The Love Dare

I went to see Fireproof Saturday with my BFF, Melissa. Oh my!! It was really something. I laughed and cried and laughed and cried some more. I don't think I've been on that much of an emotional journey in a two hour period in a long time.

One of the things that goes along with the movie is a book called "The Love Dare." Listen Siestas I think that every marriage could benefit from doing this.

So, I've bought the book. The next step is to simply read and do it. How about the rest of you? Anyone game? Check back tomorrow for the specifics. I'll post one "dare" each day.

So, I dare you to try it!

Daring to love,
~Cheryl

Below is a clip that explains the book better.

The Love Dare from Mike Stecker on Vimeo.

A Very Personal Miracle!

Last week I had to give a presentation to the faculty and administration at FBU about my sabbatical research. Now usually I'm not very nervous about speaking in front of people. I'm actually pretty good at public speaking. I was on a full ride scholarship for my speaking ability as an undergraduate and participated on a speech team that national ranked in the top three all four years. My junior year I quarterfinaled at the collegiate national tournament in persuasive speaking.

I say all this not to "toot my horn" but to put things in context for you. You see I found myself becoming very, very nervous before my sabbatical presentation. So nervous that I started to feel a full blown panic attack and the beginnings of a nasty migraine. Typically I would have simply tried to intervene with medication, but made a different choice this time.

Instead, I decided to totally surrender myself to the Holy Spirit and let Him "heal" me so to speak. So when I found my body reacting (the symptoms of the panic attack/migraine coming on) I managed to sneak back to my office for just a couple of minutes between classes. I went facedown and started to pray. I begged Him to intervene. As I was praying I did what I felt directed to do which was work on my breathing and challenge the negative thinking. As I totally surrendered every part of me and thought to the Holy Spirit, I could physically feel His presence penetrate every nook and cranny of my body. I'm afraid this is the point where language doesn't quite do justice to what I experienced.

In a brief moment I felt the symptoms simply leave my body. Poof!! They were gone and replaced by a sense of calm and well being that surpasses understanding.

Miraculously, I did NOT have a panic attack or a migraine. As I walked out of my office I was feeling fantastic! This is nothing short of amazing. Given how I was feeling prior to praying, I was surely on my way to an ER visit.

He is the real deal, folks. And while I know many of you already know this, I felt compelled to share this very personal experience with you.

While none of this may seem very significant to you, let me tell you it was an eye-opening, pivotal point in my life, one I'm not soon to forget.

So how about it? Are you willing to totally surrender to Him? He can do amazing things, after all I'm a living, breathing testament to that. Just remember the choice is yours.

In love with my Savior,
~Cheryl

The Disease to Please

Image clipped from the following link

In a recent post on People Pleasing Pastors, Craig Groeschel lists four characteristics:

• People pleasing pastors take most criticism personally. Any suggestion feels like a personal attack. We become overly defensive and resentful of even mild corrections.
• People pleasing pastors have an extraordinary fear of rejection. If someone questions our motives, doesn’t like a sermon, or leaves our ministry, it can throw us into a depressed tailspin.
• People pleasing pastors find it hard to express their feelings. Because we have to “please people,” we don’t feel safe expressing our true feelings and needs.
• People pleasing pastors have a hard time saying “no.” Because we want to make people happy. We often over-commit. Although we are outwardly agreeable, we are often inwardly resentful.

He says, "These verses capture the heart of the problem: But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. John 12:42-43"

Although I'm not a Pastor, I admit it this one smacked me in the face big time. How often have I been guilty of doing exactly the same things?

He ends by stating, "I want to ask, 'What will God think?' more often than I ask, 'What will they think?'”

I don't know about you, but I'm no longer willing to be a people pleaser, especially when pleasing others, keeps me from pleasing God.

My intention's set. And I'm asking, no I'm begging the LORD to cure me of this Disease to Please.

How about you??

Fireproof the Movie

Check this one out, folks. It sounds like a winner!

We won the Great St. Louis Balloon Race!

We won! Yes folks. good ole FBU won the Great St. Louis (Forest Park) Balloon Race. Out of 65 entries we came in #1. If you haven't ever had the chance to see a balloon race, well you're missing out on something special.

#1 FBU
#2 Citi Corp.
#3 Pepsi.

Yup, you gotta love it.

Nothing else. Just wanted to share the good news!! Woo Hoo! Go FBU!!!

Much love,
~Cheryl

A Very Bloggy Survey

Okay folks. I can use some help here. I have to give a presentation on Wednesday about women's on-line communication. I've spent of a year studying this primarily looking at discussion boards. And although I haven't done any quantitative or qualitative research on this blog, I have seen first hand just how important communication is as I've watched my own blogging friendships form. So I thought I'd provide a short survey for you my bloggy friends.

So how about answering the following:

1) How long have you been blogging?

2) How often do you blog (includes both reading and/or writing posts)?

3) How many friendships have you established through blogging.

4) Overall how close are you with your blogging friends on a scale of 1-10 (where 1= I really don't know this person to 10=I know everything there is to know about this person)

5) Overall how close are you with you real life friends (friends you did not meet through blogging)--use the same scale listed in #4.

6) On average how much personal information do you share with your blogging friends on a scale of 1-10 (where 1= very little to 10=everything)

7) On average how much personal information do you share with your real life friends? --use the same scale listed in #6.

8) What advantages or disadvantages do you see to establishing blogging friendships?

9) What other forms of communication do you use with your blogging friends? (e-mail, IM, text, twitter, facebook, myspace, phone, face-to-face, etc.)

10) Is there anything else you'd like to add about your blogging experience?

You can respond anonymously or with your blog name in the comments. Or if you'd rather, feel free to e-mail me at profbaugh@yahoo.com.

Either way, thanks in advance for your help and if you could send a few of your readers this way to answer these questions, I'd be tickled pink!!

Gratefully,
~Cheryl

Ding dong the van is dead!

It's official. Our minivan is dead. I don't know much about cars, but this one is beyond fixable, unless of course we're willing to spend thousands (yes I said thousands) of dollars to fix it. There's something broken in the engine. That means either tearing the engine apart and hoping it can be fixed or putting in a new/rebuilt engine. Neither options seems good considering the age of the minivan. On the other hand, we aren't in a position to purchase a new vehicle. So what are we going to do? Your guess is as good as mine folks. Right now we're praying about it. Trusting God to show himself in a mighty way. In the meantime, we've borrowed Matthew's car again for the week.

Please, please, please keep us in prayer.

Trusting God for His provision,
~Cheryl

What's Your Pirate Name?

Okay, I'm a sucker for quizzes like this. My friend Maureen posted a link to this over on her blog, "I am Toddler Hear Me Roar!" I thought you might like to find your own "pirate name." Enjoy!

~Captain Ethel Cash

My pirate name is:

Captain Ethel Cash

Even though there's no legal rank on a pirate ship, everyone recognizes you're the one in charge. You're musical, and you've got a certain style if not flair. You'll do just fine. Arr!

Get your own pirate name from piratequiz.com.
part of the fidius.org network

A story in pictures

Can you guess what happened????

Help a Professor out!

Hi bloggy friends. Did you notice the new feature on this blog? Look over at the right sidebar at the top and you'll see a new section called Profbaugh readers. I noticed some of the other blogs I read used this feature and thought it would be fun to add to my blog, too.

So here's how you can help me out. Simply click on the "follow this blog" under the Profbaugh readers. Then you'll be added to my sidebar.

What's really cool, is that I'll be able to see you, to put a face with Profbaugh readers. And y'all know that I'm very, very visual. So this would help me tremendously.

So what do you say?? Want to help a professor out?

Can't wait to see you, my bloggy peeps.

Much love,
~Cheryl

Change

Image clipped from enjoytheart.com

Change. I don't like it very much. In fact, I might be as bold to say that I hate it. Yet, I'm also aware that change is at the core of our walk with Christ.

I read the following on Stephanie's blog today that really garnered my attention:

God did not deliver us (forgive, save, restore) to stay in the same spot. He delivered us from something to take us to something.

Earlier this week in a conversation with my pastor Matt, I was reminded that our desert experience should always be one of movement. Sitting down and being stagnate are not part of God's plan. And although the current season of my own life is not one I'd label as a desert experience, it is one characterized by movement.

Thus, I've made a decision. Instead of fighting, struggling, and "hating" the changes I'm facing, I'm going to embrace them and move forward. No, that's not quite accurate, I'm going to celebrate them, because they are part of what God has planned for me. As I ponder that, frankly I'm excited!!

Yes, it's time for me to stop complaining about the manna and savor the provision of my sweet LORD.

That's my intention and I'm sticking to it.

How about you?

Crazy for Christ,
~Cheryl

Every Day I Pray

I came across the following prayer from "Every Day I Pray" by Iyanla Vanzant. It's really speaks to my current season of life. And although this prayer is certainly not uniquely "Christian" I'm praying it in the name and power of Jesus Christ. So in an attempt to be authentic, I thought I'd share it with you.

P.S. For all my Siestas yes, I have completed "Breaking Free" (three times).

Much love,
~Cheryl
******************************************************************

Dear God:

Please help me live in this right-now moment. Show me how to stop running from the past and hiding from the future.

Help me to be present with the goodness, the joy, the beauty, the peace that is available to me right here, right now.

Let me know that I no longer need to beat myself up for the things I did not do or did not complete.

When I start judging myself for how dumb I've been, all the stupid mistakes I've made and the behavior patterns that have cause so much pain in my life stop me!

When I am reminding myself that I'm not good enough, smart enough or ready to move forward, please change my mind!

When I am giving myself excuses and using delaying tactics that keep me from taking the next step, move me forward, in spite of myself.

Help me to sop running, waiting and hiding.

Help me to remember that everything I need is present right where I am in this moment.

Help me to let go of the things that are dragging me down and pushing me back.

Help me to see beyond the obstacles and challenges that I imagine to be blocking my way.

Help me to relax, to surrender, to step into the peace that is here right now!

Let me feel the peace of your presence and the power of your love, right now.

Help me move into this moment without any fear of what it holds or anxiety about what lies beyond.

God, I need you right now!

I know that every word I have spoken has reached a special place in your heart.

For this I am so grateful.

And So It Is!

The night the lights went out at Profbaugh's house

Well this morning started out with a bang at our house. You see our power must have gone off some time in the wee hours of the morning. I was up very, very late--working. So imagine my surprise this morning when my daughter walked in to my bedroom about 8:55 and said, "Don't you have classes this morning?"

Talk about a shock. I think I literally bolted out of bed. You see I do have morning classes. My first one starts at 9:00 am. I ran to the phone, called the university and had them break the news to my 9:00 am class, that I would not be there. I'm sure they were heart broken. Okay, folks you need to let me have at least this one illusion this morning.

I quickly went into overdrive at home, got dressed, make-up on, hair moused and headed out of the house.

I made it to campus with 5 minutes to spare for my 10:00 am classes. I'm sure my students were happy to see me (again, just give it to me this morning).

So where does this leave me? Resolved that I must buy a battery operated alarm clock!

Much love,
~Cheryl

Deeper Still

Check out this short clip of Travis and the praise team at Deeper Still in Vegas Friday night. Oh my!!! How I wish I were there. I could use some good praise and worship right about now. I hope this helps you get your praise on!!

Enjoy,
~Cheryl


Untitled from on Vimeo.

An Unexpected Call to Ministry

Today I'm guest blogging for Mandy at MandyThompson.com for her series on "Everday Doers." The following is part of that series.

I’m typically a very private person. I don’t share information readily and certainly find it challenging to open myself up, warts and all for the rest of the world to see. So imagine my horror in June 2007 when I felt the Lord urging me to start a blog. Of course, I thought at first He must be kidding. This must be some kind of joke, right? Yet, that still small voice persisted and got louder and louder until there was no denying that yes, this was exactly what He was calling me to do.

I learned a long time ago it’s best to be obedient. So I bit the bullet, created Profbaugh’s Blog and went about writing my first post. Since that time the ministries opportunities have abounded. It hasn’t always been comfortable. And yes, I’ve found myself stretched in ways I never thought I could go. Yet, the Lord knew exactly what He was doing with that urging over a year ago.

I’ve had the opportunity to mentor, to pray with, to listen to and cry with, to encourage, to teach and most of all to connect with others in truly intimate ways. And conversely I’ve been ministered to, impacted in ways I would have never expected and challenged beyond my wildest dreams to move and grow. Honestly, when I truly survey what He has done through this simple blog, well frankly I’m just amazed and humbled to be part of His plan.

What’s the upshot of all this? Simply this that ministry happens day in and day out, all around us. God is at work, has been at work and continues to be at work. If we will just listen to and follow His call, no matter how “out there” it may seem the most amazing things can happen.

So here are my questions for you. What is God calling you to do today? And more importantly how will you respond? The choice to follow is always yours. I can guarantee one thing. You’ll never be sorry answering His call.

So as Mandy has so aptly written on her blog, “Don’t live there, do something!”

Rainy Season

One of my BFFs, Lisa sent me a link to a blog that really describes where I am spiritually right now. Here are the lyrics of a song, called "Rainy Season" from that blog:

Overcast
In my eyes
With the tears about to flow
As they rise
And I question all I know
So the feelings come
And the feelings go
In my storm

(Chorus)
It's just a rainy season
Sweeping across my sky
It's just a rainy season
And I don't need a reason to cry

Hurricane
Out of sea
Should the tempest dare to blow
Down on me
As I tread the undertow
So the waters ebb
And the waters flow
In my storm

(Chorus)

Circumstances
Like the changing of the wind
May whisper bitter secrets in my ear
Second chances
Will call my name again
It all depends on what I choose to hear

(Chorus)

The song is called "Rainy Season" written by Stephen Crumbacher. Taken from Eccl 3:1 & 4 "There is time for everything, and a reason for activity under heaven: (4) a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time dance," and Rom 12:15-16 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited."

So I guess this is one of those seasons of my spiritual life. I just hope and pray that I can hear that still small voice as I move out of the rain and into the Son.

Much love,
~Cheryl

Ministry Funk

Ministry. It's such a simple little word, but also one chalked full of opportunity, possibility and love. I've read some absolutely amazing accounts of ministry the past couple of days, including Fran's church which opened it's doors to 125 displaced New Orleans residents. And I've cried many tears of joy at just how sweet people can be as they serve one another in the name of Jesus.

Why is it then that I find myself today in a full blown ministry funk--not really wanting to do anything or even seeing any opportunities? I don't know if that's really a term, but if not it should be. Maybe it's better labeled as a bad attitude, one that has yet to be touched at the deepest depths by the Holy Spirit. Or maybe it's just a sign of my physical body which has been for the past week or so pretty sick. If so, then maybe my ministry funk is just a temporary state of being. I hope so, because this isn't a comfortable place to be in right now and certainly not one that's worthy of a Child of the God (or heiress if you were in SA and heard Beth Moore's message).

So where does this leave me? Well, I guess I'm praying for a healthy dose of the Holy Spirit to chase away the darkness. In the meantime, I'm left hanging here, stuck in a funk and too tired to do anything much to fend it off.