7-23-2011: such a memorable day!

first of all...one of my bestest friends in the whole wide world turned the big 2-1 today! WOOHOO! HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the one and only, Jolysa Brown. It's crazy to look back and think how far we've come. 5 years ago I hardly knew you and today I'd tell you anything. You've taught me to never want to be anyone else...we are who we are. No one in the entire world will ever mimic the crazy adventures we've had, do the things we've done, or come close to saying the ridiculous things that have come out of our mouths (ex. "every kitty needs compassion, a human that's never failing. let my hands rub your fur..."). You've also taught me to value friendship. True, real friends are hard to come by and oh how they affect our lives. I consistently thank the Lord for you and our friendship. I know we're not perfect (maybe I should repeat that, I know we're not perfect) but I love that the Lord can work in our hearts about the same things. So here's to being more positive. to tolerating people. and to complementing others when all we want to say is what's really on our minds.

[and not only is this her birthDAY, but her birth month. I'll never forget July 12, 2011...her other birthday. even the angels were celebrating that day! cupcakes and balloons for that next year most definitely. so proud of you!]

some random pictures of our best, and not so best, moments together.

Also, today a good friend finally married the love of his life and I was honored to be there to celebrate this wonderful occasion.

The circumstances that have brought these two people together were not ideal, but in the end God shows Himself faithful and brings two lives together to become one. In the closing of the ceremony, Pastor Dale Elwell said a simple phrase that I haven't been able to get out of my head. He said that Rook and Cyndi's story is one that shows that "God's way still works." We surely wouldn't have written their story they way it turned out, but God wrote it and it's beautiful. 

I don't know about you, but I'm thankful God's way still works. I'm glad He never gives up on His children. I'm so grateful that He cares enough to line our heart's desires up with His heart then is faithful enough to give us those desires. I'm so thankful that He is powerful enough to write our stories. Because if I were left to write my own story, I probably would have never taken the time to become best friends with Jolysa and Rook probably would have never taken the time to wait long enough to fall in love with his beautiful bride, Cyndi. In my story, this day would have been just another day in the books. But with God and His amazing creativity and loving kindness, this is a day I will never forget.