A new friend

I'm not moving, but I just met someone who has recently moved into my neighborhood.

This is just one fun story about the adventures of the moving tribe- those of us on the move, how God connects us, when we obey His call, and how we network: 
Years ago I met a lady in my neighborhood who had just moved to town. We met at a ladies' luncheon and became fast friends. She used the move to reconfigure her life. She decided to move from being a working outside the home mom to becoming a stay at home mom. She joined PTA, a Bible study, and a church. Oh the adventures she had as she brought her sons to Sunday School and her husband to church.

Then we all moved. They moved to one city and we to another. From time to time we have visited each other or met back in the town where we once lived.

A few weeks ago I received an e-mail from my friend's husband. It seems a young lady who had worked with him has now moved to my town. He remembered how meeting a neighbor had helped his wife with her transition. So... he asked if I would reach out to his former co-worker.

Of course. My favorite thing to do is to meet new people.
So I called and we decided to meet at a coffee shop. Oh what a delight this young lady is. We chatted about children, schools, work, hunting for houses, transitioning into new towns and neighborhoods, and practicing faith. I found out we come from extremely different faith backgrounds. I am a Christian. She is a Muslim.

Talk about moving! Where will this budding frienship go?

I certainly don't know, but whatever happens I hope to

Shine!

Decorating intentionally.

Last week my friend Shari gave me her new book---and signed it.

Whew! Sitting on my big chair under the fan in the family room is just what I want to be doing right now. Why?

I am happily exhausted.

She Speaks, Proverbs 31 Ministries' anual conference has once again fisnished strong- really strong.

These are some highlights:


I met an amazing group of speakers in my eval group. They are courageous women with incredibly moving stories, tales full of hard struggles and challenging experiences. Honestly I canot even imagine getting back up on my feet as some of the women in my eval group have managed to do. God bless each one of you as you allowed our Father to lift you out of the mirey clay and set you on the Solid Rock. You go girls.

Cheers to Monica, Deedy, Carrie, Lotte, Linda, Sandy, Mary Kathryn,
Laura, Erin, Tonya, and Heatherly. You ladies shine!

I also met wonderful ladies everywhere I walked as I moved from one breakout session to another, as I sat to eat a meal, as I rode the elevator.

Let me share two examples:

I met Erica who sat across the table from me on Friday. She was actually in Bogota, Colombia, South America at the same time I was in 964! Can you believe it??? Jessica if you make it to my blog like I challenged you to over prayer I hope you will leave a comment.

I also met Rachel an amazing young woman who had just returned from Afghanistan where she had lived for 10 years. She answered all our probing questions. It seems we hunger to understand the middle eastern culture. She explained the veil and the wearing of scarves, men's roles, women's roles, her life and purpose in Afghanistan, and she showed us how to wear the scarf in its varoius fashions. God has quietly called His people to places all over the world so his news of salvation might be spread.

I heard some pretty exciting, inspiriing, and overwhelming messages from Lysa Terkeurst, Karen Ehman, and Angela Thomas. WOW! They challenged me to reach big for God sized blessings, to remember my first love and become a woman immersed in God's Word- to memorize scripture. Thank you ladies- for challenging me to a higher spiritual place- not only close to God, but closer to Him.

Oh! and to crown the weekend with the best icing of all- an editor wants to see my book proposal- YES- again!!! Yikes. Here we go... I don't know whether to be excited or just accept the fact that I may need to prepare myself for another rejection-- but before they reject me this time I am getting an editor to help me work it over. Any way I am so excited that someone thinks my idea is a good one.
Yipeeeeeeeeeee!

Here's to all of you who attended She Speaks. I hope you were as moved as I!

Won't you tell me about your experience and as you do remember to

Shine!