living proof live * beth moore

my bff & i went to the living proof live conference by beth moore this weekend.

simply put it was amazing, even better than i thought it would be.

i love the way she does her conferences, she really speaks/teaches about whatever she is led.

i feel like other conferences/speakers repeat the same subjects, and although they are good, beth moore really speaks from her heart and it is very evident.

and i have never met someone as humble & open as she.

she doesn't have it all together, she isn't perfect, and she has an amazing testimony.

the focus of the conference was "better."

one leads to bitterness, the other is truly "better."

 

being "better" can have so much pressure, pressure that we do not need.

it is so commonly used as comparing yourself to others, so centered on insecurities.

he/she is better at their job, he/she is a better cook than me, he/she has it all together,  he/she is a better christian than i, they have a better marriage than us, it can go on & on.

or thinking " i knew better" and beating yourself up. repeatedly.

 or thinking "things/my life/job/etc would be better if only i had made a different choice."

none of these are positive, and very much damaging.

in the end it doesn't matter, and as she had us yell, "get over it!"

we have places to go & people to be.

beat the enemy to the punch, choose to deal with situations w/ REAL humility, not pride.

and she pointed out that low-self esteem is a form of pride.

ouch.

instead,

better is only better when it is of the blood.

when better is our Savior.

when better is God's love.

*love people with superhuman love.*

when better is a country, WHERE CHRIST IS KING.

not us, not our friends, not our co-workers, fellow moms.

she went over several things, regret vs. repent.

one of several most interesting to me is where and how many times "better" is used in the bible.

what connotation each had.

  it was def worth the five hour drive.

plus, that girlfriend is absolutely hilarious.

we laughed so hard we cried.

i adore her & her whole team.

we came home truly inspired.

and on a geeked/groupie note,

SHE CAME RIGHT BESIDE US!! 

as in, i'm in the end seat and she is on step. 

right there.

with my camera in her face.

 can i get an amen?!

  

 

her praise band, led by travis cottrell, was awesome!

 i'm naturally not a hand-raiser, but i almost did, they are amazing.

beautiful songs, uplifting, & some just buzzing with energy.

 

¹ O God, you are my God, I seek you,
   my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
   as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
² So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
   beholding your power and glory.
³ Because your steadfast love is better than life,
   my lips will praise you.
⁴ So I will bless you as long as I live;
   I will lift up my hands and call on your name. 

 

psalm 63

bible school.

"remember! i have bible school today."- addox coming into our room at 6am.
seriously dude. we coulda slept 45 more minutes.

and this is what i feel like this week.
laundry hamper is overflowing, & my normal ocd with the house being absolutely in order has gone to the wayside.
i'm not an early morning person (seriously not sure where addox got his morning get up & go), and 6:45 comes waaaay too early.
but at least it is for a very great reason!

addox has never been to exploration place before, so we took him yesterday.
the place is definitely neat, he was sad to leave.
very fun (and air-conditioned!) afternoon!

we had an early dinner, took some impromptu pics & hung out downtown.

good afternoon for sure!

go fish!

i had a crappy morning.
among other things, a 4-yr that doesn't have his listening ears on before even 9 a.m is not the best way to start the day.
then addox wanted to play go fish.
and i didn't really want to, not really in the best mood to put it lightly.
but we did, in our pajammies, and i'm very glad.

the little soul who can frustrate me so much saves me at the same time.

any time either of us had to say "go fish" he cracked up.
that kid knows joy.
i could learn a lot of lessons from him.

i <3 you addox mayhem, you make bad days ridiculously better.

ssmt

therefore as God’s chosen people holy and dearly loved clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

colossians 3:12 (NIV)

big news

i know this is the 2nd swim post in the past week but deal.

because.
addox walked across the pool tonight.
he's been going around & around (& around) the side already, and found out friday he can touch in the shallow end, but he hadn't had the nerve to just be out in the middle.
until now.
i got to my camera way late, but at least i got a pic of it.
good job, addox!!

next step, actual swimming!

happy friday poolness

summer+special friends+pool=joy
the end.

"L" is for library

addox signed up for the summer reading program today, sporting his new library bag sewn by his mama.
he filled it up with 11 books, four of which we have already read.
when asked how many books he wanted for his goal he promptly replied
"55."

we are well on our way.

another wonderful sign of summer?
long flowy skirts w/ tie-dye shirts.
oh yes.