friendship (because that's the theme around here lately)

So I wrote my first EVER voluntary book review. As in, I was asked to read a book (which I wouldn't consider myself too much of a reader), and write a review - and I said yes! And thank goodness it's one that will not receive a grade.  But quite possibly one that will be read by more people than I can possibly imagine.  If you follow the Macs, you may have seen it already, if not - here you go.

I was so thankful for the opporunity to read this book.

And even though I didn't love all of it, I was thankful to have the opportunity to dig deep and really think about what lessons I could take from it.

But most importantly, thankful for the opportunity to really think about my friendships and thank God for blessing me with some pretty awesome ones. 

I was definitely challenged in my own friendships, and will continue to be challenged as the rest of the reviews continue to be posted this week.  I'm challenged to be a better friend, to be a SAFE friend, and to intentionally nurture the friendships God has blessed me with so they don't dwindle away in the press of life. Man, that one can be so hard.  I think so often about how I should be doing this or that, or spending time with this person, or that person, and it doesn't get past anything other than good intentions.  I think I am the Queen of those.  And I am being challenged so much to do more and not just think about doing something.

I enjoy looking back at the journey I've been on in the last 5-6 years. One that began with marrying my sweetheart, moving to his hometown, beginning a career, finding a church we love, and beginning new friendships. A journey that was very different from the one that I had planned in my head.
But realizing now that nothing is better than the journey that HE has for me.
It's all been by His design.  And I love where He has brought me. 

He has brought me to a place where I stand surrounded by wonderful friends. Friends who love God.  Friends who follow Him. Friends who challenge me, encourage me and love me.  Friends who are going through some of the same things in this stage of life that I am. Friends who are willing to be real with me (as slow of a process as that may be sometimes)  And who are willing to walk this life together, helping each other, learning from each other, and encouraging each other along the way. 

And so I am challenged to step out, to find ways to show my love, to be an encouragement, to give back. 

By God’s enabling power, I pray that I will be able to represent his love and reflect his grace to others as they have done the same for me. Although I realize I am so far from that. I pray that I can love without expecting anything in return. So very far from that too.  And that I can take action to show my love to others every chance I get, instead of being the Queen of Good Intentions.

"I believe with all my heart that although we may not be able to measure the invisible worth of investing time in people, there are few endeavors of more eternal significance"

- Lisa Whelchel, Friendship for Grown-ups

So this month, as we focus on thankfulness.  I want to make sure to be thankful for my friends. And I want them to know how thankful I am for them.

  Those who make me laugh, who cry with me, those who will call to see how I'm doing or what's new with me, those who expose their weaknesses with me to allow me to know that "we're in this together", those who love me no matter where I've been or what I've done and no matter how different I can be from them at times, those who remember the things I love and surprise me with their thoughfulness, those who listen to my ramblings and analyzations about everything, those who show up with meals when it's been a rough week, those who challenge me to be a better mother and wife, those who will just talk and listen and appear to not have anywhere in the world they need to be or need to be doing, those who encourage me with their words, those who watch me mess up and love me the same anyway, those who check up on me when I'm stressed or sick, those who love my kids as if they were their own, those who really really do pray for me and trust me to pray for them also, those who are gentle with my thoughts and opinions and who don't try to have all the answers for me, and those who challenge me and make me want to love and obey God more and more with my own life.

Thank you my dear friends.