It is not about the Food

These are a few thoughts that came to me this morning as I was thinking about what the joy of fellowship and the gift of hospitality looks like, specifically in the context of seminary life.

An alternate title could be 'Why I think potlucks are Good'.

It’s not about the food:

We have fellowship as a community when we share communion in chapel on Wednesday.  We are sharing our faith as disciples.

As we are to become ministers, pastors, chaplains, and teachers, we need to know fellowship with others who are also on this journey.  Our fellow students will be part of our support system as we journey beyond these walls and into our individual ministries.

Therefore we need opportunities of time to gather together.  These are times to meet and join with others beyond who we are in class with, who our study buddy is, and who you and I always hang out with everyday.  These are opportunities for growth of individual self, of new friendships, and growth in our pastoral skills.

Everyone needs to eat.  And potlucks that may seem old fashioned, are a great way to gather and share hospitality.  There is generosity in the act of cooking more than you as individual needs.  There is greeting each other in a casual setting and learning something new about our neighbors.

A way to enliven conversations may be to have 3 unique questions placed on each table; questions that could motivate fun discussions or new ways of learning about each other.  Encourage people not to sit with only the people they know (if you brought dessert tonight sit at table 2/is your name has an ‘m’ in it sit at table 4).

It is not about the food, it is about building community through fun, fellowship, and faith.

Hebrews 13:2

Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.

The First Step

The First Step

To begin a journey, there are always those first steps. We all have seen a baby take her first steps. Usually a little wobbly 2 or 3 steps are taken, followed by a sudden sit down. After trying a few times, before you know it there is a toddler walking then running and a new world has opened up to them.
Today’s scripture is about taking a first step. Peter, the disciple who was always curious and eager, wanted to walk on the water to Jesus. When Peter gets out of the boat he can be seen

as impulsive,
as a risk taker,
as crazy or brave, or
as someone having faith in Jesus.
So why did Peter get out of the boat? In Matthew 14:28-29 Peter says "Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water." He said "Come."  Was peter looking for proof that it was Jesus coming towards then and not a 'ghost'?

There are a few things we need to look at in context and with a viewpoint of the times.

The disciples were in the boat alone, in the night with the wind against them. This was a frightening situation. The disciples who had always been with Jesus, were separated from him. Emanuel, ‘God with us’ was not with them. In Biblical thought the sea is a force of chaos which is held at bay in the creative act of God. The sea is an image of death that threatens the goodness of life. And in this case it is the sea that separates the disciples from Jesus; Jesus representing the presence of God.

But then Jesus comes in the latest and darkest part of the night, walking on the sea. Can you see this image? The disciples in the dark, alone, and afraid. And then they see Jesus walking on the sea and they are terrified, thinking it is a ghost.
The word used here for ghost is fantasma phantom) meaning an apparition or specter. The disciples feared because in their minds it could be a demon, a spirit, or a trickster. For how could it be Jesus? That is why Peter says "Lord, if it is you".

It is not a ghost. It is Him! Jesus is the one who overcomes the power of chaos! Peter got out of the boat because he obeyed Jesus’ summons "Come". Peter trusted Jesus.
 So why did he sink? Was it doubt or fear? Or was it that Peter’s focus shifted from Jesus to his circumstances?
Peter noticed the wind and became frightened. He had a moment of doubt. But what did Peter do in his moment of fear? He cried out, "Lord, save me!"
And Jesus responded. "Jesus immediately reached out his hand and caught him". Jesus was there. Peter knew he could depend on Jesus. Peter knew Jesus would save him. Peter’s moment of doubt was in his circumstances, not in Jesus’ power. Peter exercised his faith by calling out for Jesus’ saving help even as he was falling.

So the amazing part of this story for me is not that Jesus walked on the water or that Peter walked on the water; it is that Peter knew he could cry out for help and knew Jesus was there to help.
Jesus has authority over all creation so what can hurt us without His permission. As we venture out in faith, we can trust that Jesus will be with us. As you and I walk through this world, we need not fear, because He walks with us.
Peter’s life long story emphasizes for us the astonishing grace and gentle restoring power available in Jesus. You and I know none of us have failed so many times that God cannot use us for His purposes.
So what keeps us ‘in the boat’ or causes us to ‘sink’? Are there doubts,

is it fear of failure, or
fear of standing alone, or
a sense of inadequacy?
What can keep you and I from taking a first step? The toddler learning to walk, keeps trying for that first step. That first step can lead
to adventure,
to change,
to new discoveries, or
to the beginning of a joyful journey.

I have experienced a few frightening first steps in my joyful journey. A few years ago I did a zip line for the first time. This was a line higher in the air than I am usually comfortable with, that stretched out over a lake. As I took that step off the platform onto nothing, every part of me was screaming ‘this is wrong" and "what are you doing". And for the first half of the trip across the lake you could hear me scream. But then I realized I was safe, I had an incredible view, and it was going to be over way too quickly.
 It was an adventure. It was a risky first step.  But it led to joy.
The other big first step I had only 2years ago.

I responded to God’s call. I had been praying for direction and guidance to know if seminary was the path I should take. It wasn’t Jesus summoning saying ‘come’, it was more of a whisper of God saying ‘yes’. It was a first step, I had to respond; it was my first step on this joyful journey.
Where can a first step lead? Where is God leading you as an individual and as a congregation to step out of your comfort zone and walk with Him? God is with us on our journeys. Jesus will never leave you, no matter your circumstances.
In our Old Testament reading Elijah is called to take a first step and return to the wilderness of Damascus. He has to take that first step because even though he has run to Horeb to escape possible death, he needs to return to his journey, his path, his service to God. And God shall guide him and send others to help.
God was with Elijah. Just as Jesus reached out to save Peter. And as you and I know we are not alone on our journeys. All we need to do is take that first step.

Let us pray...
God, we thank you for your guidance.

Let us be open to listen to your call, to know that we are not alone on our joyous journey.

Give us the courage to take the first steps in the opportunities you put before us.

In your son’s Jesus’ name we pray. AMEN.

Benediction:
May JOY and nothing less guide you on your way.
May you be blessed; may you be a blessing.
May light, love's own crucified risen light,
guide you and countless others out of every darkness
all the way home.
(Thanks to Professor Carson Brisson for the words of benediction.)

An Invitation to Praise

 
This is the text of the sermon from this morning.  The sermon came from Psalm 105:1-11, 45b.  Supporting scripture included Psalm 100, Romans 8:26-39, and Luke 1:46-55.


"An Invitation to Praise"

I have not heard a lot of sermons preached on the Psalms. I wanted to preach from one to learn more about the Book of Psalms. For many people Psalms is a favorite book of the Bible. Every child learns the 23^rd Psalm and can easily recite it. People have favorite Psalms:

Psalm 24:9 "Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in."
Psalm 100:1 "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth."
Psalm 121:1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the hills—　from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth."
Those are a few of my favorites.

A few things you may already know about the psalms. Many of them are psalms of David. This was David’s way of praising God.
Psalms were sung, and we have hymns today based on the psalms.
Various psalms were written before, during, or after the time of Exile in Babylon.

So some psalms give thanks and praise,
other psalms recount a story, usually an event of importance,
some psalms were used as part of liturgy as we use a psalm for our call to worship,
and some were psalms of lament and asking for God’s mercy.

Let’s look at Psalm 105. This is a historical psalm, it is retelling Israel’s story. It is a hymn used to educate. This is a wonderful way of passing along the knowledge of what has come before, a way of defining who the people of Israel have been, who they are, and who they will be. It tells of God’s faithfulness to Israel.

Psalm 105 is a song of praise. The first verses are an invitation to praise and the following verses give the reasons God should be praised. So the first 6 verses of this psalm are the invitation to praise.

In the scripture from Luke, Mary is in celebration and using a psalm-like song of praise. She is expressing her joy and praising God. If we look at Mary's magnificat, the first 2 verses can be seen as an invitation to praise, and then in the following verses she is giving her reasons for praise. She recalls the same covenant that God made with Abraham.
"... the promise He made to our ancestors,
　　　　to Abraham and to his descendants forever."

And Jesus is the new covenant who is not only for Israel, but for all people. God is faithful!

In verse 10 of Psalm 105 it refers to the covenant as an everlasting covenant. God is faithful!

Those first 6 verses in Psalm 105 as I mentioned were the invitation to praise. And our call to worship is our way of entering into a holy time. A time not to be worried about the concerns of life. Worship is a time to give thanks for what God has done for us, what He is doing through us, and knowing in our faith what God will continue to do in his loving mercy.

Think for a moment on how you and I give our thanks and praise to God.                                                                          (pause)

Praising God can be done through so many different ways:
-in our everyday lives
            as we drive down the road in our cars and have                                       conversations with God
           or through meditations and spiritual practices
-in worship
            as we sing and read scriptures.
-when we are in prayer
            whether alone or praying together with one voice.
-when we are in fellowship with others
            whether in a church or somewhere together doing
                    God's work.
  
All of this can be done no matter where we are.

The 3 things I brought up in the children’s sermon:

being in God’s creation
sharing your happiness
knowing God I gave simple examples for the children, but what could be the adult actions?

1) being in God’s creation
-enjoying life
-letting go of worry
-noticing the little things and knowing God will take care of the big things

2) sharing your happiness / sharing your faith with others
-reaching out to your neighbor
-reaching out to those in need
-being a volunteer or involved in mission

3) knowing God
-studying scripture
-devotionals and prayer
-being part of a community of fellowship

In Shirley Guthrie's book Christian Doctrine there is a quote which relates to this community of fellowship. And it has stuck with me from the first time I read it a few years ago.
'The Bible was written for a community of people -Israel in the Old Testament and the church in the New Testament. You cannot be a Christian by yourself, you can only be a Christian together with other Christians who serve God in the world.'
Think about what this community of fellowship can mean. What is together?

Things done when churches come together through organizations like Essex Churches Together.
And things that are discussed in an individual congregation as it discerns how to reach out to the un-churched of the local community?

The people of Israel were given an invitation to praise God. In some translations of Psalm 105 verse 4 says "to seek His face"; the NRSV has "seek His presence continually". I like them both but the wording of 'seek his face' seems to me a more personal relationship to God.
The commentaries say this means a way to approach God in worship. And to seek God is to trust one's existence to God. It's faith.

The invitation to praise God is the opportunity being given to join in as public witness of God's deeds. There is a song by a friend of mine, Anne Trufant. The song is called 'We Will Stand' and the lyrics I want to share with you are:
We will pray and do whatever we are called to do,
And we will stand for what is right and hold to what is true.
We will set our face like flint to do His will.
We will move when Jesus moves us,
or we will praise him standing still.

So I am going to end with an invitation to praise. An invitation of opportunity. Give glory to God and praise Him by doing anything that brings more
happiness,
celebration,
abundance,
grace,
self-esteem,
courage,
spontaneity,
beauty, and peace to others.

Amen.


audio:  https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108288011/Leah_Sermon_7_27_2014.mp3

Celebrating being a Child of God -a children's sermon

This children's sermon was inspired by a 'certificate' I got when I was a camp counselor at Camp Glen Arden in North Carolina back in the summer of 1990.  "A Certificate to the Right to Play" and officially be a member of "The Society of Child-like Persons".


As I was working on the adult sermon "An Invitation to Praise", I was looking at the ways we praise God.  Then thinking about how children praise God, I found wonderful insights in this piece of paper from so many summers ago.


How we all can celebrate being a child of God.

1) being in God’s creation -enjoying the outdoors

  -walk in the rain/look for rainbows

  -smell the flowers

  -watch the butterflies, squirrels, or chipmunks

2) share your happiness

  -dance   -sing   -laugh

  -make friends

3) knowing God –like having a friendship with God

  -hear the Bible stories

  -pray to God –talking to God and God listens

  -learn about Jesus
     (Luke 18:16) But Jesus called for them and said, "Let the little children come to me,
        and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs."


Prayer
Dear God, Thank you for the good things you give us. We love our family and friends, we enjoy the beautiful world you created with all the animals, trees, and flowers. We gives thanks to you as we play, laugh, and sing. And thank you God for sending us Jesus and we are so happy to be a child of God.
     Amen

The Inescapable God

Prayer of Confession

Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob forgive us. We confess our brokenness to you.We try and fail in our everyday lives in living up to the promises you have given us. In our hearts we know you are always with us, but our actions do not always proclaim it. Grant us your forgiveness and guide us in your mercy to live a life of joy that leads us to be in your eternal presence. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.


This is the text of the sermon from this morning.  The sermon came from Genesis 28:10-19a.  Supporting scripture included Psalm 139:1-12, Hebrews 11:1-3,8-12, and Luke 15:25-32.


"The Inescapable God" 


When I first read a scripture, especially a familiar one, I see a topic and think that is what I want to preach on. But then I study the scripture, read some commentaries, and change directions a little. "Oh, that is the real message of the scripture!" Then there is digging just a little deeper and other scriptures come into play. Finally I am at a completely unforeseen idea for the sermon.

I love this process, because I am discovering something new to me and I can’t wait to share that with you. So I am going to briefly take you on my journey with this Genesis passage.
 
What is going on? Why is Jacob on the road to Haran? 
What comes before this passage? Jacob has stolen his older brother’s birthright and blessing and is on the run from big brother Esau. Family conflict or maybe sibling rivalry -that could be the topic. Problems between siblings are all through the Bible from Cain and Abel to the prodigal son story. 
That must be the topic. 
But wait, no, what is happening in these specific verses?
Jacob’s dream, dream interpretation, what is the meaning of his dream? What symbols and hidden meanings can be discovered? 
No –not the direction to go. You may ask why not? It is because the dream, the fact that Jacob is dreaming, is not the important point. God is communicating with Jacob.
Yes, God communicates through many different ways and dreams are one of those ways, but the focus should not be the how, but what is being said, being promised. 
The angels, the ladder to heaven are all background, God appearing to Jacob and what he says is the focus.
First we do need to review Jacob’s current situation. 

He has deceived his father Isaac, stolen his brother Esau’s birthright and blessing, and has been encouraged to go on the run by his mother. Now instead of enjoying his newly acquired blessing, leading the family, and having his inheritance, Jacob is homeless and alone. 
He is in trouble and God can help; however, Jacob does not go seeking God. God comes to Jacob.
God does not abandon Jacob or withdraw the covenant made with Jacob’s family through Abraham because of Jacob’s less than honorable conduct. Instead God comes to Jacob in the dream. God is there! 
God addresses all of Jacob’s anxieties he carries in his heart.

Jacob is homeless and lonely; he will possess land and have numerous offspring.

Jacob is estranged from his family; he will not only have a family but will be the source of blessings for all families.

Jacob is on the run, from his family and from the consequences of his actions but he cannot run from God.

Jacob caries uncertainty of his tenuous status in the eyes of God. Yet there is assurance that God will be with him.


As we look at Psalm 139 which we read in our Call to Worship, you and I know God knows us!
"You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away."
Jacob may be on the run, but he cannot escape God. God knows Jacob.

"You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways."God knows what Jacob has done; He knows Jacob is a trickster, a deceiver. Just as God knows we are sinners. Yet, God is always with us. Wherever we go God is there!

"Where can I go from your spirit?  Or where can I flee from your presence?"
God is inescapable. We do not hide from God, you and I are always in the presence of God.
In verses 13-15 in Genesis, God gives to Jacob an unconditional promise which includes 8 things:

-land "the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring;"

-many descendants "and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth,"

-generations spread throughout the land "and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south;"

-extension of blessings to others through him "and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring."

-God’s presence "Know that I am with you"

-God’s keeping "and will keep you wherever you go,"

-homecoming "and will bring you back to this land;"

-not leaving. "for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

This is God’s unconditional promise to Jacob. God is not asking something of Jacob. He is not putting restrictions or requirements on this promise. God made this merciful and gracious action toward Jacob. God spoke to Jacob!
The father in the parable of the prodigal son is an example of God’s love for us. God forgives and rejoices. Our brokenness is taken by God and with unconditional love, promises are given.
Even when you and I feel separated from God, that is us, because God is always with us. ‘Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go.’
When Jacob awakens from the dream, the scripture says he was afraid, but he was also in awe, he was amazed and joyous.
"Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!"
God was there!God can be counted on to be faithful. Jacob need no longer wonder about God. God is a promise keeper and Jacob must be also.
God was with Jacob.  
God is with you and me. Wherever we go, whatever the situation, God is there! He does not abandon us,
desert us,
or leave us. God is there!
Through loneliness, despair, illness, challenges, and trials –God is there!
God knows us!
God loves us!
You and I are always in God’s presence!  And knowing this I feel (and hope you feel as well) as amazed and joyous as Jacob when he awoke from his dream at Bethel.
Amen.


audio:  https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108288011/Leah_Sermon_7_20_2014.mp3

To Walk in Newness of Life

This is the text of the sermon I preached on June 22, 2014 at Tappahannock Presbyterian Church.  
This was my first time preaching in front of a congregation.  It was a thrilling experience.  I felt comfortable in the pulpit.  God was with me!

The sermon is based on  Romans6:1-11 and the Old Testament text I refer to in the sermon is Exodus 14:19-22 and Joshua 3:14-17.    


To Walk in Newness of Life
                                         
I don’t remember my baptism, I know stories about my baptism, but I don’t remember it happening.  The story from Mom has great details.  As a young infant, I was baptized into the family of faith, Dad was holding me and I was holding on to his arm, I didn’t cry, and afterwards the minister took me in his arms and walked up and down the aisles introducing me to my church family.  

I may not remember this actual event, but I know this was my time of becoming a child of God.  And the first step on a long path of having a relationship with God.

This path has led me on several twists and turns, and thankfully has brought me to seminary where my journey is continuing.

I love doing exegesis!  You won’t hear that from all seminary students.  You may be wondering what is exegesis. It is the studying and reading a meaning out of scripture using many tools.  It is a process of learning where you
examine the original language,
look at the historical context,
the literary context,
determine where the passage begins and ends, and how the scripture flows.  

This means there is a lot of translating, reading of commentaries, and comparing different translations.  

So exegesis is fun for me, a wealth of learning opportunities.

All this you do before you ever begin writing a sermon.  After doing all this preparation, then with God’s help, you find the message from the text.  

Then you need to find an interesting way to share that message with others.  

Now we turn to Paul’s letter to the Romans.  

Paul is writing to the church at Rome.  Unlike other churches he writes to, this is not a church Paul had a hand in establishing.  Paul never had a chance to visit, but he is hoping to in the near future.  And this church has both Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians –people who did not come from the Jewish faith.  

Let’s look back at the end of chapter 5.  In the previous chapter of Romans, Paul compares Adam and Christ.  

Because of Adam we experience sin and death; because of Christ we experience righteousness and resurrection.  

Adam’s action brought us into sin, with no hope of ever overcoming it.  But through God’s grace and Jesus’ action, we no longer live in that sinful life.  

In short Adam got us into trouble, Jesus got us out.  Jesus, our Redeemer.

Chapter 6 begins with Paul asking and answering a big question; a question many people at the time were asking.  ‘Should we continue in sin in order that grace may abound?’ 

In other words, do we keep sinning so God can keep showing us grace?  His answer is NO!  Of course not!

This where things start to get interesting.  

‘…all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death’ 
‘Therefore we have been buried with him by baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.’

I like the way Paul writes, I like how he turns a phrase and this is one of the good ones in this scripture passage.

But what does Paul mean?  

‘Baptized into his death’;  ‘Baptism into death’.  Baptism and death seem to be at opposite ends of the lifecycle for us.  How can these 2 be put together?

That little word that connects the two that seems odd.  ‘Baptism into death’.  It is that little word another similar one that stand out to me throughput this passage. Eis is the Greek word here.  And into is probably the best translation; other options being unto, toward, for, and among.  But what does this little word into mean?  How does Paul relate our baptisms with Jesus’ death?
How are we baptized into his death?

Let’s go back to our Old Testament readings for a minute.  The language Paul uses is reminiscent of the exodus event.

Israel had been in slavery in Egypt. They were delivered by God’s act, passing through the waters en route to their promised inheritance.  

Likewise you and I have been redeemed from sin as we pass through the waters of baptism and are thus en route to our promised inheritance, the gift of eternal life.

For Paul, baptism takes a person from one’s native condition (in Adam/in sin) and brings the person of faith ‘into’ Christ so that one lives ‘in’ Christ and ’for’ God. That means you and I now walk in newness of life.
 
Today when we think of baptism, we think of what we saw here last week –a child being welcomed into the family of faith as a child of God.  He will always walk in newness of life.

The act of baptism was different in Paul’s day.  You remember from scripture Jesus’ baptism by John, done in the Jordan River. 

They did not use our small amount of water, this was being covered by water.
A person was lowered into the water,
buried like Jesus then
then emerging from the water, symbolizing Jesus’ resurrection.  

This is newness, washed clean of sin,
now able to walk in newness of life!

The word ‘in’ appears again.  ‘Walk in newness of life’. And later in verse 11: ‘alive to God 'in' Christ Jesus’.   In the Greek this word is ‘en ’, spelled epsilon-nu or e-n, it means ‘in, by, or with’.  In verse 11, this little word brings a powerful meaning.  ‘Alive to God in Christ Jesus’: of inter-relationship especially involving either Jesus or God or both.  

We are alive to God because we are connected in unity with Christ Jesus!  

We have been baptized ‘into his death’, 

we are in union with Christ, but we are not only identifying with the dying Christ who has won victory over sin, but introduced into the very act by which the victory is won.

Jesus, suffered on the cross for us, taking on our sins.  
Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ.

When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, by his resurrection, we are now ‘alive to God’.
We now have victory over sin,
victory over death,
and we are transformed to walk in the newness of life.

In Christ the power of sin is broken, so once again we have to say
‘no, of course we do not keep sinning so God can keep showing us grace’
because God’s grace through Jesus’ act has freed us,
our baptism has cleansed us,
we are now walking a new path, and we have new life!

So to remind ourselves of this new life, alive to God in union with Christ, 
our baptism is what we can remember and take with us today.

The seminary teaches this a lot and have various ways of doing this:
    pouring water into a baptismal font during the Assurance of Pardon,
    on occasion receiving small stones from the font,
    or dipping our fingers into the baptismal font.

One of the most memorable things to me was a suggestion to do a spiritual practice and I want to pass that spiritual practice on to you.

As you go through the week, pause and remember your baptism, your personal relationship with God.  You can do this by a simple act.  

Whenever you wash your hands this week, before drying your hands, pause, and touch your forehead with your wet fingers, saying to yourself “I am a child of God”!

Try this, this week.  Then go and know you are blessed to walk in newness of life!

Amen.




audio: https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/108288011/Leah_sermon_6-22-2014.mp3




And the benediction influenced from our closing hymn, I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light.

 We want to walk as a child of the light,
We want to follow Jesus.
As we go from this place as children of God,
Let us walk in the newness of life
And spread our light to others.
In the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 
Amen.

Changes

Reunions are good.  Some people avoid them, but reunions are good things.  It is a way to reconnect, remember, make new memories, and mark time in our lives.  Through a friend’s eyes we can see more clearly the changes in our lives.

With family reunions, these changes are subtle. –who has had a baby, who has changed jobs, who cut her hair.  With yearly family reunions we see the small changes because it is a yearly thing.  There are no big shockers (usually).

But it is those big event reunions (college or high school) where time passed is marked more dramatically and through longer periods of time -5,10, 25 years changes stand out.

I recently attended my 30^th high school reunion, saw friends I had not seen face to face in 30 years.  Yes, we keep in touch through phone calls, emails, and facebook, but face to face time is harder to do.  Everyone has busy lives, work, families, and are spread across different states.  The intention is always there to get together, but it rarely happens.

The most obvious changes you notice from across the room.  Who has gone gray? Who has gained a few pounds?  Where did those wrinkles come from?  These may be the obvious changes, but not the important ones.  Who cares if you don’t look like you did in high school?  Our friendships are deeper than that.

The changes you learn by spending time with each other are the ones that matter.  Who has been with the love of their life for 20 years, despite the craziness?  Who stays home to take of her kids and is worried if her son has made the little league team?  Who has to cut back on her work schedule to care for elderly parents?  Who is blossoming into a new life after divorce?

Being among friends, these subjects can be discussed, there are avenues of support, there is laughter and silliness, and most of all memories shared as new memories are made.

Oh how I love these friends!  They have grown into amazing women.  They show their caring, independence, commitment, and love in all things they do. 

I would love to share some of the new memories we made over our reunion weekend, but I would probably have to say something along the lines of ‘the names have been changed to protect the innocent".  No, don’t worry nothing so mischievous happened.  We did tease each other, surprise each other, giggle and talk, told secrets, and stayed up way to late.

Changes happen.  We grow up.  But still we have connections with the past that will bless us into the future.  I am blessed by these friendships. 

And as the one who has changed from the shy redhead to the independent woman who speaks her mind, I am glad to have these renewed friendships as part of my joyous journey.