refinement

 Life lately has been giving a lot of refining opportunities.  

The teenage thing? That must be the most intense continual season of refinement possible. Like, the Lord must be trying to do MAJOR work in my life. Cause two teenage girls at once (and often four) means you are constantly having to guard your tongue...guard your heart...guard your mind...take it all to the Lord in prayer...look to Jesus...stay off the rollercoaster...refuse to worry...speak the truth in love...on, and on, and on. Most every reminder the Bible makes is for moms with teenage girls.  I'm SURE of it. 

I love them. whew.

The college visits thing. People who are truly hurting in our church.  Three non-teen kiddos. Filling in church gaps (NEVER thought I'd be doing church piano, and man has it been stretching and ultimately FUN!). Keeping ahold of upcoming summer meetings and conferences and revivals and VBSs and the 33 thousand things said teens want to do.  Whew baby. Trying to help one girlie decide what to do with her life...how to pay for it...how to prepare for it...how to pray for it.  Where is grandpa when we need him? He was good at a lotta this stuff.

Tomorrow we have five people being baptized, and Wednesday Matt and I and a slew of Wellspring family have the opportunity to go to a maximum security prison to be a part of another baptism, this time 29 brothers, many from the Muslim faith and many from none at all.  Gaga is making it possible for me to be a part of that mini-missions trip, and I am SO thankful.

Everytime I get frustrated or saddened by not having family, He reminds me we do. We do.  I can't wait to tell you all about Sunday and Wednesday's baptism. What a gift to witness! 

Meanwhile, the things that always get most neglected is time with the friends I care about the most...what is that? Friends are such a rare and precious gift....almost as rare as time with them.  The Lord has been GOOD to weave so many diverse friends into my life...even the ones I blow a kiss to while running opposite directions! This is the season, everyone tells me.

When your oldest is 17 and the baby is 3...it's a SEASON. 

If He weren't in the middle stretching me, I'da broken a long time ago. But the way He pours grace and help into every single moment...growing me...I'm thankful!  I know the kids always think I'm talking to myself in the van, in the laundry room, in the yard...but I'm not. I'm talking to Him, continually, and He sustains and satisfies.  What good work He has given us each in daily Kingdom work!