After the blue moon on New Years Eve, I had a blue Monday. Ever had one of those days where it seems you have nothing to offer? Maybe it was the yuckyness of getting back to work, or a resolution that I didn’t want to make. It could’ve been confusion over what to do or not really wanting to do what I should. Whatever the reason I felt directionless, passionless and pointless.

The dread of Monday built as it approached and hit full force that morning. On Sunday I sent an email to a ministry friend, Renae Brumbaugh, explaining my disillusionment.

I wrote,

I’ve got to rethink my life.
I’m praying this evening and next morning to decide what God wants me to focus and work on for this next year, six months, spring, and this month.
I need his clear direction.
I need him.
I’m so needy.
This adventure with him is difficult.
I would turn around if I could, but I don’t know how.
Somehow, I have to turn off my wishes and listen to his directions. I often wish I could hear him audibly, that we could sit and have coffee together over a calendar and a notepad. That I could look into his eyes, see his smile, his tears, his pain and his magnificent love.
I want to be in his presence so very badly. I need him.
I’d give everything I had for time with him. I would rather meet him in the secret place than all this speaking and writing, leading and mentoring.
I desire him!
Can’t I just have more of him and forget this ministry?
(sigh)
Let’s take a journey together.
Like a quest in The Lord of the Rings, let’s go find God in his sanctuary. Let’s find him at his table. Let’s search for his delicacies that won’t ruin our diet. Let’s make a pact. Let’s do this thing. Are you with me? Let’s go.

I woke up Monday feeling like my hands were tied, my mind was in a fog, and my ability was inadequate. The Monday slump was a shadowy valley with no map or internal sense of where to step, what to do or how to think. The shadow may have been some outside force. I didn’t know anything else to do but pray. Most of the day was spent seeking God, following through with what I said in the email.

Nothing.

A faint, “Do those things you were last supposed to do,” whispered across my fog.

I prayed and tried writing and planning the projects, articles, and interviews from before the holidays.

Still disillusioned.

Workout. I decided to go workout, get the blood flowing. Maybe then the fog would lift. After the workout, I had dinner.

Nothing. Nothing was working. Maybe I should go back to being a wife and mom and forget this ministry, this headache.

After 9:00 p.m. the phone rang. Edna Winkler, a SBTC Area Missions Coordinator who booked me for an event two years ago, called to say I was on her mind, and had been for over a week. She had been praying for me during that time and couldn’t go to sleep until she found out how I was doing. She had called the office of local churches to see if they had heard anything. When that turned up nothing, she had found my number and called.

She encouraged me saying my ministry touched many lives, hers included. She believed many more were yet to be touched. She told me not to give in or listen to the discourager, Satan. Then she told a story from one of her struggles.

I prayed. I thought I was giving my problem to God. I felt oppressed. An evil darkness lingered for two weeks. Then I said, “God I can’t do this anymore!” I gave up and the oppression lifted. I guess I didn’t really give it to God while I struggled with it in prayer.

She ended our conversation with a commitment to pray for me and help in any way. I was in tears. My God is so good to give me all I need, a phone call as his audible voice over a warm cup, and his eyes filled with love.

May God show himself and his love to you in your days ahead.

*Pic by science.nasa.gov
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I married into a wonderful family.

Oh well, they have their quirks. Like on the first Christmas Eve with them, I was awakened by people yelling at me.

“Christmas Eve gift!”

“No, I got her first!”

My new husband laughed at my bewilderment then explained the family’s ritual of tagging everyone before they can tag you. You become “it” if you get tagged with, “Christmas Eve gift.” It’s a fun game where the person that gets tagged has to give the one who tagged them an extra Christmas gift. Nothing big, but acknowledgment of the winner is a must.

The game has gotten very competitive at times. Often a phone call in the wee hours of the morning would wake you up with hollering on the other end. Some would not go to sleep until after midnight to make sure they get the Christmas Eve gift. The game isn’t played by children only. Granny wins the prize more often than not. (You ought to see the competitive way Granny hunts eggs at Easter.)

Your Free Gift

Putting family competitiveness aside, I’m pretending you tagged me. I am giving you a Christmas Eve Gift. Please don’t call me in the wee hours of the morning.

Your gift is a copy of “Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged.” For teachers, leaders and communicators of all kinds, this gift will help get your point across, keep your audience’s attention and make your presentations memorable.

Sign up now for your FREE gift “Tips to Keep Your Audience Engaged.” This link may become defunct in the future and the Christmas Eve Gift may disappear.

Christmas Eve Gift! on you…

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Peace.      Still.      Rest.

Peace in a World of Disturbance

The Burden.
Ever push to make things happen? When I do, I become anxious, worried, and stressed. All actions feel like my responsibility. Like it’s my fault when it doesn’t go well. Or when it does, the credit is mine. During these times, everything seems to key off of me, what I do, or don’t do, if I’m good enough, or not. I don’t like the stress of that kind of responsibility.

The Freedom.
When I place myself in the presence of sovereignty, I have peace. Overriding the swirl of troubles, struggles, and circumstances, a peace prevails. My actions become obedience to the sovereign God instead of an ambition to control. I realize the results don’t hinge upon my behavior or ability. God’s responsible for the results. I’m responsible for obeying. By sitting down in submission to him, I find a peaceful freedom.

The Counsel.
“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act” (Ps 37:7). I should work physically while sitting still in God spiritually. But I forget that God’s in charge, and get busy, working, feeling responsible for the outcome. When things don’t go right, the responsibility turns into temptations to take control, get frustrated, and become angry. Psalms 37:8 states, “Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm.” “Be still,” or “Stop being angry!”

The Choice.
I must choose. “Be still,” or push-through-with-all-I’ve-got. The choice leading to peace is simple, but the “Be still” follow through isn’t easy. The option keeps coming back and needs a fresh resolve. Sometimes I make the right choice, and others…

Anyhow. Do any of you, like me, search for peace in a world of disturbance?

*picture by MJ Photography

The MOPS meeting is 10:00 to 11:00 in Cypress, TX at the Good Shepherd UMC. Join us.

The “little ole me” attitude keeps me from partnering with others to do big things, or try feats that could never be done on my own. Feelings like, “What can I do? Not much, I’m not trained.”  But partnering with pastors and other leaders with vision will build God’s kingdom and strengthen our families.

Faith and togetherness. Our weaknesses are made strong with God and others. I feel inadequate (no big secret), but with faith to trust and obey God along with joining others, amazing acts are completed. When I consider what faith and togetherness does in my life, it’s nothing short of a miracle.

When Lynn Snider, the Executive Director of South Baptist Texas Association, heard about my desire to partner with churches to reach women, he invited me to share at several pastor’s luncheons of the SBTA. I offered my assistance to make a difference in the lives of women in their community. Being a pastor’s wife, I understand the burden and workload of pastors and the benefit of women ministering to women.

Robin with Pastor Elmo Johnson and Anita Wood

At one luncheon I joined Anita Wood, SBTC Women’s Ministry Regional Representative and speaker at Capture Me! iGETitLIFE Women’s Event. We traveled to the 4th Ward in Houston and met Rev. Elmo Johnson, pastor of Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church and president of UpLift 4th Ward Community Development. Anita and I offered our assistance to the pastors followed by an awesome prayer time and lunch at This is It Soul Food. We met some of Rev. Johnson’s members working and dining at the restaurant. His ministry is evident all over the 4th Ward. If you want to make a difference in the lives of people, seek out and learn from Rev. Elmo Johnson.

During each pastor gathering I offered:

•    Inspirational events for the community and churches
•    Women’s ministry training for leaders of women
•    Vision casting for the women of the church (to assist the pastor in counseling and ministering to women)

The pastors appreciated the counseling women vision and were eager to find that kind of assistance. My pastor-husband brought a godly woman, or most often myself, into every counseling situation with females. He found extra support for the lady in crisis, a “girlfriend” with which to pray and talk. This partnership lightens the pastor’s workload and frees him to focus elsewhere.

Look for future post Tips for Women Ministering to Women, Unloading the Pastor’s Workload

And the winner is… A drawing for an author-signed book was taken from the pool of early registrants of the Capture Me! September 2009 iGETitLIFE Women’s Event. Congratulations to Pam Moore of the Texas Hill Country.  She has won a free personalized copy of Vonda Skelton’s Seeing Through the Lies: Unmasking the Myths Women Believe.

Vonda’s book is filled with insight and humor. The rest of us can order our copy of Seeing Through the Lies to get a taste of the awesome time awaiting us at the Capture Me! Event. Vonda is the keynote speaker and you will be blessed by hearing from her in person.

Breakout sessions by other godly speakers include Renae Brumbaugh, Anita Onarecker Wood, Anne LeGare, and myself. We may even have a surprise missionary to speak to a young women issue — what God can do with the unmatched pieces of my life? Some breakout session topics are:

•    Hope? I NEED Hope! – Has all the chaos beaten you down? Discover what God says about hope, and sharpen your focus—gain new encouragement with the anchor of our soul – - hope!  Anita Onarecker Wood is an eyewitness to miraculous prayer. She was on the bridge with her first husband, Dick Onarecker, who prayed for Don Piper, as told in 90 Minutes in Heaven.
*    Morning Coffee . . . Caffeine for the Soul - Soul weary? Need a java-jolt? Grab a cup of coffee and discover practical keys for successful living. You’ll come away with a renewed spirit that will satisfy . . . all day long.  Renae Brumbaugh is the author of Morning Coffee with James, four other books, and a syndicated column. She makes hard truth easy to swallow. Need a little sugar with that?
•    Default Settings — Stuck in the Spin Cycle? – Worn out? “Why is my Christian life so hard?”  Your “default settings” may be set on the “spin cycle.”  Discover how to reprogram to the “vibrant colors” cycle God intends and get out of the wringer!  Anne LeGare is a former Army major. As a divorced, single mother with two small children, she earned two Master’s degrees. Remarried with five kids, she’s living proof that you can come out of the “Spin Cycle” and rest in the Lord.
•    Sacred Conversation: The Eternal Chat, IM, & Text – Learn to chat with God and join his amazing adventure. Discover how to make a difference and find healing, hope, and purpose. Robin Bryce is committed to engage, inspire, and influence abundant life and is the speaker and founder of iGETitLIFE. She’s found hope and life-purpose chatting with Jesus.

Don’t delay. Register online now or download form for this awesome weekend of inspiration, fun, and worship. Time and space is running out.

Oh, and Pam, look for your free book to arrive in your mailbox soon and thank you for registering early.

And BIG THANKS to Vonda for donating and personalizing her book for the drawing. She’s such a doll. You got to come meet her.

How do the successful deal with challenges? What is their strategy? And what can we learn from them? I look for people of passion, people who love God and have a single-hearted devotion to be and do all God wants. Vonda Skelton is one of those people.

I met Vonda years ago at a Christian leaders conference, and I’ve invited her to join us today. She is the keynote for Capture Me!, the 2009 iGETitLIFE Women’s Event, and the author of Seeing Through the Lies and the Bitsy series for children. She’s the mom of two and MaMa to a crew. Vonda lives with her husband, Gary, in South Carolina. You’ll fall in love with her feisty yet gentle Southern ways as she shares where she’s going and how she’s getting there. Join me as I glean tips for leading and living my life. Let’s get started and don’t forget to ask your questions or leave comments.

Robin: Vonda, what would you say is your mission, your purpose? Why do you do what you do?

Vonda: I know this sounds silly to some, but I do what I do because I can’t NOT do it. I’ve always loved writing, loved the stage, loved the creative process, but for most of my life I considered all that stuff just selfish self-indulgences. And even though I’d never done any of these creative things professionally, I found they always seeped into my life. They just appeared in my nursing school projects, neighborhood children’s parties, birthday party entertainments, children’s SS classes, children’s church or Bible School programs, and Christian Women’s Club leadership roles. I didn’t set out to be creative in these areas, it just crept its way in time after time. I’d be working on something and POOF! there it was—a skit, a song, a costume, a monologue. They wouldn’t leave me alone!

The day God revealed to me that He could take all those passions and interests and use them to bring Himself glory was an exciting day! For the first time in my life, I felt I was doing what I was created to do! So, to get back to your question, I do what I do to bring glory to God.

The look of a leader worth following!!

Robin: That’s awesome. I read a great book, The Dream Giver, about living and serving in the passions and interests that God places in us. Our life’s work becomes an act of worship. When you write or speak, how do you sense God’s pleasure?

Vonda: The best way I can describe it is that it feels like climbing up into a big ol’ cushy recliner, snuggling up to my Father, and hearing His heartbeat. I remember so vividly doing that with my daddy…and all would be right with the world. I love sharing His love, His grace and mercy, His forgiveness. I love that He can take my messes and use them for His glory. I love that no hurts are wasted in God’s economy.

Robin: That’s a comfy feeling, but doesn’t these same acts of worship become a chore at times? A drudgery? How does that happen?

Vonda: Oh, I know the answer to that one! It’s when I get too busy doing all the “stuff” of the ministry. You know, the bookkeeping, the letters, the contracts, the paperwork. It’s when I get away from my calling and have to work outside my area of passion and gifting. But it has to be done. I keep reminding myself that I’m sure Jesus didn’t enjoy everything He had to do to bring His message to the people.

Robin: Ouch. I guess you’re right. Jesus probably didn’t enjoy the cross. Since some things about your mission are enjoyable and others aren’t, how do you decide what you should do?

Vonda: That’s just it—there are too many things that I love to do, that I feel called to do. I love teaching God’s Word, love sharing stories of God’s grace and forgiveness, love sharing my mistakes in hopes that someone else can avoid them, love watching kids’ eyes light up when they realize they can write, love giving women the opportunity to laugh at my mess-ups of life, love letting women know that none of us has it all together but that we’re all struggling to live up to His calling and be who He created us to be.

Some say, “Just make a mission statement and don’t do anything that doesn’t fit that statement.” Great concept but doesn’t work in reality for me. Whether I’m speaking to a group of women or a group of writers or a group of kids, for me, it’s all ministry and it’s all good.

Robin: Sounds like your mission statement would have to include lots of inspiration and encouragement for others. What helps you determine you’re headed in the right direction and making progress? How do you evaluate your success?

Vonda: I don’t know that success is the word I would use because that has such a negative connotation in today’s society. Today’s success is measured by the paycheck, the notoriety, the name recognition. By those standards, few of us ever qualify. But when I look at what I know God has called ME to do—minister to women, writers, and children, I feel His nod of approval through the confirmation of those I speak to. I mean, how can I feel that I’m not on the right track when a precious sister comes to me and says, “Your message changed my life”?

Listen—it’s not me, it’s not my good works or anything I’ve done to reach any definition of success, it’s only through the story of His power, the demonstration of His love, that anyone can be changed. I feel like the woman at the well who went back to her town and said, “Let me tell you about a man who told me everything I ever did!” The Bible tells us many in her town were saved. Was it because of her? No. Was it because she was a great orator who knew the techniques of persuasion? No. Was it because she was successful by their standards? No. It was because of the message. His message. His grace. His love.

Robin: That’s a powerful picture. A struggling woman used to share God’s message. I’m curious. When setbacks come, and they always do, how do you deal with them? How do you get back on track?

Vonda: I just stay busy. I find if I have lots of different projects going on, I’m not so focused on the “success” of one particular one. So when I have a project that I just know is going to be the next Christy Award winning book, or the next Oscar winning movie, and instead it ends up in the rejection pile, I can whine to my close friends (who love me in spite of the whining) and then move on to the next project. But then there are those times…you know what I mean…those times when you get up and fall down and get up and fall down…and nothing seems to be working…and people won’t leave you alone so you can do what you know you’re supposed to be doing…when you feel pulled in a hundred directions and you think you can’t take another…uh…um…what was the question?

Robin: Hmm, I guess you might get a little frustrated when things don’t go your way, but you always return to your mission of inspiring and encouraging others. A mark of a good leader is not giving up when the road gets rough. Besides being remembered for faithfulness to your mission, is there anything else you would like to say?

Vonda: Oh, how I want to pen words that will make a difference for eternity! I want heaven to be different because of my obedience to His calling. The money truly isn’t the focus. (Although I wouldn’t be OPPOSED to making gobs of money if God decided to send it my way! I mean, just imagine all the good I could do with a gazillion dollars! Wouldn’t that be AWESOME?!?!?) But I sincerely want to be remembered as someone who wrote the truth, shared the truth, believed the truth, and lived the truth. If I made a lot of money and achieved the world’s standard of success, but didn’t portray the Truth on the pages of my life, my life would have been nothing but a lie. And that, dear friends, would be true failure.

Robin: And we don’t want to be failures. Do we? Thanks Vonda. Can’t wait to be with you in September at Capture ME!, the iGETitLIFE Event.

Check out Vonda’s book, Seeing Through the Lies: Unmasking the Myths Women Believe, to find out how to live in the Truth.

Make a comment. What is your individual calling or sweet spot? How do you handle obstacles? What standard evaluates your success?

Related leadership posts: Stepping into Success, Successful Life and Leadership, 5 Tips to Lead a Successful Life

*picture from www.getentrepreneurial.com

Robin Bryce will bring the program at each Luncheon.

Monday, June 22

11:30 am 

China Ko!

5310 E. Sam Houston Pkwy

Just North of Woodforest Blvd

11:30 am – 1:00 pm

~~~

Tuesday, June 23

11:30 am

Rose of Sharon Baptist Church

1106 Valentine

Houston, TX 77019

(Just West of Downtown Houston)

11:30 am – 1:00 pm

~~~

Thursday, June 25

11:30 am

Ryan’s Steak House Conroe

1413 N. Loop 336

11:30 am – 1:00 pm

http://southtexasba.com/

Related event

• Speaker: Robin
• Date: Monday, June 22nd 2009 - Tuesday, June 23rd 2009
• City: Robin in Houston, TX
• Venue: South Texas Baptist Association Pastor’s Luncheon
• Country: United States
• Notes: Topic: Education and Inspiration for Women’s Ministry, offering training and resources.
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

• Speaker: Robin
• Date: Thursday, June 25th 2009
• City: Robin in Conroe, TX
• Venue: South Texas Baptist Association Pastor’s Luncheon
• Country: United States
• Notes: Topic: Education and Inspiration for Women’s Ministry, offering training and resources.
• Add to Google Calendar | Download iCal

Founder and speaker of iGETitLIFE, Robin Bryce and her pastor/husband Chuck present "He Said, She’s Sad" No wait that’s "He Said, She Said" a topic on marriage at Central Cities Church in Copperas Cove, TX in the center of the greater Ft. Hood area. If you’re in the area, come for the fun and laughs and leave with inspiration for a better marriage.

June 27-28th, 2009.