I had the most incredible 2 days up in the Mountains last week. Jula's family called me and invited me to join them at Keystone for a couple days, they were spending the week skiing. That was an easy decision for me....ABSOLUTELY!!

Jula was so much fun, just the most adorable little girl. It is such a privelege to spend time with her family and to be a part of her life. She asked me a question that has had me thinking about it for 2 weeks now...and considering the fact that I still don't know how to respond...I suppose I will be pondering it for days to come.

We were sitting out in the hot tub...snow falling on our faces....and she says "mommy Cheryl, how do you feel about being a princess?" I don't remember ever being asked that or even thinking of myself as a princess for that matter...I finally said "you know Jula, I don't feel very much like a princess" and she quickly said "is that because you're a queen?"

hummm...why don't I feel like a princess? ....good questions coming from a 4 year old.

Today I am so thankful for my good life. This week God showed me some powerful stuff about His long arm of love. Through several places that my work led me He showed me that it is not about me saying all the right things...developing the perfect program for our moms...or always being spot on in my evaluations of what they need...its just about showing them Jesus. Being free of me so He can shine through everything I say and do. I can't change peoples lives or even give them the power to want to...but my Jesus, He does that very well. And He wants to change our mom's lives! That gets me excited.
On Monday I was waiting in the county jail to meet a new mom. As I sat there it was visiting time for the families, I watched a middle aged man visit with his wife. He sat at a booth looking at a screen, she was on the screen on a phone, there was a tiny camera at the top of his screen so she could see him. I wasn't trying to listen, but he was right there...They were talking about the kids, how they were doing in school...what clothes they needed...he talked about work...things most married couples talk about at the end of the day. This wasn't an ordinary end of the day for them though, this was the reality of their life, and it might be this way for a very long time.
There were lots of other people there trying to get information on their loved one...why they are in jail...for how long...suddenly their life is changed, and this could be the new normal for them. I sat there and thanked God that this was never normal for my family, yet I wonder why God rescued me from that.
Eventually I was called back to do an interview with a new mom. The visiting rooms were full so we had to talk on phones through a glass. We talked about life, how hard it was for her to accept her pregnancy...she went to the abortion clinic but just couldn't do it. We talked about how precious life is...she isn't sure she is worthy of the responsibility God has given her with this life...yet I reminded her it is not me but her carrying that child...and God didn't make a mistake when He gave her this child.
Last night I was blessed at a concert by one song writer that told his story. His mom was 17 years old pregnant and on the street...thinking abortion was the only option until a lady she had never met before crossed the street and told her about the love Jesus has for her. Because of that person living out Jesus I was blessed by his music last night. If you have sung songs like "I am a friend of God" or "I'm trading my sorrows", then you also have been blessed by this man's writings. His new song is about the power of one...one person showing another person Jesus can change our world.
Who are you showing Jesus this week?