Hitting the Road...

Tomorrow I'm climbing in a minivan with some cool women and we're driving to Nashville. 

It's a road trip with some brilliant, funny, resilient and supportive women..  I'll be hitting the road with some MOPS ladies to attend MOPS convention. This is my first time but I have wanted to go for years.  Last year I was great with child and tonight I gave her extra snuggles and inhaled her baby shampoo scent.  I've never been away from Miss M overnight.  I've never been away from the kids this long at all and you know what?  I am okay with it.

I will miss them (mostly, the teenager is making me twitch lately but I was brattier at 16 than he could dream of being, not that I'm going for a "who's the worst teen" throw down).  Mostly, though, I am excited for the opportunity to get away with women I know who have a common goal, to be the best moms and women and leaders they can be, all for the glory of God. 

I have written about my love for MOPS before.  I love that MOPS is a place where I can build relationships with other women.  We might not have the same hobbies or passions or politics.  We might not live in the same neighborhood or attend the same church. We might not even have the same parenting philosophy or fashion sense.  However, we come together and bond in the unity of our shared roles as mothers and as women of faith. 

When I attended a MOPS summit this spring, a speaker said, "We must keep our MOPS focus on Jesus because if we lose that focus, we're just another' mom's club."  Not that there is anything wrong with any mom's clubs, but that what makes MOPS special for us is our focus on God and faith. 

I am attending convention with women with whom I have worshipped and served but I look forward to knowing them better; nurturing our relationship.  I look forward to meeting other MOPS women from all over the country as we attend workshops and hear speakers.    I look forward to being open to the still, small voice of God and the big moments where I hear Him loud and clear. 

I look forward to this adventure, this opportunity to grow and grow in relationship with God and with other women, mothers, friends.

Prayers for travelling mercies for all those heading to convention, for anyone travelling, really. I pray that wherever you are, you find blessings and opportunities to grow and nurture others in their growth.  There are opportunities all around us, may we embrace them and fully enjoy them.  May we all look forward to opportunities and embrace the moments we're in right now.

-Peace