And then it was done...

Well, it's over. The Seven Life Principles Bible study finished up last night. It was great! It was such an honor and joy in my life to serve these women by bringing them God's word each Wednesday night! The class went great, it was quite an emotional time as I opened up my heart and shared about Friendships. Thank you all for you comments that you left I was able to use quite a few of them! See you had no idea that you were at bible study last night!! hee hee! =)

We began last night in prayer and then I began to share my journeys through friendship from a little girl at seven years old, until the day I became a mom. What a journey it was! I talked about my very first best friend, Crystal, who I met in Mannheim Germany at the age of seven years old. Remember her mom? =) I remember how much fun we had together and how she truly was my first "best-friend". We moved from a little tiny town called Coolidge Arizona, all the way to the other side of the world, Germany when I was seven.

Then I told the ladies how after two short years of being friends with Crystal, I learned something I didn't like so much about the military environment......you say a lot of good-bye's. (My friend Cindy at Army Brats and Me, knows this all to well too) And I talked about how over the next few years, although I had some good friendships and fun times, I always knew they would come to an end, sometimes way to soon. After being in Germany for 7 years, we then moved to the OTHER side of the world, Japan. Where I learned what it was like to not have a very big pick of the crop for friends!

There were about 10, yes, 10 other "teens" that were my age there. You either were friends with them or you were friends with no one!!! But again, I did experience friendships...but there were more good-byes. THEN, we had this whole new journey, we moved to Charlotte when I was in the 9th grade. And in Charlotte, I discovered a whole new set of "issues"...EVERYONE HAD BEEN FRIENDS SINCE KINDERGARTEN!!! They all knew each other and had their little groups and it was REALLY hard to make friends at first.

I shared about my first day of high school in America. (It was weird, because I felt like I was like a foreigner when I was speaking, but I guess when you grow up for 9 years all over the world...you are a foreigner! ) How scary it was, how I didn't know a single soul in that school. And how easy it was to be invisible in a school that big! But through time, I did experience friendships again!

And THEN...I became a Mom...oh yes. And then I was invited to something....something called "Play group". And here I was this very young mom, 20, with this new little baby, not having a clue as to what this whole mommy thing is really about. And I'll never forget it. It was "Hi, I'm so in so, this is my son, and he rolled over at three weeks old.....when did your daughter roll over?" And then it was "Hi, this is my daughter, she said her first word at three months...when did you daughter say her first word???" And I remember leaving there going........YUCK! If this is what the "mommy friends" are like.........NO THANK YOU. Now, obviously this was not a church group, because we would NEVER be like that in the church! =)

But Life was very lonely, somedays there was not a SOUL in this world I talked to other than Kris, and some of that was my fault as I began to slip into a dark time in my life of guilt, remorse and shame. And every mom, woman and sister in Christ has experienced feelings of lonliness at some point in their lives!!!

But I began to share how through this whole process from being a little blond haired little girly in Mannheim Germany, with not a friend in the world........He was there. Then when I had to say good bye to my first best-friend....He was there. And then as I went through situation after situation as I grew older with friends...He was there. And on those days where I was so alone, so scared....He was there. HE has always been there. HE has always been my friend. HE has never gossiped about me, or done something that hurt me. HE has always stood right there.......by my side.

And then I shared this poem:

As little girls we learned that a friend was someone we did not hit!
We were told that friends were all, so stop throwing a fit!

But as little girls as we grew
We all to soon began to see, that friendship was more than we had knew

Time would pass and friends would come and go
Sometimes leaving us to be apart of a bigger show

Confusion sets in at a very young age
Not understanding why we can be friends one day and the next full of rage

Quickly we learned the term to be a clique
Quickly we learned that we wanted to be the one they’d pick.

And then as we grew some more
We started to see that with friendship there must be more in store

Looking past the outward mask
Looking to the heart to help us through each difficult task.

We learned that friends were the ones who stood by us strong
Even when they knew we were all to very wrong

As we grew into women and developed a love
For friendships that seemed could only come from above

As seasons changed in our steps
And we thought of those we had so long ago met.

But sometimes a friend does not love at all times
And what do you do when that season does not find a rhyme?

What do you do when others have done?
What you would have never dreamed of, no matter how much fun.

How do you take that hurt from someone you once shared a dream
And turn it around and make their hearts not so mean?

Just when we’re ready to give up on this thing called “friends”
The Lord will gently remind us, that with Him there is no end.

He will send that friend that will come at 3 am when life seems done
He will send that friend to pray on nights so dark and our hearts gone astray.
He will fill you with a friend that although you may have just met there seems to be not end.
He will bless your heart with a reminder that life is hard, But God is good.
He will gently call them by name, one by one your friends, and you’ll never be the same.

Time may pass and seasons may change.
But the name of God always stays the same.

And the name of God is special to you
Because He calls you friend on days you’re so blue.

Friendship with Him is the greatest you’ll ever know
But through his blessings you’ll experience friendships that are no show.

So press on sweet sister, God’s precious one
God’s got a friend a friend for you even when you are done!

But through this journey of becoming so close to God, that He truly is the only one I want to spend time with more than anyone in the world....THROUGH HIM...I began to experience the hope found in friendships through Him. I then shared with the women a couple of things in the book, the ABC's of friendship, and it was some really, really good stuff! We as women, no we are not perfect, and we are always going to have "something" going on with friends. But with Christ, and only through Christ, true friendships are possible. And He will give us just what we need when we need it!!! But we've got to be filled to the brim with Him first!!

Oh dear, this is a very long post, and I still have so much more to say, but I'm sure I lost quite a few of you already! I'm so sorry it's so long!! I have so much more I'd like to share, but maybe I'll save that stuff for another day! I hope you all have a great day!

Dearest God,

Thank you, Thank you for all you have done in my heart through this bible study. Lord, even if no one else got anything out of it, you have done so many wonderful, shaping and molding in my life Lord. God, I know I'm not perfect......not even close. And I thank you so much for the love and grace I have found in your arms. Thank you for giving me strength when I have none, thank you for holding me up on days that seem so lonely. Thank you for using me.....no matter how unworthy I am of it.

Lord, I pray for each of these women that attended the bible study. Thank you for them! I pray that these principles will stick with them and me like glue and that you will continue to speak to our hearts! They were so precious to me......and so sweet. And just so awesome! Thank you for leaders that are willing to encourage me and lift me up on this journey that seemed to scary at first!! Thank you for the friends that prayed with me each night before class!! Thank you for the new friends I have made! Thank you for my husband who has been so supportive during this time! Thank you for his willingness to step up with the girl's and take care of them so I could do this! Thank you Lord!!!

I praise you for this day and for these last five weeks. They went by so fast but they were so great! I love you Lord!!

Amen