What a Difference a Year Makes

Okay, so I wasn't going to write about this because I feel kind of star-struck-annoying when I talk about some of the opportunities I get because of my job. But then...I remembered part of what I want to preserve on my blog is a running memory of what happened in my life, so I changed my mind and decided to write about it.

Yesterday, Lynne and I interviewed Angie Smith.

Shut. The. Front. Door.

There are a handful of women whose writing I so deeply admire - and were you to line them up and examine their writing styles, you'd give me a very puzzled look and say "They sound nothing alike. How can these all be your favorites?" Well, because. :)

What I love about Angie is that she is hilarious - and yet deeply profound. I alternate between giggling and underlining when I read her books. Another thing I love about Angie is that she's so Bekah. When she wrote about meeting Beth Moore....well....this is virtually the same reaction I had to speaking with her on the air.

Angie's first book, I Will Carry You told the story of her grief and joy as she prepared to give birth to the daughter she knew would die, and though my circumstances were different, the lessons and insights she shared in those pages carried me through my desert.

Her new book is called What Women Fear, but let me tell you: even if you're not a woman, you can benefit from this book. Powerful biblical principles in that book!

I sat at the board and stared at my notes in front of me, listening to her share about her debilitating life-long battle with fear and how the Lord was transforming and redeeming that struggle to bring glory to Him, and I closed my eyes to soak in the moment.

One year ago (per my blog post last year at this time) I'd spent the week fearing for my safety at work because of some angry words a parent of one of my students spewed at me over the phone. It was the first time I'd seriously wondered if the parent would get in the car, drive to campus and go on a shooting spree. I never would have dreamed that one year later I'd be sitting at an engineer board giggling with Angie Smith about junior high French braids and finding an Anne of Green Gables-esque buddy.

Who knew??

It proves my year's verse right: His ways are far beyond what I could imagine!