Friendship

Friendship is such a beautiful thing. Yesterday, I read this post and it has really got me to thinking on friendships that I have had over the years and what kind of friend that I have been. When I was in college, I can remember having many many friends. I had a lot of friends whom I loved dearly. They came in different forms and I shared different parts of my life with them. Then when I went overseas for 4 years I widened my friendships even more as I made new friends at each and every turn. Everyone always used to laugh and say if you ever want to know something or how someone is doing, ask Laura. I can remember someone in the states was wanting to know a phone number for someone 30 minutes away and they emailed me 7,000 miles away to get it. Funny huh? I have always heard the phrase that some friendships are for seasons and some are for a lifetime. (Totally paraphrased by me!) And I used to always fight the whole friends are for a season thing. I never wanted to let anyone go. But as I get older I have learned that phrase is completely true. I have found that I cling to those few friends who know me best. The ones who I don't have to just answer, "fine". While I still have those that I keep in touch with, (mainly through FB!) but it's those who I share those secrets with, my true inner heart and I can be completely honest with, those are the ones that last a lifetime. One I have had for 20 years, one 15 years, one 10 years and one 4 years. Each one is special and I have a friendship with them that is unique above all else. I sometimes wonder if Father is going to keep them in my life for the rest of my days or just a really long season. But one thing I know, I am thankful for the gift of friendship. While it is not always pretty, as it says in Proverbs, iron sharpens iron. That is my prayer for each of my friendships.
And as I enter a new phase in my life of being in the states and making new friends, I know that I need to be open to Father putting someone new in my life, a friend who is in person!! Each of the friends that mentioned above are either in a different city, different state, different part of the country or all the way across the world. I love them dearly and I honestly don't want to open up to someone new. These people already know me, why try again you know? But yet, I know that I must be open. Father is always wanting us to sharpen each other. So, my hands are wide open today, accepting what Father chooses to give me.
I really don't know where I was going with this post but as I was cleaning this morning, I just felt reflective on friendships and oh so thankful that Father has blessed me with these precious women in my life.
Okay, back to cleaning.... I love this life I have! :)

Exciting News..

Lots of stuff has been going on around here lately. We have been working on getting ready to move into our very own home!! :) We are closing on a house here in our city next week. We are so excited and can completely see the Lord's hand in it all. We have been looking at this house for about 6 months and we just kept coming back to it because we just felt the Lord saying this was our home. But the price was higher than we could afford. But about a month ago we went back to them again and we came to an agreement on a price that we could pay. We are so excited, the Lord has blessed us beyond measure. We were thinking we could get a three bedroom and this has four. There are lots of fun house projects in the future for us and lots of fun little things to be done. I have had fun picking out paint colors and imagining how I am going to do this or that. I can't wait to get our things out of storage and put to use, it will be like Christmas all over again. I have dishes that I got for our wedding that I have never used! So, lots of exciting adventures for us in the future. I can't wait to show you before and after pictures....but first there is lots and lots of painting and wallpaper to be taken down!!

On another note...Jack has learned to climb out of his crib! I couldn't believe it when I went into get him the other day and he was sitting in the floor reading a book. Sadie never did this so this is a completely new thing for us. And so the days of putting a child to be so easily are over. :(

I read this blog post tonight that completely touched my heart. I put it on FB but would love to share it here as well. If you have time, please read it and be encouraged. I really want to read the book that they talk about in the post...I have it ready to download to my kindle, but I have to finish the other books first. Oh finding the time to read....I love reading, I should read more.

Well, that is our news here. I will update more later, but I was dying to share our news with you guys!