“And touching *sisterly love ye need not that I write unto you:  for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another”  I Thess.4:9a *word, “sisterly” changed (from brotherly) for emphasis

 Elissa

Last night we took our dear friend Elissa out to dinner.  She’s moving away on Thursday.   I will miss her so much, it won’t be the same without her.  Tonight was a little sad, knowing that next time we go out Elissa won’t be with us, but it was also a blessing because we made sweet memories by laughing, talking, sharing,and laughing some more.  There were 8 of us who went out but  we did miss Cathi S., who couldn’t make it because she just had her dear little baby girl.  And of course Lea Ann, who moved away over 6 months ago. 

  I hope that Elissa knows how much we love her and that we will be praying for her as she continues to follow the Lord’s leading in her life. 

“A friend will not say never
’cause the welcome will not end”

Elissa, Kathy, Jen, Me, Karen, Amanda w/Ethan
Tammy, Bridgette, Grace

We can be silly together.

Three of us.

Making Memories. . . . .

Kathy and Karen came over yesterday and we went for a walk.  Between the 3 of us, we had 10 beautiful children along.  It was a wonderful day full of sunshine, bright fall color, the laughter of children, and the fellowship of friends.

” To have a friend is to have one of the sweetest gifts that life can bring:  to be a friend is to have a solemn and tender education of soul from day to day” Chinese proverb 

“A friend is someone who sees through you and still enjoys the view”  Wilma Askinas

She was picking flowers wherever she went.

Kathy’s daughter, Emily, was born premature weighing in at just a little over a pound.   So many were praying for her and today she is a healthy almost-3-year-old.

hold me, Momma

When I look at this picture of Caleb and me, I am filled with gratitude to God for these years in which I have a baby in my arms.  I’m thankful to Him for allowing me to be a Mother.

Friends Forever

“Good communication is as stimulating as black coffee.”  Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Karen told us that her mother used to make her hot chocolate on winter days after school, and read aloud from Heidi.  She said that she was only 6 years old, but she will always remember.

Friends.  American flag.  Bare feet.  Little boys.  Hold my hand.  That was fun, wasn’t it?

“Are we not two volumes of one book?”  M. Valmore

Thank you, God
for friends
and for beautiful days

I didn’t go to her funeral.
I was trying to avoid pain.  How selfish of me, I am so ashamed. 
But, last night in church I found her program and took it home with me.  As I read it this morning, the tears streamed down my face.
I loved her so much, this small elderly woman with the face that loved me back with God’s own love.  She always had sweet and kind words for me and she always had a loving touch for the children.  Toward the end she was only in church sporadically, but thank the Lord I always ran to the nursery to get baby Caleb so that he too could receive her special touch.  How she loved my babies, how she loved to talk of God!  I can hear her voice praying so passionately with me on the few Wednesday night prayer meetings in which we were able to pray together.  How I remember her words as she encouraged me to be a godly wife and a mother.
She was so humble. 
Here is her little biography, written by her son and published in her funeral program as a testimony to what God can do with a woman’s sacrificial life:

Ana Soledade grew up in the humble circumstances of rural Portugal in the 1920’s.  Obidos, Portugal was a beautiful land of patchwork fields, oxcarts, threshing floors and old Moorish castles.  For Ana, however, it was a world of endless toil.  Work made her a domestic for the rich, a field hand in the olive groves and even a mine laborer who hauled gypsum ore from deep in the earth.  But she was also a woman of dreams.  Eventually her dreams blossomed out of her indefatigable spirit and she found herself holding passage to America.

Her indomitable spirit and deep faith in God demanded of her a high aspiration in this new America of hope.  Encouraged by the kindness of friends in Pennsylvania who taught her English, she established herself in the Hartford area in 1949.  She now had with her a partner-her long awaited husband, Samuel.  Together they started a family and worked the hard life of raising children and scraping together an economy in post war America.

Their great love bore babies, first Samuel and David, then quickly Daniel and later Thome.  By 1954, the woman who loved children so deeply now had an apartment on Main Street bursting with kids.  Mom couldn’t be happier.  You see for this woman sacrificing for her children was as natural as making coldo verde.  There was no personal sacrifice too great for her children’s health, schooling, clean clothes, or even just fun.  There were birthdays, and holidays, times at the beach and work in the yard.  The idea was always to be just together.  Us boys were the lucky beneficiaries of having an angel of a mother.  To complete the family picture with the feminine, God surprised us all, but especially dad, with a baby girl.  She was our special little princess and mom named her Judite.  How mom loved this child and cultivated in her a legacy of love by instructions and sensibilities.

For mom it was always family, always home, always love that mattered.  Her heart was so big.  Only God knew how great a love she shared with us.  We understood by glimpses her love in the joy that beamed in her bright smile or the passion that cried out from the tears of her prayers in our behalf.  Oh mother, for us, your family, you are the reality of love and the poetry of life lived for your beloved.

The years passed quickly.  Mom basked in the accomplishments of her children.  Her grandchildren brought a new cycle of family life and joy to her big heart.  Mom and dad appreciated some of the special experiences of life together.  They went on trips to Israel, Hawaii, and spent many winters in Florida serving God through mission societies in which they volunteered.  The years passed and together mom and dad saw the milestones of their lives together go by, 40  years, 50 years of marriage.  Then mom was eighty years old!  We loved our darling so much, but we saw her slipping from our lives as her body weakened.  Her heart began to get sick.  This August day in 2006, together as a family, we are saying goodbye to the angel of our lives the greatest good that God ever brought us.  We share these memories with you because they are all about love and love was her heart.

You Gotta Have Friends

This picture was taken today. . . .my son took it.  It’s me, “K”, and “Writer” (who is almost 8 months pregnant!)

I feel rich in friendships.  Each one is valuable to me and has taught me so much about myself and life.  My friend Joanna has stood the test of time and distance. . .we’ve managed to stay in constant contact for almost 10 years, seeing each other face to face only a handful of times during those 10 years!  My friend Christie taught me that in order to have a friend, you need to be one.  She made many of the first moves in our friendship and I will never, ever forget how that made me feel (and it helps me reach out to others now).  I had to move away (geography-wise)from that friendship, too, but we still email almost every day.

I’ve known what it feels like to be lonely, to want another woman to talk to.  I remember crying to the Lord about it years ago, and writing in my journal about it.  I just needed friends!  When we first moved to this area almost 7 years ago, I didn’t know anyone.  It took time, but the Lord has really given me above and beyond what I ever asked and hoped for with the friends He has given me!  Not only that, but he also orchestrated my sister’s life and moved her here, too!  (That’s a whole other story in itself!)  I had some friends come over today, which is what prompted these thoughts.

Do you have a friend? 
Do you need one?

Here is a quote from a book I read that may inspire you:

If you don’t have that special friend or healthy support system, begin praying that God will help you find one.  (Remember that God knows your needs and will take care of you, even in this area.)  You can help the process along by making yourself available for friendship, even if it means paring down your schedule to make room for friends.  Look for kindred spirits in the midst of your many activities, and don’t be afraid to make the first move.  Sometimes all it takes is an invitation to share a cappuccino at the neighborhood Starbucks or a sack lunch in the park.
When looking for friends, keep an eye out for people who. . . .
Share your values and faith
Know how to listen
Believe the best in you
Possess a positive attitude
Keep confidences
Accept you and your differences
Communicate honestly and directly
Take the time to be there.

Stick with your quality friendships!  They will change and grow better and better every year. 

I attached the link to the very best book that I’ve ever read on the topic of friendship.  It’s the kind of book that you nod your head through, and it is Bible-based.