A God Friend

There are good friends and best friends and family friends and sort of friends and great friends but there is something VERY special about a God friend. I'm sure I'm using my own definition for this so let me explain. Friends that didn't come about by proximity or age or a shared education or a person in common - but a friend that only God could deliver to your doorstep while your jaw dropped to the ground as you realized the amazing package He left there. A few of you reading this ARE God friends. People who stumbled on my blog by accident and I read yours and you read mine. Crazy.

Betty is like that. I work with Betty. And let me explain that because it's more complicated than that. I talk to Betty on the phone because she is the MRI tech that scans people in South Texas and my doctors in Boston and Miami read those cases for her boss, an orthopaedic surgeon. So I've never met Betty in person - probably never will. But one day, she said something about God or Jesus and although I cannot remember I'm sure it kind and warm and completely unashamed - because that is how Betty is. Sweetest soul I've never met :). I have been profoundly touched by her and her model for loving people is exceptional. And HER TOTAL COMMITMENT to sharing Christ in the workplace has changed me. Her encouragement has brought me to tears as one day she asked if we could pray for a coworker. And one day last year, she asked if we could pray right there over the phone for Joel and Mark - a thought that I'm ashamed to say had NEVER occured to me. She has changed me. God has spoken through her so many times I can't even count. I think of her outside of work and she inspires me at the craziest of times. And she's helped me learn that I can't separate my work from God. And she was there in my head when I told Mark I'd be praying for him with all the crises in his life - because I couldn't do anything else that I could think of that would mean so much.

And I will never meet her this side of eternity. But she has touched me and through her encouragement and mentorship, she was who God used to teach me and change me. WHAT A BLESSING!!! I will never get over that He loves me so much to do all of that for me.

You will never know...

I have never in my life felt so held up in prayer. I cannot begin to explain what an amazing comfort in Christ I have felt through His loyal servants here on earth. Iron City Church friends, work friends, other friends in Christ, blogging friends. God has connected my family with the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Your love is clearly inspired by the giver of love Himself. We feel it.

A Weekend to Remember

As usual, I packed it all into one day. So here goes:

- I went to visit Nana. She was not good. And I didn't expect her to be any better. We talked. She even talked. Barely a whisper but she talked. When Aunt Becky and Uncle Dave got there she said, "It's so strange - dying." It was so sad hearing her say that. I know where she's going and I know she knows too. And God is going to do it in His perfect time - even though we don't understand why it's been so slow. So in my head it seemed like I shouldn't be sad. But Sunday I was feeling ridiculously sensitive and needy and it was because I'm so sad to see her slipping away.

- On my way south I stopped at a plant and vegetable stand. Delicious red tomatos, corn, blueberries. Yum. Beginning to change gears.

- Then I was off to Caralyn Reid's house to spend the afternoon with her and Ame Matuza. Wow. I can't even describe it. I walked into the home of a woman I hadn't seen in 19-20 years and felt at home. And Ame showed up and we sat around for 4 hours and talked like we had just gotten together for dinner just last week. Story after story. Ame's an amazing story teller - Twinkie and the "tit-mobile" at her monumental Breast Cancer Walk. And with a yearbook open stories present and past about those we graduated with. It was fantastic.

- Then dinner at Mom and Dad's.

Crammed in, eh? Sad, wonderful, and full of joy.

Cousin It and a Rainbow at the Tea Room

Now that would be a title for a children's book, huh? These three items aren't really connected but the title sounded fun in my head so I thought I'd just go with that!


COUSIN IT - Bob got me the coolest birthday present - as usual. After days of pleading with me to give him an idea, he came up with this. It's a tiki hut for our back porch to replace the bowing umbrella! And the extra fun part is that it folds up like a tent to be stored in the dining room where I have affectionately named it Cousin It. I think it bears a striking resemblance. Don't you?

The rainbow picture below isn't as good as I'd hoped but it gives me a chance to tell you about how we saw it which allows us to tell you a little bit about Jason, the other guitarist/vocalist in the summer ICC band. He was coming over for practice and he came running into the house saying RAINBOW, RAINBOW and led us out onto the deck. And there it was. He so wanted to share it with us that he ran up into the house without his guitar. That's a good way to describe Jason. He's just so passionate and he so wants to share his love of Christ. He's crazy and we love him - and his family.

And the Tea Room. Last Saturday my awesome friend Carrie took me for a surprise birthday trip. She had asked for a Saturday morning at Christmas and we just couldn't get it together then. She never did tell me what was in store. She's quite a secret keeper. So we finally rescheduled for Saturday morning for a belated birthday and I headed up to her house. We wove through some back roads and ended up at this cute little house past Seven Fields. Carrie and I were served tea promptly at the 11am bell in a beautifully Victorian setting at a place called The Johnstone House. It was so pretty and feminine and they do treat you like a Queen. The food was delicious and the tea was a real treat. It was just an awesome gift and such a great thing to share between friends. She is such a blessing to work beside and an amazing friend.

These three things are pretty unrelated but they do remind me that I am richly blessed with people in my life that love me. Love me even when I'm not lovable. It's no wonder that the best friends I have in my life - whether old or new or family are the ones with Christ in the center. Some days all I can do is wonder how He does it - and why. I'm so grateful.

Happy Birthday to me!

Last Saturday was the big 3-8 for me. And amazingly, I still love my birthday. I'll admit that the reason that I love it is that it's the only time of year that it's okay for IT to be about me without guilt. And it was a pretty stellar weekend.

Friday night, our friend Michael came over and cooked us steaks on the grill. And I'm not talking cooked like I would cook. First of all, he waited on both of us - this I did not know what to do with..... He marinated the steak in brown sugar and cinammon - I was skeptical - and wrapped it in bacon. It was superb. Corn on the cob and garlic bread - whereupon I abandoned the carb free life for one fleeting evening. And watermelon. The guy can cut a watermelon like no one I've seen. Anyway - it was fun and I felt special.

Saturday, I finished up the really hard stuff on the garden and then Marianne came over and we just spent the whole rainy afternoon catching up. Bob, Marianne and Dena spent a few hours sitting back in wonder at the year that has been and how the glory belongs to the only Wise god Our Savior. It gives me a shiver what He's done and what He's got planned. And I smiled as I got up and left the room and Bob and Marianne continued to talk about the great things He has done. Only by His grace in answering prayers.

For dinner, I REALLY let go of the rules for eating and we ordered enormo-nachos for dinner. That was my request.

Then Sunday, Mom and Dad came down and spent Father's Day with us. It was awesome. They got to hear Bob and I play in the ICC Worship Band and then listen to Perry Noble preach the message. It was an awesome service and man is HE WILD!!! I was a little bit surprised that Mom and Dad seemed to enjoy it so much - but I love it. And I love that we can share this with them free of judgement or criticism. Again - God. We came home and spent the afternoon talking and swimming and laughing and eating. Uncle Funcle Bill came for a little while too. And know what? Mom got on a raft and ---- are ya ready? ---- she relaxed and just drifted in that raft for longer than I've ever seen her sit. And I got to hug my Daddy on Father's Day.

And that's why I believe in Jesus. My life is so awesomely overflowing with blessings that it doesn't even make sense. 20 years ago, I was making everyone in my family miserable and now I have a life I wouldn't trade with anyone. Thank you, Father.

Friends

Lately, I've been realizing how many wonderful people God has placed in my life. New friends, old friends, family friends, work friends, church friends. It would never be possible to be as close to all these people if it were not for God. Time, distance, and life often separate us. All of them are a blessing. All teach me lessons that are straight from God. Lessons of grace and love and connection and sharing the love of the One that makes them possible. Lessons of patience and love that are only possible because of the patience and kindness and gentleness that God makes possible because those are not "fruits" that I possess as a child of Adam. I am blessed.

Warm Greetings from Long Ago

On Friday I received an email from a very special person in my life. My parents sent me to Trinity Christian School for second grade more than 30 years ago. I only went there for a year because the ride from Delmont to Wilkinsburg proved rough on my little seven year old self. But that year was very special. I had a wonderful teacher who made each of her students feel so special. Her name was Miss Wilma - well, that's what we were to call her since her very Dutch name would have been difficult for our seven year old tongues to get around. I can honestly say that I remember more about that year than any other year in my elementary education. Units about Japan and Holland and the journeys of Paul. Songs about Jesus and Bible baseball games. And special memories like McDonalds lunches on Tuesdays and one particularly poignant moment where I got in trouble with several other kids and spent some comical moments in the principle's office praying with my classmates that we wouldn't get in trouble for racing around an unsupervised classroom on a winter morning while waiting out a snow delay. What a year. And what a teacher. She collected bells and we once visited her house to look at her piano to buy and I remember seeing one of the bells was one we got her as a teacher's gift. I can't tell you precisely why she was so special but I can say that she loved the Lord and she loved me and this was so evident.

After that year, we exchanged letters regularly. I don't remember the chronology but over the years I was priveledged to learn of her missionary return to Japan, her adoption of a little girl named Sarah, and her battle with cancer. And through it all, she loved the Lord with a passion that I aspired to. She taught me about a relationship with the Savior in that year and in every year after by her very life.

She sent an email telling me that she had been reading this blog and Bob's. And sharing some of the our common studies and even struggles. I read it and was immediately overwhelmed with the gift that God has given me in Ms. Wilma. 30 plus years and He's been in the middle of it all along. What grace.

I'm going to try and dig up a photo I have of the two of us standing outside of the school on one of the final days of my second grade year. I know that I'll not likely see her again until we are home again with Christ. What a homecoming that meeting will be.

Sadness

Yesterday was a sad day for a very close friend and her family. Months ago my friend came to work with wonderful news that her sister was having twins. She asked for prayer for her sister and her family that all would go smoothly.

Friday, complications arose after a little more than four months and Sunday, their family mourned the loss of both precious baby boys. We cried together as she told me. Friday I sent out emails to my family and friends requesting prayer for them. And then Monday, I sent the request for a change in their prayers - and it was so hard.

This weekend our family celebrated the twins 5th birthday. Five years ago, we were all scared because "the babies" were born too early. Time has worn away my memory of the frightening details but there was apprehension. "The babies" were in the NICU for weeks. Emily spent night after night in the hospital with them, praying for their health. We waited for news that it would all turn out okay. It did and on April 13 each year we can celebrate that we were blessed with Ben and Grace.

And so, when I think of this family and the loss they must be feeling, I am overwhelmed. Our lives would not be the same without those two amazing children.

God has a purpose for everything. And though my friend has cried out to her Father asking why, she knows that He has a reason. Please pray for them. Their hearts are heavy and tired. Pray they will find rest in Him.

Good lunch, good people, great strength

I had a great lunch with my friend today. It's been a long time since we've had a chance to catch up - 6 weeks or more I think. And being around her is just so awesome. I know I am not unique but she makes me feel like we've known each other forever. I tell her things that to most other folks would sound crazy and she gets it. And she is just a brimming optimist. I gain so much every time we get together.

In fact, a short time after I returned, I needed a little bit of that positivity and grace. I needed that energy to smile and know that God was there. It was like I took it out of my pocket and said - yeah, God knew I'd need this :).