Today is Saturday and on these days I serve as a life group leader for New Christian Next Steps. It's definitely a God thing not a me thing. Let me tell you how it all started…

Years ago, my daughter wanted to attend H2O in Ardmore, Oklahoma. This was a growing church. I wanted to encourage my daughter in her returning to the Lord so I went with her.

They were using open source from Life Church. So what would happen was we had praise and worship, the local pastor talked with us, prayed with us, and then played the message of the week from Life Church. Well, I started noticing that Pastor Craig just kept on talking about serving. You need to serve others. Life groups, you need to get into community with other believers. Start a life group. I thought hmmmmm…That's cool. Sounds nice.

Well, Pastor Craig kept sticking with this life group thing to the point that I was like OKAY!!!!!

I will sign up to be a life group leader. My goodness he just won't stop talking about it. LOL I am laughing remembering this. It was getting on my nerves, actually. Friend, quick side note: Just go ahead and do right away what you are feeling the Holy Spirit prompting you to do. It's much easier that way.

Anyways, I started a life group, a few to be exact. None really took off. I was always feeling weird getting on camera and hated looking at myself. I kept serving, though but I was never consistent. My thought was they ain't coming well I ain't coming either. Mature, I know, right? lol.

Now you can see why they probably weren't growing. I had some growing to do myself.

During that time, I served on the online host team, in person in Tulsa Mid-Town, on the social media team, etc. through the years.

Then at some point, I don't remember exactly when, but I got to thinking a lot about new Christians and how they need to be discipled. This really bothered me a lot. Like ALOT. I didn't like seeing people learning all kinds of crazy things that are not actually Bible.

During this time, I was making candles for DaySpring. I had to go to Dallas to get these paper bands that would go around the candle. There was a church on the corner I had never really paid attention to before. It is called the Storehouse. The Holy Spirit spoke to me and told me "Go in there." I thought, What? I felt strongly I need to obey and just go. Well, I did. I walked in. They greeted me and said "How can I help you?" I said "Well, I don't know. The Lord told me to come in here. I don't know why." They told me okay and went and got this older lady who came to the front. I introduced myself then told her same thing. She said hmmmm. Okay. Let's pray. So she started praying for me and said I see you fishing and there are fish all around you and you are fly fishing. I thanked her for praying for me and left.

Once I got into my car, I was like Lord what is that about? I don't even like fishing.

LOL!!!

I was in my natural mind not thinking spiritually.

So I started New Christian Next Steps. Well, little did I know, this was the Lord's doings not mine.

Well, no one was showing up so I began saying to the Lord: I want to quit. I don't want to do this anymore, etc. This went on for awhile. I never heard a reply.

Then one day, it was probably a year maybe less of me doing that, I finally said "That's it. I am calling Edmond on Monday (meaning Life Church main) and telling them I am quitting. That day like 5 people signed up back to back. I said Okay Lord I guess I'm not quitting then. lol

Just showing up, being obedient, and today, my friend, New Christian Next Steps has people from all over the world in it! We have a WhatsApp group where we stay connected and in community with each other and we meet every Saturday.

Hence casting far! The whole fly fishing thing. Yeah. Makes sense now.

Anyways, what I got from that was keep going even when it seems crazy.

He's got a lamp for my feet and a light for my path, not a 200k lumen flashlight seeing a mile down the road because now, that wouldn't be faith, would it?