There she went blazing past me...close enough to touch (and we did...touch
each other that is)!
And there she is on stage in Lutz, Florida talking right to ME!
Honestly, that's how I felt at this conference which began with a wonderful road trip with my Aunt Ne arriving from Atlanta, grabbing Cousin Effie and myself in her Pilot and then we all headed to Tampa. I left the Flock under Daddy's and Uncle Steve's care (AND they got a call to show the house for the second time as we're on I-75 headed South). We drove straight to our very first MOST WONDERFUL Nanny's Mom's House to get our totally meant-to-be tickets, stopped for some yummy food and wine at Macaroni Grill and then FINALLY arrived at the church where she would pour out words SO moving that I was emotionally drained AND rejuvenated after 8, super short hours with her (and her praise and worship band).
Back up a little...sometime in November or December I "just ended up" on Beth Moore's website
http://www.lproof.org/Events/Schedule.asp and was overjoyed to see that she would be in
Lutz (Tampa) right where my parents live...in April. I
immediately emailed wonderful women in my life to see if they would like to join. After I got the formal head count and went online to get the tickets - they were SOLD OUT. No joke...beginning of January (yeah it took a while) and they were SOLD OUT. So, I contacted our wonderful first nanny, Whitney, because she was raised in the church hosting this Beth Moore event and asked her to put a feeler out to see if we could get 3 or 4 tickets. She posted it to her
Facebook page and her Mom did the same. Whitney did a great job of letting me know she was still on top of it as the days and months ticked away.
In all that time I never took it off my Outlook Calendar. I never canceled plans with Hubby and even when we were in Atlanta and Aunt Ne asked about the tickets...I assured her that we didn't have them YET but I knew we were supposed to be there and I knew we would get tickets. SO- the Monday of the conference (started Friday PM) I get a text from Whitney that she has tickets...and not only one or two, but three or four. SO- again I get the Final Number and commit to three tickets for myself, Aunt Ne and Effie. (see God working here)
So we have the divine-tickets and have safely arrived to the most AWESOME second row seats in this HUGE Mega church that hosted this event. Yep- that's SECOND row...so not only did God want us there...He wanted us UP CLOSE and personal (6:00 PM Friday). SO everyone gets a book to take notes in and I open mine to read, "Welcome. Hold Nothing back and He will open the windows of heaven for you." OK- so I flip through the pages trying to see WHAT she's going to talk about. See Beth Moore talks about something different at EACH location...so we really had NO idea what we were signing up for when we started our quest for tickets.
Praise and worship begins and it's awesome...then Beth Moore takes the stage. She goes on to tell the audience that the previous conference was in Arizona about the Resurrection Power of the Cross and it was during a prayer for that conference that God laid on her heart to talk about Families at the next conference in Lutz. (I'm still chatting with the total stranger next to me about what GREAT seats we have, thus totally missing all this intro part). Then I hear the words calamity and family and my head turns quickly forward...at that same time Ne's head jerks back at me and our eyes lock. "What did she just say this conference is going to be about?" I asked. With tearing eyes Ne responded, "You are never going to believe it, she's talking about Calamity in Families!" WOW- God got my attention loud and clear.
From that intro until the very end the following day at Noon, I was so overwhelmed that God had called me here "for such a time as this" (another loud message from Beth Moore's study of Esther which I had just completed with my Bible Study Group the Fall Semester). Saturday morning opened with an alter call that moved my legs so quickly forward I didn't know why I was leaving my seat. I bowed and wept so openly at that alter, I knew it was God taking some baggage I was not meant to carry alone. WOW
Beth Moore was filling me up with so much great scripture that my hand couldn't keep up (and I'm a MASTER note taker). I wish I could scan-in my notes so that you can see the personal words that were spoken to me during that conference. Here are her main points:1. We increasingly lack family. 2. We need family: you cannot fulfill your destiny in autonomy, we need family for accountability, we were created for depth of relationship. 3. Family is meant to grow not shrink, Jesus will come to heal hearts for all who will let Him in. 4. ANY family can have calamity..she said whine or be a warrior- we are never gonna be freed from bondage if we don't get up and break free and stop sitting around whining about it, He esteems a broken spirit and uses it to make a humble servant, we don't have to worry about [x] breaking us because we're already broken and nothing or no one will push us to the breaking point because we're already broken. We need Christ to be made whole. 5. Family calamity is most complicated when it comes as a consequence. 6. Our family calamity doesn't have to be irreparable. seek restoration, seek peace, seek Christ. 7. Christ came to bring honor back to the family. 8. We are family!!! We are all in the family of believers. Invest in the family of God. Get connected with a community of believers. WOW
I'll close with a verse she cited more than one time: Romans 12:9-10 ESV "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor." Definitely scripture I want to live in a way that my children KNOW it and they themselves strive to outdo one another...one day!
The next morning started off with a sweet whisper in my ear (from Daddy) that I could stay IN BED and he would take care of everyone AND take the big kids to school! W-H-A-T...Mama got to sleep in a little. LOVE IT. SO I got up at 6:45 (instead of 6:15 AM) and got ready for my first day as a 3-7 year old. I arrived in the kitchen to pack two lunches and Evan, Ashlyn Grace and Colson were at the table serenading me with Happy Birthday To You!!! I Packed their lunches and kissed three Flemings out the door...time to shower and get ready.
Love this card that everyone signed (even Braxton)! (Boy...do I look that tired ALL the time?)
Then it was time to open the gifts. Here are some super cute BEE earrings that Ashlyn Grace got Mommy (since AG is in the Beehive this year...they are a special gift...which I told her I will wear to her Beehive Graduation)!
Once I ripped through the gifts, it was time for the SUPER YUMMY german shepherd...I mean German Chocolate cake that my sweet Cousin Stephanie made for me and delivered to John's office fresh so that I could have cake ON my birthday. (Love my Cuz) Braxton and I are making the same face and YEP that's Colson mining for gold - LOL!!!
Ashlyn Grace came over and gave me a super big huge and whispered in my ear a sweet sentiment from her heart and right after that I asked John to take our picture and Evan decided to join in! (why am I the only one who looks ready for bed?!)
It appears that Braxton enjoyed the cake too!!!
The third and final day of Birthday Bliss ended the "day after" with a stop at TJMaxx and then a d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s lunch at the Buttery Sweet Cafe and Bakery in Alachua with a new Cornerstone Mom, Sarah, whom I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know. 
