Having the best time touring with the Worship Together gang. Brenton Brown (Everlasting God, Hosanna, Lord Reign In Me), Matt Maher (Your Grace Is Enough) and Michael and Lisa Gungor (I Am a Friend of God) are the incredible writers and worship leaders out on this tour. We take turns throughout the night leading worship, and so far, it’s been one of the best tours I’ve gotten to be part of. During the day we also teach seminars on various topics about worship leading, songwriting for the church, putting a band together, making Christ central in our worship, etc.

Hi Everyone,

I’ll be posting pictures really soon but wanted to let you know about an incredible opportunity I had last week to be part of Richard and Henry Blackaby’s (author or “Experiencing God”) new study on revival called “Fresh Encounter”. I was part of the video series that will go along with the study – having the really different experience of playing “host”, which actually proved to be a lot of fun.

Okay, so I’ve been doing Pilates for over a year now with a wonderful instructor who could snap me in half. She takes pleasure in torturing me for an hour a couple times a week because, as she freely admits, she has a bit of a sadistic side – despite that she’s almost 60 and bears the deceptively sweet name of Lorraine.

I recently returned from an inspiring trip to Orange County, CA where I connected with some of the women’s leadership at Saddleback Church. When I got back one of my dear friends asked me how my trip to Camelback was in Arizona – I told her it was amazing but that it was actually called Saddleback and it’s in California, but details are so overrated…

Hi Everyone,

Hope you had a great Christmas and New Year. Above are two pics with my sweetest niece, Maryn: one from Christmas ’07 and one from ’08. She is looking better, I am looking older with less make-up. Oh well, isn’t this what blogs are for – exposing a shred of real life?

Hey Everyone,

Okay, I’m sorry it’s taken so long for me to blog yet again. Are you seeing a pattern here? – that perhaps the lightening speed world of the internet is not exactly my thing?

First of all, I had a great time meeting many of you at the LifeWay women’s forum last week in Nashville. It was awesome getting to talk to so many of you in person. I also enjoyed speaking at the event as it’s always fun to wear a suit on occasion :) Right after that event I flew to England for a worship conference that I got to sing and speak at. Being a part of the Mission Worship Conference in Eastbourne, England has got to be one of the greatest joys of my life. If you love worship you need to make plans to come. Next year’s dates are November 13-15.

Hey Everyone,

So sorry for the blog delay but it has not been for lack of writing! I have been simultaneously working on my next book and bible study and I feel that this picture of my favorite and only niece captures my current state of emotions. Since a picture is worth a thousand words let me fill in a few of those for you: “Don’t make me!” “I don’t want to!” “Get me out of this dress and off this chair!” “Where are my toys?”

Hey Everyone,

I am just returning from a lovely trip to England. Or was it a brilliant trip? Can you tell I’m doing my best to incorporate some of my new favorite English words like savory or confectionary? Or how about the one I heard this morning on the train over the loudspeaker, “please do not ‘alight’ off certain platforms.” I told myself I would refrain from alighting.

In addition to novel words and expressions I’ve enjoyed the tea, the scones, the myriad fare of international cuisine. With every trip to the United Kingdom I take something new in, something I didn’t see or notice or breathe the time before. This trip was altogether unique as I was over there to sing and speak at a women’s conference. It was my first women’s conference in England – actually in any other country besides the United States – and it was fascinating to see the differences and similarities between the women at this conference and the women I’m so familiar with in America. Albeit the distinctions were slight, the biggest for me were the British speakers that I have not had the privilege of being exposed to until this weekend.

Greetings Everyone,
I have a little encouragement for anyone who might be feeling a little invisible, or perhaps more accurately, concealed. I was sitting in church last Sunday and my pastor had us turn to Isaiah 49. There was something that especially hit me and hopefully it will mean something to you as well.

I had a moving experience this past week and when I say “moving” I don’t so much mean that I was touched or inspired but that I actually had a moving experience, as in I packed everything up and moved, which in turn did prove fairly moving as well… Okay, I’ll cut to the chase.

So glad you stopped by the new site. We’ve been experiencing extra traffic ever since one of our favorite Bible Study teachers, Beth Moore, decided to facilitate the “No Other Gods” study on her blog this summer. (You can check it out here if you’d like to read more about it). If this is your first time here please feel free to look around and thank you for being patient with us as we are still working to get everything up and running.

Hey Everyone,

Just thought I’d post another blog while waiting for our updated site to launch (hopefully in the next few weeks!)

I’ve been reading in the Gospel of John recently and was blessed by something yesterday morning. Many of you are familiar with the verse “He must increase, but I must decrease” in John 3:30. It’s a solid truth in and of itself, but taken alongside its surrounding context makes it all the more rich…

Hello everyone! I hope everyone is having a wonderful Easter weekend! Middle TN had very beautiful weather, but my family had 12-15 inches of snow in the Chicago area! I’m so happy that is not what my Spring is like here in the south! I function much better with beautiful, warm sun in my daily life!
Our church had a beautiful Good Friday service. Respect and love for The Blood of Christ was the center of the service. The cross was in the center of the room with all facing it. We had a huge canvas standing up on the stage and three painters painting one mural as we worshiped and heard the message. The final image came into view toward the end of the service where we could clearly see Christ upon the cross wearing a crown of thorns. The painting was done all in black. But as the service came to a close, some actors acted out the final day of Christ and as He was betrayed and as He was beaten and nailed to the cross, the painters added blood to the Christ’s body. It was such a vivid reminder of what happened on this monumental day and I was very thankful to start my weekend in that way.

In keeping with the story of Elizabeth, there was something that hit me profoundly the other morning that I wanted to share with you. First, a little back-story… Elizabeth had been unable to bear children and was way past childbearing years when an angel of the Lord appeared to her husband, Zechariah, while he was ministering in the temple. The angel told him that he and his wife would bear a child who would pave the way for the coming Messiah, Jesus. This child we all know as John the Baptist, one of the most important figures in our Christian heritage…