REAL Discipleship by Lori Carr

Shawn's blog has moved to shawneepooh.com.

Lori Carr has mentored younger women for over 35 years.  God has grown her and used her to write the curriculum for REAL Discipleship. In this course, she gives us the skills to ask questions and dig deeper, how to discern where your disciple is spiritually and how to connect with gals in their twenties and older, and how to navigate this relationship.

Session One Podcast

In the first session Lori said we only want to mentor F.A.T. Christians.  Those women who are truly faithful, available, and teachable.  As disciples those qualities apply to us also.  Lori shared resources in her Discipling Tool Box.  She recommend we begin gathering and filling our discipling toolboxes with things that have helped us grow in Christ and we can share with others. 

Some of Lori's favorite tools are Corrie Ten Boom's book "The Hiding Place."  She recommended Larry Crabb's "Soul Talk" and Cynthia Healds books for women, since Cynthia was her personal mentor (before becoming a Christian women's author.) She gave us a taste of Bob Sorge's "Secrets of the Secret Place," see graphic. You can see more resources at

Pinterest Discipling Women

Lori has refined good questions and comments to direct a conversation deeper like "What were you really thinking?" "We need to talk about this." "What did God teach you in the Word this week?"

It's important to come across not judgmental.  Instead of judging "Suzy" for being late to church again, be discerning and wonder why she was late.  At the right time, say "I noticed you have been late to church (pause)..." Give her time to think and share.  And focus on listening.

Learn to view our alone time with the Lord as ETERNAL INVESTMENT! OUR REFUGE!


Lori reminds us that Corrie Ten Boom's experience with the fleas in the concentration camp, which protected them from sexual abuse; we must learn to be grateful to God for the protection we pray for in life even though it may be uncomfortable.

Are we holding out our hands to God saying use me?  

Remember the disciples gave up everything, left their families and homes to follow Jesus into ministry.  Taking time with mentors may mean giving up things we like do with our time, like taking trips or missing that movie to teach Sunday School. Don't believe the lie that sacrifice will be miserable.  When we find ourselves holding on too tightly to something, God may ask us to give it up.

Class Homework:

Minimum 2 times /week:  Journal during your Bible time.  Focus on 1-3 verses.  Ask yourself, what did the verse say to me, what did it mean to me, and what does God wants me to do with it.

Week 1
Read Organic Mentoring Chapters 1-3
Take Mentor's Self Assessment p. 197
Take Mentor's Perspective p. 199

Week 2
Read Organic Mentoring Chapters 4-5

Week 3
Read Organic Mentoring Chapter 6
Take Listening skills Assessment p. 200

Week 4
Grow!! Grow!! Grow!!
Fill your toolbox!

How to have a balanced lifestyle

Sunday naps were a childhood tradition,and my parents forced me to lie in my bed after lunch for at least an hour.  The consistent routine of resting my body and shutting off my brain was torture as a child.  Little did I know learning to rest would bring balance to my life. Today, I look forward to my guilt free lazy Sunday afternoons. I make sure I get a nap and my whole family benefits when I do. I've learned to art of just being.  After all, we are human beings not human doings.

According to Relevant magazine, humans are biologically designed to routinely do nothing.  We must stop working to let nature teach us how to be creative.  If fact, habitually doing nothing trains us how to learn (www.relevantmagazine.com/life/why-we-need-start-taking-sabbath-seriously).

It is hard for us to take a weekly day off, and many American workers don't take their earned vacation days. CNN reported American workers skip vacation days or work while on vacation, because they do the job of several people, don't want to be seen as slackers, fear returning to work pile ups, suffer from digital dependance, and deal with performance identity (www.cnn.com/2014/10/22/travel/u-s-workers-vacation-time/index.html).

It's not just the paid workers of America who have adopted this unhealthy over-busy lifestyle.  Stay at home mothers live by these unspoken rules too.  Barbara Brown Taylor, New York Times best-selling author, and professor,  "Some of us have made an idol of exhaustion.  The only time we know we have done enough is when we're running on empty and when the ones we love most are the ones we see the least."  So if your work environment is also your home, the work never gets completely knocked out.   Facebook posts list how much people have accomplished in a day, because it's what makes them feel important. None of them are posting about their afternoon nap unless they are fighting the flu. Sometimes there is a post about reading in a hammock at the beach, but that's if they actually took a summer vacation or made time for margin in their life.

Brad Lomenick, innovator and leader of the Catalyst Movement in America wrote, "Margin is a powerful concept.  It creates opportunities. For businesses, margin is one of your top priorities.  Margin is business creates profits. Margin in family creates memories.  Margin in our personal finances creates generosity.  Margin in our friendships creates significance and impact.  Margin in our lives overall creates options.  Options to pursue dreams, think, pray, relax, meditate, process, grow and ultimately live life more fully." When I am taking a weekly day to rest, it's my margin.  I'm designed to watch the birds, snuggle with my daughter, and cook a creative meal for my family.

In her book, Breathe, Priscilla Shirer said, " We have to know when we've worked enough, tried enough, gathered enough, purchased enough, said enough, stored enough, kept enough, created enough, produced enough, generated enough, consumed enough, labored enough, expended enough, spent enough.  Somebody has got to say 'ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.'"

So, I'm thankful my parents taught me it is okay to stop and rest, create margin, and say "enough." Routine resting is part of the equation to a balanced lifestyle.