I'll be there for you

It's like you're always stuck in second gear, when it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year. But, I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to fall. I'll be there for you, like i've been there before.  I'll be there for you, cause you were there for me to.

Friends: wonderful show, and wonderful blessing the Lord has given us.

Today I received a package from one of my best friends, Valerie Erwin. Here's a little breakdown of what this packaged contained:

1. A letter.  A sweet and loving letter that reminded me of two things: I miss my best friend, and how talented she is at writing!
2. Then there were chocolates, Ferrero Rocher's to be exact and if I said I was addicted to these, it would be an understatement.
3. Essie Nail polish in "Bikini so teeny" a part of the summer collection.
4. A summer reading list with three books that I can't wait to read, it includes: Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge, The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks (haven't seen the movie either!) and I can't believe there's a Jodi Picoult book I haven't read, Change of Heart 
5. A list of versus worth reading, and I can't wait to dive in.  In the list you'll find Proverbs 31:25, which has been told to me by several people lately... think the Lord is trying to tell me something? Yeah, me too!
6. And a list of wonderful music I've already started downloading.

All in all this package was amazing, so this is my public thanks for being such a wonderful friend, a trustworthy confidant, and a beautiful person.

But it wasn't just that, it was a wake up call for me.  

I'm not only called to be compassionate and loving to those I want to bring to the Lord's feet, but also to those already there.  We shouldn't get so wrapped up in only pouring out love to strangers and those who are lost, but also to take time to build up our friends, our loved ones, and encourage them in their every day lives.  We're called to be there for them, confide in them, and trust them with our hearts.

So this ones to you, my closest friends, for you are amazing and there is not one day that I don't thank the Lord for you in my life.

Valerie-- 21

My-oh-my how time flies! Today is the day that my best friend turns 21, I just can't believe it! It's hard to imagine that around freshman year (of high-school) I found you, the sweetest, most caring girl i've ever met.  I remember making a change back then, I started surrounding myself with people who made me happy, I started spending a lot of my time with you. When we became friends I realized a change in myself, you made me want to be a better person, you made me want to be a better friend.  I look back at these years we've been friends and I can't help but smile at the goofy, crazy, random times i've experienced with you. Just a little reminder of what it's like in the life of "V and S": coldplay, john mayer, mutemath, dance competitions, Pawley's Island, sno-hut, CCTC, Eastside, student government, WHW, colorado, crooked creek, mario kart, random lyrical dances (courtesy of yours truly), gossipgirl. Theres never a dull moment when we're together. I look forward to our futures together and I find comfort in the fact that I know our friendship can withstand anything, even thousands of miles. I praise God for bringing us together and allowing our friendship to flourish into everything that it has. I love you Valerie Erwin, and I hope that your birthday is amazing (despite the fact that it's finals week). I cannot wait to celebrate with you when you come home, we can finally go out for girly cocktails!

No matter the distance, you'll always be my best friend. 

Funny How It Is

11.20.11

... so, guess who visited me at NEWSPRING this morning...

THIS GIRL!

                        ... needless to say, it was beyond amazing.

Now, for the reason I'm writing this post.  It's funny, sometimes, how different thoughts can hit you.  This one in particular hit me like a brick wall.  I was on my way to work, marinating over some things going on in my life and I really did some self reflecting.  It's hard to self reflect because that means that, at times, you have to look inside yourself and think what you're doing wrong, what your personal flaws are, and what you need to change about yourself.  Now self reflecting can be good of course, and can lead to self praise, but this time in particular, that wasn't the case.  Its hard when you realize things you really didn't like about other people, arise in yourself.  One thing I noticed is that once I started to explore Christ a little further, I was judgmental of people who didn't choose to do the same.  Now I know that this wasn't exactly Perry's message today at NewSpring, or maybe it was... but what I got out of it was a completely sobering message.  In Job 8:3-6 Bildad is talking to Job, and he says:

 "Does God pervert justice?  Does the Almighty pervert what is right? When your children sinned against him, he gave them over to the penalty of their sin.  Bit if you will seek God earnestly and plead with the Almighty, if you are pure and upright, even now he will rouse himself on your behalf and restore you to your prosperous state."

Now in my mind, when Job's life has been shattered, and all has been taken from him, he is at his lowest point.  And when we, his children, stray away and become lost, we are also at ours.  Our family's may not be broken, or our health may not be rapidly declining, but in God eyes I would bet that losing faith in him, is worse than all of that. Good things don't always happen to good people, and just because bad things happen to someone doesn't mean they deserve them. Basically, i'm blessed that God has chosen to arise curiosity in my own heart, and although some aren't at that point in their lives, I shouldn't break away from them, judge them, or tell them everything they're doing wrong in their lives.  Instead, I should work on: becoming more like Jesus, being a good friend, and living by example.  No one is perfect, and sin is sin.  It may not be new news to everyone, but it was a slap in the face to me.  I look forward still to exploring my faith, and I pray that I affect others as well.  By the way, this Sunday was one of the best days i've had in a long long while, and I literally thank the Lord for that.  Thank you Natalie, and Valerie for spending the day with me, and with God!