True Blue Friends

    I know it has been a while since I have written. I have allowed life to interfere once again.  I apologize for that.
    I have lots of friends. Some from my childhood, some from college, some from church, and many from work.  My best friend married me.  But there is one group of my friends who hold a different place in my life.
 I decided to write about a group of ladies whom I call my true blue friends or also known as "My Breakfast Club". These three ladies and I have known each other for over twenty years now. It doesn't seem that long but it is.  All of these ladies have shown me how to be a better wife and mother. Let me explain further.
     DI is the go getter of the group. She organizes our get together a, encourages us, calls us, makes awesome cakes for any reason, and is constantly hosting our couples get togethers. She has a true heart for serving and it shows in all she does.  I know that there have been times when she is going through stuff in her own life but she will drop what she is doing to come and pray, talk, hold hands, etc with anyone of us. She makes me smile all the time and I love hearing her talk because she has such wisdom.
      JM is the quiet one in the group.  She has such a sweet spirit and is kind to everyone.  I can't even begin to see her saying unkind words to anyone or about anyone. When we are together, I know that she is praying without ceasing and it comes like a breathing to her. She chooses her words carefully and you can tell because they always lift you up and never tear anyone down. She is so down to earth and shows me how to live life without all the "stuff" I think I need.
     RS is our momma of the group. She worries about us all, will do what she can to take care of us, and keeps us in life about eating healthy and exercising.  She is also the one I can count on for information on anything.  She has such a heart for missions and that just pours out from her.  She has shown me that there is more to life than things and all.
     All of these ladies are my encouragers, prayer warriors, and women who I hope to be like someday. Somehow, I managed to become a part of the group.  I think I am the comic relief for all of them.  They make me laugh til I almost have an accident, they lift me up when I am at my lowest, they teach me more about God and His word and what he has in store for all of us.  These ladies have stood by me at my lowest, ugliest times. They have held my hands, they have hugged me, they know my deepest secrets and have kept them. They have cried with me, laughed with me, and comforted me.  They have given me words of wisdom.  They have also told me when I am wrong in a way that does not tear me down but oddly lifts me up and gives me the courage to fix what I have done.
    God has placed these ladies in my life for a reason and I am so blessed by each of them. I love each of them as a sister and I treasure them.  I hope you have some friends like this.  Everyone needs true blue friends.
   

Tree Bark

      I wrote my Sunday message this morning but I wasn't able to say everything I wanted to so here I am.
     Have you ever really looked at a tree? It is covered in a rough, gnarled, weathered bark. If you strip away the bark and sand it down, you discover the tue treasure inside.  Wood that is unique and beautiful.  This wood can be shaped into many things depending on the vision of the carpenter working with it. 
     Before God comes into our hearts, we have this rough, gnarled, weathered exterior. Once He comes in, all of that is stripped away, sanded down, and He shapes us into His image which is the true treasure that is able to shine through.  
      The Bible says in Ephesians 4:22-24---"You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted be deceitful desires (the rough, gnarly, weathered bark); your are being renewed in the spirit of your minds; you put on the new self, the one created according to God's likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth." (The true treasure hidden inside).
     The process of the stripping and sanding is painful at times but we know that the end result is going to be amazing! How? Because the end result is that God is shaping us into His image and His likeness and that in itself is beyond comprehension. 
     Allow God to strip away the rough, gnarled, weathered bark in your life and let the true treasure shine through!!  Be blessed.  I am always praying.