as if

As I sit here alone (Ernie is working tonight) I think about what a blessed day I had. I am thinking about how I have got to be one loved woman. By God first and foremost and by my precious husband to boot! How lucky am I to have them in my corner? Also, I have one child who tells me I am the best mom in the whole world and another who says, "Mom, I love you" a blue bazzilion times a day. If one could get tired of hearing it... no way man, as if.

I made plans today with my baby sister (well she will always be that to me even if she did just turned 29) to attend the "Deeper Still" conference in Birmingham, AL. If you do not know what this is, well I will tell you what I know (or what I have heard). It is an amazing weekend of worship and Bible study with three of the most amazing speakers-- Beth Moore, Priscilla Shirer, and Kay Arthur of Lifeway Ministries. We are going to leave our children with the boys (or maybe grandparents) and go for a girls weekend ALONE!!!!! Whoa, this is a first and yay!!! I am so excited. I am stoked to share this experience with my beloved sister. We have grown together recently in our faith and I think we both started sharing with each other centered around Beth Moore's, "Stepping Up: The Psalm of Ascents" Bible study some 800+ miles apart a couple of years ago. Since then we have been on separate studies and have shared with each other along the way what we have learned and it is so amazing how God puts before us the EXACT study we need in our lifestage. It is pretty neat how He lit our fire with the same study.

I get like 10 months to look forward to this trip. I will NEVER say I can't wait, because the looking forward to the trip is going to be so much fun in itself. Talking about it, planning it, reading to get ready for it, praying about it, and waiting on the Lord who has placed the opportunity on our horizon. Waiting on the Lord will give me the rest and strength I need to get me to December (and beyond then too!!!). I am not really sure that is exactly what the scripture means, but...

I have some extraordinary plans this coming year. I am attending the AHG conference, Be a Moon, in Cincinatti with a dear friend of mine. I am now keeping another friend's baby a couple of days a week for a while and then will drop down to one day a week this summer. He is... well words can not describe how sweet this little man is. He is 2 months old and has captured my heart after only 2 days. In August another friend of mine is having her second baby, a girl, who is a true gift from God. She didn't think she would be able to have another one and God promised her this baby and voilla, He kept His word! I will be keeping her starting this fall when mommy goes back to work. Oh the joys of having babies in the house. I cannot have more, so this is the second best way!

I am taking the girls to the Simmons/Loyd family reunion (bitter roots are being pulled) for a day this summer; we are going to visit my Mamaw; we are spending time at my brothers house really soon; we may be going to the beach with my parents???; we will spend the week at my parents while my sister is in town for her 10 year reunion... Well all of this if the Lord wills it for sure!!! I will not put my plans in front of His and if He has alternate plans then, wow, they have got to be better than mine!

What are your summer expectations? I hope and pray that all who read this will find the Lord's peace in waiting and hoping!