Mostly about my friends

The battle I was thinking about was Joshua. He started with 22,000 then went to 10,000 then went to 300. They went to war with a bugle in one had and some sort of empty jar that held a torch in the other hand. God even specifically states that He wants people to know that HE won the battle and not the soldiers...maybe I should learn to play the trumpet...just in case.

Today, I went shopping, leased a copy machine for the new school, left multiple phone messages for people, read with my children, read a book (until I took a nap), jogged for about 35 minutes, and read with my children some more. In between all that I kept lifting up some dear friends of mine in prayer.

The first is my friend, Kelly. She lives in Seattle WA now, but when she lived here she was diagnosed with breast cancer. That was 'eliminated' but then it came back in her lung. It was a miracle that the doctor was able to remove all traces of that but they still had her do another go with chemo. And she was in remission when she moved to Seattle with her newlywedded husband. She has been through so much. It breaks my heart.

I recently found out the cancer has returned in both her lung and her brain. The rumors are that she can no longer walk and doesn't speak well. I say rumors because I have not been able to speak with her and communicate with her at all.

I am not one to ask why. I am more likely to ask why not? But I wonder 'why not me?' Kelly is so vibrant and full of love. She has guided me in so many things and has let me see first hand how to be an independent woman without being a feminazi about it.

I must say that she has been an inspiration to me and I am SO honored that Jesus allowed her to be a part of my life while in Texas. Here, I can ask, "why me?" why did I get the honor of her friendship?

Kelly is someone who starts a conversation with a stranger at Starbucks and within the week you two are best buds meeting up at the Kimbell to discuss art!

When I prayed for her today, I prayed a selfish prayer. I prayed that she would have a healing to live pain free for at least another ten years. Her mother died at a young age from cancer. Her little brother died as a teenager with cancer. I just want her around a little longer. I may never see her again because of the distance between us, but it is important for me to know that she is still befriending those coffee drinkers in some other part of the world!

The other person I am praying for is Christi. She is 26 and has a 5 month old son. Her husband was killed in a car wreck last week. She and I do not formally know each other, but we are part of the same college sorority: Sigma Alpha. She had his funeral today. I just can't imagine.

When I attended another friend's husband's funeral (her name is Denise and her thirty two year old fireman husband died of an anerism), they played a song that I had sang many times before, but it was so meaningful that day. "You give and take away. You give and take away. My heart will choose to say, Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be your name, Blessed be the name of the Lord, Blessed be you Glorious name!"

I like My heart will CHOOSE to say. We cannot understand the mind of God. And when life sucks and we want to scream and tear down the curtains, we can do those things but we can also make a choice to not blame God, but to praise him for whatever insane and crazy thing He has in store for us later down the road.

Please join me in prayer for my friends. They need peace that transcends understanding, love unconditional, comfort for their mourning, and maybe an angel won't hurt either.