In case you didn't notice I was out most of last week. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday with my daughter Kelley in Denton. We shopped for her wedding dress - and ordered it! On Thursday I headed to downtown Dallas where I spent three days at the first ever Christian Book Expo. Some of you even came by to see me. (Thanks Pattie Phillips and the Hope family.)

I had the privilege of being a part of a panel on "Leading Women in Bible Study" with three other New Hope authors, had a book signing at my publisher's booth on the floor of the Dallas Convention Center, and spoke briefly at a luncheon. The only thing that made me a little nervous was that Thelma Wells - of Women of Faith fame - was in the audience!

I had the blessing of meeting a few authors you may recognize - Thelma Wells, Max Lucado, and Jennifer Kennedy Dean. For those of you Fannin ladies who participated in our fall study "Live a Praying Life," I told Jennifer how much we all were blessed by her study. In fact, Jennifer was the key note speaker at the same luncheon where I spoke. She managed to get there without her Bible and had to borrow mine. After I got home I discovered she left her notes tucked between the pages.

The biggest blessing was meeting other Christian people with a desire to serve God. I really connected with several women I met because our heart for God was the same. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am always amazed at the way I can bond so quickly with someone because they have the same Holy Spirit within them that God has placed in me. And that's just the way God planned for it to be.