Tuesday Mornings

It's been a long morning already. Felix woke at 5:00 am and wouldn't go back to sleep so by the time 9:30 rolls around I'm groggy, I have a headache and my stomach is already ready to eat it's second meal. But lucky for me, Tuesday mornings have also become one of my favorite parts of every week. At 9:30(ish) a group of women from my church get together for shared breakfast, laughter, prayer, and reflection on a book we are reading together.

Childcare is provided and I'm able to eat some delicious - often times very healthy -  breakfast with both hands! (A small miracle for women with young children.) A lot of times we spend the first hour or so sipping tea and catching up on the past week. Laughing about something our kids did, sharing a recipe or talking about our upcoming plans. Then the last 1-2 hours we discuss all that the Lord is showing us and how He is moving in our lives. Places where he is pressing us outside our comfort zone or an area where we are finding breakthrough. A lot of times relating it back to the book, but sometimes just needing to have a space to process where people will listen and pray and encourage our souls.

It is deeply soothing to me to be around these women. Even when Felix won't stay with the sitter and I have to chase him around the room, there is no awkwardness. No judgement. No heavy sighs of having to listen to him babble on top of prayer time. I feel so comfortable and welcomed by these women. Each and every one of them unique and beautiful. SO beautiful sometimes I just listen in awe of each person. How strong they are and how God speaks to them in unique and wonderful ways. How vulnerable we allow ourselves to be with one another. How we can laugh to tears and then in the next breath unveil deep and weighty revelations.

I'm so thankful for this group of women. I look up to them. I care for each and every one of them. I love them all and I know the steadfast weekly and daily encouragement and prayer I receive from these ladies is smoothing out more in my life than I even realize. We have only been meeting for 4 months, but already I can feel the roots of community and friendship going deep.

Another Farewell for Now

Chips, salsa, queso and two cold beers sat on the table in front of us. There is not much in life that the Ewing family loves more than mexican food and it seemed right for me and my older sister to celebrate our last hurrah together in Franklin at our favorite little mexican restaurant - Pueblo Real.

The little hole-in-the-wall is half way between out two houses and it has become a tradition for us to meet there for much needed sister-friend time. The salsa ran out 4 times over the course of the meal, but it was so nice to sit together and linger chatting like it wasn't the last time we would eat there together in a long time.

This weekend the Cahills move to Byrdstown, TN. They have lived in Franklin for 3 years now and we have been through a lot together. Two jobs and stay-at-home-momdom for me. Two jobs for josh. Grueling residency for Cynthia. Early mornings and late nights at the farm for JP. Two precious Cahill babies and one much-longed for Michael baby. Countless belly laughs and late nights out and many stressful phone calls to vent or cry together and celebrations galore. We have fully lived life together letting each other into the ugliest and most beautiful parts of each others lives. They are not only family, but they have become our closest and dearest friends.

Spontaneous cookouts with sweet corn, roasted veggies and burgers in their back yard while the kids chase fireflies and splash in a baby pool. Football games on the big screen with spicy chili, cornbread and cookies. Movie nights. Game nights. Wine nights. Just-come-over-for-the-heck-of-it-nights. I'm going to miss them dearly.

Luckily they are only 2 hours away so instead of spontaneous nights together around their back yard, our new MO will be weekends at their cabin. Renting boats on the lake. Watching our kids sled down hills in the forrest, farmer's market saturday mornings in Franklin and Let's-meet-half-way dinners in Lebanon. I cherish the time we have had together and I know there are still many memories and good times that lie ahead in our future.

I know it's lame, but this was one of three photos that contained JUST the 4 of us and even though it's old and at a mini golf course it was the best one.

Hospitality

One of my favorite things to do, and one of my spiritual gifts is hospitality. I absolutely adore inviting people into my home and making them feel comfortable and welcome. Hosting dinner parties is one of my top 10 favorite things to do. There something about preparing an elaborate meal for someone else that fills me with joy to the core of who I am and actually allows me to experience God through service, giving, community, and feasting. Thus, I invite people over ALL the time. Some may find it overwhelming and may feel the need to reciprocate or offer to bring something along, but honestly I would be 100% OK with always being the one who cooks the meal, hosts a movie night, lets people crash at my place, and in general just has an open door of welcome in my house.

This "gift" plus my desire to establish some meaningful friendships with women in Franklin is what started my Girls-Only wine night. At first it was just going to be some tasty bottles of wine plus cheese and crackers each week, but my incessant desire to do more and make people feel really welcome and actually feel blessed when they leave each week took over. And once a month I find myself googling "interesting hor'dourves" or "fancy finger food" to spice up the night. Some of the items I've made in the past include: Mushrooms stuffed with goat cheese, spinach and onions, Brie en Croute, and Quiche.

Tonight we had another GREAT wine-night and my labor of love popped out some tomato-mozzarella-balsamic bites, bacon wrapped water chestnuts, crusty bread dipped in olive oil, cherries and this...

Be still my heart.

Ok...so I didn't labor over the cheese. Or the cherries for that matter, but that's neither here, nor there.

The point is, this cheese was from a local fromagerie and was out. of. this. world. They pretty much have anything you could ever want when it comes to cheese. I think i might become a cheese snob just because of this store.

I've sent them an e-mail to ask if they had Reblochon cheese, which is the type of cheese they use in Tartiflette that we had in France on Day 4. According to Jo Jo, this cheese is impossible to get in the states. I'm convinced if anyone can get it, these people can. If I can get my hands on some you better believe I will be making tartiflette and blogging about.

100th Post

It's the 100th post.

There's a lot of pressure to be witty and amazing in my 100th post. To post reflections over the past 2 years of blogging. To thank all of my avid blog reading fans (went from 17 to 16 followers yesterday afternoon...sigh). To announce some big life change. To have some deep life meditation moment of how this blog has changed my life.

it hasn't.

But it has taught me how to process things. It has helped me sort through my thoughts. It's helped me put words to the emotions and feelings the fly around in my head. It's stretched me to really nail down and contemplate what God is teaching me. It's helped me recognize the beauty in everyday life. It also helped me work through the pain.

As I said in my very first blog post. "It will be real. It will be blunt. It will be me." and all of those things pretty much sum up what it has been thus far. (except i DO occasionally hold back a cuss word or two...knowing my aunts are reading it. ;)

With the formality of the 100th-Blog-Post-Recognition out of the way, I would like to say "thanks." Thanks for your comments and e-mails that were sent in response to my last blog. It truly was encouraging to hear all that you had to say and to know that others are praying that God will bring me a close friend.

And, in case you were wondering, I do feel better now. I'm no longer staring blankly at the celing crying my eyes out. I'm moving on. I'm even feeling pretty positive and happy today, thank you very much. :)

However since my blog does help me process my thoughts and deep ponderings i've been thinking a lot about the whole friend thing since then I've realized some things:

• Some of the acquaintances I have here could potentially grow to closer friends, I just need to give it some time...
• I should make more of an effort with my long distance friendships.
• That God has a plan, and there is a reason i'm in this season - but that He also wants good things for me and wants to see me happy so my prayer of one good friend WILL be answered.
• I need to try more spontaneous friend gatherings - you see, i'm a planner. I like to set a coffee or dinner date "on the books" several weeks in advance. Maybe this crazy planning cycle i've gotten myself into is the only reason why I don't see these acquaintances more often to build them into close friends!
• I truly do feel like I'm in need of one close friend, but that I might be feeling this heightened need for friendship because Josh and I have been really disconnected from our church community this summer. Traveling a lot. no small groups. when we are at church, we are serving in some way and never truly connect...etc. etc.
• I need to spend more time alone with God. Listening and Praying. Praying and Listening.

I think that's all for now. Thanks again for all your encouragement over the past couple of days. It means a lot to me...really.