This is a Re-Blog from Mark Batterson (Lead Pastor of National Community Church in DC, Ambs' Church-----it is soooooooo what God has been speaking to me about lately, and actually for quite some time now).......
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I Thessalonians 2:7-8 has always been a linchpin verse for me when it comes to discipleship. It's not just about sharing information. It's about sharing life.
"We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well."
I'm more and more convinced that discipleship is all about shared experiences. Think of it as discipleship super-glue. That is why Jesus invited the disciples to follow him. He basically wanted to hang out with them and do life together.
As my kids get older, one of the things I enjoy about parenting is sharing experiences by sharing hobbies. That is why I wanted to learn how to snowboard with Parker (Mark's son). I knew that shared experience wouldn't just be fun. I knew it would create memories and build the bond between us. I think we'll take up rock climbing this summer. And that is why so many of my life goals involve my family. It's not just about achieving the goal. It's about sharing the experience!
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Lauren here, again. This is something that God is speaking to me OVER and OVER again. We need to mentor folks and spend time building RELATIONSHIPS with them and together. We can't have strong churches without strong relationships, and I really feel that bigger the call of your church, the stronger (and deeper) you have to have those relationships......to be able to link arm-in-arm.......and go the distance. (You have to "build a bridge" with folks, before you can "speak into their lives" with the heavier stuff.....and we do that by getting to know one another.....spending time together........getting comfortable enough with each other that we finally break through past the walls and masks we hide behind, and can be "real" with each other about what we're going through, our struggles, our weaknesses, etc......and as we see things in each other's lives, that we can (in love) share that with them, pray with them, and walk them through those valleys....AND share the mountaintops together, too!) We wonder why when we add and add more and more classes, and folks don't show up, or they do, but they stay the same, why it is that they really don't progress much. There is sooooooo much more to discipleship than anointed and gifted teaching (even from the best teachers)!!! (This is actually one of my biggest pet peeves.......sorry!). Fathering (and mothering) isn't just TEACH! TEACH! TEACH! (or preach, preach, preach), but it is spending time with folks doing.....LIFE....doing everyday stuff! It doesn't always have to be super-spiritual. And when we schedule something for every night of the week and every day of the week, we are not allowing time for them (or us) to have and/or experience life AND we are stealing precious time away from families to be families. Families are the building blocks (and actually the "glue") of a healthy society, and we must allow them time to be together, and to do things together (and this isn't just when you have kids at home, either......couples need time to spend together, too) to mentor their kids, do fun things, etc, etc, etc. When new & baby Christians come into our churches, we don't have to have something for them every night of the week......we need to put them with someone ( a more mature Christian) that can "do life" with them, and spend time with them......just hanging out and talking....someone they can "shadow", and learn about the day-to-day things and not only how to act, but how to react, etc.........it doesn't have to be (and in my point of view, SHOULDN'T) be in a church building 24/7 (and many baby Christians don't want to be there for long periods of time anyway). We talk about wanting to be the "Church of Acts", but if you read, they went "HOUSE to HOUSE" (building relationships)...... it wasn't being walled up in a church 7 days a week. Okay, sorry about getting on my soapbox.....enough! PRAISE GOD!!!!
(H0pe I didn't offend anyone, because that is NOT my heart!!!).
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
P.S. Here is a great link to a great message that is a lot about what we've been talking about above. Steve Andrews is the lead pastor of Kensington Community Church in Detroit, Michigan, and he is from the Andrews family....a family that is near & dear to the Childress family. ENJOY!
KENSINGTON VIDEO
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Shared Experience
Words to live by!
Got this in my e-mail today. Thought it was worth putting on my blog.
~Lauren
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For over 7 years, Regina Brett was a columnist at The Beacon Journal in Akron , Ohio . During that time, she was diagnosed and successfully treated for breast cancer. Regina is now a columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland , Ohio . Her column runs on Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.
To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update:
1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their
journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
17. You can get through anything if you stay put in today.
18. A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie.Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone, everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time, time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.
38. Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
42. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
43. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
44. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
45. The best is yet to come.
46. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
47. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
48. If you don't ask, you don't get.
49. Yield.
50. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
"May the Lord's face radiate with joy because of you"
~~~Numbers 6:24
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
4 Dimensions of Courage
Few things are as energizing to me as hanging out with pastors. I love my tribe! And I really enjoy smaller contexts where we can dialog. This morning I talked about four dimensions of courage with a group of local pastors.
Good Morning, Everybody!
Good Morning, Everybody!!!
Well, the last few days have been WINDY and with red skies around here. Also, our 25 year old son, Britt, who lives in Nashville, was offered the Assistant Manager position at the Guitar Center there in Nashville, yesterday. WOO HOO! The position won't be available until anywhere from one week to two months from now, but we are soooooooooo excited for him.
Hey, also, I took a survey to see which Presidential candidate that I most closely aligned with (the answer wasn't what I thought it would be). Anywhere, here is the link, if you are interested in taking it too. Also, you can just see how each candidate answered the same questions and their comments, it is NOT intended to tell you how to vote, but it is a great information tool, if you are confused about where they stand on certain issues:
Monday, January 28, 2008
Howdy!
Howdy everybody!!!
How are you doing??? Well, all is well here. I have a new and EXCITING announcement for you.................(drum roll please)...............
Clay & I are going to HAWAII, the first part of March. WOO HOO! We are going to the "Big Island". I can hardly wait. (We have never been to Hawaii before.)
Here is a link to the place we are staying (it is a timeshare).
40 Days until we leave for HAWAII!!!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Howdy Everybody!
Howdy everybody!!!
It has been quite a while since I blogged here. Call week was not that bad last week, but it took me the rest of this past week to get caught up on my paperwork at work AND my sleep (had an evening or two where I didn't feel well, but I think that was mainly just from fatigue and stress). Even with a fairly quiet call-week, it is amazing how much it takes out of you. You really don't get a good night's rest, because you know at any given moment, you could get a call, and have to make life-or-death decisions and give directions to patients and/or their families. It is very stressful, to say the least. I just praise God that we only take call one week out of every 4-6 weeks. THANK YOU, LORD!!!
Church was very good this morning. Hope each of you attended at your churches and that your church services were awesome, as well. We have a pre-Worship prayer and praise time, as a Praise Team, each Sunday morning, and the new songs and things that are being birthed there are INCREDIBLE. We really need to record those sessions, because there are new songs being sung, God's Word is going forth.......it is a VERY POWERFUL time. WOW!
The kids are all doing fine, as far as I know. We talk with Ambs regularly (every 1-2 days). She is doing well. She is running in a 5 mile time trial this next weekend, still trying to qualify for that 1/2 Marathon (I think it is in March). Her job and church are going great, too. She is going skiing in a couple of weeks with some friends and looking forward to that. Britt and Merrida are doing fine. They are talking with Britt (at Guitar Center, where he is currently the Department Manager of the Guitar Deparment there) about possibly being promoted to Assistant Manager. It is between him and another guy. They will know something by March. GO GOD! Merrida is looking for a new job.....pray that she finds just the right one. WOO HOO!
Clay is getting the cotton land "broken" and ready for next year's crop. God blessed us sooooooooooo much this past year with the best cotton crop we have ever had. THANK YOU, LORD!!!
I go back to work tomorrow (Monday), after a nice 3-day weekend (I just wish the weekend part wasn't over so quickly). Clay & I are headed back to the gym tomorrow morning, to start working out again, every weekday morning. So, guess we'll be sore this week. (That's just part of it!) Oh well! LOL!!!
Have a super-blessed, supernatural week! (I'm gonna!!!)
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
PRAISE REPORT
Hey everybody......
PRAISE REPORT: I am officially OFF-call (from work), AND had a relatively quiet call week. Thanks for standing in the gap with me for a peaceful on-call week. I also finished a very large project today at work, so I am breathing a HUGE sigh of relief right now.
Please continue to pray for my boss, Pat. She is still recovering from several recent surgeries, and is having a hard time keeping food down. Thanks for your prayers for her full and speedy recovery.
Clay & I have had a great week. Clay is doing very well. Guess our kids are doing well too.
I have a 3-day weekend this weekend (from being on-call this past week), and I am soooooooooooooo looking forward to it. I may have a chick-flick day on Friday! WOO HOO!!!!!
Hope you are having a super-blessed, SUPERNATURAL day and week, too!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Friday, January 18, 2008
One More Re-Blog
Sorry, but ONE MORE RE-BLOG from Ambs' Pastor, Mark Batterson of National Community Church. I have posted this before but it is SOOOOOOOOOOOO good, and another inspiration for your life goals and bucket lists that I know you have started working on by now. It is the Lion Chaser's Manifesto. READ ON!:
As we kick off a New Year, I thought I'd post the lion chaser's manifesto.Read it. Print it. Post it. Live it.
Re-Blog from Ambs' Pastor
Wanted to do a RE-BLOG here, from Ambs' pastor's blog, Mark Batterson of National Community Church. It was sooooo good, and with the New Year here, and my challenge to you about "The Bucket List", thought this might help you get started on setting some of your own goals or making up your own "Bucket List". Read on and get to it!!!
~God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
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This weekend we kicked off our How series. We're talking about everything from How to Set Life Goals to How to Study the Bible to How to Manage Your Money. I think the series will be inspiring, but our goal is to be painfully practical. It's not a self-help series. It is a stewardship series. Really hope it helps people maximize their God-given potential.We kicked off this weekend with How to Set Life Goals. You can watch the webcast or listen to the podcast when it's uploaded this week.
Here are the ten steps:
#1 Start with Prayer: If you just set a bunch of selfish goals you'd be better off spiritually if you didn't accomplish them! Set your goals in the context of prayer so your goals are conceived by God. Then they become an expression of faith.
#2 Check Your Motives
#3 Get Ideas From Others Don't copy other people's goals. But its ok to get ideas from others. Other people's life goals help your synapses fire in new ways. I've been inspired by two goal-setters: John Goddard and Ted Leonsis. And I hope my life goal list helps my kids set their goals. In fact, I'm sure we'll end up with some shared goals.
#4 Think in Categories. Different categories help me think of different kinds of goals. I have five categories:
1) family goals
2) travel goals
3) physical goals
4) experience goals
5) influence goals.
You can check out my life goal list here.
#5 Be Specific
#6 Write Them Down
#7 Include Others Most of my goals involve others. I don't want to accomplish lots of goals without taking anybody along with me for the ride.
#8 Celebrate Along the Way
#9 Think Big Big goals make big people. You need some crazy goals that require divine intervention. Big goals are good for you because they force you to work like it depends on you and pray like it depends on God.
#10 Keep Dreaming It's never too late to be who you might have been. It doesn't matter how old you are or how many times you've failed.
Keep setting new goals.
~Mark Batterson, Senior Pastor of National Community Church
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Britt & Merrida
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
The Bucket List
First,
I forgot to mention, that Clay's PSA remains at 0.00. YEAH! They called with the results today. PRAISE GOD!!!
Now, I told you that we went and saw the movie, THE BUCKET LIST, last night. The Bucket List is a list some make of what they want to do before they "kick the bucket". Thought I would start mine off here (in no particular order of priority or anything):
1. Teach my grandkids about Jesus!
(Yeah, I know I gotta get grandkids, first.)
2. Visit these places:
a. Israel
b. Italy
c. Moravian Falls
d. Kansas City (& IHOP)
e. Ireland
f. Scandanavian Countries
*NOTE: I'm sure there are others as well. I ALWAYS love the islands, too!
3. Go on another Mission Trip---only this time with a Spirit-filled team, getting to be a part of a Miraculous Crusade.
4. Be a part of a team that is used by the Holy Spirit to raise the dead.
5. See Dawson County, TX, on-fire for the Lord and TOTALLY transformed by Holy Spirit. GO GOD!!! (It's gonna happen, too!!!)
6. Preach
7. Learn how to build a web page.
8. Be self-employed.
9. Write a book.
10. Lose the weight (& keep it off).
11. Visit another part of the world, where the toilet water spins the OTHER way around.
12. Start a foundation (hopefully with grants) that helps those that need help, and gets them plugged into other community services that they need, as well, as using this foundation to get the volunteers in the area together, serving the community TOGETHER as a team (we can SERVE soooooooo many others and would be so much more effective, working together).
Well, it's just a start. I have scuba dove. I really DO NOT want to sky dive (my daughter does). I absolutely DO NOT want to bungee jump. I will periodically update the list, and also let you know when I have accomplished some of these tasks, too.
What do you want to do???
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Awesome Birthday!!!
Today was an AWESOME day........especially since it was my birthday. Clay & I started it out in the hot tub in the backyard (we LOVE our hot tub....and in the mornings, it is really our "prayer tub"). Went to work, had lunch with my hubby. Got back to work and he had sent me a huge bouquet of mixed flowers. They are GORGEOUS!!! Worked this afternoon. Got home, Clay had me go lay down and relax (I got back in the hot tub). He also had arranged for me to have a massage tonight and when I got back home, Clay had dinner cooked, and a raging fire going in the fire place. WOW!!! What a day.....had to pinch myself and guess what......I WASN'T DREAMING!!!!
Hope you had a great day too!!!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Monday, January 14, 2008
Howdy!
Howdy, everybody!!!
Well, today was a great day. (I had the day off, before I go back to work tomorrow and start a week of being on-call.) Clay & I went and spent a little time with my mom and step-dad, and then had our eyes checked out at the optometrist (Clay got new glasses, my eyes are fine, just need to use "readers" when I read). Went to dinner at Pei Wei in Lubbock....the lettuce wraps are AWESOME!.....then went and saw a nice little movie called, "The Bucket List". It has Jack Nicholson (sp?) and Morgan Freeman in it. It is about two older men that are diagnosed with cancer, and given a few months to live, and they make up a "list" of things they want to do before they "kick the bucket". One has money (Nicholson) and the other poor, and the rich one puts up the money to pay for the whole deal, they see the world, etc. It is a great movie, and really makes you think. I won't spoil it for you, but I HIGHLY recommend this movie. Clay & I both enj0yed it.
Please pray that this week, while I am on-call, will be QUIET and peaceful with no calls or extra visits for the entire 7 days, Tuesday, 8 AM of January 15th through Tuesday, 8 AM of January 22nd. PEACE BE STILL!!!
Thanks!
Have a super-blessed, SUPERNATURAL week!!! (I'm gonna!!!)
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Sunday, January 13, 2008
WOW! WOW! WOW!
WOW!
There is not a word in the human language for the time we had at church this morning. It was awesome (and that doesn't even do it justice, either). We had an incredible Holy Spirit time in the Lord this morning at church. Excitement was in the air, before the service even started, and it just built and built. GO GOD! WOO HOO!!!!!!!
I hope that you had an incredible encounter with our Lord and Saviour at your church services, too. Just remember, that if you want a good Sunday (as Ray Hughes says), "Go to Dairy Queen". We don't want a visitation, but HABITATION.......intimate times EVERYDAY......multiple times a day.....continuous with our Lord! \o/
Have a SUPERNATURAL week. (I'm gonna!)
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Whatta Week!
Hey everybody!!!
Whew! Whatta week!!!! It was very fast & full.....but exciting too. Getting back into the schedule. We had an incredible Praise & Worship Practice and Worship time the other night......can't wait for Sunday morning to get here!!!!
The kids are doing great!!! We sure miss them and spending time with them, though. Clay went to the urologist on Friday. They did an ultrasound of both kidneys.....NO STONES. The kidney stone that Clay had was made up of the stuff that 90% of all kidney stones are (calcium nitrate), so no problems there. Prostate surgery stuff looks good, too. They did another PSA (prostate bloodwork), and we'll have the results next week, but we're 0nly expecting a ZERO on that too. GO GOD!!! Clay goes back in 6 weeks. He is feeling GREAT!!! PRAISE GOD!!!!!
My mom & Charles (step-dad) are in town for a few days (from the Valley), so I hope to get to spend some time with them.
Not much else to report. Have a super-blessed, SUPERNATURAL weekend!!!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Had a sew-sew day today!
Hey everybody!
Had a great day today. Tonight, went to a BEGINNER's (I was the utmost beginner there....LOL!) Quilting Class (taught by my mom-in-love, Melba---an excellent seamstress and quilter). If that 16" square was being graded, I would have been lucky to get a "C". LOL!!! (This may not be my cup-of-tea).....that is why I headed this as a "sew-sew" day. Will NOT include a picture of that square.......will probably "file 13" it. Oh well! We are all gifted differently. PRAISE GOD!!!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Sunday, January 6, 2008
We're Home Again
Hey everybody...........
Just a quick note to let you all know that we are safe and back home now. We had a great visit with the kids, but it is always nice to get back home. I go back to work tomorrow..........so it'll be back to the schedule. Clay is officially through stripping cotton, as of December 31st. WOO HOO! Have a super-blessed, super-natural week!!!!!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Back in God's Country (LOL!!!)
Hey everybody!!!
We are back in God's country now. Clay & I made it back to Texas yesterday. We are currently at my step-mom's in Arlington, but will get back home on Sunday afternoon/evening sometime. Really looking forward to being at home.
Hey, a God-story......
So, we got here to my step-mom's home, and Clay decided that we needed to go to Abuelo's (a Mexican food restaurant, not far from where my step-mom, Anna, lives)......anyway, she had to do a few things, etc etc etc and we get to the restaurant, get our name on the list and are waiting........we ran into Clay's first cousin (that lives in Utah), that we have not seen in over 10 YEARS!!!!!......who was there with a friend.........so we got to eat together and catch up with them.......bet the "chances" of that happening are like a ga-zillion to none..........GO GOD! Was great to see Monte Tillinghast (Clay's cousin).
Love to you all......and have a super-blessed 2008!!!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
Family Pic
Here is the family pic from today. Merrida (Britt's wife) is on the left, then Britt, myself, Clay, and our daughter Amber (we call her Ambs). Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
God's love & mine,
Nonnie
aka Lauren
