What a wonderful thing to be a part of the Chickasha area Ladies’ Day: Twenty Five Years of Living, Laughing and Learning, hosted by Parkview Christian Church! There’s nothing like hearing the start-up of an annual retreat. Greetings, giggles, “You look great!” “It’s so good to see you again.” “Let’s go check out the food.” Squeals. Pointing. “Ooh – see those centerpieces? Look at the decorations!” “This is going to be a great day!” And it was. I had the privilege of being able to share “The Chocolate Side of Life” and how God is Lord of our milk chocolate and dark chocolate hard times and how He is the God of second chances, and “A Quilt of Chocolate Comfort” – God is the “God of all comfort” and WE can take comfort because God can see more than we can see and He DOES what He SAYS He will do and He is who He says He is. That is true, all the time, regardless of what our circumstances LOOK like. As fun as that was, I also had the joy of hearing stories, of listening to incredibly brave women with faith journeys. I chatted with Vera Marie and was amazed at her strength. I met Mary and heard the story of how she met her beloved, her time in England and her job at La Guardia airport back when it was one building. A lovely gal from Canada. Laura, whose precious 12 –year-old had died of leukemia. Ladies who’d been married for 51 and 54 years respectively to their husbands, who sounded delightful. Linda and her friend who blessed me with Snickers bars and an angel from the kitchen who heisted Diet Coke from the trunk of her car. Kay, who had known me in college, when I was young. I laughed until my sides ached at the antics of our Emcee, Virginia and was so grateful for the hospitality of Glena and Tom Rickey, the coordinating efforts of Retta and for Jane’s technological magic. To top it off, the mother of two of my dearest friends came to hear me speak too! {Enjoy the pictures provided by Dixie}

Part II – Road Trip Notes with Laughter Naturally, I started off blasting my Oklahoma CD and singing along at the top of my lungs, “Oooooooooklahoma! Where the wind comes sweepin’ down the plains…” Hard to sing around the remains of a Culver’s butterburger. Learned to navigate a weird rental car that was partly stick-shift. Don’t ask. Made some observations: Man! They’ll just give a driver’s license to anybody! Turnpike: a compound word for highway robbery. Jotted down an outline and some great dialogue for a novel. Praised my way through two full-length praise CDs and then squeezed in Abba’s Greatest Hits! Dancing Queen took me waaay back. Treated myself to a quick dinner at Marie Callendar’s in Tulsa on the way back home, because I was missing my daddy and he and mother loved to eat there. Saw cows, ponds, pastures, lakes and one of God’s best-ever sunsets. Was reminded about why it is that movies always show couples in old movies riding off into them and I actually had to stop and applaud. Saw a couple riding side by side on horseback at dusk, leisurely talking and occasionally checking fence. Wondered if perhaps it was Pioneer Woman and Marlboro Man. Ended the trip back HOME jamming to the soundtrack from Grease and reminisced about meeting John Travolta when I was in high school and imagined that if he just got to know me better, we’d likely get married. Snort. Marveled the entire way there and back at God’s provision.

October 9-10, 2009

Ursa is a charming little farm town nestled up next to Quincy, which is quaint, but growing.  After speaking at Madison Park Christian Church in Quincy last spring, Natalie Neil sent me the gracious invitation to come to the first ever fall women’s day at Zion UCC.  Wow.  My youngest daughter, Elexa, traveled with me and we were captivated.  From the darling glass pumpkin filled with goodies in our hotel room to the fabulous programs, our weekend had a great beginning.

As we drove through the farms and towns on our way to speak Saturday morning, God had christened the fields with the first autumn frost.  Elexa and I drove, exclaiming all the way, oohing and aahing over God’s fall decorations.  “Oh, Mama,” Elexa breathed. “Even the dirt looks pretty!”  And it did.

“Rediscovering Joy: As a Woman, As a Wife & Mother, As a Child of God” was the theme.  I needed to speak those messages as much as the women said they needed to hear them.  Thanks for the most beautiful decorations and the warmest welcome, Zion ladies.  From the yummy cinnamon rolls at breakfast to the gorgeous bulletin board that one of the ladies’ made [check it out in the photo] just for this event, we were welcomed, and we were blessed.

“And who knows, but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this…”  Mordecai’s words to Queen Esther were also the this weekend’s theme.  Now is OUR time, as women of faith, girls of grace to speak up, stand out and shine in our dark culture.  We need to look differently enough that someone WANTS to ask the reason for the “hope that lies within” us.  Girls, let’s clean out those spiritual closets and wear His grace, that has never gone out of fashion.  Then, let’s go meet this world with His message in style!

Emmy was my weekend assistant and we had great mother-daughter time, especially since we didn’t get to sleep at all Friday night. J  It is fun watching your children “becoming!”

Miniature hour glasses decorated the tables; clocks and autumn’s bountiful mums bedecked the stage.  Chocolate bowls with dipping items and warm cheese dip in bread bowls with pretzel crackers and raw veggies for snack/craft/ fellowship time.  Tears and laughter.  Powerful workshops.  Stellar campfire time.  The breathtaking beauty of the outdoors in the fall. Matt Hunt’s worship band amazingly prepared our hearts for worship.  Additional treats like “Mississippi Squirrel Revival” and Trace Atkins’ “You’re Gonna Miss This.” 

The wonderful connection and “it’s a small world” moments of life in God’s fellowship.  Discovering that Shari’s husband and brother-in-law were childhood campmates of mine at High Hill Christian Camp!  I was instantly transported back to campfires, dorms with wooden shutters, Snake Lake, Bible story nights, and a warm concrete slab with glass bottles of Coca Cola and a Three Musketeers bar of my very own every day, four days in a row!

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What a tremendous blessing!  Thanks to the Powers family for letting to weary strangers camp in their gracious home Friday night.  It was lovely to meet you all. 

Laughter and tears in the camp.  God’s presence moving mightily.  The beauty and sincerity of the ladies there.  Kathy and Debbie.  Sweet Becky bring 14 from her new church.  A campfire of 140 women who reminisced about the power of God and church camp to change lives.  Meeting a beautiful young wife and mother of two little girls, who blessed me with the privilege of seeing the picture of her and her husband holding their precious 2 week old son as he left her arms for Jesus’ waiting hands.  How we cried together. 

There is so much sorrow in this world for now, but oh, the promise of what is to come!

Isaiah 65: 17, 20 promise this: “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth, the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.  Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years.”    

Heaven will amaze us with its glory, splendor and the very presence of God.  Sometimes we forget to “encourage each other with these words.”  Consider yourselves encouraged, precious sisters in Christ!         

September 11-12

Beautiful, long, pensive drive to Iowa to share with the ladies there this weekend.  What a beautiful time of year for a drive.  Carpets of purple flowers and gloriously golden black-eyed Susans, waving hello.  Hay bale tables, ready to be set for an autumn tea party and green treetops stretching to see over each other.  Bridal veils of early autumn leaves paved paths lined with golden rods.

Absent the billboards, you could almost imagine the first covered wagons rolling into Iowa.  I, of course, wanted to belt out “I-O-W-A” from the Rogers and Hammerstein musical, State Fair. J  I was also disappointed that I didn’t have time to stop at the Winterset exit and see the bridges of Madison County.

This was one prayed-up retreat!  From the beautiful music by the Franklin Avenue Quartet to the darling programs and fun crafts, it was a blessing. I was privileged to share from Luke 15 [the party chapter in the party gospel] Friday night and again from Thessalonians and Revelation on Saturday morning and afternoon.  We laughed and cried together.

I sang campfire choruses I hadn’t heard since I was a girl, going to church camp at High Hill. Do Lord, Oh, Do Lord, O Do Remember Me and anyone remember: “O you can’t get to heaven [o you can't get to heaven]; in a Kleenex box [in a Kleenex box]….cause God don’t want no little snots.  All my sins are washed away, I’ve been redeemed.”  Not sure of the theology, but it sure is fun to sing while you’re making S’mores.

Thanks to all of you who prayed me home;  I did get lost in Kansas City, but the nice Officer who pulled me over pointed me in the right direction!  Off to Cherryvale, Kansas this weekend.