Happy Friday Friends!

I love to do the “praise Jesus” dance for two reasons. First, I love rejoicing with my friends over the blessings of God, and two, I just love to dance. Is that sinful? I mean David danced in the streets where he lived. He not only danced, but he did it naked! I have been known to sing God’s praise to the tune of my I-pod while power walking in my neighbor, but I’ve never had the urge to do it naked. That’s probably a good thing because it wouldn’t be pretty.

I suppose David originated the “praise God” dance. I’m glad he did. It just makes sense to let loose and go crazy over God’s goodness. If you agree, then put on your dances shoes because I’ve got some good news to share worth dancing over.

It seems that my daughter is not the only young girl who had a life changing experience during the weekend of She Speaks. Lorie Achey’s daughter also gave her life to Christ! Lorie was in my evaluation group so I’m doing the “praise Jesus” dance with added excitement! I did close the blinds first. My neighbors already think I’m crazy!

Since I mentioned my group, I have to take moment and brag on them. Every year, I’m convinced that I have the best evaluation group! My ladies always encourage, inspire, and challenge me. Here’s a picture of our group…





I’m sure by looking at our picture you, too, can tell what an amazing group I had.








Maybe I think I have the best group because I don’t get to hear everyone’s story. I know that some of you were terrified to present your talks. I’d love to hear how it went—what God did—or anything you’d like to share about the experience that might help us improve the evaluating process. Plus, I just love hearing God stories. It never ceases to amaze me at how God can take the broken pieces of our lives and make a thing a beauty from them for our good and His glory! So go ahead and share. I’m looking for more reasons to dance for Jesus!

Labels: According to Micca

Hi Friends,

I’m home and I’m tired. But it’s a good tired. When you journey with God, life often feels as if you’re being carried along with the wind. It’s adventurous, mysterious, exciting, and sometimes tiresome. However, being wearied by the adventures of God is worth it!! It’s like holding tight to a fast moving train that weakness the body and steals your breath away, but boy, what a ride!!
I’ve just returned from Colorado where the Lord, once again, was faithful in every way! This trip fell on the heels of She Speaks, but the strength of the Lord-- through your prayers-- sustained me. Thank you!

I also want to thank each of you for your kind and encouraging words about my talk Sunday morning at She Speaks. I have, in turn, placed those comments before the Lord who is worthy of your praise. As I shared in my talk, it is only by His great mercy that you and I are even qualified to serve Him. With that being said…in our humanness, we often fail. But praise God for His grace and forgiveness.

I’d like to apologize for the quote I used in the close of my talk—which apparently came from a New Age author, Marianne Williamson. I had no clue or else I wouldn’t have used the quote. I do not, I repeat…I do not support or agree with any new age teachings or ideas.

I first heard this quote in the movie, “Lean On Me” in the 1980’s. Desiring to use the quote, I googled for the name of the author so that I could give credit where credit is due. That’s when I discovered it was written by Marianne Williamson. In my search, I did discover that some are not convinced that this quote originated with her. Since I couldn’t find the original author, I used her name—something I now regret doing. Whether she is the original author or not, doesn’t excuse the fact that I should have researched the person I was quoting from. Hopefully, you will learn from my mistake, and hopefully you will extend to me “grace, grace, grace.”

On a happier note, my daughter returned from youth camp a new creation in Christ!!

Peyton asked Jesus to be her Savior and Lord when she was six years old. As she grew, and began to understand in a deeper way what Christ had done for her, she has had doubts about her Salvation. I would tell her to listen to the leading of Holy Spirit—He would guide her. And that he did!!

Often times, we doubt our Salvation experience because, like Peyton, we didn’t fully understand at the time what it all meant—or we are not daily practicing and participating in our relationship with God. Having a passionate love relationship with God is no different than any other relationship we have. We must nurture it, spend time growing it, and getting to know our God or else we’ll grow lax.

At camp, Peyton felt the nudge of the Holy Spirit asking her to make certain her commitment to the Lord. She was baptized last night!

Her testimony is beautiful. I've asked her to share it with you. Peyton writes:
“I no longer feel unworthy. I no longer doubt! I will no longer live below the standard God has for me in friendships or dating. I see myself as a beautiful creation. The flaws that once plagued me are now viewed as unique designs---beauty marks given to me by my creator. For I am uniquely designed and gifted to live and bring glory to God. I understand that to keep my passion alive, I must meet with God daily, hide His word into my heart and obey it. Then, my life will be a success…for it will be a testimony to God’s goodness. ”

Well, I don’t know about you but I have snot hanging from my nose. Are tears good for the keyboard? All I know is the Lord has answered my prayer! “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1;4).

While this is fresh on Peyton’s heart, I asked her to write to the “doubting Peyton” and to the “I’m not pretty, Peyton” and the “I feel so unworthy, Peyton” so when those lies come knocking on her hearts door, she will have an answer and be able to speak truth to herself. I would like to encourage you to do the same.

I know that you were encouraged and inspired at She Speaks. Take time to write down these truths. When doubt comes knocking, you’ll have something to return to. In your own words, you’ll find truth and confidence not to lose heart but to press on for the cause of Christ. It’s okay to stir yourself up in the Lord. David did. We can too.

Sweet blessings to each of you!

Well, the conference is over. What an amazing weekend!!! I feel sort of like I do after Christmas. As I prepare, the excitement builds. Then, before I know it…It’s here! It’s a time of great joy, celebration, concentration, growing and learning, laughing and crying, sharing and serving. Then, it’s gone. I feel a little depressed. I shouldn’t. I met and made so many new friends, (Where else can you go and make over 500 new friends all at once?) I learned so much that it will take a year to digest it all, and I had my socks blessed off by each amazing woman’s commitment to her God and to the building of His kingdom!!

That’s the vision I walk away with every year. God has an army of ambassador’s in every corner of the planet shinning light in this dark world. Each of you represents hope. God is still actively working among us!

So many of you expressed how encouraged you were by our team. But you encouraged me! I feel stronger, more confident, and optimistic about our world knowing that we are in this together. So keep up the good fight girls. Don’t lose heart. Seek wisdom and do not be afraid of their faces. Be strong and courageous for the cause of Christ. And one day, when earth is but a distant memory and we are together in heaven, eating dark chocolate I’m sure and in our most comfortable heavenly P.J.’s, we’ll celebrate together—with our King!

Please pray for me as I travel tomorrow to speak in Colorado. I’ll be gone for two days. When I return, I promise to post some pictures of the conference. If you have some photos, I’d love to see them and post them right here too!

Thanks for blessing me this weekend!

Labels: According to Micca

Watching my children enjoy summer takes me back to my childhood. I can recall the warm summer days when I played in the neighborhood with childhood friends. Each day was a new adventure. We played from dawn to dusk. At sunset, one by one the children would answer to the call of their parents to come home. My dad would whistle. No matter how far my journey carried me from home, my father knew that the sound of his whistle could be heard, recognized, and obeyed.

Responding to his call, I would jump on my bike and head for home. As my house came into view, my dad could be seen standing on the front porch waving. I didn’t realize it then, but he didn’t have to wait for me. Dad could have continued about his business. Instead, he displayed a father’s heart. Dad waited and watched until I was safely home. My arrival seemed to bring him joy. I knew this by the smile on his face and his open arms.

Jesus also revealed the Father’s heart toward us, His children, when he told the story about the Sheppard who left his entire flock to find one lost sheep. (Luke 15: 4, NKJ) In the same way, our heavenly Father is not only concerned with those who are safely in His flock but is most troubled about the one who has wandered away.

One summer, our six year old son went missing. The sun was setting, and like my dad, I stepped onto the porch and called for him. There was no response. Frantically, his dad and I searched door-to-door for him. House after house, all we found was disappointment. With flashlights in hand, our neighbors joined the search. Eventually we phoned the police. I felt my body go numb. We were living out our worst nightmare—our son was lost.

Before the police arrived, neighbor’s, returning home, stopped in front of the house. As the side door of their van slid open, there stood our son. The neighbor’s had taken him to the ballpark without our permission.

Our son was afraid his dad would be angry at him for going to the ballpark without permission. Instead, a he found the comfort of a father’s heart. With arms of love, my husband held our son tightly and rejoiced over his homecoming.

Perhaps you have wandered into a distant land and long to come home. You may feel lost for good, but God knows where you are. You have not escaped His attention. The Father knows His children and calls them by name. Those who follow Him will find their way home and be welcomed with open arms. With a Father’s heart, God is waiting and watching from the front porch of heaven for your return. If you don’t know what to say to Him, use the words from this hymn penned by William J. Kirkpatrick.

“[I’m] coming home, coming home, never more to roam; open wide your arms of love. Lord, I’m coming home.”

A special thanks to my dad on Father's Day for always having an open heart and open arms.

Labels: According to Micca

I was overwhelmed by the out pour of your love during the loss of my sweet grandmother. Thank you for your words of encouragement and for your prayers. I felt strengthened and upheld as I said “good-bye for now” to my Granny.

As I shared with you, Granny was a woman of prayer. During her service, the pastor pulled from her bible a piece of paper where she had written 3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.” Then, listed by the verse were the names of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Underneath the list of names she had written, “All have come to know the Lord, expect the baby.” …who, by the way, has also given her life to Christ.

Prayer is a very powerful tool. It’s the real work we do. Prayer is what moves the hand of God.

Did you know that our prayers do not evaporate? They linger ever before the throne of God. So Granny’s prayers will go on. They will continue to work in the lives of her decedents for generations to come. That’s exciting!! It’s also wonderful to know that the faithful prayers of one woman is the avenue in which God will preserve a lineage of faith.

Today, I have prayed for each of you. For those who will be attending the conference, I’ve prayed for you to be filled with great joy and anticipation of what God will do. I’ve prayed for your preparations, you packing, our traveling, and your families too. Mostly, I’ve prayed for God to be high and lifted up before you so that you’ll see Him like never before. I pray that you’ll walk away with fresh power and fresh passion for your relationship with God. Why…because true ministry flows from an on-going intimate relationship with Him. May all you do for the kingdom prosper.

For those of you who can’t be with us this year, I’ve prayed for your relationship and calling to be magnified as well. I’ve prayed for God’s goodness and mercy to follow you throughout this year in the good times and the bad. I’ve asked God to open the eyes of your understanding so that you may know Him in a deeper way. I pray that each of you be a willing servant so that others might see and taste the goodness of your God and want to know Him too. May God’s love abound for you, in you, and through you. And may your faith in God be passed from generation to generation.

Labels: According to Micca

Four days ago we were told that my grandmother would not live through the day, but she did! In fact, she lived three more days before she went home to be with her Lord, her husband, her 1st born daughter, her parents, and her siblings.

Granny had congested heart failure. Unable to get enough oxygen, she grew weaker and weaker each day. There wasn’t much any of us could do to minister her…not even the medical staff. That’s when the angels stepped in and minister to Granny like only heaven can.

“It was late Saturday night,” the nurse shared. “I came to check on Mrs. Guffy and witnessed a beautiful site. She was communing with heaven. With her hands folded under her chin and her eyes lifted toward heaven, she laughed and mumbled in response to what she was seeing.”

“What was she seeing?” asked my mother.

“We believe she was seeing heavens angels,” replied the nurse. “At least that’s what others have called them when they were near death too.”

Hearing of Granny’s experience made me stop and think… why do we fear death when all of heaven comes to greet us?

Someone once said (I think it was a country music singer) that they didn’t mind dying. They just didn’t want to be there when it happened. But for the believer, death is the exact moment we see reality! The very instant that we take our last breath is when we breathe in the magnificent sight of God surrounded by His heavenly creatures in a setting called heaven so beautiful that it will wipe the memory of earth forever from our minds. Death is the doorway to everything we’ve been waiting for. And my Granny has arrived!

You have to understand. This is a new perspective for me. I hate death. Well, I hate the pain of death…that punch in the stomach kind of pain that leaves you feeling weak and helpless.

When you lose someone you love, like I have (a spouse), then every other loss just builds on top of the old pain making death an unbearable emotion for me. I’ve learned to crawl up in my heavenly Father’s lap, lay my head on His strong shoulder, and cry until the tears stop flowing. I’ve found its safe to grieve in the arms of God. But I didn’t mean to make this about me.

Monday was Granny’s birthday. She turned 99 years old. Even though she was unaware that it was her special day, the nursing home decorated her room and she received several birthday cards from friends and family. It’s just like Granny to wait here long enough for us to celebrate her birthday. Once her day had past, she quietly excused herself and entered the presence of God.

My grandmother was a true Proverbs 31 woman. Something I’m struggling to achieve. I mean…this model of a godly woman found in Proverbs 31 plowed fields for heaven sakes! Do you know what that would do to my manicure? I don’t even pull weeds. I spray Round-up, but that’s as close to the dirt as I get.

What about the fact that she rises early?? I seriously think there was a misprint here. It should read “she rises early afternoon!” I’ve never been a morning person! Does that disqualify me?

Granny didn’t think so. Even though she never preached at us, she lived out what she believed in hopes that we would catch it. Granny was a woman of prayer. She read the bible through three times. She spoke with kindness and wisdom. Granny made her clothes and her children’s clothes. She got up early and had dinner on the table every evening at the same time. She was a submissive wife, and she even plowed fields! Her godly lifestyle and prayers have not only impacted each member of our family, but they are a part of our heritage. A heritage I pray I’m worthy to carrying on.

Thank you, Granny, for loving the Lord out loud. Until we meet again…I love you.

Labels: According to Micca

I promised you pictures of my new "do" and here they are! It's hard to see the red highlights but I assure you they are there and I'm lovin' them...so is hubby. Remember, at first he asked if I got a tattoo to match. He's a bit conservative but that's why we complete one another...or at least why I tell him we complete on another! :o)

Now with three different head shots, I'm having trouble deciding which one to use for my bio sheet. My husband isn't much help when it comes to these sort of things. He's says it's like going shopping with me. It doesn't matter what he says, I'm going to buy what I like best. That's not true. I try and please my man. It's just sometimes you need a woman's opinion so I thought I'd turn to the girls! I'd appreciate your thoughts. If you were looking for a speaker, which picture would draw you?

Photo #1: The Friendly Face (which I used on my blog page) Photo #2 Warm and Inviting (might make a good poster?)

Labels: According to Micca

The closer it gets to She Speaks the more emails I’m receiving. Panic has set in and you may be feeling like I did when I was in your shoes. "Who Signed My Up For This??" Well, God did. And He will see you through. I promise you no one has ever died from this process. Many have felt like they were going to die, but in the end they were glad they participated. It was just what they were looking for!

Some of you have questions about the elevation groups so I’ve pasted the information you need below. But first, I’ll answer the two question I get most often…

1.) I’m having trouble coming up with two different ideas. Can you help?

If you’re still struggling over coming up with two different talks, then just expound on your story! For example: If I chose to talk about the death of my husband for my three minute talk, I could then “go deeper” in my second talk by comparing my story to a story in the bible or a certain passage of scripture that brought me hope and comfort during my time of grief.
In the first talk, even though I’m sharing a story, I still want to use supporting material such as a verse, reference, or quote. For example, I might say… “It was hard to understand why God allowed my husband to die at such an early age, but we are told in Isa 55:9, “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

In the second talk, your teaching talk, you’ll want to use a larger passage or story from the bible.

2.) Another repeated question is can we use PowerPoint? Due to space and the large number of groups we have, you will not be able to use PowerPoint. You can, however use other types of visuals. For example, last year Lysa TerKeurst taught on her Pineapple principle. While doing so, she carved a pineapple! I hope this illustration gets your creative juices flowing. For those of you who are thinking “Oh, no! I don’t have a visual!” Don’t panic. It’s not required.

Here’s how the groups will be conducted:

You will be giving (two) presentations. These presentations should be written before you come to the conference. There will be time to revise and rework them throughout the weekend, as you learn more skills. We want you to succeed.

1. The first presentation will be Friday night. You will give a 3-minute talk on "Your Story or Testimony." You will not be evaluated by a Proverbs 31 Ministries leader on Friday night, but you will receive feedback from women in your group. This presentation is designed to get your feet wet, help you know what to expect, and practice speaking to the group. You can use your peer feedback, along with what you learn from breakout sessions to restructure your "Teaching Talk," if necessary.

2. The second presentation will be Saturday evening. You will give a 5-minute "Teaching Talk" where you teach from a favorite passage in the Bible. Each presentation will be timed and you will be asked to stop at five minutes. We'd like for you to dress as though you are speaking at an event. A Proverbs 31 Ministries Speaker Team Member will evaluate this presentation. Evaluations will be on a scale of 1-5, one being the lowest and five being the highest. Here are the areas of evaluation:

Introduction: How well did you open? Did it capture the attention of the audience?

Message: How well did you develop your subject? (Example: with story or knowledge of subject)

Support Material: Your use of support, such as Scripture, quotes, references, etc. Did you read from the Bible, a book, etc?

Style: How well is your use of grammar, volume and ability to speak clearly?

Conclusion: Did you build to a climax, end strong, and get your point across?

Delivery: Did you make eye contact, connect with the audience, and show passion about your subject?

Physical Appearance: Were you dressed professionally and appropriately? Were you sincere, believable, warm, and effective, etc?

Helpful Guidelines for Your Presentations:

1. Make sure your presentations are the correct length (1 three-minute and 1 five-minute) in order to accommodate the entire group.

2. Your Friday evening presentation needs to be based on "your story." Content for your Saturday presentation must be based on a meaningful passage of Scripture since we will evaluate each speakers ability to teach the Word of God that evening.

3. Make sure both presentations are Biblically based and include Scripture and application.

4. You may use visual aids if they add to your message. Let your personality come through! Please make sure they don't distract from your message.

5. If this is your first presentation, we recommend that you practice with friends and family in order for you to gain confidence and improve your presentation style.

6. Share what is unique to your life instead of something that you have heard or thought was clever. Remember - you are the only one that has "your story!"7. Have fun! You will always remember the time you spend with your group and will continue to support each other long after the conference ends. Many women tell us that this "bonding" is one of the best things about this conference!

See you soon!!

Labels: According to Micca