I love collegiate ministry!

Back in May, Mike and I dropped our kids off at my Mom's and drove to Nashville for the National Collegiate Summit.

I loved every minute of it.
Driving with Mike has always been one of my favorite times to spend with him--uninterrupted together time, what could be better?! And Tennessee is one of my favorite states.
We stayed in the Holiday Inn Express right next to the Lifeway building (which I had never seen before and found it quite impressive).

Almost immediately we began seeing long-time friends from Arkansas, the Northwest, and around the world. It truly felt like a family reunion.

Beth and Susan, 2 friends we met in the Northwest

Arliss, who we work with in Arkansas, and Robert, who I went to college with

Peggy, who Mike went to college with

All our meals were provided, and we also scored t-shirts and pens and gift cards and even New Orleans coffee (!) from the give-away tables. I got to visit and read and hang out during the small group seminars and meetings Mike went to, then joined him at worship each night. Singing praise to our Lord with that group of passionate men and women living their lives to reach college students with the Gospel was truly a little taste of heaven.
On Friday the Arkansas group met with the Jersey/Pennsylvania group at the Spaghetti Warehouse, then the wives got to go to the Opry Mills mall. Which just happened to be having their Grand Opening, which means I got...more free stuff!!  Gourmet cupcakes, food from Rain Forest Cafe, and more. It was so much fun. Plus I got to know some of the wives better--we talked and talked and talked. Very refreshing.
After that Mike and I and a few of the others went to the Grand Ole Opry!

No Brad Paisley :( but there were a few names Mike recognized, and one that I did: Jim Ed Brown! When my dad was a young man, he played clarinet in a jazz band called "Stardust." I grew up on the story of how once he opened for Jim Ed Brown and some up-and-coming youngster named Elvis Presley, and then the 3 of them went on a triple date. I would have loved to be able to introduce myself to him and tell him that story, but it was late and we didn't pay the extra $20 for the backstage tour.