This week’s blog is about how God uses new friends in our life to inspire us. Change the Conversation. Change the Life.
Sylvia Baker, Marsha Mosely and Cathy at Martin’s Chapel Church of the Nazarene.
About 4 weeks ago I met Sylvia Baker. Beautiful. Unpretentious. Servant-hearted.
God is taking Sylvia down an unexpected path. I’ll let her tell her story. You know where to find her.
Instead, I’ll tell you how she inspired me.
About a year ago, I was feeling burned out from all the work of getting my first two books published. Plus, creating weekly blogs and podcasts. I knew I needed to give myself permission to breathe.
Plus, we have 9 grandchildren. It can’t possibly be God’s will for me to be so “busy with ministry” that I miss my chance to love and spend time with these beloved young ones.
Anna and I met Sylvia through Christian Communicators. (If God is calling you to speak, definitely check them out.) We loved her instantly.
When Sylvia found out I am an East Texas girl, too, she immediately invited me to speak to the Tuesday Girls in her church, The Martin’s Chapel Church of the Nazarene, where her hubby, David, is pastor. The church is a little intercessory oasis in our Piney woods.
Change the Conversation, Change the Life
Click the link below to find out what I shared about:
- How God sees us,
- Why men should listen to women,
- Why women have seeking and sharing wisdom in their DNA,
- What it means to worship in Spirit and Truth.
https://www.facebook.com/MartinsChapelChurchOfTheNazarene/videos/796595502146698
Like I said, the video is short but hopefully, life-changing.
I wanted to share the video of our quick Bible Study here, but FaceBook or WordPress is making it hard. So here’s the link instead. Special shout out to Dalton Sanders for volunteering his amazing tech skills!
Changing my Heart to Follow Sylvia’s Lead
Sylvia and I wanted to give my book to each Tuesday Girl. But bummer! Our family has already donated all we could this year. Also, I always hate to ask small churches to pay for books because I know they have to keep the lights on. And in Texas, the air conditioner, too! What to do?!
I was ready to give up. Even though, yes, I had prayed. Lord, I can’t keep giving away books. Can I?
Oh me of little faith.
Fortunately, Sylvia changed the conversation I was having in my head. Her faith was BIG. She found an anonymous donor immediately.
Additionally, next thing I knew, Drew Carlyle of Carlyle Homes and Doug and Cindy Steele of Steele’s Feed and Seed, both in downtown Troup, were pitching in to buy books for Tuesday Girls. I felt like I was standing in God’s presence watching Him work. Praise God!
Then, Troup librarians graciously put both my books on their shelf! So go check out the books and read them for free!
All that happened in ONE day!
By the way, everywhere I went in Troup, folks told me they knew Pastor David and that he is amazing.
Isn’t God good? Of course YOU know that. But silly me, sometimes I need reminding.
The BEST Conversation
Naturally, the best conversation that night happened after I quit talking.
Together, we all shared the things we wish we could talk about in church. Wow! Of course, we turned off the camera, giggled together, spoke of very personal things, and prayed together, too. It made my heart so happy to be with those good women. And Tuesday Girls attracts women from all denominations and backgrounds. What a beautiful picture of unity in His Spirit!
Teaching or Learning? Both!
We’ve all done this. Volunteered to teach and then gotten totally blown away with what we learned.
So here’s what I learned in Troup, Texas:
- God is calling people (me) to intercessory prayer today.
- He can do what is impossible in ONE day.
- God is at work in small churches all over America.
- Never underestimate the power of your friend’s faith. Sometimes we just need to lean in on their faith.
- Excellent community leaders understand the value of better communication.
- The best conversations happen when we get real.
- Pastors and their families make a big impact in small communities.
- Christian women have stuff we want to talk about in church.
Seriously, I bet Pastor David is going to be delivering some riveting sermons in the coming months. Because he’s leading a flock with some mighty amazing, vulnerable, authentic women! Who are willing to embark on conversational adventures.
Change the Conversation. Change Your Life
We all want to have conversational adventures – better, more effective conversations– with those we love. We can change the conversation in our homes, our workplaces, our schools, our churches, our communities.
Together, we’re changing our culture, one conversation at a time.
Change the conversation. Change your life.
Please let me know if I can serve you. If you attend a small church in East Texas, I truly hope you will reach out. God has put it on my heart to encourage my brothers and sisters hanging in there against a deteriorating culture in small congregations all across America.
Much love to you, brothers and sisters.
🙂
cathy
We LOVE to Hear From YOU!
What do you wish we could talk about at church? If you could have one conversational adventure with your family, what would it be? Today, how can you intercede on behalf of American culture?
May we pray together?
Dear good Father, You are the Master Communicator and Creator. We worship You. Thank You for surrounding us with caring people who will love us, if we but let them. I thank You for my friends in that little intercessory oasis in the woods, Martin’s Chapel Church of the Nazarene. Thank You for people willing to give generously so others can be encouraged. Help us tell our sacred–God redeemed–stories with tenderness and vulnerability. Teach us to love Your sacred story. And to pass our love of You onto others. Bless us now because that is Your heart’s desire. In Jesus’s name. Amen.
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Cathy Krafve, host of Fireside Talk Radio and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations and Marriage Conversation: From Coexisting to Cherished. We welcome your stories, ideas, and questions at CathyKrafve.com.
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