I'm Still Here!!!!

I can't believe its been this long since I posted! Life is a bit crazy around here right now. We just finished up revival, celebrated my oldest daughters 26th birthday (and next month will celebrate my other two lovely children) add in the fact that Marc has been speaking outside of WABC a lot this month (and will be speaking again in a few weeks)....Whew!!! Just looking at my schedule causes me to shake my head! I'm in the process of connecting and forming a network with some local pastor wives in our area so that and my regular ministry responsibilities have been taking up a lot of my time. Our youth ministry is gearing up for our 2nd Annual Fall Fest and in November Marc and I will celebrate three years at WABC!

I've also been spending a lot more time taking care of hearth and home which is the most important thing that I do (and is my first ministry). I'm trying to do more walking in the things that are near and dear to my heart and a lot less talking (or in my case spending too much time online). I'm excited about where God is taking me right now, and my focus is better then it has been in a while.

I know I have some prayer partners out there who I can count on so I have a few request.

1) Please pray for Marc as he continues this journey of pastoring.
2) Please pray for me as I step out on faith and walk through some doors that have opened for me.
3) Please pray for WABC as we move forward with the next phase of our building process.
4) Please pray for our women's ministry which will be hosting several "prayer" events in the next few months. If anyone has some great prayer devotions, or prayer event ideas please let me know.

If there is any way I can pray for you please don't hesitate to ask.

Thought I would give you a glimpse of me in a hat. My daughter Quisha had a Hat and Pump Tea Party for her birthday. That's as "First Lady" like as I am bound to get. I can guarantee it won't happen that often....so enjoy!!!  HAHA

Peace In the Midst of the Storm!

This year has been one of the toughest years of my families life....at least at times it has seemed that way to me. Sprinkled in with the many disappointments, losses, and heartache has been moments (almost glimpses) of heaven and God's unconditional love for us.

It started this year with my mom's accident, included a fight to keep our home of nearly 15 years, ministry highs and lows, tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes and most especially the lost of dear family and friends. But I have to say that my good days have outlasted my bad days.

Sometimes (most of the time) we tend to look at our life through a filter. Sort of like when you step outside an airconditioned room and your glasses (or camera lens...lol) appears foggy. But that condition last only for a moment. Given a little bit of time you can see the grace of God in your life. If you stop long enough to acknowledge it!

That's what I did this past weekend. I was sitting at dinner with Marc and Nicki and this overwhelming sense of peace overcame me. It probably helped that Marc had just spoke on peace in the midst of the storm in his Sunday message, or it may have been the fact that my family had just recently survived the earthquake and hurricane that hit us the week before. All I know is that in my heart something in my brain had shifted.

 All around us people are struggling with day to day issues. Some are without a job (some 1 or 2 years), many have already loss their homes, some have buried their children! Yet here I sat on a Sunday afternoon eating at a fancy (fancy for us) restaurant with my family who are all doing well....I hadn't lost my home, my husband who has experienced health issues not to mention the lost of several jobs over the last few years is healthy and has been successfully managing his own business while pastoring a church. Has life got any easier (NO)? Am I still struggling with day to day highs and lows (Yes)? But I realized that God has been good to me.

Sometimes he lets us go through some stuff so we can wake up from the fog we have been walking around in. But through it all one thing stays consistent ..,,he loves us unconditionally and offers us his grace and mercy. When the disciples woke Jesus up in the middle of the storm he spoke to the storm...and said Peace! Somehow the disciples forgot who was with them on that boat. We should never get soo distracted by the storms of life that we forget that he promised to be with us always!

My Ikea Experience!

Who knew there would be soo much fun stuff to do and see at Ikea! I (Marc) would be in soo much trouble if we lived near this place!

Of course any trip with my friend Maggie (who was so sweet to come and pick us up) is fun! If you could hear Maggie's laugh you would understand. She really did save us from being stranded in DC another day but more so then that she proved that friendships started over the internet really can turn into something more. Maggie and I "met" nearly ten years ago on the Disneyboards (we actually have had several "meet" ups since that time). Over the years we have watched each others children grow up, shared good days and bad days and been a support system for one another (a group of us have been buddies forever). I told Maggie it was a good thing that Nicki was with me all week or she would have had to come to DC to pick me up vs me picking me up on the metro line. Her answer to me was....you know I would have come to get you. Now that.......is a true friend!

Women of Faith, Trains, Earthquakes, and Hurricanes!

Nicki and I left Thursday on what was suppose to be a two day event for Women Of Faith! I should have known when we got hit by an earthquake the day before that this was a bad sign (just in case you missed my tweet about feeling the earth move under my feet). But I've been told lately that I need to be more positive in my thinking so off I went! We had an awesome time at the conference and got to see a lot of the behind the scenes stuff (we were guest of WOF). The highlight for Nicki was getting to ride on the same shuttle as MaryMary and getting to go through the "secret" entrance of the hotel with all of the WOF speakers and staff (who by the way are awesome). I got to take my first train ride, go hiking in a natural park for the first time (the hiking and the park) and experience the inside of an Ikea store for the very first time. Those were the high moments.

 The low moments were being stuck in DC while my family road out hurricane Irene. That and the long journey that it took to get back home. Our train was canceled three days in a row which meant......what was suppose to be a two night trip turned into a 4 night five day ordeal. Sunday night was the last straw....when around midnight that night I noticed on the TV screen that Amtrak was going to be still shut down on Monday. I called a friend who lives in Northern VA (after calling Marc and my mom) and we devised a plan. Come heck or high water Nicki and I were determined to go home on Monday come what may!

So Monday morning we caught a ride on the metro (another first for me) to connect with my friend Maggie, who picked us up and drove us to Potomac Mills (hence the first trip to Ikea....honestly I think Maggie just wanted to go shopping) where my mom and sister met us (two hours for them). Two hours back to Richmond where we dropped my sister off and picked up my nephew Alex with  Nicki driving the two hours to my moms home (who by the way still does not have electricity). From there we waited until Marc could pick us up....he would have come to DC to get us at that point but he had a funeral on Monday. I finally returned home around 10:30 that evening and was never so happy to see my home and bed...oh and my kids! LOL

So what should have taken us 4 hours by train, ended up taking an additional 11 1/2 hours! Thank goodness for friends who like to shop at Ikea and family who will come get you wherever you are....even if its in the middle of a hurricane!

Between Nashville, Orlando and DC this year I think I am all traveled out. But crazy person that I am (according to my mom) I'm already planning my trips for next year. Including a possible trip to California to visit friends.....and I'm starting off right now by praying that there will be no earthquakes, landslides or forrest fires while I'm there! In the name of Jesus! Amenz! #Justsayin