Homegrown Hospitality

Documented Faith Week 22 & TRUST

Who am I and what is all of this blogging about???? I don't know but I am just going to ride the blogging wave and keep paddling.

So while I still have to share about my most recent trip to Seattle, I needed to get up to speed with Documented Faith. It is week 22 and if you do not know what that means,I will give you the basic run down:

1. Each month of the year we (The Documented Faith community) focus on one word.  May 2017 is TRUST.
2. Each week, I send out an email to those who have subscribed to the DF Weekly newsletter with a verse that applies to the focus word.
3. What you do with that is totally up to you.  My purpose is to get you a verse to read and reflect on. Some doodle the verse and/or the word in their existing planner, DF Binder, Post-it Note, etc.  It is totally up to you.  If you would like to register for the weekly email, you can click here.  It is as simple as that.  IF you do not want another email landing in your inbox, you can get the same info right here, each week.

To download this weeks verse, message and little writing challenge, click here:  Download Week 22

On Gathering and Being Brave

The week right after Sister Camp in Arkansas, I came home, unpacked, repacked and a few days later headed to Round Top Texas.  I LOVE Texas, especially in the Spring. Not sure what exactly it is, but there is a definite pull on my heart when I am there.  No, I do not plan to move there full time, but maybe in the future there will be more frequent trips.  I really don't know how that will all work out, but it's not about my plan, right?  

So "The Gathering in Round Top." Long story short, a few years ago I sent a "weirdo in a good way" email to Tara Royer Steele after we had a few back and forth comments to each other via Instagram. (This is where I praise social media because it can be an amazing tool for connecting.) Anyways, I just blurted out my "Hey...wouldn't be cool if we could..." and after several phone conversations, praying and text messages...2 years later that first "weirdo in a good way" email came full circle Y'all.

Meg, Tara and I all showed up as we were with the gifts we have been given for gathering women, serving, creating and lovin' Jesus and everything fell right into place.  I caught this sunset the very first night the three of us were there setting up.  No filter, just confirmation that we were headed in the right direction.

We were all able to witness an amazing display of what happens when you open up a space for women to just show up as they are, put out a whole bunch of creative supplies, offer lots of yummy food and pie, coffee in the morning and a little wine in the evening, early mornings for some, later nights for others and community at the table, in the kitchen, on the couch and on the porch.  The words I use to describe it are "It is just so good and Jesus shows up every.single.time" 

Our Gathering in Round Top was held at The Vintage Round Top.

I felt like I was in the pages of Country Living Magazine and that The Vintage was created just for us BUT, you can stay here too!  It is the perfect place to have a retreat or just hang out with a bunch of friends for the weekend...or dare I suggest during Antique Week??? There are actually two different spaces, The Round Top No. 1450 and the newer addition towards the side called Boho.  We rented the whole enchilada so it worked perfectly when it was time to bake pies because there are 2 kitchens. 

Speaking of pie...Tara, The Pie Queen, taught us how to make pie crust and a Junk Berry Pie...
I kept saying that it smelled like Fall, or Christmas..and the reviews about the pie were off the charts, in fact Logan actually shed a tear.  For reals. 

In between baking pies, bible journaling, stitching and making fabric tie wreaths, we ate, ate more, crafted, and so on and so on and so on.  The great thing was while some created, others could sit around and chat, laugh, cry and eat while all in the same cozy space. 

 and well, when in Round Top besides eating food at Royers Cafe

and Pie at Royers Pie Haven

one must also visit the Junk Gypsy Headquarters, duh. Listen, I am NOT A SHOPPER and I had to take about 47 laps around the store just to take it all in...and I did.  I think we all did.  It is dreamy. Wanna know what I bought???  I got what I call a "flowey" my buffalo rose tee, a Y'all hoodie and patches. 

and lucky us, Jolie popped in while we were shopping

and as they say, "What happens in Round Top, Stays in Round Top." It was so so good and Meg, Tara and I were so blessed by each of the ladies who were brave, unsure, totally ready and had no idea what they were getting into.  That earns a badge in my book.  God knows who is going to show up and each lady that showed up on their own left with new friends.  

Will we do it again next year??? We sure hope so and are going to talk and pray about it. 

On Sistering & Gathering

A few weeks ago today I boarded a plane for Arkansas headed to Sister Camp with D'Wana Villines.  

You should probably check out her site here after you are done reading this, of course.  I don't  "go" to these camps/retreats as a camper.  I go to teach and serve so this trip was a little different for me.  I was going to "go" AND teach, which really, now that I think about it, all of the other camps and retreats I have either taught at or have hosted, I could have done both, but I never allowed myself.  Okay, that is not true either, because as I type this out, 9 times out of 10, when I return home, I always have felt like I have received more than I have given.  NOTE: I contradict myself a lot, in a good way. I guess by typing this all out, I can see how I have received even when I haven't be intentional about it. 

Intentional....possibly my word for 2018.

Anyways, the way I knew for sure that I was relaxed and receiving more than I ever had was because in the midst of a really BIG storm, with constant "warnings coming over our cell phones" I took a nap.

NOTE: Taking that nap in the midst of a giant storm was a HUGE growth indicator for me in a few different ways.  It was the BIGGEST storm I have EVER been in and even though my knees were a little wobbly at times, I was constantly assured that we were fine even AFTER getting a "Take Shelter Immediately" warning. Maybe they were all a little nervous too but I didn't see it and I thank them for hiding it if they were.

Taking a nap in the middle of a huge storm is TRUST.

Yep, I disappeared off into my cozy bed and took a nap, not to mention, the SECOND nap of that day.  I was trusting that we were going to be fine and because I was trusting, I was resting, restoring and refueling. THAT is a huge part of what Sister Camp is about and what D'Wana and her team provide to the ladies that come to Sister Camp.  Just typing about this all makes me relaxed enough to go take a nap!

So ya know how they say, what happens __________ (wherever you are) stays _________________ (wherever you are) but I have to tell you about the amazing coziness of the lodge we stayed at, the awesome new "sisters" I have and the over the top food that was so lovingly prepared by Naomi and her mom, Shannon.  (I don't usually use the word "lovingly" but it totally was!) and I was so busy eating that I did not take very many pictures!  

At one point, the storm had passed (or at least we thought it had..) and we all ran out onto the deck and took pictures like we had never taken a photo in our lives...and then, out of nowhere, the storm came right back.  I think it must had just refueled because it did not stop until we left at 10 am on Sunday morning.  

Like I said, I was eating (well, and stitching and napping) so I did not take that many photos but managed to get this one. This is our group, taken by me and the long arms that God gave me in order to get a group selfie.  #builtinselfiesticksasarms 

and a group photo where you can get a little look at the coziness of the lodge

Thank you to D'Wana & her husband Scotty, Naomi and Shannon, Lisa & Donna and all of my new sisters for such an amazing time of sistering and gathering.  There is something amazing that happens when you gather together that words just cannot explain except to say that Jesus shows up every.single.time.  To have a community of Jesus lovin' creatives (or what some refer to as a tribe) is really important for us to have in our lives. Like the other camps and retreats, woman come in from all over not knowing one another and leave as friends.  D'Wana offers a sacred space to gather and God brings all those are supposed to be at the table together.  It is a beautiful thing to witness and receive.