Thank You & Invitation...

Several of you have asked me about my participation in the Great Banquet this past weekend. First of all, THANK YOU to all of the wonderful letters that were written to me..I've never felt so much love in one weekend; it was incredible. For those of you who are unaware of 'what' the Great Banquet is, it's a 3-day event to help you strengthen your faith, learn more about God, and draw closer to him. You have no cell phone-and no watch-which is great fun! Everyone has a different experience with the banquet, and I know I will NEVER forget my banquet weekend. I've never felt closer to God, or seen him work in so many lives, all at one time and in one place--it was overwhelming, powerful, and completely satisfying. I finally learned and understood God's plan for reconciliation, forgiveness, and TRUE GRACE is about, and I've been a Christian for many, many years. Whew, it finally makes sense! :o) For those of you who have an interest in learning more about the Great Banquet, regardless of where you are--whether you are spiritually strong or not strong in your faith, lukewarm for the Lord, completely confused, or just plain angry, God will meet you there, and you will meet him, I promise! I'd be happy to sponsor you if you are interested. This is for MEN and for WOMEN..they take place on separate weekends. The next dates to attend are for Men, 7/9-7/12 and for Women 7/23-7/26. If these dates do not work for you, there are other dates this year. And, the interesting thing is the Great Banquet is a community..they have the same 'retreat' all over the state of Indiana, and in Illinois (and other states--it's not just an Indy thing). I can help you locate one near you if you are interested, and can still sponsor you for one of those events. Thanks again to all of you who prayed for me, and shared your love with me. It means more than anything! I love you!

Take this Month and Shove(l) It...

I've decided that February is pretty much worthless when it comes to the calendar year. Aside from Valentine's Day, (which a lot of people boycott anyway as it's a "made-up" holiday) February doesn't hold much water.

It can't decide if it wants to snow, or be 60 degrees. Somehow, February manages to throw 50-mile an hour straightline winds at us, just for the sheer joy of it. Our poor neighbors ended up with a tree on top of their house, and our street ended up on Fox 59 morning news because of it.

Yes, February is a tempermental lass, which may be why she and I don't get along so well. I'm ready to push her out the door for good, and she's just not quite ready to go--kind of like an ex-girlfriend who thinks she can talk you into letting her stay.

It usually doesn't work. And, like the ex-lover, February too must go on. I know I'm ready, anytime now.

What About Your Friends?

There's a song by TLC (I probably haven't listened to them since bumping around in my mom's 1990 red Shadow on the way to Circus City Days) called 'What About Your Friends', which has recently begun popping into my head, for no apparent reason.    It's not your typical 'bond with your friends' bar song, like 'Friends in Low Places', and doesn't hold a candle to any chick pick tune by the Indigo Girls. It has lines like "People say I act a little funny, I wouldn't change, not for no money...even though I might seem easy, it don't give you no cause to deceive me", which makes me question how they ever went triple platinum. But never the less, they do get their point across.   When things get particularly hard in life, which unfortunately, happens more often than not; we find out who our friends are (Another poignant bonding song by Tracey Lawrence and Tim McGraw). We find out who's going to be around for us, and who isn't.   I love that my friends challenge me, support me, sob with me, and call me out when I'm failing in some aspect of my life. My friend Adam recently called me '1-Dimensional', in terms of this blog..(i.e. all I ever write about is Lake.) Good for you, Adam. It helps keep me in check; because the last thing I aspire to be is a mom who can only focus on their child.   For those of you who've 'been there' for us, we really appreciate it. We've recently walked through some potential pitfalls with John's job, as well as some other difficult life issues, and so many of you have willingly stepped up to become involved in our "messes." We haven't had to go through anything extremely hard, like illness or loss, but we know if we do..we won't have to look far for support. You don't get to pick your family, but you do get to pick your friends, and it appears as if we've picked well. Thank you.   The next time I hear something by TLC, I'll give you each a shout out.