That's What I Want On My Tombstone!

Today I have the awesome privilege of guest posting for a popular home school site called...  Hip Homeschool Moms!  And if you are questioning my "hipness," I will send you a photo! So, if you are visiting from that site, WELCOME! I am so glad you are here. Though this is not a "home school" site, I am a mom and minister who home schools! My 12 year old daughter came to us and asked to be homeschooled. To read that story, click here.


And before you "regulars" click away and quit reading, my guest post is not just for people or moms who homeschool... I think it is applicable for all of us! 




Here's a sneak peek of my guest post today...

"There’s a great verse in Hebrews in the Bible that refers to the awesome faith of Abraham. The verse reads, “By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place...obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.” Honestly, that is a terrific description of my life, but particularly when it comes to homeschooling."

Click here to read the "rest" of this story...and I would love for you to comment on their site...or here...or both! It would just make my day to hear from you!


As for the tombstone...yeah...I would love to have:

Kelli Wommack

"Obeyed God and went... 

even though she didn't know where she was going."  

Now that is a goal worth living for! May we live a life of radical obedience and reckless faith. Live for ONE!

So, whatever...whatever He is calling you to do...obey. Though we do not have a GPS that tells us where we are going and how we will get there, we are following the ONE who is calling us. And HE knows it ALL...

Love to all of you,

Kelli

P.S. My new website is in the works and I can't wait to reveal it to you!!!!

The Party of a Lifetime

I don't know about you, but I love parties. Of any kind. It usually means delicious food, great music, and good times with family or friends.

If you were invited to the party of a lifetime, wouldn't you drop everything to go? Of course you would. You get that fabulous invitation in the mail, and you RSVP...immediately. There is nothing on your calendar that would keep you from going to this party.


Well, in Luke 14, Jesus tells a story about this grand party where many are invited, but when the day of the party arrives and the food is ready, the invited start making excuses. One has to go stare at a piece of land he just bought. (Sounds quite boring to me.) Another has to go and try out his new oxen. (Work instead of a party, really?) And yet another person has the excuse of just getting married. (Ok, that would might warrant a little validation, but why can't you just bring the wife?) 


A couple of things stood out to me. 

• These that have made excuses have ALREADY rsvp'd to the party. They have already accepted the invitation. 

          ...How many times have I said yes to God and then not followed through with my commitment? I said yes with my mouth and no with my actions.

• The guy going to look at his land obviously got wrapped up in his property...his stuff.

          ...Though I am not tempted to go and stare at my belongings, I can very easily get distracted and consumed by my stuff. Even the maintenance of the stuff can be overwhelming.

• The invitee that had to go experiment with his new workhorses (aka oxen) seemed to have his work as his first priority.

         ...Ok, so farming is not a temptation for me. But, the very ministry to which God called me can often take precedence over the amazing God that did the calling.

• The final person to make an excuse for not actually coming to the party was the one who had just married. Marriage is obviously very important, but enough to warrant turning down the party of a lifetime?

        ...This one is hard. My family is a gift and one that I have been given to love, protect, and nurture. However, my family must see that God is my number one priority. Putting God first enables me to be the wife and the mother I need to be. 

God invites. We need to say yes with our mouths AND our actions. And all these other things? Trust God with them. There will always be things that vie for our attention.

What about you? Have you said yes with your mouth and no with your actions? Are you distracted or consumed with your stuff? Your work? Your family?

We don't want to miss this party!!!

Learning every day...

Kelli

And friends...if you are on Facebook, I would love to have you join my ministry page where I post scripture, encouragement, and take prayer requests.  Click here...

My One (or Two) Words for 2012

Ok, I am back from a semi-break from blogging. I have managed to post blogs the last few weeks, but they have been reposts of some faves that some of you might have missed. Thank you for the break. Between holiday activities and family needs and frankly, my own need to rest and rejuvenate, the time was necessary.

But I am ready to get going again! I have spent the last week pondering this year of 2012. How would it be different from 2011? What lessons have I learned? What do I want to continue? To put aside? What do I need to work on? What is the Lord calling me to do?

Lots of people in blog world do resolutions. I always evaluate my former year and look to the next year (or years), but I rarely call my "goals" resolutions. Other people come up with "one word" for the year ahead. As I began to pray and ask the Lord for goals or "one word," two words consistently emerged. As I struggled with going against the grain and having two words instead of one, I remembered (miraculously!) that these two words stem from the same Greek word. Before you call me heady or smart or quit reading, let me explain.

Thirteen years ago when I was in seminary, I took three semesters of Greek and I LOVED it. (Please keep reading!) But after ten years of not continuing to pursue Biblical Greek, most of the words have escaped me. But there are some that I remember...the rest I have to constantly look up.

Anyway, back to the two words. The word "live" was the first word to come to mind as I was praying about 2012. Live. Just live. Live for Him. Live graciously. Live unselfishly. Live audaciously. Live spontaneously. Live radically. Yes, live was my word.

And then on Sunday, January 1, as I sat in church and celebrated my 32 years of knowing Jesus Christ, the word "walk" continued to surface. "Should I change my word, Lord?" "Is it walk instead of live?" Walk in it. Walk with Me. Walk, even though you don't know the path.

As I pondered this, the Lord brought the Greek word "peripateo" to my mind. I remembered (again, miraculously) that this word was used to mean BOTH live and walk in the New Testament.

When I looked up some verses where this particular verse was used, it was no surprise that Ephesians 4:1 was present. Just a month ago, God had given me that verse as a potential new direction for a project I was working on. And here it was again. No surprise. 

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to LIVE a life worthy of the calling you have received." (NIV)

"In light of all this, here's what I want you to do. While I'm locked up in here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk - better yet, run! - on the road God called you to travel. (Message)

What does this mean for me? There's no more sitting. No more watching. No more dreaming. No more letting fear bench me. It is time to "peripateo." It is time to truly LIVE and WALK out my calling with my God. 

So, what's your "one word," your goal, or your resolution for 2012? I would love to hear. Let's hold each other accountable!

And if you want to read something funny, I am guest posting over at Tammy Karasek's blog, "Tickled Pink Tammy." Here's the link: A Lesson for Life, Literally.  Would love to have you jump over there and join us! (you can give comment love here or there!

Living and Walking,


Kelli

She Listens... (She Speaks Takeaway Part 2)

If you didn't read my previous post, you might want to do that now.  http://kelliwommack.blogspot.com/2011/08/he-speaks-she-speaks-takeaway-part-one.html  I just don't want you to be reading this and realize that you have been left out of the conversation.  :)  

http://flic.kr/p/cLpVx

In the words of my daughter, "Isn't it cool when God speaks like that?"  Yes!  And we know it is Him, when we hear Him speak repetitively through His Word, His people, and circumstances.  We also know it is Him when He calls us to do something that is bigger than us.  In her book, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, Lysa TerKeurst lists a Five Question Filter to know if you are hearing God's voice.  Number four is "Is it beyond me?"  (If you want to know the other five questions, get her book, it is great!)


So, is my call to write and speak bigger than me?  Absolutely!  As I try to sort out why I haven't pursued the writing and speaking more before now, excuses abound.  Not enough time.  Inadequate.  Other things require more of my attention.  I am not as good as others.  No one wants to listen to me or read what I write. I am happy the way things are.  And so on.  (You ever give those same excuses?)  Honestly, all the excuses have one greater source.  FEAR.  I am afraid.  I am afraid of disappointing God.  Afraid of missing the mark.  Afraid of ridicule.  Afraid of rejection.  Afraid of the future.  Afraid of...failure.

"Haven’t I commanded you? Strength! Courage! Don’t be timid; don’t get discouraged. God, your God, is with you every step you take.” Joshua 1:9 (Message)


God not only wants us to be bold and courageous, He commands it!  Why?  Because fear is paralyzing.  Fear renders us ineffective for the Lord.  And His perfect love casts out fear!


In a recent journal entry, I wrote, "Fear surfaces all too readily.  It creeps into my thought patterns, affects my body, and my way of life.  Where is my trust?  Do I really trust God?" It pains me to write those words.  It pains me even more to share them with you.  But maybe you experience this when God calls you to do something bigger than you.  So, what do we do?


He Speaks, We Listen.  Our response to His speaking is to listen.  That may sound obvious, but do your children always listen when you speak?  (Thought so.)  We want to learn to listen to the Father's voice over our own voice and the voice of others.  Over the noise and the static.  


The New Oxford American Dictionary says to listen is "to take notice of and act on what someone says."  So listening to God is to realize that He is there speaking and then do what He says!  Many of us listen and we hear Him.  And then we sit...in fear, complacency, disobedience, laziness.  We don't act on what we hear.  


I am listening, God.  I hear You.  Please give me the strength and the courage to obey.  I want to see You do something in my life that is way bigger than me.  


Do you struggle with listening or obedience?  Share your thoughts. I would love to pray for you!  




Unwrap the gift of listening to a God who speaks to us,




Kelli

He Speaks... (She Speaks Takeaway Part One)

It has taken me a long time to process She Speaks 2011.  In fact, I am still working through some of the things God was speaking to my heart.  But I wanted to go ahead and share my initial responses. 

It all began in May of 1990.  I was near the end of my freshman year in college.  I was a part of a ministry on campus and decided to attend a state conference.  I don’t remember much about the conference sessions or even who was there.  What I do remember vividly is that I found myself walking the aisle on Sunday morning and stating that I was feeling called into ministry.  Vocational ministry.  I remember reminding God that I was a girl (ha!) and that I had no clue what in ministry I would or could do.

I was a Communications major.  I loved all the classes that most people hate...public speaking, interpersonal communications, etc.  My goal when I began college was to take Joan Lunden’s place on Good Morning America.  (I knew she had to get old one day.)  So, this day in May when I committed my life to vocational ministry, I had no idea how God would use the gifts and skill set He had given me.  I just knew that God had called me and that my desire to become known became engulfed by the desire to make Him known.  I pursued seminary. And that began 21 years of ministry...with youth, children, college students, women, and adults of all ages.

God has incredibly blessed me with opportunities to share His love and grace with so many different people in many different places...even internationally in Greece, Bulgaria, Venezuela, and Australia!  I feel humbled and honored that God would use me in these ways. 

So, why did I find myself at She Speaks in Charlotte, North Carolina a few weeks ago?  Because since September of last year, I have felt like God was leading me to step out of my comfort zone.  Though I have always enjoyed speaking and writing occasionally throughout my years in ministry, I have often found myself giving excuses to God as Moses did in Exodus 3 – 4.

“Who am I, Lord, that I should speak and write about You?  Why me?”

God:  “I will be with you.”

“Suppose I do speak and write and the world asks who do I think I am doing this?”

God:  “I AM has sent you...that is enough.”

“What if they doubt that You called me?”

God:  “I will reveal Myself to them through you.”

“Lord, there are many others who speak and teach so much better than I do.”

God:  “Go.  I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”

One of my previous posts was about Preparing for the Amazing.  Well, the Amazing God did amazing things.  God spoke very specifically, very graciously through His Word, His people, and circumstances at She Speaks.

His Word:

The theme for my 3 minute message in my evaluation group:  “To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine, according to the power that is at work within us, to Him be the glory!”  Ephesians 3: 20 – 21

God:  “Do you believe that verse, Kelli?  More than you could ever ask or imagine!”

My quiet time passage a week before the conference:  “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.”  2 Timothy 4: 2

God:  “This word is for you.  I will work out the details.”

His people: 

A new friend at She Speaks says,  “I just feel the need to tell you to stick to your message.”

God:  “Don’t be swayed by flattery or attention, stick to the message I have given you.”

A gracious keynote speaker says to all of us, “You are uniquely, profoundly, specially gifted.”

God:  “I made you, what do you expect?”

My evaluation group leader writes, “You are so gifted at teaching God’s Word...Keep teachin’ the Word, girl!

God:  “Follow hard after me.  Study my Word.  I will give you opportunities to share.”

Circumstances:

I wish I could share with you all of the divine appointments and God moments, but there are way too many and several are very personal.  Let’s just say that God used several people to affirm me as a speaker and a writer.  From the evaluation groups to the publisher appointments, God used circumstances (crazy circumstances!) to absolutely confirm that He had a message He wanted me to share. 

God reminded me of my initial calling 21 years ago when I didn’t know what He would do with a crazy girl with my gifts and skill set.  Interesting that the Greek word for preach is kerusso, which can also mean:  to proclaim; to publish.  Did you get that? Proclaim and publish?  Speak and write?

God, You have spoken.  My response:  to listen.  And obey.

My friends, what is God calling you to do?  What will your response be?  Please comment so that I can pray for you!

There's a Party Going On Right Here

"Or imagine a woman who has ten coins and loses one. Won't she light a lamp and scour the house, looking in every nook and cranny until she finds it? 9 And when she finds it you can be sure she'll call her friends and neighbors: "Celebrate with me! I found my lost coin!' 10 Count on it--that's the kind of party God's angels throw every time one lost soul turns to God."   Luke 15: 8 - 10 (Message)


I will never forget the day that Ryan and I were riding down the road in the "Swagger Wagon,"  aka minivan, and we were discussing my nephew's upcoming baptism.  Ryan was four at the time and had many questions (not unusual) about Jesus, baptism, God, etc.  His main question was, "Can I be bap-i-tized?"  I explained to him that baptism was an outward sign of an inward decision.  That baptism followed accepting Christ into your heart as your Savior and Lord.  He waited a few minutes.  And then I heard him say, "God...Jesus...both of you guys...would you come into my heart?"  "Ok, Mom, now I can get that bap-i-tized thing."  Well, I didn't doubt the Lord drawing Ryan to himself.  I didn't even doubt Ryan's decision.  I wasn't quite sure what to do.  So, I told my husband about it and we decided to just wait and see if Ryan brought it up again.  He didn't.  


Fast forward three and a half years.  I have always felt secure in the fact that the Lord had already started a work in Ryan.  But now that Ryan was older and he was learning more and more, I wanted him to solidify that decision to follow Christ.  The Lord really laid on my heart in January of this year to pray fervently for Ryan to truly understand what it meant to accept Jesus as his Savior.  So, I began to pray.  And I asked others to pray.  I knew God was working.  I could tell by Ryan's prayers, his questions, and his change in behavior.  He went to overnight Kids Camp for the first time this year.  God stirred.  He moved to a third grade Sunday School class with Mama Carol (a kid loving, Scripture teaching, woman of God!) God stirred some more.  


This week is VBS at Christ Community Church.  Last night was my night to teach.  The story:  Jesus' life, death, and resurrection.  I had recruited a friend of mine, Garrett, to help me teach it by portraying Peter.  Garrett did a phenomenal job in sharing how Peter must have felt when he blew it with Jesus...denying him 3 times.  I asked the kids, "Anyone in here ever felt like they blew it?"  Ryan raised his hand and said, "1000 times , Mom, you know it, 'cause you're my Mom."  I smiled.  And then I reminded the kids that God forgives, that God loves them so much that He sent His son Jesus to die for them and their sins, and that He rose again so that we could live forever with Him!  "If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, tonight's a great night to do that.  If He is calling you, listen to Him."  I prayed with the kids and dismissed them.  On the way out, Ryan came and hugged me and said, "Mom, I want to ask Jesus into my heart and...I want to be digested as soon as I can!"  "Digested?"  "You know, Mom, the water thing?"  "Oh...Baptized."  "Yes!  That's it!"


We came home.  He shared the news with Bekah and Daddy.  We all four (now a house full of Christ followers!) sat down as Ryan prayed to receive Christ into his heart.  He told Jesus he wanted Him to control his soul and his life.  (His words.)  And then the three of us took turns praying over him and blessing him.  Chris (my man) thanked God that his son was now also his brother.  Bekah prayed for Ryan to "fully embrace his relationship with Christ."  I prayed that God would bless him and have him do AMAZING things for the kingdom.  It was GLORIOUS!  


And yes, there's a party going on right here!  A Celebration to last throughout the years! (Forever!) Won't you join us at the party?  We have a place reserved especially for you.


Thanks for letting me share my heart today.  You all are such a blessing to me!
Kelli

How God Used the Food Network to Speak to Me

Ok, so I admit it.  I am a big Food Network fan.  There's something in me that enjoys watching others prepare gourmet meals.  Maybe I think that by watching, it will somehow magically change my cooking success or better yet, that watching it releases me from ever attempting such feats as a cook.  My favorite FN show is the Next Food Network Star.   So, I know the show isn't terribly spiritual.  But in a recent episode, God used the panel of judges' statements to finalists to remind me of some key spiritual truths.  

"You have so many parts of life that only you can talk about.  See where that leads you."  

Yes, this was said on the Food Network.  It moved me...spiritually.  It was if God was saying the same thing to me... "Why do you compare yourself to others?  Why do you wish for someone else's platform?  I have created you and shaped you just the way you are and you have a unique life story that only you can tell.  Stop trying to be someone else or speak and write like someone else.  Just be you...and see where that leads you."    

"Since this is the kind of life we have chosen, the life of the Spirit, let us make sure that we do not just hold it as an idea in our heads or a sentiment in our hearts, but work out its implications in every detail of our lives. That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original." Galatians 5:25 - 26 (MSG)

"It's interesting to me when we find these finalists who are running from what is in their bones."

Not chicken bones, mind you.  These finalists were detouring from their passion, their backgrounds, their callings.  Why do we run from the very thing that God has placed in us...our calling?  Is it because of boredom, laziness, neglect, comparison to others, disobedience, or my personal favorite, FEAR?  Must I remind you of our friend Jonah who was called to go to Ninevah to preach the gospel and "he joined those going to Tarshish -- as far away from God as he could get."  Whatever the reason for running away from our calling, we need to run to the One who called us.  He is there to meet us, to equip us, to encourage us, to cast out fear.  Remember, "The One who calls you is FAITHFUL and He will do it."  1 Thess. 5:24

"She shows a lot of passion, she just doesn't have any focus."

Ouch.  I know this statement wasn't directed toward me personally, but it sure could have been.  The female finalist receiving this critique was very passionate about food, cooking, and even the show, but she lacked knowing who she really was and focusing on her unique perspective.  I have to admit watching her, she was all over the place.  She lacked focus.  I feel this way often.  I show a lot of passion for God, for His Word, for my family, for ministry, but I often lack focus.  I want to be a passionate woman of God...with focus.  God's Word tells us the only way this is possible is to focus on Him, get to know Him.  He provides the passion...and the focus.  Paul writes this for the church at Ephesus:  

"I ask—ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory—to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do..."  Ephesians 1:15 (MSG)

So, what part of this spiritualization of the Next Food Network Star resonated with you?  Do you stray from your originality...your story?  Do you run from your calling and if you do, why?  And finally, do you lack focus?  Comment below! 

The Dream of the Gift

Three years ago I had a dream. The vividness of it brings it ever close today. 

The dream.  I walk into a room. And I see Him...Jesus.   He is beautiful. He is sitting on a beautiful throne. And He is holding something. As I look closer I see that He is holding a beautifully wrapped gift.  It was wrapped in exquisite paper and topped with a perfect huge bow.  I look into His eyes and ask, "Is that gift for me?" He peers into my eyes, into my soul, and gently gestures me to come closer. And then I wake up.

When I had that dream three years ago, I was going through one of the most painful and difficult times in my life. That painful situation had left me feeling raw, numb, and abandoned. I felt unworthy, inadequate, unusable.  Though I had been very involved in ministry, this situation had made me seriously doubt my identity, my mission, and whether or not I would ever be involved in ministry again.  

Then the dream.  Though it took me a while to process what God was saying to me, I realized that His main message was that the painful trial I was going through was indeed a gift. A gift only realized if I came closer to the Gift Giver Himself. That's why when I asked Him in the dream if the gift was for me, He only responded with a gesture to come closer to him.  My trial a gift?  I didn't understand, but I trusted that He would continue to reveal Himself to me.

That painful situation necessitated that I leave a very comfortable zone and head straight into one that was unknown, uncomfortable, even unraveling.  I enjoy new things, new challenges, but I don't enjoy discomfort.  I am just being honest.  But I was devastated and needed restoration and rebirth.  As Ann Voskamp shared in a recent post, "It's only in the uncomfortable places that we can experience the tenderness of the Comforter." It was in that place that I received the gift of His intimate Presence. He longs to meet us all there. He is the God of all Comfort, the Father of Compassion.  

2 Corinthians 1: 3 - 5, says "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comes alongside of us when we go through hard times, and before you know, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us."  (NIV, MSG)

Looking back now, I realize what a gift that painful experience truly was. For it was in that pain, in that open wound, that I sought the comfort of my Savior in a way I never had before. His Presence was soothing, healing, and life-giving.  He was IT for me...and He was enough.  He was truly my All in All.  He restored my soul and my mind.  He reminded me that my identity could only be found in Him, not in other people, titles, or even ministry.  He not only restored my mission and ministry, He expanded it!  

Unwrapping the gifts of His presence, purpose, and power has now become the message I feel He has given me to share with others. Sharing and marketing that message is another trip out of my comfort zone! However, this time, I take the trip out of my comfort zone, not out of obligation, but out of desire. Because I know that being out of my comfort zone means being in the arms of the God of all comfort. And that's a gift!

As I write this, I am praying and preparing to go to a conference in July offered by Proverbs 31 Ministries called, "She Speaks Conference." I have known about this conference a couple of years, but have been unable scared to attend. Lysa TerKeurst, author of Made To Crave and When Women Say Yes To God, is one of the women on the Proverbs 31 team and I look forward to learning lots from her and many other women.  The conference is for speakers, writers, and leaders "to receive the tools and the confidence to answer God's call on your life." I consider it such a blessing to be able to go and I look forward to listening to God and being obedient to His leadership in my life.  

I am asking for your prayers as I attend the conference.  I am on the Speakers Track and will present a short message to two different groups for evaluation.  I am excited about receiving feedback and encouragement from women with similar callings and love for the Lord.  In addition, I am FINALLY meeting with someone to discuss the bible study I wrote based on 2nd Corinthians.  And it scares me to death, but I also have two meetings with publishers to "pitch" my bible study.  I don't know if it's because I am turning 40 in October, but I have gotten really brave  crazy these days.  As I write this, my heart beats out of my chest.  Literally- and I am sitting in a chair!

Please pray for God's divine wisdom, guidance, and timing in all these things.  And do me a favor, if you  will, and click to follow my blog on the left hand side of the blog posts.  They say this is important when trying to pitch a book.  Anyway, I hope to blog at least twice a week on God's gifts to us.  I hope you will join me in unwrapping those gifts...  as we move closer to the Gift Giver.

I attended the conference since this posting and it was truly life-changing.  If you would like to read about my trip, you can go to He Speaks and She Listens.  

Any recent gifts from God that you want to share in the comments?

I'd love to know what they are!

Much love and gratitude for your friendship,

Kelli