Lisa Young Blog

F.A.S.T.

Have you ever noticed the power, unity and special bond that are discovered through sharing experiences with others? Through social media and conversations with friends around the world, I see that many churches are fasting right now. And like those churches, Fellowship Church is in the midst of an amazing 21-day fast! I can’t help but think how amazing it is that we are joining forces with people from different locations, different walks of life, all with the same goal—to seek God!

Through the years we have done various fasts. And each experience is challenging, but rich in blessing.

The challenge lies with the fact that we all love to eat.  We often revolve our entire social calendars around meals. The blessing is that fasting helps us put everything in perspective.  By simplifying our meals, we are better able to focus on prayer, Scripture and celebrating the majesty of God.

As I was praying last night in bed (this is not unusual, as I often lay in bed awake…praying or thinking about random things), an acrostic popped in my head for F A S T.   This acrostic has helped solidify what the fast is all about for me, and I hope it will help us all grasp the blessings that are in our midst.

Focus – Fix our eyes on Jesus, and look to Him for strength.

Hebrews 12:2-3, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Ask - Ask the Lord to reveal Himself to us through reading the Bible and through prayer time. What needs to change in our routines, in our priorities and in our commitments?

Psalm 139:23-24, “^ Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Submit - Submit to the will and ways of the Lord.  He wants to grow us up; and in order to do that, we have to be willing to get under His authority in every area of our lives.

James 4:7, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

Thank - Thank God for every detail of life. Thank Him for the great things that are happening, but also the trials and difficult circumstances.  Often, God uses the hard times to draw us closer to Him and to shape us up. (I am a living testimony of this!)

Psalm 100:4,5, “^ Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."

As we continue this fast together, my hope is that you will experience the blessing of that common bond shared with others. I pray that you will continue to seek God's will. And I look forward to the harvest of change that will result from this time!

Leave a comment and let me know how the fast is going for you. And together, let's strengthen the bonds and experience the blessings!

Flavour Sisterhood - Reaching Out

Flavour Outreach from Fellowship Church on Vimeo.

Flavour Conference 2011 - Are You Ready to Fly?

Register today for the 2011 Flavour Conference. And together, let's learn how to fly!

Flavour 2011 Promo from Fellowship Church on Vimeo.

Joining in with JustONE

I am so excited to be a part of the JustONE conference beginning tomorrow. What is JustONE? It is an online conference specifically designed for women in ministry - and as Christ followers, we're all in the ministry! 

Tuesdays at 12 pm and 9 pm EST, for the next six weeks, you'll be able to glean from some amazing leaders as well as share your own experiences and what God is doing in and through your life. We know that the call into ministry requires a unique set of strengths, faces a unique set of challenges, and yields a unique harvest of blessings. This conference will help us all as we walk forward in ministry together!

I hope you join me tomorrow for the JustONE Conference! There's no registration process; no cost to you. Simply logon, watch the videos, chat both live & privately, and connect with each other on Facebook. 

And get ready to learn from and share with some great women in ministry around the world!

The Reality of God's Blessings!

I'm so excited that Flavour is gearing up for a fabulous fall series. Here is a sneak preview of a few of the things in store for all of the Flavour Girls.

Showering Them With Love!

A few days ago I mentioned the privilege that we have to reach out to the Foyer des Filles de Dieu Orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Flavour ladies, you truly are showing Christ's love to our Haitian sisters! Here's a quick glance at our recent "Haiti Showers"!

 

 

 
 

 
 

 
 




 

Everything is turning up pink.

Right now I have several friends who are expecting their first child. There is nothing like that feeling of excitement and anticipation as you prepare for the grand arrival. Quickly, the excitement translates into planning, purchasing and putting it all together in time for the big day. Thankfully, friends and family rally to help with encouragement, support and unconditional love. And one of the best elements of preparing a child for life is found in the “shower” of gifts that are shared to make the moment special.

This past year, Flavour was given the privilege of becoming the family and friends of the Foyer des Filles de Dieu Orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. These precious girls need us to rally around them so they can have a hopeful future. There is much to be done to make sure they have what is needed to simply live each day, and there is a way you can help.

You and I are blessed with the opportunity to prepare these girls for life and “shower” them not only with love and concern, but also with some tangible gifts to make each day a little brighter. You can join us for a “Haiti Shower” at one of our DFW Fellowship Church campuses on August 9 or 10. Visit the Flavour webpage for more information on how you can join me in improving each girl’s trajectory in life as we show Christ’s love to our Haitian sisters and help them prepare for their future of hope.

With a heart for Haiti,
Lisa

HNL Debut at Hillsong 2010

Ed's new rap video, 'Hole 'Nutha Level, debuted at this year's Hillsong Conference. Enjoy!



Ready to take it to a 'hole 'nutha level? Download the song free right here!

The Holiday-to-Holiday Fitness Challenge

On average, if you compare my grocery cart with most others in the store, I fare pretty well.  But, (and that is a big “but”) I have a weakness for sweets. And if it’s left unchecked, this weakness can lead to a downward spiral in my family’s overall food choices.  The pleasure of eating sweets is fun until the reality of regret sets in along with the inevitable “sugar low”!  So this idea hit me the other day when I was feeling pretty “UGH” after some heavy sugar intake.

I am totally aware of what eating healthy is all about. Hence, the Holiday-to-Holiday Fitness Challenge.

I am going to use the next 33 days, between Memorial Day and the eve of Independence Day, to get in shape with clean eating and some upgrades in my workout patterns.   If you want to join me, then we can make it a little more fun and have a lot more accountability.  When I know that I’m “in” with others who are fellow strugglers, I am more likely to be disciplined.  I bet you are the same. So here is what I’m suggesting:

Eat Clean:
Some of you are familiar with the Daniel Fast that Fellowship Church and other churches have done.  I am going to go in this direction, but will add lean chicken and fish to the oats, rice, and vegetables. (Here are the details of the fast in case you need to see all that it involves.) 

If the Daniel Fast doesn’t appeal to you, your challenge is to then make some healthy decisions about what you will eat for the next 33 days.  Write down what your plan will be so that it is clear and decisions won’t be made in an emotional, hungry state.

Amp Up the Workout:
Whatever your typical workout might be, add to it and change it up.  For example, I love to walk with weights.  I am committing to change it up by adding more weight routines and adding some different cardio stations.  I have access to an elliptical machine and a recumbent bike, so I am going to add these to my workout for a change. 

Whatever your typical routine is, the idea is to change it up. If you aren’t working out at all, this is the perfect opportunity for you to start!  Be reasonable and don’t set lofty goals that you will not be successful in accomplishing.  Start small. Maybe with a 20 minute walk in the early morning or evening. Then, over the next 33 days, add to it.

Bonus Plan:
Both of the holidays I mentioned are days when we commemorate the greatness of America and remember those who have sacrificed so much to make this the country that it is today.  I will be praying specifically for America and the men and women of our Armed Forces over the next 33 days.  There is so much to consider in our prayers. 

I am committing to pray for the safety of our troops, the wise decisions of our leaders, our country’s values and the direction we are heading to be one pleasing to the Lord.  Join me in this Bonus Plan and let’s flood Heaven with our prayers for this great country!

I look forward to hearing how you are doing.  Leave your comments or questions and I will be popping in with some progress reports.

Let the challenge begin!!!

A "Normal" Routine

The normal routine in our house includes that first cup of coffee, checking email, planning a little breakfast for the kids and waking those precious little souls up for a splendid day.  I also usually watch the news to check the weather and see if anything monumental has occurred overnight.

Today was the first time in 9 days that I have had the chance to follow this very normal routine. You see, I was out of the country the week following our phenomenal Flavour Conference. (I'll share more about that adventure in a later post.)

Anyway, this morning there was a report on the local news about the continuing clean up efforts in the Tennessee area following the devastating rains. I have to admit that I had no idea that all of this had taken place, because it didn’t make the headlines in London. So now, the prayers have begun and my ears and eyes are focused on what is happening and how we can help. 

  

“They” say ignorance is bliss. But my discovery this morning is that ignorance is NOT bliss.  I was saddened by the fact that I was not a part of the initial prayers that were lifted up for Tennessee and the surrounding areas.  I was quickly reminded of friends that live in that part of our nation and how terribly difficult life must be right now.  Homes, businesses, schools and churches have all been destroyed. Each of these represents people, just like you and me, who had their own normal routines interrupted.

How easy it is for us to be oblivious to the needs of others during our seemingly normal day. While at the same time, so many around the world are experiencing their own “normal” – normal pain, normal hardship, normal danger, normal stress, normal uncertainty.  It is normal to them, because it is a part of their every day lives.

God has shown me that my world becomes small when I think only of myself, and my “normal” surroundings. When my eyes and ears aren’t attuned to what is happening throughout planet earth I am ignorant, but definitely not blissful.

I have come to an awareness that the world is anything but small, and it isn’t defined by my understanding of normal. I pray that you have the same awareness today.

Pray that God will open our eyes and ears to the pain, suffering, hardship and uncertainty that people all over the world are experiencing.

Pray that we will use the gifts that He has given us to make a difference—next door and on the next continent.

Our ability to help begins with prayer, and that is no small contribution.  Today, I can’t be in Tennessee to physically provide relief and comfort.  But, through our prayers, relief can be experienced and comfort given.

“Lord, break my heart for what breaks yours…”
 - Hosanna, Hillsong United