I'm Missing Her

I'm missing her.

She died when I was nine and don't remember alot, but I miss her. This past weekend as I sat with 13,000 other women and especially the women of my church emotions flooded me, and I wanted my Mom. She was the one who taught me about God. Her physical dissabilities limited her from doing many things with me ....... but what she did do, that had such a huge impact on my life, was read to me ..... mostly from the Bible. I remember one night, one of the few memories I have of her, she was sitting at the kitchen table and was praying outloud to God ... and she was praying a blessing for me!

I hadn't thought about it for a long time ... but the image is vivid today ... and I miss her.

She had a beautiful voice. I remember her singing. I didn't inherit that gift, so instead ... I write ........ different gifts, many blessings. She would have loved the Women of Faith Conference. I am so glad she instilled Jesus into my heart. I know it was important to her.

The ladies at church who knew her well have been such "joys" in my life ... always reminding me of how very much she loved me and how proud she would have been of me. They have stepped in and nurtured me along the way these Women of Faith and I am forever grateful.

But .... I miss her.

Sending a hug to heaven's courts. I love you Mom.

Contagious Joy

This past weekend I was blessed to spend a day and half with over 13,000 woman. That's right ... I said blessed. I attended the Women of Faith Conference at the Excel Center in St. Paul with about 50 ladies from Luverne UMC and surrounding churches. We took a bus, stayed in a hotel, and it was a blast.

The theme of the event was Contagious Joy .... and being at the event made joy absolutley contagious. We laughed, we cried, we pondered, we worshipped ... I still am and will be for days to come as things continue to seep out from the depths of my soul.

Shouldn't joy be something that we consider contagious?? Shouldn't we spread joy to as many people as we can?? So why is it then that I often find myself trying to keep joy in a tiny box as if to take NyQuil to sleep it off like when I get a cold. When joy should be contagious, infectious, bellylaughing, dancing before Jesus kind of a thing ..... and yet sometimes .... I end up sucking the joy right out of myself. I need more joy breaks in my life.

At the Conference, one of the speakers mentioned that "life is dissapointing" ... did you know that? It is a fact, everything isn't always sunshine and roses girls now is it? So then what ... do we just decide that life sucks and we should just take it because life is a big huge disappointment ..............

The speaker also mentioned, that she takes joys breaks, giggles breaks along the way in the midst of all of life's dissapointments we need to look for the little things that bring us joy. I am joyful for friends today .... for new friends from the trip, for friends that God has blessed me with across the MN Annual Conference through the work I do, for my Luverne UMC girls who know me best and love me anyway, and for old friends ... who share my heart, pure, deep, & true. I am joyful today for new life in our church ... for little girls dancing in the aisle before their Jesus. For how God is working in my life and bringing me into something new even though it is hard and painful ... it is joyful and I know it is His call as all I can do is simply surrender and follow. I am joyful for my babies .... who are young men and for my husband who even though doesn't quite get-it-all most of the time just "goes with it" and lets me do my thing.

Satan doesn't like joy much. Paul tells us to consider it joy for trials in our life for it is then we walk as Jesus walked. Jesus took giggle breaks ... you can count on it.

Live well, laugh often, love much ......... be contagious in your walk this week.

Tired .... but Blessed Today.

Be God's,

Lori

Relapse Type A & Out Of Sorts

WOW! I haven't posted in awhile and my friend reminded me of that yesterday. I'll try to keep this updated a bit more, maybe I just haven't had a whole lot to say ... I think it is more like I have had alot to say just not via "blogland".

I'm out of sorts ... not feeling well. I'll spare ya the details and just say "my bladder is ill". I have a ton of work to do, heading out on the road for 2 meetings Fri-Sunday with one night being a lucky church floor sleeper (with an ill bladder), and wishing I could just say a special little prayer that my house would automatically remove all dustbunnies and everything would be organized if I could just will it done ....

And so I am out of sorts and overwhelmed. I know I have a whole bunch of folks I can count on, that isn't it at all. The overwhelming part is most of the stuff is just stuff I have to do myself ..... I guess I am having a day where I resort back to Type A.

I haven't been there in awhile, the Type A place .... I always tell people I am a recovered Type A, maybe my friends would disagree. I can see it, the Type A persona in some young youth leaders ... and I kindof chuckle to myself thinking ... "oh you'll learn" .... but how well I know.

Although I have tons of work to do and Wed night is usually phone call night because it is church night and JUMYs deadline time with last minute housing dilemas and such (now really friends ... you can't house 1 adult & 9 youth together .. please no more of these questions thankyou!), I have decided that the best medicine for both my ill bladder and my relapse into Type A is for me to get my pj pants on, turn off my computer & phones, and rest.

Needing some rest tonight .......... I'll be back in the morning.

Lori