I am leaving work today around 12:30. I am going to Chik-fil-a and getting lunch for Jason and I then going to meet him at work to eat. Then I am going to Target to buy a few little special Christmas items. Then I will go home and pack up my fall decorations and pull out the Christmas decor! Tonight when Jason gets home, we are going to get our Christmas tree! I am truly excited about that! Our first Christmas together and our first time going Christmas tree shopping! Then we will bring it home and decorate it.

Most of you may be wondering why today. Why today and I am choosing to share all of this.Why is today different?

Today is December 7. Today is the birthday of a very special friend. 3 years and nine months ago, my friend went home to be with the Lord. My heart is full of sadness because I miss her. I won't even try to explain how much. All I will say is that she is someone whom I love as much as I love my own family. On dates like this, dates in which important events took place, I choose to do fun things. Things that celebrate life and celebrate what she liked to do and what we did together. Precious memories are priceless, precious memories are gifts from God. I will cry, I know I will... I have been all week. But when I cry I want to be filled with the hope and joy of knowing that I will see her again in Heaven and even though it seems forever away, once we are there together this trial ridden life will seem like just a blink of an eye and every tear that God is bottling will be wiped away...

These are the words to a song she sang to me years ago. We were sitting on the floor after an Alpha meeting and I was sharing some struggle... I started my day today with this song etched in my memory and I will continue to hum the tune and hear the words throughout my day. And I will remember what a faithful friend she was and how she was so quick to encourage and point me to the Cross.

When Love Came Down

When love came down to earth
And made His home with men
The hopeless found a hope
The sinner found a friend
Not to the powerful but to the poor He came
And humble, hungry hearts were satisfied again

When every unclean thought
And every sinful deed
Was scourged upon His back
And hammered through His feet
The innocent is cursed
The guilty released
The punishment of God
On God has bought me peace

Come lay your heavy load
Down at the Master’s feet
Your shame will be removed
Your joy will be complete
Come crucify your pride
And enter as a child
For those who bow down low
He’ll lift up to His side

What joy, what peace has come to us
What hope, what help, what love

By Stuart Townsend.