Welcomed Weekend!

About six months back, my very good friend Jeana called me up and said, "Hey, we're going away for a weekend together, you and me, when and where do you want to go?". This is very characteristic of Jeana. She's a very take charge kind of girl, which as you know is a girl after my own heart. After coinciding our calendars a million times and a few sunk attempts, we finally nailed down a weekend nestled right between Mother's Day and Memorial Day.

Jeana and I go back. We actually met through Devon. Jeana and her husband Mike went to college with Devon. While Devon was youth pastor, he invited Mike to help out with a revival at our church in Muldrow. That was the first time Jeana and I met and we clicked instantaneously!

Both of our husbands were in the ministry so we had a lot of commonalities to talk about. If you aren't aware, when you are on staff at a church, it's nearly impossible to have open and honest relationships. You live and breathe and eat church... but yet you can't really talk to anyone about things that are going on. And when you do open up to a "trusted" friend, many times it comes back to haunt you. Don't get me wrong, I love church, and if you aren't involved you need to be. But being on staff is truly a calling and a very, very difficult life for young married couples trying to lead a ministry, start a family and live on a meager wage.

Our husbands both stepped back from ministry and we found ourselves all gravitating to the OKC area. So Devon & I moved first and then Mike & Jeana joined us. And when I say "joined us" I mean they moved in. It was a cracked up few months, but we survived. Jessalyn was about 9 mos old and Jeana just found out she was pregnant. We clung to each other as our husbands, neither with a college degree or any kind of experience outside of pizza delivery and youth ministry, struggled to find jobs.

I like to think of us as survivors of the ministry. Recently Mike has went back to children's ministry and is thriving at his church in Idabel. Experience, age and understanding of God's will, I believe has given them more tolerance for the strife of ministry.

Devon & I as many of you know are very active in our own church. Devon ministers as a deacon. And the both of us lead a young adult small group. I consider it being in the ministry with out all the strife. :) But God is leading us and we are diligently praying for God's future for us and how we are to be involved in ministry.

So back to our weekend....

No kids. No husbands. No schedules. No work. Don't get me wrong we love all of those things, but sometimes you need a little getaway. Jeana arrived about two hours ahead of me and called me from the hotel. She sounded like a giddy little girl. I asked her if she was going to take a nap - we both are big fans of a nap - she said no, I'm going to Wal Mart, ALL BY MYSELF. If you are a mom of youngsters, you know what a privilege that is!

Today we intend to embark on some carefree shopping, pedicures and some good eats. I am totally stoked.

I thank God for my friends and the wonderful times we have together. I am so blessed.