It was a highlight of the year!  We attended the Commissioning Service for International Mission Board missionaries on Friday. The ceremony was held in Oklahoma City at Southern Hills Baptist Church.  As each person shared his or her journey and preparation and calling to missions across the world, there was a true sense of awe.  God truly calls out his best to serve Him!

Two of the missionaries being commissioned were Joel and Mary Ellen Ragains from Graceland Baptist Church in New Albany Indiana. They serve at the Kiev Theological Seminary in Ukraine, preparing Ukrainian church planters to share Christ with their country.  Their work as ISC (shorter-term) missionaries has been exemplary. They just graduated their first seminary class of young men who went through the entire church planting degree and graduated. Each has begun at least one church in the Kiev vicinity.

Steve and I have been to Kiev to assist them on a couple of trips, and I’ve got to say these are some of the best missionaries alive!  Please check out their website and pray for Joel and Mary Ellen as they commit to vocational missions and continue the work that God has started through them in Kiev. 

And, as God tends to orchestrate, there was another bonus! When my husband, Steve, was pastor of First Baptist Church of Humble (1988-ish?), we loved serving there with Randy and Susan Lind. Randy was the minister of music there, and–you guessed it!–he’s recently been called from Humble to Southern Hills Baptist in OKC.  We loved seeing our dear friends, and hearing their choir and orchestra, and visiting in their home.  Double blessing!

LifeWay Christian Store in Oklahoma City hosted a book signing for the new Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry book. Travis, the manager, created lovely signs and arranged all the details beautifully.

It was such fun! I saw old friends, met new friends, and since my sister lives in Oklahoma City, got to spend some time with Nancy! (see photo below)

 Isn’t God good to work “all things together for those who love Him” ?!

Today is CrossOver – a wonderful evangelistic project that includes dozens of simultaneous block parties and evangelistic events across Indy. CrossOver preceeds the Southern Baptist Convention, and hundreds of Southern Baptists come from across the nation to help with these efforts.  Take a look at what’s happening today!

Block Parties map (double-check these locations with official list below)

List

Please pray for many eternity-changing results from these great efforts today. And pray for safe travel for Steve and I as we attempt to attend many of them! 

It was an amazing trip!  We went to the “Super Shoot” bench rest shooting event near Wadsworth Ohio.

Steve’s Uncle Ferris and Aunt June Pindell were quite influential in his childhood. They practically raised him!  Uncle Ferris has been bench-rest shooting (precision) for 64 years, and this is his favorite shoot. 

He actually invented the PPC cartridge, used by precision shooters everywhere, and he held the World Record in bench rest shooting for a decade. 

Although Uncle Ferris is unable to compete because of his                                                                           age and health, he wanted to attend the shoot, so we were the “chauffers.” 

It was amazing! As we walked around with Ferris and June, it was like escorting royalty!  Shooters from dozens of countries around the world were ecstatic to see him, asking for his autograph, taking photos, and a shooter from India even bowed down in honor of him! 

We met shooters from Canada, France, Germany, Ukraine, Austria, Russia, Dominican Republic, New Zealand, England, Australia, and lots more! It was like traveling the world.

We met a plethora of important people in the shooting world. (See my photo below with Jim Carmichael, editor of Outdoor Sports magazine.)

The scenery, the weather, the people — it was a perfect trip. But the best part of the trip was the smile that was stuck on Uncle Ferris’ face the entire time. 

I just returned from Texas where I’ve been helping my son, Tylor, move to Fort Worth.  What a fabulous time we’ve had!!  I’m thanking God for all His blessings. What a great Mother’s Day!

While there, we attended Fellowship Church in Fort Worth with my brother’s family. Here’s a great idea they did for Mother’s Day:

They set up several photo sites for mothers to have their portrait taken with their family. It was quick and lines were short. The free photos will be available in the atrium the next Sunday. 

Great gift.

     Great family encouragement.

          Great enticement to come back to church next week.

I’d shared a similar idea in my book, Fresh Ideas (B&H 2007) to use for a church’s Fall Festival. You set up a cute photo backdrop, take a quick photo of each costumed child as they arrive, and give the parents a note that they can pick up their free photo on Sunday morning. 

Everybody loves a photo…especially on Mother’s Day!

One thousand, seven hundred and fifty.  1,750.

It’s a big number. That’s how many ministers wives we expect at the Ministers Wives Luncheon during the Southern Baptist Convention on June 10th ! 

Our Indiana Baptist ministers wives have risen to the task – dozens and dozens of them are coming for two workdays in May, stuffing 1,750 gift bags for those important leaders who will attend.  Dozens more are serving as hostesses, or ticket-takers, or ticket-sellers, or just attending the event. 

“How to Love a Leader” is the theme, and the speaker is Gary Chapman, author of Five Love Languages and lots of other books.  We’re expecting a great blessing for each ministers wife.

If you know a ministers’ wife, why don’t you purchase her a ticket?  Details for tickets are at www.olivebaptist.net  or www.sbc.net

Please pray for each minister’s wife who will attend. And pray for these eight ministers wives who are coordinating decorating teams for the luncheon.

 Debbie Bryant – Southwood Baptist, Beech Grove IN

Debbie Davidson – First Baptist, Sellersburg IN

Michelle Eakes – Warren Baptist Indianapolis IN

Karen Lievers – First SBC, Clarksville IN

Amy Rardin – Calvary Baptist, Greenwood IN

Debbie Spurgeon - First Baptist, Rockville IN

Tammy Terry – Fall Creek Baptist, Indianapolis IN

Debbie Whidden – Barrington Ridge Baptist, Hobart IN

1,750.  That’s a big number.

Personal “Mom” stuff -

Isn’t God so good!  We’re had great news that our oldest son, Tylor, is moving to Fort Worth next week, where he’ll be working with my brother and living near family.  We’re praising God for this huge blessing. The whole family is so excited! I’ll catch a plane on Thursday and spend some days in Texas helping him get settled. Pray for Ty as he makes this move — for great new friends and peace and joy. 

Bonus: I’ll get to be with my Mom on Mother’s Day!

And pray for our younger son, Justin, who is in Pau France teaching masters level business classes for a couple of months. He’s also playing on a rugby team – so pray that he lives through it!  Below is a photo of Justin and Steve when we saw him off at the airport.

And pray for Autumn as she continues to serve as a missionary in Sheffield England. She just returned from a fun trip to California to visit her boyfriend’s family, and she’s back hard at work.  Here’s her website: http://www.antiochsheffield.org/youth.html

And I thought I loved those little-kid parenting days…

It’s great being a mom.  Happy Mother’s Day.

I just returned from a women’s event for Florida Baptists. No, I don’t have a tan, but I certainly enjoyed some lovely weather.

One breakout class I led was about my upcoming book, Fresh Ideas for Women’s Ministry.  A question was asked that intrigued me:  “How can we encourage women to participate in hands-on ministry?”

Now, you KNOW I loved that question because that’s what it’s all about. Oh, yes, we’re to be students of His Word, but we must also be doers of His Word. 

Take a look at this wonderful endorsement written by someone I respect greatly:

“Years ago Diana was called personally to minister to women. Since that time she has served effectively as the women’s ministry leader of several churches (more…)

Click here to read article from the Florida Baptist about upcoming conference. I’m looking forward to helping with this.

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Great sermons were preached by Darin Garton, Johnny Hunt, Chuch Lawless, Ed Setzer, Charles Wilson, Steve Davis and Bobby Welch. 

The entire conference was fabulous, but a simple Q&A time during the pastors luncheon was the most challenging and inspiring event I’ve attended. (more…)