I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted. ~Job 42:1
It’s been too long since I blogged. Life just seemed to get in the way this week. I actually started this post on Sunday but just now got to where I felt I had the energy to actually write the words.
We had a good time at the Women of Faith conference this past weekend. However, getting there was quite the journey.
Because we were tornado victims, my sister and I were offered free VIP tickets from our church. We ended up with a total of four tickets so we invited my Mom and my Aunt. My sister thought it would be fun to stay downtown in a hotel near the arena so a week before, we booked a hotel.
I was really looking forward to this conference. In the two weeks prior to the conference, the everyday little life things started to get to me and I really needed encouraging words to help me get through this difficult time in my life.
Fast forward to Friday.
My sister wasn’t having a great day and I had been a little down for a few days. Friday started out pretty good. The girls and I had a lunch date and then we went home so I could pack an overnight bag. Five minutes before I was planning to walk out the door, I checked my email and saw an email no one wants to see. My Pay pal account had been hacked and the hacker had done a bunch of stuff to my account. I FREAKED! As my sister drove to the conference, I was on the phone trying to get the situation under control. As we pulled up to our hotel, I hung up with everything in process to get resolved (or so I thought…2 more phone calls this week and everything is finally being taken care of).
The enemy was trying really hard to keep us from this conference or at least trying to keep us from enjoying it.
As we were checking into our hotel, the clerk informed us that they didn’t have a room ready for us yet but they had 2 rooms side by side on the club floor! Then my sister asked if they had a breakfast available and the clerk then proceeded to give us free vouchers for their breakfast buffet! It was then and there that we both started crying. It’s funny how little things like that can just make the bad things fade a bit.
After getting settled in our rooms, we headed to the conference to register. We were directed to the VIP table to check in and get our assigned seats. After getting our tickets we headed to our seats. When we got to our section, we realized how many steps there were and how it would be difficult for our mom to get up and down those stairs so we headed back to the VIP table to see if we could get different seats. While they were searching, the lady at the table asked us if she had given us lunch vouchers. You guys! We got free Jason’s Deli lunch box vouchers! The only meal we ended up having to pay for was dinner that night! We also ended up in a section with seats much, much closer to the stage!
I will admit that the issue of getting hacked was on my mind the entire time but it didn’t keep me from hearing the messages and enjoying my time at the conference. God really is good…especially in the midst of trials.
After the conference, while doing my quiet time this week, This verse (which was not in my planned reading) caught my eye:
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. ~1 Peter 4:12-13
Wow. Just wow. I love it when God sends me notes of encouragement.
