Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh!

In late 2007...or maybe it was early 2008....someone told me about Angie Smith's blog. Angie is the wife of Todd Smith, lead singer of the Christian group Selah. Angie was pregnant with their 4th baby at the time, a little girl they were to name Audrey Caroline. Audrey had been diagnosed inutero with several conditions that were deemed "incompatible with life". Todd and Angie were told that Audrey would not make it, but they spent the final months of pregnancy praying for a miracle and talking to their other children, preparing them for what was to come. Angie began a blog during those months to keep family & friends updated on what was happening. It was during that time that I began reading her story.

Angie has a way of writing that sucks you in like a vacuum. Her words are so powerful you simply can't pull yourself away from them. I was wow'd both by her talented writing and the power of her faith during those hard months of her pregnancy. While I haven't met her in person, I feel like I have. I have laughed with her funny posts and sobbed with her sad posts. I've snickered at the silly antics of her daughters and prayed alongside her for mission trips, friends & tough situations she's shared. We, her readers, were allowed to walk through the journey of life & death with her, we were given access to her private home videos, even one that was shot in the hospital room while her sweet Audrey was alive....we were even "there" when Audrey left this world to go to Heaven. While it was incredibly tragic, it's such a joy to be a part of such a beautifully intimate place in someone's life. And so, long after Audrey's body was placed in a casket, most of Angie's devoted readers have continued to live life with her via her blog.

Since Audrey's death, Todd & Angie have had another sweet baby girl who is perfectly healthy! They've moved to a new home. Angie's begun homeschooling her older children. And Angie has been transformed from a sweet, shy lady who never intended to create a blog following like she did to a strong, amazing speaker who has talked to crowds of women across the country about her story and the way God has brought her through it all. She's written a book (which I preordered months before it was released & read cover to cover within 48 hours of its arrival on my doorstep). Her life is one big testimony that screams Jesus's name, all wrapped in the tiny package of a beautiful, funny, silly lady who just feels like an old High School friend. Angie & I have emailed a few times. While our email conversations have been few, I still feel a little bit like I know this amazing woman who has blessed my socks off for the last couple of years.

WELL, here's where the OH MY GOSH title comes in.

Tonight on her blog she posted that she is going to be speaking with Women of Faith in 2011. And OH MY GOSH. She's going to be at the conference I am going to in April!!!!!!! I am SOOOO excited! I know I've got a snowball's chance in East Texas of actually getting to meet her there, but wow....wouldn't it be cool if I could??!! If you hear a squeal & giggles coming from Louisiana in the Spring, you'll know I got to hug Angie's neck!

I'm really not an Angie Smith stalker or anything, but if we ran into each other in the hotel hallway in our curlers & PJs, I wouldn't absolutely hate that. (wink!) Slumber party anyone?