GirlfriendIT

What is the most effective way to touch people with Jesus? Sometimes we categorize and file people based on what they do, ethnic group, situation, state of affairs, or job situation. Every one of us has built-in identity on these things . . . but those external markers are not who we are. Homeless... Addict... Stripper... we give them all a label. And when we reduce a person to a label, we are denying that she is made in God’s image, just like us.

Everyone wants to know that they matter. They want someone who dares to care enough to truly get to know them, to see each one as a person... a human being with unique gifts and talents; they need someone who will give them the only label that really matters.... Child of God.

What does living radically on the mission of Jesus look like? Join the conversation with special guests, singer/songwriter, Mia Koehne www.aboutmidnight.com and Janet McMahon from Bloom.

There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in. –Leonard Cohen

How many times do we focus on the “cracked” parts of our lives? We major in our flaws and differences and won’t allow ourselves to move past them. As a result, we try to hide our perceived faults and blemishes and allow them to scream “inadequate” into our hearts and minds.

Perhaps there is another way of viewing the cracked parts of our lives?! Is there only one perspective or can every “flaw/fault/difference” be something God will use to let His light shine through in our lives?

It is easy for all of us to allow pride and arrogance to infiltrate our lives and we easily become self-sufficient. Maybe God wants to keep us humble and not comfortable? God wants to accomplish significant things through us in our “cracked” state. This is when He can do His best work. It is not about us!

Our special guest, Krista McGee, is the author of a new release, Anomaly, the first in a trilogy of books. Written with teens in mind, it speaks to all of us.

“My prayer is that, as my readers get to know Thalli, they see her differences as making her special, and through that, they see their differences make them special, as well.” -Krista

Girlfriendit Radio with Patty and Lisa

“I’m Fine, Thank You” – with Sherrie McCready of Highland Christian Church

Thursday, July 25, 2013

LIVE at 12pm EST on Toginet Radio

Podcast will be available after show time on iTunes or check here at Girlfriendit Radio

July 24th, 2013

"I'm Fine, Thank You"

My friend from high school posted this the other day . . .

So many of us are having problems...could be financial problems or could be health problems. Everyone has problems, and I for one know that I am not alone.

• Did you know the people that are the strongest are usually the most sensitive?

• Did you know the people who exhibit the most kindness are the first to get mistreated?

• Did you know the people who take care of others all the time are usually the ones who need care the most?

• Did you know the three hardest things to say are: I love you;

I’m sorry; Help me.

Don’t assume that just because a person looks happy that they are. Look past their smile and see how much pain they may be in.

What if we started an Intention Avalanche?

We all need positive intentions . . . Right Now.

This week’s show is all about helping those around us who are “Just fine, thank you.” Our guest, Sherrie McCready, has the insight on living intentionally and being a part of the avalanche as she is planting and leading a Church with her husband. Sherrie also leads the Retreat Team for Bloom. Learn more from her inspirational story and how she would not trade a day of it.

Let’s reach up and reach out and help others!

Girlfriendit Radio with Patty and Lisa

Discovering Joy

Thursday, July 18, 2013

LIVE at 12pm EST on Toginet Radio

Podcast will be available after show time on iTunes or check here at Girlfriendit Radio.

Are you discovering joy in your daily?

In your ordinary?

In your mundane?

This question is comical because of what happened last week to my daughter Paris.

Fourth of July has been a huge 30-year tradition in my family. Six siblings come together at a resort for a blissful 4 days of Utopia. It’s common for us to run from room to room borrowing anything from pots and pans to coffee creamers. So when I wanted to scramble some eggs for Paris one morning with out a pan, presto, there is a frying pan in my hand as if it were a baton. Minor instructions were stated: “we just had eggs and bacon, you might want to rinse it out.”

I thought to myself, “a little bit of bacon grease adds some flavor, this will be just fine.”

The fine fluffy eggs were placed on a plate and handed off to Paris. She took one bite and her face torqued into a facial expression as she attempted to spew out the eggs. It was easy to negate her expression as being, “dramatic” as she was spitting and spewing. My children have often gagged when they taste my cooking so this is a common form of exaggeration in my household. But then she was finally able to let out an

out burst of, “There is soap in these eggs!”

My sis and I looked at each other and burst out laughing as we unpacked the scenario of how that could have happened. We realized that in the process of the baton-pan hand-off there was a little “Joy” sprinkled into the pan. That is Joy dishwashing soap!

This JOY kept us laughing and chuckling throughout the day and it most certainly will be one of those stories that will continue in my ‘lavish-cooking-legacy’.

We all have stories that are unique, and we all have issues that might leave a nasty taste in our mouth. But this story is not about the nasty taste in our mouth, this one is to challenge you to experience the JOY in your daily.

We have a God that is crazy about us mess and all. He is so crazy that He came so we could have an abundant life!

The difference of having joy and not having joy is how we see and experience the little things that God has blessed us with. These little things add up to major ordinary moments of life and become extraordinary experiences!

A challenge this week: As you do the dishes, go to work, make up the bed, clean up the clutter, or scramble some eggs, all the little things that are so mundane and regular . . . do it with appreciation and joy! Don’t just go through the motions, put you whole heart into it and appreciate that you are capable to do these small miracles of daily because they do matter. When we give the little things our attention and gratitude we experience the joy in that moment.

Girlfriendit Radio with Patty and Lisa

Captured byEternity – With Kyle Strobel

Thursday, July 11, 2013

LIVE at 12pm EST on Toginet Radio

Podcast will be available after show time on iTunes or check here at Girlfriendit Radio.

Have you ever had one of the nights where you are attempting to drift off to sleep but you begin to think of eternity and your thoughts go on and on and on?

The thought of existing forever with no stopping point . . . to envision an eternal entity seems too hard to wrap your mind around.

When I (Patty) was younger, the sheer phenomenon of eternity was beyond my limited consciousness and it would literally keep me awake at night until I would finally give up and think about more amazing things like; what I was going to wear to school the next day. (Smile!)

Now, tomorrows outfit can be significant, but does it ever bother you that we don’t let eternity capture our imagination the way an outfit does?

It states in scripture that what captures our imagination and affection will determine the direction of our lives. Therefore, we should not focus on things that pass away.

This week we will be discussing this topic as well as what are you doing to seek God with your whole being?

“Lord, stamp eternity on my eyeballs.” – Jonathan Edwards

Our guest Kyle Strobel is the son of Lee Strobel, Atheist-turned-Christian and New York Times best-selling author known for his books The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, and The Case for a Creator. (My husband passes these books out like paper towels.)

Kyle Strobel (Ph.D.) is a professor of theology and previously published Jonathan Edwards' Theology: A Reinterpretation by T&T Clark and Formed for the Glory of God: Learning from the Spiritual Practices of Jonathan Edwardsby InterVarsity Press. You can read Kyle’s blog at metamorpha.com.

Girlfriendit Radio with Patty and Lisa

WWYD – What Would You Do? – with Tammy Smith and Amy Fenton Lee

Thursday, June 27, 2013

LIVE at 12pm EST on Toginet Radio

Podcast will be available after show time on iTunes or check here at Girlfriendit Radio.

“A servant's first interest is not in himself but others. Servanthood is a loving choice we make to minister to others.” ~ Gayle Erwin

In the recent tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing, many heroic stories emerged of lives and limbs saved because of bystanders jumping in to help. While thousands fled the scene, there were many first responders (official and otherwise) who actually ran toward the chaos, looking to help however they could.

It reminds us of the Good Samaritan story Jesus told in Luke 10. In the story, two individuals ignored a wounded man lying on the side of the road, but a third traveler chose to help. Jesus asked, “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man...?” The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” Martin Luther King, Jr. got right to the point when he said: The first question which the priest and the Levite asked was: “If I stop to help this man, what will happen to me?” But the good Samaritan reversed the question: “If I do not stop to help this man, what will happen to him?”

The challenge for each of us is to remember this question “If I do not stop to help this person, what will happen to him/her?” Jesus told us that loving our neighbor and loving God are the most important commandments. Will we choose to be a first responder or will we let an opportunity to serve pass us by?

Tammy Smith, our girlfriend from Bloom! , an incredible network for church planter’s spouses, will be chatting with us this week. Tammy is also the Children's Director of Impact Community Church, and you will be encouraged and better equipped to serve by her story.

Also joining us is Amy Fenton Lee, author of, “Leading a Special Needs Ministry: A Practical Guide to Including Children and Loving Families”. Amy says, “And God gives us opportunities to serve Him in what seem to be mundane as well as surprising ways. Every woman can look around and ask herself ‘where is there a need?’ In my case, I saw a need for church leaders to have more information that would empower and equip them for better Special Needs inclusion.” Don't miss this show!

Desiring to serve and respond,

Galatians 5:13 . . . but through love serve one another

Making a Difference

There are few things that can stir our soul and get our adrenaline pumping more than a thought-provoking quote or the story of one who has dared greatly to make a difference in this world. Both challenge apathy and disturb complacency.

It is no secret that most people want to matter, to live with purpose, to live and give in ways that defy human explanation . . . we refer to this as “only God”. Unfortunately, life is daily, challenges are inevitable, excuses are many, and the hours seem few. Have you ever found yourself asking the following questions:

-What can I do?

-What is the something I must do something about?

-Where do I start?

-How can I make a difference?

This week on Girlfriendit Radio you are going to meet an amazing woman, Nancy Alcorn, who dared greatly and personally answered the questions of: what, where, and how?

She is the Founder and President of Mercy Ministries, and author of many books, including the newly released,Mission of Mercy. We will learn from her story and be challenged to shake our corners of the world!

We want to leave you with a couple of quotes to ponder before the show:

“Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” — St. Catherine of Siena

"I said, 'Somebody should do something about that.' Then I realized I am somebody." — Lily Tomlin

“One is not born into the world to do everything, but to do something.” — Henry David Thoreau

Ready to make a difference!

Girlfriendit Radio with Patty and Lisa

Are You Living a Life That Transforms?- with Jedd Medefind

Thursday, June 13, 2013

LIVE at 12pm EST on Toginet Radio

Podcast will be available after show time on iTunes or check here at Girlfriendit Radio.

Seth Godin defines marketing as: “The art of telling a story that resonates with your audience and then spreads.” Our lives speak every day: consciously or subconsciously, with our without words. Our lives spill over into others, and so do our values. Each day a new page begins and before you know it a chapter has been completed.

Sometimes we just have to stop and take inventory of where we are and what we're doing. We need to ask ourselves some tough questions:

· What is my life saying to others?

· Am I effective in the way I communicate?

· Am I telling a story that resonates and spreads the message I want to share?

· What kind of love is truly transformational?

· What kind of life loves in a transformational way?

We are super excited about our special guest this week on Girlfriendit Radio, Jedd Medefind. He has worked with many of the world’s very best communicators - all the way from the White House to Madison Avenue! Yet, he says, “None hold a candle to Jesus.” Jedd now serves as President of the Christian Alliance for Orphans. We'll have lots to talk about for sure!

Be sure to join us as we explore how following Jesus remakes our words and our world. You will walk away better resourced in your communication skills and challenged in your purpose!

Let’s live transformed!

“Story is what defines us and sets us apart. It’s what allows us to connect with each other — to truly know and be known.” - Jeff Goins

Stories are powerful. They are real, messy and unpredictable, full of mystery and intrigue. Telling the story of your life means embracing vulnerability, something many of us shy away from, and for good reason. Your story may be misunderstood and critiqued; you quickly learn to put it to rest, never to be told again. But your story needs to be told. We are all looking for a place where our story is safe and understood.

I remember a vulnerable time in my life just after the death of my mom. I am the type of person who is “just fine, thank you” and I struggle to open up – even to close friends. On one particular day, I was not doing well with my grief; it was consuming my thoughts and my heart was aching. A good friend walked in to that moment and asked how I was doing. Well, I wasn’t “just fine, thank you”, and I proceeded to peel back and share my emotions, raw and unedited. My friend didn’t know what to do with my story in that moment and promptly flipped the conversation to another subject. I stood drenched in confusion and embarrassment. I felt my story was not safe and so I shut down.

We all have a story to tell and our stories need to be told. This week on Girlfriendit Radio we will be talking with http://alanchambers.org/Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, whose mission statement is: Mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality.

What’s the story your life is telling? Join our conversation and share your story with us.

All stories accepted!“Story is what defines us and sets us apart. It’s what allows us to connect with each other — to truly know and be known.” - Jeff Goins

Stories are powerful. They are real, messy and unpredictable, full of mystery and intrigue. Telling the story of your life means embracing vulnerability, something many of us shy away from, and for good reason. Your story may be misunderstood and critiqued; you quickly learn to put it to rest, never to be told again. But your story needs to be told. We are all looking for a place where our story is safe and understood.

I remember a vulnerable time in my life just after the death of my mom. I am the type of person who is “just fine, thank you” and I struggle to open up – even to close friends. On one particular day, I was not doing well with my grief; it was consuming my thoughts and my heart was aching. A good friend walked in to that moment and asked how I was doing. Well, I wasn’t “just fine, thank you”, and I proceeded to peel back and share my emotions, raw and unedited. My friend didn’t know what to do with my story in that moment and promptly flipped the conversation to another subject. I stood drenched in confusion and embarrassment. I felt my story was not safe and so I shut down.

We all have a story to tell and our stories need to be told. This week on Girlfriendit Radio we will be talking with http://alanchambers.org/Alan Chambers, President of Exodus International, whose mission statement is: Mobilizing the body of Christ to minister grace and truth to a world impacted by homosexuality.

What’s the story your life is telling? Join our conversation and share your story with us.

All stories accepted!