Oklahoma City … Disaster Relief
Posted by Lori Wilhite
Words seem so small and insignificant today. But images have been powerful.
Piles of rubble. Complete devastation. Lives lost. Lives forever changed.
But there are other images as well.
The church being the church. And amidst absolute tragedy, this kind of love, care, and kindness is a beautiful thing.
As you and your church look for ways to help, we want to make sure you know about the efforts of our Leading and Loving It ladies in Oklahoma City. There are incredible churches in this area, but these three are led by people we know, love, and trust 100%. When disasters like this strike around the country, we at our church, always partner with local churches to help them as they work tirelessly to meet the physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of their community.
Journey Church in Norman
Journey Church is half a mile from the devastation and is led by our friends Clark and Robin Mitchell. Within hours, Journey Church was open and housing people displaced from their destroyed homes. They are right on the front lines of what is going on and are working with county officials and delivering food and water to first responders.
This is how you can stay up to date for the needs at Journey Church and donate to their relief effort:
Their website: journeychurch.tv/relief
Twitter: @journeychurchtv
@robinmmitchell
@clarkbmitchell
People’s Church in OKC
People’s Church is led by Herbert and Tiffany Cooper, who is on our lead team here at Leading and Loving It. They are working closely with their friends at Journey Church. Their volunteers are already on-site as they work together to provide for the immediate needs of people.
This is how you can stay up to date for the needs at People’s Church and donate to their relief effort:
Their website: peopleschurch.tv/storms
Twitter: @peopleschurchtv
@tiffany_cooper
@herbertcooper
LifeChurch in OKC
LifeChurch is led by our friends Craig and Amy Groeschel and Chris and Cindy Beall (leader of our marriage team) are part of the leadership there. They are accepting donations at all of their campuses.
This is how you can stay up to date for the needs at LifeChurch and donate to their relief effort:
Their Facebook page: fb.com/lifechurchtv
Twitter: @lifechurchtv
@craiggroeschel
@amygroeschel
@cindybeall
As you continue to pray for Oklahoma, please pray for these churches as they help with relief efforts. We will update this page as we have additional information and needs to share.
Hearing From “One Of Us” …
Posted by Brandi Wilson
Last week I had a really rough day. One of those days that beats you up. I’m usually pretty positive… but this day I drifted into a “poor pitiful me” mentality. It wasn’t a good place to be.
Then a dear friend of mine, Eve, shared a short video of her mom who has spent many years battling cancer and is currently in the care of hospice. Words like cancer and hospice don’t sound very uplifting… but believe me, Carolyn’s video left me full of excitement, zeal and encouragement.
I knew as soon as I watched it I wanted to share it with you guys. Because here is what else I knew about Carolyn, for years she was on staff at her church in the trenches doing ministry. She still runs her own non-profit called “Manna From Heaven” where she gives to those in need. Carolyn is one of us. She’s a women in ministry who shares some valuable wisdom about life. And you know what else you will see? Carolyn finishes well. So often in ministry we get beaten up, we get bitter and eventually we leave ministry. She’s kept her focus on Jesus through the good times and bad. She’s guarded her marriage and invested in her husband. She knows the legacy she wants to leave and lives that legacy to the fullest.
You’re gonna love her…
If watching on a mobile device, click HERE to view.
Leading and Loving It … The Book
Big things are coming … Huge things.
5 years in the making.
18 months of working … writing … praying.
Is about to come to fruition.
Leading and Loving It: Encouragement for Pastors’ Wives and Women in Leadership releases August 6th (available now for pre-order). In Leading and Loving It, Lori Wilhite and Brandi Wilson offer a gut-honest look into their lives in ministry and dive into Biblical insight dealing with leadership challenges.
You will get tools to help regain or maintain the joy that God holds out as you follow Him in this calling on your life. You will rest in the knowledge that God, knowing your weaknesses and shortcomings, has called you to this work and this role. You will realize that you don’t have to face life and leadership alone. You will grow to lead, and love it.
And … that’s not all.
Starting on book launch day, you’ll be able to join us for a special three-part web conference. You will be joined by amazing friends and women in ministry:
Lori Wilhite- Sr Pastor’s Wife of Central Christian Church in Las Vegas and Founder of Leading and Loving It
Brandi Wilson- Sr Pastor’s Wife of Cross Point Church in Nashville and Co-leader of Leading and Loving It
Tiffany Cooper- Sr Pastor’s Wife of People’s Church in Oklahoma City
Dr. Tara Jenkins- Sr Pastor’s Wife of Fellowship Church Chicago and Founder of Ministry Mates
Holly Furtick- Sr Pastor’s Wife of Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC
Christine Caine- Author of Undaunted and Founder of the A21 Campaign
Lisa Hughes- Sr Pastor’s Wife of Church by the Glades in Coral Springs, Florida
Mardia Lira- Pastor’s Wife of Central En Espanol and Leader of (Leading and Loving It in Spanish launching in September)
Angie Smith- Author of What Women Fear and Mended and Women of Faith Speaker
Holly Wagner- Co-pastor of Oasis Church in Los Angeles and author of several books including GodChicks
Jessica Cornelius- Sr Pastor’s Wife of Bay Area Fellowship in Corpus Christie, Texas
Stephanie Carter- Sr Pastor’s Wife of Concord Church in Dallas, Texas
Lisa Bevere- Author of Girls with Swords and Co-founder of Messenger International
Sheila Walsh- Author of many books including God Loves Broken People: And Those Who Pretend They’re Not and Women of Faith Speaker
Don’t miss these three sessions:
Tuesday August 6th: Joy Stealers: Tackling the leadership challenges that threaten to steal the joy found in the calling God has on our lives.
Tuesday September 10th: Navigating Relationships: Learning to better navigate the oftentimes choppy waters of relationships and leadership.
Tuesday October 1st: The Importance of Influence: Grabbing hold of the influence that God has given us. Embracing it. Resting in it.
You can watch in your PJs curled up on your couch. Or you can gather with other ministry wives or key volunteers and leaders in your church. Or watch with other pastors’ wives and women in ministry in your community. If you’d like to participate as a host site for one or all of the sessions, simply email us at leadingandlovingit@me.com, and we will help you make that happen.
And believe it or not … there are more surprises to come. It is going to be an exciting fall.
Creeping Sin …
Posted by Tiffany Cooper
… Sin is blatant and sin is sneaky. As women in ministry, we see the destruction of sin up close as people try to put their lives back together again. It’s ugly, painful and no respecter of persons. No one is immune and we’re in a dangerous place when we develop an invincible and casual attitude regarding sin. Pride is a sneaky sin that disguises itself in many forms. Scripture is clear about the end result of pride …
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18
As a community of friends, let’s ask the difficult question, “Is pride creeping into your life?”
Signs that pride is creeping into your heart:
1. When you aren’t willing to learn from other leaders.
2. When you spend time with people and only talk about yourself.
3. When you refuse to listen to and learn from people who lead a smaller ministry/organization than yours.
4. When you refuse to listen to and learn from the people you lead.
5. When you are defensive every time you are criticized.
6. When you don’t have compassion for those who are suffering, hurting, or trapped in sin.
7. When you talk down at people as though you have arrived.
8. When you want everybody to serve you.
9. When you don’t serve others.
10. When you justify why you’re not obeying the Bible in an area of your life.
11. When you believe you could never fall into sin.
12. When you don’t empower others to lead because you want to do it all yourself.
13. When you always take the credit instead of giving credit to others who helped.
14. When you start depending on self to produce results instead of trusting God.
Of course, there are many more warning signs that alert us to pride creeping into our lives. I encourage you to fight this sneaky, destructive sin that masks itself to appear harmless. Can’t see pride in your life? Ask a trusted friend if they see it in an area of your life. Ask God to reveal pride. Listen, God has greatness for our lives and we don’t have time to mess around with sin. No time for it at all.
Who keeps you in check? Who speaks into your life regarding the tough, real-life issues? We all need someone to speak truth, even when it’s hard to hear!
Learn The Secret
Posted by Cindy Beall
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you already know that I just spent a week celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary in New York City. Sister, I spent years, YEARS, dreaming about taking this trip. Like since I was a teenager and first heard Liza Minnelli sing “New York, New York”. Oh, I could not wait to “wake up in the city that doesn’t sleep”.
I anticipated walking in Central Park, seeing my first Broadway show, eating a hot dog from a street food vendor, riding the subway, walking across the Brooklyn Bridge and seeing the Statue of Liberty with my very own eyes. The weather, for which I had been praying for since December, 2012…and I am not lying…was precisely perfect. And when I would hear a New Yorker share his or her delight in said weather, I smiled and quietly said, “You’re welcome.” For I was, AM convinced that God provided that weather because I was bold enough to ask.
But this post isn’t about my trip to NYC. It could be, but it’s not. It’s really about what I learned while visiting.
You know how when you go on vacation, you often don’t look forward to it’s end? Because that means you go back to household chores, the ministry position you hold and just regular life. And if you don’t enjoy your life, that would be a bad thing. But if you love your life, you don’t mind going home to the things that occupy your time the rest of the year.
While I loved my time in NYC and consider it to be a dream trip of a lifetime for me, I looked forward to returning home to my sons, my church, my friends and my life here in Oklahoma City. And I think that is because I know that I am doing exactly what I am supposed to be doing. There was nothing in NYC that made me say, “I wish that was my life.” Instead I found myself saying, “I love my life.”
My question for you today is this: Do you love your life?
I know you may be in a hard season right now. Maybe you are struggling to figure out your next move. Maybe you are in a waiting pattern. Maybe you are raising toddlers and you are ready for them to grow up and become more independent. I get those things. They are tedious and tiresome but they are also grooming you to continue along the path God has for you.
Paul said he “learned the secret of being content in any and every situation” (Philippians 4:12). I don’t know to what Paul was referring as his “secret” but I know what it is for me.
Gratitude is my secret.
When I choose to live a grateful life vs. an entitled life, I am filled with so much joy, peace and contentment that I rarely throw myself a pity party. When I choose to start the day thanking God instead of grumbling over what I don’t have, my outlook is bright. As bright as a sunny day in Central Park.
What I would love to encourage you with today is to learn the secret. For yourself. Figure out what it is that will help you walk in contentment. Every single day.
We lead people in our churches and ministries every day. Let’s make sure we are leading from a heart that walks in contentment. When we do, they will follow suit.
Spend some time praying and ask God to reveal to you the secret to contentment. If you already know it, please share with us!
