Tonight is just one of those nights where I love and appreciate my sisters so much I could start crying. Out of the kindness of their hearts, they came over this evening to help me with anything and everything. (I'm a bit handicapped, thanks to the super cool pink cast I'm sporting on my dominent hand.)

These girls. Oh my heart, these girls.

They scrubbed my kitchen floor, vacuumed the whole main level, swept up an actual mountain of dirt & dust in the garage, scrubbed carpet spots, mended my favorite daily-wear jeans, cleaned wax off the wall that my pooch spilled with her tail (that's a story), cut up a whole ham so I could freeze it in smaller portions, addressed envelopes, washed windows, scrubbed my makeup bag, and massaged my back.

Seriously.

And I know I'm forgetting something or more than one something.

Did I mention the scrubbing?

My independent side hates letting people help me. It's a legit battle I fight every day.

But when I accept the love and acts of kindness from my family and friends, we're all blessed.

And sometimes I get my flipping socks blown off.

Hannah Banana, Rufus and Susie Gusie, thank you.

From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Thank you for being my sisters.

Thank you for loving me, even when I'm unloveable.

Thank you for the laughs.

Thank you for the hugs.

Thank you for the help.

Thank you for your sacrificial care.

Thank you for not complaining.

Thank you.

I love you.

*SMOOCH*

P.S. Behold the multitude of sister picture hodgepodge randomness below. And Sister Three, you need to get in more pictures. The end.

Thursday night at 10:30 my brother, sister, and I decided to purchase last minute tickets to Casting Crowns' Thrive tour concert in Milwaukee on Friday night. My sister and I had played with the idea for weeks but came up with things like "it's money we don't need to spend", blah, blah, blah. 

In the end, less than twenty-four hours before the concert, my years-long dream of seeing Casting Crowns live won. And all I have to say is thank you, Jesus, that it did.

For weeks (months?) I've been dry spiritually. Lies from the devil and from my own mind have been drowning me.

I'm not good enough.

My patterns of failure will never change.

I'll never have the discipline to be in the Word every day or actually finish a Bible study.

My physical pain and limitations are insurmountable.

I have to work harder and longer so I can make ends meet (never mind what that does to my physical and relational health).

No one can really love me for who and all that I am.

The lies go on and on and on and on.

Friday night Mark Hall's lead singer spoke Jesus' truth to three thousand of us. Really though, it felt like he was up there speaking truth just to me.

God isn't waiting for me to mess up.

He's not sitting on the shore watching me try to manage my "boat" of life with a list of all my failures and shortcomings, waiting to chew me out.

He's not waiting for a moment of my attention so He can tell me everything to go work on before I come back to Him.

He's sitting on the shore inviting me to come and sit and fellowship and share croissants and a cup of coffee.

(John 21)

He's written me scriptures that tell me I can do all things through Him.

His blood has washed away every single one of my failures.

His plans and dreams for my life are beyond anything I could ever imagine.

He lived and bled and died and rose and ascended so that I could not only survive but thrive.

He wrote a whole Book which, if I spend time in it consistently, will quench my thirst forever and calm every fear.

He is good.

Last night was an evening that holds memories that are near the top of my life-long favorites. Worshiping with Casting Crowns and for King & Country and Laura Story was heavenly. Near the very end of the show all three bands/singers were on the stage together, singing their hearts out and pounding and jamming on all their drums and guitars and three thousand voices joining together and it really was a small (incredible) glimpse of what heaven will be like. There really are no words to describe it.