There were moments where I was really great at doing it...and other moments where I was being a big baby and didn't want to do ANYTHING for ANYONE because I was mad...but that is a different story....and I did catch up so who cares anyway??? SO...this passed weekend about 1/4 of the women that participated went to Houston Texas to indulge in a little Siesta Celebration and hang with the Living Proof team.
We met at the Houston's First Baptist Church, which by the way is not easy to find...as a matter of fact...not much in Houston is easy to find. I found the Galleria...but even that took me forever to find a way IN TO THE DANG PLACE. Whatever...so we met at the church on Friday night and Saturday morning and received an amazing word from Beth. One of the coolest parts was there were only about 500 women there. I think the smallest event we've ever been to would be in Laramie, WY this past year and there were around 2500 women there. In any case, even with the 500 women that were there, we brought the house down with praise and worship lead by none other than Travis Cottrell. It was truly an amazing time. It is so hard for me to put into words the ideas and thoughts Beth's messages provoke in me. I think one of the things, however, that impacted me most was the thought surrounding how our Father directs our path, that His word is a light unto our feet. That a lot of times we depend on light to illuminate everything for us, but a lamp only gives you the light you need. The light we need is our direction and sometimes it's minute by minute, and sometimes the light shows more, but the good thing about the light is...it always shows up in the dark.
We stayed at the Houston Omni hotel, which was A-mazing! We ate A LOT and read our verses A LOT. I was sad though that I didn't get to meet as many of the Siesta's as I would have liked. That left with me with some questions about how whether I'm really outgoing or not...but we can save that for a post for a different day. It will include some heading like 'Which personality am I ... today?'
It was a good weekend. It was a sad weekend. I am so blessed to have gotten to go. I'm so blessed to have a husband who realizes the importance of the Word and what it means to have it imprinted on our hearts. I'm grateful I have a mother that instilled that need for the Word in me and was there right beside me this weekend. I'm also grateful for best friends to walk roads with. The ones that you can be real with, laying down every falsity and facade to expose your heart in it's true state. My bff otherwise knows as our ball of energy Joni lost her mom on Saturday...and the events surrounding the time she passed were truly amazing. Not just what was going on in the room when she went home, but the text Joni received before anyone even knew while we were in Houston, her mothers last words days before and the song we were singing when her mom died...God is good people...that is all i can say...He is so good.
11 comments:
I just got done writing an email to another blog friend who also attended the SSMT this past weekend!
After reading the recap on the LPM blog, I feel very much like the kid who didn't get to go to the party on Saturday that now everyone is talking about on Monday at school! I am so happy about the turn out and the wonderful time that was had by all. I had no doubt that Jesus would be lifted high and be feelin' the praise all weekend! So is it awful that I am jealous, and a little sad that I didn't get to come?! I can't express in words just how much Beth and her Believing God study online meant to me during my diagnosis and treatment. There were many times when I would sit in my recliner and watch her online and her words about our Lord brought me so much peace and encouragement. One lady has a pic of her and Beth on her blog, and I was just overwhelmed with emotion when I saw it...because I know that if I were to be lucky enough to get to hug Beth Moore's neck, I would weep like a baby. Oh, I so wish I could have been there! But I'm blessed by your words of what a wonderful time it was...even if it was difficult to get around!
I am also brought into my reality when I read in your post about being blessed to have a husband who knows how important it is to have God's words imprinted on your heart...made me realize, I don't have that. Jack is a Christian, wonderful, and believing, but without that solid rock upon which to stand. I don't think he understands the importance your husband does. When I would tell him about the SSMT event, hoping he would see my huge desire to go and tell me to go get my plane ticket, he would just give me a smile and a "that's really neat" and not much more. He really doesn't understand what the SSMT has meant to me, and how important the whole impact of memorizing Scripture is. I was just hit with this full force while reading your post.
I guess I just need to focus my sadness (and jealousy!) into prayer for myself and for him. That he will see my changing heart and that maybe he will change with me.
Love ya, Sara!
I'm so sorry about Joni's mom. That breaks my heart.
Oh, Sara. I'm so, so sorry about your friend's mom. Praying for her family!!
Sara,
I've been reading all the blog recaps from SSMT weekend and I came across yours. I just started reading your whole blog and noticed your from Denver! My husband and I absolutely LOVE Colorado and hope to move there in the near future. We were actually looking in the Littleton area. I was hoping to connect with some LPM bloggers from that area to give me some inside info on schools and churches from a Christian perspective. If your interested, you can email me at blarsen94@gmail.com, or check out my blog...I am now a follower of yours.
I must say, I am sooo going to be on board for the next SSMT. Looks like everyone had a really great time! I didn't actually find the LPM blog until November of last year, so it was to late. I've done several of Beth Moore's studies, however, and am anxiously waiting her next book!!
Well, drop me an email if your interested in chatting!
Hope you have a great day,
Brandi
Thank you for sharing!
Thank you Amanda.
Brandi, I actually won a copy of her book this weekend. Haven't started reading it, but I'm so excited to start! I emailed, so let me know if you don't get it.
Sara,
I just spent the last hour and a half or so reading through all of your blog posts. All I can say is WOW...I am blown away!
By your honesty, your transparency, your spunk and your love for God.
About 15 years ago my brother and sister-in-love had a beautiful baby girl. They named her Nicole. She had something called enacephaly(not sure if that's spelled right).
They discovered this during an ultra sound done at 7 months and told them their baby girl would live only a few hours or at most a few days. They scheduled a C-section for two weeks later because she was unable to have a vaginal delivery.
Precious Nicole came into this world and they held her for about two hours before her Heavenly Father wrapped His arms around her and took her home.
I am going to send my SIL the link to your blog. I think she will find great comfort here. I especially love how you said that your baby boy Issac was going to prove to be amazing in the Kingdom of God, and that you get to be his mommy forever.
I came across so many "golden nuggets" of truth, honesty and faith throughout your posts. I keep thinking that I probably saw you sometime over the weekend at the celebration, having no idea that I would read your blog several days later and be so blessed.
I am so sorry dear Sara that you have been through and continue to go through such heartache but...God...yes our God...only He knows.
I think my brother is still angry and I feel like somehow God is going to use you to help him.
Thank you for being so open, honest and real
Sharon
Sharon, thank you so MUCH for your kind words! I wish you had left an email address or a way I could reach you. It would be my honor to bless them in any way I can. Even if it's just to pray for them. Thank you again and have a wonderful rest of your week!
Dear Sara,
Perhaps this isn't the appropriate place to post this here. But I didn't know where else to. And I didn't know if you'd return to my post. So please forgive me, for here it is.
Before I start though, you go girl! I'm so thrilled that you were a part of those lovely sisters that spent so much time memorizing scripture and so was blessed by a wonder of a time to celebrate it! Incredible! I didn't know about it until long after ya'll had started, and felt it too late to catch up. Regretfully, I wish I'd tried to anyway. But you guys, you blow my mind!
Another thing, I am so sorry for your Joni's loss! And yes, I too, read a couple more of your blogs and my heart was so sad to hear of the loss of your own child. The heart ache I am sure is indescrible! And no, you'll never forget. You'll always carry that precious babe of you always! I'm sorry your heart hurts!
And now...
Oh my, dear Sara, thanks so much for posting what you did on my page! No, Mr X, has no idea that I put that there. And really, in all honesty, I didn't do it to blast or offend Mr. X.
Honestly, I did it in hopes that we would look at our ownselves to see what we do. To see what we see. To listen to what we say. To take a good look at ourselves to see if we are getting caught in our own web while we're gawking at Caught in theirs. No one ever (even me!!!) has a right to cast the first stone! None of us have a right to point!
Truthfully, I didn't even send my letter to Mr. X because I didn't want him to hear me wrong and I was afraid he would. I'm not mad at Mr X, instead, I am mostly sadden that we can be so quick to expose and shame those that clearly are in desperate need of Jesus. When maybe, we're the "Jesus" with skin-on, that Jesus is sending us to in hopes to love and cover and help the Desperate that we've just run into.
Another truth that I failed to post there. It's been several years since I wrote that letter, even if Mr X did venture into Blogland and read my post, I doubt he'd think it was him. I truly would hate to hurt him. Again, that wasn't its purpose.
Can I ask you something though? I will pray and ask God is I should pull this post. I know God is faithful to answer me. But I also know that the heart is deceitful above all things. So will you pray too? And if you feel I should, then post me another comment (or email me) and I won't hesitate at all.
Again... thank you so much for your sweet heart and your honesty! Tonight I will thank God for you.
May God help me to learn to love like He does!
Blessings to you in huge ways from Him!
sharon
Hi Sara,
Thanks for posting on my blog! Wish I would have gotten to meet you at the SMT celebration-wasn't it amazing? I haven't had a chance to post about it, b/c I sent a long recap to my family and that took alot out of my writing juices, ha!
Heather G
Charlotte NC
Sara - You are PRECIOUS and I love your writing. I also enjoyed your recap of our SMT Celebration.
I'm very sorry to hear about your friend Joni's Mom - may God bless and be close to all of the loved ones.
I have enjoyed reading through your blog this cold rainy night in Georgia...
Be blessed sweet girl.
Georgia Jan
Post a Comment