can a girl ask for any more? i'm so blessed, beyond belief. how many people can actually say that they are still in touch with and are still pretty close with people all the way back to highschool? probably quite a bit. elementary school? maybe a little less. grade 3? maybe some. grade 2? maybe a few. grade 1? possibly a couple. kindergarten? rarely. yet that's the truth. the girls in this pic (jess, mel, rebs, laney) have been a part of my life pretty much since kindergarten and on. granted we've had our tough times, fights, arguments, a lotta hurts and stuff, but yet, God still brought us together through and through.
and the guyz? (sam, aaron, jason park, gordon(kinda hidden back there)) well what can i say. they've been awesome. they were awesome back in highschool when we first crossed paths, and they still remain awesome even now. and i know they forever will be :) and what's the best is that they're great friends and all, but they're phenomenal brothers in Christ. :D
so anyhow... tonight, sam got a buncha my highschool friends together and had a little surprise for me at kelsey's for dinner. granted i kinda was suspicious and stuff, and it probably wasn't as big a surprise as it coulda been had i just been oblivious to everything, (sorry sam!) but it was still fabulous. :) i realized tonight that gifts don't mean as much to me as they useta (course i still enjoy them :D ) but tonight was amazing. just a nice time of chatting and catching up, just what l'il old me needed. having the TIME to spend with these people and having them sacrifice their time to come out with me for my b'day, is there really more than i could ask of them? do i really need them to give me something of monetary value when they've already given me something of eternal value?
so this birthday rollin' around has really given me a lot to think about. you know about, money, gifts, material things, in comparison to memories, time, and priceless things. still listenin to what God's teaching and learning a bunch.. but from what i've gotten so far, time spent with friends far surpasses money spent on gifts i could have received. tonight, though it was only a few short hours, and i wish we had longer to chat and just chill, was probably one of the best birthday gifts i've ever gotten. thanks you galz 'n' guyz... love you all a ton, would lay down my life for you all just like Jesus did with me. i'm blessed beyond belief and wouldn't trade any of you for anything in this world. thanks a billion for all the years of friendship and all the memories. we really need to hang out and talk more this summer. seriously. :)
- proverbs 17:17a
" Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."
- john 15:13