Imagine. reflections.

This past weekend, if you were following me on Twitter, you received more tweets per day than my usual pattern. For that I do not apologize, but instead explain...

I was at the Women of Faith conference. After receiving two complimentary tickets courtesy of Women of Faith and the Booksneeze program, I promptly invited my mom and we secured a hotel room. Girls weekend!

Throughout the weekend we heard from many great speakers, including a comedian, a dramatist, and two contemporary Christian artists.

I was challenged by Dr. Henry Cloud to be a giver (serve others, genuinely) and to be connected (to God and friends). It's in these things that we will find satisfaction in life.

Sheila Walsh, in her delightful Scottish accent, made me pause to consider my definition of "peace" when she stated that peace is a person's total well-being and security because of Christ's presence. Especially during my experience and grief-walk of losing Nathan, I would agree with that wholeheartedly.
Sheila spoke about shepherds and our ultimate Shepherd, God. I love when she said that the cross is the ultimate statement that we'll never get it right, but that we don't have to. It's not our job (as a sheep) to get ourselves home, just our responsibility to stay as close to the Shepherd (God) as possible. If we think we can ever obtain perfection, we're wrong. If that's what we are striving for, in order to somehow "earn" heaven, then God would not have had to lovingly send a Savior for us. We can honor Him with our actions for sure, but we can't "wow" our way into His presence.

Nicole Johnson, after leaving my sides hurting with her comical (accurate) portrayal of all the hats we women wear, took a turn addressing the crowd and shared from her heart as well. She made me consider how quickly anger becomes a byproduct from fear, frustration, and hurt. Sometimes we need to stop and evaluate the root of anger, as we can take it out on our children, family, etc. We need to address the heart of the issue.

It was a great delight to hear one of my favorite authors on stage. Karen Kingsbury reminded us who the true Author of our story is... and then proceeded to make me cry with her beautiful children's book, Let Me Hold You Longer. I wanted to go grab my children and squeeze them tight.

I also really enjoyed the praise and worship time of the conference, mixed in amongst the speakers. I enjoy songs and lyrics and singing. As I've grown in my relationship with Christ, I've really come to appreciate singing/ song lyrics as a way to express my adoration to Him. As I had mentioned in a tweet during the weekend, it was beautiful to see the thousands of women sway and sing together, praising God in song.

All in all, this was a wonderful weekend. Beyond the speakers and singing, the ultimate best was just having the time with my mom. We were real with each other and probably shared "deeper" stuff than we ever have. Truly precious.
It also didn't hurt to have my hubby ask how I could possibly get anything done around here other than feeding and cleaning up after the kids - that he could never be a mom. ;) 

Imagine

Tonight is the night! Bags are (not) packed... house is (not) cleaned... dinner is (not) planned... however I am leaving town and heading to the Imagine, Women of Faith conference!
I am looking forward to a relaxing, introspective, convicting, refueling time with my mom (and a couple other thousand women). I will be hearing from Shelia Walsh, Luci Swindoll, Lisa Harper, and Ken Davis. I'll be jamming with Mary Mary and Natalie Grant and laughing my head off at Nicole Johnson. I'll leave my children in my hubby's very capable hands, tweet and update or two, but talk to yall next week!

Just in case you've never heard of it, here's a preview:

post-camping

So, after a weekend away, my family has come home. Along with all of our their stinky, campfire-smelling gear! So while my weekend home alone was enjoyable (albeit busy), is camping really worth it when the result is...

Does your family go camping? My hubby grew up camping (his family has a pop-up camper). We have been tent camping as a (complete) family once when Zane was a baby and then Mr. H has gone twice with one/both kids.
How do you handle the unpacking and clean up? Is it worth it...?

transportation

The kids and I went to my parents for a few days in late July and I had the opportunity to pull out my camera for more than just a few family shots. I've been lackadaisical about taking photographs this summer. My interest hasn't waned, but I just haven't looked for or taken the opportunities to get out and shoot.


I guess, in the past, I had put pressure on myself to "decide" what I'm going to do with photography instead of just purely enjoying it as a hobby and therefore I've almost ended up avoiding it all together. Crazy.

So, when we decided to go to a transportation museum, I got all giddy over what I could photograph. :) No planes, but plenty of trains and automobiles... and a fire truck and old tractor :)

A little bit random in the selection and processing, but I was having fun with my old friend, Lightroom and some random jazz music through iTunes, after the kids were in bed earlier this week.

plans

I just flew out to MO last week to spend the week with my best girl friend. All our girls (4 total) hung out for the week while her hubby was gone on a mission trip (incidentally mine was gone from home as well, also on a mission trip). Rather than sit around with our girls alone, in our separate states, I booked a flight a few months ago to her place to pass the time and have a whole bunch more fun! :)

Now it's always interesting to people-watch at airports, but the conversation that stayed with me actually happened on the plane (between the two seatmates in front of Lynn and I). She was discussing her and her husband's plan for children with the stranger sitting next to her. Apparently, she has two children already, that are both boys, 15 mos. apart. She had a brother a little over a year older than her growing up and they are inseparable and she wanted the same for her children, etc. She was now pregnant with baby #3, who they perfectly planned to arrive this fall, when her second son will be in kindergarten. They hope to then add a fourth that will also be between 12 and 18 mos. behind his/her third sibling.
.....
I stayed with my best friend who has three beautiful daughters. Her and her hubby's history includes one early miscarriage, followed by two girls, born 17 mos. apart and now a third who is just 8 weeks old this week (who is 3.5 yrs behind her sister). Her and her husband were awaiting an adoption placement with an adoptive mother when they discovered she was pregnant with their latest. They have a heart for adoption and truly want to adopt a child(ren) in need. After withdrawing their paperwork for the time being, I have no doubt they will again return to the process.
.....
A friend of mine, who is unable to have children and has already adopted a daughter (who is now 4), was recently placed with an adoptive mother who is to give birth to her son early August. She just got news this week that the mother has decided to keep and raise her son afterall. She feels devastated, as if she had just lost a baby she herself was carrying.
.....
I guess there's no real thread between all of these situations, except that the Lord pressed upon me a verse this week. Thinking back to my "history" and forward to my "future"... no one person's story is the same. Some have "perfect planning," some have "surprise planning," others have "dependant on anothers' planning," and yet all have this common thread,

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." (Jeremiah 29:11)

My plans went out the window, as I know some of you reading this blog can identify with. But, ladies, we can all rest in the future He promises us, whether or not it shows up in the form of our plan or not.

Wordless Wednesday - USS NC

After 3 1/2 hrs of touring the USS North Carolina, we gals were a little tuckered out and found a seat in the shade while daddy checked out the rest of the upper decks.
(It was a really cool ship, though. If you're ever in the Wilmington, NC area, it's worth the admission. WW II era.)

More WW here.

absent

Sorry that I've been quiet lately... we're flown the coop...

And are busy searching for some of these...
And soaking up the seashore living...

Be back sometime :)

spanning the miles

Marcia over at HDMac's Crafty Blog posted about friendship earlier this week which got me to thinking about my best gal friend out in MO. (I abbreviated that b/c I don't know that I know how to spell Missouri - shew, there we go - thanks spell check). ;) Anyways, we had a blast together during our hubby's seminary years. We both had our first children while living across the apt. complex from each other. We went to Wally World together, baby shopping together, and would call and have spur of the moment family potluck dinners together. Man, I loved those days and didn't stop to treasure them as much as I should have then, as I do the memories of them today. It's been over a year since we last saw each other in person, as we live some 850 miles apart. She and her family trekked it east to visit last time, so it's about time I get out there and see another part of the country :) We've been planning a June get together, as she's due with #3 in a few weeks. I can get me some baby-love as well as some best friend-love all at once. I've been looking up flights. Southwest seems to be the easy way to go. Most of the times I've flown, it's been Southwest. I really really appreciate their early boarding for families with children. I've had nothing but great experiences with them. Looks like I'll have to switch flights in Chicago though. I've never layed over there. Not too long of a layover though. Just about an hour both times, so that'll work for me and Lynn. Both our hubbies will be gone part of the week we're looking to go, so we'll just have a big ole girl fest. Her and her 3 girlies and me and my one (or maybe two, girls?) Watch out chocolate! :) Friendship that spans miles is a true gift from the Lord. Missouri, here I come!

NYMC & more

Big weekend ahead, for so many reasons. I'm heading to the National Youth Ministry Conference in Ohio. We haven't driven that far west before (although I've flown to NV). I'm really looking forward to it... time with my hubby (alone!), time for refreshment, time for mingling with fellow youth ministry crazies like us, worshiping through corporate prayer, music and preaching... ahhh... I am so ready! Lynn will be taken care of wonderfully by some family and friends, so now it's just that last minute packing and trying to think about absolutely every little detail that needs to be handled for a five day trip for three people in two different directions! I finished my work for the week (that was a huge stress in the way) so now it's off to the bank and Walmart for snacks, travel-sized toothpaste, and well, maybe a pregnancy test to throw in for good measure. I am due to start this weekend as well. Yikes! So, it's ok, I'm totally lifting this one up (well, most of time, but I do have my "freak out" moments of "what if!? maybe?!") So... I'll either be pms'ing, in pain from cramps, or preggo. What a weekend. ;) I would appreciate your prayers. I know I'll be a range of emotions - because of just being stretched and refreshed at the conference, because of being hormonal (one way or the other) and being like four/five? states away from home. Thank you, readers, I appreciate your support and always treasure your comments and stories that you share back with me in response. If any of you are going to the conference, please leave a comment or email me. I've never been and would have fun connecting with you there.

Savannah, in pics.

On our recent trip to Savannah, GA, we had the opportunity to take a trolley ride through the historic downtown area. Amidst the bumps of trolley travel, I took tons of pictures, but pulled out five here.

These "mirrored" homes are really neat - kinda makes you do a double-take. In picture format, it looks like I "photoshopped" it.







I just thought this was a neat shot - a single door, along the expanse of wall. Wonder what lies behind it? The ironwork everywhere was amazing as well.









I love these double staircases. They are everywhere on the old homes. Tale goes that it would've been improper for the ladies to be followed up the staircase by men, as their large hoop skirts might allow too much peeking room underneath. So, gentlemen would go up on side, ladies the other.





God gave us an absolutely beautiful weekend, despite the threat of Hanna looming in the distance. You can see the sky in the reflection of the old train station's window here.







This was taken down on River St., along the Savannah River. Neat old cobblestoned road with some weather-worn buildings along the row.






We were also able to spend time on Tybee Island at the beach and hung out with some old friends who live down there. After a sad, disappointing summer that was so busy we didn't have time to even stop and think, we finally got a vacation, some "just us" family time, and had a wonderful time!