For the Love...of Sisterhood

If you follow me on any social media, you will know that I'm pretty obsessed with my new "bff" Jen Hatmaker, and her new book, For the Love: Fighting for Grace in a World of Impossible Standards. 

I am a part of her book launch team. There's many perks, like reading the book multiple times before it even comes out. But I think my favorite perk is the sweet friendships that have formed with the other launch team members. 

There are 500 of us. We have our own private Facebook group, and we just do life there. We laugh, we cry, and we pray. We have celebrated when babies were conceived and later born. We have wept along side devastated mamas, as they miscarried babies, yet again. We have laughed as silly kid moments were shared. We have begged for God to show up when the diagnosis was that ugly word, cancer. We have rallied along side each other, encouraged each other, and just spoke truth and love into each other's lives. 

I know that I am known there, I am loved there, and I belong there. Is there anything more beautiful? 

So I just want to brag on my tribe for a moment. I've just never been apart of something so incredible and life giving. I can't get over it, and I never want to. 

First of all. Jen called me adorbs. Which is probably my number one love language. Ah. I can't even. 

Story time. Backstory: Last week I was reading about how Jesus says, ""So don't worry about these things, saying, 'What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?'" Good stuff for sure. But I was really wanting new running leggings. I have been training for my half marathon for a few months now, and the pants I've been wearing were made for yoga, and were wearing pretty thin. Also. Since I've been losing weight, they were getting too big. Story: I found a coupon in my purse for $20 off of $50 at Old Navy. I love their workout clothes, but really couldn't justify spending the $30 to get some new stuff. So I posted the coupon in my For the Love group online, hoping to bless someone. I explained that the coupon was expiring in a couple of days, and I wouldn't be using it because it wasn't in the budget. The next morning in my email was a gift card to Old Navy from one of my For the Love sisters. Y'all. I started sobbing. I was able to get running leggings, a workout tank, and a cute romper I've had my eye on for weeks. I don't understand how this all works. There have been so many moments in this season of not really knowing how ends are going to be met, and EVERY SINGLE TIME my Jesus shows up, and takes care of this girl. So today I ran in my new leggings, and let me tell you, they feel like God's faithfulness and the love of sisterhood. Just overwhelmed by His goodness. 

Stacey was in Michigan, from Florida, so we had a girlfriend date. We got pedicures, and then walked around my town, and had sodas at one of my favorite restaurants. We laughed so hard, we both had tears in our eyes. Seriously. If y'all want a laugh, let's talk about how outrageous online dating is. It was so great just to have girl time. I'm looking forward to her next trip up here later this month. :) 

Jessica and I met for brunch a few weeks ago. It took us months to realize that we lived only twenty minutes from each other. (If you can only imagine the amount of chatter from 500 women...) Because we live so close, I think I have found a new brunch partner. 

One evening after a particularly hard and full day, I came home to a little package on my front porch. Brenna from Idaho saw this, and sent it to me. It was during a few days of doubting God's calling, and wanting to throw in the towel. She didn't even know it, but she blessed me so much. 

On Sunday, I shared a huge prayer request with the 500. My heart has been burdened for months, and it was only getting worse. Immediately I had numerous women praying for me, and speaking life and truth into my situation. And then this one. She said that she was driving to my town to come just hug me. So she did. She drove almost an hour, with four kids in tow, just to hug me, and love me. I am so blessed. 

Annaliese is my soul sister. We call each other when we're sitting in traffic. We laugh at each other's jokes. She encourages me to stick with my goals with running. And my new favorite is that she and I are reading the Bible together to keep each other accountable, and to just have someone to discuss it with. It's so good. I cannot wait to hug her in real life. She is a treasure. 

Lord willing, I am going to hug all the necks in September. Jen has invited us to her house in Buda, Texas for a book launch party. (Yes. That GORGEOUS farm house they redid on hgtv.) I am absolutely beside myself. I'm not exactly sure how I'm going, or how I'm paying for it. But I have got to be there. As much as I'm excited to meet Jen herself, I just can't wait to meet all my new friends. 

The last season of life has been difficult in so many ways. But the biggest area of heartache has been with friendships. I've had friends chose to walk away, I had my best friend move away, and my other best friend visit for a short trip, only to return to japan. I have been begging God to fill some of this void with people. I love people, and I need people. Being single and living alone can be lonely a lot of the time. And God heard my cries, and He gave me 500 incredible people. They are my tribe. 

Also. Jen's new book is on preorder over on amazon for only $12. I personally want to order 100, and give them out to everyone I meet, but since I'm technically jobless, I will refrain. 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0718031822/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?qid=1436358734&sr=8-1&pi=AC_SY200_QL40&keywords=for+the+love&dpPl=1&dpID=61VKicWjPeL&ref=plSrch

http://forthelovebook.com

Check out her new site, and you'll see this girl's endorsement on there. :) 

Just feeling so loved, and so blessed. #forthelove 

M