@AllenBefort, @bradytoops, @Pabs

If you haven’t gotten a chance to get the new book by Gabe Lyons @nextchristians called “The New Christians”, let me highly recommend that you do….especially if you are over 30.  Great insight and perspective on the American culture, where we are today and what we must BE if we are to stay engaged.  Most 30 and under’s are already living this out in their everyday lives.  They are looking at me as if to say “duh, what has taken you so long mrs.beaz”!

Within the last 7 days I’ve had the honor to hang out with a few guys that happen to fall into this 30 and under crew that the great thinkers call Generation Y.

The Church at Arkansas recently hired Allen Befort to help us lead youth and college students.  I was able to attend Catalyst with him last week and found him to be incredibly insightful and discerning.  The awesome thing about Allen is that he is extremely intuitive and patient.  A little unsettling to meet someone this young have this much wisdom and the maturity to know how to handle it.  Based upon this explanation alone I guess he sounds a little boring – but those of you who know Allen know very well that he probably knows the words to ever Boyz to Men song every written.  This sets him in a category all his own!!

We also just sent Brady Toops off to record his new album in Nashville.  We are all so excited we can hardly stand it.  However, Brady is calm and peaceful, faithful and reliant on God alone.  You could not meet two more different guys than Allen and Brady (and yet they both have an affection for Boyz to Men?!?), however, Brady possesses the same maturity and wisdom.  He’s sensitive to the Spirit and freely gives his praise to the Lord and invites us all to join him in this exercise of genuine worship.  Blessed with talent and ability that others can only dream of, he shares it unselfishly to a lost world.

And last night we had dinner with a guy Jonathan affectionately calls “Pabs”.  He’s from Guatemala.  He’s on a faith journey to the United States to raise money for his church in Guatemala City.  He has left the comfort of his home and is following through with relationships he’s made with Americans.  He’s sharing the story of his church and how they have a vision to help the poor and starving just 30 miles out of the city.  He’s filled with a motivating generosity and desire.  His dreams are so big and nothing will stop him.  Amazing young man of God.

What in the world is going on here!?!  God is rising up a generation of men that are going to change the world.  There are women in this generation, as well, that are passionately following Christ to India, nursing school and orphanages around the world.  But how refreshing to see the Lord building a foundation of men to move this culture into the arms of Jesus for love and restoration.  Not a selfish bone in their body as far as I can see.  I’m sure they would disagree, but from where I’m standing, I can see hope, I can see a future of hope.  Exciting times are ahead…for each of these guys individually, but in our world, as well.

I hope you have some of these generation Y guys in your life.  They are amazing and FUN, inspiring and generous.  Build them up in the Lord, pray for them, encourage them and watch them change the world…

.........: God is moving here, too.

.........: God is moving here, too.: " Just got back from a ministry leadership conference. It was awesome. A lot of young thinkers. I truly believe my ..."

God is moving here, too.

Just got back from a ministry leadership conference.  It was awesome.  A lot of young thinkers.  I truly believe my kids generation will change the world – end starvation – things like that.  I have decided that I will be a voice cheering them on instead of the voice fussing in the background about how times are changing.

These extremely idealistic yet not unrealistic thinkers and speakers are doing ministry in places like Atlanta, LA and Austin - in fairly extreme communities.  One speaker that I loved and mostly agreed with, sorta slammed the suburbs, remarking that we are all pretty and dressed up, we all look and talk the same.  He made it sound like a nauseating group of upper middle class plastics.  And although I would agree there are some priorities a little out of whack around here, let me tell you why I love living in the suburbs and I know that God is a work here, too.

Today, I drove over to a friend’s house to pick up one of my kids from a typical suburbia Sunday afternoon play date.  We were allowing the kids a few minutes to finish playing a typical suburbia game, as we had a typical suburbia conversation in her driveway.  A neighboring mom walked over to see if her kids were over playing in the yard and she joined us for conversation in typical suburbia fashion.  Only 20 minutes in conversation I found out that her 40-year-old husband is on a one-month soul searching trip in the dessert in Utah.  He is looking for some enlightenment and inspiration after living on this earth for forty years.  He’s hoping to find it on a cleansing and somewhat self-mutilating voyage to the dessert.

Inwardly I welled up with tears.  I’ve known this woman through PTA and grocery shopping for the last 2 years.  She is a very kind woman, as a matter of fact, one of my favorites at the school.  Foolishly I assumed they were already involved in church because she is so nice, of course.  That’s why ministry in the suburbs is a challenge…since we all look the same, dress the same, talk the same…we can make many assumptions.  In reality, many suburbanites are looking in the dessert for inspiration.  Why would I wish for any other demographic to minister to?  I speak the same language, I dress the same way and I shop in the same places.  I’m not going to apologize for it.  This is right where God has me and has called me to live.

So, that’s when the Holy Spirit did his thing….I was moved to ask her if Jonathan and I could take her and her husband to dinner 2 weeks after he got back from his trip.  She seemed surprised.  I told her that I would love to her what he learned during his month away…I am extremely curious to see what nature and being practically starved will show him.  Will he come home enlightened?  God may show up and move in his heart.  He could come home completely defeated and disillusioned.  I want to know.  I’m dying to know.

She was so surprised,  She said no one has responded this way to her….most have said that is the craziest thing they’d ever heard and that they were so sorry for her to have to put up with his mid life crisis.  The Holy Spirit showed up and began to do his thing…she opened up and shared more about his trip, his character, his dreams.  We will go to dinner and I will ask some of questions.  I will listen a lot and wait for the Holy Spirit to do things again.  I love living in the suburbs.  God is moving here, too.

So here I go.

I guess I'm starting a blog....not sure when I will make the time, but I'm excited about it!!  I am looking forward to sharing some of my thoughts on politics, business, family, my passions, my therapies, and my spiritual life.

I have a pretty interesting and wide variety of interest.  I call myself an "in and out of season kind of girl."  I am up for whatever God is calling me to at the time.

At this point - I'm in my 30's (you'll never have me tell my real age).  I want to be this little old lady who no one can figure out how old she is because she would never tell. :)  I have a home business printing and ordering stationery, wedding invitations, and anything else paper.  I am a mom of 3.  And a preacher's wife.  If you'd asked me 15 years ago if I ever thought I'd be a preacher's wife I would have said no and my friends would have laughed.  But God's ways are not our ways (thank goodness!) and I totally love my life.

So, my plan is to feature one of my clients each week.  I will also probably share a home project once a week, as well.  Through the years I've had lots of friends suggest I share some of my easy to make gift ideas.  Any other things you might want to hear about?  Let me know.