Wow! What a week!

I. love. this. man! And I'm so very proud of him and the way God is using him!

So many things have happened since last week at this time! The BMA National meeting in Fort Smith, AR last week will forever be a special time for me. We missed the Monday night meeting because Turner had a ballgame and mom and the coach can't miss the first game of the season! :) The Oregon State Beavers (yes, that is his team's name!) lost in a nail biter and then we were off!

Tuesday morning I actually went to the WMA meeting at 8:30! I know, right?!! Who would ever think that! I had three precious young ladies taking part and they had asked me to go, so I went. Courtney Jordan said a prayer and Molly Bowman brought and amazing devotional on transparency. Molly and I have talked so much about that over the past few months and how others need to see that we don't always have it together. Christians mess up. Christians aren't perfect. Christians aren't always even happy. The thing is to be honest and open and allow God to use the things in our lives to point others to Him. She was awesome!

Then Courtney Luck shared about GMA Retreat this year....can I just add right here that I love these girls so very much??!!!!

haha!! we're so cool!

We left the meeting early and then sat around and visited with our future BMA missionaries...3 of the 4 that were elected. WOW!! I'm telling you, holy ground, folks! There are some amazing young ladies God is raising up in our midst and I was humbled to be sitting there talking with them all.

I then spent time down on my knees, literally, for the Missions Advisory Board and those ladies going through their interviews. My heart was full when I got the text that "all went great! unanimous...all approved!" God is so good!!

Tuesday night we had CHURCH!! It was awesome!! Antioch's praise team and choir led worship and then my man preached! There wasn't a prouder person in the place than the one sitting middle seat, second row center! God's Spirit filled the place and we were all challenged to never give up! don't quit! Run the race well til we run into the arms of Jesus at the finish line! Won't that be awesome...to look and see Jesus waiting with arms open wide telling us to "come to me"....aaaahhh!! To be held in those mighty arms!!

Afterwards it was awesome to watch folks that are so special to Jason stand in line and hug his neck. Many tears were shed by lots of men that night (and yes, of course the ladies too!). It was so cool to have Bro. Horton introduce Jason as the speaker and then Bro. Grady Higgs to thank him for a job well done. Two very special men that Jason has had the blessing of working for and learning from. I went to bed this night with my heart very full!

Wednesday I was actually up and dressed and at the meeting at 9 to go hear the Lifeword report. Then snuck out to go eat some Cracker Barrel with Sarah, Jan and Margaret...yummy! I then spent the rest of the morning/early afternoon relaxing and visiting with my precious friend....listening to worship music and praying! A very special time!

the big night!! I'm such a proud friend!!

We got word early afternoon that Jason had been elected as the 2nd VP of the BMA....haha!! He was thrilled! He will be great serving as an officer! Super ideas and a heart for people! Yep! That's my man! :)

We made it back over to a little bit of the meeting...okay, actually we had to be there to win an Ipad if our names were called...they weren't! :( Oh well....then the emotions of the day hit! I dropped Sarah back off at her room and I knew she was nervous about the commissioning service and having to speak, but I knew God was already using her....has been for a long while! I made it back to my room and then cried and prayed and prepared myself for the evening.

Jason introducing Sarah: "Its been my privilege to be her pastor at her second home while she has been at Central Baptist College...we are fortunate to have this young lady going to the Philippines to serve in our behalf...she will do an amazing work. Sarah has a commitment to the Lord, a devotion, a surrender, a love for the Lord that is an encouragement to others, a blessing to others and quite honestly sometimes even convicting to others. She has endeared herself to our church and on a very personal note she has endeared herself to my family. We love her and we are very very proud of her!" Yes, I was crying by this point! So very true...all of it! He did a super job!

Sarah then shared her heart, and oh how I love that heart! She has a relationship with the Lord that few have these days and her desire is for everyone to really know Him! To seek Him, to love Him, to surrender to Him. I am so challenged by her walk and I thank God daily for putting such an amazing young lady in my life; not only as just another college student, but as a very dear and precious friend!

Jason and I were able to stand with her and her parents while the commissioning prayer was said and wow! It just blessed my socks off! As I was standing there, I thought of last years meeting and standing there with two other young ladies we were sending off to spread the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth and my heart just about burst!! I'm so very thankful and grateful and humbled to have had the blessing of knowing these girls! It was a very special night with many tears...tears of sadness because of the one who would soon be leaving us, but also tears of joy because of the ONE she was surrendering to and giving her life up to serve!!

Thursday morning Jason had a meeting....oh to be an officer! We then headed back home to see my kiddos!! :) Oh they make me happy! We had a fun evening together and grandmama and granddaddy came through and spent the night and went to Turner's game....the Beavers won!! oh yeah!!!

Friday and Saturday was busy with a sleepover for Turner, friend's house, Pizza Inn and birthday parties for Landri; and I rode to Springhill, LA with Sarah so she could speak at a GMA district House Party....yes, she is now the missionary that all these young girls will look up to, study about and pray for! That's just awesome!! We made it back to the house about 1:45 a.m. and then went up to Damascus for a WMA breakfast Saturday morning...she spoke there as well and did a fabulous job! Spoke for 40 minutes! :) It was fun to see those ladies respond to her, they just loved her....fun times!

Sunday was another Antioch Sunday! They're always fun and always a blessing! CrossTraining and the sermon went along with the whole week I had just experienced....out of Luke 9:23 "Then he said to them all, 'If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me.'" Not that we daily take up struggles, but they we daily lay ourselves open to Him for Him to work in our lives that His glory may be seen. Its easy to deny ourselves when all we want to do is please Him and seek Him and give all glory to Him! Its not without tears and hurts, but knowing the "will of God will never take you, where the grace of God won't keep you" is always such comfort! He's always there! He's always trustworthy! He's always faithful! and HE is ALWAYS ENOUGH!! Oh the blessed assurance of His promises!!

so very thankful to God for blessing me with an amazing godly husband that always seeks God first and foremost in his life and his daily walk! also thankful he blessed me with a friend that has encouraged me in my walk with him like no other friend ever has! talk about accountability...this chick will do it! :)