Marilyn's Mussings

Women are funny. Maybe men are too but I know about women experientially. Is that a word? We are funny creatures! And we really love free stuff! Last week I went to the National Women's Leadership Forum in Nashville. Over six hundred women gathered at the LifeWay building to learn more about how to minister to women in Jesus' name. It was a wonderful time of worship, enrichment, learning, and bonding. I went with the leadership team from my last church (since I haven't found my place in women's ministry in Birmingham yet) so let me just add a huge amount of giggling to that list. I have not laughed that much in months! It was so much fun! The other bonus was the free stuff everywhere! At check-in we received a free canvas bag and in it - free books! It was exciting! Free samples of new Bible studies were plentiful along with free copies of LifeWay magazines. I received a free tee-shirt when I registered for next year's forum and did I tell you that free ...

Two weeks ago I sent a big manila envelope to New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. It contained two very important things: a paper (stapled) and a check (my tuition). Then last week I went to Nashville to the National Women's Leadership Forum. It was wonderful! While I was in Nashville I had a chance to talk with the sweet ladies who received my manila envelope. The question they asked me? "Did you not send a check?" I immediately went into panic mode. I knew I put it in the envelope. I could see myself dropping it in - oops! I did just that! I dropped it in the envelope. I did not attach it. And now it was a very important piece of paper . . . lost in the envelope . . . lost in the trash . . . toted off somewhere . . . all by itself! All that turned out ok. I wrote another check. But I got to thinking about the importance of being attached. Each of us, as children on God, is so much more valuable than a check for any amount. Any one of us could easily slip away ...

I found two commitment cards in a drawer a few days ago. These were things God spoke to me at two different events, confirming what I knew He had told me in years past. Women Reaching Women Training Event at The Church at Brookhills on May 6, 2006. What God said to me today: God has called me to minister to women. The gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Three things I will do as a result of what God said: 1) Quit my job 2) Enlist women to help 3) Adjust my plans for the summer Women's Leadership Consultation at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary on February 9, 2008 (2 years later!) God has made it very clear to me that He wants me to begin classes and minister to women. Since that time, I took God at His word and was blessed to be able to be a part of His work in putting together a women's ministry at my home church. Then I moved. Birmingham is a big place and I am feeling mighty small. But God was here before I got here and He is not surpris...

I spent a week in NOLA with my daughter and her family a few weeks ago. My husband joined us on Friday. When we go to New Orleans, we don't often go to the French Quarter but it was a beautiful day and seemed like the thing to do, so off we went. We got some great pictures of baby Jonathan at Jackson Square and just enjoyed being outside. It was about time for dinner so it seemed a waste not to eat some local cuisine. I'm not real crazy about Cajun food or seafood (my favorite New Orleans restaurant is Chevy's tex-mex!) but we found a fun place and we ate. By the time we left the restaurant it was getting dark and we had parked off some distance. The farther we walked, the darker it got. As we walked past the French Market and approached the car, I suddenly realized there were a lot of people congregated in the dark quite close to us. It scared me. Someone yelled "Is that leftovers or a Bible?" Then someone else asked if we wanted a Daily Bread. My son-in-law wa...