Monday night I was teaching at our Cultivate Her group talking about finding our identity in Christ.  Several ladies shared stories about our tendency to find our identities in our roles as mothers, in our talents, in our achievements, etc.  In the weeks that we’ve been discussing this topic, the question always comes back to “how?”  How do I find my identity in Christ?

It seems so easy… so natural to attach our identity to the other things we named.  I suppose this is because our culture praises us for the roles, responsibilities, talents and achievements we succeed at, and so we quickly find our worth there.

My challenge for us all for this week was to find some intentional time with God.  I don’t believe we can really understand who we are in Christ unless we know Him, right?  Out of our relationship with God, we’ll begin to understand more and more of who He has created us to be and what He’s called us to do.

That conversation brought up this question: How do I hear God’s voice?

There’s not an easy answer to that question.  There’s not a magic formula or a switch we can flip.

For me, hearing God’ voice happens when I slow down, when I spend time reading his word, meditating on scripture and praying patiently.  I usually don’t hear Him when I’m in a hurry.  I don’t hear Him when I’m in a rush.  I hear him when my soul is quiet and still.

How about you?  How do you hear God’s voice?

Have you ever had a plan in mind…what you wanted to be when you grew
up, where you saw yourself in ten years, how high on the ladder you
hoped to climb…and you find yourself looking around at your life and
thinking, “This is NOT what I was expecting!” Sometimes our best-laid
plans don’t materialize the way we hoped because God’s vision for our
dreams was beyond what we had planned for ourselves.

Join us for

“God Ruined My Plans”

at October’s Nashville Cultivate Her event.

Featuring our guest speakers:

Natalie Robertson & Diana Sumpter

Wednesday, October 20th

7:00 – 8:30 AM

Cross Point Nashville gym

RSVP in the comments section of the Cultivate Her blog by clicking HERE

Hope to see you there!

Can you say W H I R L W I N D?

And although a few days have past, I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment to share my thoughts and highlights from Catalyst.

I found myself being very nostalgic about this event this year.  Catalyst was a significant influence in my leadership development.  I was 24 years old the first time I attended Catalyst, and while I didn’t view myself as a leader, it was something that I was aspiring to with everything in me.  10 years later I couldn’t help but walk the corridors of the arena and look at the young, bright-eyed, twenty-somethings and see myself in them.

That’s why I’m so thankful for Catalyst!  It’s simply unbelievable the number of leaders this organization has invested in, inspired and influenced.  Literally hundreds of thousands of leaders!  That kind of influence is simply unbelievable.

Catalyst team – thank you for leading us so well.  I’m so grateful!

Here are a few of the highlights for me this year at Catalyst Atlanta:

• Attending the labs on Wednesday.  I love the space for conversation and connection that the smaller environment of the labs creates.
• Listening to my pastor and my boss speak at the labs.  So proud of you, Pete!
• Worship – always love the worship
• Andy Stanley‘s opening session about the tensions leaders face.  He challenged us to take some time to answer the question: “What do you want to see God do in your life 10 years from now?”
• Scott Harrison‘s story.  Scott is the founder of Charity Water.  Check out this organization.  Scott’s story is fascinating!
• Hosting the Cultivate Her lunch for women leaders.  This was a partnership with Leading & Loving It and Mercy Ministries.  Big thanks to the Mercy Ministries team for sponsoring over 120 women to lunch on Thursday!  I’m so excited about what God is doing to stir up the gifts of women leaders in the church.
• Christine Caine on the main stage.  This is one woman that I would love to have a cup of tea with someday.  Her passion and energy is contagious!
• Meeting and talking with John Ortberg.  Such an inspiring and encouraging leader.  I’m not sure I made any sense but I was grateful for the conversation.
• Perry Noble.  Need I say more?  I don’t know anyone who can shock and inspire in the same breath!  I also loved that a large team from Newspring was there cheering him on.
• The Hospitality of the Monvee team.  I’m a fan of what these guys are doing.
• The conversations, the entertainment, the surprises… that is Catalyst!

Did you attend Catalyst this year.  If so, what did you enjoy most?

FINDING HOPE WHEN HOPELESS… FINDING JESUS

Three years ago, a girl—we’ll call her Rachel—walked through Mercy Ministries’ doors for the first time.

Rachel was born to parents who never wanted her—and they told her so constantly.  She grew up believing she was no more than a mistake, wondering what she did to deserve such abuse at the hands of those who should have protected her. These were her PARENTS!

When most girls turn 13, they’re giggling about boys and trying on lip-gloss.  When Rachel turned 13, she was sold into sex trafficking by her own family, for less than $100, abandoned like trash on the side of the road.

Tormented by nightmares and tangled in a web of lies, Rachel never knew she had a way out.  When she escaped this horrific trap and led to Mercy by a friend, Rachel met the God who was watching over her even in her darkest moments.

She began to change her thoughts, learning Jeremiah 29:11 by heart: “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

It didn’t happen overnight, but gradually Rachel began to see herself as God saw her—loved, valuable, and chosen by name.

She found Mercy…  She found Jesus…

Sarah was far too young to be a mother when she got pregnant—by her own biological father.  To hide his sin from the rest of the family, Sarah’s father knew he couldn’t bring her to a doctor.  He took matters into his own hands and used a coat hanger to kill the unborn child.  This was her FATHER!

Sarah was locked up in shame and self-hatred when she arrived at Mercy.   How could anyone look beyond her horrible past?

Sarah’s counselor told her to listen to Joyce Meyer’s teachings while here at Mercy, and as Joyce shared how her father abused her as a child as well, Sarah learned to hope again.  After all, if God could rescue Joyce from that pit and use her story as inspiration to thousands of people across the globe, then maybe, just maybe, He could do that for Sarah, too.

When she realized that God had sent His son to redeem her long before she even existed, she slowly began to believe, “This is never what God wanted for my life.  He loves me.  My biological father may have hurt me, but I have a new heavenly Father who promises that nobody will ever take me from His hand again.”

Sarah found Mercy… She found Jesus…

Like many Mercy grads, Rachel and Sarah left the program with their lives transformed and their hearts anew.  Many of Mercy’s grads have wonderful families of their own, loving the Lord, and some on the mission field – these young women are now thriving as productive members of society.

Since Mercy Ministries opened in 1983, girls like Sarah and Rachel have been set free from all forms of abuse:  human sex trafficking, unplanned pregnancies often times due to incest or rape and life-controlling issues that include eating disorders, depression, self-harm and addictions.  This FREE Christian residential counseling program offers help to girls 13-28, again at NO COST! There are homes all around the country in Nashville, TN; St. Louis, MO; Lincoln, CA; and Monroe, LA.

More than 2-thousand other young women have successfully completed the program. They, too, found Mercy…. They found Jesus…

For more information on Mercy Ministries, visit www.mercyministries.com.

Are you headed to Catalyst in Atlanta in a few weeks?

If so, we would love for you to join us for lunch Thursday, Oct 7th!

Cultivate Her in partnership with Leading & Loving It

Is excited to invite you to join us for lunch in Atlanta sponsored by Mercy Ministries
Come and connect with other women in ministry and leadership if you are in the Atlanta area or attending Catalyst.

Thursday, October 7th
12:15pm (during the Catalyst lunch break)
at the Gwinett Arena (location of Catalyst)

RSVP at: http://leadingandlovingit.com in Upcoming Events
When asked for Event, please use Catalyst Lunch.

Hope to see you there!

It’s Friday… my day for catching up.  My day for reading, running, Cultivate Her planning, errands, writing, dreaming and shopping (if I can fit it in.) Oh and laundry, but I try not to think about that one.

I always try to pack more into Friday than I ought to since it’s supposed to be my winding down day, however today my mind is racing.  I didn’t get everything done that I needed to this week.  In fact I missed a few things that I really needed to get done.   But here is some of what I did do this past week:

• Partnered with Justin to lead the very first Discovering Cross Point class for the Bellevue Campus. So fun to share vision with a new group of potential CP members.  It was a great night!
• Had a great “All Staff” meeting with our team.  We’re gearing up for some fun stuff with our staff this fall including attending The NINES conference on September 9th.  Are you registered yet – it’s free?  Our team is going to making a fun day of it.
• Had the privilege of hanging out with the Buckhead Church staff on Wednesday and I got to share my passion for being “Confident in our Calling” as church leaders.  I love how Jeff Henderson leads his team.  I’m always trying to learn as much from him as I can.

I’m also excited about the launch of our new series this Sunday!

DNA returns, now in 3D.

Seriously, be ready to get your 3D glasses when you arrive Sunday at all of our campuses and prepare for some Cross Point DNA delivered to you in 3D!  Here’s a little preview:

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/14004900[/vimeo]

Love our team and the work they put into making this stuff happen!

This month we’re going to be talking about the power of influence.

We’ll be celebrating stories of women who have influenced our leadership in a significant way.

Was there someone in your life who believed in you even when you didn’t believe in yourself?

Is there someone in your life that is a constant support and encouragement to you?

We want to hear YOUR stories and we want to inspire you with the stories of others.

Here’s my story…

I was 15.  shy.  insecure.  timid.  nervous.  scared.

Standing over to the side of her busy ice cream shop, I waited patiently for an opportunity to inquire about a job.  I’m quite certain that I nearly bolted out a few times, but I needed to do this.  I wanted to work here.  I needed a job to earn money for college and I was going to stretch myself to branch out.

But she noticed me. This kind, outgoing, sweet woman noticed me.

** Hop on over to the Cultivate Her blog for the rest of the story and the details for the August event.

Fortunately it was a very good one.  Here are some things on my mind today:

• An important project that I’ve been working on (which happened to be one of my thorns), is officially complete today!  Holy cow, that’s a wonderful feeling.  I’m not sure how to adequately celebrate it.
• It’s been a roller coaster week for all things Cultivate Her.  Some good news, some bad news, some big dreaming and then a great event this past Wednesday with our guest speaker Tami Heim.  We’re dreaming and scheming some amazing stuff for all things women in leadership, so stay tuned.
• Our Cross Point missions teams are back home this week.  Our team in the Dominican Republic came back Tuesday and our Honduras team gets back tomorrow.  So proud of each of these teams for serving so big!  You can check out highlights from the Honduras trip HERE.
• Almost finished with Steven Furtick’s new book Sun Stand Still: What Happens When You Dare to Ask God for the Impossible.  This one is making me think and pray BIG!  It doesn’t release until Sept 21st, but you can pre-order by clicking the title.
• Gotta finish up my talk for The NINES this weekend.  Are you registered to attend?  It’s FREE!  Our entire staff is going to attend this year.
• Can’t believe July is almost over.
• I’m working on some big planning and leadership development stuff for our team for this fall.  I’m getting so excited – love people development stuff – LOVE IT!
• My thumb which I smashed during flood week is growing back really funky.  Kind of afraid it’s going to stay that way. 
• Going to the beach for a few days the end of next week with my sis.  Can’t wait!
• Walking with Ash in 30 minutes!  Love that sweet little Audrey Beth but she has messed up our weekly run/walk time.  Excited to get back to it!
• Hoping to see Inception this weekend.  Everyone is raving about it.  Have you seen it?

Find some joy in your weekend and tell us about it!

Last month at our Cultivate Her event in Nashville, I shared the story of Deborah and the confidence she displayed in her calling.  Deborah is one of my favorite leaders from scripture and I’m continuing to unpack layers of her leadership that fascinate me.

If you need a refresher on the story, hop over to Judges chapters 4 & 5.

Here are some key things I find in this story:

• Deborah is Judge of Israel during a time when Israel is being cruelly oppressed by the Canaanites
• We know she’s married and that she holds court under a palm trim on a hill (sounds like a nice office)
• She gets a command from God for Barak to rally 10,000 men and face the Canaanite army
• Barak refuses to go unless Deborah goes with him
• You never see Deborah waiver; she continually reminds Barak that God promised he would give Sisera, the commander of the Canaanite army, into his hands.
• Chapter 5 is their victory song

I wish the writer of Judges had been a bit more descriptive about the relational and emotional dynamics going on behind the scenes in this story.  The writer tells us what happens and the decisions that Deborah makes, but doesn’t give us a ton of insight into how she felt or what she was processing through each decision.

It’s at this point that I start trying to place myself in the story.  How would I have felt?  What would I have been afraid of?

Here’s what I observe to be the keys to Deborah’s confidence:

1) She had EARNED INFLUENCE.

Deborah was a prophetess and judge of Israel at a time when it was highly unusual for a woman to serve in such positions of leadership.  It makes me think she must have had some significant influence to have been appointed to these positions to begin in.  She also must have displayed consistency of character, love for people, sound judgment, etc in her role as Judge.  Barak and the 10,000 leaders were willing to follow her lead and trusted what she said was God’s command.

2)  She displayed INCREDIBLE STRENGTH

I can’t imagine living in the times that she lived in.  Israel was weak, defenseless and far from God.  I suspect moral was low and hope was barely a flicker.  But Deborah had hope and a vision from God and out of this she summoned the strength to still the voices of doubt and timidity, and as one author describes, “called the people to battle, leading them out of idolatry and restoring their dignity as God’s chosen ones”.

3)  She showed CONSISTENT HUMILITY.

It seems like it would have been easy in her shoes to try to take the credit.  God gave her the command, so she could have easily told Barak, “God told me and you to lead the army”, but she didn’t.  She told Barak that God had called him to lead the army.  At that point, she probably had no idea what her role would be.  She was turning the power and the potential glory over to him.

I also love that in Judges 5:7, Deborah doesn’t refer to herself as judge, prophetess or leader.  She describes herself as “a mother in Israel.”  She didn’t need to prove herself or remind others of her positional power.

4)  She was FAITHFULLY OBEDIENT.

Deborah drew her confidence from her relationship with God.  God gave her the directive for the battle with Sisera and she didn’t lose sight of this even in the heat of it.  Judges 4:14 says “Then Deobrah said to Barak, ‘Up! For this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into your hand.  Has not the Lord gone out before you?’” After the battle was finished she and Barak sang a victory song in which they repeatedly thank God.

Deborah’s story is such a key reminder to me of God’s faithfulness through our obedience.  I’m sure she didn’t sign up for all that her leadership would demand, but her confidence was in God’s power, not her own.  She was pursuing His glory, not hers and as a result the people she led experienced freedom for 40 years.  That’s remarkable influence!

What challenges do you face in being confident in your calling as a leader?

Hop on over to the Cultivate Her blog to get the scoop!