Carolyn

It's intriguing how friendships begin.  Carolyn and I sang on the worship team together over a decade ago, but I never got to know her.  She married the son of one of my very special friends, Julie, but still we were not acquainted.  Steve and Carolyn moved away, Ellie was born, Julie went home to be with the Lord, and Carolyn was still someone I knew of, not someone I really knew.  A few years ago Steve and Carolyn moved back to the area with their two children.  Ellie began to participate in our children's programs at church, and Carolyn and I became facebook friends.  That's where it began.  She joined the worship team again, and this time a friendship blossomed and grew.  Carolyn is a caring and giving person.   She is very open and honest.  She is truly a devoted wife and mother, and the spiritual growth of her children is of utmost importance to her.  Carolyn is a Thirty-One consultant, and is very passionate about her business.  She is a true friend, the kind that can be trusted with anything and everything.  My whole family was sad when it was time for her family to move again.  My kids had become very attached to her's.  My boys, who were all much older and bigger, adored her son Micah, and would search him out at church.  My daughter enjoyed spending time with Ellie, despite their age difference, as well.  Eric and I also became friends with Steve, who we had not really known before either.  I thank the Lord for bringing them back here for that short time.  We miss them, and hope that they will be able to return one day, but our friendship will remain despite time and distance.  Thanks for being such a great friend, Carolyn!!!  ♥

Uncle Rod

A cherished member of our family has moved on from this world. Uncle Rod loved Eric and I, he loved our kids, and we loved him. Aunt Peg and Uncle Rod were probably the first of Eric's family members that he introduced me to beside his parents. They welcomed me immediately into the family as a shy 16 year old girl. They loved me and made me feel like I belonged. That was 20 years ago. We have spent wonderful times together since then. Uncle Rod and Aunt Peg have been like another set of grandparents to our children. Uncle Rod took time to come and visit with us. We spent weeks and weekends together at cabins in the mountains of Pennsylvania and Virginia. We visited places together such as New Market Battlefield, Horseshoe Curve, and Shenandoah Caverns. He helped us on many of our home improvement projects like our roof, our chimney and our bay window. He loved to tell us stories of when he was in the army, and about his friends from the 82 Airborne Division. He was so proud when Cody went to NYC to march in the Veteran's Day Parade, and he gave him a challenge coin to commemorate the occasion. Cody will cherish that always. I know that he was special to all who really knew him. I wasn't born into his family, but he was, is, and always will be as dear to me as an uncle can be. We all will miss him. I am very glad that we had a chance to spend one last hour with him on Friday. Sunday morning he left the pain of this world behind him. We are still here to face the separation, but we have the hope in Christ of seeing him again one day. We will carry on and remember the good times as something sacred. They will remind us not to waste the time we have here on earth, but to invest it in those we love, just as Uncle Rod invested in so many of us.

Cheryl

I have known my friend Cheryl since our Austins were babies, and they are almost officially teens now. Cheryl has always placed her family at the top of her priorities. She was a stay at home mom until her youngest started school, and then she went to work in the school where she could be near her kids and have summers and other vacations and holidays off with them. Cheryl is a grandma now, and shows the same love for her grandson that she has for her children. She is diligent about teaching and demonstrating moral character to her children as well as to the girls that she leads in the youth group at out church. She is a great encouragement to her friends, always having a kind word to lift them up. Cheryl is a loving and devoted wife, always speaking well of her husband. One of the things that makes me smile is the way she will send out an email to the team, when Craig is leading worship, and sign it Craig's secretary. Making sure we are "on the same page" is just one of the ways she blesses us all. I'm glad that we are friends and that we have been able to watch our kids grow up in church together. Thanks for all you do to make the world a little brighter.

Ted

I don't know if it matter's how I choose what friend to write about, but today Ted Bryant was at the top of the list on my facebook profile. Let's see, I have known Ted since I was in eleventh grade. We had something in common... Eric. I was Ted's worst nightmare, but he accepted me as a friend and together we weathered some difficult years of adjustment. Ted was there for me. It may have been five hours in a car, but he was only a phone call away. He was a great pen pal too. I still have a collection of letters and coloring pages we exchanged in the mail as we each endured a time of separation from family and friends. These are bittersweet memories in many ways, as the hurts in our lives at that time were very real.

Ted was the best man in our wedding, and Eric and I were both privileged to stand up in Ted and Betsy's wedding: Eric as his best man and me as a bridesmaid. We should have done a better job of staying in touch with Ted and Betsy and their lovely daughter throughout the years. I am thankful that in the past few years we have been able to get our families together a few times. Those times have been a blessing to me. Ted has grown into a faithful Christian man who loves the Lord with all his heart. He stands out to me as a great example of faith. He has a great desire to spread the gospel and see people saved from their sin and living their lives for Jesus. He participates in ministry at http://www.northpointeny.org/ through music and other avenues to effectively share the Word of God. My life has been greatly blessed by knowing Ted. Thanks for always being there friend. ♥

Rebecca

I have decided to bring this blog out of hibernation. It's sometimes difficult to decide which friend I should write about, so today I closed my eyes and randomly typed a letter in the search window on facebook. My friend of the day is Rebecca Braswell, more familiar to me as Becky Hails. I have known Rebecca since the day I started Kindergarten. She was was very friendly which helped to ease my anxiety, though as a five year old I am sure I didn't think of it in those terms. Becky rode my bus which meant I always had a friend nearby. I was so shy that it wasn't usually easy for me to get to know people. She was at the first birthday party that I can remember having. Becky liked to laugh and joke.

As with many of my friends time and circumstances have put distance between us. My interaction with Becky is now limited to the social network of facebook. I can see though that she is a devoted mother and a loving wife. She seems to be able to face life's challenges with joy and confidence. I understand that she is an excellent artist working mostly with pottery. She has a positive outlook on life that is uplifting. I am glad that we can be connected once again regardless of location. Rebecca, I am praying for blessings in your life and family today.

Jennifer

Oh, my. My friend of the day idea has turned into friend of the month. It's time I planted a new flower in my garden. Today I have chosen Jennifer. Such a terrific friend is she. We had so much fun together when our kids were preschoolers. She was the one I called to take care of my three kids, ages five and under, the evening I went into labor with the fourth. What a friend! One of the things I really appreciate about Jennifer is that she is very encouraging. She always has affirming words to lift my spirit and build confidence. She is also very gifted at the art of the two way conversation. She shares and she listens equally which is really a blessing to me. She is genuinely interested in others. Jennifer is also a great mom! She strives to raise her children according to the will of God. She is a wife who loves and honors her husband, and she is also a devoted daughter. Jennifer, you have been a blessing to me. I thank God for your friendship.

Nancy

Wow, it's been a while since I worked in my garden. It is definitely time to add a new flower. Today I add my friend Nancy. A book could actually be written about her, but for today I will settle for a brief blog entry. Nancy is the field worker for Child Evangelism Fellowship in the area where I live. I met her at a released time class (http://www.cefcenclin.org/childmin.php) for my children's school. I actually went there to investigate what they were teaching my children and found a whole new world of ministry that I didn't even know existed. I was pleased to find that CEF does indeed teach the truth from the Bible. Nancy is an excellent teacher. She explains the word of God in a way that everyone can understand. I have actually learned a lot just by listening to her teach, but she went a step further and encouraged me to take some classes which have really helped me to develop some skills. Nancy was one of the teachers of these two classes, TCE I and TCE II. If you have ever had an interest in learning how to present the gospel to kids (or anyone for that matter) and lead them to Christ, I recommend checking out these classes (http://www.cefcenclin.org/ttrain.php). In addition to being fully submerged in children's ministry, Nancy is a dedicated wife and mother. She has three grown children, and is in the process of helping two of them plan their weddings. She always takes the time to talk with and pray with anyone who is struggling, or to give advice to less experienced mothers who are facing new challenges. It has been a priveledge to get to know Nancy over the past five years. Nancy, thank you for all you have taught me. "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26