This one is for Sweet and Fleming

The day before we left for Chi-town I had the lovely privlege of having some time with two incredible women.

Two best quotes from that day:

Kathy: "Prayer looks alot different with two year olds running around!" (Her two sons Micah and Asher are just adoreable and preciously sweet!)

Patti:"Ben is almost ready to crawl isnt he!??!"
Amy: "Yeah, if he would get his gut off the floor" (said as only a mother can!!) (her baby is the most most MOST deliciously chubby baby I have ever seen. I spent the afternoon wanting to bite him he is so yummy!! And her Rebecca the epitome of a precious little lady)!

Kathy and Amy and I used to meet every Friday morning before school and pray. This was probably...shessh can it be...5 years ago!!! We all taught together, albeit me part time ,during this period because the girl was just in school half days.

Its amazing what happens when women pray together. I suppose this is true of any group of people who pray together as well. It knits you together in ways that you dont really understand. You are bonded to that person in a very special way.

We used to drag our butts into my room at 7:15. They would be nursing coffees, Id be having my diet Coke. We would lock the door from those annoying intruding students and turn out the lights and light a candle. During the holiday months we would pray by the light of my festively lighted bulliten board. We laughed about the candle because it seemed so goofy, but it did put our minds in the right perspective!

Alot of times we chatted for a while. Inevitiably, one of us would be crying. Amy has the gift of being very diplomatic and objective and it gives her this incredible view of what is happening. She has laser sharp insights. Kathy is emotional like me but she would just say what needed saying. I love(d) what about her.

There was accountablity and joy and sadness. It was a moment of respite in the brokenness of our lives. (Not that our lives were terribly dysfunctional but hell, we live in a broken world dont we!)

We talked about our students our husbands, my desire for another baby, Kathy's upcoming marathon, Amy's cool house stuff, our husbands, our husbands our husbands...oh and our husbands.

And then we would pray.

It was sacred time. We were so blessed to have had those mornings.

It knit our hearts together. Even though Kathy moved away. Even though Amy had two babies, Even though Kathy had two babies. Even though I went back to work. Even though they are younger than me. Even though God has called us to very different ministeries in our lives. Those mornings knit our hearts together.

The thread is still there.

And its a gorgeous blessed thing.

I love you Amy and Kathy!