When my son was a tiny newborn, I started singing Amazing Grace to him each night. I did it mainly because it was a song I knew multiple verses to (six to be exact!), and I had grown tired of the children’s classics. In those dark nights, and some dark days, I would rock and rock him while he struggled with falling sleep, and I struggled with fatigue. I would make it through the six verses I knew, and then I’d start over. It was a way to pass the time during those hours that I would be rocking and not sleeping. I didn’t think about it much at the time, but it served as a reminder to me (daily) of God’s love for us. It was a way to keep my mind on the bigger purpose. My purpose wasn’t just getting my son down for a nap or for the evening, but my bigger purpose is to help my son learn of the God who loves him! Amazing Grace speaks to me. More specifically, this verse: “‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear. The hour I first believed.” What a great gift God gives us, from the moment we accept Him as our Savior, to eternity. Every day. Every hour of every day. Motherhood has not always been easy for me. (Shocker! Right, moms?) I struggled as a new mom. The idea in my head was very different from the early reality. We made it through those early months, and it truly has gotten better. Motherhood has, in fact, made me a better person but has also seen the worst of me. Lack of sleep, hormones and enormous responsibility can do that to you. I’ve learned of strengths I never knew existed, and it's brought to light the weaknesses that require me to rely on God … and God alone. I’ve often thought of 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” How relieving to realize that you don’t have to be strong in all moments! It’s in those moments of weakness that God’s grace is extended, and His power gives you strength. And I’ve never needed His grace and strength as much as I do now. We just had our little guy dedicated at church. The verse we used during the dedication was Luke 2:40, "And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.” Amazing Grace has not only been a song for my life, but it’s becoming a song for his. Now, as my baby has turned into a toddler, he has started requesting I sing Amazing Grace on those nights he’s scared or struggling to sleep. How precious. How comforting. Thank You, Lord, for your grace. Thank You for your love for all of us. XOXO, Tiff
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If you missed my last post (Part 1), please take a moment to catch up before you continue. All caught up? Then let's continue! Once you have planned it, picked a time, picked a place, scheduled it and determined not to have an "ALL or NOTHING" attitude, it's time to discover how to meaningfully connect with God. First: Know how you connect with Him and what makes time with Him life-giving and not life-draining. If you haven't taken Sacred Pathways at one of our events, email us! We will gladly email you the questions and results explanations. This was life-changing for me! I took it in August, and thought ... "Hmm, I should try spending time with Jesus again and change things up." But of course, my inconsistency and all or nothingness didn't let me. When my dad died in November, I continued to try to fix myself in my own strength and failed. I finally gave in, said I'd spend time with Jesus every day for a week and see if He could bring any relief to my grief, and like I mentioned previously, I honestly didn't believe He could. When I started, I started with my "Pathways" in mind. I'm an Enthusiast/Contemplative, Caregiver, and Naturalist. I realized: A. My enthusiast side needed worship music to connect with God. Worship music is a mandatory component of my Jesus time. I buy a new worship album every 2-3 months. B. My contemplative side needed to reflect. This is why I started a calendar journal (You can read more about that here). My all or nothing nature found a big journal intimidating at first, so I started small with calendar journaling and fell in love! Now I do a calendar journal and a prayer journal. C. Caring for others makes me feel closer to God (my caregiver side), so a major part of my Jesus time is listening to the Holy Spirit and who He is putting on my heart, praying for them, and then often taking my phone out right then and there to send them a quick text telling them I'm praying for them and encouraging them in some way. D. I need to feel connected to nature in some way (naturalist side). Friends, I hate sweating, so sitting outside isn't always an option for me. When it is, I do! But if it's too cold or too hot, I need to be sitting by a window and be able to see the outdoors. I also believe other things play a part in how you connect with God. I'm an extreme extrovert, tend to be shy, BUT I 100% get energy from being around other people. Therefore, when I try to sit at a table or desk in my empty apartment and spend time with Jesus, it's the opposite of life-giving! It drains me. So I create my own world in public places, usually a coffee shop. I put in my earphones, turn on my music, journal and read –– surrounded by people, by energy, but in my own bubble with my Savior. Which brings me to my next point/step. Next: Let the floodgates open. Bring tissues. Public or not, if you need to cry, cry! It's therapeutic, and it brings healing. I can't tell you how many times I've been crying in Starbucks. No one judges. Finally(ish): Here is where I share my suggested routine. Once you take Sacred Pathways, figure out your plan, your routine. My routine might not be perfect for you, but it radically changed my life and now I crave spending time with Jesus instead of avoiding it. 1. Go to your "Gethsemane" place; try out a few if you need to. Mine is Starbucks. Yours might be a breakfast table on your porch. But go dressed and ready! Getting ready helps awaken any "I'm not a morning person" tendencies. 2. Eat before and/or bring food/snacks with you. We're real here, remember?! Hunger can be a distraction and an "excuse" to give up after a few minutes. I am not good at doing anything in the mornings but getting ready, including eating. I bring my fruit and yogurt with me. Also, acquire caffeine if you partake of the wonderful substance. It fights the sleepies. 4. Pick a table/chair/bench/wherever, and set the table, like a date with Jesus. Get out your Bible and books and nice pens, plug in your earphones, and start the worship music. 5. Reflect. Reflect on where you are, what you feel, why your day was crappy yesterday, your sinful tendencies, forgiveness, and then love and redemption. I journal at this point and first. Through doing that I think about the day before, the morning, ask forgiveness for my sin, ask for clarity and focus, thank Him for loving me, etc. And pray. I do this via prayer journal by praying specifically for different people and their needs and different things I'm struggling with. 6. Read. If this is your first day after long term avoidance habits, I'd highly recommend starting with Psalm 51 and then Psalm 139. Any time I stray away and forget that I need Jesus or that He loves me, I always read these two Psalms in that order. It's just a good reminder of our failings and His love for us. After that, find a reading plan that works for you. I'm currently obsessed with She Reads Truth. They have so many great plans! They always have a current one going on, but you can also do any of the older ones. If I'm not caught up in my reading, which of course happens, I usually read a couple of days worth of readings, but one will do as well. I also have been slowly reading through Psalms since my dad died when I had time left after reading whatever plan I was reading. And, if you want to start a book, or finish a book you already started, I sometimes read a chapter of a Jesus book. My favorite amount of time is an hour and 15 - 30 minutes. But most often I get about 50 minutes to an hour. All of the things I mentioned can happen in an hour! Whew. If you made it through all of that, it's time for action! What's your plan? What are you waiting for? Just give Him two weeks, and watch Him transform your relationship with Him. Let's stop letting Satan win this battle. I recently watched a video from The Gospel Coalition that SheReadsTruth posted, about the importance of God's word in our lives. Something they said stuck with me. "The enemy wants to keep us out of the Bible. He's a liar. We listen. He tells us things like: 'You'll be studying the Bible later today working on something so you don't really need to study it for yourself today.' 'You had a hard day yesterday; you need a little more sleep.' 'It will probably be boring or won't feel like it's really for you.' The devil wants to keep us out of God's word. We think they are our own thoughts, and perhaps they are, but Satan uses them. God's word is living! It's for us. We need it." Stop believing lies. Let your Savior woo you back to Him. Don't be motivated by a "supposed to" or check off list. Be motivated by your Savior's complete, beautiful love for you. When someone loves us that much, and we actually believe it, giving Him a little bit of time can become natural and not a hassle. God knows you. He made you. He knows what you need, how your brain works, and wants you to love and enjoy spending time with Him. Start today. Let's make our own rules, Kasia I've been walking with Jesus in some way or another, which admittedly sometimes involved running away from Him or dragging my feet as I walked, or kicking and screaming along the way, for 17-ish years. When I began the journey at 13, that was probably the only year of my life until I was 29-ish (by the way, I operate on the "ish" system often) that I semi-regularly spent time with Him. Some youth leader at some youth rally probably said something that inspired me to make a mental list of things I was "supposed" to do as a Christian. None of those things were bad, but they didn't stick. I was motivated to read my Bible every day so I could check it off of a list, because doing the things on that list seemed to be the opposite of spending eternity in a fiery pit. I was motivated by a "supposed to", not by love (love for my Savior, and believing and understanding His love for me.) Through high school, college, and post college, my time with Jesus was hit and miss at best. When the woes of the world brought me to a realization that things don't always work or happen like they are supposed to, I didn't see the value in getting up early or making extra time in my day to spend time with Jesus. I still walked with Jesus; He still somewhat influenced my decisions, but I wasn't captivated by Him because I didn't spend time with Him. I was really good at believing I was capable of doing life in my own strength, with my own knowledge. When my dad died on November 18th, 2012, there was no strength or knowledge that I had to prepare me for that grief. In desperation, I told Jesus I'd actually try spending time with Him for two weeks, fully believing that even He couldn't bring peace or healing to my grief. I gave a feeble attempt at an inch, and He pursued me back miles and miles. I actually started to enjoy giving Him a part of my day. I loved it so much I wanted to know how to make it even better, even more life-giving to me. For about a year and three months now, I've given Jesus part of my day, more days than not, which in all honesty was something I actually never did in my prior years of being a Christian. It has incredibly transformed my life. The intimacy I have with my Savior now, is not something I ever want to be without –– the intimacy and transformation is something that not only I felt, but that other people could see. A best friend recently asked for accountability in the area of Jesus time and for a plan to jump back in it. I sent her a REALLY long email, and she responded with, "You should make this a blog post." I decided that was indeed a great idea. DONE! And so, you've been warned: The following plan/explanation to transforming your time with Jesus is a little lengthy, but so so worth it. And I've divided it into two posts so that you can have time to think about it and really let it soak in. First: Plan it. Pick a time. Pick a place. Schedule it. And about timing, for many years, most of my life, I used not being a morning person as an excuse for not giving Jesus the first part of my day. I wholeheartedly believe there is value in giving Him the first. The later in the day it is the more chance Satan has to talk you out of it, the more chance he has to fill your day with things and make you think you don't have time, the more chance you'll get tired and find more value in a nap than in spending time with Him. Also, the whole world isn't awake yet. On the days I miss mornings and try for afternoons, it can and has been good, but it's so much more distracting. People are awake and texting me, liking my instagrams, posting on Facebook, etc. If you really want to make this a lifelong regular practice that can easily fit into your life regardless of what's on your plate, I recommend mornings. The example of giving God our mornings is all through scripture, Old and New Testament. And also, Jesus did it. Can't argue with that point. :) If you don't have a specific schedule, "morning" can be a flexible term. You can sleep in until 9:00, take a shower, eat something (or pack a lunch) and still be giving him the first part of your day. I really believe we're called to give Him our first fruits, tithe and time. Neither are easy, but He blesses it times a million. So far no one who has given mornings a chance can argue with me on this point. :) Then: If your plan falls through, don't beat yourself up or throw in the towel. I am the QUEEN of all or nothing. My entire spiritual journey until last year was all or nothing, and therefore mostly nothing. If I couldn't spend two hours reading my Bible and being hyper spiritual, if I skipped a day, if there was any inconsistency at all, NOTHING. It can't be like that. We don't have to push ourselves into pits of self-condemnation. If we miss a day, two, a month, or 5 years, He's just as ready to take us back. So if you accidentally skip a morning, try for the afternoon; if it doesn't pan out ... tomorrow is a new day with new mercies! In my next post, we'll talk more about specific ways to connect with God and develop an action plan! Let's make our own rules, Kasia Values … you have values whether you can put a name to them or not. Your values are the principles that you deem important, those things that motivate you. They are the driving force behind what you do and who you are. Your values shape your behavior, your relationships and your choices. Having values is like having a firm foundation to build on. The more you know about your values, the easier it will be to understand and prioritize the things you do. I recently heard a message from Andy Stanley called "Ask It." He used Ephesians 5:15-16 which says, “Be careful, then, how you live -- not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity." He started off the message with this intro: What if there was a question that would clarify your best option for ninety percent of the decisions you make in life—a question that answers just about everything? It would have the potential to foolproof your relationships, marriage, finances, calendar, pace and health. It would reduce the complexity of your life. It would save you time, money and tears. You would carry around less regret. And best of all, you wouldn't have to apologize nearly as much. It is a simple question. “What is the wise thing to do?” Andy called it a litmus test for every decision we make. I believe that our values also play a huge part in this test. When we know our values and we ask, “What is the wise thing to do?”, we are putting our best interest first. God has our best interest in mind; shouldn't we? When we consider our values and “what’s the wise thing to do” in regards to our past, we can keep history from repeating itself. For example, I value loyalty. When I consider loyalty and what the wise thing to do would be based on my past, I know that I am putting my marriage first. I am breaking the cycle of divorce that runs in my family. When it comes to my current circumstances, my values of faith and trust coupled with “what’s the wise thing to do” empowers me to release the situations I cannot control over to God. Legacy is important to me, and in light of my future hopes and dreams, I can focus on leaving a spiritual legacy for my daughters and future generations. Do you get the idea? Our values can and should make decision-making easier. They must be a gauge by which we measure everything in our lives. Hopefully by now you are thinking about your values. I want you to write down at least 10 values. I know this is going to be hard, so let me give you a few examples.
Now that you have your ten values, I want you to narrow them down to five. You might be thinking ”FIVE?!” Yes!!! I want you to narrow them down to five. You need to laser beam focus on five values that mean the most to you. You may need to walk away from them for a bit. Our goal with this exercise is simple. The things that we say are important to us must line up with how we live our lives. If integrity is on our list, our words and deeds must match up. If we value service, we must use our talents to serve others. You've heard the TWU Faculty and teachers say that we are all created on purpose for a purpose. Our values shed light on our purpose. All of us are on a spiritual and creative journey to become all God created us to be. By knowing our values and standing strong in them, we are on our way to becoming the women we were meant to be. I firmly believe that when we learn more about ourselves and who we are in Christ, we gain wisdom and insight. My prayer for you today is that you understand yourself a little more. Pray and seek God’s Word to help you design your core values. When our values line up with God’s, we will look at things from His perspective. Embrace life to the fullest, Stef As an educator, I get to work with kids from all walks of life. Some kids come to school ready to soak it all in and learn. It is obvious that they have been invested in. You can tell from their conversations that the adults in their lives have taken the time to love them, play with them, teach them, read to them, and ensure their environment is safe and appropriate. You can also tell which kids don’t spend quality time with the adults in their life, haven’t been read to as much, don’t feel as loved, and who have not had someone safeguarding their environment and what they are exposed to. Both types of kids are FULL OF POTENTIAL, but those whose homes have not been so great often face much greater challenges in realizing their potential. The greatest challenge I face in my job relates to loving that kid that is “unlovable” and encouraging him (or her) to rise and succeed despite the odds. The greatest moments of joy come when that kid truly reaches that potential! But really, is the same true of us as adults? Can the outsider observing us see that we are loved? That we spend time with our families? That we spend time with our Heavenly Father? That we are being taught by Him? That we expose ourselves to things that will build up our character, not tear it down? Here’s the catch: as an adult, we have much more power to choose the influences in our lives than a child does. Plus, we have a Heavenly Father who is ready and willing to invest in us, to spend time with us, to teach us. We just have to let Him into our lives. So today, I want to encourage you to reach your full potential. Intentionally make time to spend with the Lord and with those He has placed you closest to. Be wrapped up in His Love, letting it overflow to others. Surround yourself with influences that will help lift you up, not distract you from living a godly life. Choose joy, not anger and bitterness. Rise above all you have been and grasp all you can be in Christ. Allow His influence on your life to shine through and be easily seen. As you do this, you will succeed. Despite the odds, despite your past, you will become all He has created you to be. The world around you will notice and be encouraged. Your influence will be great and will spark the greatness in others. Stay connected to Him, and enjoy the journey of becoming! Claire God… is my cheerleader! Yes, I said cheerleader. No, I don’t mean that kind. Of course, He doesn’t wear a skirt and carry pompoms everywhere He goes, but He does cheer us on. He’s rooting for us every day to run down the court, shoot for the goal, and receive the prize of the high five. Now, I know you must be thinking … why am I running? What goal? The prize is a “high five”? What does that mean? Well, I am glad you are asking these questions because my hope is that you’ll understand why God is my cheerleader and why He can be yours too. When I was in high school, I played basketball. I usually played two positions which were the small forward or the power forward. Both required a great deal of running as I was closest to the goal. So in order to be able to run without losing my breath, I had to build up my endurance. The best way my coach knew how to do that was to get the team to run drills. Whoever came up with the name of the drills we were doing wasn’t kidding. They were called “suicides.” That’s right, suicides! Those drills nearly killed me most days, but when I tell you they worked, I mean they REALLY worked! With every practice, I was building up my endurance. Every breath became a little easier, and in time, I became a runner -- at least on the basketball court. You see, the one thing I know about running is that it takes effort. It takes effort to decide that you're going to subject your feeble body to pain. Yes, running is painful when you begin, but over time, as you practice the sport, your body gets stronger. Where I was once weak, I now was made strong as I began to practice more and more. You see, God is my cheerleader because when I choose to make an effort, no matter how hard or painful the task, He is there giving me strength and whispering to me, ”You can do this! Press on and fight hard! Don’t surrender and fall beneath the white flag. You’ve got this! I believe in you.” His words of encouragement cheer me on. Did you notice I said He whispers? Just as God doesn’t wear skirts and carry pompoms around, He also doesn’t shout at you. He prefers to cheer for you with a still small voice. He’s hoping that you will be still enough to listen and believe what He is telling you. God wants and desires to see you grow, to be all that He created you to be. So as you're running, take time to focus and listen to God’s voice. Now that you know the answer as to why you need to run, what about the goal? What is the goal and when will you know you’ve reached it? I’ll never forget what my coach used to teach us about the goal. He said, “Aim for the square. If you hit the square, then you’ll make the goal.” The square is an outline of a square in the middle of the backboard right above the hoop. It is the target. In order to aim for the target you have to have the right position. You have to make sure you bend your knees and when you jump, throw the ball up and over with a slight hook of the wrist. Of course, I must admit, that was not the easiest thing for me to accomplish. I would always try too hard, forcing the ball just a little too much, which in turn caused the ball to bounce off the backboard instead of falling right through the hoop. It took great skill and focus to hook the ball with just the right amount of strength. You see, God is my cheerleader not only when I run but also when I shoot for the goal. The goal is simply to overcome. To reach it you have to get in the right position to overcome with just the right amount of strength. The right position includes choosing righteousness, keeping a sense of self-determination, and focusing on the prize ahead. Waking up each day to decide that you CAN and WILL overcome the adversities that come your way no matter how tempting, how painful, or how hard it may be. God gives you just the right amount of strength to do so. All you have to do is use it. Are you willing to put forth the effort? Practice the right position? Shoot for the goal? God knows you can do it and so do I! So you know why you must run and shoot for the goal, but what about the prize? Why is the prize a “high five?” While playing high school basketball, I felt such a great sense of accomplishment with every goal I made. It felt so good to know that all my hard work paid off. One of the things I enjoyed the most was the high five I got from all my team mates every time I made a goal. It was a great reward. The high five meant that my teammates had confidence in me. It showed me that they were proud of me and that I could be proud of myself. You see, God is my cheerleader not only when I run and shoot for the goal, but also when I receive the prize of the high five. When I choose to make the effort to overcome in righteousness with his strength, God is proud of me. His confidence in me shows me that He is proud of me and that I can be proud of myself. This sense of accomplishment helps me to keep running, to keep shooting for the goal, and to keep receiving high fives from Him! So what about you? What will you choose? Will you choose to allow God to be your cheerleader? If you do, you’ll never regret it. Because in the end … You WIN! Not on the court but in LIFE! Keep calm and journey on, Amy “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak; and to those who have no might, He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall. But those who wait on the Lord, shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.” -Isaiah 40: 28-31 Ok, I admit it, I am an Olympics fanatic! But not in the way you may think. Every time I watch the Olympics, I am inspired and encouraged by the stories of the Olympians. This time I was struck by the stories of Emily Scott, a short-track skater; Noelle Pikus-Pace, a skeleton slider; and Jeremy Abbott, an America figure skater. Listening to their stories, watching their successes, and witnessing their setbacks touched my heart. During an interview, Emily said, “Everyone has a story,” as a way to draw attention away from her story. She came to the Olympics through the monetary donations of others. She grew up in a single parent home with her father as her soul caretaker. She started her athletic career as an inline skater, but switched to short track in 2008 so that she could hopefully participate in the Olympics one day. As I watched her skate and finish first in her preliminary heat, she was cool and calm and showed experience beyond her years. Yet later, when she was in her semi-final race, she was taken down by a Korean skater forcing her to finish in 5th place after getting back up. As I stand back and look at her story, two points stick out to me. She grew up with the cards stacked against her, but she did not let her mother being in jail or the fact that she had to receive food stamps at one time, label her and define who she is. Also, when she fell down, she got back up and completed the race. WOW!!! Can you see the spiritual parallels? How often do we let our past define who we are and color our entire lives? We do not let who He says we are permeate our souls. Instead, we allow the past to creep back in and rob the joy of being one of God’s kids. Yes, we all make mistakes; we all seek to find our significance and purpose in other things and other people besides God, but it is recognizing that and getting back up and focused that makes the difference. The Bible says we will face difficulties and trials. My prayer is that we will see the freedom and peace He longs to give us on the other side, and even in the midst of the trials. Jeremy Abbott has always struggled with nerves, and it showed right away at the Olympics. During the team competition, he did not skate as well causing his other teammates to work even harder. Then came his time in the men’s individual skating event, and all eyes were on him. Shortly after beginning, he hesitated to start his quad jump in time causing him to fall hard on his hip. Dazed and confused, he lay on the ice with a look of resignation in his eyes. Then to the surprise and amazement of all, he arose and completed his program. I was cheering him on every step of the way just as the crowd in the ice rink applauded and cheered throughout his program. When he received his score, it was even higher than what he had scored the first time he skated for the team competition. Yes, his story is similar to that of Emily’s but with a different twist to it. In his initial performance, he was competing with his team. Never did I see them berate him or say, “Thanks for nothing, bud.” When they went on to win the bronze, no one said, “You don’t get one because you did not perform well enough.” Regardless of his performance, he was still part of that team, and he deserved to share in the benefits. Ok, I am so excited as I look again at the spiritual applications! We are God’s kids, so it is like we are on His team. Even when we mess up and live in a way that is contrary to who we are, we still have all the benefits of being God’s kids. We can deny it and say, “Oh, I am not worthy.” That would be like Jeremy refusing to receive his medal because he had one bad skating day. My friends, that is where grace and forgiveness come in. As I watched a feature story on Noelle and her return to the sport of Skeleton, I was mesmerized. In the 2010 Olympics, Noelle finished in 4th place, just short of the podium. Up to this point she spent much of her life on the road, away from her family, traveling on the Skeleton World Cup Team. After the Vancouver Olympics, she retired from Skeleton, believing she was done. She had her second child and enjoyed her life as a mom. Then tragedy struck. She found herself filled with such joy at being pregnant again, but then she had a miscarriage. This propelled her forward to re-enter the world of Skeleton, but with a totally different focus and motivation. Her husband told her that she should try Skeleton one more time. They both decided that if she were to continue that the sport would not steal her family time from her. Her husband and two kids travel everywhere with her, and she takes her kids with her when she works out at the track or into their weight room at home when she works out. She came in as a favorite to do well at this Olympics, and she ended up earning a silver medal in Skeleton. I believe that even if she had not, she would have been filled with the same amount of joy because at the end of the day, she still had her amazing family. After winning she scaled a wall to get to her husband and embrace him. It was a beautiful moment. Noelle had a moment that woke her up at the 2010 Olympics; she had an aha! moment about who and what was the most important thing in her life. Her heart no longer pursued the prize as much as enjoying the journey of life with those she loved. That is how I want to live. I want to stop when the world begins to get to busy around me and takes me away from those I love and away from His real purpose for me. My prayer for all of you is that you will know you are deeply loved and cherished by Father. Also, that even in the mess-ups and the hard parts, He does not leave or turn His back. He wants to shower you with His love. I also hope and pray the "busyness" of this world does not take you captive and away from your first love, Christ. Becoming Who My Father Sees in Me, Suzanne This is me – Jenny Johnson. I’m an incredibly blessed, Louisiana-born gal in the later half of my mid-30s, married to my best friend, mother to the best kids in the world, and chasing my best life! I’m actually the founder of Total Woman U (you can read more of that journey on our About Us page on this site). I’m very passionate about helping women uncover their unique and God-given strengths and talents and then find ways to use those strengths and talents to glorify God. For me, this is the journey of truly discovering our identity and purpose as we become all God created us to be. Although TWU doesn’t look exactly like it did at the very beginning (back in 2000), the original vision remains the same. I’m so thankful and honored to work with the ladies God has brought to our TWU Faculty, and I am continually blown away by all He is doing through us. I am very excited about the vision God has given this team for TWU. We are stepping further outside our comfort zone this year and trusting God to lead us – which is both scary and incredibly exciting! I was born in New Orleans (geaux Saints!) to incredible parents who still love each other almost as much as they each love the Lord. My older brother, younger sister and I grew up in New Orleans, and when I was 15, we moved across the lake to Slidell, my dad’s hometown, where I finished the last 3 years of high school. After my junior year, I started dating Slidell-native Jonathan Johnson, a Godly young man I had had my eye on (from a distance) ever since I was a little girl. Jonathan was my cousin’s best friend, was 2 years older than I, and was a leader in our church youth group. When we started dating, everyone around us pretty much knew we’d end up getting married. After high school, I went to LSU (geaux Tigers!) and in 1996, I married the man of my dreams – yes, that’s Jonathan. We had our first 2 children in Baton Rouge – Jordan in 1999 and Emma in 2002. We moved to Duluth, GA (northeast Atlanta area) where we completed our family in 2004 when Carson was born. As much as we loved our life there, we knew God was calling us back to Louisiana. In 2007, after 4 years away, we moved back to Louisiana to the Baton Rouge area, and a year later returned to Slidell. Obviously a lot of life happened over those years, the great and the down right tough, and I’m sure I’ll share bits and pieces of those stories with you in my future blog posts. Have you heard the phrase “jack of all trades, master of none"? Well, that’s me! I love finding different venues to explore and express my personality and creativity. I’m an artist, a musician, a photographer, a jewelry-maker, a video-maker, a decorator, (most recently) a certified Christian Image Consultant; and because of TWU, I’m a graphics designer, event planner, writer, speaker, and blogger. I’m a big sports fan and will always be a cheerleader at heart. I love words – not that I always have the right ones, but I love using lots of them … oh, and I love ( ), … , -, and “ ” in case you can’t tell! I have the greatest friends and a crazy-cool family - the family I was born into, the one I married into and those who married into the family. I have a beautiful heritage of love on both sides of my family as well – a love for fun, fellowship, food, family and our Heavenly Father. I love my life! I’m married to my high-school sweetheart and best friend, and we have 3 incredibly amazing kids. We are living a purposed life, dedicated to our God and our family. And as my hubby says to me, “As long as your swinging arms aren’t knocking anyone down as you run, chase your best life,” … and that’s what I’m doing. I hope to meet you along the journey! Challenging you to chase your best life, Jenny Hi, I’m Bronie ... not brownie or brawny, but trust me when I say, I have heard many entertaining attempts at pronouncing my unusual first name. It’s really pretty simple, like Bonnie with an “r” or Ronnie with a “B”, but I’ll break it down for you –– it’s pronounced [BRA knee], and heaven forbid those two things ever meet! :) I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee, the youngest of three kids in a single-parent household. Though I don’t think I have a particularly strong Southern accent, the inherent twang doth eek out occasionally, especially when I sing. And after I’ve been home for a visit. But mostly in my writin’ ... I often drop the “g” off the ends of words when I tell a story because that’s how I hear it in my head. I’m weird like that. I was raised in church and came to Jesus as a six year old girl, and although I point to that experience as the beginning of my faith journey, it was not until my young adult years that I feel like I really took responsibility for my journey with Christ. I began a relationship with Him with a child’s understanding, which is all that’s required, but as I grew up, a little life experience taught me more about what I’d been saved from. That’s the part that is sometimes lost on a child. Salvation is instant when we ask, but surrender is a process –– letting Him have control on a daily basis. As a kid I loved singing, playing piano, drawing, painting, playing tennis, writing poetry, and all things artsy-crafty, which I’m pretty sure can be attributed to a long line of DNA. I remember on many occasions (read: every time our family got together for holidays), we were craftin’ it up making dough ornaments, weaving baskets, decorating straw hats that were meant to hang on the wall (the 80’s, anyone?) ... but on one unlucky occasion I recall having to perch one atop my noggin on a long trip home from Myrtle Beach because the car was slap full of cousins and a plethora of hand-crafted masterpieces made during our visit. Good times. I’m married to the most patient man and have been for almost 21 years. He truly is the better half of this union. He is kinder, more compassionate, way more organized than I am, and he still makes me laugh on a daily basis, though sometimes unintentionally. We have four awesome kids who are 18, 15, 8 and 6. The older kids, Ryan and Emily, were born in Tennessee and currently attend public school, and the littles, Wyatt and Elijah, are our Louisiana “baybays” and are still homeschooled. Jay made me two promises when we got married: 1) that we’d never have much money, and 2) that life would never be boring. My man’s a promisekeeper! I have been a part of Total Woman U Faculty for the last several years and currently serve as Co-Executive Director, Director of Performing Arts and Editor-in-Chief. Okay, that last bit is unofficial, but a role I have inherited because my friends call me “Word Girl” (“Grammar Nazi” behind my back). I admit it. I love words ... reading, writing, doing word searches and playing word games in my spare time, and let’s not forget talking. My love of words carries with it an aversion to incorrect grammar and all things misspelled. I correct things, sometimes only in my head. This is what has earned me editor responsibilities. See? God can use even our quirks for the good if we’ll let Him. Just so you know, I have been called on more than one occasion and in a variety of ways, “not very pastor’s wife-y” which just makes me giggle. “You’re just so ... *I wait while they struggle for the word they’re looking for* ... REAL.” Well, here’s the thing. I AM real. (And I really hope they meant it in a good way because that’s how I chose to take it.) I’m not big on pretense and prefer authenticity, even with its flaws. And flaws? Oh, I got ‘em. And if you’re honest, so do you. Everyone has challenges, things they deal with or struggles they face. For example, I live with RA (Rheumatoid Arthritis) and have since I was a young adult. It’s not my identity, but it is part of my story. And it has stolen some abilities like opening pickle jars, playing the piano, and all prospects of making a living as a hand model. :) I am, however, profoundly thankful to our kind God that He still allows me the awesome privilege of leading in worship. All glory to Him! We were asked at our last TWU Faculty retreat to write a personal purpose statement, and while mine is still under construction, it goes something like this: God has granted me the ability to find humor in the hard things and has lovingly showed me that brokenness does not equal uselessness; He does not waste our struggles and can use them to encourage others in theirs ... And that’s my hope –– to be an encouragement to people. Life is hard, but God is good! If you decide to journey with us, you’ll hear real stories from real people striving to live their best life in obedience to a real God! And we just might share some laughs along the way! Keep it real, BV My name is Stefaney, S. T. E. F as in Frank. A. N. E. Y., but family and close friends call me "Stef." I was born and raised all over Alabama, calling it home until moving to Slidell, Louisiana, in 2007. After living in town for six years, my husband and I moved our family twenty minutes north to our own little piece of heaven in Picayune, MIssissippi. I received Christ as my Savior at the age of four. I was baptized at age seven. I grew up In the church. I heard all of the stories. I knew who Jesus was. BUT because of the father figure I had in my life, my view of God was skewed. I thought God was someone that I could easily anger, that He loved me -- but conditionally, that He would leave. It wasn't until I was eighteen, almost nineteen years old, that I really understood who God is. HE is LOVE and HE loves unconditionally. He is relational. He wants the very best for me (and for you), but we have to be willing to be used by Him. I have to be willing to let Him be in control. He knows more than I do, and He sees the big picture. Mr. Incredible (aka Kevin) and I have been married for twenty years. I am a stay-at-home/home-school mom to our three beautiful teenage daughters. The girls keep us busy with basketball games and art classes. Kevin and I serve our local home-school community as Presidents of Slidell Christian Home Educators Fellowship (http://www.slidellchristianhomeschool.org/), and I teach High School science for our local Co-op. I also dabble in machine embroidery, monogramming and vinyl personalization. It's a hobby, but family and friends keep me busy. When I'm not teaching, chauffeuring, or cheering on my girls, you can find me in the kitchen. I taught myself to cook at the age of thirteen in order to help my mother. My kitchen is my favorite room in my house. I read cookbooks like most people read novels. Mr. Incredible is teaching me the fine art of gardening. I love growing our own veggies, and I really want to plant some fruit trees this spring. I "collect" shoes, purses, big necklaces, earrings, rings and jeans. I "heart" iced coffee, homemade ice cream, monogrammed anything, lace tablecloths, doilies, history books, vintage Pyrex dishes and antique stores! I have an eclectic taste in music (60's-90's, jazz, country, worship, etc). I enjoy watching period shows such as Downton Abbey and Mr. Selfridge (a recent find on PBS), but I also love reality t.v. like The Voice, this season of American Idol, and the Sing-Off. I tend to sing really loud and really off-key in the car, so you won't be seeing me try out for any of those shows. :) I moved a lot growing up. I mean A LOT. Like fifteen different schools from Kindergarten to 12th grade A LOT. I was very shy as a child and had a hard time letting myself open up and make friends. Even now I tend to be a bit reserved until I get to know someone really well. That being said, or typed, I took our move from Alabama to Louisiana really hard. We left behind my family, all of our friends, and a really great church to move to a place that I equated to Africa. We might as well have moved across the Atlantic to a whole other country. God was working behind the scenes, like He seems to do, and was preparing me for something I never imagined. By 2009, we had found our way to Northshore Church, and I was going to attend a women's event called "Who is SHE?". I didn't know many ladies at the church, and I really didn't want to go by myself. I came up with lots of excuses as to why I shouldn't go, but none of them were good enough. I went to that first SHE event and was so blessed. So extremely blessed, that I found Jenny immediately afterwards and told her that if she did another event, I would love to help behind the scenes. I don't think she heard me because I was asked to speak at the next event. Remember me saying that I was shy? Yeah, I don't think God or Jenny got that memo. Anyway, ten events (nine women's and one teen) later and I 'm still being pulled out of my comfort zone, but it is all good. : ) I love the prep work that goes into the events. I am honored to serve as Co-Executive Director and Secretary of Total Woman U. I firmly believed that God has used Total Woman U to not only equip me but to empower me to do things I never imagined possible. Through TWU, I have made friends that literally walk alongside me and encourage me on this beautiful journey of becoming all God created me to be. Won't you join me too? Embrace life to the fullest, Stefaney |
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