|| To my friend, Rachel ||

This year, I wanted to write a blog entry dedicated to you for your Birthday.
So while Elijah is napping, I thought I would tackle it.

I admire you for many reasons. I am going to write about each reason one at a time. That way I can be clear and concise as possible. Even though, there will probably still be some overlap and repetition of how awesome you are! ;)

||| You are an honest person. You are honest about yourself and your life. And even though you are honest, you are not rude. You keep Jesus as your guide and He helps you speak truthfully with love. You don't live in denial about anything. That is refreshing. So many people live in a place where they are not aware of themselves. They let their subconscious control far too much of their lives. And they blindly react from that place. You do not do this. You face things head on and do your best to pray and figure out how to get ahead of the issue. It is always refreshing to see you triumph over when Satan tries to knock you off your game.



||| You do not seek approval from this world. Plain and simply said. And that is a huge thing. Far too many of us have sought approval from this world and it is not worth it. You choose to set yourself apart and guard your heart. And the hearts of your children. You choose to avoid sinful behaviors and self gratification.

||| Rachel, you are a(n) extraordinary, brilliant, loving, fantastic, caring, funny, hardworking, dedicated,  great mother. And the word great doesn't even begin to do it justice. You live your faith so that your children can see. And in this culture, it is rare to find see a mother who puts their children ahead of themselves.
A mother who actually knows their children, individually.
A mother who looks at each one of her children & sees a unique beautiful creation.
A mother who parents each one of those children in a specifically different fashion.
A mother who cares more about the heart of the matter.
A mother who fully gets understands, that children react in situations the only way they know how, by their raw emotions.

A mother who sees her children's future as the real goal.
A mother who loves to see her children succeed triumph.
A mother who finds joy in seeing her children smile.
A mother who researches to find the best possible solution to problems obstacles that arise.
A mother who admits when she needs help.
A mother who lets the light of Christ shine through her and onto her children.

Rachel, you put everyone ahead of yourself. And you do it willingly. You know that God placed you on earth to care for others.

That is a mother.

I am so glad I was able to watch your children in 2010. That was the start of a wonderful friendship.  I knew that the time we had those late Tuesday nights was fleeting. I am so happy we stayed up late & got to know one another as real people; In a deep profound and Jesus based way. I remember being so impressed with you as a mother, a wife & a Christian. Before you, I had met very few people that actually live out their faith in Jesus. Not in the way you do, anyways. It is rare. A lot of people have a fake church life where they act Holy & pretend they are perfect and that is the basis of their Christianity. And it makes them appear to have it all together. When who are they fooling, really? Cause NOBODY has it all together. You take your faith with you as you go.

And as you go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
MATTHEW 10:7
And that is what the Bible says to do. On countless occasions you have prayed & let the Holy Spirit guide your steps. It is beautiful.

You are a Godly woman ho puts her relationship with Jesus above all else. Because you do that, your whole life rotates around a clear center. You take everything to God in prayer. Most people do not do this. I, myself tend to want to make decisions without taking a breath to channel my choice through our Father in Heaven. You do. You take the time. As I wrote this, I started to see a pattern. I could not write about the reasons I admire you, without including God in each reason. At the heart of every reason is Jesus. All your choices truly revolve around Him.
||| You are a treasure. |||
I am constantly seeing more reasons to admire you.

I have struggled to fit in here in Minnesota, all 15 years I have lived here.
 {little did I know it isn't about fitting in, it's about being set apart.}

 I have tried being worldly, and that didn't fix the negative feelings. Actually, it intensified them. My friendships were also worldly. I tried could never seem to hold on to friendships, I blamed myself for this problem. I had several friendships abruptly end. And at the time I started babysitting for you, I had really closed myself off from seeking out new friendships. I was not going to let my heart be broken by any more friends. Easy fix was to not have any more friends. My heart couldn't take it at the time. I had prayed and told the Lord, when He wanted me to have a friend, He would have to directly send one my way. And you are that person. Look how He put you and I in each other's path. You are a friend for a lifetime. And it is because of the faith we share.

Proverbs 18:24
There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.

Our friendship cannot be shaken by small petty things or large differentiating moral beliefs.

I know it was a Divine Intervention!

A Heavenly Match-up!

Happy Birthday, Rachel!

i love you. yes. you.