Friday, July 16, 2010

Friends...love them!



Marathon mommies get out of the house!



Last night, I had the wonderful opportunity to eat out--not at McDonalds or Chic-fil-a(which are yummy!)--at a restaurant with cloth napkins and real tablecloths! No plastic on those tables! Whoohoo! Fine dining does occur every once and awhile. We went to Larkins by the River downtown. And, we all smelled good and had on make-up and had cute shoes and jewelry!! No smelly Nikes adorned our feet. And, we were not sweating--oops, I mean glistening!


All of these gals and I have spent time together on the roads or trails training for various races. All of these gals and I have spent time together encouraging each other through the...


the loss of a job


the pain of losing a parent


the anxiety of being diagnosed with cancer--again and again


the fear of having another stroke


the stress of not being able to have a child


the worry of having a special needs child


and the list goes on.



But, the joy that we have in our relationship with the Lord and with each other surpasses those losses, pains, fears, anxieties, and stress. We have seen the Lord do a work in each of us in that is amazing...more than we could have imagined.


Please don't get so wrapped up in your own lives that you leave no time for your friends. Family is so important, but we need those friends just as much. And, make sure to let your friends know that you love them. We take it for granted that we know the love that we have for one another. When was the last time you told your friend that you loved them and appreciated them? Four years ago, a friend and I were talking at church just like we had done for a "million" years! Laughing and cutting up about life, our kids, and "stuff"---like we did each time we were together. Three days later, Kelly was mowing the grass at her home, and her heart stopped. I never saw her again. My eyes are filled with tears as I type. I really miss her. But, the last we were together, she said, "Susan, I just need to tell you that I love you! I love how God has blessed our friendship!!" Y'all, I am so thankful for that moment. Take nothing for granted. Live and love each day to the fullest.


If you hop over to Melanie's blog, you can read a little more about my running under her See My Mom Run blog section. She was so sweet to ask me to share about my running. Melanie is a dear friend who has a powerful testimony. I love her dearly.




13 comments:

Gotta Run..... said...

SO very true... take time with friends...support each other...love each other. What a blessing and a treat to have last night dinner together!!

HUGS!!

KelliGirl said...

Susan,
What a fantastic GNO with a lovely group of women! I love the story you tell of love and laughter and heartache and friendship. Grown one step, one mile at a time. You all should be so proud of yourselves.

As much as I dislike running, I might just consider taking it up if I would get biceps like your friend!! :-)

Happy summer. Sending you hugs,
Kelli

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Train Up a Child -- Encouragement for Moms said...

Could not have said it better myself, lady. Also keeping open to new friendship that come along is a good thing too. Speaking of which, will I be seeing you at She Speaks? If so, when will you arrive?

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful group...inside and out.

Unknown said...

Susan, thanks for sharing your gals night out with us. You're so right about treasuring those friendships and investing in them. Thanks for the reminder. I've really enjoyed some of my friends more this summer than I have in months. It's " a good thing!" Hugs to you!

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http://bitsandpieces-sonja.blogspot.com/ said...

These friendships become more important each year... thanks for sharing your beautiful group! Fun to see y'all having a girls night out!

Hugs!

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

Very true about friends...I have some friends that I need to schedule lunch dates with....Thanks for reminding me how important that is....I have a new giveaway on my holiday blog, A Baby Changes Everything, with more copies of IN A HEARTBEAT to give away on TUESDAY. Stop by and enter
http://grammyababychangeseverything.blogspot.com/

Marilyn in Mississippi said...

Beautiful group of friends! Great advice in your post today. Treasure every moment with those you love!

Marilyn...in Mississippi

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patty said...

it looks like a wonderful night! all those smiles are so big! :) and this is a great, heartfelt post... thanks for the reminder.... off to see you run ;o

elaine @ peace for the journey said...

Beautiful girls and a beautiful reminder. Glad for your night out and feeling like a woman! By the way, I'm I your only "squishy", have a tummy, friend?

peace~elaine