I have this friend...

"A true friend is one soul in two bodies." ~ Aristotle

Well actually she is more like the sister I never had, or a soul sister, or as she likes to call us a "soul mate of friends". And I want to warn you before I go any further that this is going to be sappy and yes, I am crying as I write this. I cry for many reasons because 1. She is pregnant and 2. I won't be near when she has her little diva of a baby and 3. She truly is my soul mate of friends.

We met in 2003, both dealing with broken hearts and insecurities, while having to spend our summer in college algebra. Neither of us were good at math and we can't even begin to tell you what we learned in class. However, I learned more that year about myself, friendship and God's love for me through my soul sister. I can still picture my friend that first day; she was wearing a zip-up sweatshirt over tank top, fitted capri jersey sweat pants, bohemian hoop earrings, well done make-up and her hair was thrown up in mess. She looked fabulous and she sat next to me. We knew of each other prior to this meeting because we both went to the same church youth group, but we had never talked because we went to rival high schools. Plus, we were kind of the same person - both drama nerds, choir singers and leads in our high school musicals. She was Maria from West Side Story and I was Annie Oakley from Annie Get your Gun. 

June 7, 2008

Any way, I'm not really sure how it all went from there, but I just know we became immediate best friends after that. We clung to one another that summer, crying over our broken hearts, mending and building up one another, singing like divas in the car, sipping on wine coolers, golfing and laughing so hard we annoyed the other golfers, hanging out on the 4th of July, running together, swimming in her pool, rapping about Jesus and sharing our deepest hurts and dreams with one another. We were real with one another. Both from small towns, neither of us ever felt like we fit in or had a true friend until that summer. I don't think I even knew what it meant to be a friend or to love someone who wasn't family till that summer. To be honest, I was afraid to be friends with other women. I had been hurt by girlfriends and I had hurt them back, and I just felt like maybe it would be best for both parties if I just stayed away from female friends. But, she embraced all my silliness and my sadness, and taught me to not be afraid or ashamed to be who God made me. She loved me for me, and we had the most fun I've ever had with another woman. But like all summers, they end and we had to go back to college - she went north to U of I, and I headed southwest to MU - rival colleges. Fortunately for our hearts, we went back whole and revived. I was more open to love and joy that year thanks to my summer with her.

May 30, 2010

That next year, we both found the men we would marry, and just a year before we were broken. And that my friends is the power of God right there. He brought together two broken people to mend one another through His love. And I can honestly say, I love her. We've been there for one another through break-ups and marriages, and now she is going to be a momma. And I'm so proud of her. She is going to be a wonderful mother, and her daughter will be blessed to have her as her mother. I know this because I am blessed to have her as my soul mate of friends. God knitted her soul to mine, and I will forever be grateful for the love, wisdom, forgiveness, grace and kindness she has shown me through the years.

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  

~ John 15:12 - 15

Fast away the old year passes

{sparkle}

Big breath in...sigh.

December is quickly flying by and I'm trying to soak up every bit of the month, holiday and cheer.

Acting embarrassed, but let's be honest.

As you know, my birthday was last week and I got the BEST present! I met up with some amazing women, ate tacos and drank margaritas, had happy birthday sung to me by the local Mexican restaraunt employees (who then pied me in the face...yes, true story) and then went to a girlfriend's house to watch Christmas movies where I was surprised by my husband! 

 

IS THAT NOT THE BEST DAY EVER!?

{pie in the face}

The hubs drove a car from Ft. Collins, Co., to Denver where he hopped on a plane to fly to Kansas City, Mo., and then got back in his car to drive home to surprise me. What an amazing man I am married to. Seriously, I'm one blessed gal, this I know. 

I love December because I get to kick the month off with my birthday and then relish in the cheer and joy of the season for the rest of the month.

One of my favorite things to do is watch Christmas movies. It drives the hubs mad. He'll be at a meeting tonight so I'm going to watch Home Alone in my pjs in my bed with a cup of hot coco. I'm a Christmas freak, I tell ya.

{It's a Wonderful Life}

My fourth favorite Christmas movie, after Elf, The Santa Clause and Home Alone, is It's a Wonderful Life. The hubs hates it. Says it makes him depressed. My mother-in-love agrees with him. Crazy. It's suppose to do the exact opposite. Make you appreciate life, your loved ones and all that we are blessed with. I told them this, but they made me turn it off. At least my father-in-love likes it. Apparently, he cries like a baby when its on. I can't wait to cry with him this Christmas :)

Today is my birthday

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And while it is an insignificant one (28 years old), I feel more blessed and loved this birthday than any others I can remember. Yes, last year's birthday was AWESOME with my Hubs and mom surprising me with a trip to Chicago to see Wicked - truly an amazing blessing and gift. But as I get older, I realize its not about the gifts or the facebook messages. It's about love and friendship.

I'm sure its all in my perspective. God has really been doing a lot with my heart this year. And this birthday, I feel so much gratitude and humility for all the love I have been given and shown. In the past, I took it all for granted and just expected it or felt entitled to it all. But this year, I've realized how much it all really is a gift. This birthday, my dear friends have blessed me with the gift of time. My hubs is away on my birthday doing med school stuff, so I would be spending my birthday alone. But I asked my girlfriends if they'd spend the evening with me at a Mexican restaurant eating tacos and drinking margaritas. And I am truly blessed by all those who are giving up their friday evening to spend it with me. In the past, I would have been ok and happy spending it alone - watching movies alone, cuddling up on the couch alone, eating pasta alone, drinking wine alone. But God has made me aware that he did not create me to be alone. That life is about fellowship and community. And that is the best gift a girl could receive on her 28th birthday. Friendship.

Thankful for my Bestie

I have been extremely blessed by the friendship of my bestie and "soulmate...of friends," Janellie.

So today, I'm thankful for:

Miss Janelle.

Miss Janelle is one of those friends that is more like family. A sister from another mother, if you will. She is also a mentor, confidant, adviser, personal comedian, life coach, etcetera, etcetera. 

We are one and the same. Well, that's not true, when you get her going she sounds a lot more like Eddie Murphy than me, but boy, is it glorious when she does. Ya see, if my writing changes when I start talking about this girl. I start using words like "glorious" and "etcetera, etcetera." She brings out the ridiculous, the real, and the best in me. 

We found each other at a very low point in our lives, both needing love, acceptance and strength. It is my personal belief that God placed her in my life for that purpose, which she continues to serve. She is another strong woman I dearly love. On a public level, her strength roars, and she is a beauty to behold. But in the quiet, raw moments, her strength really shines. She is one of God's really awesome blessings that I just know He must be so proud of. I'm sure that when He looks at her, He thinks "Dang, I did good on that one. Some of my best work."

This woman is a lot of things to me, but most of all, she is a blessing from God.

I love you, J.

Because you gotta have friends!

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"Lots of people want to ride with you in the limo, but what you want is someone who will take the bus with you when the limo breaks down." ~ Oprah Winfrey

Imagine me screaming the post title at the top of my lungs and you will get a pretty good picture of me in your head right now. Good girlfriends are a real treasure. Be it a sister, a parent, a cousin, a co-worker, bible study girls, what have you. Friendship is one of God's sweetest blessings. To be real and vulnerable with another human being is comforting. It's easy to look at other people's lives {on Facebook} and think "Man, they got their act together," but friendship allows you to see that everyone has their own hot mess they are struggling with in life. To love and to let others love you despite all your imperfections and flaws is powerful. I am truly thankful for all my girlfriends out there, old and new. Thank you for blessing my life in more ways than you'll ever know.

It's a smile, it's a kiss, it's a sip of wine

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Oh how I would love to have this scene in my backyard! I love outdoor movies, and those lounges look sooo comfy! Unfortunately, it is like 100+ degrees here so I would be a sweaty mess if we were to do this outside. Yuck. 

However, I am going to see a movie this week. Drum roll please. Harry Potter, Harry, Harry Potter! YAY! Alas, the end of Harry Potter is near, and I will get to revel in all its glory on Saturday evening. Glorious. We are going with our besties, Luke and Lindsey, who graciously shared their wedding gift, of 4 free passes to a movie of their choice, with us! They love HP as much as we do...and that's sayin' somethin. Before we head off to see Potter, we are gonna grill out at our place, and I found a recipe for Butterbeer Cupcakes. If you are a HP fan, you will know what I'm talking about. Should be a delicious way to start the end of an era. 

You can also find me lounging by the pool, working in the yard and drinking a cold one on the deck this weekend. My ooooh my, life is grand.

Lord, increase my faith!

I'm a bit speechless today. Rare occurrence, I know. I'm not sure if it is the shock of friends' tragedy or my own selfish realization of how blessed and taken for granted my own life and blessings are. My best friend's parents' house was recently hit by a tornado in Illinois. New Year's Eve day to be exact. Janelle, my bff, immediately drove to her parents' aid, and photographed the devastation. The tornado hit her parents' bedroom and took off the roof completely. Thankfully, the tornado occurred in the afternoon so her parents had enough warning.

Today, I read that one of my favorite bloggers Life in Grace recently experienced tragedy 4 days before Christmas. At 4 a.m. on Tuesday morning, they awoke to a house filled with smoke. Within minutes, the house was engulfed in flames, but all family members were safely evacuated from the house, even their 2 pets. Unfortunately, the family loss everything, and were left with only the clothes on their backs. Here is the full story.

Edie, the author of Life in Grace, is a beautiful soul, wife, mother homemaker and follower of Christ. Her strength and wisdom are evident in her blog, as well as through her actions and thoughts as she deals with her current trials. Such faith!

One of my favorite posts was written about her daughter turning 18 and going away to college, and how she dealt with the pain, loss and brokenness of her daughter leaving home. Read it here with a box of kleenex...


An excerpt from "Stitched in blue and broken for you"
...How we labor so diligently for days and weeks and years,
and wonder if it matters at all?
Will it ever be more than a heap of yarn?  Will food and laundry nourish a life?  Can bread be His body broken?

And finally, mercy gives way.
Heartache becomes forgiveness.
Stubborn melts to grace.
Tangles of yarn slowly take form of a sweater.
Years of meals nourish a body like years of love nourish a heart.
Redemption rushes in and finishes the work.

And it did matter.
Every little stitch. All the countless hours.
Every kindness. Even every tear.
Hoping, begging, praying that she knows—
just how very much she matters.
And that she will feel in the blue-— the warmth of  a mother who loves from the broken place
and the peace of a  Father who forgives.

Today is Edie's birthday. Happy Birthday Edie! Wishing you joy, peace and of course, grace.

Please pray for my friend Janelle and her family, as well as for sweet Edie and her family, as both families begin to pick up the pieces and lean on God for strength.