Weekend Potpourri

What a weekend! This is just a personal wrap up of the weekend, for any friends who care to read.

Larry was away at district men's conference the majority of this weekend. I was so glad he had the opportunity to get away and spend some time with other men. But I was even happier to have him come home to me, and reconnect. We actually arranged our schedule to have a little impromptu date this weekend, and that was one of the highlights for me as simple as it was.

One of the most special aspects of my weekend was having Dr. Bill & Barbara Kuert, missionaries to Kenya, as our guests in service today at Celebration. They have been my hosts on my trips to Africa, and were the first ones to invite me there. Their investment into my life and their friendship means the world. I love them so much.

To top off the weekend we had a great choir rehearsal tonight. We've been working really hard on our Christmas production since JULY. Yes, seriously...July. I'm so excited about what God is going to do through it.

Looking ahead, Larry will be coaching at church planter's boot camp this week. I'll be keeping all my usual things going plus some extra things on my plate. All good things.

There's so much on my mind to write about but I'm too exhausted from a busy Sunday to formulate those thoughts right now, so I'll just say goodnight...

Much love,

 

Why Walmart Has So Many Registers They Rarely Use

Do you ever get frustrated that Walmart has sooooo many registers and only opens up one or two?

Yeah, me too.

Recently I had a conversation with a Walmart cashier and I found out that Walmart has a lot more in common with the church than I ever realized.

I'm blogging about that today at the Pastoring Partners Network. I hope you'll join me there.

And, I hope you're having a wonderful weekend.

Much love,

I Want My Husband To Leave

What?!

Are you reading my headline correctly?

Yes. You are.

I want my husband to leave.

I want him to leave today.

I want him to leave as soon as possible. 

I want him to go away and not come back until Saturday night.

Why, you might ask? Well...

He's going on a men's retreat!!!  And I love when he does that. It's not that I don't love my husband in fact, it's because I love him so much that I want him to go on this men's retreat.

He's going to come back home a better man, a better Christian, husband and father.

He's going to come home strengthened and encouraged, and even more fired up.

He's going to come home more appreciative of me. Why? Because hotel rooms are lonely without me even though he's with a bunch of guys.

He's going to come home ready to eat a late dinner that I make. (He loves my cooking.)

He's going to take a warm shower and then get in bed and snuggle up with my head on his chest while we watch Fox News "The Five."

He's going to gently rub my back while we watch TV, and think about oh how much he missed me.

He's going to love having me next to him all night.

He's going to be so incredibly glad he went on the men's retreat and grateful to come home at the same time.

Yes, I want my husband to leave!  It's in both our best interests.

Ladies: support your husbands in getting away with the guys! Don't even give them a hint of an attitude that you'd rather they not go. They pick up on it even if you say you don't mind, if your attitude betrays your words, they notice. You can guilt your husband into staying home, and you know what? You do yourself no favors. He will be a better man for having spent a little time away.

Have a great time, babe! I so glad you left, but I can't wait til' you come back home to me.

True Church Stories #42

This may just be the strangest thing that has EVER happened to me in an elevator.

Why am I including an elevator story among the "True Church Stories" series? Because I include things in this series that go on in the course of ministering in the "church world", not just in the church building or office.

In addition to pastoring at our church I also travel and speak. The past few years I've traveled an average of about one weekend a month doing that. Many times I've been asked to speak about marriage. In fact, at our district Experience Conference, I've taught the session on married sexuality for many years. I asked not to have that assignment this past year, because I was kind of tired of being known as "the sex lady" at least as that particular conference is concerned. I enjoy teaching about biblical sexuality, but I also like to share on a plethora of other topics. So...

At a women's conference years ago here in Florida, I was asked to teach about sexuality and I shared that my husband Larry and I have a policy of telling each other things we are feeling, even if it is sometimes difficult. We find it's important to build a closer relationship. I have rather pale skin. Larry lovingly told me one day that with my skin tone, he appreciated when I would wear darker color undergarments rather than white as it made me even more attractive to him. I could have been offended that my husband was basically saying, "you look pale and pasty in white panties" or I could listen and try to make him happier. To me, it was something very easy to change. So why not? I started wearing darker colors more often. What was my point in sharing that with an audience of women? Simply that little things like that often make a big difference to our spouse. Rather than take offense at their honesty, if we can look for ways to be a blessing, it's a really good thing. This goes both ways, of course! 

The wives at the conference really seemed to appreciate my candor. Some of them went home and asked their husbands, "is there a particular color or style of bra or panties you prefer me to wear?" It seemed to spice up some marriages.

Fast forward a few years...

I was in Orlando, preaching at a conference. The conference had not started yet. I arrived at the hotel with the woman who was my assistant at the time. We got our luggage out of the car and checked in to the hotel and got on the elevator, which probably had five or six other people on it.

I recognized no one.

As we neared the next floor and the doors opened to let people out, a woman I did not know leaned in and said to me, "I don't wear white panties anymore..." and with that said, she rolled her suitcase out and quickly left the elevator and turned the corner.

Everyone on the elevator could hear her statement about the panties. Their eyebrows were raised in total shock.

My assistant looked at me and said, "What the heck? Do you know that woman?"

I just laughed and said, "no, but I know exactly what she's talking about..."

I subsequently told the elevator story at that conference where I was preaching, and now there are a group of people who call me, "the panty lady."

One of the attendees at the Orlando conference was a youth pastor's wife named Kim. She enjoyed the teachings and came home to tell her husband, David, all about it. She started quoting me and sharing my advice and would say, "David, the panty lady said this, and the panty lady said that..." David began to enjoy the benefits he was reaping from the teachings of the panty lady. He said, "You've told me all about her, Kim. But I don't know her name. What's the panty lady's name?" "I can't recall," she said. "I just remembered her as the panty lady."

The following year, Kim's senior pastor's wife scheduled me to come to their church and speak for a ladies event. They had a poster in the hallway of the church and Kim said, "Oh my gosh, David, the panty is coming to speak at our church!!  There's a poster with her on it in the hallway!!!" David ran around the corner to look at the poster to see who it was and as he did his face turned red. He said,  said, "oh my word, Kim. I can't believe this. The panty lady you've been talking about the past year is my former youth pastor's wife!! This has gone from cool to seriously TMI!"

Ha ha ha ha!!

You can't make this stuff up...

*To read the entire True Church Stories series, go here.

True Church Stories #41

Songs of worship continued as people streamed forward to receive personal prayer from the pastors and prayer team. This is customary in our church services as we believe in divine healing and miracles and we pray for them.

My husband Larry, the lead pastor, was going from person to person, anointing their heads with oil and praying over their needs. As he approached one man, the gentlemen leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Pray for me, pastor. I've been struggling a lot with diarrhea."

Larry leaned in and said, "okay... do you want me to bind it, or loose it?"

I can't remember what the guy's answer was, as all I have remembered over the years is what my husband said. Either way, it's hilarious.

In case you've landed upon this series for the first time, you might notice it's story number 41. I share 40 other "True Church Stories" from our pastoral ministry. Just go to this link and you can enjoy all of them. Many people have told me they've read them with tears rolling down their face, they laughed so hard.

Every pastor or pastor's wife could write a book of stories like this, and I wish they would. Some of the funniest things happen in church!

   

3 Ways To Become Less Irritating (What I Learned On My Way to San Diego)

We often focus on how others irritate us, but do we consider how we may be irritating others?

Thursday morning I was on a flight to San Diego, seated next to an older married couple. I'll start by saying something positive about them. They seemed so happy and doted on one another.

That was where my admiration started and ended.

I followed "the rules" of the ride (turned cell phone off when asked to, put away all electronic devices until otherwise instructed, fastened seat belt) but some others didn't do it so quickly. The couple took it upon themselves to loudly instruct others to do what was really only the flight crew's place to do. I could hardly believe my ears when they started ranting over one woman not shutting her cell phone down quickly enough after the announcement was made. But the ride was just getting started...

For several hours I endured the idiosyncrasies of my seat mates. The first thing they did was put on their Bose soundproof headphones while they listened to music and read books on their iPads. What's wrong with this? Well, nothing except for the fact that the wife took the well-manicured long nails of her right hand and tapped them loudly on her tray table, in time to the beat of the music that she was listening to in her headphones. Since I'm not the flight Nazi, I resisted correcting her and just stared ahead in utter amazement. Tap...tap....tap...click...click...click...all the way to California.

 Just when I thought it couldn't get worse, the husband pulled out a gallon size, ziploc bag of dum dum lollipops. They both took one. And then another. And then another. And then another. What's wrong with this? Nothing except for the fact that they both sucked and licked their dum dum pops as loudly as they could while listening to their music and reading their iPads. It was awful. It sounded sort of like my dog, Max, when he slurps water from his bowl. The woman had a little stand for her iPad so it held it up on the tray table so she could read it hands free.  This enabled her to tap with her right hand while holding her lollipop with the left hand. 

They kept devouring their dum dums as the little white sticks just piled up. Each had a napkin in front of them on the tray table to hold their collection of sticks. They just kept sucking and licking as loudly as they could as we went from coast to coast. Everyone around me appeared to be in as much amazement as I was over their inconsideration but we said nothing. Most people just put their own headphones on to block the sound.

Can this get any worse? Well, for the flight attendant, it did. Both husband and wife brought an empty water bottle of the stylish variety, about 20 oz. each, with them on the flight. Several times as the flight attendant passed, they would ask her to refill their water bottles. Seriously. Have you ever heard of such a thing? In between all the sucking and licking of their dum dums, they were swigging water like it was going out of style. I don't need to tell you what this required of me, being on the end seat...

"Excuse me, I need to use the restroom one more time..."

At least when they went potty I got a break from the incessant tapping, sucking and licking.

Whew, boy!

At the beginning of the flight this couple had taken it upon themselves to tell others what to do. Yet, they were oblivious about how their own behavior affected those around them.

That got me to thinking...how might I be oblivious to the ways I'm irritating others? 

Last night my husband and I were on a date with another pastoral couple. On the way there, by ourselves in the car, I said, "Larry, what do I do that is an irritation to others, that if I worked on it and stopped doing it, would be a real blessing to those around me?"

He shared his honest opinion with me. It was very helpful and gave me some things to work on. I was grateful for his honesty.

What do I believe we all can glean from what I experienced on my plane ride to San Diego?

1) It's helpful to learn from the example (good or bad) of others. Don't just complain about what you notice -- LEARN.

2) Open yourself up to evaluation. Only through honest introspection and evaluation do we grow.

3) Ask someone who loves you and will tell you the truth, about how you can improve. Then take action!

Let's become less irritating, together!

Afraid Your Dreams Won't Come True?

Have you ever been afraid that you wouldn't accomplish your life's dream by the time  you die?  I read 1,000 Places to See Before You Die and all I could think of while reading it was, "If I race around to see all these places I won't have time to achieve my dream." 

A few weeks ago I told Larry, "If I pass away before achieving my dream, please don't have a funeral." You think I'm kidding?  I was dead serious, pardon the pun. I said it would be an embarrassment for him to have a celebration of my life and have to admit to everyone that I never reached what I set out to do.

At least two or three of my friends would probably show up and share a nice memory or two. Hopefully my kids would share more than the story about me substituting vanilla coffee creamer for milk in the recipe for homemade creamed corn two Thanksgivings ago. It was disgusting but I did it out of desperation since the stores were closed. I thought it would work since the recipe called for milk and vanilla. They still haven't let me live that down, and keep telling the story while laughing their butts off every time.

Larry tried to talk some sense into me about my dreams and dying. Sometimes I can receive it from my husband and sometimes it's more of a challenge. I am tempted to think he tells me things just trying to soothe me because I'm his wife and he hates it when I'm sad. Fortunately Mark Batterson and Paul Young brought teachings this past weekend that pretty much hit me square between the eyes. 

And then today the verse for my bible reading plan was, "Yet I am confident I will see the LORD’s goodness while I am here in the land of the living." Psalm 27:13

Along with having to make adjustments in my own thinking, I am reminded, God is a good God. I see His goodness right now. I will keep seeing it all the days of my life, because I will look for it.

I hope you do too. Know this...God is good and He is always at work in your life.

I'm Not In Church Today...

That's a HUGE rarity.  I've been known to tell people, "If I'm not at church, call 9-1-1!"

I almost never miss. I can probably count on one hand the times I haven't been in church on a Sunday morning during the course of my life. My absences have been associated with having just delivered my children or recovering from an operation, or something equally serious. Missing church is just not a part of my life. So, you know my absence today involved something critical. Fortunately I'm not sick...

I am still in California today and late tonight I will take the red eye flight back and arrive in the morning. (Thanks for your prayers.)

I am fascinated by the church and love studying what makes her tick. I love taking pictures of churches, especially old ones. The photo above is one I took at Christ Church in the Bahamas.

I shot the photo below at the Washington National Cathedral in Valley Forge, PA, where Larry and I have many fond memories. We met at Valley Forge Christian College of the AG where we both studied for ministry.

I look at old churches and imagine what it must have been like when they were building them, and I wonder about the future. My mind is awash with all kinds of questions.

My practical pastoral self tends to asks questions like, "How much did it cost them to provide individual prayer kneelers for every single person at Christ Church?"

I start to think about what the unique stresses may be upon the ministers of this particular church which is not just an old church building but a fully functioning congregation at the present. We ministers tend to think about the church a lot, whether we're at a service or not. It sort of comes with the territory.


Although I'm not at Celebration Church Tampa today, my heart is with my CC family. Our church buildings and grounds have improved tremendously over the past years and yet our beauty will never be in stained glass windows and marble floors or any kind of fancy architecture. Our beauty is found in our people and what Christ does in and through them...

 

 

 

 

We may not have stained glass windows...

but we've still got it all.

I miss you, Celebration family. See you soon.

Much love,
 

How to Increase Your Chances of Getting Help

Everyone wants something.


I've noticed the majority of people are clueless about how to get help. And some, when instructed, will insist on continuing to do things their own way which does them no favors.

If you want to receive someone's attention, and ultimately their favor -- communicate with them in the manner that they best receive requests. There are no guarantees, but success is much more likely. 

A previous boss loved texts. If I wanted their attention and response I could text immediately and they promptly responded.  I hate texts. If someone texts me, I groan. I answer in as few words as possible. And, I normally check my texts once or twice a day...not all day. But if I'm dealing with someone who prefers texts and I need something, I know I need to make a personal adjustment. Because I'm the one asking.

I am easy to reach through e-mails, Facebook messages, etc. This would be my number one method of communication where I really flow in helping people. 

I realize everyone doesn't operate that way. And that's why if I need something I don't expect them to meet me there. I find out their sweet spot and approach them in the method that  most entreats them. Because I'm the one asking -- not them.

If they aren't a phone person and prefer face to face meeting, I set up one at their convenience.
If they love texts, I text them.
If they prefer e-mails, I do that.
If they want a phone call, I approach them that way.
If I'm not sure -- I ask them!

There's a well known author I have gotten some personal advice from in the past year. They let me know they are more than happy to help me, but requested I keep my e-mails to two to three sentences. They told me they don't have time to read anything longer than that, from anyone. I keep my questions to two or three sentences and they get back to me promptly with great advice I appreciate. I've found the key to so much is respecting the person whose help you're asking.

You see, the responsibility doesn't fall upon the one who's giving help, it falls upon the one asking for the help. So many don't understand this principle.And they repeatedly get frustrated and wonder why help is elusive.

Will this approach require you to shift gears in how you communicate when you need something? Yes. But the point is, if it's you that needs something, it's you that has to do the shifting.

Will you always get what you want? No. Nobody does. And quite frankly nobody should. Who gets their own way all the time? But meeting others in the way they prefer gives you a lot better chance of gaining assistance.

5 Ways to Deal with Emotionally Broken People

If someone had no legs or was paralyzed, would you command them to stand up and walk across the room to give you a hug? Probably not, as that would be an exercise in futility. Most people would look at you like  you were crazy if you kept demanding that a person with no legs or paralysis walk across the room to give you affection. 

People understand physical disabilities much more than they do emotional ones.

The other day a friend of mine posted on her Facebook status, "Don't lose your dignity and self respect trying to make people love and appreciate you when they just aren't capable."


Very wise words. There are some people in this life who are broken emotionally.  Sometimes there are even groups of people who are incapable. They don't know how to love you. They don't know how to treat you.

They just aren't capable of extending to you what you so long for, because they're emotionally disabled.

Instead of repeatedly demanding of them what they don't have the ability to give:

1) Accept the fact that they are emotionally disabled.
2) Release your expectations of them.
3) Refuse to look to them for your dignity, self respect, love or appreciation.
4) Find those who are capable of extending healthy love and appreciation.
5) Realize that sometimes it takes a while to find healthy people. Be patient.

It's so much better this way, I promise.

10 of My Best Travel Tips

This perfectly describes me going through airport security! Isn't this a riot? My favorite part is the socks. So realistic!

In honor of my trip this week I thought I'd post some of my best travel tips. I travel quite a bit for speaking, and a few years ago when I took a former assistant on a trip with me she remarked that I do some things in travel every time that she's never seen anyone do. She thought they were pretty smart. I'll let you be the judge. 

1) After the airlines started charging for checked bags, I started only taking a carry on and not checking bags if it was a trip of 3 days or less.  In order to take everything necessary, I don't use my normal purse and instead use the largest legal size bag I can find as my "one personal item" that goes underneath my seat. As far as a purse, I bring one that lays flat and doesn't take up much room inside my carry on with nothing in it. When I get to my destination I get the purse out, fill it and utilize it while on my trip until I re-pack to come home.

2) If it's fall or winter and I want to wear boots, I always wear them while I'm flying so that I don't need to take up space in my suitcase for them. It does require a few extra minutes to get them off and back on at security but it's worth it to have them with me on the trip. (I love boots!)

3) I pack clothes that take the smallest amount of room - my lightest pieces. If it's cold where I'm going, I take a wrap and my leather gloves. I keep the gloves in my bag, but I do not put the wrap in the suitcase, I wear it when I am getting on the plane. Then as soon as I get to my seat I put it in the overhead bin for the flight.

4)  To minimize time when going through airport security I don't wear jewelry to the airport. I keep all of it in a small ziploc bag and then when I get through security and settle in with a cup of coffee I sit there and put all my jewelry on. (I wear so many bangles and stuff like that, it always seems to send the sensors off.)  Checking in without jewelry has minimized the times I'm detained and therefore screened with the wand or worse.

5) If I'm on a long overnight flight (like a missions trip) I always carry a small packet of facial wipes with me. They really come in handy before going to sleep and when I wake up. I like having the familiarity of being able to wash my face before I go to bed/wake up.

6) I carry an extension cord in my suitcase on every trip whether flying or driving. I don't like to be limited to wherever the hotel put their outlets. I enjoy having plenty of outlets for my flatiron or computer, wherever it's convenient for me in the room. Also if I'm sharing the room with an assistant or my husband, I want plenty of outlets available even though we have to share. 

7) I don't take books with me anymore. I used to take a lot -- I can't live without books even on a short trip. On my first trip to Africa I took a bag filled with nothing but books. I will never lug a case of books across the world again. I only take my Kindle now.

8)  I take an exercise DVD with me (usually one of Leslie Sansone's Walk Away the Pounds) and use it in the room so I'm not limited to the hotel gym hours.

9) I take some basic first aid items not only for myself, but to help whoever it is that I'm traveling with. This doesn't take up a lot of room but it's uncanny how somebody seems to need something on almost every trip. I've even helped strangers.  My kids laugh at how I'm always prepared with this stuff. One time Dustin did a skit at church and making fun of me said, "Who needs some figs? Never fear, you can find them in my mom's purse!" They may poke fun about it , but when they need my help, they aren't laughing so much.  

10)  I drink more tea than would ever be provided in a hotel room. I take some with me.

 

How To Make Sure You Don't Fail

Truth bomb ahead!!!

God dropped this into my heart last night:

There is no failure in the surrendered life.

Today I brought the devotional thought in my weekly ezine on the subject, "When Getting Your Own Way Destroys You".  There has been a lot of reaction to it, not just a few folks responding on Facebook, but private emails.  Evidently what God has been dealing with me on lately has really struck a chord with some other people too.

God has been zeroing in on this in my life and speaking to me loud and clear that as long as one is fully surrendered to God, failure is impossible.

When we surrender completely, we line up with every single thing He's instructed -- every thing He's required. Everything that's His heart for us is complete as we totally relinquish our will for His.

Human beings have an idea of what failure looks like and I'm here to tell you, it's radically different in many ways than what God thinks.

Are you living in 100% surrender to God? To His way, and His will? Are you lined up with His ways and means of doing things?

If so, you're a success in all the ways that count. 

What Is the Job Description for the Pastor's Wife?

I'm blogging over at Pastoring Partners Network today and tackling the subject of the pastor's wife's job description. PW friends, join me there.

My prayers are focused today on every pastor's wife who reads this -- whether I know you personally or not  ~ that God's empowering and sustaining grace be with you.

I love you, 

 

One More Thing

Do you feel as if you can't handle one more thing going wrong right now?

Yesterday my inbox had a number of messages from people who are facing life-altering situations and several said, "I don't know that I can handle one more thing going wrong right now..."

I understand. I've been there.

Jesus meets you at the place of "one more thing". I have literally sat in my bathtub soaking (that's where I get the most privacy in my life and therefore it's my favorite place) and cried and said, "God, please hear me. One more thing is not an option. If you think it is, just please, take me on home, because I can't weather it."

Obviously God knew more than I did. Sometimes the "one more thing" came. And grace came with it.  Grace that enabled a stretching, beyond what I ever thought I could do. There were times I felt like a rubber band that was stretched to it's maximum, ready to snap and God knew I had a little more physical and emotional elasticity in me than I did. I look back in wonder that I was able to not only survive but thrive. 

We are capable of more than we think we are -- through Him, not of ourselves. His grace is amazing.

Today, I am specifically in prayer for those who are absolutely stretched to what you believe is your breaking point. I pray waves and waves of grace over you.

Much love,

Weekend Potpourri

Here's what's in my heart, in no particular order. Get ready for random.

I'm "good and tired" tonight. Not just tired, but a good-tired.
I'm so glad to be sitting here, with Max.

He's the jelly on my biscuit, the gravy on my mashed potatoes, the marshmallow on my snowball.

Speaking of marshmallows...I've been on a "sweet fast" for almost a month. I'd pretty much kill to have a brownie right now. With walnuts. Oh my.
  
After the Experience Conference, coming home and unpacking, cooking for choir lunch and then going through the Sunday schedule:

Up at the crack of dawn
Head for church at 7:30 AM
Lead rehearsal
Teach my Life Group
Morning Worship
Choir Luncheon
Choir Rehearsal

Rehearsal was over at 3:00 and I stayed at the church all day today and worked until about 6:30 PM, by myself.

It had to be done.

I have some more to do tonight before sleep comes again.

I'm headed to California this Thursday, so I needed to get a jump on things or the week was going to get away from me without everything getting done.

It still feels kinda surreal that I'm going to California. 

I always come home with knowledge from the Experience Conference but this time I came home different in other ways. Still processing, but something new is happening in my heart and life. Something good. Something besides writing, and California.

Heart things.

Speaking of writing, I'm still working on the Celebration Church Christmas play/musical. I can't wait to finish it. We've been working on it since July.  The choir sounds amazing. Now if I could just finish the script. I had a majority of it done and then felt led to tweak in another direction. I'm an incessant tweaker. I probably drive certain (magazine/journal) editors crazy by sending them fourth, fifth and sixth "final drafts" of things. I'm sure, and then...not so much. Always making changes.

I'd rather do that than get complacent.

It was a great week this past week, and I can't wait to see what's going to unfold this week.

Prayers appreciated.

 

Simmering

My heart is full from the Experience Conference. I gave of myself (taught 4 sessions and I'm exhausted tonight), but I received so much more. I enjoy this conference every year. There's so much for anyone to glean from it, it's overwhelming. I always get amazing revelation from it but this year was different for me. It was a turning point for me with some things but I haven't thoroughly processed it yet to be able to express it. Right now it's just simmering on the burner of my life, but it'll soon be ready to serve up.

I had a good time with my husband this weekend. As much as I dislike being away from the kids (we were away from Jordan and Savanna -- Dustin was at Experience) and the dogs, it's so good to be away with the man. It wasn't a vacation, as we were busy the whole time with speaking and learning and connecting with other leaders. However, we have driving time and hotel time together and that means the world to me. I like to think it does for him too.

Speaking of simmering, tomorrow is another choir luncheon at Celebration and it's soup & sandwich day. We love spending time together in fellowship and working together. The photo above is a pot of soup I made when Larry and I were on a getaway together in the mountains. Yeah, I'm one of *those* people who take pictures of food cooking. :)  I didn't make soup for tomorrow but I did make my famous chicken salad and iced tea.

It's finally bedtime. So glad to be in my own bed and back home with everybody in the family and headed to Celebration in the morning. Sweet dreams, everybody...
 

Church Prayer Meetings Minus the Flakes!

Would you like to know how to lead a church prayer meeting without flakes, fruitloops and freaks taking over and holding it hostage?

It's not easy, especially if you're a pentecostal.

I understand your dilemma.

We've finally managed to have pentecostal prayer meetings that aren't hi-jacked, at Celebration. It took a while.

I was asked to teach on this subject at the Experience Conference, which is a district event today and tomorrow in Lakeland, FL. Larry and I are teaching sessions both days. I'm speaking on leading pentecostal prayer & JUGGLE, and he's speaking on leading the church through change.

In case you are interested in the basics of what I'm going to cover today about leading prayer meetings minus the flakes, you can find it in my 5-part series here on the blog on the same topic.

My Journey to Making History Through Prayer - Part 1
My Journey to Making History Through Prayer - Part 2
My Journey to Making History Through Prayer - Part 3
My Journey to Making History Through Prayer - Part 4
My Journey to Making History Through Prayer - Part 5

Particularly if you are a church leader or pastor who is interested in strengthening prayer ministry in your church, I hope these posts are a blessing to you.

And on that note, pray for us as we minister at the conference today!