encouragement in droves

We had such a great time at the launch party!  Thank you for everyone who made it and came to give me your support!  I felt like part of a team, so loved for, and so cared about.  Thank you!

I want to share a few more thank yous - this one starts with the girl who is trying to decide what she feels about God right now - you know who you are!  The one that I love.  Well, in her indecision, she was not up for partying a book released in His name, so she missed the party which made me very sad.  But, I want to thank her, because without meaning to, she ended up being a great help to me and the project!  I loved it!! God included her when she couldn't make the choice on her own to be included and it was so great to share that moment with her. Yea God!

Thank you also to the donor of ALL of the postage!!!  What a blessing - and equally as important as the money you gave was the way that your donation became a statement to my heart that God was involved and moving - and providing. The encouragement that gave my heart was priceless.  Thank you!!!

And finally, thank you to the sweet post office lady who was greeted with nearly 50 packages (some are going to be hand delivered!)  40 minutes before close.  This kind woman had to individually enter each address and print and place a label - one at a time....47 times in a row.  It took the rest of her shift!  She did it with a smile, which she assured me was because she had to - but I know for sure that is not true - I've met too many people in this world to believe that she had to be kind because it was her job - but I am so glad that she was.  I worked very, very hard not to make eye contact with anyone behind me in line.  Strangely, most of them did not share our enthusiasm about this project :)

They are all in the mail!  On their way to fifty different churches and individuals!!!  I cannot believe this is actually happening.

This is the GREAT post office lady who helped with a smile! So blessed to be at her counter!! (p.s. I got her permission for the picture! She said as long as you say nice things!!! Nothing but!!)

 I want to talk just another minute about the launch party day.  Many people came and shared this experience with me - without them, the work would have taken so long, the addresses wouldn't be so pretty and the packages would not look so great!

These will be arriving in your mailboxes this week!  A team of talented women put these together and gathered to pray over them.  Lord, God, I don't deserve this life!

That day was a big day for me and I wished I could have enjoyed it more, but I felt crazy most of the day.  So much emotion. I sometimes despise this part of myself, but no matter how I feel about how I feel - it is who I am, and it came with me into launch day.  I was worried about everything! Worried I wouldn't get everything done - worried no one would show up to help - worried no one cared.

My brain was fried - I literally showed up to the church for the party without the booklets, twine, scissors, or tape....(what did people do before frantic texting was a thing?!?!)

When I was giving a short benediction over this project with the warriors who were packaging the booklets that night - I remembered that two friends had contacted me that morning to tell me that life was getting the best of them.  The frantic, emotional me laid herself to rest and the power of the message of Corrie's testimony and the hurt in my dear friend's lives reminded me what we were doing.

Believing God is real is the hardest work you and I will ever do.  Sometimes it means that we will have to wrestle through doubt and hurt - many times it means we will have to die to ourselves for the greater life that He gives to us.  And, once you know - once you taste His freedom, see His goodness, submit to the wholeness of His holiness - you can't unsee it - you can't not know. Even when life is screaming at you that He doesn't matter - you will know in the deepest parts of your soul that He is the only thing that matters.  And that might tick you off because you will not be able to find the deep satisfaction you long for, outside of Him.

By sending these books out we are bringing the fight to doorsteps, and maybe they didn't know that they were signed up for a fight. I reminded the group that what we are teaching is emotionally costly and equally as precious.

Friends - let the journey that starts by having the courage to ask the real questions - never end until we see His glory and know His embrace.  I love you. Thank you for being a part of my story and a reminder to stay in the game.  You are worth more to me than I will ever have the words to express.