By Courtney Etzel

Life Church recently held an event for women called Heart and Soul. It was a great night, full of worship, tears, and laughter. If you missed this event, you really missed out, so be sure to mark your calendars for the next one. 

At Heart and Soul, Tammy Cole recommended four books that we talked about in an earlier post here on our blog. One of the books Tammy suggested was Kisses from Katie by Katie Davis, so I’ve been reading it. In the book, Davis shares her personal story and reveals how God’s plan for her life was different than what she had envisioned for herself. Ultimately, she moved to Uganda  and fell in love with the country and the people, and began to see God’s plan unroll.  

The passion and sacrifice Katie Davis made was inspiring. I began to imagine what would happen if everyone shared Katie’s passion to make a difference and to show the love of Jesus to others. I know we can’t all move to another country, but we can go to our own backyards, our own neighborhoods, and we can make a difference in the lives of people we come into contact with on a daily basis.  

If you want to make a difference in people’s lives, I encourage you to serve in a ministry here at Life Church. There are so many opportunities available. Find one that best fits the talents God has given you by going through our Life Track program and start making a difference today!

Your abs aren’t the only thing that can benefit by you signing up for a gym membership at Sneakers Health & Fitness! It could also help the Heart for the House campaign. This limited-time deal is just ONE of the creative ways you can contribute to Heart for the House.

And you thought it got cold in Wisconsin! Check out one of the missions projects that will benefit by Life Church’s Amazing Race 5K.

By Cassie Voisin

Many of you know that Phil and I are expecting our first child at the end of August. Being parents has been something we have always dreamed of, so we couldn’t be more excited!

With all the excitement comes some struggles. The “morning” sickness (more like all day sickness) has been constant throughout the pregnancy, and due to some concerns from the doctor, I have been labeled a high risk pregnancy. 

When you are high risk, there are a lot of doctor appointments, and many “what if’s” and concerns to consider. It would be easy to become discouraged, but I know I have a God who is BIGGER than anything we could face.

Going through a high risk pregnancy is the hardest thing I have ever done, but I trust that if God brings me to it, He will bring me through it. My circumstances will always be changing, but the character and promises of God will always be constant. I just have to do my part to make sure I am using this circumstance as a stepping stone and not a stumbling block in my walk with Him. 

Some things that have been helping me grow…

• Praying: I am honest with God with about how I feel. I simply have conversations with Him; I give Him my stress, concerns, and also thank Him for everything I am grateful for. 
• Remembering God’s Promises: My favorite verse has always been Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” This means ALL things. Not just the easy things or the things I think I can do, this means ALL things. 
• Letting my friends and family love on me: Friends and family mean everything to me! I have been blessed with so many of them who care so much and have helped me a lot. They have prayed for me, held me accountable, took some things off my plate to make things easier, or just listened when I needed to vent. God has blessed me with some amazing people in my life! 

It’s easy to say we have faith, but what matters is how we walk out that faith when we encounter struggles. There will always be struggles. Will we stand strong and have faith in God?

Looking for some summer reading guaranteed to move your heart and make you think?  Here are the books Tammy Cole recommended at last week’s Heart & Soul Encounter:

1) Ms. Understood - Rebuilding the Feminine Equation, by Jen Hatmaker.

As described on Jen’s blog, “Women have been identified in many conflicting ways. Sometimes goddesses, slaves, or seductresses, but always misunderstood, by themselves and others. [Ms. Understood] uses examples from the five women named in Jesus’ lineage to help define a daughter of Christ, each has something to pass on. Courage, wisdom, and influence are the heritage of a woman.” 

2) Compelled by Love, by Heidi Baker - Based on the beatitudes as seen through the eyes of third-world pastors and missionaries, this book chronicles the twenty-seven year ministry of Heidi and Rolland Baker in the war-torn country of Mozambique.

3) Kisses from Katie, by Katie Davis. A MUST READ if you even think you have a heart for mission work! Here’s an excerpt from the introduction: ““I have absolutely no desire to write a book about myself. This is a book about
a Christ who is alive today and not only knows but cares about every hair on my head. Yours too. I’m writing this book on the chance that a glimpse into the life of my family and me, full of my stupidity and God’s grace, will remind you of this living, loving Christ and what it means to serve Him. I’m writing with the hope that as you cry and laugh with my family you will be encouraged that God still uses flawed human beings to change the world. And if He can use me, He can use you.”

4) The Circle Maker, by Mark Batterson. A book guaranteed to impact your prayer life in a profound way. The Circle Maker uses the legend of Honi the Circle Maker - a man who prayed a seemingly impossible prayer and refused to budge until God answered it - to challenge you to draw circles around your own prayers. You can read a review of it on our blog here.

Life Church Showing Some Love for Our Moms

To all the MOMS: Thanks for ALL you do!!

Why does the INVITE matter? Because it can change someone’s life! Kevin Miller shares a story from a recent mission trip to Liverpool, England.