Lana Vaughan

but do book her soon.

To kick off my series of people I would like to work with I’m starting with a woman you may not be familiar with yet. Of all the people on my list, Lisa Tuttle is one of the few I already know personally and have actually had the blessing of working with. In 2010 Lisa was a key speaker at Go Deeper Still Women’s Conference at Mt. Herman in California. Her messages were an incredible blend of her own story and God’s much bigger story.

Lisa’s sense of humor is delightfully quirky and her perspective always challenges me to see things differently. Working with Lisa challenged my collaboration skills in two ways. First, we are on opposite sides of the country and getting together for lunch to discuss the conference just wasn’t practical. Second was communicating my vision for GDS to the team assembled for this event. Her flexability in meeting with me via Skype and over the phone was something I came to rely on and value as I bounced ideas off her. Talking with her greatly helped define and clarify the vision and the realization of GDS. I can honestly say her direct honestly and strength were key in the success of the Conference. I couldn’t have and wouldn’t want to have done it without her.

I would love to work with Lisa on any project, conference or event opportunity that presents itself. I know her heart is trustworthy and her character makes her the character she is. I know she has an eclectic sense of style and creativity that I find bring joy to those around her.

As for Phoenix, Lisa’s character and heart were greatly tested on her return trip home from GDS. But that’s a story for her to tell you when you book her for your next retreat, or conference or seminar. Book her soon and often, just don’t fly her through Phoenix.

There are two homemade pumpkin pies baking in our oven right now. That may not seem very notable or unique today. It’s more rare than it used to be but not totally unheard of. What makes these pies special is they are third generation pies. You see, on the blue and white tile counter in my kitchen sits a faded harvest gold Kitchen-aide stand mixer. It belonged to my mother-in-law. I never met her, she died before I met Matt, but many times I feel like I knew her and she knew me.

Today my daughter whipped up her first homemade pies using Gramma Vaughan’s mixer. Later today those pies will make the journey to the family cabin. The cabin was built for Matt’s Great-grandmother Nellie in the 1930′s. It has been the traditional hostess for family gatherings for almost 80 years. The women in this family have been strong, hard working, life loving girls who loved deeply and embraced the challenges life tossed at them. They are sturdy and built to last like the old Kitchen-aide. And like the old Kitchen-aide they offered sweet things to those who knew them. So another generation has stepped up and flipped the switch, added eggs and Carnation Evaporated Milk and Libby’s Pumpkin.

They say Thanksgiving is about family. In our kitchen, the heartbeat goes on. Time to peel some apples…

Following the call of God on their hearts men from around the country and around the world are heading to Colorado to spend time with Him. Using broken, wounded, restored men to share messages of encouragement and truth God shows His heart for the image bearers, for the ones He created to fellowship with Him.

Ignatius understood that the glory of God is man fully alive. This weekend His glory will shine brighter as more hearts are set free, as old wounds are healed and loose their power, as agreements as shattered and covenant takes their place.

Hearts are being fought for. Battles are fierce. There is nothing short of eternity in the balance for some.

And in that mix, walk men of integrity, of honor, of courage. Men after God’s heart. The Cowboys. The Kings. The Sages.

God is on the mountain and He’s meeting with His men…. sword

Tomorrow my little girl turns 11. It’s hard to believe how fast time is passing. Tonight is her “family” birthday party. Since she has four brothers, a sister, two sister-in-loves, three nephews and a niece not to mention wonderful extended “family” it can be a real event to get everyone together. Each year it gets harder and harder as the older ones move away and travel makes it necessary to leave early.

One of the things I love most about my daughter is her deep sense of tradition. She loves knowing what we’re going to do for each holiday and why it is special to our family. It gives her a feeling of security and continuity even when someone we love is missing. For her birthday she has decided on the traditions. Her family party is the Sunday night of Thanksgiving weekend. She says she loves it that when everyone is being thankful they come together to celebrate her life. Her cake is traditional,too. It’s a strawberry cake baked in a rose bundt pan filled with chocolate frosting and dusted with “snow”. But her favorite part, as she reminds me each year, are the soups. Every year it’s the same menu…Chicken noodle soup, split pea with Corrolitos ham, and white clam chowder, heavy on the clams. All made from scratch. She calls it “home made love”.

Before she was born I decided to name her Grace because I just felt the world needed more grace. So, tonight we carry on the family tradition of celebrating Grace with home made love.

Soups on….

I have developed a new hobby, reviewing books. I love to read. I didn’t always love to read. There was a time when just the thought of reading would bring me to tears. Then I was introduced to arguably the most influential writer of the last century. His writing has inspired and motivated, enlightened and challenged readers to think not only for themselves but to consider possibilities for our society and world that stretch the imagination. I think for me it all began with “Hop On Pop”. Dr. Theodore Gisele, better known as Dr. Seuss, encouraged me and gave me a love of reading that developed into a love of writing and now combines them in book reviews. So here are my next two reviews.
There have been few books that I eagerly anticipated like Donald Miller’s “A Million Miles In A Thousand Years”. Partially because of the incredible buzz it was getting on Twitter and partially because I have read several of his previous books, I tried every avenue to get my hands on this book early. I devoured it the same day I received it from Thomas Nelson publishers. I will be re-reading it for years to come. Not for the story but for the wisdom and the perspective it offers. I can’t tell you how many books I’ve read that when I’m finished I am unchanged in my thinking or my beliefs. This is not one of those books. After reading this book I am challenged and motivated. While discussing the formulas for good story and movie writing Miller doesn’t translate those formulas into “how to” steps for life but lives out the formulas by re-writing his life one step at a time. Getting up and getting moving in his own life he takes the reader along for his journey and by example challenges the reader to consider the story of their life. I’m really glad he didn’t include questions for small groups in the back. The questions this book brings up are going to be just as unique and personal as the questions Miller found himself answering in his own life. Trying to write the questions for others to answer denies them the process of finding the questions their heart needs to ask and answer. Miller takes something very complex and simplifies it.
On the other hand Dr. Emmerson Eggerichs book “Love and Respect” takes a single sentence and stretches it into 303 pages. I wish I could say this one held my attention and was a real page turner but the truth is it took me 8 sittings to push through it. Dr. Eggerichs has done a lot of work in the field of respect and love and it shows. He has more ways of saying the same thing than I can count. The synopsis on the back of the book sums it up perfectly. “A wife has one driving need – to feel loved. When that need is met, she is happy. A husband has one driving need – to feel respected. When that need is met, he is happy. When either of these needs isn’t met, things get crazy. Love and respect reveals why spouses react negatively to each other, and how they can deal with such conflict quickly, easily and biblically.” Honestly, this is beyond the basics of relationships. Be nice to each other, speak kindly, appreciate what the other has to offer and to paraphrase a great writer consider one another with esteem is pretty much the advice offered. I can see the value of teaching love and respect. I’m just concerned that these values aren’t being taught to children long before they are in a marital relationship and in counseling. I’d have to say this is too basic for those who are in real trouble and not necessary for those who are in good relationships.

And now I am off to re-read Green Eggs and Ham. Sometimes you just have to stick with the classics.

“Imagine Your Life Without Fear

Each sunrise seems to bring fresh reasons for fear.
They’re talking layoffs at work, slowdowns in the economy, flare-ups in the Middle East, turnovers at headquarters, downturns in the housing market, upswings in global warming. The plague of our day, terrorism, begins with the word terror. Fear, it seems, has taken up a hundred-year lease on the building next door and set up shop. Oversized and rude, fear herds us into a prison of unlocked doors. Wouldn’t it be great to walk out?
Imagine your life, wholly untouched by angst. What if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? If you could hover a fear magnet over your heart and extract every last shaving of dread, insecurity, or doubt, what would remain? Envision a day, just one day, where you could trust more and fear less.
Can you imagine your life without fear?”

There are very few books I read at a single sitting but Max Lucado’s new book Fearless was one I couldn’t put down. I was actually disappointed when I got to the final chapter. Stating the amazingly obvious in such a clear direct way Lucado not only addresses the prevalence of fear dominating our lives individually but corporately as well by reminding us that the recurring message Jesus left us was “Fear Not”.
Lucado doesn’t pull any punches when describing our fears, the root of our insecurities and the source of relief. Moving from significance to safety to worry to dread to hope and ultimately to trust the progression is familiar yet with new perspective the truth replaces the doubts.
This is not only a must read book but one to re-read, to have handy to give someone at the Spirit’s prompting, to keep on the end table or night stand instead of on the bookcase. This is a “In Case of Emergency Read This” book. In case of fear in the dark of night, in case of the phone call at 3 am, in case of “the boss wants to see you” , in case of life….
(Christmas spoiler…many of you will be getting a copy of this from me this year)