Summer is almost upon us. For some of us these are the lazy days—the mornings and evenings without alarm clocks and bed times. They are vacations, summer camps, cookouts, pauses in schedules and routines.
But… it’s good to have a plan to stay in the Word. Enter, LifeWay Women to save the summer:
LifeWay is offering an easily accessible and doable Bible study plan for even the craziest of summers. Both Angie Smith and I are incredibly excited to join you this summer through Bible studies we’ve written:
Angie wrote a study called Seamless that focuses on God’s single story of redemption and helps us better understand how all of Scripture ties together.
I wrote a study called What Love Is on the letters of 1, 2 & 3 John that focuses on the rich fundamentals of our faith. Both studies are being offered – or if you really want to be ambitious you can try doing both.
For some extra inspiration, I just returned from the Amazon Jungle and met this incredible woman.
Beautiful believer in the Amazon singing “I’d Rather Have Jesus”
To most, she would be considered the poorest of the poor. But watching this video reminds me of how rich she is. (My two year-old niece has watched this at least 20 times on my iPhone. Her words are, “I like this lady”. Me too.)
So, the unofficial title of this post is “I’d Rather Have Jesus…This Summer”. Plan to be in the Word! You’ll be so thankful come August!
Love and appreciate you all so very much. You all have been so good to me!
Blessings,
Kelly
Bloom Book Club
I’m so excited to be part of the Bloom Book Club this summer with Angie Smith and Jessica Turner. They have chosen The Fitting Room: Putting on the Character of Christ as their summer book. You can find out all the details by clicking here.
I had the best time taping several video segment where we discussed each chapter and brought our real-life thoughts and experiences to the table, always up against the incredible revelation of what the Bible has to say about living out the virtues. If you’d like to join us this summer, we’d be more than thrilled to have you! Please come along for the ride…
The Fitting Room: Putting on the Character of Christ
Just wanted to let you know that I just got my copy of The Fitting Room: Putting on the Character of Christ. It’s available for pre-order today, and will ship April 1st. These projects require so much labor-intensive work and a huge chunk of your heart, so I’m always really excited when I can hold a final copy in my hands; The kind of copy where you can’t ask the editor if he or she can just change one more thing?
I based this book on Colossians 3:12 where Paul talks about clothing ourselves with the virtues. Of course this is easier said than done; Taking off one outfit for another is way easier than, say, taking off anger for patience, or bitterness for forgiveness. But there are many helpful truths along the way that aid us in the process, not the least of which is that we are chosen, set apart and dearly loved by God. So… I hope you will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed studying the classic Christian virtues, and writing about them in the most honest and at times humorous ways I knew how.
Deeper Still – Birmingham, AL
Hi Everyone, Just wanted to post a video recapping The Deeper Still weekend I was so honored to be a small part of. If you were there you know how amazing it was to hear from teachers like Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore. If you weren’t able to come, there’s one more in Louisville, KY in the summer.
Grief of a Different Kind
I flew in from California last Sunday night just in time to attend a memorial service for a newborn baby. He was the son of two of my friends, whole and perfect. For reasons unknown, except to Elohim (The God who creates), this little baby went to be with Jesus on his third day here on earth. My friends attend a new church that currently meets in a bar, which works well for Sunday morning worship services but not as great for other functions. Since my friends were without a church building to celebrate their son, they chose one of their favorite and frequented spots – Ugly Mugs coffee shop.
Homemade Chicken Stock
Okay gang. It’s fall and if your region of the country is cooperating there should be burnt colored leaves sailing to the ground on the wings of a chilly breeze. You should have had your first pumpkin spice latte. A bite of something orange. Hopefully you’ve pulled out recipes with award-winning appearances from some of autumn’s all-stars like nutmeg and cinnamon. And if you’re anything like me, despite the unseasonably warm weather, you’ve started making soup. In my opinion, at the pinnacle of pumpkin patches, hayrides, and brisk morning walks perches soup in all its glory.