some happy things

 

one of my favorite prints by katie daisy

seemed appropriate to share today as i was thinking 

over some things that make me happy.

first off, i received some good news from a followup doctor appointment last week.

ya'll know that sorta thing eats me up

so i was just so thankful to hear that issue was clear for now!

i'm really tickled...

savannah will be home in about two weeks!

i know its so ridiculously cliche

but this year really went by fast.

while i have missed her every single day,

she's had a fabulous freshman year at UGA

& is coming home having made straight A's

& is on the deans list.

i realize that's kinda obnoxious but i'm proud so i just have to share!

it seems like it was just yesterday when she was going through rush.

 

she's going to be doing an internship at our church

& i think she'll be working with the middle schoolers....

which means she'll have little bit with her this summer!

little bit 

aka

middle schooler.

goodness. gracious. alive.

it's kinda weird around here having only two children.

madi flew out last week to Salt Lake City.

she qualified for nationals in DECA

& will be competing there until later this week!

 i've sure missed having her around.

i think this shot was taken in park city!

& here she is with a random unidentified cute boy.
found this one on facebook.
please tell me i'm not the only mom who downloads her children's facebook pics
with random unidentified cute boys.
i'm certain she's going to tuck that wallet down in her purse.
safety first!

emi's wrapping up the last couple weeks in her freshman year

& spending her time learning to drive.

with dan.

i'm not the drivers ed teacher with my girls.

they have a calm, non-reactive dad who is gifted with the patience of job.

so he's the winner!

she's loving working with the baseball team as a manager.

our highschool was state champs last year

& heading in to the playoffs so she's definitely in a fun place!

i'm so tickled to share with you that Carol & Company 

was able to donate a sizable gift to Wellspring Living

thanks to your purchases last week!!

they are currently furnishing some apartments for the girls

& so the funds went directly to that project!
they currently have an amazon list of their needs,
please feel free to join in if you so desire!

& the lucky duck winner of the sorority girl mongram bracelet by John Wind

is #27 between you & me!

tara is one of the kindest most loyal bloggers out there so i was so happy

to count down to #27 & see she had won!!

enjoy!!

~~~

  give thanks to him and praise his name

for the Lord is good and his love endures forever;
    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

psalm 100 4&5

doing something now

i was signed up to volunteer for Passion 2012,

long story short, it logistically proved to be something i couldn't pull off.

when i explained to savannah i wouldn't be there,

 she was so disappointed.

disappointed i couldn't be there

& probably disappointed in me in general.

she said, but mom, it would be an opportunity for you to be involved in something big.

i felt horrible that i had let her down.

she went

she rounded up a LOAD of friends

she worshipped

she gave

she rocks.

( i watched the live stream & was blown away)

my girls have taught me so much this year.

taught me about looking outside our little world

& the need to share the gospel

 & give or help those in need.

savannah has a huge desire to give.

she's going to do big things herself

but i love that she has a giving spirit

to go along with a successful goal/task oriented mentality.

 

emi gave three weeks of her summer

to serve the people in peru

& love on sweet children in orphanages there.

( all while hobbling around on her broken ankle that occurred basically

as soon as she arrived) 

 

 

 

madi would love to travel to uganda one day.

she has a heart for the people there

& prays for and supports

Invisible Children

i talked to savannah months ago & told her i really felt like

i ( not dan in anyway) had failed her

in not having a world view.

in not showing her that her own mom was a generous person

a person concerned about other people

in other parts of the world.

i apologized for failing her.

that sweet child,

she simply replied to me,

"but mom that's ok.

i've been able to learn it from watching trevor ...."

( that boy has a huge selfless heart & wants to make money & give it away!)

what an awesome element in their relationship.

we can't always be all things to our children

but when they grow up

& see characteristics in others that impact them 

that's awesome too!

i love this generation of kids

i love that they don't want to wait

to make changes in our world, 

but they want to do something now

& i do too....

i signed & mailed a contract yesterday for a new business adventure

that

as soon as i get a few things squared away i will share with ya'll

...as for now, i am beyond excited!

the biggest excitement i have about this new adventure

is that i am going to be involved in something big.

bigger than just all about me.

bigger than just a paycheck.

bigger than just a job.

i've been trying to find a niche where i could do something

make a difference

somehow , in someway.

i LOVE that this new adventure is a medium where i can do just that....

now!

~~~

"Let the glory of Your name be the passion of the Church
Let the righteousness of God be a holy flame that burns
Let the saving love of Christ be the measure of our lives
We believe You're all to us"

chris tomlin

we finally meet!!

i've shared secrets with her

we've cried together

we text all the time

we chat all the time

we laugh. a lot.

while her glass is eternally half full, she's shared some of her heartaches with me.

( i consider that quite a privilege)

sure 'nuf,

i told her i'd do the wildest thing ever,

come speak at an event she's whipping up.

an event that is truly about encouraging each other

& reminding YOU of the beauty within you.

the hope within you.

an event that has been in her heart

& soul...

she has a heart like none other.

a heart to build up, encourage, bless,

pray for, & love on.

she's like no one i've ever met.

she's selfless & kind & warm and real.

anyway...

we talk about our college age girls

& our babies

our tall dark & handsome hubbies

& sweet tea.

she's stunning~

a drop dead gorgeous blond

with grace & poise.

she's wonderfully drippy sweet 

southern as they come.

her sayings crack.me.up.

all the time.

i love this girl & am honored to call Sibi my friend.

the only thing we hadn't done

was actually meet in person

& get some serious hugs, laughs, tears & maybe

just maybe

a squeal or two.

she texted me friday afternoon & said she was coming to atlanta

the next morning with her sweet girl

to get some work done,

so, we hooked up for a quick visit at

none other than the Varsity

(who says i don't have class)

&

had a ball!

 

i'm going to do a little shameless plug here for 

The Pearl Event.

for more information,

please swing over to sibi's 

& here too

or edie's.

we'd love to meet YOU in nashville on march 10th!!!

oh my!!

~~
"& let everything be lost in the shadows

of the light of your face

let every chain be broken from me

as i'm bound in your grace"

christy nockels

we need to go out & "do", mom

i'm going to apologize in advance
as this post is a long one with loads of pictures
& hopefully two videos to share.

however what occured last week here in atlanta
could probably fill every blog post i might write for quite some time.
i wish each of you knew someone that attended
or was able to watch the live stream
or
will purchase the digital access pass to the entire event.....

savannah headed back to school last night.

as she pulled out of the driveway i began to have that weird struggle in my mind.

knowing she's where she needs to be & is doing SO well, 

yet feeling like it will never be easy to letting one of them go. 

i realized as i walked into her now empty room again,

she won't be home for a long visit again until school is out. in may.
sigh

it was nothing less than fantastic having her home & catching up. watching movies. coffee dates with friends. eating out. shopping. visiting. going to church together.

i guess it's a weird battle 

our minds play

while we're in this phase of mothering.

don't you think?

this age, this 18yearold age, college freshman age

it might just be my favorite yet.

i loved the cute preschool age, 

& the age where they loose their front teeth

& still hold your hand and call you mommy,

but i really really love this age she's in right now.

(see, there's hope for you with middle schoolers.wink)

cheering them on as they leave the nest 

full of promise & so much potential

and yet

feeling like there's a vital part of the family unit

my family unit

that we're functioning without when she's elsewhere.

i know they must go.

we talked last week on the last morning of passion.

she told me multiple times, "i'm just sad mom. i'm sad that it's over".

we talked about mountain top experiences

& how after any big event 

there is a time of necessary down time as you readjust.

but then she said, "but mom, it needs to be over. we need to go out & do

all that we've been equipped to do. we need to go ".

i sat there in the carpool lane

ready to drop little bit off

with that lump in my throat that i've come accustomed to

anytime she wow's me with some profoundly simple revelation such as that.

passion 2012

equipped just shy of 45,000 college kids to do just that.

go out, go back to their campuses, go forward towards their future

with a passion for the lord

to bring justice to the injustice in this world.

to begin to free the over 27 million people 

enslaved. right now. 27 million people.

i'm sorry friends, but that alone blows my mind.
27 million. more than any other time in our history.
can you even wrap you mind around that?

these kids have an amazingly generous spirit

full of dreams

with the knowledge they need to make change.

i posted on facebook that they raised a specific amount of money

only to quickly realize my error.

i quickly went back & fixed it...

they GAVE over 3 MILLION dollars
not raised, they GAVE

3 million dollars towards various ministries/organizations to free slavery.

gave out of their empty college co-ed idon'thaveacareeryet pockets.

3 million.

the structure pictured below was a statue, huge temporary statue, built to represent the hand of worship & the hand reaching out to help others. it was covered with clothing & articles representing children involved in child labor. women involved in sex traffic and others bound into a life of slavery.

all 45,000 of the kids went out on the last night, silently, and light candles as a symbol of solidarity in their fight against injustice.

my words & descriptions are terribly inadequate

& while it's more powerful to have been there

it was super powerful to watch it

you can purchase a digital pass to have each

session downloaded to your computer

along with all the music right here

& i promise you , it will be one of the best spent $25 in your life.

i find myself just stumbling through my thoughts & words regarding this amazing event.

through my excitement as i watch this generation as they rise up

through my love for these kids that spent four days together.

they'll change our world, they'll change our world

the friend of mine that sponsored savannah & 4 of her friends

gave over $3,000 in support  by the time the week was over.

( that i know of. knowing her, probably much more).

the last day she asked if she could treat them to a wonderful meal.

she wanted somewhere wonderful for them

yet savannah wanted it to be somewhere non-intimidating & fun too.

after getting loads of tips ( thank you facebook friends)

she chose Fogo de Chao.

wow.

it deserves a post of its own.

we had an incredible meal!

dan & i were blessed to hear each of their passion highlights

& how the Lord really changed their lives.

an evening dan & i will treasure forever.

 

 the sweetest part of the evening was when we were able to connect with my friend

unfortunately couldn't get facetime to work

but all the kids gathered around my phone as she spoke to them

& encouraged them.

they thanked her over & over again...so sweet.

so yes, my heart is a little tender today as i'm missing having my girl

right here with me.

as sad as i am about that...i'm immeasurably more joyful as i get a front row

seat to her life & all the lord has in store for her

for her friends ( about 20 of them)

that all shared a powerful powerful week together.

Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, 

words may be given me so that I will 

fearlessly

make known the mystery of the gospel

ephesians 6.19