weekend recap

oh my goodness. well i just have no idea how to communicate the things felt/experienced/learned from this weekend. and i really want to start blogging with my favorite part, but that came at the end of the weekend, so i should just save it and build suspense.

this past weekend 10 of us Hope Mommies traveled to Brady, Texas to spend a weekend together -- sharing our stories, crying, laughing, and finding comfort in the One who brings Hope to such dismal circumstances. to be honest with you, i had no idea what to expect of this weekend. and i actually thought that the whole thing was pretty weird (still do, kind of.) i mean, who travels to nowhere texas to meet up with women who's blogs you have read?? it's weird. i've never done such a thing before. but, i've never had a reason to do this before either. so, travel to Brady i did.

as i drove,  i prayed that the Lord would show up in a big way and bring comfort and healing and laughter. (and He did.) i actually passed the entrance to the ranch the first time around, because i was talking on the phone. so i made a u-turn and continued searching for the entrance, then came to a screeching halt (not the brightest idea on a busy road) when i saw a huge, ginormous Hope Mommies banner! i think my first words were, "Tisha! she's so crazy." (crazy in a good way, Tish. :) )

The ranch house was beautiful. Set over the San Saba River, it had a beautiful porch, fireplaces, tons of room, comfy couches. The driveway was also nice and smooth, which was good since i had a long run planned for saturday.

The girls started arriving around 5pm, and it was almost like first date awkwardness... but better. :) knowing so much about each other's hearts made it seem weird to start from the inside out, learning about the little things... if/how each person likes their coffee, their hobbies, how old they are, where they went to school, etc. but by the end of the night i think we all had relaxed into a comfortable rhythm of relating to one another. Friday night a musical group came out to entertain us and lead us in worship music, and i loved sitting next to Kelly and hearing her beautiful voice harmonize when we sang I Will Rise by Chris Tomlin.

We stayed up til 2am talking!! I'm fairly confident that i have not done that since college. Sarah and I shared a room, and i appreciated that she agreed with me that this whole thing was kindof weird. glad to have a kindred spirit. ;)

Saturday morning i awoke bright and early... literally bright, since our window faced the east and had no blinds or curtains. :) Thankfully we were stocked up on coffee, and our morning started slowly as each woman meandered out. A sweet woman named Lindsey came to share with us and I appreciated her words, specifically how the soil in the midst of our valley is fertile, ready to receive our tears and bear fruit of righteousness, hope, and faith if we allow God to grow it in us.

Saturday afternoon consisted of talking together, calling our husbands individually, taking photos with the amazing Shuffields, and going for a run (6.4 miles! amazing. i've never run so far in my whole life!). Saturday night was a delicious dinner, loads more of talking, sharing the vision of Hope Mommies (more on that later), smores, wine, LAUGHING, taking silly pictures with the girls, talking. another late night - 2am! seriously. you women are amazing that you can stay up so late. :) i think since Gwen i've become a sleep hoarder.

Sunday morning was sweet, with more coffee, a bit of a quiet time, saying goodbye to Mary Beth,  listening to Tina, and having a letter and gift from my prayer warrior. Tisha had asked specific women to uphold the 10 of us in prayer for the  past 30 days, then write us a letter. My warrior gave me a a willow tree angel - the angel of hope - who holds out a candle in the darkness. Perfect reminder of what i have because of our Savior - light in a dark world of suffering and doubt.

Sunday I packed up, and before we left we took a few more photos down by the river, and sat on a rock and praised the Lord with prayer. This was my favorite part, and will have it's own blog post. :) Then i drove back to kerrville to watch the super bowl game with my wonderful husband.

And it was a fantastic weekend. full of more than i could've imagined. and less weird than i thought. :)