life beyond the well…


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Recap: Pastors and Leaders Conference 2014

This past weekend, Preacherman and I had opportunity to attend the 2014 International Pastors and Leadership Conference hosted by Bishop T.D. Jakes in Orlando, Florida.  We loved every minute of it.

Being busy without direction is dangerous because it can lead you to waste time, energy, and resources.  One of the biggest gains from this conference was being able to understand the HOW and the WHY of what we should be doing in regards to our ministry.  Not only that, we left with a clear idea of what we can do right now in our church planting process.  Every night, Preacherman and I found ourselves making to-do lists, reaching out to people, and processing all that we were learning.

A huge highlight for us was being able to connect with people–meeting others on the same journey as us, meeting people who have been in ministry for years, and seeing friends and family.  Our pastor, Andy Thompson presented at the conference on Marriage and Ministry, and did a phenomenal job! His session was engaging and entertaining, but grounded in wisdom and biblical truth.  It is such a blessing to be under the leadership of him and his wife, and we are so appreciative of their love and support of us in this journey.

There really are no words to describe how full we felt after leaving this conference.  Since being back, we’ve been hard at work applying the things that we’ve learned, building relationships, and finally hitting a stride in the church planting process.  Though we are at the beginning of this journey, it’s exciting to see things begin to take off and move in the right direction.

To God be the glory for the things He has done.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!


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Weekly Word 2014 Week 10: Isaiah 32:17

I wish that I could say that every time someone has done me wrong, I have responded appropriately.  I haven’t.  And even now, years into being saved and growing in Christ, there are times where I WISH I could just respond to people “any kind of way”.  Preacherman is excellent about not being driven by his emotions, and he takes great care to make sure that he not only responds appropriately to situations and circumstances, but that his response is one that not only glorifies God, but also one that displays righteousness (being in right standing with God).

What I have learned is that I’m not accountable for how other people treat me, but I am accountable for how I treat them; which is why my response to situations is paramount. As I was praying about a situation that really challenged me this week, I kept hearing in my spirit something that I heard a fellow ministers’ wife say before: “the reward for righteousness is peace”.  That thought leads me to this week’s memory verse:

“And the effect of righteousness will be peace [internal and external], and the result of righteousness will be quietness and confident trust forever.” –Isaiah 32:17 (Amplified)

When I reflect on this verse, I realize that I’d rather have the peace that comes with handling situations in a Godly way, than to have to worry about the effects and negative consequences for responding out of my flesh.  Furthermore, doing so can allow others to build confidence and trust in me, which is needed if we want to reach people for God.  If people can’t trust in me, how can they trust that what I say about God and who He is is real?

Things to ponder.

Be encouraged!  Peace and Blessings!