Here you come again. . .

The longer I keep this blog the more I feel life can be redundant.  Just like my entry about this year's Super Bowl made me remember last year's post, I am pretty certain I have written multiple posts on our church's annual Day of Spiritual Enrichment.  Well, the women of our church just finished a weekend of time together and I am just going to gush again.  It was wonderful.   We implemented some new things (which I think really added to the experience) and eliminated some other things (which equally added to the time together).  

The team was very different than in past years, meaning several "new" gals.  Our chairwoman was perfect for the job and did a great job keeping details straight and us on track.  We added a Friday night dinner this year and it was great to have a game to play to get conversation going, relaxed conversation over a yummy meal, and then an introductory session with our speaker.

NOW, the speaker is a whole story in herself.  

Cathy Burwell, from Perimeter Church in Atlanta, was our speaker.  Now I say she is from Atlanta, but the truth is she just lives there now.  She grew up in Birmingham and we went to high school together.  She is in the yellow circles in the photos below (the blue circles are the friends going on the birthday trip this summer).

Cathy was a year behind me in school and God has crossed our paths over and over again over the years.

After college we both went on staff with the same college ministry and were both friends with this brunette who is also a member at the church I attend now!!! It was a fun little reunion, I tell ya.  There is something special about old friends - am I right?

During my time on staff at Berry College in Rome, GA I also built other friendships. . . with some of Cathy's best friends.  So we intersected again and again; even to the point of being in a wedding together (bride not pictured). . .

Listening to Cathy this weekend and watching God use her to draw in the women and touch their hearts, well it was surreal.  I felt like I was in a "I knew you when" segment of Oprah and Cathy should be famous.  She is a super teacher, folks.  She said strong things in an amazingly direct way and I am not even sure our women noticed because of her strong Southern accent and engaging personality.

The topic was our personal story and how that fits with God's over-arching redemptive story.  It was great.  It was convicting.  It will not quickly be forgotten.

Oh, and everybody was given a pen with a little "bling" in it.  It was hilarious how excited these women were about these pens . . . so, I took a picture!