My Gift This Year

I have kind of neglected blogging for awhile. I really couldn't tear myself away from my family long enough this past weekend to post anything. And with as busy as we have been this week, this feels like my first free moment. Well, it really shouldn't be a free moment... but I'm making it one!
Something that has been on my mind for the last few days is how much God has met my needs in a particular area. When I got pregnant with Korinne, I lost a lot of friends. I don't think it was all intentional, but my life changed dramatically. I was suddenly a chronically ill mother, and all my friends were off at college. Then I got married and had Khloe, and suddenly I was light years away from most women my age.
Having friends was always important to me, but it seems even more important to me now that I have my own family. Sometimes I just feel like I start to get lost in the stress of life, and it's so refreshing to have other people who can relate, and keep me from losing my mind. In the past year I have noticed that God has brought some pretty amazing people into my life. After Khloe was born, Kevin's cousin Crystal came to help me out a little bit, at first I felt awkward, but we became friends REALLY fast, and now I'm pretty sure she's just the other sister God forgot to give me! :) And through getting to know her, I've gotten to know some of Kevin's extended family, and they are just amazing!
Sometimes I would still feel a little disconnected to people my own age. But then Kevin and I started going to my parents church again, and I realized I still had great friends there! I especially connected with my dear friend Val. Boy did God bring her into my life at the perfect time! I remember one night, I found myself in a particularly difficult situation, and I tearfully called her, and she was here within 10 minutes, and she came and talked to me, and prayed with me for hours! She is the kind of friend that would come over spur of the moment, and sometimes stay until 1 in the morning. Plus, my girls love her! I was (and still kind of am...) pretty heartbroken when she left.
But since then I have gotten closer to some of the other girls at my church, and God has even brought some new friends into my life!
So what I'm trying to say is, I remember last year at this time, I felt really alone. Now I look back on this year and see how God has brought people into my life. I haven't mentioned them all here, but they are all very special to me.
It's so amazing to me how God cares about the little things in my life. I don't remember ever praying for God to give me new friends, but He knew what my heart needed, and provided for me. And I am so grateful!