Military Family Gratitude Challenge Day 1: Friendship

I am thankful for friends both old and new. I am thankful for friends during the changing seasons of life.

I am thankful for those who love my children as their own and allow me to love theirs as my own. Those that our children share friendship as well.

I am thankful for the women I share my life with.

We've laughed together.

We've cried together.

I know we will be through so much more together.

I am thankful for those friends who walked through my first deployment with me. Those who took care of me in ways that others wouldn't.  They may not have understood what it was like, but they stood beside me nonetheless.

I am thankful for friends who share their faith, who face unimaginable battles, but yet, find their strength in Christ and share the story of His love and mercy.

I am thankful for the friends that get your weird sense of humor, those that you share inside jokes with. You know the ones: you can look at each other and tell what the other is thinking.

But yet,when there is no laughter, only tears, they are there to hold your hand. In the messiness of life, they love you anyway.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work:  If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Five Minute Friday: Grateful

It's that time of the week again. Time to breath and let the words flow, also known as Lisa-Jo's Five Minute Friday.

Today's word: GRATEFUL

It's not everyday that you come across an amazing friend.  Friendship has always been difficult for me.  I don't want to come across too nosy, so I think that makes others think I don't care. Which isn't the case.  I put my family first, and probably don't spend enough time nurturing my friendships.

But there are some friends God has blessed me with that I am truly grateful for.

There are a group of friends who have been by my side during some very difficult times in my life.  When my husband was deployed, they were there for me.  When I had my miscarriage, they were there for me.  We laugh together. We cry together. We share inappropriate Pintrest ecards together.

Even though we are all at different stages of our lives, these women mean so much to me.  They have a special place in my heart.  I love them.  I am grateful to call them my friends.

Regardless of where life takes us, we have a bond that I believe will stay strong.  That doesn't come around very often.  God places people in our lives for a reason.  We may not understand our circumstances, but God gives us someone who will walk through that season of life with us.

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If you want to join in with this writing community, find out how by visiting Lisa Jo's webpage.

Five Minute Friday: Friend

Yes, my dear one. It is that time again. Five Minute Friday.  Got five minutes?  Sure you do.  Read the prompt. Set the Clock. Write.  It's that easy.

Ready?

Set.

Go.

A friend is a funny thing.  As children, much of our troubles came from friends.  They weren’t sharing or playing fair.  They spent more time with their other friends.  Then come the teen years. Many of those childhood friends change.  There’s a new crowd, maybe a hipper crowd.  College friends….maybe I have a couple. I got to college, studied, graduated in 3 years.  Wasn’t there for friends, had a career to think about. 

Now, adult friends. That’s another ballgame.  It’s a cross between childhood and teen years.  You want to fit in, sometimes it is hard.  Singles with friends that are married with children.  Coworker friends.  Church friends. Facebook friends.  They all come and go.

But there is one friend that is constant.  Jesus.

But you can’t see him is what you tell me.

I can feel him.

But you don’t know if he’s really there.  Yes, I do.  It's my faith.

Jesus.

My best friend.

I can call him day or night, happy or sad.

I can depend on him to lead me, guide me, never forsake me.

He is true to his word.

He won’t gossip about me.

He won’t throw me under the bus.

He will love me when I neglect him.

He will comfort the tears.

He will never lead me astray.

I am glad, oh so glad, for my relationship with Jesus.  He is my best friend, the friend that makes all other relationships possible.

STOP.

And I thank you for stopping by, my friend.  My words here come from the heart.  I hope that you are blessed, and I look forward to hearing from you.  While you are at it, stop by Lisa-Jo's and join in with Five Minute Friday. You won't regret it!

Friends in Low Places

Throughout our lives, we make friends, and we lose friends.  Friends we think we will be with us forever, we lose them.  Strangers become friends for life. Friendship. It is a funny thing. Those of us on Facebook have lots of friends.  People we work with, family members, long lost classmates, people of people of people of people we know. We call them friends. "Friend" is a term we use so loosely, too loosely.

If you've been hurt, you can become weary of friendships.  In Proverbs 12:26, we are told to choose our friends carefully. We all know that the wrong friends can encourage us to go down the wrong path.  I'm sure most of us have had those sketchy friends, or we may have been that friend ourselves.

But what about real friends? True friends? Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend loves at all times." Does that type of friend really exist? At all times? 

This past year has shown me what true friends look like.

While everyone else says, "Just let me know if you need anything," a true friend doesn't wait to be told.  A meal is cooked or bought and brought over.

While everyone else says, "I'll pray for you," and forgets, a true friend actually does it and then let's you know, "Hey, you are on my mind and in my prayers. I love you."

A true friend, one who has been there and done that, speaks up for you when someone asks, "Is your husband in a safe place?" That friend knows that for a soldier, no place is safe.

A true friend hugs you and cries with you (she's usually the one who cries, but she lets you lead this time).

A true friend sends you a note, a text, an email, just a short message that says, "I love you," "Thank you," or "You are great," because that friend knows what you need to hear.

 A true friend takes care of you in amazing ways, whether by bringing you flowers, cookies, Happy Meals for your kids, pays for your lunch, or has your flat tire fixed.  This friend doesn't ask for recognition, no payback.  They do it out of  love.

A true friend is one that you've never met face to face, one who has become your life long survival sister because God connected you online, and you know that your life wouldn't be the same without her.

A true friend meets you for lunch, coffee and donuts, ice cream, or Chuck E. Cheese with the kids because she knows that moms need adult conversation.

A true friend meets you for lunch because she wants to tell you personally what she's been going through. It's important to her because she loves you that much, and she knows you love her.

A true friend stays with you through the ugly, when you are experiencing the most horrific thing imaginable, that friend stays by your side, holds your hand, and cries with you.

True friendship can and does exist.  It's those friends in low places that are true.  Sure they are there during the fun times, the easy times.  But they are also there through those ugly times, ugly beautiful is what Ann Voskamp calls it. Aren't those the times we need someone the most? 

When I surrendered my life to Christ, my circle of friends changed. Partly my choice, partly the choice of others.  I think some people considered my husband and I as not fun any more.  I'll tell you though, the Christian friendships I have made since then have been amazing, much more meaningful than those I lost.  The best times I've had have been with those who share the same faith as me.  Our joy is found in Christ instead of parties and alcohol.  Let's just say that at our church staff dinner, we had the best.time.ever! Pastor and his wife, associate pastors and wives, music minister and husband, and youth minister and wife. There was laughter like you wouldn't believe.  And hanging out with our church friends, those last minute invitations because we are all busy and can't plan (sometimes intentional doesn't work). I have even maintained a friendship with a college friend; we share a love of Jesus and that has kept us close. 

Those are the friendships that last, that are meaningful. The ones created and wrapped in the love of Jesus.  Because you know what? He is the greatest friend of all.  Yes.  The greatest friend of all.  Jesus laid down his life for me. For you.  And you know what John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one but this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." And that is just what Jesus did.  Those that stay with us in those ugly moments, those dirty moments of life, that's what they are doing in a sense.  Honestly, no one really wants to go there. No one wants to hold on to a friend as she is losing a baby, a marriage, or a job. No one wants to hold on to a friend who is lost, lonely, and in a low place.  Be we do it. We do it because friends in low places mean the most. 

Wife to Wife Wednesday (on Sunday): Friends

friend (noun)

one attached to another by love or esteem

one that is not hostile

one that promotes something

a favored companion


Those were the definitions I found when I looked up friend on Merriam Webster.

I think sometimes we use the word loosely.  We are concerned with having and being surrounded with lots of friends. Isn't that what we wanted in middle and high school?  Truth be told, I am not what I would call "friends" with any of those people from that time in my life.  There are people I still see occasionally and we hug and chat for those few moments in the store.  But as far as being a being attached to some one by love who is favored companion....those people are very few.

I do have one special friend that I love very much.  You may remember her....

 Hilarie

Hilarie and I met not quite 10 years ago.  Colin and Jacob were attending the same daycare, and then we were attending the same church.  God has changed us from the young mamas we started out as.  Since becoming friends, we have also become Christians. We even had the blessing of being pregnant together. Kylie and Carson were born just 5 days apart.  We have grown so much together. God has made us leaders in our church and community.  I enjoy spending time with Hilarie. We've coached soccer together, and I even suckered her into coaching her own team a couple of years ago! We can talk about everything or nothing at all and still enjoy each others company.  I know I can depend on her, and she knows she can depend on me.  These last few months have been crazy busy, and I feel like we haven't really spent that much time together (even though we sit across the aisle from each other in church every week!). However, when we are together, it is just as fun and interesting (if you know our kids) than ever.

I am very blessed and thankful to have Hilarie in my life.  I went for such a longtime without have a best friend, and God placed us together at just the right time. She is someone I can talk to, laugh with, and pray alongside. I pray for her all the time, and I know I am in her prayers as well.  

Hilarie, Thank you for being such a good friend to me. I love you!

.I am a little late participating in Wife to Wife Wednesdays this time with Wives of Faith. But I guess it is better late than never. Right?

Do you have a best friend you would like to share with us?  You can link up with Wives of Faith or comment here.

Spreading the Love

I am so very thankful for my friends. 

Honestly, I've had difficulty with the whole friend thing all my life.  I was hurt by two very close friends in the past.  One in middle school and one in college. I feel like I was betrayed by these girls. Since then,  I guess you could say that I have had a hard time trusting and opening up to people. 

Over the years, my friendships have gotten better.  At age 35, I am really beginning to open up and put myself out their....just for a select few though.  My circle of friends isn't very big.  Its the quality, not the quantity! 

Lately, my friends have been spreading the love.  They have been taking such good care of me. For that I am grateful.  I am thankful that God has placed these women in my life.

A little of this and that....

We have missed our friends the Evans. Hilarie's sister had her baby so they had been gone visiting her and Hilarie's family. We were so glad they came back this week. We spent time catching up. Hilarie and I took the kids to our favorite spot, Chaney's Dairy Barn. After a delicious treat of our favorite ice cream, we let the kids run wild on the playground for a while.

I think these two really missed each other. Love the matching shades!

Tuesday was Ben's birthday party. It was nice to spend time with our friends from church.

Colin bowls like his Mama!

Me and my Carter

The big boys got some pool time over the weekend.