But I didn’t attend The Gate when I wrote The Color of Hope.  I didn’t even know about The Gate.  It launched just last May.  But God knew.  And I find it amazing that He would lead me to the very type of church the book envisioned.

I’ve never experienced a church like this.  My previous church of ten years was predominantly white, with a handful of African-Americans sprinkled among hundreds.  My church prior to that was the exact opposite.  And before that in Wisconsin, in a small A.M.E. church, we had one or two white members.

We talk a lot about diversity and unity in our Christian circles, but when I look around, I seldom see it walked out.  In publishing, my white author friends are on one side of the aisle; most of my black author friends are on the other.  In Christian music, there’s gospel and CCM.  And of course, there are the churches . . .

So I was thankful this past weekend to attend The Gate’s first women’s retreat.  We ate and played together.  We learned together.  We shared, cried, and prayed together.  We weren’t black, white, red, and brown.  We were just sisters.  And it was beautiful.  As one of my pastors said when he saw this picture, “Different cultures, different backgrounds, one God.”

What’s funny is that the Color Me Retreat—remember that?—would’ve had this same beauty.  I’ve been blessed to walk out diversity and unity right here on this blog as well, and I hope the blog sisters can get together one day and eat, play, learn, share, cry, and pray. :)

Do you see diversity and unity walked out among believers in your corner of the world?  How so?

Every one of my books holds a special place in my heart, and this one is no exception.  It was probably the most difficult to write.  God ministered to me as I wrote . . . and prayed . . . and wrote . . . and cried . . . and wrote some more.  But I don’t want you to think it’s totally heavy. :-)  Stephanie is in the book, so you know there are many laughs!  And there is a community of people with stories that will (hopefully) keep you entertained.  But yes, there’s some heaviness as well.  You already know I’m praying for God to use the book in each of your lives uniquely and powerfully.

I’ve uploaded a short video clip with a promo of the book HERE.

And there’s other news!  Some of you may have seen the announcement on Facebook, but I always share more on the blog. :-)  In November, after ten years at our former church, God led our family to a fairly new urban church plant in St. Louis—The Gate Church.  The way He led us there is a God-thing in itself.  And in the first couple of months, we saw prayers answered from more angles than we could count.  Then, in late January, I was approached about helping to develop and lead a women’s ministry for the church.

When Pastor Kenny approached me, he had no idea that more than ten years ago, God had spoken to my heart through Jeremiah 1 that He was calling me to teach His Word.  Pastor Kenny had no idea that as I wrote fiction, as I spoke with Women of Faith, as I blogged, and as I experienced various twists and turns along those roads—I was praying, asking God if I had truly understood that calling.  I had sensed a deeper kind of teaching, an in-the-Word, life-on-life, shepherding kind of teaching.

More than a decade later, God used my pastors at The Gate to bring that to pass.  Now, by God’s grace, we are moving forward.  God has given our women’s ministry a name—“REDEEMED & RELOADED”—and a mission, to transform a generation of women through His Word.

It would take another blog post to describe the gamut of what I’m feeling.  I guess this is the year of God doing a “new thing”—whacking my hair off, starting seminary, leading a women’s ministry. The latter is a sobering endeavor.  I pray that my posture always is one of clinging to Him.

Is God doing a new thing in your life?  Is there something you feel God has called you to, but you’re waiting for it to come to pass?

Here’s more from the synopsis on the back:

“Stephanie London led a life of comfort and ease in St. Louis before feeling inexplicably drawn back to her father’s roots in the tiny Southern town of Hope Springs.  Charlotte Willoughby has lived there all her life and longs to make a new life somewhere else.  Stephanie doesn’t know exactly what she’s doing there—or how to occupy her time.  And Charlotte doesn’t understand why, despite her overbearing family and reminders of her failed engagement, she’s suddenly led to stay.

And despite its small-town charm, Hope Springs itself is at a crossroads.  After a failed reconciliation attempt by two well-meaning pastors, the town is split along racial and cultural lines, with little hope for redemption.

When a terrible tragedy puts Hope Springs on the national radar, the entire town is tested, and both Stephanie and Charlotte feel their lives unraveling.  In the midst of heartache, though, they’ll discover the true color of hope . . .”

To celebrate the upcoming release, I’m giving away 5 advance copies of “The Color of Hope.”  In order to be eligible to win, you need to post a comment on the blog in response to this question:

Have you ever witnessed hope shining brightly when all seemed lost?  Share as much or as little as you’d like.

I will draw the names of the winners at 5:00 pm CST on Friday, March 8, so you have until then to post a comment.  Check back for the names of the winners!

There’s also a YouTube giveaway!  Over there, you can win a copy of one of my first four novels.  In order to be eligible, all you have to do is subscribe to the channel and let me know which book you’d like . . . that’s it!  Five winners will be chosen on the same day.  View the video HERE for more info.

Release time is so exciting! :-)

Many of you are familiar with the story.  Bill and I got engaged and moved to Wisconsin to start our careers in 1991.  It didn’t enter our minds to get separate places.  We lived together in our apartment then bought a house in 1992.

We excitedly planned for our big wedding—May 29, 1993 was the date, and it was quickly approaching.  But sometime around the end of January, God convicted us about our living arrangement.  He was drawing us to Himself.  And although I didn’t yet know Him, and there was much I didn’t understand, I’m in awe now by the grace that was upon us to make a change because of God.

I don’t think I’d ever done anything with God in mind.  But here we were, making plans to get married in two weeks, on Valentine’s Day, because God had moved in our hearts.  And at our quiet little ceremony with only the officer of the court who married us (a friend), her husband, and my mom, we knew the most important One in our midst was God.  For the first time, we had invited Him into our home.

This wedding picture means the world to me.  I knew next to nothing about the Bible in my hands.  But the very fact that I was holding it—that I wanted to hold it—illustrates God’s love and faithfulness.  And for each of the past twenty years, His faithfulness has abounded toward us.  I entered marriage as a selfish, independent-minded woman, figuring if it didn’t work out, I could take care of myself.  Oh, how the Lord has taught and chiseled me!

On this 20^th anniversary, I am so thankful for Bill—for his love, his patience, his grace, his humor, and his wisdom.  And I’m so grateful to God for loving us and drawing us both to Himself at the beginning of our marriage.  Twenty years ago!  Wow!!!

Anyone else celebrating a marriage milestone this year?

Her [wisdom’s] ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.  Proverbs 3:17

I have directed you in the way of wisdom; I have led you in upright paths.  Proverbs 4:11

Watch the path of your feet and all your ways will be established.  Proverbs 4:26

For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, and He watches all his paths.  Proverbs 5:21

Do not enter the path of the wicked and do not proceed in the way of evil men.  Proverbs 4:14

But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn that shines brighter and brighter until the full day.

The way of the wicked is like darkness; they do not know over what they stumble.  Proverbs 4:18-19

Those words caused me to think about being In Hot Pursuit.  It’s been a year since our study, but the pursuit continues always . . . and it’s good to do a collective check from time to time to see how we’re doing.  I thought about how easily a wrong choice could lead one to the wrong way or path . . . away from the hot pursuit of Christlikeness.

Verse 26 above cautions us to “watch the path” of our feet.  And there’s this caution:  “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8).  With a single step, we can enter that wrong path, drawn by what entices or by what may seem easy or harmless.  And the enemy is more than willing to lead us.

Thankfully, though, we are not without wisdom in making right choices.  Wisdom not only calls to us, she takes a stand “on top of the heights beside the way, where the paths meet” to be sure we hear (Proverbs 8:1-5).  And there’s this power verse:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight (Proverbs 3:5-6).

And if that’s not enough, there’s this:  that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3).  We have everything we need to walk in the right ways and paths.

How’s your In Hot Pursuit going?  Have you been watching the path of your feet?  Are you listening when wisdom calls?

During the other weeks of the series, as we looked inward, many of you dropped comments like, “But I do value my outward appearance and try to look nice.” Or “I think both the inward and the outward are important.” I smiled because I knew we’d have ample opportunity to dish about it in the final week.

Our outward appearance is important. We’re walking representatives of our Lord. We want to bring Him glory in all we do, which includes how we present ourselves. When we think about the outward, we might tend to think more about what not to wear. After all, in our culture, we’re bombarded with images of clothing that leave next-to-nothing to the imagination.

But I thought it would be fun to focus on and celebrate the freedom in our choices. Among this blog group alone, I’m sure there’s a great spectrum. We could walk into a mall, and we’d each know which store caters to our particular style, from clothing to shoes to makeup . . . all of it reflecting the uniqueness of how God created us.

So let’s talk about rocking the external. After you watch the video HERE or below, let’s discuss the following:

Do you enjoy rocking the external? Do you keep it simple when it comes to appearance—whether clothing, hair, jewelry, makeup, shoes—or do you have a flair for fashion?

Do you (especially single sisters) ever deal with comments from others about how you should dress, like the woman mentioned in the video? And for married sisters, do you give time and attention to your appearance still (and would your husband agree :-))?

And this series and all of our discussions have spoken to my heart as well! I doubt I would’ve been so pumped about seeing my hair whacked off at the salon apart from that. It felt really good! I know that I know that God moved me to do this—to make a clean break with the old and begin a “new thing.” It’s about so much more than hair. And I don’t think it was for me alone. After uploading the before and after video yesterday, I was blessed to hear that others were inspired—and maybe it wasn’t about hair for them either.

I have to tell you… I feel good. I feel free. I feel emboldened (I know, weird!). And since this is a total God-thing, I’m totally believing that He desires to do a work in me and through me on this unexpected journey.

A new season is beginning…. I’m excited! Can we celebrate? :-)

Click HERE to watch the video.

Not all of you are on Facebook, but I mention it because it’s a microcosm of the world at large. The system would’ve never worked if people didn’t feel the need to express thoughts and opinions—and a need to be affirmed by others.

How do we operate in such a comment-rich world . . . where the comment may be negative and aimed at you? In the past two weeks, many of you shared about such negative comments, some of which stuck for decades. It’s understandable. At the base of those comments is the sentiment, “I don’t approve.” Who wants to feel that people don’t “approve” of a fundamental aspect of your outward appearance?

But we can’t live and move at the whim of people’s “approval.” Our days shouldn’t rise or fall based on what they like or don’t like about how we look. We can be free. We can gain a godly confidence in how God made us and release the need for affirmation. After all, we have all the affirmation we need, in Christ.

You can watch the video HERE (or below online).  Once you’ve watched, here are a few starter questions to think about and discuss:

If you’re honest with yourself, do you tend to need the approval of others?

Which are you prone to do if you get a negative comment: 1) shake it off and keep moving; or 2) take it in your heart and turn it over a million times.

Do you fear being divinely unique?

But praise God, there’s no deep place that God can’t reach.  There’s no hurt He can’t heal.  Jesus changes everything.

As I prepared for part two of this study, I went from feeling sad about the stories to rejoicing over the truth that sets us free.  We don’t have to remain captive to lies we’ve been told.  Instead, armed with truth, we can turn the tables and take the lies captive unto the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5).

My own mind has been renewed as I’ve studied and meditated on true image.  I encourage you to not only watch this video but to share it with other women.  (You would be surprised how many have been affected by image lies.)  The overarching message of the video is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, “the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).  Apart from Jesus, we cannot hope to walk in the truth.  But in salvation is healing and restoration and freedom.  Renewing our minds is key to that journey.

Although the video may not come through in the emails, I’m including it within the post for the sake of the blog.  If you’re receiving this in your inbox, the link to the video is HERE.

After the video, feel free to discuss whatever strikes you in the comment section.  But here are some starter questions:

Prior to knowing Jesus, did you measure yourself against others, or maybe even tear down others in order to build up yourself, for the sake of image?

Can you tell that you’re being transformed from glory to glory into the image of Jesus?  If so, how?

If you’re a certain size and shape . . .

If your hair is a certain color, texture, or length . . .

If you have classic facial features . . .

If your makeup is just-so . . .

If your clothes are stylish . . .

If . . . if . . . if . . .

. . . then you—and the small number in the club with you—can be among the worshiped and adored.

And it’s not just the world.  Survey the Christian women promoted on glossy posters as conference speakers, or the ones tapped to do teaching DVDs.  There’s often a certain look—that culturally approved look.  This is not a knock against the women, but an observation of a system that perpetuates elevation of the outward as it looks to marketing and sales.

Someone half-jokingly told me in 2010, “It’s a good thing you grew out your little ‘fro, or you probably wouldn’t have gotten a speaking spot with Women of Faith.”  Women of Faith actually bucked the “image” standard when it started, given that its original speakers were “seasoned” older women.  And I have great respect for the women who were in decision-making positions when I was brought on board.  But hmm . . . would I have been on stage if I had had a teeny weeny afro instead of relaxed hair past the shoulders?  I’m curious what you all think. :)

Here’s the bottom line.  The god of this world has fashioned a system in which we are laser-focused on outward image.  Moreover, in his system, only a narrow slice of what God created is built up, favored, and called “very good.”  We know this is a lie.  We know we are all glorious threads of His handiwork—every multi-faceted one of us.  And yet, consciously or subconsciously, we adopt the lie into our thinking about ourselves.  We make decisions based on the lie.  If I do this, I’ll gain more approval.  And of course, those who are “approved” have their own set of issues.  The enemy spares no one.  Imagine the soul who puts her trust and confidence in her outward beauty, when that beauty will perish.

God had an entirely different view of image, which I talk about in the video.  The video is an integral part, so I’ll stop and let you view it.  For those receiving this in your inbox, I saw that the video wasn’t visible when last week’s email was sent.  Just in case that happens again, I’m also including a link HERE.

After the video, let’s kickoff the discussion with these questions:  What lie were you told about yourself growing up or in adulthood?  Do you still believe it?  Have you seen or experienced “image issues” in the Christian community that mirror the world?

And of course, feel free to open up whatever else you want to discuss on the topic!