Newsletter from Church...

We can't keep a blanket on his feet! He kickes them off all the time...Just like his mother! I am the same way...always have to have my feet exposed!

I love this little outfit...he is starting to out grow it! I am sad...

I love to get our newsletter from church. There is always something that just hits you right in the face. It always seems that there is something going on in my life that makes the newsletter so much more. Today it was about friendship and how to help grow our church by spreading the word of the lord. But this is what really hit me.

Proverbs 17:17a "A friend loves at all times"

So why do we have friends and just how important are they? God designed us to have friends and live in meaningful relationships. God uses these relationships to reveal Himself! God uses friends to love, guide and bless us!

During this wonderful time of making our family, I have seen friends come and go. So come into our lives because you have something in common, So go out of our lives because of things you no longer have in common, or jealousy or too much time has gone by to make up for the past.

While this time is so joyful for us, others have shown that they are true friends, while others fight with their innerselves and drift out of our lives. Sometimes it is very hard to come to grips with the fact that people are selfish and when good things happen to you they don't know how to deal with it. That happens with families too. I can't make you become or stay my friend. If you are my friend, you know that I am always there for you...good times and bad...during pregnancies, births of children, deaths of parents, and life changing situations. But it always seems to go one way with me. I give my all and some people just take that for granted. I can no longer think of myself...I now have a son to think of. During this time, I have seen old friends come out of the woodwork and old friends go in hiding. I am thankful for the friends who have recently appeared after all these years and feel sorry for those who have gone in hiding.

I know that everything happens for a reason...that our life is in the lords hands. But you still need to look out for number one...your family...and that is what I have done. Once jealousy appears in a friendship, you can do a few things...walk away from that friendship...confront the jealousy and let that friend know...or behave badly and have regrets later in life.

When I was younger I had a friend I was jealous of...I behaved very badly during a time that was very important in her life...her wedding...I backed out of the wedding and lost a friend forever. I have since called her to tell her that I was sorry and that I was jealious of her at that time in my life. We have never spoken again. Jealousy is an ugly thing...it destroys many relationships...good or bad. I have done alot of growing up in the past 3 weeks and realized that friends come and go...maybe years from now those friends will reappear and say they are sorry...but it will never be the same.

I pray for those people and in a sad sort of way I feel very sorry for them. I feel sorry that they are not happy with the life they are leading and they have not found the lord to help them deal with jealiousy. So everynight, pray for those you are no longer friends with...wish them well with their life and say good bye. It is a tough one to grasp...but one that needs an end.

UPDATED PICTURES OF JULIAN...

Here is our friend Frank...seeing him for the first time...

Making faces at mommy...another picture...COME ON!!!!