This past weekend, we had the pleasure of hosting some dear friends from our Colorado days. Only, Jeff and Donna Crane live in Oklahoma now. We had such a wonderful time.
Jeff, Donna, Tamera, Joe
Even though we haven’t seen them in years, we’ve stayed in touch. So we picked up right where we left off. Don’t you love friendships like that?
Jeff and Donna Crane, Kelsey and Kurt
It’s hard to believe we’ve been in Nashville for eight years since moving from Greeley, Colorado. Gracious, the years are flying by. I’m so thankful for friendships, both the old and the new.
There’s a poem by Lois Cheney from a book entitled God is No Fool that’s resonated with me for years. It begins…
People important to you, people unimportant to you, cross your life, touch it with love and carelessness, and move on. There are people that leave you, and you breathe a sigh of relief, and you wonder why you ever came in contact with them. There are people who leave, and you breathe a sigh of remorse, and wonder why they had to go and leave such a gaping hole.
Children leave parents, friends leave friends, acquaintances move on. You think on the many who have moved into your life with hazy memory. You look on those present and wonder.
I believe in God’s master plan for our lives.
I believe in God’s master plan in our lives too. And leaving Jeff and Donna behind in Colorado definitely left a gaping hole. So I’m especially grateful for their visit this weekend and that God purposed our lives to cross paths all those years ago.
Donna and Kelsey (they’re fun together!)
I recently made some new friends too in Rick Probst and Dan Ratcliffe from FaithTalk Live in Atlanta. I’ve done many interviews in the past few years which have been fun! But when Rick and Dan welcome me to their Atlanta radio show, it feels like I’m sitting down with friends. Much older friends. : )
Yesterday as we chatted, Rick and Dan asked me to put them in an upcoming book, and the thoughts are already spinning as to how that might play out. These guys are such fun. We laugh (a lot), chat about life, kids, careers, families, and every other topic that comes to mind.
What’s a characteristic about a dear friend that you love most? Is it the ability they have to make you laugh? To see God’s hand in your life? To say just the right thing at the right time? Or maybe it’s that they lovingly confront you and hold you accountable (that’s a prized attribute indeed).
I always look forward to hearing from you—and I’m thanking God right now for the blessing you are in my life.
Tamera
In case you haven’t heard of Jen Hatmaker yet… Oh my word, love her! Her upcoming release, For the Love, is hysterical too. It’s full of grins and humorous reminders of what’s most important in life. Don’t miss it! It feels like she’s sitting right across the table from you chatting.
Tamera blogs every first and third Tuesday at Inspired by Life . . . and Fiction, a group blog she shares with a wonderful community of authors. If you'd like to join the conversation on this post, Tamera would love to see you there!