Tips from Paige!

Thought I would share a few Paige thoughts today...

NUMBER 1
So, in my last blog I mentioned that I prefer the ESV (English Standard Version) of the Bible and a couple of people wanted to know why. Basically, I was won over to this version while in seminary...It is a newer translation & it came out after some older manuscripts were discovered...technically it is a good version that in seminary speak is a good mixture between formal & dynamic equivalence. Meaning it is a good translation that will get you close to the original language & intent of the authors but it is in words that are easy enough to understand.

Ultimately, what I tell my students is to find a translation that works for you! And if you are going to be preaching or teaching it is important to look at 2 or 3 translations to get a good feel for the passage of scripture.

NUMBER 2
On a completely different note...I have been quite saddened that my favorite magazine - Domino is no longer around - it got cut by Conde Nast last month. So, occasionally I have been looking at websites to still get creative ideas...and I found a super fun blog: www.madebygirl.blogspot.com

Some of you will not like the quirky style, but I'm digging it!

Speaking of style...here are a couple of pictures of my new office - these are the results of "Operation Happy Place"





NUMBER 3
Loving Pandora.com...you can create a radio station based off of one artist that you like. I've followed the advice of my amazing assistant - Hannah Reed - and I've been listening to Lenka radio & Ingrid Michaelson radio...LOVE it!

And I'm out!

your revelation is the tune I dance to

Taught my final Hermeneutics class of the quarter tonight (actually I just gave the final)...I was thinking about how AMAZING the Word of God is, and I was looking at my favorite passage on the Word - Psalm 119...found this Scripture & then decided to read it in The Message....not sure if I approve of it as a Hermeneutics teacher, but as a kid of my heavenly Father...it makes me happy!

Proper Hermeneutics version - the ESV (my recommendation)
Psalm 119:72-74
⁷² The law of your mouth is better to me
than thousands of gold and silver pieces.
⁷³ Your hands have made and fashioned me;
give me understanding that I may learn your commandments.
⁷⁴Those who fear you shall see me and rejoice,
because I have hoped in your word.

The Version that made me smile: The Message
Psalm 119:73
With your very own hands you formed me;
now breathe your wisdom over me so I can understand you.
When they see me waiting, expecting your Word,
those who fear you will take heart and be glad.
I can see now, God, that your decisions are right;
your testing has taught me what's true and right.
Oh, love me—and right now!—hold me tight!
just the way you promised.
Now comfort me so I can live, really live;
your revelation is the tune I dance to.

Where I am - 06 March 2009

It has been too long since I last blogged...here is where I am!

Where I am: For once I'm actually not on my couch, but I'm sitting in my bed. I'm about to get ready for the day & I think I'm headed to Sugar Brown's to go work on a project!

What I am listening to: At this moment I'm listening to This is Our God by Hillsong as well as a little bit of Jared Anderson. I'm on the lookout for some new good worship...let me know if you have any suggestions

What I am reading: As of today - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (a Terri Reed recommendation) & Runner's World Magazine (trying to get some motivation)

What I am watching: I just need to briefly state - Yes, I did watch The Bachelor finale, and I even got sucked into the blog world beforehand (thank you Kelsey)...so I knew what was going to happen, but it did not soften the blow. I was literally sitting on my couch yelling at Jason while Josh sat next to me pretending to be reading the Wall Street Journal (I think he was watching with me)...Don't know what else to say about it except that I'm sorry Melissa - you are a Texas girl so you will be okay. You didn't really want to move to rainy Seattle anyways...

I also watched the Top Chef Season Finale - not sure if any of you out there watch Top Chef, but I love the show...the only bad thing is that I would LOVE to actually taste the food!

Josh & I are now on the Amazing Race bandwagon. We would dominate in that show (or so we like to think :))...

FYI - if you know me, you know I'm never home to actually watch these shows...they are provided for my by my DVR...

Moments that were Memorable: In the last two weeks I have had some AMAZING moments, so I will try to be brief & perhaps follow up on them more later...here we go:

Ash Wednesday - In my last blog I mentioned that I was going to participate in the Season of Lent as I felt like God wanted me to so that I could find Him in some new ways. Last Wednesday I went to the Ash Wednesday service as Westminster Presbyterian Church, and it was BEAUTIFUL! Josh went with me, and as we left we talked about just how refreshing it was to worship God with such reverence. I LOVE my church and I love the way we worship God at COTR, but I also think it is healthy to get outside of our boxes from time to time & see Jesus in other "traditions."

I think I will write an entire blog about this later, but here is what stood out to me the most. As the congregation read aloud Joel 2:12-13 I was moved to tears & the Lord spoke to me so clearly that the American church is busy about "being happy" that we often don't stop and realize just how much we desperately need His son. Here is the passage of Scripture:

Joel 2:12-13
"Yet even now," declares the LORD, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; ¹³and rend your hearts and not your garments." Return to the LORD your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love;
and he relents over disaster.

I've done some research on Lent and regardless of directions it has taken over the course of history, the initial reason it was implemented was to be a time of reflection leading up to Easter. It is a call to reflect on our own lives and to realize that we are sinful and in need of a Savior. On Ash Wednesday people receive ashes on their foreheads as a reminder that they came from dust & they will return to dust - in and of ourselves we are nothing - as we reflect on this for 40 days, the resurrection of our Lord & Savior is more poignant! We are joyful that thankful that He came for us!

Lisa Bevere @ Momentum Conference - All I will say about this is that the Lord both spoke to me & I believe spoke through me at this conference. Lisa Bevere has been a hero in the faith for me for many years, and I was psyched to do a break-out session at a conference where she was the keynote speaker.

In her opening session she mentioned that she has 5 girls that travel with her...when I started my first session, Hannah Reed, Ashlee VanDeventer, & Deneille Golden sat on the front row & whispered to me, "we are your girls!" It made me smile & realize just how blessed I am to have so many amazing young women around my life that I get to do life with!

Mema Time - I was able to take my Mema to the doctor's office twice last week, and although the circumstances weren't pleasant, I so enjoyed just being in the presence of my grandmother. She is gracious, kind, and amazingly strong. We mostly talked about insignificant pieces of life, but afterwards I was just thankful that I got to be with her and help her...she is strong for so many people and has been for years, that it was nice to be strong for her.

Favorite Pictures Taken:
I took pictures of my niece Madison for her one-year birthday! She had on the most adorable tutu...Isn't she gorgeous!






During these past two weeks I also got to celebrate my friend's birthday. A group of us surprised her with dinner at Manna. Happy Birthday Katie!

The Season of Lent

So, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and I'm going to embark on something I've never done before. I'm going to observe the season of lent. I've half-heartedly somewhat fasted before over the course of the season, but it was always where I would hear about someone else doing it (about a week into Lent) and decide that sounded like a good idea and then go for it myself.

But this summer as I read the book "Girl Meets God" the Lord really opened my eyes to the fact that it would be good for our relationship if I sought Him in ways that were a bit uncomfortable for me. I'm really comfortable in my charismatic/evangelical/relational type of Christianity, but I have never really been around the Christian stream that follows the liturgy or practices such things as Lent. I realized that it is almost second nature to praise Him and seek Him in my own ways - so much so that at times I can do the motions but totally check out with my heart and mind. So, I'm going to seek Him and prepare my heart for Easter in a way that definitely is not second nature...I'm hoping to learn something along the way.

I am supposed to take my grandmother to the doctor tomorrow at 12:30pm...but if it doesn't happen I am going to try to go to a service with the imposition of ashes. That is a big step for me, but I'm so excited...I will keep you posted...

I'm also praying about what I should fast...would love to know if anyone else will be fasting during Lent!

Sleeping Beauties

So, as most of you know, Josh and I are college & young adult pastors...it is one of my favorite things, and I just returned from my 6th zoe (the name of our ministry) girls retreat. We spent the weekend in the mountains of Ruidoso, NM and it was a truly lovely time.

Our theme was "Sleeping Beauties" (cheesy I know, but there was great meaning behind it). We laughed, we cried, we made new friends, deepened old friendships, rested, and spent some time along with the Father. I don't know what it is about the mountains, but I always feel refreshed a bit closer to God when I'm surrounded by His beautiful handiwork...so, all that to say, it was a great weekend.

I'm tired and want to watch the Oscars, so I'm off for the night but wanted to show you a few pictures of these amazing women I get to work with!


Kathryn


Celeste & Erin


We found an abondoned VW van...


Chelsea

Julie & Tiffany

Cousins: Erin & Celeste; Lacey & Kimberly; Kelsey & I


Several of the Girls


Miranda


Hannah, Andrea, & Jennifer

Where I am - February 2009

Where I am: As always when I'm writing my blogs - I'm sitting on my couch! But instead of a cup of coffee or hot tea. I'm eating pizza with my husband while watching the Biggest Loser (I feel that there is something wrong with that sentence...but that is the reality - at least I'm drinking water - perhaps it will help me digest these uber-calories :))...

What I am listening to: I took Sara Casas's suggestion downloaded the free Phil Wickham CD - Singalong...really like it & I find myself listening to it often. I have plans to go purchase the new Kari Jobe CD too.

What I am watching: At the moment, The Biggest Loser. I had a girls night a couple of weeks ago and we saw "He's Just Not That Into You" - I didn't really like it...it had some funny moments and cute chic flicks moments, but mostly I went away thinking just how sad our society's view of relationships are...I would like to go see the movie "Taken" and I have plans to go see "Confessions of a Shopaholic" with my sisters.

What I'm reading: We took a cruise last week (see below) & it allowed me to do some reading. I read The Shack while I was on the boat. Honestly, it didn't do much for me. I think my expectations were too high after hearing it praises sung by countless people. I thought that the message of the book was great (disagreed with a couple of points theologically - but mostly good), I can see how this message of relationship could bring a lot of healing to lives...I also read "A Wedding in December"...currently I have 10 books sitting in my office and I'm debating which to pick up next.

Recap on some memorable moments: If you read a previous blog I mentioned that I was asked to pose as a bride for Shugart's photography. So, I had a photo shoot & even got some friends to pose as my bridesmaids. I don't have any of the official pictures - didn't see the need in having a picture of myself in a wedding gown that wasn't my own, so I'll just show a quick shot of my and my girls before the photo shoot! (We laughed a lot - especially when they tried to get us to fake laugh together)...



Yay for Relaxation: Josh and I went on a cruise last week - it was Josh's annual business conference, and I'm so glad that they chose to host it on this luxurious boat! Basically, Josh went to a few meetings and then we did our best to rest and eat yummy food! Oh, and Josh won the dodgeball tournament on the cruise! Here are a few pictures from our week!


Our waitress - Magali from Argentina - we became good friends over the course of our meals!


On our formal night...you should see my dress - it is fabulous!


Oh, I had to take a picture during the in case of an emergency orientation - these life vests were crazy!


Pictures from my 30th: I wanted to share a few pictures from my party. Josh & my mom did a great job planning this special night! And I've discovered that 30 is fabulous!

Blowing out my candles...


It was a themed party - "Around the World in 30 Years" - my cousins Shelby & Dustin came decked out in costume - aren't they cute!


My best friend growing up - Megan came into town for the event - a definite highlight for me! This is when she came around the corner - I was shocked!


I love my mom! Isn't she lovely!

What I am Looking Forward to: I'm taking our college & young adult girls on a retreat this weekend to Ruidoso - yay! It should be a great time to relax, laugh, and simply stop for a moment to listen both to the Lord and the hearts of some of these amazing women I get the privilege of working with...

Until next time...I think I'll go have a cup of tea - try to find a moment this week to stop and do the same!

A Bit of This and a Bit of That...

So much to say, but I'm only giving myself a few minutes to blog this evening...

I turned 30 a week & a half ago, and I must say...it's not so bad! Actually, I was contemplating on whether or not I really wish that I was back at 20, and I was able to immediately say, "no way!" I feel like I'm more confident in who Paige is, I know where I want to go, and I'm much more at home in my skin than I was 10 years ago...I'm assuming that I'll keep growing in this way, so I say bring it on!

My husband and family threw me a surprise party and it was so fun! It had a theme - I LOVE themes (around the world in 30 years) so there was food from different countries, pictures from my travels and a few people even dressed up! One of the best surprises were two friends who came in from out of town. Marisa came in from Abilene and one of my dearest friends growing up - Megan came all the way in from Mineral Wells. My sweet friends who live too far to come sent me video messages & cards, so it was a really special night for me.

So, February seems to be quite a busy month (especially with speaking engagements), and if you are in the area I would love to invite you all to join me at some fun events. Here they are!

• I'm preaching at COTR this weekend! Saturday at 6pm or Sunday at 9 or 11am...come join as I talk about "Stepping Out of Your Shoes and Into His Hands"


• zoe Girls Retreat - if you fall in the "young adult" category we are taking our annual retreat to Ruidoso, NM - February 20-22...I promise, it is not one of those "retreats" where you come home exhausted...we are going to chill and talk about resting in God's love. This is our theme verse - Isaiah 54:10, "Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed," says the Lord, who has compassion on you.


• Momentum Women's Conference (Trinity Church) - February 27 & 28...I'm doing a workshop at this conference & I'm super excited because the guest speaker is Lisa Bevere. I love Lisa Bevere - I think she is a great speaker, but mostly I love her because when I worked at ORU my job was to book & host chapel speakers. While I was there I met lots of "big name" preachers and I found that many of them were not very nice to this girl who took care of things like getting them water. BUT John & Lisa Bevere came that year, and they were genuinely lovely people who took the time to talk to everyone & even noticed me - the water girl. In that season I was tempted to get really cynical, but the Lord told me He was showing me this so I would always remember about not getting too big for my britches...anyways, since that time I've followed John & Lisa and I'm able to receive from them because I saw at that time that they lived what they preached. Sooooo...come to the conference! It will be great!

On to more totally superficial things...is anyone watching the Bachelor? I'm ashamed to tell you that I watch it, but I'm hooked this season & super glad that he sent Stephanie home last night. She is super sweet, but they just never had that connection... Also, has anyone gone to see Slumdog Millionaire? Loved it and would love to know what others thought...

I have more to say, but I'll wrap this up by telling you that I got a new zoom lense for my b-day and am having so much fun trying it out! Here are a couple pics using it...until next time...