(in)spired ~ day two

At one point I was painfully shy (those of you who know me well can quit laughing at this point) and so my tomboy self curled up under my desk with books, my favorite pillow, and I wrote a lot.  My friends were mostly boys because boys, well, they did “stuff.”  Dolls and playing house held little appeal for me.  I felt free climbing trees, digging mud holes, and spending hours with green army men when not playing baseball or swimming.

A byproduct of that was not feeling like I knew how to have friends of the female persuasion.  I had a wonderful group of high school friends who let me tag along and taught me some things and even threw me a surprise sweet sixteen slumber party, but truly it wasn't until seminary when I had a best friend that was female. it was also in seminary i fell in love with the color pink and being a girl.

I was given the gift of a woman who would pray, laugh, cry, and create with me as she challenged me and reminded me that sometimes it was enough to just breathe to get through a hard thing.  When seminary ended so did the physical connection of that relationship.  We have stayed as close as we can with life happening two states apart (and soon a few more).

Since that time I have hungered for the companionship of other godly women.  I have other women friends yet I seek women who let me be real and broken and well, me.  In the midst of a dark time God led me to the incredible ministry of (in)courage through a book that sang to my soul.  In this incredible place I connected with other women.  Women whose pictures, and words, and art spoke to my soul. Women who helped me feel connected, loved, and nurtured.

Then one day I was asked if I wanted to give back to the community that had thrown me a lifeline.  I jumped at the chance not knowing my dear sister wanted to as well.  We each signed up…and waited… “they won’t pick me” the hissing one said…but they did!  And the best part?  My sister and I get to facilitate a group together!

So we connected with a group of women who also said yes and we became (in)couragers.  We began bonding with one another through social media.  And we dreamed and we prayed and we joked and we got scared and we waited.  Then we prayed some more.  During that time the incredible StaceyThacker held our hands and walked us through the details of this ministry with folks whose names I may never know.  And Lisa-Jo Baker without our even knowing it prayed for us and sent us cyber chocolate even when we didn't know we needed it.

I couldn't sleep the night before "the launch" and I said it was because I didn't feel good.  And then October 2^nd came and it was scary…it was 1 am,  2:13 am, and 3:36 am and finally 5 am and we were LIVE!  Who would pick me?  Us?  

And then it was like Christmas!  And then Easter!  And then my Birthday too! There was one gift and then another and another and another…and I did a happy dance and cried tears of joy as sisters came out of cyberspace to walk this journey with us.  And they keep coming. And coming.

I don’t know where God is going to take this thing called (in)spired, but I do know God is right in the middle of this and just as He knows the number of hairs on my head, He knows just what this group will be.  Thanks be to God!

I also know that if (in)spired is not the right fit for you, there are other groups that may be, they are here.  And come December 2^nd there will be another set of groups to bless the socks off women looking for community.

I wish we could all take our shoes off, let our hair down, pick up our favorite fall drink, cuddle on a couch and just get to know one another.  Let’s figure out how to do that in this space. For today, head over to our group page and share how we can bless your socks off and be a gift to you.  

I pray each of you know the joy that comes as God answers the prayer of the heart (even one you may not know you have).  

Know that each of you is being prayed for by others that you may never meet this side of heaven and that your time with us is a blessing.

Every time you cross my mind, I break out in exclamations of thanks to God.  Each exclamation is a trigger to prayer.  I find myself praying for you with a glad heart.  (Phil. 1.3-4, MSG)