Has anyone else ever thought of inviting someone to join you at a special event when it's already too late? That happened to me today. I thought of three people in particular who might possibly have been able to come, as they would not have to take off work or fly on an airplane to get here. Unfortunately, I thought of them while I was sitting at the registration table helping other moms find their name tags for the monthly Mom's HEART(Hearing Encouragement and Rejoicing Together) meeting at our church. This meeting usually consists of brunch, a speaker or two, door prizes, and a discussion group with your table at the end. We're assigned to the same table every month to help us get to know one another a little better by the end of the "year" (May).

I had heard of the key speaker. I had heard some of her songs on the radio, and knew I liked them. But I had not realized how much I would like the rest of her music... until today. The petite brunette with the Minnesota accent and adorable pregnant belly fit right into the room full of Moms, most of whom have pre-schoolers. She shared from her heart, and I'm sure all of us teared up at one point or another, if not bawled. I had heard her sing an offertory during a worship service at our church a few months back, and it turns out that she toured with the husband of one of the Mom's HEART coordinators. I know we are blessed to be in Music City, but still...

I don't know how I've made it this long without buying one of Sara Groves' albums. I am sorry I didn't think to invite any of you. While I know most could not have made it anyway.... I'm still sorry. Her songs were about real life... relationships, parenting, God... she is a very gifted songwriter and musician. One thing she shared that touched me the most was that she is learning to not look back at the specific moments (especially of struggles/perceived failures) as a mom, but to look at the patterns of how she spends time with her kids, etc... She has already learned that looking back on the big picture can be a lot more encouraging to her. Or something of the sort. That's some of what I got from it, anyway.

I'm going to try to catch up on some things around the house this week, so I may ground myself from blogger... although we all know how well that worked last time around.