If you’re like us, you’ve been enjoying summer like weather in the middle of March. Of course it just gives us a taste of summer! If you’re looking for some books to put on that summer reading list, can I suggest some I’ve been reading:

Do you struggle with overeating? This book is a great book to help you understand what we should be craving. She gives practical advice in dealing with the sin of overeating!

This book has been so helpful in helping me understand emotional maturity. The author lays out 7 areas we are either emotional infants in or emotional adults. If you want to understand yourself better or if you want to have a really good tool in dealing with other people this book is for you!

Paul Tripp is one of my favorite authors. I picked up this book again and was reminded about the power of helping people in need of changing…starting with myself!

I have my copy of True Woman 101 and will be working through this 8 week bible study this summer with a group of ladies!

Have you experienced Gospel Wakefulness? Does the gospel keep you enthralled daily? Great book! 

 This book will help you with the basics of the gospel! Great for a new believer or someone who’s been in church for years!

Are you wanting to understand biblical counseling vs. Christian psychology then this is a must read! I couldn’t put this book down today!

Today I have had a good hair day!

Why does this matter to you?

Well, my sister offered to watch my three boys while I ran to Wal-Mart. I got ready and my hair turned out great! I put on make-up and a fun shirt! I felt put together…amazing!

I shopped ALONE! No kids pulling on me and my hair looked good (at least to me..okay before I sound vain most days my hair doesn’t get done. When I do my hair the boys will ask: Are we going to church? or Are you going on a date with dad? So get the idea, I don’t do my hair often!)

I have had days where I’ve shopped with three boys in tow, them pulling on me, tugging for something or fighting over something. I feel frazzled and frustrated.

Then I see a woman with no kids in her cart, her hair is done, she looks put together, she has no stains on her clothes…and I think, “That woman has got a secret…and I want to know what it is! She looks like she doesn’t have a care in the world!”

So walking around Wal-Mart today I thought, “Oh funny…I am that mom!” Of course it’s not a secret and I have cares, but know the One who carries my cares. 

Moms don’t we do this all too often? We look at other women. Maybe they are thinner than us, or they have nice hair. Maybe they are kid-free or just look like they’ve got it together. Chances are she’s got struggles, pain, frustrations, and who knows maybe is was a freak accident her hair looked so nice that day!

In 2008 I went to True Woman 2008 in Chicago. I had no idea how much that conference would radically change my life. The 3 day conference was packed full to teaching, prayer, and ended with a call to live out being God’s true woman in my life.

In 2010 I went to True Woman 2010 in Fort Worth. Again God used that conference to continue to refine me, change me, grow me, and strip me of more of myself. I left there feeling even more convicted to live out biblical womanhood in my life, in my home first and foremost! (It was going to that conference that God started the dominoes for us to start our newlywed class! So yes, picked up my life and started it on a new path!)

I am beyond excited to got to True Woman 2012 in Indianapolis September 20-22, 2012.

I want to invite you to prayerfully consider coming! The theme is: Seeking Him Together for Spiritual Awakening. You will be challenged, encouraged, and renewed! For some of you it may take a few months to pull together the resources to go, this is why I am sharing this in March. If you decide to go, let me know! I’d love to meet you!

About 2 months ago I had a real restlessness for ministry. I can’t pinpoint why, but I was feeling like the ministry we do was neat and pretty. I was feeling like I wanted to get messy in ministry. I don’t think I wanted to go looking for mess, but I more wanted to let masks down and get real with anyone we are in ministry with. I wanted to be uncomfortable.

John and I talked about adoption…and foster care. To me foster care seemed “messy” and really uncomfortable.

But we never felt we got the green light from God for either of those things.

So we just kept at the newlywed class, having people in our homes, and being sensitive to God’s calling.

Then God started growing a friendship with a friend who was walking through a dark season in her marriage. 

God started crossing our paths…daily.

Then God allowed us to walk through this messy, ugly pit with her and her husband. Not from afar, but right next to them every painful step of the way. 

The last 2 weeks have been some of the most emotionally and spiritually draining for me and my husband. We’ve spend time in prayer. I’ve cried (not sure if John has), we’ve sought God hard, we’ve gotten advice from others who have walked the path my friend and her husband are walking, and we’ve watched God move a mountain.

Honestly, I don’t know how their story will end. Today I have hope for this marriage.

But as I’ve “gotten messy” in ministry there’s a stirring in me to be even more bold as God directs. 

See satan is crafty! He causes people to drift towards isolation in their sin and pain. They think they are the only ones who have walked this path of pain. So we put on pretty smiles and pretend everything is okay. When inside we’re dying and our marriages are falling apart.

I will also say my bubble, my nice Christian bubble, has burst. This isn’t a bad thing, just a smack of reality has hit me upside the head!

I look at the world with a new set of glasses.

This blog is to plead with you, let the masks down! If you have pain in your marriage don’t sit on it. It may be stage one cancer that left untreated will be stage four in a couple of years. Don’t think your problem is an isolated account. Ask God to bring others in your life who have walked ahead of you. You’ll be amazed as you open up this private pain that God will bring others to walk along side you. He’s a God of details!

I plead with you to teach your sons about the danger of porn! Oh goodness…how I wish I could not even think this is a problem…but my bubble has popped. Protect your sons eyes with the seriousness of a lion and her cubs. Get radical in protecting them! It’s a slippery slope! Don’t be naive. Speak to your husband about it, openly and freely! If this is an area you feel like you can’t talk about with your husband…why? Break the silence! 

Also, if you’re married have nothing that is password protected from your mate! All emails, facebook, twitter, iPhones, and any other accounts should be open and free to your mate. Walk openly with your mate!

My heart is just pounding writing this knowing some of you may laugh this off, or read and think, “Heather’s being silly or over reacting.” That’s okay! If no one responds in action to this blog that’s okay because I am obey God in writing this!

All glory to God!!