I love my friends!

The best gift we're given in this world, besides salvation, are the friends that are brought into our lives. It's been an amazing 4 years since we've moved 3000 miles away from everyone and everything we've ever known to come here. We've been through so much: losing our life's savings during the drive out here from people's lack of integrity and the stock market, jobs where honesty and character are signs of weakness, having the spawn of satan and her 4 bullying kids move in with the guy next door to us, having our kids beat up regularly for a year out of the jealousy and anger of others', bosses using extortion to rob from their employees (my husband), companies we depend on casting off generations of values for their own greed, not to mention trying to be a positive influence while working 40 hours a week or more as my kids' mother AND teacher, dealing with a husband's depression and self-pity, getting through each day with an auto-immune disease that has no cause and no cure, just lots of symptoms and a name, dealing with an alcoholic husband, finding out my husband's secrets threatened to tear my family apart, have I left anything out?

All that to say this, I love my friends. Practically since we got here, God's surrounded me with the warmest, kindest, most caring and loving friends I could've ever imagined. They have listened when I needed to unload, sat quiet with me when I needed to be still, been supportive when I felt like giving up, cheered me up when I felt lonely, prayed over me when I cried, and have said more with their eyes than I feel I deserve. I feel the spirit of Christ in each and every one of them.

Just last night, we had friends here and you know my favorite part? The time during a game when no one was speaking - and it wasn't awkward, it was comfortable. I had a moment of total joy in the middle of what (to the untrained eye) would've seemed like a regular, everyday occurance to anyone else. I'm so blessed. And I will praise God forever for the friends he's given me.