Did you see the video that was circulating a few weeks back featuring the little girl from Ireland who was brokenhearted that she wasn’t invited to the Royal Wedding? She truly believed she was going to “Meghan’s wedding,” and when her mom explained that you have to be royalty – a real princess, in order to go to the wedding, her sincere, tearful, and dismayed response was, “Am I not a real princess?”

If you missed it, you should definitely watch the endearing 3 minute video.

Her name is Lola and she had hope – a heart and mind assurance that she would certainly be a part Meghan and Harry’s big day.

Lola’s hope resembled biblical hope which is “a knowledge of the facts” or as Hebrews 6 puts it, “an anchor of the soul…sure and steadfast.” The problem was that she didn’t have her facts straight. She was really only invited to a “Royal Wedding Tea” which her school was having the day before, not the actual Royal Wedding.

I had the opportunity to speak about biblical hope to a group of Massachusetts pastor’s wives recently. It was such a lovely event and also one of the hurdles of this crazy season we are in.

And I hope (not the biblical usage) the word hurdle doesn’t sound too negative. I don’t intend it to sound like what it typically represents – a series of obstacles on the way to the finish line. Instead, I’m viewing them as points along the way to be experienced, to be executed with grace. In this case, they are gifts of celebration, family, friendship, and milestones. Good hurdles. Hurdles you can’t wait to meet.

Admittedly, they can seem like gigantic, insurmountable challenges – of time, money, emotion, and energy – especially when my hope is in uncertain things, things that are not true. Maybe it’s because there are a lot of them, and they are coming so fast. There really isn’t time to take the needed strides in between.

And I have a pretty high tolerance for a full calendar. But like my friend Christina, who hosted the Pastors’ Wives’ Brunch with me, shared last Saturday, it’s the back-to-back nature of the events that can bring on exhaustion…and despair.

Though, in this case, despair is not the opposite of hope. If biblical hope is a knowledge of what is true, then the opposite of that would be ignorance.

You’ve already heard about some recent hurdles – the end of homeschooling, a big thesis presentation and brunch, baptisms, a graduate luncheon, a wedding – and I know you are probably dying to hear about the rest. Actually, I know you’re not dying to know what’s been on my calendar, but it may be therapeutic for me to tell you…

Wedding Dress Shopping: I drove to Connecticut after a graduation planning meeting one morning, so that I could touch and try on some of the dresses I’d been looking at online. West Farms Mall is a bit of a happy place for me. A place to escape my town (and state), shop somewhere besides TJ Maxx (though I love TJ Maxx, don’t misunderstand), drink Starbucks (or Nordstroms Cafe), and eat a gluten free, cauliflower crusted, California Club pizza at California Pizza Kitchen, all in one place, and…all by myself.

I’m not usually a mirror selfie taker, but since I was by myself, I sent pics to my two sisters all throughout the process and they provided helpful feedback. None of those dresses were ultimately chosen, and the dress adventure may need to be its own post someday (I have a very chatty and opinionated seamstress), but it gave me a much better idea of what was out there. I do have a dress now, and it’s been approved by my seamstress (who nixed the last one), my husband, my daughter, and one of her best friends (Thanks, Jayden!). Shoes and a bit of hemming is all that’s left in gliding over that hurdle. (But then there’s the Rehearsal Dinner dress…)

Family Reunion: This event has been on the books for a long time – way before we knew Kory would be getting married this summer. It’s also the first time in 12 years we’ve all come together like this. We spent the weekend at La Cantera resort in San Antonio with about 40 family members from my dad’s side, and it was really nice to have both my immediate family in one place as well as see extended family. Lots of laughter and and lounging by the pool. Lots of chips and salsa and breakfast tacos. What could be better?

We even got to see Robert’s family before leaving San Antonio…Kayla’s Graduation: Sunday evening we celebrated Kayla’s high school/homeschool/Classical Conversations graduation. It was so wonderful that she got to graduate with peers who’ve been on this homeschool journey with her for many years. The coming together of this community of graduates and their families who have all become dear friends was SUCH a blessing.

It was also SUCH a huge effort to plan and execute your own graduation ceremony. There are perks to public schooling, and not planning your own graduation would be one of them. But do-it-yourself is sort of the homeschool way, and let me tell you, it was THE most meaningful graduation I have ever attended.

Each of the dad’s brought two objects to pack in a suitcase for the grads – things they should take along on their next journey. One by one they shared the objects and what they represented. Robert’s were a water bottle – to represent the washing by water that Jesus grants us in salvation – a washing of forgiveness and daily grace, and a Kind Bar – to represent the friends they’ve had so far, and the type of friends they should seek from here on out: sweet and substantive. He urged them to remember their salvation and rely on daily grace (water) and to seek out friends who are fun but won’t fail to build up their faith (5 grams of sugar, 8 grams of protein).The other items were: a mirror (from self-esteem to self-examination to selflessness), a candle (to walk in the light of Christ and be unafraid), a blanket (to wrap yourself up in when you need comfort and are missing home), a compass (to prevent veering from the right path), a walking stick (to represent the help that Christ and community give along that path), oxygen mask/breath (to remember to stop and take a breath and trust God), Superglue (to be bound tightly to Christ and others).

Each of the students also did a short presentation displaying some aspect of the curriculum that has shaped them.

There was live music, hymn singing, prayer, a giving of diplomas while student biographies were read, childhood photos, roses for the moms, and more. Such a special evening.

Kayla’s Graduation Party next Saturday will be the final graduation hurdle.

Summer Small Groups: I love how summer small groups happen at our church. Only 6 weeks long ending in June. It’s a great spring transition while most families are still in school mode, and it’s all over before July giving time off for vacations and more. These ladies (and three not pictured) and I are reading the book Missional Motherhood by Gloria Furman. I have loved reading this very theologically-focused book and discussing how God’s redemption story gives both meaning and joy to our mothering. And I love these mamas from my church. They are pretty amazing.

(We built a replica layout of the Old Testament tabernacle on Wednesday night with wooden blocks and Playmobile guys. This was in order to rehearse the truth that God always chooses to dwell among His people and that our motherly sacrifices have been made holy and acceptable by Christ.)

Airbnb Guests: We’ve had a steady stream, and we’re booked every weekend (and many weekdays) into October. So, in between major hurdles, I’ve been hurdling washing lots of sheets and towels, cleaning bathrooms, and refilling the mini-frig with water bottles and yogurt.

Tonight we welcome guests – a family of five – from Florida. They are bringing their 18 year old son to UMass to play quarterback for the football team. In one of the early messages they sent inquiring about our home, they mentioned plans to attend a local church called MERCYhouse while they are here, and asked if we knew anything about it. True story.

Imagine their surprise in discovering who their Airbnb hosts would be! Ha!

They were blown away and amazed by God’s provision, as were we.

We look forward to having them here through next Thursday morning which is also the day my dad arrives for Kayla’s graduation party and Father’s Day Weekend. Kory and Rebecca will also be here that weekend, because we all have A Wedding to go to on Sunday afternoon. (Hi Jake and Jill!)

After that the remaining glorious hurdles will be Kory and Rebecca’s wedding, a Taylor Swift Concert/18th Birthday Celebration for Kayla, and a week at Crosswalk Youth Camp. (Though K & R’s wedding can hardly be compared to youth camp or a pop concert!) What that means is that every weekend from here on out is booked, and I’m not talking about Airbnb guests this time.

Kayla got word this morning that she leaves for her mission semester abroad in Glasgow, Scotland on August 24th. She started working down the checklist for departure today. A long list of hurdles leading to what we pray will be a life-changing adventure.

Speaking of weddings, not only will we have the joy of being a part of our own son’s wedding next month, we have the hope (sure fact) that we will be attending an actual Royal Wedding someday. Not Meghan and Harry’s, of course, but this one. And it’s this knowledge that carries us gracefully over every hurdle along the way.