Gratitude Friday...

First, let me please ask for your prayers for my sweet friend Tabitha. How blessed are we to have the opportunity to pray for each other? Just amazing...

The single greatest moment of my life as a mom happened Wednesday night. I was holding Aubrey Kate while walking around the kitchen and she reached up and put her little arms around my neck.

I swear to you I almost cried with joy.

Now, I fully understand she had not a clue what she was doing. Her favorite thing to do these days is reach so more than likely she was reaching for something.

But I don't care. At. All.

Just when I think I couldn't love her more...

Thank you Father for that precious moment!

Yesterday I got in the car to come home and Watermark's song "More Than You'll Ever Know" was on. Ya'll know that one?

'Cause you've been more than a friend to me
You fight off my enemies
'Cause you've spoken the Truth over my life
And you'll never know what it means to me
Just to know you've been on your knees for me
Oh, you have blessed my life
More than you'll ever know, yeah, yeah, yeah
More than you'll ever know, yeah, yeah, yeah

You had faith, when I had none
You prayed God would bring me a brand new song
When I didn't think I could find the strength to sing
And all the while I'm hoping that I'll
Do the kind of praying for you that you've done for me
And that's the way it ought to be...

You have carried me
You have taken upon a burden that wasn't your own
And may the blessing return to you
A hundredfold, oh yeah...
A hundredfold, oh yeah...

It's a catchy little tune. Really. It was stuck in my head for the rest of the night.

But what struck me almost immediately when I heard it was how grateful I am for the women in my life who are EXACTLY the people Watermark is singing about.

Ever had someone just speak Truth over your life?

I have had the pure joy these past two weeks of talking through some life questions with treasured friends. Well, talked is not entirely true with all of them. It's been a whole lot of email though.

Praise the Lord for email. And a shout out to Al Gore too.

I feel very strongly the Lord has given me a new direction. Where to exactly, He didn't say. Regardless, it was crystal clear what He told me.

And I am struggling.

There's a whole lot of "stuff" in there but the point is these women listened to my "stuff" and didn't, not once, not even close laugh, reprimand, judge or question me. They simply listened, offered verses of comfort, words that brought a smile to my face and then they said they'd pray.

Well, okay, I got one reprimand to not ever keep that kind of stuff to myself again. I can handle that.

Without a doubt, I feel so richly blessed to have such amazing friends. Women who carry my burdens, who've been on their knees in prayer with me and who have just plain blessed my life.

More than they'll ever know.

Thank you Lord for my precious friends. You speak to me through them. You love me through them. You comfort me through them. I am humbled by the way You care for me.