To plant

There is a phenomenal woman in my life and her name is Elizabeth Hanson. Many of you know my heroine, whom God used to save my life when I was living in never-ending pain from shingles on my brain. If not, then you can view this post as my introduction to her.

This is what Elizabeth gave me for my birthday. It's a mother's pin which can also be worn as a necklace. As busy as she is, Elizabeth called here last November and asked Robert what the dates are for our children's birthdays. Cora's birthstone is the blue stone (the girl) and the boys are both born in November. The note that came with it read, "To honor your treasures," and I cried. I knew that she, too, knows the sorry of having lost children through miscarriage, so this honoring of my living children touched my heart.

Anyway, Elizabeth's daughter, Esther (who is also a certified BodyTalk practitioner) got married last Sunday. Elizabeth asked Cora to make the wedding cake so here she is working on making the dozens of needed yellow roses.

This isn't even all of them.

Here Cora is swirling the chocolate and white cake mixes together in her big cake pan.

After much anxiety, Robert and I got the cake to the church on time. We set it together using Cora's cake stand which holds 3 cakes.

Right before the marriage of their daughter, Dr. Scott and Elizabeth Hanson, pause a moment for a photo in the church basement.

Being I was singing for the wedding, I got to know the sound man. His name is Russell and he is a VERY nice man and a VERY good sound man. He really knows his stuff!

Here my former partner at the North Dakota BodyTalk Center, Ellen, is reading a poem about marriage.

JUST MARRIED!

At the end of the receiving line was my dear friend. I asked Robert to take this picture of Elizabeth and I together.

Here goes that infamous first piece of cake as husband and wife. I was glad that they didn't shove it into each other's mouth as I've seen some couples disrespectfully do.

I've never seen a cake disappear so fast. It was REALLY good, Cora! Lots of people said so and Scott said that you need to have your business cards sitting beside the cakes at weddings as he heard many good things about how beautiful AND tasty it was!

After everyone left, Robert and I stuck around to help clean up the basement of the church. After that, Elizabeth took the time to show Robert and I her office--something that I have dreamed of seeing for a long time.

Here is Elizabeth standing in front of her many certificates of accomplishment in the IBA--International BodyTalk Association. Some of these are Esther's as the mother-daughter team share the office.

Now I'd like to share why I picked the name for this post that I picked--"TO PLANT". It was here that Elizabeth told me something that I've never heard before. My friend was nostalgic as she'd just watched her daughter get married. She was in a very mellow mood as she told Robert and I the story of her calling as an instructor in the IBA.

Without going into much detail here, out of respect for her privacy, I'll share that Elizabeth had a dream where people were harvesting in a wheat field. She kept asking the Lord for a basket to put her wheat in as the other women were doing all around her. She was anxious as no basket was given to her with which to help harvest the grain.

This went on for 3 nights, with 3 separate dreams. Finally on the last night, the Lord said to her in the dream, "You have no basket with which to harvest as it is your job TO PLANT."

I was crying hard then as I went into her arms. Finally I could get out the words, "Thank you for planting into my life!" She held me tight and I felt so grateful for the chance to know such a remarkable woman! Thank you, Lord!

Well, my family wants to watch a movie and I'm going on Elizabeth's teleconference session at 9:00, so I"ll close for now. I just want to say again what an honor it is to know Elizabeth! I pray that I will be used by God to touch other's lives as she has touched mine. I pray for wisdom to plant into your hearts as good a seed as she has planted into mine.

Now I would ask that you cover my friend with prayers as just today she learned of her brother-in-law's sudden death. Added to this was the death a dear friend who was HER BT instructor years ago--all on the same day. Added to her daughter's recent wedding, I would think that is way too much stress. Please join me in lifting up the Hanson family tonight to the one who knows our every sorrow.

Here's a hug, Elizabeth, if you happen to read this sometime. I love you so much and I thank you for planting good things into me!

Dawn