I have a new blog

Just want to let all of you know that I moved my blog. You can access it by going to www.kerriweems.com. I transferred all the posts from this blog to that site, so I hope you'll visit it and keep commenting. I love hearing from you.

World Vision Online Donations: My Sponsored Children

World Vision Online Donations: My Sponsored Children

40 Days Of Prayer

Something really cool is going on right now. Some of you might have seen the link to Children’s Cup and their 40 Days of Prayer for the Children campaign in the sidebar of my Blog. Stovall and I are hosts on August 31st and September 1st.This is an online gathering of people who have a heart for Africa or orphans or both. By signing up you are agreeing to take a little time over the next 40 Days to pray for the kids and the ministry of Children’s Cup. Check out the site daily for each days prayer focus. Or you can pick up a copy of the prayer guide at the resource center at any service. And don’t be a perfectionist – even if you don’t pray every day, even if you only pray one day – prayer matters. Prayers impacts the world. Hope you’ll join in!

Love you awesome gals!

Kerri
LB xoxo

Peru Team's Blog is Live

Just wanted to let all of you know that the peru team has their blog up and running. This is the Go Global youth trip. The link is:

http://www.fromthefield.wordpress.com/

This is going to be our permanent missions blog address, so any time teams go out, you will be able to read about it here.

Hey -- BTW -- go check out this website and tell me what you think of it.

http://www.lifechurch.tv/

We are looking to model our church website on theirs -- not an exact copy, but just like that. Our colors, logo, etc will still be the same. Would love to hear your thoughts. They are a church that is doing a phenomenal job with the campus deal --in my opinion, they are the best out there right now, along with Greg Surratt and Seacoast Church in SC.

Preaching Tonight

So I found out yesterday that I am preaching tonight. We are still doing the one year Bible, so I am supposed to preach out of the selections for this week. When Stovall preaches on Wednesdays he just does whatever – he says it's ALL in the one-year Bible, just maybe not today. Hmmmm….

Anyway, it turns out that this week the passages are focused on Romans 14 and 15, which is great. Not only do they fit in with what Stovall was preaching about on Sunday (AWESOME message!!!!), but they also happen to be some of my favorite passages in the scripture. I have really been wanting to teach on them for a long time, but haven’t had the opportunity. SO even though it’s short notice, I'm really excited and have some good things (I think, anyway!) to say.

Thanks so much for all your comments on the excerpt from my book. It is really encouraging to see that people can relate to it because, basically, that’s the whole point. I am working right now to get my last post on motherhood published in Radiant Magazine. I added some stuff and tightened it up, so we will see.

Love ya’ll and hope I see some of you tonight!
Kerri
LB xoxo

Another excerpt from my book on motherhood

I am posting another little excerpt from my book on motherhood. This one is more like a journal entry than an excerpt because I haven’t don’t the first bit of editing on it yet. I really want to highlight how being a mom opened my eyes up to the generations before me and how that added richness to my life. Any of you out there had a similar experience? I would love to know about it.

Love,

Kerri LB xoxo

Far From Ordinary

I remember shortly after I had my first child, my beautiful daughter Kaylan, (who is now 10) I experienced a period of real loneliness. My mother was working, my sister was working, and I was the first among all of my close friends to have a baby. At 27 years old, it sometimes felt like life was passing me by. All of a sudden I wasn’t free to go out to dinner whenever I wanted, or just grab a cup of coffee. I was at home with a baby all day, and sometimes all night, with no one to talk to. My husband was still new in his ministry career and was working many long days. I often felt lonely and isolated. Even though I loved my beautiful new baby girl, I craved adult interaction. It wasn’t anything tragic. It was just that sometimes I felt like my brain was turning into mashed bananas!

One day the bright idea struck me to visit my grandmother, my mother’s mom, with my new baby. The fact was she was the only one available. My grandmother’s name was Evelyn Gertrude Louque Boyle. She was really the spiritual matriarch of our family, but in no way would I describe her as “formidable.” In fact, she was just the opposite. She was down to earth, funny, and a little mischievous. She wore these thick glasses with silver cat-eye frames that had little rhinestones in the corners for most of my life. Her daily uniform was a house coat and slippers from TG&Y. Most of the week, or at least every time I saw her, she had her hair in pink foam rollers set with Dippty Do. She took her rollers out and put on a dress for Sunday church services and then put them back on again on Monday. Her favorite things to do were to wake up at the crack of dawn on Saturdays and go to garage sales, draw, read the Bible, pray, and feed people.

We were close, but because I was always going to school or working, I had not had the time to spend visiting with her as much as I would have liked. She called me frequently, but I am ashamed to admit that I did not always pick up the phone or return her calls. Now, however, I hoped that she would be available for me. I was so desperate to talk to someone who used words to communicate and not 100 decibel shrieks. She was a widow and she could not drive, so I was pretty sure she’d be home.

When I drove up, she was so glad to see me. She flung open the front door, and came padding out to meet me in her housecoat and slippers. I remember walking into my grandmother’s house and feeling immediately relaxed. As we talked, she brought something very valuable into my life – long term perspective. Here was a woman who raised four children and lived through the great depression. She was a pioneer of salvation in her family, the first of many to be saved. She was a giver to the poor that frequently came to her house in need of food or clothing. She had lived a lot of life, some of it really tough. But she kept her faith in God and her love for His Word the most important things in her world.

From her vantage point it was pretty clear which things matter in the long run and which things don’t. She encouraged me to put love, forgiveness, and trust before my own selfish needs. She encouraged me to slow down and embrace this season of life, because laundry and work will always be with me. She laughed at things that other moms my age were freaking out about, knowing that in about a week or two none of it would matter. She had the time to listen to me and to pray for me. In return, I was able to take her on errands that she couldn’t go on alone. I took her to the grocery store, to the fruit stand, to the bank – just small errands that made a big difference to her.

My grandmother and I became unlikely companions that year. I came to know her in a new way. I learned about her childhood, about my own history, and about my family in a way I couldn’t have from any other person. In a bittersweet way, I saw that aging really does make it more difficult to change your habits and perspectives, but I also learned to honor that season of life by gleaning the wisdom from her life and experience. Yes, the world was vastly different when she was raising her children (and I must say that I am very glad for that – I like 21st century life!) But so much of what I gathered from our time together was timeless in its appeal and application. Mostly I learned that generations standing together are stronger than generations standing alone. Shortly after my daughter’s first birthday, we moved to Jacksonville, Florida to start Celebration Church. I was so thankful for the time I had with my grandmother, and I missed her companionship.

My grandmother crossed the line into eternity in January of 2007. I had the honor of presiding over her funeral. Two things about her life stood out to me as I was preparing the eulogy:

She gave God what appeared to be an average life by any earthly standard, but He breathed on it and made it great. The dictionary defines greatness as, “extraordinary powers; having unusual merit; very admirable.” To the human eye, I am sure that her life seemed far from great. But to the Father’s eyes I am confident that it was admirable and worthy of merit.
Because of her “Yes” to God, three generations were clothed in salvation. I am standing on her shoulders now because she stood up for God. I owe my success to this poor widow from Baton Rouge, Louisiana because she stood, often alone, and believed God for her family to come to Christ.

So maybe since you’ve just had a baby, you feel like your world has gotten a little smaller in some ways. I want to encourage you not to mistake “smaller” for “less important.” There are God opportunities in every minute of your day. Ask God to show you those moments. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you in that still, small voice and breathe life into the ordinary places in your daily life. Don’t waste your season, embrace it. Because this is not a break from kingdom purpose, it’s just a different battle ground.

Remember that there may be friends in unlikely places. Maybe you don’t have a grandmother like I did, but I guarantee you that there are some awesome, mature women of God whose company you would love and who would be blessed by your friendship as well.

Channel 4 News

Check us out tonight on Channel 4 news at 10:00p.m.! News anchor Tom Wills is doing a spot on Celebration Church, here's a preview of what they're saying now on their website about the spot:

Rockin' For Jesus
It may look like a rock concert or a night at Club Paris, but it really is a regularly scheduled worship service at a Jacksonville church. Tonight on The Ten O'Clock News, Tom Wills takes us inside to find out why this is one of the fastest growing churches in the nation.

Kerri

Here it is! As promised, here's the link to the Cambodia Missions Trip Blog Spot.

The team will be posting updates and photos of the trip throughout the next week.


http://hopecambodia.blogspot.com/

BTW, I also posted a few new pictures from the Hillsong Conference in the post below. Try to guess which one is my favorite!

Kerri,
LB xoxoxoxo

As most of you know, we have a missions trip underway in partnership with Go Global and Joyce Meyer Ministries that just left on Monday on their way to Cambodia. We have a team of 16 people from our church that went, and we have just received word that they have arrived safely.

The team will be setting up a blog with updates and photos of the trip. I will send out an update to my blog with that link as soon as they are up and running.

Please remember to keep the entire team in your prayers.

Kerri

LB xoxoxo

Here are a couple of pictures from the Hillsong Conference. This is so funny, in this first one you'll see Stovall, and he is - typically - texting!

L-R: Me, Stovall, Emily, Dino, Julio Melara, Chris, and Lee Domingue

Stovall and Me

Chris Tomlin Singing "Indescribable"

Joel Houston/United leading worship

Look! SHINE is being advertised all the way in Australia! Just kidding, SHINE was the lyrics to one of the songs we were singing.

The Next Step

I'm writing this post to let all of you out there know that we will not be resuming our Thursday Celebration Women meetings, at Midtowne (Deerwood) and OP in the fall. Beginning in the early spring of this year I became unsettled about the CW meetings and began to really seek God about how they fit into the bigger picture of what He wanted to do in Celebration Church as a whole. Late in the spring, God began to speak to Stovall's heart strongly about groups, and I knew that the season for the Thursday meetings had come to a close.

Celebration Women has been great as it has rallied together a group of women who have a heart to see the women in our church rise to their fullest potential. Its been a great training ground and a very precious season in my life. But now I feel like we have to take all the energy we were spending on those meetings and put that into groups.

I want to thank all the women who are on my ministry team that made those meetings happen every week. They are awesome world-lifters, and I am so honored to have them on my team. Many of then will transition into the role of group leader, so I am sure the ministry and leadership will continue to increase in their lives.

I want to stress that Celebration Women is not about a meeting, but is about the caliber of woman that arises from the ranks of Celebration Church. About 2.5 years ago I wrote a vision of womanhood for the women in our church called, "The Woman that I see." That dream resounds stronger than ever in my heart today, and groups are the next step in developing the potential in all of the precious women and girls God has entrusted to our care. Here it is for those of you who have never read it before. Love you girls!

Kerri

LB xoxo

VISION FOR MINSTRY TO WOMEN

The woman that I see…

…Knows her value in the eyes of God, and seeks to live a life of choices that attest to her intrinsic worth.

…Understands that she is invited to participate in God’s amazing adventure to rescue humanity, and that she is integral and irreplaceable in His plan.

..Loves her femininity, and values the unique contribution that womanhood brings to the table of life.

…Lives generously, opening her heart to ever-increasing capacity for the kingdom of God.

…Walks in wisdom and kindness, strength and dignity and confers worth on every person she encounters.

…Is filled with joy, and a passion for life. Even when life brings trials her way, she brings forth treasure from them.

…Knows who she is, where she is going, and how she is going to get there. She equips herself to finish strong on the journey of life.

…Is in love with the House of God, desperate for the presence of God, and positions herself to encounter God, to hear from God, and to be used by God.

…Surrounds herself with friends who inspire and encourage her to live her best life for the kingdom. She positions herself to inspire others.

…Knows and values God-breathed friendship; she fights to protect those she loves.

…Shines like a star in the universe, holding out the Word of Life, and clothing her world in salvation.

Back in Business!

Well, I've come to the end of a long summer of travelling, and I am so glad to be back home! I just returned from Hillsong Conference in Sydney, Australia. It was truly the most incredible conference I've ever been to. The theme of the conference was, "Future." It was all about moving into the future as the body of Christ and empowering the generations that follow to carry the cause of Christ forward. One recurring theme of the conference was leading when you are certain, but not defined. In other words, there are times when you know God has called you forward, but you don't have the details. It takes courage to move forward when you don't know the exact outcome. But when we step out in courage and faith without the details and lean completely on God, it works humility in us.

On night during worship I looked out over the crowd of 30,000 people. Hands were raised everywhere and people were singing these words:

Let now Your church shine as the bride

That You saw in Your heart

As you offered up your life

Let now the lost be welcomed home

By the saved and redeemed

You've adopted as Your own

I just thought, what an honor that God allows me to lead in His body and to help welcome home the lost that reurn to Him. As I looked out over the crowd of people there, I had a small glimpse of how vast and diverse the church is. And while I suddently felt very, very small, I also realized how magnificent our God is. He is bigger than the universe, yet through the Holy Spirit inhabits each of us and empowers us to do our part. In the end we will see the big picture as He sees it, and I know it will be more beautiful than we can imagine!

I am sitting here in the Jacksonville airport getting ready to head out to Australia for the Hillsong conference. I have been to Colour (the women's conference) several times, but I have never been to the church conference. It is going to be really exciting to be with over 30,000 pastors and church leaders from around the world.
But man-- I have to say what a joy it was to be back in Jacksonville this weekend at Celebration Church with all the awesome people that call Celebration Church home. In my book, there's no place like it!
We had a great time in Louisiana. Stovall preached at Healing Place Church where his good firend, Dino Rizzo is pastor. We went to hang at a camp in Mississippi, and had a great time riding 4-wheelers through the creek and shooting BB guns. Annabelle did get her tooth knocked out in a 4-wheeler accident and got stung by several wasps, but other than that, it was fun.
Stovall and Stovie went fishing in Grand Isle and caught 60 fish! While they were cleaning the fish, dolphins came under the dock and scooped up the leftovers for dinner!
Its hard to beleieve summer is half way over. It flies by! If any of you are in groups this summer, I'd love to hear from you. If you could post some comments about good stuff from your groups, I'd love to hear about them.
I'll try to post from Sydney to keep in touch. Ya'll are the best!
Love,
Kerri
LB xoxo

Thanks for great comments!

I just want to take a minute to thank all of you for the great comments on my post about motherhood. That post has received the most feedback of any to date. I am sure it is a topic that is close to many of our hearts. It was encouraging to hear from such a broad range of life stages, from single to newly married with no kids, to "MOPS," to seasoned empty nesters. What great perspective! Don't be surprised if you find some of your ideas in my book! (LOL). Thanks for coming along the journey with me.

I have been having so much fun with blogging that now Stovall is starting one too. Actually, he's been wanting to do one for a long time, but has just gotten around to it. It will be linked to the homepage of our website soon, but until then you can check it out at www.stovallweems.blogspot.com. Leave some comments--you know that whole positive reinforcement thing!

Love you gals!

LB-Kerri xoxo

Off to Baton Rouge!

Today my family and I are off to BR to visit my family and some friends. I love living in FL, but will always be a Louisiana girl at heart. I love the big trees, the old houses, the cajun food and the LSU tigers. I have to say, though, that after awhile I do start to miss driving over water all the time. And the summers in LA are brutal -- in the 90s with 100% humidity and no ocean breeze! I guess I'm blessed to have 2 places that I love and can call home. See ya'll when I back!
LB- Kerri xoxo

Return of Good Friends

I am so excited about the return of our good friends, Chris and Ashley Brooks, from Atlanta. Chris and Ashley are taking on the role of campus pastors at South Campus. Their first Sunday is tomorrow! The Brooks were on our original launch team of 7 people (along with Lee and Nicole Alexander and Katie Sullivan-- then Katie Young.) They spent many days and nights praying, obsessing over the church with us, ministering to people on so many levels. Their return is like a drink of fresh water to me -- we have missed them so much! I am confident that all of the folks out at South will just love them. I encourage you to welcome them with open arms in true Celebration style and rally around them in love and support.

So, if you haven't heard, Pastors Darren and Katie Sullivan will be taking on the role of Campus Pastors at the OP campus. I know those of you who knew the Sullivans at South Campus love them so much, but don't worry -- you will still be hearing them some on Wednesday nights at DW and you can always head over to OP's mid-week or Saturday night to see them. I encourage all of you at OP to open your hearts to the Sullivans. They are capable, sincere, and Christlike leaders who have been close to us for a the last 8 years. Many of you OP ladies who have heard Katie preach at Celebration Women know that she is a gifted communicator and passionate about the Word of God. I know you will love them!

By the way, I am looking forward to coming out to OP at lot more on Wednesdays after I return from Hillsong conference in Australia. Adios for now! LB!
Kerri xoxo

10 Things about Motherhood

One of the books I am trying to write is called 10 Things I Wish I Knew About Motherhood -- Before I became a mom! I have to be honest and say that I really don't feel qualified to write about how to be a great mother. I am just out there trying my best to juggle life and family and faith like everyone else. But by the grace of God it all seems to be going well so far.

Some of you may know of my struggle with postpartum depression after having my first child, Kaylan. It was a really difficult time for me, and I tell the whole story in my "Superwoman in the Making" Series on the soul section regarding emotions. I think part of my 18-month struggle in this area was because I truly did not know what to expect as far as real lifestyle changes were concerned. Everyone told me that having a baby would be the most wonderful thing in my life and how precious every moment would be and how it would teach me so much about God's love for me. In hindsight, all those things are absolutely TRUE. But I was completely unprepared for complete and immediate shift that took place when this little bundle arrived on the scene.

So my little book is aimed at mothers in the first or early stages of motherhood. I haven't the authority to speak on matters relating to mothering teens --- yet. I'll leave that book for my next decade. Anyway, my 10 things I wish I knew are listed below in no particular order. What are some things you wish you knew before you became a mom? I would love to hear your own words.

1. You will sleep again! I think most of my biggest failures as a parent have been due to fatigue. Make sleep a priority because eventually it will affect your judgement.

2. Having a baby will impact your marriage. Not saying this is good or bad -- it's just true. It's a fact. Your marriage changes significiantly after you add kids. It's a process -- don't freak out.

3. Make peace with your body -- it can never really be the same again, and it's served you well. So be thankful for it -- treat it well with good food, excercise, and rest.

4. Your world my seem to get a lot smaller for awhile, but don't confuse small with insignificant. I felt a little trapped by having to spend so much time at home with a little one. I like to check things off my list and not have to do them again. All of a sudden my days became an endless routine of wake up, change diapers, eat, play, sleep. It was hard to see the significance in that for someone who is used to being highly productive. God had to show me that I wasn't out of the game, but the playing field had changed.

5. There's no such thing as a perfect mom. Not even the Martha Stewart clone who sends handmade valentines to the 2-year-old mother's day out valentine party. Comparing yourself to others will always keep you from rejoicing over their successes and weeping over their sufferings as the Bible tells us to do. There is not place for comparison and envy in love.

6. It's okay to let your kids stay with a babysitter once in awhile. Yes, you need to be really vigilant about who you leave your kids with. Nothing is worth exposing them to risk of any kind. That being said, for most women, having a scehduled break during the week is a necessity for overall health of spirit, soul, and body. It's not a luxury. You are a better mother when you are refreshed.

7. God gave your children to YOU to parent. Not James Dobson, not your pastor, not your uber mom best friend/sisiter/aunt, not your mother [in law]. He gave them to YOU. Therefore, He has uniquly gifted and equppied you to raise them according to His love and purpose for their lives, and according to His word. There are lots of great books out there that can resource you to be a great parent, but the fact is, none of them are THE WAY for everyone. There is only one book that represents THE WAY -- and that's the Bible. Within the principles outlined in God's word, there's a lot of room for each individual family. Don't judge someone else's way of parenting. Rather, encourage and pray for them. And don't let anyone else judge you, but rather raise your children with a reverent fear of God, knowing that one day you will be called to account for your stewardship over their lives.

8. Get some perspective. Some things just aren't that big of a deal.

9. You will have to work extra hard and maintaining friendships during this season, and some won't go the distance into this time of your life. It's hard to stay connected to others when you have to pack up your while life just to go for a two-hour visit. But you have to make the effort or you will get lonely and discouraged. On the other hand, some friends aren't ready to venture with you to mommy land. Have the grace to let them go and move on without burning bridges. God has a way of working things out in the long haul.

10. It's only a season. When you're in the middle of raising those preschool aged children, people always say to you, "This is such a precious time, and it goes so quickly. Enjoy it while you can." Some days I used to think, "Well, it's not going quickly enough." But as someone who has just now exited that phase of motherhood, I am here to humbly attest to the brevity of that season. When it's over, it's over, just as quickly as it came. Before you know it, you can barely remember that just-bathed baby smell and you're already dreaming of having your own grandchildren. So really live in the moment, because like every season in life, it too, shall pass.

Love you girls!

Kerri

LBxoxo

I Plead Ignorance

Wow -- from the posts under trivial bits regarding socialized medicine, I can see that some of you have really done a lot of thinking about this issue. I will readily admit that I am the last person in the world to listen to on that topic. Lisa is right in saying that exisiting government funded health care can be disasterous. I experienced that with my grandmother when she became ill. Also, the idea of the government having control of our health IS scary. I don't like the fact that my Dr. gets to tell me how many vaccines my kids have to get at once. On the other hand, the fact the medical profession, medical care, pharmeceutical industry, and insurance industries are driven by profit means that they have to look at the bottom line before they consider the people they are treating. At the very least money and people must be equal in terms of how decisions are made. I know there are lots of awesome health care professionals out there who are truly sincere and compassionate. But the "machine" of health care is driven by profit, so I have have to wonder then if something driven by profit can truly also be driven by compassion. I think not because of the principle that you can't serve 2 masters. If I sound ignorant about this topic, it's because I am. I'm just really looking into to it, so don't listen to me. Find out for yourself. Not that I think we will ever see an overhaul of that system in our country. I think NGO's (non-government organizations) will have to take up the slack left by the system, which means the church has wonderful opportunity to show love in a practical way.

BTW -- anyone interested in possibly bring some elderly from a nearby nursing home to the traditional service at 8:30 AM at DW when it starts? Someone suggested that on their comment card, and I thought it was a great idea. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Love,
Kerri
LBxoxo

Chick Nite in August is Cancelled

Heather Stanberry asked is Chirck Nite was in August. We did promote at SHINE 2007 that there would be Chick Nites at DW and OP in August, but we have decided to cancel those events in order to throw all of our effrots behind small groups launching. We have replaced the chick nites with the married couples' night out to launch our marriage and family ministry.

Look What You're Doing in Zimbabwe!

Just had to pass this along to all of you who are givng toward Imagine. Some of you may know/remember that 10% of everything that we take in for imagine goes directly to Africa to help with the AIDS crisis there. Here is the church plant we just did there through Children's Cup. We planted a church in Zimbabwe, called Oasis of life, which also serves as a carepoint. You can find out more about carepoints on the chidren's cup site. Also, to read more details about the church in Zimbabwe, read Ben Rodgers' blog. Scroll down to the Oasis of Life Post. It sounds like an African version of Cleberation Church! You can also view pics online here. I am so proud to be part of such a giving church. Our mission team goes to Zimbabwe to work at this church at the end of July, so keep them in your prayers. Looks like the picture above is a youth meeting at the church -- go Jesus!

Trivial Bits

So, as I have been under the weather lately, I have spent some time at home and had the opportunity to watch a lot more TV than normal -- an embarrasing amount of the Food Network and TLC and Oprah. So here are some little bits of trivia that I have to get out of my system:

• I like Paula Dean more than Rachel Ray. Annabelle likes to watch her with me and we call her the "Country Grandma." Her food is some kind of unhealthy, but boy does the sight of it make your mouth water!


• Speaking of Rachel Ray, I read that Oprah has designated her as the "Heiress Apparent" of her daytime TV legacy. But I'm confused about how a show based on cooking can fill the spot Oprah leaves when she (reportedly) retires in 2010. It's interesting to watch RR try to incorporate the various aspects of daytime talk shos into ther show. I like her though -- I think she'll work it out.


• I think I might be a proponent of socialized medicine. I know "Socialized" is a word that conjures up images of Nazi Germany for a lot of people, but after travelling to other countries -- particularly Australia -- I see that there are situations in which this can work. Did you know that 50 million people in America are uninsured and that just because you have insurance doesn't mean that you will get coverage for your illnesses? Did you know that America ranks 37th in the world in providing health coverage for it's citizens, behind Costa Rica? Just kind of opened my mind to another way of thinking about something.


• Does everybody really floss daily, or is that just an ideal that we should all aspire to?

Ok, now that you probabaly think I've got way too much time on my hands, le me say I have been working on several books but have hit a creative block...ARRRGH!!Ususally I just have to wait for my brain to clear and hope the creativity comes back. What about you? What do you do when you get a creative block? I'd love some tips! LBxoxo

SHINE ON!

SHINE ON!

SHINE 2007 was awesome! This year we saw growth to 1500 women and girls, and we saw 150 salvations and recommitments. I thought the Afterparty was a blast. All the girls really seemed to be enjoying themselves so much. We have gotten so many testimonies of what God has done through the confrence in the lives of His daughters!
So many people were inspired to step out and really pursue God's call on their lives, and many experienced freedom, joy and love that only being His awesome presence can bring.
By far, the number one comment I received was the unbelievable spirit of Christ-like servanthood that was shown by out staff and by our volunteers at every level. To all of you SHINE volunteers out there, you were the main attraction at the conference. Your heart of love, your willingness, and your leadership during the event prepared the way for God to move on so many hearts. I was so proud to be part of such an incredible team each time someone said to me what an amazing spirit is on this house.
I am already looking forward to SHINE 2008. You are going to LOVE Lisa Bevere---she is very genuine and sincere and a dynamic speaker as well.
Anyway, how can I even begin to be thankful enough for all that God has done this year in and through us? He gets all the glory and praise!
Love you girls!
Kerri
LB xoxoxo

I Got Some 'Splainin' to Do!

Ok -- I confess -- I have been a total BLOG LOSER the last, ohhh, let's say... MONTH! I cannot believe it has been that long since I have posted. SO my excuses are the usual -- travelling, work, SHINE, kids, family in town...anyway, I'm back in the blogosphere -- and the neighborhood hasn't changed a bit!

To catch up, can I backtrack to London? I went to London around April 21st to attend the Colour Your World Conference led by Pastor Bobbie Houston from Hillsong Church. This is an amazing conference that gathers 30,000 women across 3 continents annually (Sydney, London, and Kiev). That means she and her teams do that conference 3 times a year! This year, the theme was, "A Revolution in Value." How cool is that? I will tell you how cool. God spoke to my heart last year that them theme of SHINE 2008 should be "Love Revolution." Basically, a revolution of love. So it was really cool to show up at this conference pioneered by a woman who I totally respect, and the word of God is the same on both of our hearts. I am very blessed to be able to see on a global scale what God is doing among His daughters across the earth. More on that at a later date -- but much aligned with Stovall's message at SHINE this year.

Anyway in London I got to give a testimony to the Ladies at the Hillsong network about living the "YES" life. God is so good -- I met some great gals from Germany (cute little 28 year old and her husband have a church of 500 -- a full-on rvevivial in Europe!) and some incredible women from Holland who are pioneering a new day for women in the European church in that area. It's incredible to see some many people from so many different places with the same Spirit, and the same passion.

Then I got stuck in an elevator. I have always been afraid of heights, and one of my worst fears has been being in an elevator as it was plummeting down out of control. Well -- ok -- I was only on the second floor, but me and Lisa Stewart noticed the elevator acting kind of funky on the way up and thought we would take the stairs on the way down. But, in the fun of the afternoon meeting, we forgot and crammed in the elevator with Lori Champion, and her friend Debbie, Bobbie Houston, Lisa Bevere, and Chris Caine. So I'm pumped really, because I'm on the the elevator with all the key speakers -- how awesome is that? Then, clank,clank -- zoom! the elevator takes off falling down. And BAM! It crashes to a halt between floors. It was so funny to watch everyone's reactions. Lori - sangiune -- goes, "Oh, my gosh! Quick let's take pictures!" (Which she still has, and when she sends them to me I will post them), then me and Lisa just sit back and watch, Bobbie and Lisa Bevere just keep talking and don't even bat an eye, and Chris -- never one to stand by and just let something happen -- immediaitely drops to the floors, calls emergency and orchestrates a rescue.

This post is getting long, but I have to say something about SHINE -- I will save it for a different post, because it deserves it's own space.

To all my girls out there who I haven't heard from in awhile, I love ya'll. I could not ask for a better group of people to do life with than the ones we pastor at Celebration Church! Look for more on SHINE to come soon. In the mean time, live beautifully!

Love,
Kerri
xoxoxoxoxo

Easter Sunday

Here's a picture of me and the kids on Easter Sunday.

back left: Kaylan

front left: Stovie

front right: Annabelle

Easter at Celebration

It's about 6 PM on Easter Evening, and I am sitting here with Kaylan while she finishes up a vocabulary lesson before returning to school tomorrow. A pretty regular ending to an over-the -top, extrordinary, miraculous weekend at Celebration Church! There have been a few times in our church history that have been what I would call "markers," or times when I knew that God was expanding our capacity as a church. This weekend was the biggest by far.

First of all, it was a miracle that the annex was completed and ready to use by this Sunday. As of last night, the floors were still wet and could not be worked on. The last worker left the annex at 7 AM this morning, and workers were here all night Friday preparing the new kids rooms for servicesthis weekend. So many people went above and beyond the call of duty to make this weekend happen -- but it was so worth it.

Secondly, so many people -- over 1,800 -- crossed the line of Salvation this weekend. I know there was so much rejoicing in heaven! Thanks to so many of you for getting behind the vision and really stepping out to invite your friends. I have NEVER seen our church so packed! there were literally people in every single area that had a screen to view -- the lobbies, the network lounge, the classrooms -- and everywhere, people got saved!

Working with Watoto Children's Choir was it's own miracle. To see first-hand what God can do in the lives of these kids was so inspiring. I was sitting in the front row, and all of them were sitting behind me. I heard all their little voices singing, "I am a friend ofGod," and I thought what kind of meaning that might have to them. That God called them friend, and that some of them were literally rescued from the trash heaps. Talk about God putting a new song in your mouth! I hope we will get to have them back.

So, ending the day here, I am beyond grateful. I am incredibly humbled that God would allow us to partner with Him to bring in the harvest. I am filled with wonder, knowing that despite our very best efforts, systems, technologies, and production, if HE does not show up and bring His favor, it all amounts to nothing. I am so very glad that the beautiful Holy Spirit DID show up in every way. I wouldn't miss one step of the journey -- and I'd do it all again tomorrow!

So here's to an amazing Easter weekend. Love all of you. Live Beautifully, humbly, gratefully.
Kerri
xoxo

Not So Perfect

Hey, everybody -- just want to thank all of you for your comments. I can't respond to all of them, but I sincerely enjoy reading them. Well, I haven't posted in a few days, and one thing I know about this blogging thing is you have to keep up with it. So here it is, Sunday night, and I am sitting on my couch watching "Barbie: Swan Lake" with Annabelle. Stovie is running in and out to watch the fight scenes -- otherwise he is disinterested -- too girly.

So my big thought of the day is PERFECTIONISM. The dictionary defines "perfectionism" as a disposition that deems anything less than perfect as unacceptable OR a belief that pefection is actually attainable. I just started realizing today how often I procrastinate or put off things altogether simply becuse I can't do it exactly the way I imagine it should be done.

For example -- I want to post pictures on my blog. That's the way Pastor Dino Rizzo does it (www.dinorizzo.com) and I like that. I want to do it too. But I'm having trouble uploading pics. Anyway, Friday morning I went to the gym and when I walked in I saw Meredeth Springer, Lisa Stewart, and Debbie Lindsay there. then Tarik Stewart and James Price walked up and we were all talking about church life. I thought, "How awesome that we can see at the gym the people we work with everyday and we still want to be around each other --- AND talk about work!" I felt so blessed at that moment. I thought it would be a great thing to post on my blog to share with you guys. So we went and found Stovall and took a picture together by the bench press.

Fast forward three days -- no post.Why? Because I couldn't post the picture, and I did't want to do it "half-way." Because I was so caught up in doing it right, I lost sight of the purpose of the blog --- to stay connected. So I am sitting here thinking, how many other ways do I let unrealistic expectations, or perfectionism hold me back... I don't have time to list them here, but trust me, it's too many.

Anyway --- baptism by fire today. Stovall and I were out at OP today and guess who was on video doing the sermon out there? You guessed it! Me! If you've been around me for any length of time you know how much I hate seeing and/or hearing myself on video. I make it the goal of my life to NEVER have to see myself on film. But today I had to sit through 2 whole services and watch myself. You know what? It wasn't that bad. Yes, I made mistakes. Yes there were times I thought, "Ouch, bad camera angle." But overall, I was pleasantly surprised to find that most of my issues were just in my mind, not reality. Again, I thought if I can't do it perfectly, I don't want it on film for everyone else to see. What I realized today is that my mistakes don't stop other people from receiving the word, but if I get caught up in trying to be perfect? Now that could be a serious hinderance on my life! Anyway -- time to tuck the kids on bed. Its' a school night.

Love you girls. Live beautifull, and don't forget about Joyce Meyer on Wednesday!
Love, Kerri xoxo

It's Working!!!!!!

Hey, Everybody! WOW -- I have to say that I am s pumped that people actually visited my blog and read it AND posted comments. It's Working!!!! I love reading all the comments -- thanks you guys. I see a lot of ya'll liked that book, Redeeming Love. It IS an amazing book. I don't know how long it's been since I read a book for pure pleasure, rather than to study or research. But I remember now why I quit reading for fun. When I find a good book, I can't put it down. I mean, I think my kids must have played video games and watched TV for 8 hours. I took just long enough breaks to feed them rolled up turkey slices with ranch dip to eat. It was a new low in my mothering career. Sooo...that's why I guess I don't let myself read for fun. Anyhoo --- Redeeming Love is a great book retelling the story of the book of Hosea set during the gold rush in the American West. It's an unlikely setting, but it works beautifully. If you are up for a good read, you should try it. I confess that I did cry -- I'm sure that shocks all of you!

We went to OP tonight, and it was an awesome service. Worship rocked and Stovall brought an awesome word about going to the next level. Taryn is speaking at OP tomorrow for women, and I am back at Deerwood talking about recovering from setbacks and avoiding comparisons. Speaking of which -- I better get some sleep. It's late (the time on this blog is 2 hours early -- can't figure that out.) See you later! Live Beautifully -K-xoxo

Diving In

Okay -- here I go. I am going to try to be a BLOGGER. I'm sitting in my family room and my kids are watching Bambi while I create this blog and they are bugging me to get off the computer so they can play games at nicktoons.com. So...this won't be long --- just an intro.

I don't know if I'll be very good at this, but I love how these things keep everybody connected to each other's lives. Especially in this incredibly busy world where scheduling a cup of coffee can almost require an olympic feat! Also, I am a terrible typist -- so expect lots of typos. I've already corrected, like, 20.

So what happened this weekend? We had Reuben Morgan and his team from Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia to the Deerwood Campus. It was incredible! We had an incredible time of worship. At the end people did not want to leave. They kept saying, "More! More!" So funny. I think "Mighty to Save" might be one of my favorite songs EVER! It is from that verse in Zepheniah 3:17 that says, "The Lord your God is in your midst; He is a warrior, mighty to save. He will comfort you with His love. He will rejoice over you singing."

We had a great time hanging out with Reuben and His wife, Sarah and their team. The campus worship teams were out there --- Eddie and Angel, Brian and Rene, Jennifer -- we had a great time hanging out afterwards. Check Reuben out at http://www.reubenmorgan.com

Okay -- Bambi's over, so I have to sign off. I am going to try to keep up with this the best I can. I really like reading other people's blogs, so I hope all of my friends out there enjoy reading mine. Till next time -- live beautifully!-K- xoxoxo