Friends

This is Kaibryn with her BFF Gracie. Since we share the same last name they decided that they were cousins. That is fine with us. They are such a sweet and fun family. We would love to be related to them...maybe somewhere down the L-O-N-G line of our ancestory we are, who knows. They get along so well. They laugh together, encourage each other and just have fun.

It makes me think how important friends are in our life. The Bible often warns about the company we keep. I love the verse that says, "Bad company corrupts good morals." We become like those we hang around. I have been blessed to have many friends in my life but only a handful that I would consider my BFF's.

One of these BFF's has suffered a tragic loss in the past few weeks and my heart has just been breaking and weeping for her and with her today. That's what kind of friend she is. When she hurts, I hurt. When she is happy, I am happy. I just wanted to take a few minutes to share some things about one of my BF's. She is very special to me. She and her husband were in seminary and I had great hopes of them moving back to OKC when he was finished. Hopes that we would live on the same street, we would have each other over for dinner, we would go shopping together, etc. However, God had other and greater plans for them. Several months ago they moved to Pennsylvania. When I got that call I immediately told them that God had told me that they were not to move . Of course, I was kidding. I was happy for them that they were going to be used greatly somewhere else but sad realizing we may never live in the same place again. It made me think of some funny stories I will share here in a minute. You would LOVE my friend. She has a smile to light up any room and she is so FUNNY!!!!!! But most of all she loves Jesus. My life has truly been blessed and made better because of her.

Funny Little Stories:

This is my friend who went with another friend to Nashville, Tenn. I had a terrible headache so we stopped at a convenient store and these two girls talked me into getting some "BC Powder" because it works so quickly. However, did not know that it looked like "drugs". I opened the package and got the powder ready but got tickled, breathed it in my nose and throat, got choked, started to throw up. We had to pull over on the side of the road...I'm throwing up and hearing laughing. Yes, it was my friend LAUGHING at me. Needless to say, I have never used that stuff since but laugh everytime I see it.

My friend and I were always together going somewhere. ALWAYS, I'm being serious, probably 9 out of 10 times we would be driving somewhere and we would be talking and she would say, "You need to turn here." I would pass the turning point and say, "Oh, turn there." One time we ended up stopping on a street that had a dead end. We usually missed it because we were laughing.

There was one time I remember spending the night at her house and around 2 or 3:00 in the morning we decided we were hungry. So we loaded up and went to Denny's (I think) and ate breakfast.

I went fishing with her family one summer and her Dad kept getting frustrated because we were not being quiet enough. Yes, we were laughing. This is also the same trip we stayed at her Grandparents house and I went down stairs to get a drink and her G'pa was in the kitchen (in the dark) in his underwear. I ran upstairs and tried to tell my friend what happened but I was crying I was laughing so hard and could not get a word out. She thought, that's ok until I told her he was in his "tighty whities."

This is my sweet friend who was at the hospital with my family for the 2 or 3 days it took Christopher to be born.

This is my friend who was the first to hear about this "guy" who I thought was pretty neat...my future husband. :)

This is my friend who was maid of honor at my wedding.

My friend and I would meet once a week and pray together. I shared everything with her and vice versa.

This is my friend heard something about someone in my family and instead of asking other people about it came over to my house and talked to me and got the truth.

My friend and I started doing a Bible study together which was supposed to last 13 weeks, I think. We still have not done week 13.

My friend is AMAZING. She has gone through some trials in her life but has grown and matured before my very eyes. I wish I was like her. In college she began praying that God would give her wisdom. He did. She is one of the most wise people I know. I don't know anyone who has the relationship with the Lord like she does. She seeks Him with her whole heart. Is she perfect? No. But her goal is to love Jesus.

This has gotten longer than I thought. I guess my mind is racing today with thoughts of my sweet friend. I pray that my daughters have sweet friendships like she and I have. I also pray that they will be the kind of friend that my friend has been to me.

I love you and miss you greatly my dear friend. I'm praying for you.
You know who you are. :)