Another awesome friend

Sorry for all the blogs ... I seem to be on a roll!!

I just want to say how very blessed I am to have LOTS of friends in my life. There are so many special friends that enrich my life in so many ways. I always think it's a true test of friendship when one friend moves away. When you don't see that person much anymore it can be hard to keep in touch and stay involved in each other's lives. It can also be hard to make time (or afford) to see each other when you have to travel to see one another.

I have many special friends who have moved away ... but there are a few that I have kept great friendships with, despite the long distance.

One of them is Julie. The funny thing is, when she lived here we didn't know each other real well or spend much time together until shortly before she moved away. But now that she lives in another state, our friendship is closer than ever! Here we are together back in the summer time:

I was totally caught by surprise today when I got home from the grocery store to find a package on my porch. Julie sent me a new book by my favorite author (Karen Kingbury) and some yummy Christmas cookies (homemade from her oven) and also some cute fuzzy socks for the girls. But even more special was the card with these words on it "The gift of your friendship is one I hold close to my heart every day of the year." How sweet! I feel the same way! What a dear friend you are Julie!

This is the book (although the cover looks slightly different) but who could ask for anything better than a wonderful Christmas book to curl up with this time of year?

And I know the last couple of times I've talked about my friends it has been about things they've given me ... lest anyone think that I'm all about gifts ... my point wasn't that my friends give things to me, it's just to show you how special these girls are to me, how thoughtful they are, how they know me so well that they choose things that they know I will love, and how I cherish their friendships with all my heart.

Proverbs 17:17 says "A friend loves at all times."

And I have always loved the chorus from this Michael W. Smith song ...
"And friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them,
and a friend will not say never, cause the welcome will not end,
though it's hard to let you go, in the Father's hand's we know,
that a lifetime's not too long ... to live as friends."

We are sisters in Christ for a lifetime!