So much to say!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while but we've been really busy!

It started with the Beth Moore conference in New Olreans on April 3rd and 4th which was absolutely incredible! She is so amazing and so anointed. Can she just come live with me be my cheerleader? Seriously!!

We had a great group of ladies from our church and we spent the Friday night at the JW Marriott on Canal Street. After Friday night's service, we headed downtown for Cafe DuMonde . . . . . yum, yum!! Saturday morning we headed back to the conference center to hear more from God's word through Beth.

Not only is Beth amazing but the praise team with Travis Cotrell is, well, wow! Talk about ushering us to the feet of God through praise and worship . . . .!

Its so incredible to feel the presence of God Almighty in a room of more than 6000. To feel Him so personally in such a large arena! If you haven't yet experienced a study with Beth Moore, you should. God has blessed her tremendously and gifted her with a platform to reach out to women. I was truly blessed.

While there, I bought one of Travis' praise and worship cds and when I got home, I still had so much worship in me that I needed to release. Sooooo, Isabel and I went into my bedroom, closed the door, turned the music up loud and just let loose dancing, singing and praising our awesome God! It was such a sweet time!

You know, we don't have to teach our children to dance to music, its something that they do when they hear the beat. Why? Because we are born with a desire in us to "praise" and to "worship". Its just in us and we have to let it out! I pray that Isabel is unashamed to worship our Lord. Sometimes, especially in our more traditional "Southern Baptist" churches, we can begin to feel stifled when it comes to worship and we need to be able to just be alone with God and praise Him for ALL that He is and ALL that He has done for us and continues to do!! My baby girl raised her hands in the air and had the best time dancing with mommy!! May we never stop enjoying the praise and worship of God Almighty!!

BTW, her daddy was at a church leadership conference in TX that weekend with the students, that's why there is no mention of daddy joining in on the dancing!! He did get a glimpse when he got home though!!

The next week was spent preparing for my dad to arrive for Easter. Mom was already here and will be here throughout April visiting with Isabel. We are so blessed to have her here with us and Isabel and her Mimi are big pals!!

Dad arrived on Thursday and we had a very busy weekend. We grilled burgers at Lance and Toto's on Friday, had dinner with relatives Friday night, went to the NOLA zoo on Saturday (which Isabel loved), dyed eggs Saturday night, went to our Easter services on Sunday, had Easter lunch, hid and hunted Easter eggs at home after lunch and then hid and hunted Easter eggs with some more family after that! See, I told you we were busy!

Besides all of the festivities, we did take the time to sit with Isabel on Easter morning and read the resurrection story to her from the Bible. Yes, she's still young and doesn't understand but atleast she is hearing the Word at home. It is very important to Scott and I that we raise Isabel with a true meaning of the holidays and why we celebrate.

Also, mom and I watched The Passion on Saturday . . . . wow! No matter how many times you see it, its still hard to watch. And though we watch a recreation of the accounts on tv, we will never fully understand the price that was paid for US!! I was just sick to my stomach, literally. I don't deserve it, at all. None of us do and yet He still died for us and He continues to love us. Christ died, but the grave was not the end of the story!! He conquered death, for you and for me, and we must die daily and LIVE for Him! This is a truth that I pray Isabel will see lived out at home.

I hope your holiday was as blessed as ours!

Enjoy the pics!

Angela

**I must add for my own remembrance purposes that Isabel named each animal that we saw (after we told her what it was) and said goodebye to each as we walked away. "Bye, bye amingo (flamingo), bye bye orilla (gorilla), bye bye agator (alligator)." It was too sweet. Also, when we saw the leopard, he was sitting in the bushes. When we left there, we headed to the ice cream stand for a quick treat and what did she do? She leaned into the shrubs and called "lepee, lepee" which is what she calls the leopard. She was looking for him. It was precious!!