The Blessing of Friendship

Have you ever been asked "the question"?  If you are a stay-at-home daughter you know exactly what I'm talking about.  A typical exchange sounds like this:
"So how old are you?"
"18"
"Have you decided what you want to do with your life?"
"Yes, I want to be a wife and a mother."
"Really?!"
"Yes. Being the daughter of a stay-at-home mom I know what a tremendous blessing it is to me, and I want to give that to my children."
(at this point the other party is either intrigued or repulsed, and I have experienced both)

Being a stay-at-home daughter is not a common thing in society, which is one of the reasons it seems so foreign to most people.  It is easy to find young women who are pursuing college and career, while finding a young woman pursuing godly womanhood and motherhood is very seldom. 

Which is one of the reasons it is so important to maintain friendships with young women who have the same vision and goals in life.  But where do you meet such young ladies?  Well I had that same problem years ago, until Dad took me to the Vision Forum Ministries Father Daughter Retreat at Callaway Gardens.  I can't even begin to say what an impact it had on me.  At the time I was 12 and was just starting to get the college and career push from the world along with several friends and family.  I knew this wasn't what God wanted me to do, yet where were the girls who were following God's plan?  And then I got to spend the weekend with over 600 fathers and daughters from around the country, and it truly changed my life. 

The messages were wonderful, the gardens were beautiful, but most importantly I met young ladies who were enthusiastic about their future roles of wife and mother.  They loved being at home, serving in their parents home and preparing to manage their own someday.  These friendships have been an answer to prayer, and have lasted through the years.  It was here that I met Anna P, who has become one of the dearest friends I've ever had.  The Phillips, Botkins, Keens, Mortons, Fords, the list goes on and on.

Mr Phillips called on us a few years ago to tell the audience what the retreat had meant to us since it was our fourth time.  As I listened to the CD later I noticed one word that I used several times, blessing.  And that is the best word to describe this retreat, a blessing!

As Dad and I prepare to attend our sixth retreat this weekend, I eagerly await having time with my amazing father, and the many sweet reunions to come. 

                                                        With my wonderful father at the 2009 retreat