The ladies in my life

I want to talk about 5 women in my life that have made an impact on me. They are my mom, Vicki, Sarah, Taya and Bekah (in no particular order).

My beautiful mom - How could I not love her - she gave me life! She instilled values and morals in me. She taught me that it's not good to lie. She showed me and continues to show me unconditional love. She has also shown me that it's okay to make mistakes but it's what you do with those lessons that matter. That it's my attitude that make's a difference. She taught me to sing at the top of my lungs in the car. And she taught me to take care of myself. As I'm raising my daughter, I can see how much am I like my mother and I couldn't be more proud. Because I know that I am loved and accepted by my mom and I can only pray that Raynae feels the same way. And I still believe that she's the prettiest mom in the whole world.

Vicki - I still think back to when I called her out of the blue, after 3 years of not talking to her, and asking her if there was a youth event this week at church and she was so excited that I had called. And I've stuck around ever since. Her love for God and missions is such an example to me. The way she can connect with people is amazing. She has taught me to love and love and love. And she is always seeking God's will. I love it when we go for coffee and we talk about our different issues and how we notice that we're getting older. I love that she lives with me and I get to be there for her everyday. I love sitting down at the end of the day and having a good laugh with her. I know that she thinks that I can have some of the weirdest facial expressions but as long as they keep her laughing I'll keep making them! And her desire for adventure just floors me. It's like she's not scared of anything - that's a power that comes from within that I wish I had. Sort of.

Sarah - I honestly admire this woman immensely. I could only pray for the strength that she possesses. When I might have thrown in the towel, she stood up and came out stronger. She encourages me to stand up for myself and what I believe. She has shown me a marriage that stands strong through the trials. How she finds time to do all that she does, I'll never know. And her zest for healthy food and exercise inspires me every time I see her. She's gets so excited over a salad - it's just amazing. And her love for her children and dedication to their health makes me stand in awe of her. I honestly don't know if I could go through what she has gone through and come out standing as strong in the Lord as she has. She may have questioned why any of this would happen to her but she never turned her back on God and that has challenged me with my infertility struggles more than she'll ever know.

Taya - I can honestly, truely say that I believe that Taya is my soul mate. I don't think I know anyone that knows me better than she does. She'll come over the next day and know that I cried the day before when no one else noticed. Drama queen is an understatement for her. But through her dramatics she has shown me how to show emotion. To not just put it at the back but to actually deal with what I'm feeling. And to talk about it. She has shown me that it's important to have a very comfortable bed. She has taught me what it looks like to be an encouragement to people. To stand in prayer for people. She has been a shoulder through some of the toughest parts of my marriage. She may think I don't need her now but she has taught me to stand in prayer and I depend on her being there when I need to talk.

Bekah - This is the newest friendship out of all these ladies. But it feels like we've known eachother for much longer. Bek has a heart for people that I could only pray to have. When I will turn my head in the opposite direction of a homeless person she will go out of her way to buy them a meal and ask them their name. When I go to her place (which is quite often), she makes my family feel right at home. I know that if I need her for whatever reason, I just have to call and she'll ask how she can help. I love that we get to share this ministry path that our families are taking and look forward to many, many years of hanging out on friday nights.

All of these women mean something different to me in their own special ways. I wouldn't be who I am today without any one of them and I just wanted to thank them for being honest and sincere. I appreciate who they are. I love you guys.