I am back in Orange County for Catalyst West. It is hard to believe that just 3 years ago this trip started my love affair with this oh so beautiful place. It is hard to believe that 2 years ago this trip solidified that change was afoot and Southern California was calling. It is hard to believe that last year this time California was home and I was welcoming friends into my new playground. It is hard believe I left there 9 and a half months ago. It is hard to believe I ever lived there at all.

I wrote about it some, not as much as I would have liked. I just never was clear about what that time was about…exactly.

Looking back I can only seem to recall the contrasts.

The bright days and the dark days. The group friends who became like family and the solitude. The adventure and the rest. Feeling lost and being known.

This is all I am sure of: my time in California was good for me. 

It gave me a chance to hit ‘restart.’ It gave me space to rest. It allowed me to step out of a comfortable and familiar Christian-centered context and see the world through a wider lens. And it made me stronger, more determined, and more passionate about the things I believe in and the pursuit of Truth.

Yes, there is an obvious wistfulness about time in Orange County. And specifically at Catalyst West. 

So today I am going to go put my feet in the ocean, I am going to have coffee with a dear friend, I am going to learn from the incredible group of leaders that Catalyst has assembled, I am going to eat sausages {when they are this good you don’t call them hot dogs} and cheer on the LA Dodgers, but mostly importantly I am going to soak up the sun.

You know when you stumble onto one of those books that you can’t put down, one of those books you read in one sitting, one of those books that before you finish you have already crafted a list, either mental or physical, of people you are going to share them with, one of those books that leaves you thinking for weeks, one of those books that you quote so much that you start to get on your own nerves.

I’ve read two of those books lately.

The first is Resurrection Year by Sheridan Voysey. {But it’s not out yet, so go pre-order it and I’ll tell you more about it closer to it’s release.}

The second is Freefall to Fly by Rebekah Lyons. {Y’all it is so good. }

Freefall to Fly for every woman who has felt alone, afraid, and unworthy.

It’s for every woman who has struggled to get out of bed in the morning.

And it’s for every woman who has ever asked….

Is there something more?

Why am I here?

Or…

Does my life matter?

With candor, depth, strength and stunning beauty, Rebekah shares her “dark night of the soul in the city that never sleeps” and all who read her words will be better for it.

I know, I am. Her words helped me understand surrender, her words gave me permission, and her words affirmed my search.

And I have some good news…

Thanks to Rebekah’s team, I get to give away a copy of Freefall to Fly {Y’all it’s so good.}! Simply leave a comment below on why you want to read this book and I will select a winner on Friday. 

If you don’t want to wait, you should check this amazing promotions Rebekah’s team has set up. EVERYONE who purchases Freefall to Fly will receive three awesome gifts:  An original chalk art print by chalk artist, Dana Tanamachi, a $5 TOMS gift card, and a Freefall to Fly digital soundtrack. ANYONE who subscribes to Rebekah’s blog will have: a prelude and 1st chapter of Freefall to Fly delivered to their inbox.

Hey guys, I am posting over on Deeper Church today.

A few weeks ago, I attended the last ever church service in Cross Point’s Charlotte Avenue campus. I got teary-eyed as I sat sandwiched between two of my best friends’ families and belted out the words to “One Thing Remains.” I was heartbroken to leave the worn in pews and the memories behind. Click here to continue reading…

I have been in a kind of funny place lately. I have been looking beyond the basics for Truth. Trying to decipher what I believe and why I believe it. Needing a little more depth to my theology. Today I tried to put that struggle into word over on Deeper Church. I hope that you will go read it and comment if it resonates so I don’t feel quite so naked.

Lately I have been trying to reconcile what I believe about well, things. You know? Things…big things, spiritual things, God things.

Heaven. Hell. The Father. The Son. The Holy Spirit. Sin. Grace. Atonement. The Nature of Man. The Nature of God. Read the rest here. 

I LOVE Jenni’s heart and passion for cultivating women leaders. 

I met Jenni Catron several years ago when I started attending Cross Point Church. Back in those days Pete Wilson was still welcoming everyone to the church with hand-written letters. My letter directed me to connect with the church’s executive director, Jenni Catron. And connect we did. Over black bean salads at Calypso Cafe and the idea that women should use their God-given gifts, even those who were inclined for leadership.

I LOVE this quote from the book’s introduction.

“God created in [us] the desire and raw talent to lead, just as he has in you. . . . God is asking us to do something with what he has given us: not to dig a hole and keep it a secret or pretend with false humility that we aren’t able, and not to hide in a corner because we’re afraid someone will point a finger and label us bossy. But to use our creativity and ability to learn, grow, and become the leader God designed us to be.”

Can I get an Amen? Because that quote deserves an Amen.

I LOVE that Jenni and Sherry are not just talkers, they are practitioners. 

While many people are hashing it out on the subject of women in leadership and women in the church, I love that Jenni and Sherry Surratt have been off leading a megachurch and a network of women that spans 38 countries with thousands of local chapters respectively. 

And I LOVE that this book allows their leadership lessons and advice to be accessed by women around the world. 

If you are a Christian women who feels called to lead I hope you will run to your nearest retailer (and by run I mean click here) and purchase a copy of Just Lead! This book will explore the barriers that you are sure to bump up against and how to handle criticism, face indecision, lead other women, develop a balanced team and grapple with the loneliness that comes with being in charge.

But don’t just take my word for it.

“With humor, candor, and honest vulnerability, Sherry and Jenni provide practical leadership help for women to develop the skills to lead themselves and others with the character, confidence, and authenticity of a godly woman. A generation of women leaders have been waiting for this book!”

—Brad Lomenick, president, Catalyst

“Jenni Catron and Sherry Surratt choose transparency as their way of connecting to the hearts of women called to lead in ministry today. In Just Lead!, they reveal the script of their leadership journeys and lift you beyond the boundaries of whatever you may think leadership is or is not. It’s both challenging and refreshing to be served up this brand of candid, no-nonsense wisdom. If you have the courage to soak in some serious straight talk and a willingness to let what you learn reshape your leadership style, then Just Lead! is the ‘must read’ for you.”

—Tami Heim, president and CEO of Christian Leadership Alliance

“If I could pick two leaders to represent the next generation of women leaders it would be Jenni Catron and Sherry Surratt. Simply put if you’re a female and in leadership you need to read this book. Just Lead! is a faithful and fresh challenge that is provocative and yet massively optimistic.”

—Pete Wilson, lead pastor, Cross Point Church; author, Plan B and Empty Promises

I am going to give away a copy of Just Lead! to one of my lucky readers.

Simply leave a comment below about why you want a copy of this book and I will select a winner on Friday. 

I am in an especially crazy season of life.

We are just six weeks into 2013 and I have already traveled to Raleigh, Dhaka, and Bend {with two more trips on the horizon next week}. I have attended two conferences and sat in countless coffees, meetings and conference calls.  My sweet 90 year old grandmother unexpectedly had a massive stroke on Tuesday and is literally in the process of walking to Heaven. And my parents who live, yes live, to travel are across the world on a boat, when we all would love nothing more to have them close enough for a hug, or at least an unhurried phone call.

All this to say, I am feeling a little ‘worn thin from all of this.’

That is one reason why I love this video, and this song.

The second is obvious. Max Dubinsky captured Bangladesh with the beauty and skill of a true videographer.

Please watch and let the words and the images soak in.

Dhaka, Bangladesh from Max Andrew Dubinsky on Vimeo.

“Oh Great God, Give Us Rest” by David Crowder Band 

You know the old adages…

There are two sides to every coin.

There are always two sides to every story.

At some point between adolescence and adulthood, these ‘truths’ because so engrained in each of us that we often neglect to see the error in their simplicity.  Quips that were created hope of advancing our perspective on life, and love, and conflict, left us believing that only two sides, two opinions, or two extremes need to be accounted for. Click here to read the rest at Deeper Church. 

It’s 5:10 AM on Friday (Istanbul Standard Time) and the FH Bloggers are all cozied up in the Istanbul airport, enjoying our 9 hour layover in this place that is a bridge between where we have been and where we are going. Surfing the internet, sipping on lattes, indulging in crossaints and hazelnut spread. {Did you know that Turkey is the world’s biggest exporters of hazelnuts? Well, now you do.}

We had a great trip. Maybe one of the best trips of this kind I have experienced? This team was committed to not just observing Bangladesh but leaving an impact on it. I hope you can decipher from their posts how well they loved the people in Bangladesh. Our hosts.  The FH staff. The kids they sponsor. The women on the street, in savings groups, at the market, and in the beauty parlor.

I think my two favorite moments of the trip were:

1. Watching Joy play with Fulmoti and her friends. It was hilarious. They played so hard. There was jumping, pushing, cheating, and sweating. A lot of sweating.

And there is something so incredible about watching Bangladeshi kids play Duck, Duck, Goose.

2. Hearing Eti’s story and having her thread our eyebrows. If you aren’t familiar with threading, it’s an ancient method of hair removal originating in the Eastern world.

If you aren’t familiar with Eti, she’s a woman who learned vocational training from Food for the Hungry and was able to use money from her savings group to open up a salon.

Our time with her was priceless.

Girls being girls. Laughing, celebrating beauty, and swapping stories.

I really hope you have taken the time to read some of the posts, but I know I can it be hard to jump around the internet so I’m going to make it easy on you. Start with these, my favorite posts from each blogger.

Logan Wolfram’s “A Mother’s Heart”

Joy Eggerich’s “This is Dignity”

Lauren Dubinsky’s “What It Was Like To Meet My Sponsored Child” 

Max Dubinsky’s “Sanjay”

What was your favorite post from the FH Bloggers trip to Bangladesh?

Please consider sponsoring a child in Bangladesh. Your $32/month changes lives, families, and communities. Go here for more information! 

{Photos by Esther Havens}

Today was our third day to visit communities in Bangladesh. We had amazing day in another sweeper community outside of Dhaka. We visited with some families that are affected by FH’s work. Here’s a post I wrote for the Catalyst blog on the savings groups that we’ve seen impacting each community. PS – I just got my ticket for Catalyst West. I sure hope to see you in Orange County in April. 

One of the things that I’ve been so impressed by during our time in Bangladesh is our savings group model. It is obvious that these savings groups are the bedrock of our work in Bangladesh. They allow us to impact a community wholistically. Not only do the groups allow women to save for a future together, also they give the women the rare opportunity to learn to read and write, develop small businesses, raise healthy families, strengthen their communities, learn leadership skills, discover their rights, and prevent childhood marriages.

Currently FH has over 900 groups across 7 areas of Bangladesh. We have chosen to run learning and savings groups in these areas as they are particularly needy and vulnerable places, where women can be deprived or mistreated. In many of these places FH originally carried out emergency relief work in response to natural disasters. Eventually our groups help disaster torn communities to develop and recover in a sustainable way. Click here to read more. 

Have you heard of savings groups before? If so, I’d love to hear about when and how? 

We had a great day today in Bangladesh. A long, great day.

We drove out to a rural Hindu community that Food for the Hungry has worked in since 2011. 

Photo by Esther Havens

Today the bloggers all had the opportunity to meet their sponsor kids. It was such a joy to see them connect with these girls that live half a world away, to have them see firsthand the power of their sponsorship. Since we split into groups, I spent most of my day with my sweet {and kind of crazy} friend Joy. It was so fun to watch her play with Fulmoti.

Joy learned Bengali games.

And Fulmoti learned Red Light, Green Light.

And Duck, Duck, Goose.

Any observer would see that these two had a lot in common, they were both so vibrant, so full of life. And they both had quite the little competitive streak. {Pretty sure I saw some false starts and pushing.}

Can’t wait to hear about how their relationship flourishes.

Here are my favorite pictures from each of the blogger’s visits:

Joy teaching Fulmoti the double-high-five

Photo by Esther Havens

Max and Lauren with Kajol

Photo by Esther Havens

Logan with Ritu

Don’t forget to join us at 7 PM CST TONIGHT for the live #FHBloggers Twitter Chat. You can win awesome Bangladeshi prizes {seriously, some of the prettiest blankets I have ever seen} and ask any questions you have about our trip, Bangladeshi culture, Food for the Hungry, Child Sponsorship, or whatever else you’ve been pondering. More details here.