CONNECT

Last week, those of you who are my besties, the ones that subscribe to TCGW and have been active participants on this blog, received an email MadLib with four questions–all about you. You got the inside track on influencing my meninges.

I could have guessed at your answers, but instead, I preferred to simply ask.
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The questions:

1. When I wake in the morning, I am most anxious about _________, __________, and _________.

2. ____________ is what I fear in my life the most, followed by ________ and ___________.

3. Some of my absolute favorite moments in life involve _________, __________, and _________!!

4. If absolutely nothing were holding me back, in three years, I would LOVE to __________________________. (Dream big, Friend. Dream big!)

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Wall mural on DelMar in St. Louis by Loop Living


Since I can’t share everyone’s answers, here are mine:

  1. When I wake in the morning, I am most anxious about if I have to wash my hair (it’s so thick, it takes me forever to get ready!), What will I wear? Wait, what is my boss wearing this week?!? (The stylist in me shrieks!), and Can I get it all done today? (Remembering B’s French horn lessons, J’s practice times, C’s lunch schedule, sermon research, writing, groceries, Bible study, oh, and following Jesus! Did I forget to pray?).
  2. Failure, and failing who I love most, is my biggest fear, followed by rejection and being a disappointment.
  3. Some of my absolute favorite moments in life involve eating, snuggling, worshiping and praying with my kids, foreign/mission travel with my husband, Christopher and being in the heights and depths of adoration and worship of Jesus Christ through God’s Word in prayer, praise & worship, and teaching with His people.
  4. If absolutely nothing were holding me back, in three years, I would LOVE to…

On this last question, I’m sayin’ to myself, Whoa, Church Girl! Ease up, Buttercup. Honestly, I’m hoping to get three more days if God wills it, let alone three more years!

This one is the hardest, the scariest questions for me to answer. What if my reach is too low and I insult God with small thinking? What if I am unrealistic and think too highly of myself? What does it LOOK like to believe that there is NOTHING HOLDING YOU BACK?

It always goes back to Hebrews 12.

“…let us throw off the everything that hinders, the sin that so easily entangles, and run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a, NIV84)

In three years my son will graduate from high school, my daughter will be an official teenager, and my husband and I will be at the half-century mark age-wise. There’s not much time to mess around or to waste.

My hope is to have deep INFLUENCE and IMPACT for the Kingdom of God resulting in much fruit for eternity. I just don’t know how. I want to know my Jesus more–to sit in perpetual adoration of my Savior no matter my circumstances. I just want to be used to love more, encourage more, teach more, care more.

That’s all great. Pie-in-the-sky, really. There are no metrics here. What is the landmark for these? How do you know if you have been successful?

How about this: (Here’s a solid…)

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My little Boo.

In three years, I would LOVE to see my daughter accept Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior and make the choice to be immersion baptized.

I would LOVE to see the inklings of what God has for my son as he embarks on one of the biggest turning points in his life–graduation from high school, the transition into his semi-adult future. And I wonder about the godly young lady who might be my daughter-in-law some day. Outside of the decision to follow Jesus, it will be one of the most important relationships he will have on this earth. Our part right now is to keep raising our “Baby Mountain” to be a godly man worthy of her respect.

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J is terrific at computers and technology; he often helps me with TCGW.

And finally, I would LOVE to see what God has for Christopher and me eventually in full-time ministry together, side by side.

And so I am going to continue to pray audaciously like these are certainty, as if God is going to walk us right to each one of these future hopes. (I know He will if we are obedient!) And then I am going to watch and be thankful. (Colossians 4: 2)


Hear my heart on this, Friend. I want to serve and minister to your wants/needs more effectively, but even more importantly, I want to serve our God and King in the best way I can. I don’t want to “spray and pray” that we’re hitting what you want to read here. I don’t want to fail Jesus.

The Church Girl Writes wants to be intentional.

I’d love to hear from you! You are welcome to respond in any way, shape or form you like–online in the comments, over email, by phone, in person, over coffee. (Hey, and while you’re at it, be sure to SUBSCRIBE below to TCGW on the website so you never miss out on the fun! Tag a friend to join us, too!)

And even if you don’t respond to me, I would ask you to respond to God. Go through the hard work with these questions, asking the Holy Spirit to help you. Some are harder and take longer than others. But it’s worth it to consider carefully, think critically, and pray earnestly. And then lay out your burdens and hopes before Him.  He is faithful.

“Blessed is he whose help is in the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the LORD his God,

the Maker of heaven and earth,

the sea, and everything in them–the LORD, who remains faithful forever.”

Psalm 146:5-6