Around here

This post is one of those all over the place random updates of life in our house right now and it is long.  But these are little things that I want to remember...

I am not one to typically binge watch TV at all.  I don't have big blocks of time between work and home life.  However, last week my sister told me about this show called Married at First Sight.  Four experts look at extensive data and match three couples.  The first time they meet is at their wedding.  They have a wedding, a reception,  honeymoon, move in together and try to make it work. It is absolutely fascinating.

I have had my PhD in marriage and family communication for 22 years.  I taught for many years at the college level on gender and communication, relational communication, marriage and family.  Now, I am in private practice helping engaged and married couples navigate the challenges of their relationships.  So, this show is made for me.  I LOVE it.  Season 2 is currently airing but I loved it so much I bought Season 1 on Amazon to watch (Married at First Sight Season 1).  And I watched almost the whole season this week in every spare second I had.

I seriously cannot recommend this show enough if you like relationships like I do.  I absolutely LOVE my job.  I love helping people figure out how to be better partners to one another and this show hi-lights the ups and downs that we all have in marriage.  It focuses on the most important thing though...the commitment to keep doing the WORK.  I see that over and over in my office.  The couples who do the work, make it.  The couples who don't are miserable.  I have said it a million times on this blog but Love is a decision and an action every single day.  And it is interesting to watch that play out on this docu-series as well.

Now I am watching Married at First- The First Year.  These episodes follow the couples from the 6 month though 1 year phase for the couples that stayed together.  It is on demand in some places.

My work is really good.  I try to maintain a pretty small practice so that I can still have time to exercise, meet a friend for lunch once in a while and be involved at the kids' schools.  But it is so hard to find that perfect balance.  Some weeks, I have just a few clients and some weeks I am crazy busy (like this week).  I am really trying to work more because I love it so much but juggling everything part time can be stressful at times.  As many of you know, you often end up feeling like you aren't doing anything as well as you'd like to.  And every time I meet with clients, I am reminded of ways that I can be a better Mom and wife too (which is a good thing).  If you need marriage/parenting/life coaching, feel free to reach out to me (khswales@comcast.net).  I do phone or Skype appointments if you are not in the Houston area.

Will is taking he ACT again today.  It will be the last time he takes it.  He already has a great score but he wanted to take it one more time just to see if he could get another point or two for scholarships. This summer he will take a workshop for writing his college essays and in the Fall he will apply to the colleges of his choice.  I really cannot believe we are at this point in life with him.  The other day, we got the tuition bill for his senior year and there was a cap and gown/gradutaion fee!  I admit that I teared up when I read that.  He turns 18 in June.  My first born son becomes a legal adult.  I know people say it all the time but it really has gone by so fast. I am SO proud of the man he is becoming.

I know a lot of young women without kids or Moms with very young kids read this blog.  Cherish the moments at each and every stage of childhood because they are so fleeting.  Even the tough stages will be ones you look back at with a smile, I promise.

Kate is getting ready to make her first holy communion and she is SO excited.  She really embraces her faith and takes it quite seriously.  A few weeks ago in Sunday school, she learned about Saint Maximilian Kolbe.  He was a Polish man who became a Franciscan priest and gave his life for another man in a Auschwitz.  Kate became so fascinated with his life.  So, when she had to pick an important figure in history to do a report about, she chose him.  Kate attends a public school so her classmates are researching figures like Abe Lincoln, Elvis Presley, Harriet Tubman etc.  But Kate really wanted to do her report on this not very well known Saint (Mother Theresa was her second choice).  I am so grateful for a loving teacher who is encouraging Kate to follow her heart and her faith.  The biography we are reading (together) is WAY above her level of comprehension.  Heck, it is difficult for me and Dave in some parts. But she is really committed to learning as much she can about this incredible Christian man.

When I thanked Kate's teacher for being supportive she said she was not surprised at all that Kate chose a Saint.  She said, "Kate is so Catholic. I see it in her everyday the way she acts, they way she answers questions, the way she got so excited when we learned about Mother Theresa."  Her comment made my heart leap with joy because to me your faith is not something you simply believe but it is the way you act toward others.

One more little update on Katie Ru.  This girl is obsessed with crafting.  She makes these little boxes out of cardstock.  I wish I had photos of some of the more unique ones she has made.  In her spare time, she looks up knitting patterns and these box patterns and she crafts and crafts and crafts. She will literally spend an entire Saturday making stuff.  All she wants for her birthday is crafting supplies:) I love the coupons at Hobby Lobby and Michaels:)

Harry is finishing up 8th grade!  He has about a month left of middle school and then graduation.  YEAH!  So far, I think the middle school years are the toughest years of growing up. It is such a difficult time for kids and their parents. Sixth grade was incredibly difficult for Harry (and me) and you could not pay me all the money in the world to do middle school again right now (glad Kate has a few years!)  This year has been great though and I know he has mixed feeling about starting all over at a new school.  I think he is nervous yet excited.  Harry is finishing middle school with straight A's and straight E's for all three years!  And he has taken several advanced classes.  This year he has 10th grade geometry (in 8th grade) and high school Spanish and Journalism.  If he were going to public school, he would be entering with 5-6 high school credits already.

This week he finishes up his lacrosse season at his school too.  He has been a key player all three years. The lacrosse program had lapsed at his middle school and a Dad got it going again 3 years ago--  just as Harry entered middle school. Harry stepped in and started as a team captain and he has been a captain all 3 years.  He is hoping to play high school lacrosse too.  

Also, I am not sure if you noticed but Harry and a HUGE growth spurt (easter pics here).  Harry has always been below the 5th percentile in height and weight and he has had health issues too~ I mean his WHOLE life.  Some years he was not even on the charts.  At his check up a few weeks ago, he was in the 11t percentile for weight and the 13th percentile for height.  That is HUGE for him.  His pediatrician (the one who was there on the day he was born) was so happy.  And so were we.

For the last 3 years, Harry and I have volunteered in the school store every Wednesday morning at his middle school  It was an awesome experience. And it is something that just he and I shared.  I cannot put into words how much I am going to miss those Wednesday mornings with him (and the other Mom and son we have worked with for the last year and half).  I am going to get a photo of us together in the next week or two of us in the school store because I really want to always remember those times.

Of course, I don't have photos of the boys because truth be told, they are rarely around these days.  They're always off with friends (which I guess is good).

Okay, that is my long update about me and the peanuts.    I also want to share a discount code with y'all.  I got an email that it is friends and family weekend at Loft.

I have my eye on these...

shorts

And finally, don't forget about the Lilly Pulitzer launch tomorrow at Target!  Everything looks so cute!  You can actually heart or favorite things and then when the sales launches and midnight or 1 am you can check out faster.  Click below to see the whole collection and heart items.

I have my expectations set very low because I think it is all going to sell out quickly.  

I want to remember this..

Someone asked me recently in a professional setting about whether I thought all the social media (facebook, instagram, twitter, blogging) was making our youth more narcissistic.  That was a tough one to answer because narcissism is a mental disorder and I am not sure that social media will change a person in that way.  However, I do think everyone has gotten more "self-promotive."  And that is not completely a good thing in my opinion.  But I do see the positives of social media too.  The blogging community has been very kind to our family.  Sharing can be good.

Anyway, I am constantly asking myself (and I have written about this before) "Am I using the time I have to do the work God intended for me to do on earth?  Am I helping others?"

I don't want to spend 2 hours a day on Facebook and realize that I could have been a good listener to a friend in need at that time or played outside with my kids or volunteered in my community.  I am SO NOT perfect and neither is my family.  And we never will be. I've let go of that.  But I am always striving to become better.  So, I often ask myself if blogging is a good use of my time.

I love having the family memories to look back on and that was why I started. I have used my own archives to remember health issues with kids, prove to one child when he lost his first tooth and when he rode a bike without training wheels.  I love having all of that and so much more documented in one place.  But is that too self centered?  I have been wondering.

Then today, I got an email from a long time reader.  It is funny.  I do not get many of these but they always seem to come just as I am thinking about giving up blogging.  I will not share the details as they are private but basically the person shared with me how an innocent post here had a really positive trickle effect on her family's life.  I am never setting out to do that here and I am so surprised and happy when it happens.

I am going to keep blogging as long as it feels like the right thing to be doing... and as usual I have a  lot of catching up to do...

But let me share these cute little things I want to remember about Kate...

We are sending her to summer camp in a little over a week.  It will be her first time away from our family. She is going to another state without knowing anyone and she is SO excited.  She has watched the boys go to camp for years and she has been begging to go.  The only week that she could go was June 1st so she will be at camp on her birthday.  I did not intend to schedule her at that time but when she found out what they do to celebrate birthdays at camp, she BEGGED me to let her go that week.  Little did she know I had already accidentally enrolled her that week as it was the only one open;)  We will celebrate her birthday just before she leaves and that will be fine.

So, the camp my kids go to is a non-denominational Christian Camp.  They have worship and praise and devotionals throughout the day and they make it really fun for the kids. I remember the time we visited seeing my kids singing praise songs so boldly.  The Catholic church is not quite like that so it was new for us.  Anyway on the camp packing list is a Bible.  Kate only had little "baby" bibles.  They are more like Bible storybooks.  So, I began the search for a "big girl" Bible for her.

It came in yesterday and Kate's excitement was priceless.  Honestly, she has never been so thrilled with a gift in all her life. She loves it.

Look at that smile!  She had just returned home from gymnastics.

 She was dying to read it, so we read a little of my favorite book, Ephesians. When we got to Ephesian 4:29

Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Kate asked me what that means. I explained that it meant we should not talk badly about anyone and only say things that will help people and make them better.  She said, "Oh I need a pen.  I need to underline that, Mama.  That is something I need to work on."  She ran and grabbed a pen and I just smiled to myself thinking ---we ALL need to work on that one honey!  I was also surprised because I rarely hear Kate say anything bad about anyone. And when I do it is usually about someone who was being mean to other people.

Anyway, she went on to tell me that sometimes at the lunch table someone will say, "raise your hand if you don't like "Rosie" (made up name). " And although she never initiates it, she admitted that she sometimes raises her hand and that is not the right thing to do.  She asked my advice on what she should do tomorrow if it happens at lunch.  I told her she had a lot of choices...she could change the subject to something else more kind.  She could not raise her hand.  She could say, "we shouldn't talk badly about other people." She could even say something kind about "Rosie."  It depends on how brave she feels. I told her that she knows now God doesn't want her to do that (although she likely knew it before too;) and she has to find her own way to stop.  She said, "Oh Mama that is so hard when everyone else is doing it too!"

I told her that I know what she means.  That it is tempting to talk negatively about other people but it really is not what we are supposed to do.  And we will feel so much better inside if we avoid the temptation and "lift one another up."

I just LOVE the conversations we have had last night and this morning from reading one chapter of the Bible together.  Kate underlined and  quite  a few passages that she wants "to work on " (just like I do)!

She asked me if the counselors at camp will help her read her Bible if it is too hard for her at camp.  I am just so thrilled to see my daughter love the word of God.

The other little phrase I want to remember is this... A few weeks ago Kate asked me something and I did not know the answer.  I said "I don't know Kate."  And she said, "Just google it up, Mama!"

I laughed so hard.  We all "Google it up" around here now.


This is the Bible (a few people asked on Instagram).

and the greatest of these is love

It has been a reflective week around here.  Our across the street neighbor died suddenly in a tragic way.  She was young.  She was full of life. We are all a little shocked.

Yesterday at her memorial service, I was reminded SO clearly of the whole point of life...of what it's all about.  Our time on earth is all about loving one another.  At my neighbor's memorial service, her brother, father, children and her husband all told stories about her beautiful life.  In each of these stories the important memory was how fiercely and how unabashedly she loved others.

We all get so caught up in the wrong things.  It doesn't matter how nice your kitchen is or if your kid is on the honor roll or what college they go to (I know I spend too much time on those things myself and often that is what I blog about--I'm a work in progress). Those things are the icing on the cake but they don't truly matter. No one is going to mention at your memorial service how well dressed you were or how nice your cars were or what a fit body you had (or at least those won't be the main memories)!  No one will care what your child's GPA was or if you were the top salesperson in your company or how clean your house was.  All of those are nice accomplishments but what will stay with people eternally is how you loved them.

It sounded as though my neighbor had humble beginnings.  She delayed her education to be a single Mom of 4 kids for a long time.  She eventually completed her education and was very successful professionally but she helped others as much while she was struggling as a single Mom as she did when she wasn't. She helped others even when it was really hard to help. She chose a field (geriatric care) to help the people that many don't want to help. She loved others deeply.

One of the moments that really touched me was when her young adult son spoke.  He played a message he had saved on his phone of his Mom singing a silly birthday song she always sang to each child.  It was a unique tradition in their family.  A silly little thing.  It was beautiful.  It is what they cling to right now during their pain. It is those small acts of love that matter.

Her children did not talk about luxurious vacations or fancy meals or picture perfect holidays. They talked about the tiny little things their Mom did every day to make them feel loved-- like tracking down a beloved childhood toy that got lost. That is what they remember.  That is what makes a difference.

Of course, I began to wonder how my kids will remember me someday.  Do I love fiercely enough?  Do I treat every human I meet with grace and dignity? Do I make time for others or do I spend my time on frivolous things? Do I spend too much energy on the unimportant material things in life ?  Am I silly enough?  Do we laugh as much as we should? Am I too selfish?

I know that really all we are meant to do here is love one another.  I KNOW that.  And we all love differently...  Some love by listening.  Some love by creating beauty for others.  Some are servants of the hard and gritty work.  Some love by making us laugh or holding our hand. Some love by being leaders and some by following.  There is no wrong way to love others..we all have our unique ways.  My neighbor loved others by getting things done.  She didn't give up. She always found a way.

There was a disgusting puddle in front of our street for years.  We called it "Lake Ourstreetname."  It was horrible. We tried to clean it up but it would be back within hours. Dave and I tried to get the city to take care of it as it was a result of this repaving debacle but we had no success.  So, we gave up and kind of learned to live with it. Sometimes, we would stand outside with our neighbors sharing a beverage and complain about the "lake." One day, our feisty neighbor took over and got everyone in her office to call and complain.  Guess what...eventually we saw some action.  At one point our neighbor wanted to drill holes herself to fix the problem.  She got things done.  It was her way of loving.

I really debated sharing this post as I want to honor my neighbor's family privacy but I also wanted to share this because I know we all need this kind of reality check from time to time.  We all need to ask ourselves if we are loving others they way we should be.  I am so saddened by the loss of her life and yet so grateful for the reminder of what is important in life.


I also covet your prayers for our very dear friend who in the hospital fighting for his life. He is very private so I don't want to give specifics but his situation is very serious. Thank you.

living faith

This afternoon I did something really hard for me.  Not the fighting cancer kind of hard or taking care of dying parents hard. Some of you will not even get why this was hard and that is okay. But I watched Harry walk away to get on a plane for an amazing nine day trip to Spain and France.  I know it will be a fabulous trip.  They are going to Paris, Biarritz, the Basque region, Barcelona and Pamplona. He will have an amazing time and I am filled with gratitude that he has the opportunity to go.  The hard part for me was watching him go.  I almost cried watching my teen walk to security. Letting go was tough.

All my life, I have believed in God. I have felt really faithful for as long as I can remember. However, I am working through two Bible studies that have made me wonder just how strong my faith really is. In theory, in words, and in belief my faith has never wavered.  But in action, it has.  See, I struggle with fear sometimes.  I am so afraid of flying.  I hate to even type that sentence because it gives power to the fear.  But I cannot hide from the truth. So, you can imagine how hard it is for me to put one of my beloved children on a plane to Europe without us.  I worry about his safety and his migraines and everything.

One of the Bible studies I am in is based on Ann Voskamp's 1,000 gifts.  It is a lovely study on gratitude and opening our hands wide to all the gifts God gives us daily.  In the study, Ann talks about faith and trust.  And in words far more beautful than mine, she says that real faith is not just believing in God but it is trusting God every day. Honestly, I have struggled with that my whole life.  I feel like I trust God.  But would I be afraid driving on freeways and flying if I had complete trust?  It seems easy to trust God when everything is going according to our plan.  But when His plan is different from ours, do I still trust Him?  In the depths of my soul, do I trust His plan every day?

I have blogged before about love not being a feeling but more of an action and a daily decision.  I am learning that faith is the same way.  It is not a feeling about God.  It is an action.  It is living with confidence that His plan is bigger and better than ours even when it does not feel that way. Especially when it does not feel like our plan. It is knowing and acting as though "He's got this."  It is living life knowing He is in control not me.  I'm not there completely yet but I am trying.  I have a feeling I will be trying my whole life.

So, I am trying to work on living out my faith each day by trusting more in God.  I am reminding myself (sometimes every few minutes) that "He's got this."  Life is not in my control and would I really want it to be when His wisdom is infinite? I am doing this by allowing Harry to spread his wings on this trip and when I feel fear I say to myself "Jesus, I trust in you."  I am also sending Kate to sleep-away camp this summer in another state!  That is going to be really hard too as we've never been away from each other. But I know the only way I can learn to trust more is to hold on less.


Some Iphone snappies...

Kate and Harry were walking through the airport like this and I kept trying to get pictures but it was hard moving through the crowded airport.

Kate did much better this time saying goodbye.
When Will was in 7th grade, she cried hysterically when we took him to the airport for a trip to France.

Harry is safely in the air right now and I am trusting in God.  We found Harry's toiletry bag in the back of my car.  He took it out of his backpack as he was checking that he had everything and he never put it back. UGH!  Luckily, he can buy some toothpaste and deodorant once he lands.

Good Friday and Holy Saturday

Kate's lil chalkboard cross:)

On Good Friday a friend of mine told us about a Passion Experience at a Baptist church in town.  It was amazing!!  They had interactive stations to represent various parts of the Passion of our Lord.   For example, one station had a crown of thorns, actual nails/stakes like the ones used to crucify Jesus and a heavy hammer. Another station had all of the oils and perfumes used in the burials of Jesus' time.  One station had unleavened bread to taste like that shared at the Last Supper.  There was a station with the torn curtain and an inner sanctuary.  Finally, there was a station where we could write our sin on black paper and nail it to the cross.  At each station, there was a prayer and meditation. We were also invited to taste, touch and smell at the various stations. The whole experience was very solemn and moving.  People were crying.  My three kiddos did great.  It was not designed especially for children and there were few children there.  But honestly, my children were very touched and I am so glad we went.

Kate as asked if they could paint a cross at home.  I bought these last week at Hobby Lobby and they painted them.

{Harry painted his later}

We were kind of sick of cooking fish and shrimp at home for Lent so we went out to an early dinner at Carrabbas.  They make Harry some special gluten free/dairy free pasta and mussels.  Yummy!  I had them too!

On Saturday, we packed a cooler and took a completely spontaneous trip to the beach...

Unfortunately, we found the beach's shoreline completely covered in seaweed!  It had just rolled in.
The danger of the seaweed is all the stuff hiding in it like these dangerous man of war jellyfish




It was also VERY windy and the water was rough!
Kate didn't care though.  She loves playing in the sand...








{Kate's bathing suit is from here. Got it on sale. Wish it cane in my size!}

It was SO bright and SO windy that I really struggled taking photos (even on the lowest ISO).  Next time, I won't even bother because I got LOTS of sand on my cameras and lenses. I spent a long time brushing and blowing sand out at home.

Will found some awesome shells and did some sun bathing.  We all tried to soak up some healthy vitamin D actually.


{those are Dave's old Oakley's--pretty retro, huh?}

Harry braved the water for some boogie boarding...





I could not get too close for good photos due to the seaweed.



Dave carried Kate over the seaweed for a little ocean time too:+)

On the way home, we stopped at Rita's water ice.  We do not have one here in town so the one at the beach is the closest one for us. Rita's originated right near my hometown in Pennsylvania so it is very nostalgic for me (plus my grandma's name was Rita). I love Rita's frozen custard...sigh.
It was a very nice day.

Be back tomorrow with an Easter post.  We are having a lovely day!

Good Friday

As Lent comes to a close this weekend and I reflect on the unfathomable sacrifice our Lord made for us,  I am also called to reflect back upon our Lenten Sacrifices....

The kids did pretty well with the Lent Jar.  Most days they each took a piece of paper without prompting. Even Kate did this:) I tried to keep it on the kitchen table as a constant reminder.  There were some days when it was moved to a counter and then it was forgotten.  So, I learned that the visual reminder was key.  I will definitely do this again.  I need to come up with some more ideas though for things to put in it.

Well, the exercise thing for me was up and down.  Some weeks I did great.  Some weeks (when Kate had several days off from school) I did not do well.  I did manage to try Pilates, Yoga, Zumba, some cardio equipment and free weights. I also walked for an hour on some days. One of my goals was to try a variety of things so that maybe I would love one of them.  They were all just okay.  But I need to continue with the exercise.  I did find out about 2 weeks ago that I have osteopenia so exercise is important.  I am very small boned and fair skinned (and I don't eat much dairy).  So, I need to be careful about the risks of osteoporosis.  I am having a full fledged fitness training/evaluation thing at my gym.  It was scheduled for during Lent but had to be rescheduled. I wish I had been more disciplined about this sacrifice.

Another one of my Lenten sacrifices was to attempt 40 bags in 40 days.  I did accomplish this one.  In fact, I probably got closer to 60-70 bags! The goal is to purge 40 bags of stuff in your house.  The thinking is that material goods and "stuff" in general gets in the way of our closeness to God.  Stuff takes out time and attention and money.  I purged all of the kids rooms, my closet (did that right before Lent actually), our bar area, my huge armoire in my office, magazine/catalog baskets around the house, about 3/4 of the laundry room (there are tons of cabinets in our laundry room), the pantry, the bar and some of the garage.  Most of the stuff went to charity.  However, I donated a bunch of books to Kate's school.  I gave about 8 bags of the peanuts' clothes to friends with young children.  And remember that photo of our garage from last year?  Well, we loaded up Dave's SUV and took LOTS of that stuff to Goodwill.  We still have to finish the garage and several other areas in our house.

Ahh...going to the goodwill:)

A blurry shot of tons of magazines and catalogs as I sort them on my office floor.



Ahh... all sorted, purged or filed. {One thing I do save is all my House Beautiful, Traditional Home, Southern Accents and Veranda magazines.   I literally have 15 years of TH.  I also save others like Cottage Living and Elle Decor but not every single issue.}.  They are all organized and have helped me tremendously when we have built, remodeled and re-decorated over the years.

I am a pretty organized and clean person and I am not a pack rat (despite that garage photo--the garage is not my domain) and we easily found stuff to repurpose, recycle and move along.  I never even got to the kid's playroom or my craft closet or kid's computer room.  I highly encourage this project.  It is freeing to lighten your load.  And I plan to continue even though Lent is coming to a close.

Today, on Good Friday, we focus on the death and passion of our Lord.  From 12-3 we read the story of the passion in the Bible, pray and remain quiet.  I am trying to have my children realize how BIG our God is and how GREAT His love is for us.  It is pretty easy to have the boys quietly reflect from 12-3 but Kate might be a challenge;)

And here is one little shot of Kate (in last year's Easter dress).  Last Sunday was the egg hunt at our church.  I was in Mass during the hunt so I did not get any action shots but Will helped her hunt:)

In case, I am not back on here...

Have a blessed Easter!

Women of Light

No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in may see the light.


Luke 11:33

Sometimes there are people who make a profound difference in your life through their example or small gestures of kindness. And they may not even know it.  I have been blessed with many women who inspire me in real life.  But there are two women who have inspired my spiritual growth more than anything in my whole life.

About 4-5 years ago, I prayed for more Godly friends.  I was new-ish to a town and I felt like I was missing friends that had similar values.  God brought a few women into my life who have touched me in incredible ways.  I want to tell you about three of them here.

I was asked to give a talk at our local MOPS group in VA about 4 years ago.  The night before my talk (which was supposed to be about maintaining marriage), the president called to inform me that one of the Moms in the group had just lost her son in a tragic drowning.  She asked if I would briefly address that in my talk.  I did not know Lauren, the woman who had just buried her son, but I felt a profound sense of compassion and grief for her.  Lauren was very pregnant with her second child when her son drowned. I prayed for her and her family and I could not stop thinking of them.

I met Lauren a few months later as she was my table leader at MOPS.  We became friends easily.  When I asked Lauren one day how she coped in the days after Robbie's death she simply told me that she immediately turned to the Bible.  She told me she craved God's word and that she could not get enough.  I was stunned.  I had read the Bible.  I was a Christian but I had never "craved" the word. I did not feel hungry for it like Lauren described. I was in awe that she just leaned into God and He was there.

On my 40th birthday, I went to support Lauren as she gave a talk at her church. But I got so much in return as did every person in that room. She shared her incredible story of faith.  She told us how the Lord pulled her family through a horrendous tragedy...one I could not even imagine.  I knew that night that I needed to "get in the word" like Lauren was but I will be honest, I still did not know where to begin. 

So, I kept my Bible on my nightstand and I read it now and then.  I did devotionals and Bible studies but I still did not feel drawn to reading the Bible on a daily basis.

At this time, I also became great friends with Diana.  Last May (2009), Diana came to visit me in our new house in Texas.  She brought me a Bible (Quest Study Bible).   I remember thinking...hmmmm...  I have a Bible.  Several, in fact.  Does she think I need one? Does she not believe I am really a Christian? I tired to act really excited but in reality I wasn't.  I was a bit confused.  I tried to understand the meaning behind the gift.

I put the Bible on my bedside table and there it sat for a few months.  I would pick it up and skim it some evenings.  I started reading Psalms.

Then this January I posted about my New Year resolotions and Laurie emailed me telling about a program to read the entire Bible in a year.   So, I picked up Diana's Bible and I started reading.  I checked off the readings each night. Some chapters were easy and some books have been really tough to get through. But I am 75% through reading the Bible and I can say that I am "in the word."  I read the Bible daily and on Christmas Eve I will have read every word of the Bible!!!!  This is all in thanks to these 3 women!!  I can honestly say that Lauren's strength and unwavering faith, Diana's gift and example of Christianity and Laurie's suggestion for the reading program all connected to change me.  I now LOVE that Bible Di gave me.  I bring it with me everywhere.  Its pages are tabbed and bent and underlined and written in.  I love that it is a study Bible so there are explanations in the margins.

These women changed my life.  My faith and trust in God have grown tremendously.  I look at things differently.  I get SO much more out of Mass each week.  I feel filled.

None of these women "pushed" anything on me.  They were simply a light in my life, a role model and I have no doubt that God placed them there for that reason.  I asked for these friends and He delivered them into my life.  So, thank you Lauren, Diana and Laurie.   By your example and simple acts of kindness you have made me a better person.

If you are interested in the Bible Reading plan, you can find it here.  If I can do it, anybody can.

Is there someone who is a woman of light for you?  Someone who has inspired you simply by being who they are?

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Psalm 119:105