Sooo if you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, you may have noticed that I’m doing a bit of traveling this week. I was blessed with the opportunity to head to Bar Harbor, Maine for a Summit Leaders trip with one of my favorite authors, Margaret Feinberg {you seriously need to start reading this or this NOW}. It was more than a little intimidating to A) Leave the same week that both of my babies started school, especially since one was headed to Kindergarten and the other to Middle School for the first time. B) Travel – I haven’t flown since 2001, both out of frugality & necessity because the King of Free is all B.A. Baracus and doesn’t do the aeroplanes. C) Organize what felt like 150 million details for both said travel & the peoples I was leaving behind. D) Go without my family. I reaaaaallllly like those guys. I like to spend time with them and honestly we’re rarely apart. In fact, I think it’s the first time in probably 8 years that I’ve been completely without them {mismatched assembly thereof}.
But here I sit. In this room:
Yes, Pinterest is a real place. I am there right now. I just heard a clock tower chime 6 times with the familiar carillon tones. And twice this evening I heard a horse drawn cart clip clop down the street in the quiet of the front parlor of this house. Maybe I’m in Storybrooke, Maine instead? I’m not sure.
And I have about 10 more minutes to reflect upon what God has in store for me this weekend. I’ve scribbled a few things in my journal but I wanted to share a few things with you, too. Many of you know that my faith is integral to my existence. It has determined both the quality and direction of my life. Without the grace of God, there would be no $127K in debt slain. There would be no Queen, no King, and certainly no Princesses.
Recently, I’ve been seeking to hear God’s voice when He’s called me to slow down and rest a little {hence fewer posts here during the month of July but fear not, I will be returning to freebie/deal posting again soon after I “air” out my brain a bit.}. And I’ve been trying to heed His call to see what’s next for us. Even a year ago, I never would have imagined the doors He would open or the opportunities He would present. While difficult, we recently laid down a volunteer ministry at our church because we felt God’s call to simplify. I had amazing peace once we made the final decision but it was so hard because it’s been a place where we’ve poured our hearts into for the last 4 years. That decision was a little over a week ago.
And I found myself now, sitting in the quiet with my thoughts pondering what God is calling us do next and how our family can use all we’ve been given – our gifts, our time, our talent, our touch, and most of all our story to contribute to the reconciliation of all things. This journey we’ve been on was one I never dreamed of or anticipated. Back in college, early motherhood, grad school, I never thought, “Hey I want to wear a plastic crown and challenge people to live within their means and be happy about it!” And a little over a year ago, I wouldn’t have anticipated being on WTHR or writing for the Daily Journal. Sometimes Divine moments of surprise and grace slip right into your fingers like that. So while I’m not in Maine to come up with a three step plan, I am here to be still, explore, meet some people who all love an adventure & an author I love.
If you want to follow my journey, the best place to “see” what I’m seeing is on Instagram where I’ll update whenever I can find a good free WiFi signal. We’ll be hiking in Acadia and along the shore of the Atlantic. I’ve already explored a couple of the cute shops & restaurants. And there is LOBSTER involved, too. 🙂 Most of all, I feel like I’m here to listen – to both God’s voice and the stories of others. And if you wanna whisper a prayer for me this weekend to do just that, I’d appreciate it greatly.
Thanks for sharing our journey. grace&peace.
*This post contains an affiliate link. That means while you score a great deal on Amazon, you also help our family build up our emergency fund and eventually pay off our mortgage. And for this we classify you as Royally Swell. This post was not sponsored nor compensated. I did not receive anything from Summit Leaders or Margaret Feinberg I just love them both. 🙂
<3 this post….. yay for you- for peace, quiet and the ability to listen to our ever loving Lord God. prayers sister!
Visit Cadillac mt. He visits there frequently and it shows. 🙂
Filling your pitcher. Good for the soul and no better place to do it than Maine.