I'm Thankful for...............My Friends
Okay, I have to warn you this will be a very, very long post! When writing about my friends I can't just write a line or two, there are too many things to be said. I believe that God gives us friends in our lives to influence us, to hold us up, to take care of us and most importantly to love us. I count myself blessed to have the greatest and I mean the greatest group of friends in the world! They are there for me, they care about what happens to me and they love me. So if you have some time, pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and learn more about the people who are the most important people in my life
Kelly - my little sister, my 25 yr old mom, my therapist, my confidant, my teacher, my fashion coordinator, my coffee buddy... and the list goes on. She has always been a breath of fresh air in my life. It amazes me sometimes how a twenty-five year old and a forty-year old could have so much in common and can be such good friends. She is one of my strongest supporters, but at the same time she will not allow me wallow within a world of self pity. Her famous line is "Buck-up baby"! She has a quiet spirit about her that calms me. I have never met someone so young with so much wisdom. She can usually get through to me better then most people. I feel safe with her. She lives the closest to me and we have shared countless cups of coffee and countless thoughts on life, God, friends, families and just about everything else. She will break my heart in a few weeks when she moves away. But I will forgive her. I will have to, because without her I am not complete.
Raquel - The best way I can describe her is; it's like you are constantly being hugged when you are in her presence. It's a place of warmth and a place of security. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt when she is with you, there is no other place she would rather be. She has the sweetest disposition and a hilarious sense of humor. Her laugh is contagious and you can't help but laugh along. She truly seems to be a happy woman. I strive for that level of contentment I see in her. And she is totally and absolutely in love with her husband! I can see it in her eyes and it makes me envious (in a good way!) of that kind of love. Oh and she has the most beautiful skin! I was drawn to her the minute she started attending our church and what a blessing she has become to my life!
Carrie - My "I" personality counterpart! We both have this outgoing, smiling, and talkative personality, so you can only imagine what happens when we get together, neither one of us can get a word in! She is my favorite friend to shop with, because she makes it so much fun. She is like a kid in a candy store! Also she likes to eat just like I do and doesn't try and hide it. She is also my Pastor's wife and one of the most influential women in my life. She has shown me so many times that she is not perfect and this is a comfort to me. If a pastors wife isn't perfect, then that means I don't have to be! I always introduce her to my friends as my pastor's wife (this makes her uncomfortable sometimes, people tend to shut down when you mention pastor!) because I am so proud to be able to call her that. She truly loves her church and all the people in it and sets a great example for all of us to follow. She is also gorgeous! (Or as my 19yr. old son says "hot") Oh yeah....she is also the mother to two of my favorite boys (besides my own)!
Michele - "He who walks with wise men will be wise...." Proverbs 13:20 I heard that scripture quoted on a program I was watching once and Michelle immediately came to my mind. She is my spiritual mentor, the most influential when it comes to growing in my spiritual life. She has counseled me on spiritual things more times then I can count. She has also heard me cry more times then I can count! What's special about her is she never tells me the answer, she will just continue asking me questions until I answer my question myself. It is sometimes very frustrating but she is teaching me to be the "wise one". She is our women's Pastor and it is truly a role she was meant to play. Her heart knows no bounds when it comes to loving the women of our church. She envelopes all us women within a cocoon of love and draws us to each other. I know she is the main reason the women of our church are so close knit. She has already been through what I am going through right now: divorced single mom trying to make ends meet. Now she has a husband, a family and the role of a lifetime. It gives me so much hope! She is truly my role model!
Amanda - sweet, sweet, Amanda. I can not believe the woman she has become! She is truly a changed person and she is striving everyday to be even better. Her blog is one I go to each day looking for inspiration. Her thoughts are written about life and what she is achieving and growing everyday in her walk with God. There is a special bond that she and I share. Both our childhoods were less than perfect, sometimes downright horrible. Because of this we suffer with some of the same character "flaws" but we both are striving to overcome them. Do you ever think Amanda, how blessed we are to be the women we are today after all we have been through? I do! We are strong women and God allowed those things to happen so we could be those strong women, and be an inspiration to others, so don't you forget it! There is one other bond we share, there is an area of my life I can only truly open my heart and share with only her. She knows what it is. I told her once in an email, I didn't know why she was the only one I could really open up to on the subject and she told me she felt honored. Well be honored Amanda because you hold a place of honor in my life! Ohhh....did I forget to mention she has the most amazing voice! Man, can she sing!! I miss hearing her voice on Sundays since she moved away, but that's okay I'll get to hear her voice again at my wedding!
Erin - My running buddy and my newest friend. I have enjoyed immensely getting to know her! We started out running together for exercise and have become good friends. I went over for dinner last night at her house and she made me the most delicious meal! Wow, a new friend and she knows how to cook! I had the opportunity to go with her a couple weeks back and shop for her wedding dress and I had such a great time! I felt honored that she asked me to go and give my opinions; she even ended up choosing my favorite one! Hopefully she will return the favor one day when I go shopping for my own wedding dress! She has started a new blog and I can't wait to hear more of what she has to say.
Linda - This is my "lets have a good time" friend. Wild and crazy is the best to describe her! Of course she is the is first one I called when I wanted to get a tattoo to celebrate turning forty and of course she went with me! We have been friends for about 7 years now and even though we don't see each other about every three months (which is crazy we live in the same town!) we always pick up where we left off. I know when I am with her we will have fun!
Deanne - My oldest and dearest friend. We have been friends now for over ten years. We met while working at a women's clothing store in Chicago. Ugh....do you remember us wearing leggings and big, bulky and long sweaters over them, Deanne? Whatever were we thinking! She lives in San Diego, so I don't get to see her much, but she is always on my mind and firmly planted in my heart. I got to go to San Diego this past summer and attend her wedding. She was soooo...beautiful. She came out here in November and stayed with me for a weekend and we had so much fun. I miss you, Deanne!
I have so many other friends in my life and I can't possible write about all of them. So many special women and I really would love to get to know each of them better. I had lunch with Cindy (and Peyton) yesterday and we had a great time and I am looking forward to getting to know her better. To each of you not mentioned, I still love you!
Okay, I imagine by now the guys are asking hey, what about me! Don't worry I didn't forget about you!
Ty - my surrogate little brother. He takes care of me and looks out for me. He doesn't do it because he is married to one of my best friends he does it because he wants to. He is my handyman around the house, changing light bulbs, changing air filters and lets not forget the countless times he has fixed my computer! He doesn't mind coming over my house and hanging out even if there is no other men here, he's okay just hanging and talking with Kelly and I, of course if dinner is involved, well that makes it all the better! I know that who ever I plan to marry one day will definitely have to go to Ty and ask permission. It's so great having him in my corner!
Patrick - What a great friend! I love being around Patrick, I feel comfortable when I am with him. And to mimic what I said about his wife (Raquel) I have no doubt when he is with me, there is no place he would rather be. He also doesn't mind just hanging with Raquel and I, actually we do this a lot, just the three of us. We both have the same "I" personality and have great times together. I'm not sure what drew me to him and his wife, but we share a special bond, a kinship and I count myself so blessed that I know him! He is also an awesome guitar player and he plays on our worship team at church. Nicholas my eleven year old really likes him too and even said the other day he would rather be with Patrick then his older brother! Hey if he's good enough for my son he's good enough for me. Love you, bro!
Tim - The most influential man in my life. My pastor and someone I can call my friend. So many pastors of churches don't make friends with their parishioners (at least that's my experience in the past), but not Tim. He gets down in the trenches with us, he enjoys life with us, he spends time with us. Tim and I have a special bond we share; he is the person that led me to Christ. Through many conversations and emails on God, church, and grace he inspired me to give God a try. I am so glad I did! I still have the copies of the emails he sent me in the beginning and every once and awhile I pull them out and read them and I cry and thank God that he gave him just the right words to reach me. But his influence didn't stop there. He continues to influence and teach me each Sunday morning on how to be a better Christian, to be a better person. He always makes time for me if I need him, meeting me for lunch or communicating through emails. I don't think he knows how truly blessed I feel to have him in my life and how much I truly love him. I strive everyday to prove to him(in a good way) that making the choice to reach out to me was a good one. He loves his church and his God given vision for growing it and making it into a place of refuge for the saved and the unsaved is truly a blessing. I am so blessed to call him my pastor! I love you more than words can say.
Michael L. - Michael and I wouldn't be what you would call best friends. We don't spend a lot of time together, but we share a bond that is hard to explain. We both run our own business and we understand the struggles associated with that. I like to think that some of my prayers during the time he was trying so desperately to get his new business off the ground made a difference. Man, did I pray, because I knew what it was like! Michael is also one of the funniest men I know. He totally cracks me up! Keep up the good work, Michael. I know you will be blessed.
There you have it, my friends in a nutshell (or rather a very long post!) God must truly love me to bless me with so many wonderful, God loving, Christian friends! I love all of you!!!!
p.s. I forgot to mention my newest friend, Baxter. The first couple of times I went over Baxter’s house he kinda scared me, but last night we reached a new level in our relationship. He actually came up to me and allowed me to pet him. See, Baxter is my friend Erin’s very big rotweiller (sp?) dog. He doesn’t usually take to people very well I am told, so I am humbled by him allowing me to touch him. I look forward to getting to know you better, Baxter!
Kelly - my little sister, my 25 yr old mom, my therapist, my confidant, my teacher, my fashion coordinator, my coffee buddy... and the list goes on. She has always been a breath of fresh air in my life. It amazes me sometimes how a twenty-five year old and a forty-year old could have so much in common and can be such good friends. She is one of my strongest supporters, but at the same time she will not allow me wallow within a world of self pity. Her famous line is "Buck-up baby"! She has a quiet spirit about her that calms me. I have never met someone so young with so much wisdom. She can usually get through to me better then most people. I feel safe with her. She lives the closest to me and we have shared countless cups of coffee and countless thoughts on life, God, friends, families and just about everything else. She will break my heart in a few weeks when she moves away. But I will forgive her. I will have to, because without her I am not complete.
Raquel - The best way I can describe her is; it's like you are constantly being hugged when you are in her presence. It's a place of warmth and a place of security. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt when she is with you, there is no other place she would rather be. She has the sweetest disposition and a hilarious sense of humor. Her laugh is contagious and you can't help but laugh along. She truly seems to be a happy woman. I strive for that level of contentment I see in her. And she is totally and absolutely in love with her husband! I can see it in her eyes and it makes me envious (in a good way!) of that kind of love. Oh and she has the most beautiful skin! I was drawn to her the minute she started attending our church and what a blessing she has become to my life!
Carrie - My "I" personality counterpart! We both have this outgoing, smiling, and talkative personality, so you can only imagine what happens when we get together, neither one of us can get a word in! She is my favorite friend to shop with, because she makes it so much fun. She is like a kid in a candy store! Also she likes to eat just like I do and doesn't try and hide it. She is also my Pastor's wife and one of the most influential women in my life. She has shown me so many times that she is not perfect and this is a comfort to me. If a pastors wife isn't perfect, then that means I don't have to be! I always introduce her to my friends as my pastor's wife (this makes her uncomfortable sometimes, people tend to shut down when you mention pastor!) because I am so proud to be able to call her that. She truly loves her church and all the people in it and sets a great example for all of us to follow. She is also gorgeous! (Or as my 19yr. old son says "hot") Oh yeah....she is also the mother to two of my favorite boys (besides my own)!
Michele - "He who walks with wise men will be wise...." Proverbs 13:20 I heard that scripture quoted on a program I was watching once and Michelle immediately came to my mind. She is my spiritual mentor, the most influential when it comes to growing in my spiritual life. She has counseled me on spiritual things more times then I can count. She has also heard me cry more times then I can count! What's special about her is she never tells me the answer, she will just continue asking me questions until I answer my question myself. It is sometimes very frustrating but she is teaching me to be the "wise one". She is our women's Pastor and it is truly a role she was meant to play. Her heart knows no bounds when it comes to loving the women of our church. She envelopes all us women within a cocoon of love and draws us to each other. I know she is the main reason the women of our church are so close knit. She has already been through what I am going through right now: divorced single mom trying to make ends meet. Now she has a husband, a family and the role of a lifetime. It gives me so much hope! She is truly my role model!
Amanda - sweet, sweet, Amanda. I can not believe the woman she has become! She is truly a changed person and she is striving everyday to be even better. Her blog is one I go to each day looking for inspiration. Her thoughts are written about life and what she is achieving and growing everyday in her walk with God. There is a special bond that she and I share. Both our childhoods were less than perfect, sometimes downright horrible. Because of this we suffer with some of the same character "flaws" but we both are striving to overcome them. Do you ever think Amanda, how blessed we are to be the women we are today after all we have been through? I do! We are strong women and God allowed those things to happen so we could be those strong women, and be an inspiration to others, so don't you forget it! There is one other bond we share, there is an area of my life I can only truly open my heart and share with only her. She knows what it is. I told her once in an email, I didn't know why she was the only one I could really open up to on the subject and she told me she felt honored. Well be honored Amanda because you hold a place of honor in my life! Ohhh....did I forget to mention she has the most amazing voice! Man, can she sing!! I miss hearing her voice on Sundays since she moved away, but that's okay I'll get to hear her voice again at my wedding!
Erin - My running buddy and my newest friend. I have enjoyed immensely getting to know her! We started out running together for exercise and have become good friends. I went over for dinner last night at her house and she made me the most delicious meal! Wow, a new friend and she knows how to cook! I had the opportunity to go with her a couple weeks back and shop for her wedding dress and I had such a great time! I felt honored that she asked me to go and give my opinions; she even ended up choosing my favorite one! Hopefully she will return the favor one day when I go shopping for my own wedding dress! She has started a new blog and I can't wait to hear more of what she has to say.
Linda - This is my "lets have a good time" friend. Wild and crazy is the best to describe her! Of course she is the is first one I called when I wanted to get a tattoo to celebrate turning forty and of course she went with me! We have been friends for about 7 years now and even though we don't see each other about every three months (which is crazy we live in the same town!) we always pick up where we left off. I know when I am with her we will have fun!
Deanne - My oldest and dearest friend. We have been friends now for over ten years. We met while working at a women's clothing store in Chicago. Ugh....do you remember us wearing leggings and big, bulky and long sweaters over them, Deanne? Whatever were we thinking! She lives in San Diego, so I don't get to see her much, but she is always on my mind and firmly planted in my heart. I got to go to San Diego this past summer and attend her wedding. She was soooo...beautiful. She came out here in November and stayed with me for a weekend and we had so much fun. I miss you, Deanne!
I have so many other friends in my life and I can't possible write about all of them. So many special women and I really would love to get to know each of them better. I had lunch with Cindy (and Peyton) yesterday and we had a great time and I am looking forward to getting to know her better. To each of you not mentioned, I still love you!
Okay, I imagine by now the guys are asking hey, what about me! Don't worry I didn't forget about you!
Ty - my surrogate little brother. He takes care of me and looks out for me. He doesn't do it because he is married to one of my best friends he does it because he wants to. He is my handyman around the house, changing light bulbs, changing air filters and lets not forget the countless times he has fixed my computer! He doesn't mind coming over my house and hanging out even if there is no other men here, he's okay just hanging and talking with Kelly and I, of course if dinner is involved, well that makes it all the better! I know that who ever I plan to marry one day will definitely have to go to Ty and ask permission. It's so great having him in my corner!
Patrick - What a great friend! I love being around Patrick, I feel comfortable when I am with him. And to mimic what I said about his wife (Raquel) I have no doubt when he is with me, there is no place he would rather be. He also doesn't mind just hanging with Raquel and I, actually we do this a lot, just the three of us. We both have the same "I" personality and have great times together. I'm not sure what drew me to him and his wife, but we share a special bond, a kinship and I count myself so blessed that I know him! He is also an awesome guitar player and he plays on our worship team at church. Nicholas my eleven year old really likes him too and even said the other day he would rather be with Patrick then his older brother! Hey if he's good enough for my son he's good enough for me. Love you, bro!
Tim - The most influential man in my life. My pastor and someone I can call my friend. So many pastors of churches don't make friends with their parishioners (at least that's my experience in the past), but not Tim. He gets down in the trenches with us, he enjoys life with us, he spends time with us. Tim and I have a special bond we share; he is the person that led me to Christ. Through many conversations and emails on God, church, and grace he inspired me to give God a try. I am so glad I did! I still have the copies of the emails he sent me in the beginning and every once and awhile I pull them out and read them and I cry and thank God that he gave him just the right words to reach me. But his influence didn't stop there. He continues to influence and teach me each Sunday morning on how to be a better Christian, to be a better person. He always makes time for me if I need him, meeting me for lunch or communicating through emails. I don't think he knows how truly blessed I feel to have him in my life and how much I truly love him. I strive everyday to prove to him(in a good way) that making the choice to reach out to me was a good one. He loves his church and his God given vision for growing it and making it into a place of refuge for the saved and the unsaved is truly a blessing. I am so blessed to call him my pastor! I love you more than words can say.
Michael L. - Michael and I wouldn't be what you would call best friends. We don't spend a lot of time together, but we share a bond that is hard to explain. We both run our own business and we understand the struggles associated with that. I like to think that some of my prayers during the time he was trying so desperately to get his new business off the ground made a difference. Man, did I pray, because I knew what it was like! Michael is also one of the funniest men I know. He totally cracks me up! Keep up the good work, Michael. I know you will be blessed.
There you have it, my friends in a nutshell (or rather a very long post!) God must truly love me to bless me with so many wonderful, God loving, Christian friends! I love all of you!!!!
p.s. I forgot to mention my newest friend, Baxter. The first couple of times I went over Baxter’s house he kinda scared me, but last night we reached a new level in our relationship. He actually came up to me and allowed me to pet him. See, Baxter is my friend Erin’s very big rotweiller (sp?) dog. He doesn’t usually take to people very well I am told, so I am humbled by him allowing me to touch him. I look forward to getting to know you better, Baxter!
posted by Sonya Terrell at
10:35 AM
8 Comments:
Awesome! I loved reading this.
Touched...Speechless...Crying. I guess you invest in people, befriend them, love them and you never really know what you mean to them,thanks for sharing. I know I have been incredibly blase' about the whole moving thing...that is what I do, I am the strong one! My heart is breaking...know that. I love you!
I loved this too -- so sweet! I would love to help you pick out your dress -- And I'm sure Baxter is also thrilled about his new friend -- You see he's just on the cautious side -- only likes those people that he knows are truly special!
Thank you Sonya. You are a wonderful, sweet woman. Thank you. You mean a lot to me.
OK...I don't normally post on these things. Believe it or not, don't read many, but Sonya's blog is one of my daily readings. Being that I was mentioned, I thought I would respond. Your the best Sonya. I thank God that he placed you and Nick in our lives. Your a blessing.
Ty
Wow, Sonya. Thank you for your inspiration and your encouragement. It means so much to me.
Love you, Michelle
Like everyone else, I say, thank you for your kind words. It am glad that you came into our lives...
Tim probably won't get on here and read it for himself, so I read it to him. He was equally flattered by your niceties...
You are a great woman and one that I see God in! We love you!
i'm crying... just like patrick said i would. :) thank you so very much for your kind words. you're one of my very favorite people and i just love you!
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