Testifying: Friends...but really family.

Julie and Wendy. Friends who mean the world to me. Friends who are more than just, well, friends. Friends who are family.

Julie and I met in 1989. Twenty years ago! I wish I could say we were six years old when we met but we were a bit older than that. We were students at Cal Baptist and on the drama team "Celebration!" that ministered in Australia the summer of 1990. A couple of years after school we became roommates. That first year we married off THREE roommates. The fourth one to move in was Wendy.

Wendy and Julie had known each other previously but it was in 1994 that my friendship with Wendy began. Thankfully the Julie/Keri marriage magic had worn off and Wendy stuck around for awhile.

We had some good times. Amy Grant, two Christmas trees, and Mimi's Cafe will elicit smiles on all our faces.

Julie and Wendy have been there for me. They have been my sounding boards and my encouragers. They have seen me ride the roller coaster of life, and heck, they knew I was going to (or should I say they knew I should) marry Kevin before I did.

We are bonded through similar circumstances such as marrying later in life and each of us having a daughter as a firstborn. But it is our faith. It is our understanding that we are nothing without Christ that keeps us glued together. Our friendship, our sisterhood, is reliant upon the Word of God and who Christ is in our life.

Now that Wendy is in California, Julie in Tennessee and I in Illinois we obviously don't see each other as often as we like. But when we do...it is a sweet time. Last week was one of those sweet times. This year's meet up was at my place.

Here are some pics:

On the couch from left to right:

Julie and her almost 4 yr. old Katie

Wendy with her 2 1/2 yr. old Kendra and 7 week old Oliver

Keri with 4 1/2 yr. old Sofia and 21 mo. old Selah

(I put in the different pics because not everyone looked at the camera at the same time.

Click on pic for closer view.)