Retreat!

I'm going to a women's retreat today! Actually, I am speaking at a women's retreat today, or more accurately tonight. I am hitting the road this morning to North Carolina to speak at a women's retreat tonight and tomorrow. I'm excited and nervous.

The funny thing is, while I'm yelling "Retreat!" as in Women's Retreat on the outside, my insides are yelling RETREAT...as in the military term meaning draw back, move back, pull away, pull back, recede. In other words RUN FOR MY LIFE!

I know I have an important message to share, but in front of 200 women? And what if they don't like me! It's those old insecurities raising their heads again. Yet, I know this is what I have a heart for: Speaking and writing for women. This is my destiny.

So I move ahead, not retreat, toward the goal. I ask for your prayers as I speak tonight and tomorrow. May God be glorified!

Philippians 3:14 -- I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Important Blog Update

Hi gang! I wanted to update you on the new ways you can now visit my blog.

If you are not a blogger, you can now subscribe via email. Click the link to the right that says "Subscribe to ChattyKelly" to subscribe via feedburner. Then you will receive an email every time I post a new blog posting.

You can visit me at http://www.chattykelly.com/. This is the new domain name I purchased. This is shorter than having to type in http://www.chattykelly.blogspot.com/, and more convenient.

You can always visit my website http://www.kellycombs.com/ and click the "Blog" link to be directed here.

If you are a blogger, you can log into blogger and follow me as always. Then I will appear in your news feed every time I update my blog with a new post.

Hopefully these new updates will make my blog quick and easy to visit! I welcome your feedback!

Followers Wanted

I was talking to a friend about the blog numbers game last week. Followers don't mean readers. I have 135 followers, but according to my site meter only about 30 readers a day. I have no idea what the other 105 are doing, but maybe like me they've gotten busy and just don't have time to pop by as often.

But I do have a small handful of loyal readers who always read and often comment. I appreciate them and they're encouragement so much!

Jesus had followers too. He had lots. But he also lost followers.

...many of his disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"

Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, "Does this offend you? What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. Yet there are some of you who do not believe." For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. He went on to say, "This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled him."

From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.

"You do not want to leave too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God."
John 6:60-69

Jesus was teaching that he was the bread of life. Many were offended, or confused so much that they stopped following him that day. But he still had his loyal followers. They knew that only he had the the words of eternal life.

My words aren't perfect, nor do they lead to eternal life. But today I am thankful for my loyal following. As followers come and go, I'm so thankful for the loyal few. And when I lose followers I shouldn't be upset. Even Jesus lost followers!

But regardless of how often we can visit one anothers blogs, I pray that we can be loyal followers of Jesus. Don't you?