TEA

 Whew! I'm tired from writing about all we have done lately!  This tea party is one of those things that I said I should have said NO to but we went because I had commited and I'm glad we did.  Emily has met some wonderful, sweet, like minded friends through our co-op.  I'm so thankfu for the sweet girls she is around.  They build her up and make her smile.  Her sweet tutor from Co-op hosted the tea party for the girls with tea, treats, and a very low cost gift exchange.  In sitting around the mom table, we started talking about husbands.  One of the mothers started crying and sharing how her husband was not a believer, that he was a good man, good husband and provider but not a believer.  She said she prayed everyday for his salvation.  It was such a touching and wonderful moment all together..Ms. D asked her if we could pray for her husband and so the 6 of us moms went to another room and on bended knee, in a circle, joined in hands, we prayed with tears in our eyes.  It was one of the coolest moments of this season...to get to lift this woman and her husband up all while our girls were in the next room having tea.  After praying we discussed some trials and desires and some of our hopes and dreams...missions among other "dreams" came up and one of the ladies gave us a wonderful scripture that I have meditated on the rest of the week....We have felt restless, we have felt wobbly, like "what's the next step", "Where do you want us God", "Is this enough?"  Well I just love this scripture because it answers these questions...

Psalm 105: 19 (New Living Translation)
"Until the time came to fulfill his dreams, the Lord tested Joseph's character." 

My character is constantly being tested...daily, hourly, and sometimes by the minute...as my children get older, as my husband leads, as my faith is tested and as my relationship with the Lord grows...my character is being refined.  It is painful at times but I'm so thankful.