Friends

Friends... seems to be a recurring theme amongst my blogging friends... lol.

Yesterday was a rough day... and yet, it was a good day, too. Rough because some of the stuff I'm going through is escalating, and is going to get worse before it gets any better, I'm certain.

What made it a good day was the love and support of friends. Online friends who take the time, no matter what, to chat -- to listen and encourage and try so hard to make me smile -- and who return emails even though it's late at night. "In the flesh" friends who know from one look at you that something isn't right and ask how you're doing and offer to listen at anytime. Who, upon receiving an email, pick up the phone and talk for 2 hours -- crying, laughing, encouraging, loving, supporting. Friends who are willing to listen to me vent, who see me at my worst, who know my struggles, my hurts, and my faults, and who still love me.

God, I thank you for friends. I don't know where I would be without them. Some of the most amazing people have come into my life, and each one of them blesses me in so many ways.

And I thank you for my kids, who are the best. They are going to have their own struggles, but I think they understand.

I love the Encouragement Thread on the SCC boards. I used to post there a fair bit, and have been very neglectful of that. Today there was a post for me, and the timing was perfect. I just love it when those things happen. :-D

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Currently playing: Healing Rain ~ MWS

Birthday reflections

So, tomorrow is my baby's 16th birthday. Wow..... how did that happen?!?

It doesn't seem so long ago since he was my adorable little toddler, so shy that I had people tell me "He'll never be able to go to school, you know.... he's just too shy". LOL. Yeah.... well, they were wrong. He not only went to school without any problem, he's grown into a wonderfully bright, confident, and outgoing young man (the teachers now say "He's a great student, but he has a tendency to talk too much in class... haha). Still as easy-going as ever, and just an all-around great kid. :-)

Only 2 1/2 years of high school left. Man.... I do NOT look forward to the empty nest.... I have one who is a home-body, one who is restless and adventurous (my 'gypsy')... I think S. will be somewhere in between. He has the self-confidence but I don't think has quite the same adventurous spirit as his sister. Although time will tell. *sigh* Sometimes it's hard to let them fly.....

I remember being 16. I hope and pray that he's so much wiser than I was at that age. Peer pressure is tough at the best of times.

(Such random thoughts, as usual.)

Baked his birthday cake, and I think it's cooled off enough that I can go ice it. Chocolate..... mmmmmm.... :-D Not sure when we'll eat it tomorrow -- he has a basketball tournament on Friday/Saturday, first game is at 6:00. Oh well, I'm sure we can fit it in sometime... it's cake after all!

Only 2 more weeks....

... till I fly south to visit fellow SCC boardies. Yup, second trip is coming up. I am so excited! Three years ago I never would have even imagined making the friendships that I have, let alone travelling to visit some of these friends. And not just once (last summer), but again this year. It's been an amazing few years -- I am truly blessed. :-)

Interestingly enough, my initial plans for this trip were pretty much only centered around the dates that one board member would be there -- but as it turned out, there is a Steven Curtis Chapman concert during that time, which we are going to be able to attend together. How awesome is that?! Not something I had originally expected to happen -- God is pretty cool that way. ;-)

So yeah... very excited about this whole trip. :-D

It's been kind of an expensive month -- first flights, then new glasses. Oy.... They cost me almost as much as the flight! However, they were much needed. I'd been procrastinating forever, always something else that came up to pay for, finally just had to do it. They ended up costing more than I expected because I had to get progressive lenses. Which is a nice way of saying bifocals that don't look like bifocals.... hahaha. Shhhh... I am NOT getting old!

Unfortunately C. still doesn't have a job yet, so I need to help her out some financially. Should be able to give her rent money and see what else she needs. While money is quite tight at the moment, I am grateful that I can still help her out. But praying that a job comes very soon. She can't afford to be without any longer.

Trusting that it will all work out for the best.... not only in this situation, but others as well....

EDITED to add: Talked to C. tonight. She got another call about the job she interviewed for. They are checking her references, and if all checks out okay, she should have the job. Hopefully she'll know in the next couple of days. :-)

I really only started this so that I could comment on Matt and John's blogs.... so we'll see if this actually gets any use or not. I sometimes use private journals, but have never had a public journal/blog -- not sure if it's really my thing. But we shall see. ;-)