My Bags Are Packed!

Well, my bags are packed.

They are filled with my favorite outfits,

shoes too uncomfortable to wear to a conference but too stinkin' cute to leave at home,

directions, schedules, my coffee maker and favorite coffee since my Starbucks runner(AKA Chad) is not coming this year, make-up, hair stuff, jewelry, earplugs(never leave home without them), toothbrush and paste, notepads and my Bible.

Tucked inside my bags are two precious pieces of paper that will be pulled out and shared with a group of strangers... my teaching and testimony for evaluation time.

I have fretted, prayed, written, erased, tweaked, crumpled up, started over, timed a hundred times, and had critiqued...two little crisp sheets of paper. Memories flood my head every time I think about my testimony. This 3-minute version is about my brother and his car accident that took the life of another and marked our "Fisher" name forever. This was probably the most painful part of my childhood, but here I go, spilling my guts in the name of Christ and what He has saved me from. One thing is for sure, my story won't be the worst one shared. There will be stories of unimaginable hurt, but complete victory in Christ. Like the story of my evaluator, who was brutally raped and beaten on her graduation day.

Coming with me are the prayers of precious people who think I should do this thing called speaking, people who believe in me and want to see me better myself. They have contributed to my funds, paid for my hair to get all pretty, will watch my kids and pets on this trip, have helped me by critiquing my teachings with love and all in all just told me to go for it. This is the precious thing that I couldn't leave home without.

Two more things in my bag...2 pictures that Wyatt drew for me.

The first looks like a scribble. This was our conversation when he gave it to me:

M-What's this?

W-A map.

M-Oh, to where? Where am I going?

W- I don't know.

M-Then where will I know where I am going?

W-You just walk and follow it and you will know when you get there. Oh and bring a shovel.

I sure don't know where I am going on this adventure of a ministry, but God does. Wyatt may have just been playing, but he spoke life into me that day. I just need to follow the path God has placed me on and I will know when I get there.

The 2nd picture is one that Wyatt drew of me and him with a heart in the middle. He gave it to me last week when I was heading out for another conference. As I was getting into the car after saying good bye to all my kids, I wondered if they understood what their mom was doing. I wondered if they believed that this was OK...for mom to leave a lot and do this ministry. Did they support me...especially Wyatt because he is so young? When he came running out of the house to catch me as I was pulling out of the driveway to bring me that picture, God told me, "He does."

Only a few more things to do:

Enjoy my last day with the family

Drop off my dogs and doggy day care

Finish packing my boys

Drop off the little boys with Jen

Kiss everyone good bye

Wait for my ride

and have the time of my life!

See ya!