One of the biggest blessings that have come out of the past year and 1/2 are these beautiful women. Women that have poured into me. Prayed for me and blessed me with laughter.

On Friday, really really early on Friday, I will be flying to Houston to spend the weekend with 10 of the 12 founding members of the God-sized Dream website. We are meeting to dream and plan together….to seek God’s vision for the site and of course to eat way too much and laugh. Oh how I need to laugh!

This trip, and my ability to go, is a blessing in so many ways.

The community that we build online is real. It matters, it changes us.

I wasn’t aware that I could be filled in this way. That I would have the opportunity to pour into others….these crazy ladies that I met online! 😉

But it has happened, and the chance to spend even just a weekend in real life together, well I am almost beside myself in anticipation.

You see on Saturday is Karlena’s birthday….

A birthday that I can’t celebrate with her in person. Her loss in my life is still there….

But God.

Oh how He has filled my life to overflowing with the presence of some amazing women. And that this weekend was THE weekend that worked for so many of us to gather?! That at a time I would be feeling extra lonely, I will be surrounded by friends that are doing the very things that Karlena did with me.

Praying for me, encouraging me, being that light….that example of faith.

Thank you God. Thank you.

While Karlena will never be replaced in my heart, I am so grateful that God has filled that need for friendship with some wonderful women.

Friendship, real life, true friendship is a gift.

My prayer for each person reading here is that you will have someone in your life that is filling your need for true friendship, and that you would be able to be that gift back.

 Lord, Thank you. Thank you for the gift of friendship. Thank you for filling my life with wonderful women who love You and love me so well. I lift up anyone who is feeling lonely today, who is searching for that friendship but doesn’t have it now. May they feel your peace and love even more today. In Your Great Name, we praise you! Amen

Each Wednesday we meet to join Holley in her 2014 Encouragement Challenge. If you need a little uplifting for your day jump on over and join us won’t you?!