My Favorites List!

Ok, I think one of the coolest things ever is to share amazing “finds” with people. I not only love to share them but I love to hear the great finds as well. As a matter of fact, many things I share with you today are finds that someone else probably told me about and now I get to share them with you! So make sure you tell me your finds so all of the blog followers can try them too! Here are some of my favorite things!

My Favorite Lip Gloss-Channel glossimers. I like any color but the Galaxia is my favorite. It is clear with sparkles in it.

My favorite bath products-Lush, they are handmade products that smell so good and are so relaxing in your tub.

My favorite grocery store-The Fresh Market, I love their blueberry cornbread, Smithfield country ham, Moravian sugar cake, baked pies for the holidays and their free-range meat selections. Oh and how could I forget their cheddar and buttermilk biscuits that are always on my holiday table? Delicious.

My favorite place to shop-Nordstrom is first. I really love the Nordstrom Rack (discount store) but they don’t have one here in Charlotte. No worries, Steinmart boutique section and Saks Fifth Outlet are good too. LA East in South Charlotte is great for trendy clothes and they have sales often.

My favorite restaurant- Nobles, they have the most amazing appetizer that is not on the menu often but they will make it for you if you ask. It is called the “Fruit of the Sea”.  Okay, they say it more sophisticated than that but I am rusty on my foreign languages. It is one crab cake, one sea scallop and one shrimp cooked like you have never tasted. Their coconut cake, caramel cake and their tomato bisque also rock. The bisque is topped with goat cheese and micro-basil.

My favorite church-Freedom House, it is so amazing because the coolest people on the planet go there. Great people are what make churches great! You gotta check this place out! You know I could not resist on this one!

My favorite home decor-Black Lion, they have so many different vendors with so many different tastes you are sure to find what you are looking for. Everything from furniture to Christmas decorations, all of the things on your list will be checked off. Beautiful, beautiful stuff!

My favorite make-up-I wear a combination of Channel and MAC. Channel, as I said before, can not be touched on lip gloss. Their lip glossimers are better than anyones. MAC has great eyelashes! I love to wear eyelashes for fun and they have the best ones that are reasonably priced. Their shadows and their dusting powder are amazing as well. They are a bit more trendy and Channel is more sophisticated.

My favorite place to buy a pet-Petland in Ballantyne, we got Snickers there and they rolled out the red carpet for us. They included everything we needed along with training videos, snacks, bowls, books, treats, food and so much more. They also played “Who Let The Dogs Out” when we bought him too.

My favorite pasta sauce-Trader Joes, they have some incredible Vodka sauce. I love to make all my sauces myself but their Vodka sauce is off the hook! I cannot touch it. Their fresh pastas go great with it. Lobster and 4 cheese are my favorites.

My favorite natural market-Trader Joes, they have some amazing prices on everything. Artisan cheeses are such a good deal there. Their sparkling juices are great too. My kids love their ice cream sandwiches with chocolate chips on them. I love the orange juice with lots of pulp and the guacamole kits. The guacamole kits are so cheap!

My favorite gravy-Willams Sonoma, ok their gravy starter in the jar is RIDICULOUSLY good. I am hooked on it. My sis in law told me about this. It will be a staple on my Thanksgiving table from now on. You just mix it with milk, whisk it together, then add in your pan drippings. Guaranteed hit.

My favorite hardware store-Blackhawk Hardware, they have so many home decor things, tons of gadgets, and just unexpected things for every room of your house. You will like this place for sure.

My favorite garden center-Plantation Gardens, they have so many items that you cannot find anywhere else in Charlotte. If you want something in particular they will even order it for you. You will love their selection and their service, top notch.

More to come later! Tell me YOUR favorites! I am looking for an amazing Italian restaurant. You got one to tell me about?

Thanksgiving Dinner!

I thought it would be fun to share my Thanksgiving menu with you. Hopefully you will share some hits from your dinner table too! You know, those ones that everyone raves over every year and the new ones you were nervous for everyone to try but they all love! Tell me your dinner table all-stars!

Brined Free-Range Turkey

Homemade gravy

Country ham

Mashed potatoes

Sweet potatoes with brown sugar, walnuts, cinnamon

Sage stuffing

Field green salad with cranberry, goat cheese and walnuts

Broccoli casserole

Homemade mac and cheese

Green bean casserole

Cheddar biscuits

Buttermilk biscuits

Cornbread

Blueberry cornbread

Whole cranberry sauce

Starbucks coffee-Thanksgiving blend

Hot apple cider with mulling spices

Ghirardelli hot chocolate

Apple Brown Betty w/ vanilla bean ice cream

Pumpkin Pie with whipped cream

Pecan pie

P.S. And a big shout out to Hunter Rogers for helping me make everything! You are a rock star (even if you wanted to make our turkey look like the turkey at the bottom of the page)!  LOL

A Big Mistake!

No heroes are made in peace time—only in war. Mark your heroes in tough times. -Sam Chand

I loved this quote by Sam Chand. He is a leadership expert and really knows his stuff. My husband, who is also a great leader, talks about this idea as well but in a little different perspective. Let me share.

Since the inception of Freedom House Church, there have been many lessons that we have learned. One of those lessons involves this very principal and hopefully we now have it down, but we sure didn’t always. “You can’t discover your heroes until you see them in tough times.” For us this means things like observing potential leaders and/or staff  in tough times BEFORE we make a decision to put something weighty into their hands or hire them. I believe some of the greatest heroes ARE those who minister the gospel and you want people who know how to fight beside you; people who don’t give up when things get tough. Eternity is the highest payout there is and you want people who know how to go through some battles without fear or intimidation. Not a novice. You see, stealing souls from hell is not an easy thing; it is hard and sometimes bloody work. You don’t want people retreating but rather running at the enemy.

I can look back and think of many examples when, if we had known this principle, it could have saved us some ground. Times where we hired people we should not have. Why? Because they weren’t good people? Nope, because we had never observed them in a battle. They were people we thought could fight but it had never been tested or proven and when it came time, they were disqualified. One such example I remember is this. I remember another staff member asking me, “Have you ever seen ’so and so’ HAVE TO use their faith for anything? Do they know how to fight hard?” We just assumed they did because they were gifted or talented in an area. But, knowing how to fight and having a gift are very different things. We have made this mistake with leadership too, giving someone a position before we knew for certain they could withstand the 60 mph winds that ministry often brings. It is easy to lead when it is a bright, sunny day but add in a hurricane or a tornado and people are easily separated out. Those who have been through a tornado before don’t freeze or panic, they know how to react. They know what needs to be done and they know the tornado isn’t going to be raging forever, but it must be faced. You cannot ignore tornadoes.

Now, the inability to withstand storms or not know how to fight in a battle does not disqualify you or me from being used by God. I am not saying that. What I am saying though is that before you try to slay Goliath, you better have had the experience of slaying the lion and the bear under your belt. Just because David was trained to fight did not mean he knew how to until his skills were actually tested. Just being a great person does not qualify us to chase down Goliath. We need those small lessons of history to build us up and give us the courage so when it is time to fight Goliath, we don’t become the casualty. Why do you think God put the lion and the bear in David’s path? God needed to know David could do it too. God uses this principle to qualify us. If we are not faithful in the small things we won’t be faithful in the “big time” things. It is also a faith-builder for us as people too.

There are actually people in our church right now whom we would love to hire on staff or put in a position of leadership but we won’t. Not because they are not extremely talented or gifted individuals. Not because they are not sweet, kind, loving people but because we need to see if they can get their fight on. We need to see if they have scars from proven battle times. The worst thing you can do (trust me) is stick an ill-equipped, well-meaning person on the front lines of a battle. It will not be a win for the team. It will be a defeat. It will also cause others to wonder why “so and so” did not make it. It is not a great morale booster either to see someone bloody, beat up, and being carried off to triage.

If you are a leader reading this, please learn from our mistakes on this one. Watch people, listen to people, investigate people before you put them on the front lines of the battle. If you have never observed them come through a tragedy in their life or have to use their faith to press through a huge obstacle, how do you know they can take the hits when the stakes of eternity are so high? It does not mean they cannot serve in your church, just maybe not in a leadership position and certainly not a staff position. That is for dang sure! Just help them grow and learn until the appropriate time.

I’ll end with this other quote I saw. “The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese!” NEVER GIVE UP!

Shook Me To The Core!

I received an overwhelming email that I am about to share with you. It shook me to the core. Why? Because I try my best to open my heart and share what is going on in my life even when it’s hard. I try to show people my humanity because it is SO there. I try to show people the joys in my life and the struggles I face. As a matter of fact, I posted recently about the number one thing I go through in ministry; the thing that if I let it could put me in a corner and keep me closed off. It is the feeling of being misunderstood at times. I have seen this so much with pastors and their wives and honestly, the blame can be placed two places. First on people who place unrealistic expectations on us that we feel we have to live up to. Second, ourselves for even thinking we can or should live up to them. Pleasing God is the much better option but when you are designed to love people so deeply, it does hurt when you are misunderstood. There is no way around that but I will share with you probably the most mature email I have ever received. It addresses the very misunderstanding I was alluding to. Here goes.

“Just wanted to send you a note of thanks for your blog and your Facebook posts. I feel like I have finally gotten to know you better. This was something I sooo longed for 4 yrs ago when we first came to FHC. You see we were very close with our old Pastor and I had an expectation that was how it was everywhere. Through unbelievable teaching we have come to understand our relationship with God is what you and Pastor Troy desire. I think you are both the MOST likable, dynamic people in the pulpit. You are so warm, funny and real that a lot of people EXPECT you to be that in every one on one conversation with everybody. How unrealistic and selfish of us. This led to many silly cases of offense and for that I truly apologize. Thank you for ALL you have done for me and my family. Our understanding of sooo many things has been from the Holy Spirit directly through your mouths. THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! When we 1st came to FHC we only believed the “red” parts in the bible. We were so full of yuck. Are we “fixed” yet? Not hardly, but we sure are not who we were. Thanks for not giving up on us. All my love!” xxxx

So after I received this, I asked if I could share this email on my blog and leave the name off of it. I always think real life examples are so much better to share. Here was the response. It shook me even harder.

“Of course you may share. People have such high expectations of you both and this must be draining. You both have what EVERYBODY wants and in your presence we as a congregation try to get close to you both, in the belief if we could just get close enough some would rub off on us. We need you often 2 much. A lot of us who are “damaged” feel “less than” if we don’t feel liked or valued by the both of you. This IS OUR insecurity, not your fault. I am so very proud to call you my leaders. Where you go we will follow. What hurts you hurts us. I hope and pray my friends and family will never do anything but love and support you on all levels. I love you both more than you know and I am forever in you debt.”

I was in tears by the end of the email. If I ever wanted to rate FHC on its fruit, this was it: people maturing in their walk with God! To see someone handle themselves in such a mature way blew me away, especially since they had not been saved for a long time. This kind of maturity, the ability to recognize that which we don’t want to recognize, is rare. You see the truth is that being a pastor does not make you more spiritual or have less flaws, it just makes you more accountable to get help for them. Just read James 3:1 if you want a big, fat example of that. We all have flaws and areas where we feel damaged by life. All of us have the opportunity to heal. This woman amazed me. The things she realized were profound. She also helped me to see some things too and gain some perspective that I did not previously have. You see I don’t see myself the way she described. I see myself as just a girl in love with Jesus.

Oh and by the way, I shared this email with other pastor’s wives and they all teared up as well. Seems it hit a soft spot with all of us. We all want to be godly examples to the people we lead, but we are not able to fill every expectation placed on us. We are just like you, wanting to give this life our best shot and give it all for the Lord. The only thing special about any of us(including you) is the fact that we were all bought with an amazing price. Stages don’t make people special. A Saviour who has redeemed you does.

Now do you see why this email really shook me to the core? And the other pastor’s wives too? I love real people! I can do church with real people! I can do LIFE with real people! This woman was and is real!

Steve Kelly from The Wave Church!

This Sunday we are so excited to welcome Pastor Steve Kelly from The Wave Church in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The Wave is an amazing, dynamic church. Troy and I simply love it. If you have never been to Hillsong Church in Sydney, Australia, you can experience the same feel state-side at The Wave. Pastor Steve was on staff at Hillsong for many years and was part of their senior leadership team. His wealth of knowledge is amazing. Troy and I never walk away from him without something amazing that we have learned. We will see you at on of our 3 services this Sunday, 8:30, 10, and 11:30 am! http://www.FreedomHouseChurch.org

Here is a little more on Pastor Steve:

With over two decades of full-time ministry to draw from, Pastor Steve Kelly is a leading voice for a new generation of believers —a generation that builds its hope on the abundance of God’s grace and the gift of His righteousness.Pastor Steve’s humorous, personal and practical style of preaching complements the anointing he has as a preacher of the Word of God. His dynamic messages have always been centered on the gospel of the grace of God based on the finished work of Jesus Christ. Over the years, Pastor Steve’s ministry has led thousands of people into a relationship with Jesus Christ, afresh as they see His love, goodness and grace.

See you on Sunday!

Negative Words

Lisa Young wrote this blog and I simply loved it. Her and her husband pastor Fellowship Church, in Dallas, Texas. I wanted to share it with you so won’t focus on the “one in a million”! Her points are simple but profound. Enjoy! I did!

Continuing the topic of words, I want to pose a question for you to consider: Why is it that out of all the words we receive in a day, the ones we dwell on most are those that are harmful?

Millions of words float in and out of our lives every day. And yet, it is that one negative statement, that one hurtful word that we invest in our minds. And it is negativity that earns a high yield interest rate.  It seems to grow and multiply. Sadly, this is a phenomenon that shapes so many of us in a detrimental way. Rather than seeing ourselves the way God sees us, we focus on the negativity, slander, gossip and hurt caused by others.

For some, it may be continual verbal abuse from a parent or boss that keeps us bound.  For others, like me, it may be that some words are said to you or about you that cut to the core.  These words may not handcuff you from living, but they certainly keep you from experiencing the full, abundant life God wants you to have.

I’ve heard it said that it takes ten words of affirmation to do away with one negative word.  I’m not sure I buy this.  I’m not convinced any amount of affirmation will fully wipe away the pain from a negative comment. The good news, though, is there are some things you and I can do in the face of negativity.

Consider the source
Who is saying this? If the comment you hear comes from the mouth of a person who finds fault with anyone and everyone, don’t put as much stock into those words.  If the hurtful words come from someone you know is fair and balanced, then you may want to see if there is any truth in the statement. That doesn’t mean you harp on the negativity. But you can use it to discover a truth that God wants you to learn.

Leave it behind
Once you’ve considered the source and determined if there is any truth in the words, it’s time to move forward.  If you have learned a truth, make a plan of action to change some things in your life.  If the words don’t have validity, then build a campfire in your mind and burn them.

Rely on God’s Word
In Hebrews, the writer talks about the reality that none of us is alone in life. And because of that, he encourages us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us” (Hebrews 12:1).

When you hear negative words, remember they aren’t what define us. God defines us. We have a great purpose to fulfill for Christ, and if we are encumbered by hurt and pain, we will easily become distracted.

Don’t get distracted from the race. Instead, ask God to give you a fresh perspective from His Word.  Forgive the person who spoke the pain into your life (Ephesians 4:32).  Leave the negativity behind. And stick to the purpose that God has set before you to spread His love to a hurting world.

I Am So Thankful For You!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just have to share my heart with you on how excited I am. Last week all of the ladies of Freedom House knocked it out of the park. I came home and told my husband of all the women who worked tirelessly to pull off the woman’s conference. It happened because of an entire team of AMAZING woman; women who joined together, who laughed together, who encouraged together and who changed lives together, decided to use who they were to impact others. How cool is it that when we as women decide that we are the solution (not the problem) to a hurt and lost world and team up, together! We have so much to give as women and I think we are all starting to get it. We are starting to get the fact that we are not each others problem either. We are not each others competition. We are each others solution too.

As I watched each woman in action, it made my heart smile because many of the giftings I saw come out of these precious women were gifts I don’t have.  One beautiful woman made gorgeous gift baskets for all of the out of town pastors wives and for the giveaways of the night. When I saw them, I gasped! I could not have done that. She is amazing. When I saw the organization behind many aspects of the event, down to the seating charts and spread sheets with the budget on it, I knew I could not have done that either.  One precious woman made an array of food for all of the women in ministry around North Carolina,  as well as from around the country. One bite of those delicious morsels and I again said to myself, “I could not have done that!” She even had a beautiful chocolate high heel shoe made for Lisa to take with her. I would not have thought of that (Lisa flipped out over it as we all did, it was almost too pretty to eat-almost).

Upon arriving back at my home after the Sunday event, one of the ladies had been at my home and made the most beautiful flower arrangements with stuff from my yard and around my home! I could not have done that. She had also draped fabric across the counters and had things arrayed in a way that really made my house unrecognizable. Her work was stunning. I could not have done that. When the out of towners came over for lunch, they once again felt like someone had prepared for them. They felt anticipated and appreciated by so many people just using their gifts to be a blessing to others.

Every pastor’s wife and every woman who came to the event or to the Sunday services told me how special they felt and how welcomed they were by everyone. They commented about the environment and how it made them feel like we were anticipating their arrival. WE WERE! Oh how easy it is to minister to people when they know you cared enough to anticipate them.

I was thankful to see women step up and pray for other women, hug on other women, share their heart with other women, exchange phone numbers with other women, and encourage other women.  My heart was so full after seeing that. How beautiful and spectacular it was!

For so long the enemy has had women in a place where we were so busy competing with and comparing ourselves to other women, that we could not appreciate each other. We need each other! The puzzle is not complete without your puzzle piece being in the right spot. Whatever God has placed on your heart,  just be that piece and you will flourish. You don’t have to decorate like someone else, cook like someone else, arrange flowers like someone else or the other array of things I listed. If you just allow God to use you to be what you are good at, then all of us are blessed because we all have a part to play. I believe that is what makes God smile, when we just are what He wants for us to be. Think about it for a minute, what if a painting only had one color?  It would not be near as spectacular without the wide array of colors that could actually make it look more beautiful. Could you imagine if the red wished it could be purple? We gotta have some red! Every color is glorious and needed!

If you just be the you that God created you to be, you simply cannot miss! All you beautiful, warm-spirited, glorious women out there, you have a wonderful part to play that nobody but you can play. I am so glad I am watching you rise up and take your rightful place. You are a beautiful gift from God; you are simply marvelous and I am so incredibly thankful for you!

Japanese Shrimp Sauce

Ever wonder how to make the delicious Japanese shrimp sauce that you get at the restaurant? Here is how!

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 cup mayonnaise (not salad dressing)
• 2 tbsp. rice vinegar
• 3/4 tsp. paprika
• 3 tbsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• 3 tbsp. melted butter
• Plastic or glass mixing bowl

Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy!

Stop Child Trafficking!

As many of you know, we had Lisa Bevere at Freedom House Church this weekend. What many of you may not know is that Lisa fights against child trafficking and is an advocate for those young girls. Well, Saturday night, several girls who now have a wonderful adoptive family that rescued them from child trafficking showed up to meet Lisa. These girls were spared! Here is the picture their mother sent me along with what she said.

We were so blessed! My (4) young, beautiful Cambodian, Thai,& Burmese refugee daughters who have escaped child-trafficking and Rambo-style war, were with me there on Saturday Night!(Lisa is advocating against these atrocities so boldly and powerfully!) Even though there was a language barrier for them, they told me how they felt the presence of the HOLY SPIRIT there! LISA BLESSED EACH GIRL with her beautiful crystal charm bracelet. They love the bracelet so much & especially love Lisa so much! These girls sing like angels & dance before the Lord so mightily!

To join the cause to rescue young girls, visit Messenger International for more information! A young girl like these needs hope. God has a plan and purpose for them! Let’s all join the cause!

Are these girls beautiful or what?

Live, Lisa Bevere! Don’t Miss It!

Don’t miss it! Here is a little sneak peak of what you will see! Get ready, ladies! Your world is about to be rocked! See you Saturday at 7 pm and Sunday is for everyone at 8:30, 10 and 11:30 at Freedom House Church!