Business Report’s 25th Anniversary and Julio’s new blog

We (Baton Rouge Business Report) just celebrated our 25th Anniversary!  I’ve only been working here 7 of those years, but I can tell you it is a great place to work. I love the fast-paced environment but it’s the integrity of our product and our people that make the difference. You can pick up a copy of the anniversary issue on newsstands around the city.

Also, my boss has finally started his own blog! Julio really is the best boss in the world!! It is so important to me to work for a Christian who supports my heart for ministry and the calling God has placed on my life. He and his awesome wife Sherry are a blessing and an encouragement in my life. You can also check out his new Web site here.

Lifehouse Everything skit – a must see!

Never say, “I can’t”

It never ceases to amaze me that every time I say, “I can’t do that,” or even, “I won’t do that,” to God Himself, He always puts me in a situation where I HAVE to do it! I think He probably laughs every time I think I can’t do something.  I have never really had big dreams for myself (spiritually) and have always thought that where I am is where I’ll always be – especially in ministry.  Boy, was I wrong!

I’ve been working with the Jr. High Ministry - Pathfinders - at Healing Place Church now for about four years.  I am very comfortable working with middle schoolers – I don’t feel intimidated by them, I can talk to them quite easily and have no problem giving them advice or praying for them. But adults…that’s an entirely different ballgame! I get so nervous and feel so inadequate.  I’ve always said, “Youth is definitely where God’s called me, so I know I’ll be here in this ministry for the rest of my life!”  Well, I know I will always be involved with youth because, yes, it is my calling…but that’s not my only calling!  And I’m just now finding this out at the age of 31!  I’m just now realizing that God has placed more than one desire in my heart and given me more than one skill/spiritual gift!

I help out with a Life group Emily and I started a few months ago called “Surge.”  The life group is for young professionals.  It is so awesome to see what God is doing in each of their lives and how much the group has grown!  God is so awesome!  He has taken our mustard seed-faith and grown it beyond what we could have imagined.  He is so faithful!  When you are faithful with the little that God gives you, He will give you MUCH MORE!  Needless to say, He has stretched me more than I wanted to be stretched!  Just when I get in my comfort zone of helping Emily out with any “administrative” duties with the group, God flips my world upside down. 

I had a friend ask me last night at Pathfinders what my role is with the Surge life group.  I gave my usual answer, “Emily’s the leader and I’m JUST the administrator.”  Well, apparently God has had enough of me discrediting myself.  I obviously don’t trust God enough to work THROUGH me and use me like HE WANTS TO USE ME!  And apparently He heard me pray just a little while before that conversation,  ”God, use me.”  So guess what?  He was probably laughing from His throne in Heaven as He said, “Okay, well I will!” 

One of the girls in our life group who is going through some major health issues and is having surgery next month asked me to pray with her last night.  Well, my first thought was, “Why me?”  I am not qualified enough to pray the kind of prayer she needed.  After all, I’m not Chris Caine, Joyce Meyer or any of those people.  And my second thought was, “I have never faced any health issues where I had to pray for healing, so how can I pray with her when I’ve never gone through this?”  But you know what?  None of that mattered.  She just needed someone to agree with her in prayer and that’s it!  So I calmed my nerves, called her, and encouraged her and prayed with her. The result:  it wasn’t so bad.  It actually was a huge blessing to me too.  So now I’ve learned for the 5,000th time that I should never say, “I can’t do that.” 

All God wants is for us to be willing…that’s it!!  He is the one who QUALIFIES us!

Who You Are

First of all, I want to say “HAPPY BIRTHDAY” to Katie Fontenot! Don’t forget to send your birthday wishes!

Second, I love this song so much I had to post the lyrics.  The first time I heard it was when I went to Church of the King a few weeks ago, and then my co-worker sent me the link to the mp3 file today.  It’s one of the best songs I’ve heard.  It truly speaks of everything Jesus is.

Who You Are by Desperation Band

I won’t be satisfied
I wont be found alright til I find
who You are
I’d climb every mountain
I’d travel the deepest valley
to find who You are

You, You cause the lame to walk
You open lips to talk
You’re everything and that
is who You are

You, You calm the storms at night
You turn the dark to light
You’re everything and that
is who You are

My Savior
my Healer
Redeemer
that is who You are
Creator
my Maker
my Father
that is who You are

That is who You are

To listen to the track, click here and then click on “Who You Are” in the song list.  Trust me, you WILL fall in love with this song! 

Hope you have a great day! Love you guys!

Quote from an African Pastor

I’ve had this quote for a while and wanted to share it…it’s awesome!

“I’m part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I’m a disciple of His. I won’t look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still.

My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, my future is secure. I’m finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap living, and dwarfed goals.

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don’t have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift by prayer, and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.

I won’t give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored up, prayed up, paid up, preached up for the cause of Christ. I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for His own, He will have no problems recognizing me – my banner will be clear!”

-Anonymous African Pastor – Nailed to his wall.

Have a great weekend!  GEAUX TIGERS!!

HPC article

Pastor Dino just posted an article that Injoy Stewardship Services just published about HPC.  It’s great…check it out here.

Why Not?

So, me, Kritin Stutes, Emily Morrow and Elizabeth Demarest went to New Orleans this weekend.  Kristin won a free hotel night a while back and asked us to tag along with her…hey why not?  Thanks, Kristin! =)  Well, it was definitely the girls’ trip of the year!

 We stayed at the Hilton on St. Charles.  Great service! Our  hotel suite was beautiful, complete with a stand-up shower  and a bathtub that could fit at least 3 people…it was  huge! The hotel staff was so friendly and even the valet  guys opened our car doors for us – they all went above and  beyond to make us feel special.

 My uncle made us reservations at Commander’s Palace, and I have to say, I think it’s probably the best restaurant I’ve ever been to.  Not only was the food phenomenal, but the service was just amazing.  The waiters pulled our chairs out for us, placed our napkins on our laps, the whole nine yards.  The funniest thing was when one of the waiters came to our table with a platter of garlic bread and asked Elizabeth if she wanted a piece, she said, “Yeah,” and waited for him to put the plate down.  When he didn’t, she asked him to go ahead and put it down, and he said, “Just take a piece, I’ll pass it around, and then I’ll put the remaining bread on the table.”  It took her a few minutes to figure out he wasn’t going to put the plate down until he passed it to all of us first!  It was quite funny!  But they wanted to serve us, they didn’t want us to have to do anything!  I highly recommend Commander’s to anyone who wants a 5-star dining experience!

We finished the night off by going back to the hotel quite early – not typical for me and Emily, but it was past Elizabeth’s bedtime…haha!  We painted our nails and just hung out and relaxed!  The next day we went shopping on Magazine Street.  We went to a shoe store called Shoe Nami and got the best deal of the year on shoes!  Most of the shoes were $10, and if you bought one pair, you got a second pair for FREE!  So all 4 of us left with 2 new pairs of shoes for $10! 

Our conversations about what where God is taking each of us in life were better than everything else we experienced though.  God is definitely repositioning and transitioning all of us, and wanting each of us to take that risk, to reach out for what He is calling us to do…to that next phase of our lives.  After talking about it extensively, our new motto became, “WHY NOT?” Why wouldn’t we want ALL that God has for us?  For most of us, it’s because of fear, fear of the unknown, fear of failing, etc!  But one thing we talked about is that we would rather do it scared than not do it at all.  So I just want to ask all 3 of you who are reading this, WHAT’S HOLDING YOU BACK? If God is moving you or transitioning you to the unknown, just step out in faith and grab ahold of what God wants you to have…do it scared!  WHY NOT?  After all, He does know best!

It was definitely a great girls’ weekend – dinner, shopping and nails…what more could you ask for right?  We were truly treated like PRINCESSES – the way that our Heavenly Father sees us!