I have been blessed by four friends from my past peeking into my life the last couple of months. Since I have not had multitudes of friends, those I have are significant. Though circumstances have removed them from my realm for one reason or another I treasure the memories we have shared and am delighted that I have been reconnected, however briefly, with Sandra, Andrea, Renardis and Susan. I want to share some of their specialness. I will begin with...Sandra- This godly woman came into my life about 7 years ago at my first church. I had not known the Lord long and felt out of my element- going to church by myself, trying to find an area to serve, getting to know about fellowship with other Christian women, and learning about drawing close to the Lord through Bible study. Sandra came “beside me” (whether she realized it or not) and because of her maturity in the Lord encouraged me, and helped me plug into Bible study. Along with my "soul sister" Terri, see my previous blog, the three of us became friends. As you might imagine the icing on the cake was the fact that we are dog lovers! (she is holding my dog Cookie in the picture). Our trio made some fun filled trips together. I remember going to Chattanooga, Tn. several times to attend a national women’s conference featuring our favorites teachers, Kay Arthur and Beth Moore, driving to Houston to a Precepts training seminar the day after the 911 terrorist attack in New York, spending a weekend at a retreat in a beautiful area in east Texas in cramped bunk beds and an overheated cabin, and going to the Billy Graham training sessions at a nearby church. In all of these events we spent lots of time not only studying God’s word, but growing our friendship and making memories. We each have a weakness for purchasing books, study guides, and study "paraphenalia". This was hugely manifested when we left the Chattanooga conference on a spiritual high and with Terri’s suburban loaded to the max with almost every book sold at the conference! I still chuckle about this, since after 7 years I haven’t made a dent in all the material I just “had to have” that day!
Well circumstances in life took me to a different church and over time I lost touch with Sandra.
Surprise! About 8 weeks ago I was revisiting my first church with a new friend, Joanne, when who do I spot sitting about seven rows in front of me? Sandra. Gosh, sweet memories of our times together flooded over me and I rejoiced to hug her and say hello. Later we had a chance to chat and as God would have it she invited me to the Precepts Bible study she is leading. This was an answer to a prayer I had been lifting to the Lord. I had recently “graduated” from the 7 year BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) course and was asking God to guide me to a new in depth study. To make a long story short, He gave me the answer in bringing me to my old friend Sandra and a brand new class of lovers of the Lord. Praise Him!
