52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge: Weeks 8 and 9

2/19/2016
Weeks 8 and 9: Express gratitude to 3 people and how did it make me feel

This week I shared my gratitude with 3 people.  The first was my friend Michelle.  She has been my friend since high school and we have been through a lot, both good and bad, together.  We spent an hour talking on the phone last Monday and at the end, I told her how grateful I am to have her as my friend.  It was great to talk to her and it made me feel less lonely.

The second person I expressed gratitude towards was another friend of mine named Michelle.  She basically took over watching and chasing my 3 1/2 year old during Lenten service on Wednesday night so I could feed our almost 3 month old in the narthex in the middle of service.  It was a trifecta of crap and I can't even think about what would have happened if she wasn't there and willing to help me.  I couldn't find the right words to thank her, so I just said thank you and told her how grateful I was for her help.

The third person I expressed gratitude for was my friend Melissa.  She is my fellow pastor's spouse who is in a less than stellar situation being home all the time with young kids and trying to figure out how to do it while our husbands are off ministering to others.  We got together to visit on Friday and it was wonderful.  I thanked her for her friendship and for being mutual sounding boards for our frustrations.  I am so grateful to have gotten to know her better over the last 5 years.  I anticipate all of us being good friends for a long long time.

I had a lot of people to share gratitude with, but these are the three that really made my week better when I was down in the dumps, overwhelmed and needing some who understands to talk to.

52 Weeks of Gratitude Challenge: Week 7

2/12/2016
Week 7: A Friend, Part I

This week I am to write about one friend I am grateful for.

Since I am a few days late in writing my post for week 7, I can write about one of my best friends on her birthday.

I am grateful for my friend Karen.  We have been through a lot together.  When I thought I would have to find a new place to live after one roommate just up and moved out of our apartment on St. Louis Park, Karen decided to move in with me.  We were roommates for 3 years. 

She was a bridesmaid in my wedding and I in hers.  She saw me at my worst and I at hers and we fought too.  Yet, despite that we are still friends.  Karen and I have been friends since high school.  It is her birthday today, Feb. 14th and even though we are s time zone and over 1000 miles apart we are still close and I am so grateful for her presence in my life.