's the collision of believing in who you are and acting on it because of whom you belong to."

She goes on to say:

"I believe we are all called to do something, just not everything.  Focusing on our one thing and doing it well to His glory is both liberating and life changing."

 At the end of each chapter, Kristen offers sections titled "Unpinned Faith" where she encourages some deeper reflections.  Digging deeper, along with reading her own story, just may show you what your one thing is and give you the boldness to say Yes to changing the world!

Rhinestone Jesus is available May 1st at these locations:

AMAZON
BARNES AND NOBLE
DAYSPRING
CBD



Tyndale has been kind enough to provide two books for me to Giveaway! I hosted a Giveaway last week (congrats to Kim from One Rebel Heart!) but I wanted to save one for this post, after I'd actually - you know - read the whole book!  I finished it this morning and I want ALL of my friends and readers to get their hearts and hands around this book -around this message!

So - if you would like to win the second copy provided by Tyndale, Comment Below and let me know WHAT HAVE YOU SAID YES TO recently, or - if you know - I'd love to hear WHAT YOUR SWEET SPOT, YOUR 'ONE THNG' IS?

(The Winner will be picked on Monday, May 5th!)

Linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory

and of course, with Kristen Welch for #RhinestoneJesus

Your Story Matters... (ALL of it! Like, for real!) - an (in)RL recap

I am still processing the highs and lows(ish) of this weekend. This is the second year that I have hosted a local (in)RL Women's Conference meet-up in my home... opening doors and arms and inviting women to come on in, to make themselves at home, and create Community beyond the screen.  I wrote about my experience last year here... it was my first time and I fell for some crazy high expectations and forgot to give myself some grace... 

Yeah. That.  I didn't let that happen this time around!

I spent weeks preparing... little touches, crafts, gifts purchased (thank you Dayspring!) along the way - and lots of praying.  I'm not so sure if this is a laid back PNW thing, or just a 2014 thing, but I was having myself a TIME getting my ladies to RSVP and/or Register.  I had a brief moment last week teetering on Freak Out Ledge but I talked myself down quickly because, well - I learned from last year.  

As Lisa Jo says, Scared is the New Brave and Small is the New Big and what I kept hearing the Lord whisper softly to my heart is this: "I will bring who I will bring... this is for you as much as it is for them..." 

Because for all of us, He want us to know:

"Your Story Matters..."  Not just the pretty (or prettied up) parts, but the whole! Not just the part where everyone came and it was awesome, but the truth of how some didn't come, couldn't come, wouldn't come - but He was there anyway!

So because this was for me as much as it was for 'them' - I stepped up into my element! My how I love to host and create community and pay attention to details! I flung wide the doors, and welcomed ladies in... one by one by one, myself included.

The heart behind this conference is to build Community, to strengthen and create friendships, to open up real conversation and to be a bench... to offer time and space and hearts wide open to listen and to HEAR each others' stories.  It is a time to invest.  

Oh yes... and eat... for what is (in)RL without chocolate and coffee... and cuppy cakes?

So we filled our plates and our cups and we got comfy and cozy and let the stories begin to be told out loud... conversations face to face in real life as well as braveness and beauty being shared freely across the screen. (Thank you, Incourage women - for being real and sharing openly... for the Brutiful Truth of God being right in the mess of things, as much or more so than when everything is Bright and Shiny Happy!)

Our Group Selfie - because, it's 2014 ya'll!                                             

 We listened to the women on screen share their stories and it gave us grace to ponder our own stories, and boldness to feel like it was ok to say everything is not fine... life is not always Pinterest perfect... sometimes anger arises, and we fight with God... sometimes we are confused and fear creeps in... sometimes we doubt that our story - that we - matter at all.  I think overall for my (in)RL meet-up, it was the encouragement to share the pretty and the messy of our stories, it was the bench we all huddled on together, and mostly - it was the power of feeling really heard that gathered our hearts in closer! The realization that ALL of our story matters... like, for real! All of it is being woven together to bring Him glory!  We realized that those little signs are TRUE and they are Truth... 

"just be yourself"  
"you are enough"
"Oh, the places you'll go"

Together... together, we are letting this sink in deep and saturate our souls!

(in)RL 2014

So here we are, Monday morning... and we have already connected in a private Facebook Group... we have plans to go see Mom's Night Out together in a few weeks, and we are continuing to huddle on that bench, online and in real life, together as we watch God build Community right where we are!

So because it's Monday, and I am still processing, and I love to count my gifts one by one... here is a random short gift list from my (in)RL gathering, done Ann Voskamp style:

Counting On...

#2036 - Vintage Books made into gifts... Bird Page Ornaments, Bookmarks, and Book Boxes galore...

#2037 - My Girlie helping prep... cutting up all the fruit and veggies for me on Friday and leaving me a note on Saturday morning before she left for work!

#2038 - A relaxed atmosphere... (despite all - and I do mean ALL - the technical difficulites on our part!)

#2039 - A friend who brought not only fresh flowers - gorgeous! - but also saved the day by bringing her laptop (as both of mine crashed... on Saturday morning... see what I mean by ALL the technical difficulties?)

#2040 - Women who love... who notice all the little touches and appreciate the overall experience. Friends who pour back in when they see you've poured out!

#2041 - The BEST Sugar Cookies ever... custom made by Lily's Sweet Treats and gorgeously packaged for each guest!

#2042 - Pinterest Recipes that are a win... easy and delicious!

#2043 - Laughter and friendships beginning and growing as the day went on!

#2044 - Seeing so many women onscreen this year that I am blessed to call friends both online and #inrl! To see and hear faces and voices that I have experience live and in person... such a blessing!

#2045 - Cuppy Cakes... because, of course!

#2046 - My Twitter feed Friday and Saturday... so fun!

#2047 - "Don't start with a program. Start with a plate!" ~AnnVoskamp

#2048 - "God has added the Extra into my Ordinary and made it Extraordinary!" ~Kristen Welch

#2049 - "When I got into community, I realized that people were very messy and difficult...that I am very messy and difficult." ~Alia Joy

#2050 - "Your words can bring healing. Your words can bring life. Let your pain have a purpose. Don’t hide your story." ~Bianca Olthoff

#2051 - Sharing the real gritty parts of where our stories are right now... and not feeling like anyone was trying to fix it... but that everyone was leaning in to lift up and hold close truths spoken through tears, prayers released silently and under breath... vision and hope being restored!

#2052 - A Honey who knows that once an event is over... it's not really 'over' for me until I have played with the pictures for awhile!

#2053 - Already having people who came and people who missed it saying that they want to come again next year! (Mark your calendars, people!)

#2054 - Tripods (and my neighbor - aka my Mama - for when the timer won't work on your camera!)

#2055 - Leftover Cuppy Cakes - because, of course!

Linking up with Ann Voskamp in Counting (beyond) one thousand gifts...

What Gifts did YOU discover last week?  Did you watch or attend an (in)RL meet up over the weekend? If so - what stood out to you the most? I'd love to hear!

That Thing I Do Now - Vol 41

Hey ya'll!    So... are you ready? I am a little behind in my list making because I had a few friends who were in near desperate need of an escape Girlfriends Getaway so we packed an overnight bag and hit the road... (which cut in to my reading time. That, and the fact that INRL is happening today and I am hosting once again so I didn't have a lot of 'free' reading time.)

But here is what I managed to pull together... even a small Gathering of Awesome is still, well, Awesome!

Happy Reading!

Here goes!


* This one by Emily Freeman on Home and transition and fields of gold...  "Home isn’t either beautiful or not, happy or sad, full or empty. Home is both and home is and, whether home is church or family or a cul-de-sac. Home has good parts, hard parts, marvelous and miracle parts. Home is where we celebrate and where we grieve, where we are broken and healed, hurt and made whole again."

* This post by Lisha Epperson as she opens up the conversation on Infertility and invites everyone to share their stories... "Here’s a revelation. I walked this journey in several bodies. Each season marking the completion of a cycle, one broken rotation after another as my body fought to keep up…hit that 360 degrees. I’ll very likely walk many more cycles before my time on earth is up. But I’d say I’m learning the fine art of shape shifting. I’ll transition more easily next time around. Ooze like fiery lava as God pours the next mold."

* This post by Ruthie Dean over at Relevant Magazine with 8 Things Healthy Couples Don't Do... "Too often, we take our spouses for granted and forget that good relationships don't just happen. They take work.  It's often harder to see the good relationships, because they aren't out slamming doors and stomping around and airing grievances on social media.  Here are eight things healthy couples don't do..."

* This one by Emily Wierenga with an invitation to help change the world...  "A mother’s sacrifice is her child’s reward. They will not remember how clean your floors were. They will remember how you took time to sound out the words in their Winnie the Pooh book, or how you stretched out your arms and said, “I love you.”  And this, friends? This changing of the world?"

* This post by Zohary Ross on how we are like a mirror for our children... and we want them to see Him... "The truth is that all of my children will learn from what they see in my reflection but my daughter; she will learn to be a woman from what she sees in my reflection."

* This one by Ann Voskamp on Conscious Coupling and a ten second kiss... "When you call the woman that you’re married to your wife it can sound like you’re naming something that you own.  When you call the woman that you’re married to your Bride, it can sound like you’re naming her your beloved.  Call the woman that you’re married to your bride and you remember the moment you kissed her slow."

* This post by Donald Miller over at his Storyline blog on How To Handle A Bad Mood At Home...  "We all tend to mirror each other’s emotions, after all.  That’s how we connect and relate. And because I was in a grumpy mood, all the weather in the house went dark."

* This one by Amber Haines on how to make a difference by Hosting a Garage Sale... 
"If I weren’t confident that they are being cared for, I would implode. I wish their former care-givers could know that we as the body of Christ are actively engaging our own communities for the sake of their beautiful babies.
If you arrange to have a garage sale, think of the inheritance we have in the children of Ferrier Village."

* This post right HERE from Abiding Love, Abounding Grace where I write about Sneaky Love Idols, Saying Yes in your Mess, and (in)RL (plus a Giveaway!) "All those Maybe's are dangerous.  But when I remember... when I remind myself again and again - that I am Preapproved, that I am enough, because He is enough, then all my Maybe's change.  He swoops in and shifts my mindset back to all the possibilities of Maybe."

Finally... our video! Because that is how we roll... This is the official (in)RL Music video... 





* - (in)RL is happening this weekend all around the world... you can still register for free and watch online. It's not too late to join in!                    

So - what did you think? Had you read these yourself already?  Did you find something that is not listed above? If so - share some Linky Love in the Comments below!

Friends... Live, And In Person - Five Minute Friday

You SEE? I told ya'll last week that I was missing this #fmfparty community so much over the past couple of weeks that I would show up early and stay late tonight... but then my Girlie ended up not having to work... and she wooed me into some couch/Netflix/Cuddle time and well... here I am... showing up late to the party and with no TweetChat to help me get caught up!  Still... priorities right? And when you have a Nearly Grown (nearly 19? What?) Girlie who is one of your very best friends... and somehow by the grace of God, you are one of hers... well - she wins out as much as I love ya'll. Every. Single. Time.

Oh but - first - the fine print: if you don't know what FMF is!  Five Minute Fridays are hosted by Lisa Jo Baker.  It is open to anyone, so to learn more about it - and to jump in yourself (the more the merrier!) or just to find a linky to see what everyone is writing about today - click HERE!  The idea is to simply write... for Five Minutes flat... no editing, no deep thinking - or at least REthinking, no spell check - just write! Let it flow! We all write using a prompt that Lisa posts at 10pm Thursday night (EST.)  I'm loving the community of amazing bloggers and the creativity that flows from these magical Five Minutes!

So - here goes: Five Minute Friday - The Word Prompt is: FRIEND

{GO}

Friend... it is such a precious word... full of love and grace.  It's not always... no, I know. I have been hurt too.  But there is something healing and hope-filled when it is said softly, with a little tilt of the head, a melody sung, wrapping you in warmth... inviting you in.  

I snuck away this week for an escape overnight getaway with friends... life is busy - but sometimes we need friends to remind us to Just Breathe... to laugh... to let go!

I remember reading it first, as a new Christian, that Jesus calls us friend.  I fell in love a little deeper right then and there because I am pretty sure that He is the best example of friend and so I say it to others, pointing to Him. 

"My friend..."

It slips out in texts and real life conversations and I say it often and I mean it always and it is not meant to be syrupy sweet - it is meant to seep in deep to show you how valued you are! You are, ya know? Valued, I mean... someone - many someones, I suspect, call you friend!

This weekend I am hosting the (in)RL conference for the second year in a row and while I may have possibly had a slight freak out moment earlier this week, and my day is OOBER Bossy tomorrow with all sorts of prep and praying, I am so excited to see who He brings to my door... to sit across from me and share our stories, Live and In Person... to connect and find that space of recognition when we dare to be real... those "Oh, you too?" moments where Friendships begin... again and again and again!

My own Nearly Grown Girlie is one of my best friends and she stood beside me in the kitchen tonight and whispered how she was sad she was going to have to miss it - my (in)RL meet up.  She is working and will not be able to be here - but she can watch the video's with me later and we will eat the (leftover?) cupcakes and talk about our stories and how they have intertwined for the whole of her life and how, tearfully yet joyfully, she is about to have some stories of her own that will not (always) involve me.  (Deep breaths!) Oh - but I know she will always come back here, to the bend of my side, and the crook of my arm and she will lean in close and tell me her stories.  I will always listen... always laugh... always pray. 

I want her to be bold... to see Friendships that are real and that run deep. Friends that stand up strong and hold up arms and bend down low in times of need. I want her to see Grace Extended, Forgiveness Given, Love that Grows Deeper and Lives Lived Together over months, and years, and decades.

And as I am pondering this, and hoping she is seeing this in the friendships around her, God gently reminds me that she is seeing this right here at home.  In my friendship with Him, with her Daddy, with her.

That is the grace of real friendship... sometimes it's messy and sometimes it's brutally honest, or desperately sad... sometimes it is anger and hurt feelings and misunderstandings and let downs... but only sometimes.  And for all the times that it is all the opposite things... it is worth the risk!

It is worth the risk, my friend! 

(in)RL Gathering - 2013

Step out... speak up... be seen.  Reach out, join in, make room... I pray you are connected and have friends that you are doing life with and I pray that you are planning on setting aside a little time this weekend to join us as we share our stories at (in)RL...

{STOP}

I am blessed to have amazing friends both online in incredible communities, and also live and in person... I firmly believe in being fully invested and making friendships a priority.  It's not always easy - but it is always worth it!


Five Minute Fridays gives us the chance to dive right in and share what He puts on our hearts! Click here to read what others have to say about "FRIEND"  

Hoping you are feeling surrounded by Friends... and plan on reaching out and joining in for #inrl Friday night and Saturday all around the world!

Sneaky Love Idols, Saying Yes in your Mess & #inrl

I was doing great... well, at least fine. I was doing fine - but not in that snippy-response,-push-all.-the.-feelings.-under-the-carpet kind of fine.  Fine - as in, honestly - I was feeing like I was doing fine...

I had thought about writing a follow up post on how laying down my #LoveIdol went for Lent... on how I was feeling like I was walking taller and stooping down to Self-Doubt and Hesitation way less often.  I have no plans of propping those idols back up.  I walked in such freedom and in a fuller sense of feeling like I really am enough, simply because I am His. I don't know that I can, in all honesty, say that I am free all day, every day.  But I am walking in freedom and on most days since the beginning of this challenge through Lent, I battle less, and win more. So, you see? I was fine... better than fine really... until, all of the sudden, I wasn't so much.

Oh how those little idols can crawl back up so sneaky like and if we are not careful, they can just make themselves right at home again.  As previously stated... I was fine!

During Lent, as I was learning to live without hestitation... to say Yes more quickly and wholeheartedly... as I was standing tall in God-confidence, I was also gaining weight, detoxing (which made me look like the classic preteen 'before' picture in an acne commercial), and trying to plan another gathering in my home with little to no RSVPs coming in. I felt a little spacey that I was really feeling great, despite my circumstances... then our budget was stretched even further, and someone stole our identity... and... well, you get it.

It was a lot at once and I was super busy... (my first clue!) Instead of giving myself a little slack and some room to breathe, I was adding things to Bossy Lists and entertaining self talk that was less than positive (my second clue!) and then swung over into being all justify-y about everything.

In the midst of being over busy, over tired, and over budget, I began an old familiar rant conversation with God that started out something like, "You are the One who asked me to do this... I am doing this and trying to trust that You are gonna make something beautiful out of my mess.  You know how much I have on my plate (as if it's His fault...or even His idea!) and you know my heart here..."  This quickly shifted into the beginnings of a pity party ("I know you have called me to create community but... it is never easy... no one will come... I just can't ever do it right/good enough...") and once I recognized the whine in my own voice, I had one of those glorious Snap Out of It moments. 

Whew... that was close! 

You see, what was happening was that I was whining myself right back in to Self Doubt and Hesitation... The Maybe's began to enter in to my thoughts... Maybe I'm not supposed to be doing this.  Maybe I just decided it on my own.  Maybe He really didn't ask me to step out like this.  Maybe no one will show up.  Maybe too many will show up.  Maybe I should stop trying to (fill in the blank here, you get the idea!)

All those Maybe's are dangerous.  But when I remember... when I remind myself again and again - that I am Preapproved, that I am enough, because He is enough, then all my Maybe's change.  He swoops in and shifts my mindset back to all the possibilities of Maybe.  

Maybe I'm AM supposed to be doing this and this resistence is just confirmation.  Maybe He really did ask me and equip me and give me ideas to step out like this and make it special. Maybe whenever I say Yes, He shows up... Maybe if I feel called to bless and love and connect, it's just a hint at how much He wants to bless and love and connect.  Maybe only a few will show up - but He will be among us.  Maybe too many will show up - and He will be among us... either way, He will be here and too many or too few doorprizes... I really don't think... well - Maybe that is so not the point of it all anyway!  

It's not coincidence that I am reading "Rhinestone Jesus" by Kristen Welch right now... the hashtag that is riding along with this new release is #YesinmyMess and the tagline to the book is "Saying Yes To God when sparkly, safe faith is no longer enough."  Yeah.  That.

So - I escaped for an overnight getaway with a few girlfriends.  Sometimes you just gotta know when to get away... go for a drive... get out of town if possible, laugh with friends.  We all had been bowing down, looking for approval, searching for answers that we already knew.  Him... He is always our answer and strong tower.  

My Honey, who is amazing, said Yes (in my mess! Ya see what I did there?) and he said "Go!"... so I did. (Real quick like!)

And now, with a little rest, my even more so overstretched budget, and my bended knees, I am finishing up the touches to the (in)RL Meet up on Saturday.  I have talked myself down from the Freak Out ledge and managed to not give in or make room for Self Doubt or Hesitation to get all cozy and comfy.  Anyone is welcome on Saturday and only God knows who He will bring to my doorstep, but I know that those old love idols will not be hiding in the house, messing up my hostess mojo.

I am Preapproved. I am saying Yes in the middle of my Mess because while I AM Enough, a safe, quiet, risk-free closed door faith just doesn't cut it... and me? Well - I was made to create Community... to Speak Life... to Be Love... to Shine On!

I am honored to be a part of Kristen's Book Launch Team and Tyndale has been gracious enough to give me TWO books to Giveaway to two lucky readers.  I am not finished yet, so I am saving one book to giveaway next week on the Official Launch date, when I write out my book review (hint - I love it already and I am only a few chapters in!) but today - in honor of pressing through, of laying down again those love idols, and saying #YesinmyMess, I am hosting a Giveaway for ONE COPY of Rhinestone Jesus... just enter below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you are not familiar with (in)RL it is the Women's Conference that comes to you!  It is free, and it is happening online on Friday night, and all around the world in living rooms and churches and coffee shops on Saturday! For more info or to register, click HERE. 




I'm linking up with Jennifer Dukes Lee for #TellHisStory

...with Kristen Welch over at We Are That Family, promoting #RhinestoneJesus

and with Holley Gerth for #CoffeeforYourHeart

How have you said Yes in your Mess recently? I'd love to hear!