Life with friends

Life just comes to LIFE with friends – like black and white to color

Incredibly grateful for these two lovely ladies that God has blessed me (immensely!!) with

Hollie, I’m so glad we got pictures before we left! I love you, enjoy you, and always look forward to seeing you! This will always be such a funny memory of that time the very Gen Z valet interrupted our “millennial selfie” attempt so he could take some “flicks” for us – this one, specifically, “from the moon” as he says LOL!

Tammy, you are a true friend, in every sense! Lovely and fun, and always ready to dress to the nines! Thankful for your awesome fiancé who snapped this for us!

We get to …
build God’s kingdom together
laugh together
cry together
pray together
grow in life together

We …
cheer for each other
help each other
are there for each other
sharpen each other
adore each other

It is not an accident that we are in one another’s lives.

With every friendship, there is intention and value

And yet, we can miss it if we aren’t willing to show up.

We ALL have a choice to continue life in black and white, alone.

I sure did it for many years

Isolation is a slow and cruel killer – robbing you of joy, hope, and purpose.

I had friends who tried to reach me – they offered me love and warmth and color for my life, and I declined and NOT graciously, I might add.

There was part of me that WANTED to receive their love, warmth, and color – but I’d (sadly) let isolation become too familiar (even though it was so UNcomfortable)

If you’re reading this, and finding yourself in a rather grayscale life right now, I’ll offer that it takes just one teeny tiny “yes” to start your journey into color

Go to that event you were invited to, even if you don’t want to! And even if you literally stay for just minutes. Even that breaks the dam, and allows momentum to start!

I went to a Masquerade New Year’s Eve party once, and stayed 20 minutes (meaning I left well before midnight) – part of which was walking to/from my car, saying hi to the few people I knew, and wandering around until I hit my (pre-determined) time limit so I could leave but it did something.

December 31, 2015 – getting ready to attend a NYE Party, in a homemade dress, for a grand total of 20 minutes on site, so I could say I went.

make eye contact with ONE person as you go about your day!

send a text message to someone and initiate contact – even if their response (or lack of) isn’t what you were hoping for, being the one to go first helps break the dam, too!