Some Friends are Friends forever

This weekend Lien, a friend of mine, came to visit.  It was so good to see her and her daughter.  There are certian people who are more of a blessing when they come then you can be a blessing to in having them at your house.  They live about 2 hours away and it is sad we don't get together more but she always goes out of her way to stop by when she can.  Lien has two children and I got to share two of my pregnancies with her.  There is something so special about going through a pregnancy with someone else who is doing the same.  I think there is a bond that is formed there.  There were about 8 of us who were pregnant at the same time when I was pregnant with Sierra.  The funny thing was three years later we were all pregnant again.  So when I got pregnant with Cassandra several of them got quite nervous.  Why they didn't all keep up I'll never know but we all had so much fun. About the time one of us was done going through morning sickness the next began.  What special memories.  Lien is a wonderful cook and blesses us with bringing us Asian food.  So for dinner we got to enjoy home made wontons and eggrolls Lien brought.  Then I added store bought orange chicken, some fried rice (that Lien made) and sweet and sour sauce (that Lien made also).  The kids are all thrilled when Lien comes and so is my husband and myself.  It is good to have friends who share your faith and encourage you.  Lien is such a blessing as an encourager and the gifts she brings. 
Some people will encourage you the wrong way, like you don't have to take that, or Why do you put up with that.   It is so good to surround yourself with people who encourage you in doing good.  But also you need to be that friend to others.  A friend of mine was concerned about a choice her husband wanted her to make.  It wasn't a big deal but she wasn't sure she wanted to do what her husband was asking her to do.  As she confided in us my independent mode went up and I was thinking it wasn't fair.  Another friend with us explained to her that if that was something her husband wanted then she need to do it.  Wow, she was so right.  She was honoring her husband and God and encouraging my friend to honor hers.  Women, as a friend encourage those around you to do right, especially in the area of our marriage and children.  Use Gods Word as the final say.  How much happier we are and our family is when we put ourself aside and choose to do what God wants us to do.  We are all weak and can tend to be selfish.  God help me not to be weak and selfish but may I choose to think and do right even when it is hard and may I encourage my friends also to think and do right as you Word asks us to. 

A good book on encouraging you to do right in addition to the Bible is Created to Be His Help Meet, by Debbie Pearl.  Very good and very challanging.  God bless you all,  Alicia

The girls made a brownie trifle.  They had lots of fun.

Isabella sucking on her "spoon"  too

Lien and I working on dinner

Rebekah and Sierra love getting together

the girls made necklaces

here were five of us with our new babies almost 11 years ago.