As we see the end of the road for our "Praying Parent" study group, sadness enters my heart. Never have I felt so close to a group of people as I am to them. Each person is unique and bring their different personalities to the table, yet life experiences are strangely the same. I find comfort, healing, strength, and holy power when I go to Michael and Fawn's home.

I wait all week until Tuesday to see my sisters. They all light up the room and each hug I get from them is with sincerity and love. We share stories of our weeks gone by with tears and laughter.

Before we go into the other room to share what we've learned in the book, The Power of the Praying Parent by Stormie Omartian. We have coffee and almost everyone has a dish, mostly muffins and danishes, to share. Children are running everywhere, but in this house, there is space for everyone. All of the children are feeling the Lord as well. They are well behaved and quiet while us moms and dad are in the other room, learning to pray for them to have better lives through Christ.

Finally, Fawn calls us into the living room and the Holy Spirit is with us here also. His presence is so strong, I can feel Him smiling. We all sit in a circle and amazingly the twelve of us are very comfortable. We all grin from ear to ear, feeling satisfied we are together again. Tiny slips of paper are passed around, one for each child. We all write our kids' names, age, and prayer requests, then we fold them up and drop them into a basket, where it sits in the center of our circle on the floor.

Fawn begins with a prayer. The Holy Spirit is moving in and around us. We end the prayer and start to go over the chapters, three each week. She begins to share her experiences with us and the floodgates are open. We all share whatever we need to if the context and the Lord touches us. There are tears, fears, laughing, and joy shared. Each of us learning something new about our sisters and about ourselves; where are lives are going with the Lord's guidance, wisdom, and courage. Wow! The similarities and how awesome our stories are, the way our lives intertwine. I hear one person's story and I think, "I did that." or " I never thought of it that way." Sharing with these people, mostly women, was never thought of, because other women, no matter who they are, are my competition. Here, I learn from them and I discover they are just as vulnerable as I am.

There is one man, Michael, Fawn's husband, who just seems to blend in with us women, yet being a man, we are privileged to his insight from a male point of view. He is the father of four kids, ages seventeen, twelve, four, and three. Most of our kids are young, so to have the inside scoop on the tweens and teens is preparation for me.

Michael and Fawn are gentle, warm, and on fire for the Lord. With their history with

God, I look to them as teachers as with a lot of the other women in our group. They teach me not to hide my love for the Lord, to make your friends apart of your everyday lives, and just how truly amazing our God truly is. I can speak freely about my love for God and how it overflows my cup of joy. How at peace He makes me feel. I am comforted in knowing that I may have only known them for a couple of months, but they are the family I have been searching for but never knew I needed. My Christ family is growing from them to include these other wonderful women of God. Through these women, I have learned what amazing things God has done for me. The planet with all its glory , the heavens above that shine down just for us to see beauty. I enjoy the love I have with my family at home.

At the end of our group discussion, more prayers are said along with the goodbyes, until next week. We all reach for the basket and pull out as many slips as we put in. We pray for these other kids along with our own, knowing there is strength in numbers.

At the end of July, beginning of August, we will say our finally goodbye. Michael and Fawn are moving to Hillsboro, Oregon. Michael is going to be trained as a helicopter pilot and the VA is going to provide the training. (He recently retired from the Navy after 21 years of service.) My heart is breaking. I feel our friendship/sisterhood is just starting. I need them and this group and all who are apart of it! But it's not my will, but yours Lord. God tells me that I still can keep them close with internet access and all kinds of phones, but I am a selfish being. I want this group to last my lifetime. I cry when I think of them leaving along with others in our group who are moving also, but I do have hope! Becky, one of the women, would like to take over and do our group at her home. I told her I would follow her there. So few are these opportunities to connect with people on this level, that I won't let go that easily. I will always look back at this time in life and remember where my walk with the Lord turned into a marathon, thanks to Michael and Fawn's generosity.