AP - Veggie burgers and tofu do not have strong health benefits, says a new heart association study on soy-based foods... Whew! What a relief! I'm waiting for the study that says that exercise really isn't that good for you and potatoes are life lengthening, particularly when topped with butter, cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits!


O.K. On to more serious matters. My sweet children come home today. They left with the ZOE group Sunday to check out Abilene Christian University for a few days. They were blessed to stay with Mike, Diane, and Chris Cope. They were shuttled around by Mike, Sally Gary, and Matt Maxwell. Amazing people. They walked the campus, checked out Mike Cope and Randy Harris' Bible class, listened in on a class taught by Sally Gary, and ate some great pizza with the Maxwell's and B.B.Q. from "Harold's". Never been there, but Avery said he was waiting for Bo and Luke Duke to come strolling in any minute. He loved it.

I'll be eager to hear what they thought about the school. Any Abilene Alum out there want to put in their "two cents" on this subject?

I can't say much about the Conference because it was truly overwhelming. Listening to Leonard Sweet, John York, and others talk about becoming a more missional church was invigorating, as well as convicting.

Teresa Newsom signed the songs we were singing again, and as always, put a new beauty to the song that you hadn't felt before. She is so gifted.

Lee Smith and Bill Barksdale work for days...literally days...to provide two of the most amazing dinners for the ZOE group...(and those of us working the conference). They feed about 70 people both nights in the most beautiful and delicious way you've ever seen. I don't know if there is a group that works harder and longer than that group to prepare, cook, and serve...and with smiles and joy! What a blessing they are to this church and to me personally.

We had people providing lunches, housing guests, making the foyer beautiful with fresh fruit and munchies and water, registering people, babysitting "ZOE kids", praying with and for folks, taking care of a "green room" for the ZOE group to get away to when needed, (complete with fruit, sodas, water, chocolate, nuts, couches, etc...), and on and on the list goes.

Of course, if you've read Stevens blog, he's told you how hard his wife, my sister-in-law, works. She's a maniac! She loves to work herself to death! She takes on anything that I don't need to handle and handles it beautifully. 4 years ago, she helped just because she was related...during that ZOE weekend, she discovered her "place"...her "gift". It was a beautiful discovery for her...she went from being Steven's wife, to having absolute value all on her own.

Now, it wouldn't matter if I was running the conference or someone else, she would be on the team.

I guess to wrap this up, I will say again how very thankful I am that soy isn't the miracle food (if you can call it that) that they once thought it was. One less thing I have to feel guilty about not doing!

But, even more than that, I am so grateful for this place...College Church. Not because we have it all together...goodness no! But because of the family that meets here. They are generous, hospitable, gracious, loving, accepting, and hard working. I'm so blessed to be part of them.