July- Between memories and the Unknown

I've always thought July feels like it's split into two completely different seasons.

The beginning of the month is filled with family. Vacation. Cookouts. Lake days. Grandchildren laughing. Late nights and pictures that somehow never capture just how sweet the moments really were.

The end of the month is something entirely different.

Calendars spread across the table.
Planners open.
Dreams written in pencil.
Prayers whispered over things that don't exist yet.

This July has been no different in some ways, and completely different in others..

Family vacation looked a little different this year.

When your children are grown, you quickly learn that getting everyone in one place at the same time is no small feat. Jobs, schedules, responsibilities, and life have a way of pulling everyone in different directions.

This year, we couldn't all be together at the same time.

and…

I pouted.

Not because I wasn't thankful, but because sometimes your heart can be grateful and disappointed at the same time. I wanted every conversation, every meal, every laugh, every memory. But I’ve been reminded that I still have my family. All my babies, all my grand babies. So, I’m ok if we can’t always get together at the same time. At least I have the blessing of knowing they are ok, healthy. God gently reminded me that memories aren't measured by how many days you're present. They're measured by how present you are in the days you have.

This is still one of my favorite times of the year. The family time, then the dreaming, the planning.

I love dreaming with my husband, and with God.

I've spent the last couple of weeks mapping out another year of Godly Gals Connection. Every monthly gathering has been prayed over, and I can't wait to watch God move in the lives of the women He brings through those doors.

I've also settled on the theme for next year's Godly Gals Conference, and I can honestly say it's one of my favorites yet. Every year I pray that the conference isn't just another event, but a catalyst that sends women back into their homes, churches, workplaces, and communities more equipped to live for Christ.

We're also preparing for something new this fall: a marriage conference. That has been exciting to dream about with Matt as we pray through what God wants to do in the lives of couples.

On paper, it sounds like a full season.

And it is.

But...

I still have this feeling.

It's hard to explain.

It's almost like standing at the edge of something you can't quite see yet.

I have this quiet sense that God is preparing something new. Maybe something bigger than I've imagined. Or maybe not bigger...just different.

The funny thing is, He hasn't told me what it is.

Not yet.

The planner has blank spaces.

My prayers have unanswered questions.

My heart has expectation without explanation.

Years ago, that uncertainty would have made me anxious. I would have tried to figure it out, force a direction, or fill every empty space with my own plans.

Now?

I'm learning that not knowing isn't the same as being lost.

Sometimes God lets us sit in the waiting because the waiting prepares us for the revealing.

So for now...

I wait.

Not with frustration.

Not with fear.

But with expectation.

Because I've walked with Him long enough to know this: when He stirs something in your spirit before He shows it to your eyes, He's usually already working behind the scenes.

So I'll keep planning what's in front of me.

I'll keep loving the people He's placed around me.

I'll keep serving faithfully where He has me today.

And when He's ready...

He'll reveal what's next.

Until then, I'll wait expectantly.

love,

Lynn