A Day of Celebration

Friday was my good friend Ashley's birthday.  I built her a white gift wrap station for gift wrap rolls and ribbon spools.  I also got her an Amazon card delivered via email on her B-Day.

The boyfriend and I drove out to Battlecreek to spend Saturday with her.  Meet her new cat, Fi.  She is an outdoor cat.

Later that night, we went to the store and bought a bunch of candy and caramel for an ice cream Sundae night.

Ashley is a pretty amazing friend, and I am blessed to have someone like her in my life.  Our friendship is so honest and we are honorary sisters to each other.  Sisters from another mister, you could say.  I can't say there's anyone else in my life where we can encourage each other, tell the truth to each other, and help each other grow in Christ.  Her understanding amazes me, and there have been times I don't know what I would have done without her.

For a part of our friendship, I thought I was helping her when she was struggling with depression.  But then everything flipped one October and it seemed that I was the one that needed help.  When crying in front of my computer and unable to function at work because of my OCD panic attacks and fear, she was there.  Even if she had to repeat God's truth to me over and over, maybe even hourly, she was there.  She knew what it was like to be overcome by the lies of Satan and urged me to keep my mind on God's truths.  She provided comfort with God's word, and her words came from experience.

Not the hollow words that some people told me, like "Just read Phillipans 4:6." Because honestly, in these kinds of situations, that doesn't even address the problem.  It was actually kind of hurtful to be honest, to be told something like that.  Like I didn't already have that memorized.  Like it even applied to the situation.  Like my problems are something for which I can utter one verse and make them disappear.  The kind of fear flashing before my eyes when I had OCD had nothing to do with ''money, clothes, the future" like people assumed when I said "fears," but with a completely irrational fear that even started to turn into fear of myself, one that would have plunged me into unnecessary isolation, one that would have turned into self loathing and worst, complete dysfunction.

Even though her experience is from depression and not OCD, there was still so much wisdom in her words to me, and without her constantly speaking to me, I would have been a total destructive mess.  Whatever we go through, I feel that we can speak the truth to each other, we share what God is teaching us, and we can be joyful when we overcome.  She doesn't tell me what I want to hear.  I don't tell her what she wants to hear.  I don't have to hold back but I can freely be me; we can sit in her bed and sip on tea in the middle of the afternoon.  I can visit her family and play with her nieces and nephews.  I can snuggle with her baby sister while watching Kung Fu Panda 2.  We day dream about days we can have homes around the corner and sip on a porch with a glass of lemonade.  We talk of days we can push our babies in a stroller and go for a walk in the middle of the day, just because.  We've been separated by states at times, but kept in touch pretty much daily.  Her parents hug me when they see me, love on me, and make me feel like one of them.  She's a special woman and I am so happy to call her friend! Happy Birthday to the most beautiful woman I know!!