oh summer…where went thou?

Hello September. Where oh where did the summer go?

I can’t believe I haven’t been here in this space since June. Yikes. So sorry my peeps. Life has been busy and challenging and busy some more. But…all is well in the Land of Lenaburg.

 

In May I was the key note at the Idaho Catholic Women’s Conference in Boise. What an absolute JOY to be there with 400 women celebrating the feminine genius. The theme was “And She Laughed” based on the scripture from Proverbs 31:25 “She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future.” I spoke about acceptance of God’s will in your life, then gave three workshops on choosing joy no matter what you may be facing. It was a tremendous joy to be in Boise and meet some of the most amazing women who shared their hearts and their struggles with me.

That is the biggest gift I receive at conferences like this..the conversations in the hallway or tucked over in a corner of the room where women share their heavy burdens and allow me to pray with/over them. I am humbled that so many would trust me with such precious requests. The Holy Spirit moved the women throughout the day and revealed ALL that must be healed. Prayer changes things people. It is the vehicle by which our hearts are transformed and thereby our lives changed for the good. I am constantly surprised at how God provides the words and the strength to meet the intercessory needs presented to me. He is such a generous and faithful God isn’t he?

 

June brought my niece’s wedding, the first of the grandchildren to get married. It was a beautiful southern wedding and J was a stunning bride. My Mom was so happy. It was the first time ALL eight of her kids were in the same place in three years. What a joyous occasion it was laughter, love and lots of dancing! Have you ever seen my Jerry get down and boogie. It is quite the sight and he had our nieces and nephews going for hours. So much fun! I have no doubt that this is the first of many family celebrations to come for this next generation.

July brought the release of Consider the Lilies, the first Bible study released by Elizabeth Foss’s new ministry called Take Up and Read, inviting women to ponder and respond to the Word of God. This ministry is well over ten years in the making and I am just tickled pink to be a very small part of it. Consider the Lilies is all about the consolation of God in times of suffering and duress. It is a 42 day bible study specifically for women to dive deeper into Scripture and get to know who God is and who they are in Him. I wrote three devotions for this study and did nightly Insta-stories LIVE with a group of my followers. I have to admit it’s the first study that I actually finished and that’s only because I was walking with y’all to the end.

Consider the Lilies is still available for purchase and you can use it alone or with a group. It’s such a great study y’all. Head on over to Amazon to check it out.

The next study will be released sometime next week and it’s called Stories of Grace. This study looks at the Parables of Jesus and how we are still learning from them two thousand years later. God’s Word is timeless and filled with richness and wonder as to Who God is and how much He loves us. You can click the link above to sign up for the newsletter and the daily prompts sent to your email. We begin walking through the study online October 1, 2017. I’ll write more about the new study in the coming days and when it’s released I will share the Amazon affiliate link here. As always I truly appreciate your support in with these projects.  Because y’all asked me too, I will once again be doing my nightly Insta-stories on this awesome study beginning October 1 on the Take Up and Read Instagram handle…so head on over there and follow them so you can be a part of it.

August brought with it a trip to Austin, TX for my keynote talk at The Edel Gathering. That was such an EPIC experience that I will write about it in a separate post. Needless to say, Jennifer Fulfiller and Hallie Lord throw one heck of a party. I smile just thinking about it. Stay tuned for more details of what is was like. I may be late with posting but it’ll worth the wait I promise.

I also had the privilege of speaking at the Mid-Atlantic Catholic Women Bloggers Conference in Front Royal. VA. I may or may not have jumped on a trampoline during that event. Crazy? Yes indeed. In my defense though, when Kelly Mantoan of This Ain’t Lyceum challenges you, you don’t back down. You take your pride and your middle aged cake pop shaped body and you jump. It was delightful to spend a beautiful August Saturday surrounded by 40 of the most talented women on the planet. Bloggers unite!

If you follow me on Instagram (and you should. totes fun) you know that August was also the month of the great home appliance apocalypse where our microwave, cook pot and coffee maker all died within one week. It was crazy and since the budget leaves no room right now for such emergencies, Jerry and I were prepared to tough it out until January when hopefully things will be a bit more stable financially.

Well, God has a different plan. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Due to the generosity of some well meaning readers, all three have been replaced and we are ever so thankful. I just really don’t know what to say about how awesome people are. They see a need and they jump in to fill it. You all have been doing that for me and my family for ten years now and I pay it forward at every opportunity. God is so good ALL the time.

This brings me to the final little update. September is my birthday month. On September 25, 2017 I will turn 50 years old! I am not really sure how that is possible but I am so damn grateful for my God, my family and my friends that I wanted to do something special to share with others. I put it out on social media the other day and the two words that y’all kept repeating were “encouragement” and “gratitude”. So beginning tomorrow here in this space I will begin a series that contains both. Encouragement for y’all and a celebration of gratitude.

See ya then my friends…can’t wait!