Well, this year has been a little different than last year. I'm exhausted! Between all the Christmas shopping, shipping, Christmas cards, decorations, wrapping, baking, cleaning, parties, rehearsals, weddings ... came a very needed word. Thank you, Lord, for friends! My best friend of five years, Robyn, and I had a quick cell phone chat on my way to the grocery story at 8PM on Monday night (yes, right now I'm having to grocery shop at 8 o'clock at night!). She and I passed a few words to catch up and filled each other in on what's weighing on our hearts lately. And mine was EXHAUSTION! Not in a complaining way or an unhappy way because I am so excited this time of year to speak to hearts that are softer than normal but ... just a lot to do and not enough time to do it all. (A quick rabbit trail - our Women's Ministry Christmas Dinner was Monday the 11th and our gracious speaker spoke a lot about feeling inadequate and how that is the perfect, fertile soil for God to be at work ... I'm there! Thanks for the encouragement and challenging word of faith, Terrie!) Anyway, after hearing my heart and sensing my need - Robyn said "two words, Lela, Psalm 16". She had found encouragment of why we do what we do and what/Who our portion really is in this life and offerend it to me. Verse 5 reads, " The LORD is the portion of my inheritance" and verse 11, "You will make known to me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; in Your right hand there are pleasures forever." After reading and meditating and changing the focus of my heart - my thoughts turned to the praise of verse two, "You are my Lord, I have no good besides You." My heart was so lifted1 To remember WHY we all that we do and unto WHOM we do it. With Him as my focus and purpose - I can do anything! Thank you, Robyn, for your precious heart to lift me up and encourage me to focus on what is important ... after all - HE (that is Jesus) is my portion and I'm going to celebrate that this Christmas!

PS - Robyn is the one on the far right in the picture.

Okay, I am WAY over due for a blog entry! Yikes!
To update Thanksgiving ... it really couldn't have gone better. I am very thankful for the guests that we had, such a wonderful group of people: Jean (Artie's mom), Don (Artie's stepdad), Dixie (Artie's great aunt), Mamah (my grandmother), Chrissy (a college student), Tom & Pam Sander (from church, and neighbors), and Artie & Me.

Being our first hosted Thanksgiving, Artie and I decided to carry on a tradition we learned from some very dear friends. After fellowship over food, Artie read a Psalm of Thanksgiving and then started us off as we went around the table to say what we are thankful for. There were tears, laughter and countless "I'm thankful for..."

This year, I had so many big things to be thankful for. Thanksgiving weekend marks my spiritual birhtday, making Thanksgiving a very special holiday for me. This year is SEVEN years of walking with Christ in the newness of life! Can't even believe it ... I wouldn't trade one day of it for another 1,000 away from Him. Also - my relationship with my husband has grown in depth, love and fellowship. The gift of our home! The opportunity to go to Africa on my first mission trip and all the wealth of experience that goes along with it.
I think the provision of God sums it all up. I am incredibly indebted to the Lord for all that He has given me. I am forever grateful, but especially thankful this Thanksgiving.

So I went to Starbucks and got my tasty “grande iced green tea with two classic sweet pumps” and watched them put all the ingredients into an interesting tool, put a lid on it and shake it all up. Then they poured it into my cup and called out “Green Tea for Lela” and set it down with a big smile. As I drove away from a Starbucks date with an amazing young lady I started thinking (and we gotta watch out when I start thinking). “I just feel shaken up, Lela, all this change” she had said. And I thought, “But you don’t want all the syrup sitting in the bottom of the cup … Yuck!” See, sometimes life gives us crossroads – a place this young lady found herself. Every ounce of expectation was being shaken up. Change! Change of mind! But somehow that is how God refines us, by shaking us up to the point of utter dependence. Dependence on Him.

It’s like this whole Thanksgiving thing … the preparation for a HUGE task of cooking a vast meal (and to make everything hot at the same time!?). You have to have a strategic plan. Hour by hour, side dish by side dish, baste by baste. So what makes us think we will simply stumble upon our life’s calling and not have to struggle the thing through? To be a life of purpose there’s a plan involved … there’s cost. A treasure!

Who ever thought this walk with Christ would be so incredibly adventurous?

I come from a long line of good ol' southern cooks. It's quite an exquisite trait to receive. I LOVE cooking. It's relaxing and fun for me. I love trying new recipes. I'm always making something new each week. (Not to mention, I have a sweet tooth the size of Texas! - So I'm always baking something ... like the other night, I was craving butterscotch so I made a huge tray of blondies, Mmmmm!) Artie laughs at my whims to get up during a TV show and start cooking something - but that's what I do for recreation - and he enjoys the outcome.

Well, to top off my hobbie - Artie's mom called us after the summer and said that they would come to us this year!!! (We typically go up to Virginia) So, Thanksgiving is going to be at Artie and I's new house! I am so excited!!! Since I love cooking and everything else around cooking: shopping, picking a menu, setting the table, etc. - this is no chore for me ... I'm thrilled to death! I am so old fashioned it's silly! My family tells me that I was named right - I was named after my Great-Grandmother Lela Lancaster who had a farm and a large family (and not only that, she's the one woman of my family heritage - that I know of - that is remembered also for her faith in God). What a blessing! I believe it's one of my gifts from the Lord.

So - in preperation, I went to a cooking class. I have never roasted a turkey before and am so excited about my first attempt. We didn't have a roasting pan - but a friend had an extra and gave us one (thank you!). I got an email about a free cooking class (which they NEVER have free cooking classes) from Williams-Sonoma. I made a reservation and invited my mom along, so she could whisper tips in my ear (she's one of those cooks I'm referring to). We had a blast! We watched, took notes, asked questions and (best of all) got a tasting! We ate turkey, dressing, cranberry sause, and pumpkin butter. What a delighful, different way to go have some free fun! We didn't spend a dime and had a great time!

Thank you Lord, for all the small blessings you give.

For those that haven’t heard, our friends from church, John & Brandi, had their first child, a little boy … Brennan Anthony is his name. He is so sweet! He had the perfect little face! He was born a couple of weeks ago, on October 19th. A few of us friends went over to meet the new arrival. Poor Brandi, towards the end of her pregnancy, she just looked like she was going to pop. Whether this little guy knows it or not, he has lots of friends at church. In a hospital room full of people, he was just as relaxed as his mommy. Brandi looked incredible! Welcome sweet little one!


And now, for the rest of the 8 couples from church that got married within a year of each other – we know… the pressures on. Starting families is becoming quite contagious.

Continuing in the McCall Family catch-up (I don’t know why I have gotten so bad at posting updates other than our busy schedule).

A couple of weeks ago, Artie and I had a surprise invite to attend a Bucs game with some friends: James and Tracy. One of James’ friends had won a raffle for tickets and won 10, first row, in the end zone tickets. Some one baled on them and we got invited (one of the perks of not having children …we can go anywhere on a whim). So – off we dashed after church to change and meet up with them. We had so much fun, and the other couples were also a lot of fun. Any time we get to spend with James and Tracy is so enjoyed … just a really awesome couple of friends!

Here are some photos…


On a more serious note, I did some pretty serious thinking while at the game. See, I’m doing Beth Moore’s latest Bible study, “Daniel: Lives of Integrity, Words of Prophecy.” Where she compares Daniel’s pagan Babylon to our culture today (not necessarily our nation, but our culture). This Bible study has brought a heightened awareness in me to the culture around me, and also kept the eternal perspective most important. As I sat there observing, I was just reminded at how much we need a Savior from the things our culture worships. Don’t get me wrong, I had a lot of fun and laughed and cheered. But, I’m thankful that everywhere I go … I am reminded of the meaning of life, Jesus Christ.

Okay - I'm trying to post some photos of Zoe (she turned 1 on October4th) - let's see if this works...

Photo 1- Zoe's 1st Birthday w/ cake (she wound up a mess a few minutes later :) )

Photo 2 - Zoe in a hamic, isn't she fun!

Photo 3 - Zoe with my mom (Momma Lea - we call her) in North Carolina last week - look at those dimples!!!

- I'll be back with more this week, I have some other fun things to post about.

I'm wondering if I have any readers any more... are you out there?
Well - here's some catch up from the McCall Family. The Conference in Chicago was AWESOME! It was really nice to get away and experience some fall weather (even though it's in the 50's in Tampa tonight!!!!) (Artie and I have the windows open and it's so nice!). The Conference was at Willowcreek Community Church - which is HUGE - but it was very encouraging and really gave Artie and I a lot of neat ideas and direction. We didn't take many pictures, the Conference was all day. After the conference got out we didn't have much time - especially because we stayed 45 minutes outside of downtown Chicago. We did go into downtown one night and got to see Artie's sister Carrie -- it had been too long! It was great to see her! Here's one of the only pictures we took that would show any of Chicago...

O - at the Conference we got to hear from one of Artie's favorite author/speaker - Erwin McManus. Here's a photo...
Chicago was definately beautiful and I for sure hope to go back one day and get to see a little more of it.

Well, after our return - we had our neice's FIRST birthday! Yes, Zoe turned ONE. I can't believe it! She's gotten so big so fast. She's officially in the stage where she's changing so much that everytime I get to see her now she's walking, she knows a new word, knows who we are, is eating all different foods. It's pretty exciting. It really has made me think about how awesome God is to give us such a sweet parallel of He delights to watch us grow! I love being able to encourage the college girls that I meet with, with the simplicity of telling them how delighted God is as they take steps, learn new words, learn His people, and continue to feast on His Word. I love it!
Anyway - here are some of the latest photos of Zoe. She is quite the cutie...

(Blogger isn't responding with my other photos, I'll be back with the rest)

Artie and I are off to the windy city ... Chicago ... for a Conference. I've never been before. Artie has lots to show me. And we get to see his sister who lives there. Lots of good pictures (I hope) when we return. Stay tuned!

So, I'm getting more and more refreshed and feeling back to normal a little more everyday. Moving and getting settled in a new house (on the heals of my first mission trip to Africa) is quite an exhausting process. Plus, I am definately the type of personality that likes to get everything settled and DONE pretty much right away. I don't like having projects looming over my head (and NO where to sit!) in EVERY ROOM! So, we pushed and worked extra hard to get things put away and as close to normal as possible. It feels great! I love to see the product of my own hands (and so does Artie). But, now we're working on catching up on our sleep -- we missed about 3 hours of sleep per day in the first month!

I have to be honest, it's really nice to be able to know where your Bible is and be able to come home from work and do ANYTHING but unpack and organize something.

To add to all these feelings is the reality that I process things so much slower than my husband! Artie can feel and process things immediately. And then there's me - after he's settled down a bit, I'll then go to him and wish I could muster it back up in him. Like our house... It's settling in more and more for me. I am incredibly thankful for this point in Artie and I's marriage. It just kind-of symbolizes the 'home' that we are buildling together. Our foundation is laid and now we're buildling on it.

It's really fun watching this new side of my husband (even though it's not really NEW - just magnified). He loves our home and cares for it. When we get home from work, he typically puts on work shorts and a T-shirt and gets on the roof or measures something or screws something or fixes something. And now I have to literally call him to dinner (it's quite cute).

And then, you know God - in the midst of all this home stuff, of me wanting new things for the house, of the endless home-imporvment list, etc ... I started my Fall Bible study, the study of "Daniel" by Beth Moore. Where she teaches and challenges us that we very well are living in a modern-day Babylon! A place where over-indulgence and self-focus is just the way of survival. It's pretty amazing!

Okay, Okay ...
So, it's been way too long since I've posted. Hopefully, I still have my faithful readers out there!? Well, as you'll see, we've been very busy! Seeing how our entire house was PINK (yes, pink ladies and gentlemen) inside, we've been painting up a storm! Artie and I have tried our home improvement skills and clung to our Home Depot "1-2-3 Home Improvement" book. From the day we were handed the keys, we've been updating, fixing, repairing, installing, removing - and finally we're at a stopping point. (Not to say that home improvement is ever really over, it's definately looking like 'the McCall house' and it's comfortable enough to take a good break.) Here's just a few of the before-and-after pictures...

I have to close this blog with a word of thankfulness. Artie and I have been overwhelmed with how God has provided for us. We have more than we need or could imagine. We are so grateful to Him for supplying us with this precious place and give Him all the thanks!

I'll be back, sooner than later...

We’ve been house hunting for quite awhile and came across this one in late June. We knew it was just right when we walked through it! We love it! We look forward to having the space to have friends over without stepping on each others toes :) (thanks to all of you who endured our small space!). Artie and I drive by it every few days (the people living there probably think we're crazy ... but we are, about the house!) We are packing up and extremely ready to go! We close on Friday, the 28th and move in on Saturday the 29th! We are so thankful for how God has provided for us and look forward to using our home for His Kingdom. And just to add to our blessing, we have several families from our church that live in the neighborhood! Stay tuned for some before-and-after pictures … it definitely needs a personal touch inside!

Last weekend, we had some out of town friends get married here in Tampa. It was such a sweet day and everything went great. I was asked by the bride to do her flowers. I got some coaching from a friend who does them often and gave it a shot. I did two alter arrangements and four bouquets. Also all the décor. It was a lot of fun and I was so happy to be able to give to a bride, since I was the recipient of friends helping out at my wedding not too long ago. Here are some pictures …

Finally, I got some photos to upload...




Chriszelda



Namibian Children


Me and Hilja

Me and Viola

Our VBS - 500 children!

No zoom required here!


The red, African sunsets - gorgious!

Please read the blog text below to hear stories about these photos...

…And the Home of the Brave! Well, that is what I felt when I returned home. I was incredibly humbled at the greatness of God yet so brave and empowered to step out for the sake of Christ due to my experience. My mission trip to Namibia, Africa to share the love and salvation of Jesus Christ was utterly incredible! There is absolutely nothing like seeing God at work on the other side of the planet. I did a Bible study by Henry Blackaby when I first became a Christian called “Experiencing God.” In this study he explained that you cannot manufacture God’s work. You can’t declare His Hand to move and you definitely can’t save a soul. You can only, simply, whole-heartedly JOIN God where He is already working. I saw the truth of that on my trip. God was already there, already moving, already speaking to the hearts of seekers and definitely preparing hearts for our coming. God laid three young girls in particular on my path in Arandis, Namibia (where we served) … Hilja, Chriszelda and Viola. There were definitely more, but there was something uniquely special about these three. I spent the majority of my time with the orphan/abandoned children that were the focus of our trip (and hundreds of them asked Jesus into their heart!!!), but any spare time I had I spent with these three.

Hilja ~ she and I related so much in our hearts for ministry. She is engaged (or promised, they don’t call it engagement until the week of the wedding) to be married to an Angolan in seminary. Her wedding is in December. We shared a lot of words about being the woman God calls us to be as a wife and support role to our God-given men. (I have a really neat story to share about her – I’ll write again) She drew so much from our team – she truly was a joy to be with.

Chriszelda ~ she was very special and so beautiful. She was a young girl who sang with Pastor Tresford in the church services we attended. We talked a lot about the Heart of Worship. We shared our testimonies and shared Scriptures that had changed our lives. We would learn worship songs from each other and teach the different ways of our cultures. She wanted to be married and asked me tons of questions about me and Artie’s relationship. She begged me to bring her an American man to marry, one like Artie she would say! See, she was up against a great struggle in her culture. Men are very absent and non-committal (I only met two marriages!). She lives in a very unloving culture – desperately clinging to the promise of
Viola ~ stole my heart! I was so humbled at how God had placed her in my life! I couldn’t believe how amazingly I related to her! The same struggles, the same fights of faith – and she was on the fringes! God put her in my path because He had worked in my life and re-built the walls in my life in order to share my journey with Viola! I shared so much of Beth Moore’s Breaking Free study and a lot of what I have learned at my church about making victory in Christ a reality in my life. Brenda, one of the full-time missionaries we were with, had introduced us and asked me to be open with her and share my story. After spending next to no time with her, I told Brenda that maybe God brought me all the way to Africa just for her! As soon as I got home I mailed several copies of Breaking Free and sermon series to be studied in Africa! Praise the Lord!

So this is what I learned … God IS at work all around the world! The message of freedom, the hopes of a real unfailing love, and the promise of God’s will for His Own is just as desired and freely offered in Africa as it is in America! There is going to be a lot of people in the sky when He calls us by His trumpet in the end and I am so thankful to know a few by name that will be far in the Western sky!

Hey Everyone! I am in the process of a new post all about my trip to Namibia, Africa! It was awesome! I just wanted to do a quick test drive to see if I would be able to post photos...

The Namibia Mission Team

This past weekend, we had a family wedding in Tallahassee, FL. It’s kind-of complicated, but when your roots are from Mississippi it’s understandable … my THIRD cousin got married this weekend, and yes I know my third cousin. My dad’s side has always managed to keep up with each other and maintain a long lost tradition of family reunions. Johanna (my 3rd cousin) feels like a first cousin. She was there at all our family visits to Osyka, Mississippi where my grandparents lived. We had a chance to reminisce about the good ‘ol Osyka days ...
bunny rabbit funerals, multiple weddings (Sarah and I were always the wedding planners), bike races, Easter Egg Hunts, gymnastic competitions, Fish Fries, campfire singing (Coom-By-Ya – sp?), 4-Wheeler racing, FIREWORKS, filling the birdfeeders with Granddaddy, and dare I forget to mention EAT!!!!

We have lots of fun memories out in the country. And over the weekend it was a lot of fun to have all the cousins together again. Our newest addition, my little niece – Zoe Margarget – was a TON of fun! Since she doesn’t live in Tampa with the rest of us, you can imagine how we ate her up!

Tallahassee was a beautiful place to get married - Johanna we wish you the absolute best and pray for you to have Christ at the center of your marriage ... making it more than you could ever imagine!

In case I haven’t already told you…

I’m going to Africa in June! Late last fall, I began to have a sensitivity to going beyond my community in sharing God’s love with others. I have heard story after story (including my husband’s) of how God will open your eyes to so much as you experience Him through serving another nation, another people for the cause of His message of salvation. By early this year, Artie and I had reached our decision point for me to take the next step and traveling on my very first mission trip. I cannot express to you how confident I am in this call to go (and those of you that know me, know that I typically wait until I am fully confident). I am so convinced that this is a God-journey for me!

We will be leaving on June 1st to begin our travels to Namibia, Africa (we originally had destined to be in Botswana, but had some things come up to take us to Botwana’s western neighbor, Namibia) returning June 18th. It is a very safe and peaceful country that is impoverished and in need of help in getting their new public education up and running. The team and I will be working with village orphans and foster parents, coming along side full-time field missionaries in setting up forms of trade to help the people earn an income, lead a Vacation Bible School at the local orphanage, institute libraries at the schools, and teach young teens about abstinence through the means of God’s values. We had our first meeting today and with every bit of information they give us in our preparation, my heart grows more and more for the mission God has given me.

I do ask that you come along side me and the other team members and PRAY for us. We will have great advantage in language and in length of time to build relationships. You can pray for the people: to receive God’s message of true love thru Christ. For the team: for unity and strength as we embark on a lot of hard work and for protection. For me: for my absence from Artie (we haven’t ever been a part this long), for my strength, boldness, compassion and for my dependence on the Spirit’s work.

I will be taking my camera and will definitely share my journey when I return. In the meantime, I will keep you posted to any way you can pray for me and the team. And THANK YOU to all who have supported me in my journey through prayers and so much more! Your graciousness has astounded me! I look forward to watching God work and sharing it!

So – I have a confession to make … I love my college girls Bible study group! It’s my most prized work right now (besides my marriage, of-course!). There is nothing that brings me more delight than to come along side these precious girls and watch them grow in God’s truth and help them practically APPLY IT TO THEIR DAILY LIVES! I absolutely love our Monday nights together. They are precious! We have such different personality traits and walks of life that we are able to learn so much from each other. We’ve been studying Beth Moore’s, “Living Beyond Yourself” Bible study which studies the characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit – and this has got to be the most practical Bible study I’ve ever done. And the girls have all agreed. In dealing with the impatient, joyless, faithless, loveless (we could go on) attributes of life and self – we are humbly reminded of the Greater, that is the Holy Spirit, that lives in us and that we can live victoriously in Christ. Amen!

I keep up with the girls’ blog sites and such and one of them wrote the most precious entry …

“I have rediscovered... a lot of things. God's Love, His peace like a river, His faithfulness, Trustworthiness, Believability. He has led me, directed me, carried me so many times before... why should this time be any different? It won't be. Thank you Jesus. Amen.
I do love Mondays. And Beth Moore Bible studies...”

Is that not the most precious thing you’ve ever read? Ohhh – it just brings me tears of such joy to watch young hearts discover the love of God aimed right for them!
So, this blog entry is dedicated to you, girls! I have loved your emails and your questions and our hangouts! I will continue to pray for you as you journey in this goal Spirit-filled living. But know this … I love you and I am one of your biggest fans as you chase the Heart of God and share that with others!

Running along side you in Christ Jesus,
Lela

THIRSTY 06 - A leadership conference at North Point in Atlanta, GA. A group of us that work in the singles ministry at DIBC went together to Atlanta to attend THIRSTY. We had an absolute blast! We laughed until our stomachs hurt and tears were coming down our cheeks. It was so much fun! But not only did we experience the fun of community, God poured into us beyond all expectation. We heard from Louie Giglio, Andy Stanley, Francis Chan (or Jacki Chan!), and others. I honestly have not been more compelled and encouraged in all my Christian life! The simple yet empowering message of God abiding in us was life altering! Praise God!

One cool thing is that I got to meet one of my inspiring music "mentors" (through listening to her music) ... Watermark's lead singer, Christy Nockels. She was awesome!

I loved every single minute of our time in Atlanta (not to mention our van rides there and back - the poor guys, they had to put up with Charlotte and I's silliness all the way there and all the way back). It was great! Thanks James for taking us!

Artie and I just celebrated our One Year Anniversary! Hard to imagine. Some days it feels like we’ve been together longer and other days it feels like we were married just yesterday. Strange! Our first year was absolutely awesome! Awesome in being vital and important while also being fun and surprising. We have established some family traditions and patterns for our small McCall home, and left a lot of room for growth. We are husband and wife and absolutely best friends!!! I wouldn’t choose to spend my time with anyone else over Artie. I am the most accepted and built up when I am with him. We are always together. We laugh about that because we live together, work together, eat together, hang out together, and so on. I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.


We have a lot of fun together, I honestly could not count the times that we have shared our fun. There’s a lot of small things or moments that I treasure about our life together... like when we sit on the couch and he dictates his school questions to me while I type them (feels like we’re in school together), our walks to and from DIBC, I still absolutely love seeing his wedding ring on his finger (and not to mention mine), I love our meal times together on our small table for two, and then our cleanup time together hand washing dishes (you wash, I'll dry), my excitement when he decides to come to bed a little early (10:00 instead of 11:30), I love it when he’s in the middle of something and then I realize I’ve talked his ear off when he was trying to focus on something (we laugh that I seem to choose the strangest times to share something – I try!), I love that he knows how far I’ve come, I love that he notices the small things, I love his excitement about vacation, I love it when he gets all excited about a new technical toy and wants to show me everything about it (I usually smile big in my oblivion), I love how we read out loud on road trips, his incredible patience with my learning curve, I think it’s funny how I go to the Laundromat (because Artie doesn’t like to do laundry) and he calls me on my cell phone to say hey every few minutes, we maintain a pretty busy schedule but have a blast living it, he knows me so well and loves me wisely … I could go on and on about our friendship and our respect and our common interest and our differences. We love loving each other! I can’t imagine my life without him, it just wouldn’t be right! He’s the best thing that ever happened to me and I wouldn’t do anything differently regarding our first year together (adjustments and all)! I look forward to (God willing) many more years together – living the adventure of life side by side, laughing, struggling, changing, and most of all loving! Artie – I love yoU!!!