I’m looking outside my window right now.  Over the mountains, the sun is setting.  It’s not a magnificent, calendar-perfect kind of sunset.  It’s very simple.  In other words, it’s nothing like the picture above.  The sky is really light blue and there’s one small, translucent cloud and a few others spots that are orange.  Very simple.  But, there is something about that sunset.  There is something about today.  Nothing has changed in the natural.  I still don’t have a job.  I still don’t know where God is leading me.  My bank account is still plummeting.  But today is different.  I can just feel it.  Something shifted.

Tags: confusion, God, God's voice, storm, when things don't make sense

In Proverbs 29:5, it says:  Whoever flatters his neighbor is spreading a net for his feet. When I read that scripture a few years ago, I gave it a blank stare.  Having always had the gift of encouragement, I loved to compliment people and call out the good in people.  So when I read this, I had to re-read it about five times to make sure I read it right.  But what’s wrong with flattery?  What’s wrong with complimenting people? I thought.  When the dots didn’t line up, I moved on.

Tags: bait and hook, flatter, flattery, Leadership

You see that woman in the picture above?  Of course you know from my post yesterday that she is Heidi Baker.  Right?  Well, did I mention that my best friend is just like her (except with brown hair and an English accent)?

Today, I want to bless you with some quotes from her, my best friend, Gabi:

Don’t run from the condemnation you’re not hearing. Stand in the midst of bullets flying around. Don’t look around, and certainly do not run backwards. Don’t dodge bullets. Don’t let them pierce you and cause you to fall away. Open your hands and catch them, then throw them back and wound the enemy.

Tags: quotes

We all want to see and meet and know people who are real. Christians and non-Christians alike want to see people who say what they mean and mean what they say.  We don’t have to look very far to find good teachers and preachers and leaders and experts who can tell us a great many things about anything we want to know.  But I think what we want even more is to find leaders who live out that message they preach.  We want to find leaders whose lives speak even louder than their words.

Tags: Christian leaders, God's love, Heidi Baker, lead, Leadership, learning to love, love

Before we go any further as leaders, we have to ask ourselves this question: Who will we serve? Will we lead to serve the crowd (the world) or will we lead to serve God?  Who will dictate why and where we lead — God or the world?  Who will we answer to — God or the crowd?  While the answer to this question seems obvious, it’s one thing to say and know the right answer and it’s another thing to live it.

Tags: 1 Samuel, Christian leaders, David, lead, Leadership, leading, leading God's way, Saul

People are looking for someone to look darkness in the face.  People are looking for someone to stand up to the giants of this world and not back down.  People are looking for someone to stand up for them.  People are looking for someone to show them the way out of darkness and into complete victory and freedom.

Tags: David, David and Goliath, God, king david, leader, shepherd boy, unlikely leaders

I wish I could have seen your reaction when you read that title.  Chances are, most of you are thinking that you’d never have what it takes to be a leader.  Yeah, right about now you’re probably pulling down that mental checklist that says:

1. I’m not bold.
2. I’m not loud.
3. I’m not outgoing.
4. I’ve never led anything.
5. Even if I led something, it’d probably fail miserably.
6. Who would listen to me?
7. Who would want to follow me?
8. I’m the one who needs to be led!

Tags: Christian leaders, God, lead, leader, Leadership, leading God's way

Hey everyone!

Thank you all so much for your input on things that I could ramble about this week!  I love knowing what all of you think and what you want to hear (read).  This certainly won’t be the last time I ask for your input.

I have the winner!

But first, let me walk you through a very exciting, very exhilerating process that I used to pick the winner.

First, I wrote all of your names down on a blue piece of paper.

Second, I cut them all up and folded them into nice little squares.

Third, I put the nicely folded squares into this blue and white bowl I bought at the Antique Mall last Saturday.  I know those blue little squares are trying to blend in with the bowl, but look closely, they’re there.  P.S.  Does my desk look a bit messy again?  It is.  But it’s not horrible.  I like to call it: Organized Chaos.

I can’t wait to announce the winner of the Little Purple Book tonight!

Is anyone as excited as me?

Until then, since this is the first day of a new week — and because I love to know what you think, I want to share some blogging ideas with you and see if any appeal to you personally.

Here’s my list of things to ponder/teach/ramble endlessly about this week:

1. New Mind = New Life: Are you sick of the life you’re living?  Or are there certain areas you want to change?  The key to living the life you’ve dreamed about is in changing the way you think.