Weekend in Oklahoma

The statue of Jesus weeping was erected by St. Joseph's Catholic Church, adjacent to the bombing site. The church also suffered damage in the tragedy.

My family and I just returned from a weekend in Oklahoma. I spoke for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma (BGCO) women—twice Friday night on blogging, and twice Saturday morning on rest/Sabbath, and I also participated in a panel discussion, talking mostly about publishing.

Because the event was only about four hours away (in Moore, where the tornado hit so hard), we drove up. Afterward, my family and I went to the memorial site for the Oklahoma City bombing (April 19, 1995) in downtown OKC. Our daughter was an infant at the time the Murrah Federal Building was destroyed, so she had no memory of it, but my husband and I recall it well.

Having paid our respects there, we headed to nearby Edmond to stay with our longtime friends, the Wards. Lance Ward and I were fellow Greek students at DTS sixteen or seventeen years ago, and later he went on to become our pastor—for about a decade. His wife, Jeni, and I were in Bible study together, and we've shared many retreat experiences. Plus their family and ours have gone on multiple ministry trips to Mexico together. We basically raised our kids together. Together. Together. Together.

So we have many layers of understanding and many mutual friends. Last night we talked and talked and laughed and went out for frozen yogurt. This morning our family got to hear Lance teach again (he has a wonderful sense of humor, so it was great fun) and worship with them before making our trek home.

Dear friends back in Dallas made dinner for us on this the eve of school starting. Tomorrow I begin a new semester teaching creative writing and a course on women in ministry. And our daughter starts back to school.

I'm so happy that we missed so many of Dallas's hot days this summer! And I'm grateful for the good friends who continue to sharpen us and shape our lives.