Memories that literally seem a lifetime ago …

I came across many different posts … happy, sad, stressed, birthing children, raising children, the store, vacations, and friendships.

The friendship ones seem to have gotten the most tears from me. And I’m crying again as I type.

As I was perusing, I came across this video … it reminded me of the “tribe” I had. Friendships I treasured. Friendships I never thought in a million years would go away.

A friend loves at all times. Proverbs 17:17

And now they’re friendships that suffer at best. At the time I posted this video, it represented my own “pigeons” … the ladies I would grow old with. We had journeyed breast cancer, parents dying, sickness, children, schools, potty training. I thought I would always be surrounded by these women … limping one minute, being carried the next.

{if you’re reading via subscriber, please click here to view video}

God created us for relationship … “Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone.” Genesis 2:18 {NLT}

It’s been a difficult journey for me … finding lasting friendships in a unfamiliar town. And while I continue to pave my way into new relationships … there’s nothing like being surrounded by people who know you inside and out. They know your story and love you anyway.

And yet … with circumstances that were out of my control and not of my doing, circumstances that literally swept the rug out from under me … those circumstances took very special friendships right along with it.

I received this charm bracelet for a milestone birthday a few years back. It’s from my group of “pigeons.” They each picked a charm that represented me in their minds-eye and wrote me a card telling me why.

Even as I looked at each card, and the writing of my name on the envelope, with one look — I knew who each card was from just by the penmanship, or art work gracing the envelope. You know when you know your tribe so intimately, you smile just by seeing their penmanship?

I may’ve sat and cried over these cards, charms, and words yesterday … remembering what was and is no more.

To each and every pigeon who has entered my heart … I love you, I treasure you, and I miss you … desperately.

True story!!

Did you laugh out loud? Or at least smile? Cuz it’s true isn’t it?

Some of my very best friends live in my computer! And I’ve been so incredibly blessed to have some of those friends become In Real Life friends!

Last year (in)courage had this “crazy” idea to take community off the computer screen and bring it into our homes … IRL. Crazy? Or God-directed? You be the judge.

Almost 2,000 women connected last year … and lives, hearts, and relationships were changed because of it.

Last year when (in)courage asked for women to host an event in their home, I stepped out in faith, signed up, and walked away blessed!

If you didn’t get a chance to attend, or host an event last year … never fear! Cuz guess what? It’s happening again!

Registration opens Monday January 14th at www.inrl.us
It’s FREE!
Here’s the BRAND-NEW-EVERYONE’S-INVITED-TRAILER

Important deets:

• About: (in)RL was born out of two years spent listening to women in the comments at (in)courage craving local, real life community. Derived from the social media acronym “IRL” or “in real life,” (in)RL is an invitation to share what we’ve learned about community and encourage women with stories and suggestions for connecting deeper in real life.
  
• When: The (in)RL webcast kicks off on Friday, April 26 and (in)RL meetups follow on Saturday, April 27.
• What: Last year we explored the nitty gritty of community. This year we’re taking a closer look at what it takes to stay rooted in community when sometimes just walking away would be so much easier and tons more convenient. Women share stories of how they’ve chosen to stay through hard marriages, challenging parenting, worthwhile friendships. How choosing to stay has freed them more fully and unexpectedly than if they’d cut and run.

Fun deets:

• Everyone who registers on the day registration opens (Monday, Jan 14) gets a copy of our (in)courage 365 Daybrightener while supplies last (US residents only).
• Everyone gets a copy of our first eBook: “Best of the Beach House 2012.”
• Think of it as a FREE girl’s weekend away that doesn’t require packing or plane tickets, where women can kick off any expectation of perfect, set aside their fears, their shyness, their worry that they’re not good enough, and find some of Jesus’ words of rest woven into every video shared here.

I’ve signed up to bring the beach into my home again this year and would be honored to have you join me! Sign up is easy-peasy … after you’ve registered, just follow this link and add your name. Hope to see you in April! {I’ll keep you updated right here with more information as the time draws closer!}

“Friends love through all kinds of weather …” Proverbs 17:17 {MSG}

Friends:

• share sour gummy worms
• eat popcorn together
• take long walks on the beach … and in the park
• share sandy feet
• lay in the sun … and play in the surf
• encourage
• share fried pickles … three days in a row
• can sit in comfortable silence
• share sweaty headphones
• love at all times

Emily
11.15.96 – 8.10.11
Born to Eternal Life

Sweet angel Emily … the memories you’ve left behind continue to fill our hearts and minds. You, sweet girl are so dearly missed. So dearly, dearly missed.

Your mom, dad, and Kiki are doing their best to face each day with faith, strength, and grace, but at times grow very, very weary. I continue to cover them in prayer … lifting them before God asking for peace and continued strength. They love you forever Em and have been left with a gaping hole in their hearts. I pray for the day when they’ll see you again.

Thank you for your legacy. Thank you for who you are and what you did with the very short time you were allowed here on earth. You’ve touch me and so many others with your sweet, quiet, yet crazy spirit!

Remembering you today … and always …

And then … a light bulb moment! I enlisted some help from the families of both Wynter and Piper’s WI BFF’s … and we secretly had the girls flown out for a visit!

My girls had NO IDEA whatsoever! And I could barely contain my excitement! I was at a conference all weekend and told them I’d have a surprise for them when I got home.

Once home and parked safely in the driveway, I had their friends climb into the trunk, and then called my girls out for their surprise.

This is what followed …

I’m not gonna lie … I truly thought there’d be nothing but hootin’ and hollerin’ … instead, it was a sweet reunion of hearts longing to be together again. And watching them together this week has made me one happy momma!

Have you heard? Beginning August 1, I’m hosting a Facebook study group on my e-book 31 days of faith. Each day in August, I’ll walk through the book with you in a more in-depth sort of way. My hope is to breathe encouragement into your day, to help you see Jesus, and to show you joy in the middle of a trial.

And … if that’s not enough fun … guess what? This weekend, July 28th and 29th, 31 days of faith will be available on Amazon for FREE! Free I say! So be sure to download it and tell all your friends too!

P.S. … don’t have a Kindle? No worries, download Amazon’s free Kindle reading app and you can begin reading on almost any device you own … including your computer! I’m all about the ease here folks!

Additional details found here.

A few years ago, I “met” Amy through a weekly blog link-up {Emily’s, Tuesday’s Unwrapped}.

And I met Stacey through Amy.

And we all have girls. Eleven between us.

I’m not sure where or how it started exactly, but God laid it on our hearts to encourage other mothers of daughters {MOD} to raise their daughters with purity, character, and hearts for God.

After months of Skype calls, emails, dreaming, and prayer … the MODsquad blog was born.

That was two years ago. And God has blessed that little corner of the web and I am so very thankful for that.

But I’m even more thankful that God brought these two women into my life. They are encouragers. Lovers of God’s word. Prayer warriors. And they lift me when I need lifting.

Amy lives in South Dakota and Stacey lives in Orlando.

You may have noticed I’ve been taking my girls on frequent jaunts to Orlando? Let me tell you … it’s not about the mouse. My ulterior motive has been to spend time with Stacey. She oozes God’s heart and I love to soak in all I can.

And Amy? Would you believe I’d never met her in real life!? Crazy when I think about it. She knows my heart and soul … inside and out … and I know hers. But I’ve never met her face to face.

Until last week.

When I heard she’d be taking a family vacation to Disney, I was all over it. Well … more like God was probably all over it.

And from the first moment I saw her outside the hotel, and we took our places on those white rocking chairs … we rocked, and chatted, and caught up like we were life-long friends.

But isn’t that how it is in God’s world?

He knew there’d be a day … “for such a time as this” … that I’d need these ladies in my life.

I received this message from Stacey this week, “praying God’s hope blooms in your heart today.”

Real connections are being made all over the internet, and I’m constantly amazed at the way prayer, hope, and life-giving words can be spread through the wires of a computer.

I’ve been meeting with these ladies every morning for close to two years … they are my Good Morning Girls, they lift me, they encourage me, they keep me accountable, they love on me, they pray for me … and they make my life better because they’re in it!

Discussion :: Do you have women breathing encouragement into your life? Have you made a real connection with someone across the computer screen?

Friendship.

Women.

Insecurities.

Deep down, so many of us struggle with the same issues. Who knew? Many hide it so well. *I* hide it so well.

What started on Friday night as a private viewing of beautiful, encouraging words, continued on Saturday with more encouragement to connect as a sister-community.

A few of my favorite take-aways?

What (in)courage did this weekend was truly astounding. Amazing! Over 1,700 women all over the world connecting and being real. Tears, laughter, and community.

What started as a thought, “let’s move online friendships into real life,” turned into an amazing day of women connecting. In REAL life.

Here’s what (in)courage had to say:

Having prayed for this day for nearly a year, to see the faces of the women
connecting (in) real life, was like meeting an answered prayer face to face.

This day of Jesus bringing together His daughters in a celebration of community?
This was a day and a moment that only God could sign His name to.

I look at this group of women and am at a loss for words. It’s almost as if what we shared for those few hours were sacred, and words wouldn’t do them justice. The time we spent together seems a blur and in some ways I can’t recall the details except to say it was beautiful and sacred and treasured.

We were brave introverts {along with a couple extraverts}, to open our hearts to each other. A sacred afternoon indeed.

I’ll tell you what … I really wanted to host an event at my home, but really struggled with the timing and some things happening in our lives. But after praying about it, I decided to step out in faith and sign up to host.

I. am. so thrilled that I did. One thing I didn’t think about when signing up to “host” … is that I would be the … well … the host! I just thought I would open my home and get to decorate pretty for a party. It absolutely didn’t dawn on me that I’d also have to facilitate our meet-up. I’ll call that blind faith! :)

Anyway … opening my home couldn’t have been a huger blessing to me! Planning, decorating and futzing kept me busy and preoccupied. And it also filled some creative juices I’d been yearning to be filled.

The swag bags I put together included little goodies one might need in making a new friend: altoids, chapstick, tissues, and pretty nails! And I owe a very special thank you to my online, soon-to-be-real-life friend Dawn, for the crocheted sand dollars!

The whole program … Friday and Saturday … was a complete blessing to me. My heart is full.

Psst … if you’re looking for community, encouragement, or just to know you’re not alone in this thing we call sisterhood, I’d like to encourage you to pre-order the 2 DVD disc set and the expanded 80 page study booklet over here.

My friend Terrie, along with her husband and daughter, came to visit just less than a month ago.  They called it their “maiden voyage” without Em.  If you’ve got, oh … about 12 minutes, you can learn more of their story here.

Anyway.  It was one of those bittersweet times.  So much joy in seeing my friends … yet so much sadness.  There were smiles and catching up … but they were stolen moments between sorrow and tears.  Lots of inspiration and lifting of each other … but shared with heavy hearts.

I haven’t lost a daughter, but I have lost a family … a life.  And while I don’t dare presume for one minute that I know the pain their family is suffering through … I do know grief, mourning, trying to find a new normal.

Terrie is gracious.  Loving.  Beautiful.  And Terrie, if you read this … I’m not saying you’re strong.  :)

But dear readers, I’ll tell you what.  My beautiful friend Terrie is letting God guide her steps right now.  She’s leaning on Him and trusting that He will see their family through.

I’m not sure if that sounds familiar to you at all {um, you know, if you read my musings here on the blog}?  So maybe you can see how we had a lot to talk about.

Anyway.

She’s coined a new phrase.  When something happens that’s quite coincidental … but we know it’s not … we know God’s hand is all over it … she says … now we say, “of course {this or that} happened!”

Oh how our God knows what we need.  And right when we need it.

So … you might have read … yesterday was my birthday.  And I am blessed.  I was gifted.  And I was loved.  But there are deep wounds that don’t necessarily heal with blessings, gifts and love.  True story.

It was a wonderful day and I went to bed thanking God for all I have and all He does.  That said … I hurt.  It was emotional.  Just was.

When I got home from dropping the girls at school and started cleaning the kitchen … I had a gravy boat {weird, but part of the story} to put away on a high shelf and I needed to get a chair out to put it away.

Let me back up … while Terrie was here, I needed to run out for a bit and it was right before they were leaving for home.  We had a time change while she was here and I might have been complaining about changing all the clocks back … well, when I got home, she had already gone, but to my surprise she had turned back all of the clocks for me.

There’s one that sits right above my stove and she didn’t hang it back up properly … it was just sort of resting on the molding there.  I was much too lazy busy to drag a chair over there to get it on the actual nail, so just left it sit there … for almost a month.

Back to yesterday … while I had the tall chair out putting the gravy boat away, I decided to put the clock up on the proper nail.

When I picked the clock up, a piece of paper came fluttering down and landed on the floor.  It was such a crazy thing, I wasn’t sure what happened.  So I hung the clock and got down.

And then picked up the paper {which had landed face down}.

It was a hidden note from Terrie.  A birthday gift.  Saved for just the right moment in time.

I took a picture, texted her, told her I had just found it.  “My birthday gift from you … from God!  OF COURSE I found it today.”

God hears you my friend.  He sees you.  You might not think He’s listening.  You may think you’re not hearing Him.

Listen carefully … ears, eyes, but most importantly heart … wide open.  Look there! Did you see that fluttering piece of paper fall … there He is … speaking to you.

He loves you.

Okay so.  A little over a month ago, there was a new parent breakfast thingy at the girls school {about two months too late if you ask me!}.  I was really anxious {in a bad way} about going.  And sure enough … as I’m walking up to the school, there’s little-miss-blondie {have I mentioned, it seems like everyone in North Caroline is blonde?} in her cute skirt, flips, and JCrew shirt.  In full disclosure, I knew it was JCrew, cuz I have the same one.

I so badly wanted to make a cute comment about her shirt and that I have the same one … but I know from experience when cuteness tries to come out of my mouth, all it sounds like is … “LAME!”  So I stayed silent about the shirt.

I go in amongst the throngs of friends and chatty pals … and sit down at a table as a big ol’ wannabe.  In fact, there was a woman with a child already at the table I sat at.  She seemed to be balancing a lot … so I went out of my comfort zone {I even used my sweet dimples} to ask her if she needed any help getting her daughter something to eat {it was a breakfast thingy after all}, and she looked at me like my hair was 10 shades of purple with a ring of fire in the middle!  “NO.” she said … and not so politely either.  And she was no longer at the table when I returned with my breakfast goodies.  Humpf.

And then sits down Molly.  A breath-of-fresh-air Molly.  There were three ladies at my table and we introduced ourselves.  Molly … I could just tell … had a bit o’ crazy going on in her life.  Seein’ as how I swim in a pool of crazy these days … I can spot someone else’s crazy a mile away!  She mentioned she’d only been in NC for 6 weeks … and was from … are you ready for it? … Chicago!  And … she’d visited the small town I came from in Wisconsin!

Crazy coincidence?  Or Divine appointment?  We know what we believe!

Okay … so, back to my story.  As we were talking at the new parent breakfast thingy, a nother blonde lady comes up to Molly and tells her “they’re all sitting at such-and-such a table.”

Sigh.  Another one bites the dust.

Although, we did exchange contact info … so maybe there’s a chance.

And then the breakfast thingy program starts.  And they talk, and they talk, and they talk … telling us all the things we’ve already learned the hard way, and really needed to know two months ago!

When the talking finally ends, they tell us to take note of the grade level taped to our tables and to find our child’s grade level and sit at that table.  While I have my choice of three tables, I notice I’m sitting at 2nd grade.  I also take note that I really need to be networking for Piper.  Yeah, I was desperate like that.  But I decide to stay where I’m at.

And guess who comes back?  That’s right folks … a breath-of-fresh-air Molly!  Turns out her son is in 2nd grade.

Well … the talking starts all over again and this time runs into the time that I have to leave … I’m volunteering at church to greet women as they enter for a ministry called Morning Grace.  And so I have to leave.  And I’m really wanting to ask Molly if she’d like to go, but I can’t.  And so I whisper I have to go.

And I get to church.  And I greet.  When worship started, I sat down.  Looked behind me, and who walks in?

A breath-of-fresh-air Molly.

Turns out she was. not. going to go to the parent breakfast thingy at school, but she promised the blonde lady that snatched her she’d meet her there.  And she was. not. going to go to Morning Grace, but she volunteered to bring a snack.

I sprung {yes! sprung!} from my seat, gave her a hug, and asked which class she was going to.  Turns out it’s the same class I was attending!  {there are like ten different classes …}

Crazy coincidence?  Or Divine appointment?

I could go on and on … but basically, we’ve been inseparable since we’ve met.

I knew it was a match made in heaven when at dinner, I accidentally spit something out of my mouth … and Molly purposefully took a bite and spit it out too.

Molly gifted me with this cute mug {and of course got one for herself too}.  The other side says “with God.”  I texted her one morning with a photo of my mug, and she texted back with a photo of her mug.

OH wait! I almost forgot!  The first morning we met for coffee, as we were getting up to leave, she grabbed my hand and said we needed to pray.  It. was. beautiful!  There is was … in the middle of Starbucks, a friendship sealed with prayer.

And we’ve even gotten our toes painted together!  :)

Here’s a photo of the girls with Molly’s son … he’s a sweetie and a certain Johnson girl may have a little crushie-crush on him!

I know I’ve mentioned Piper’s new friend before, but here are a couple photos of them and the other girls {one is Syndey’s sister, also in 2nd grade}.

And lastly … even babygirl had a playdate!  Her very first one!!  When I hung up the phone with the girl’s mom, this was what I saw … well, kinda … this one’s a reenactment.

I know I’m finished with the 31 Days of Faith posts … but I’d like to encourage you with a few thoughts …

At times, we’ve gotten very discouraged with our new adventure here in the South … we STILL get very discouraged.  But what I believe with all my heart and tell the girls, is that God wouldn’t have us in this place if He didn’t have great plans for us!  I believe it.  I know it.

I wrote this post during a really difficult time.  Even though it was a rough valley for me, I never lost hope.  I never lost my faith … my belief.

And look … just look how He’s rewarded us.

” … Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful
with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things …”
Matthew 25:23

Where are you at today?  Do you believe in His promises for you?  Are you being faithful with little?

I am so thankful He hears us.  He cares.  He rewards those who are faithful.

My little children, let us not love in word
or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.
1 John 3:18

Can I ask you to take a moment of your time to vote for this little girl’s dream to come true?  Follow this link and click on the “thumbs-up-do-you-like-this-dream” button.  And if your spirit directs you to spread the word for more votes … please, please do!

“My 10 yr old daughter has felt a tug on her heart for some time to help care for the children orphaned by AIDS in Africa. I have been to S. Africa and Swaziland twice, and have stayed with an organization who shared their campus with the Africa School of Missions. My daughter’s dream is to be a missionary in Africa and dreams of going to college there so that she can do what she feels called to do by helping others in need. She has started making necklaces to save for a airplane ticket to Africa. My dream is for HER to see her dreams come true by reaching beyond her tiny world here and making a huge difference in the world around her.”

Can you imagine a world if we all had this passion burning inside of us?  And at such an early age!  I love it!!