Girl Friends

I've always been the type that makes friends pretty easily. It never bothered me to go to summer camp alone cause I knew I'd meet lots of people and make new friends and I went to college in TN alone and ended up with some of the best friends I could ever have. I have been blessed beyond words by my friends. God has placed people in my life who I know will stand by me until the day I die. And I will do the same for them.

In high school there was a group of girls that couldn't be closer as friends and I was privledged to be a part of that group. There were 8 of us and to this day- 10 years later- we are still close even though miles separate us and significant time passes in between times of getting together. We are all married and many of us have children (I top them all with my 3). We've all gone through so many life changes with jobs we either loved or hated, some of us had difficult pregnancies, moving from state to state. No matter what though we have always kept in close touch with each other. I find it quite exceptional and I'm certain that most people never find something so special in their whole life. The one thing that nothing can take away from us and the thing that bonds us tighter than anything else can, is our shared faith in God Almighty. In high school we participated in bible studies together, prayed together and didn't want to hang out with anyone else except each other. Some of my favorite memories are from this time in my life.

After high school I made the decision to leave the state to go to college. As I said before I went pot luck hoping for a good roommate. Again, I say, God is good. My dear friend Kris, whom I had never met before move in day, was not only my roommate, but became one of my best friends. And of course she married someone that I love dearly too, in a healthy Christian kind of love. The two of them together are a powerful force for the Kingdom of God and I am privledged to know them.

Going to college was full of life's lessons for me as it is for most kids going to college out of high school. This was my first realization that friendships change and even end. In my life up to this point, I had never had a significant friendship change all that much. This was so difficult for me to get. I was literally broken in my spirit with this realization. Since then, more friends have come into my life and unfortunately some have gone too. If it were completely up to me, I'd keep every friend I ever made. I love participating in people's lives and my life demands that others be a part of it.

Moving away from my home town was one of the hardest things that I've had to do as an adult. At the time of our moving we had one child and our second on the way. I was moving away from my friends from home, but more significantly, I was moving away from my family. My mom, who I count as one of best friends too, would not be a few minutes away anymore. We spent a lot of time with my parents at their house or them at ours. What's more is that I had lunch with my best friend Angie every week. Angie has been my best friend since our sophomore year in high school. Talk about lives that have changed so so much. Angie is someone that has literally been through thick and thin with me and me with her. We were roommates for a time and have watched each other make some really bad choices and ultimately we have both made the best choices. No matter what, Angie will always be my very best friend. With her I laugh more than I do with any other girl friend. I miss you Ang!

Well, after we moved, we plugged into a church and a small group where once again God has been faithful. The girls in this group have become great friends. I long to go deeper with each other them. They are all blessed with such awesome gifts that I am privledged to see in action. The great thing about these girls at this point in my life is that we all want to see each other succeed in life no matter what we are doing.

No matter what stage of life I am in, I am confident in the friendships that I have either old or new. It reminds me of the song that I learned when I was little, "Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold." That's really true.

So, to all my girlfriends: I love you all and value you so much. You make me tick and your lives are important to mine.