Summer of Love

This is the front of the t-shirt that I bought for my (former) best friend to give to her while I was visiting (what I thought would be) her in Virginia. I came home with the shirt still in my suitcase because she canceled the plans we made on the day that I was planning on giving it to her. My heart was broken and love was about the last thing I thought the summer of 2008 would represent.

But as Labor Day weekend comes to a close, and I am exhausted from the pool party that was hosted at my home today, I am recapping the summer and feeling like there was quite a bit of love.

I have made some of the best new friends that I could ask for. One's who know my heart quickly because of the place I was emotionally when we met. Friends who have been here for me all summer, praying, supporting, and just having some plain old fun!

My family is fantastic and I think that the longer my husband and I are married, the better our marriage gets. Talk about love....(wink, wink), it really does get better and better with age.

There was a good amount of change this summer. We lost Jason to a horrible car accident, another good friend lost his son in a car accident, a friend lost her father, and there are lots of loved one's who have been hurt or are fighting serious disease.

My father in law went from this....

To this.........

Seeing my (former) best friend went from looking like this to that.

But my heart for God went from this .............. To this ........... Because not only did I lose my best friend and my father in law became very ill with cancer, but I also have witnessed this.......... And this.................... And this..............
And this...............
Also this.............
And some of this............
Some really good friendship in this.........And some famous excitement in this...........
I enjoyed a whole lot of this.................

And never got tired of looking at this............

I am wonderfully blessed by this...........(family)

And still madly in love with this............

So, it was absolutely the summer of love after all. I am glad that I bought the t-shirt, and even somewhat glad to have been able to bring it home. It helps me remember that God loves me so much that He wants what's best for me....and He gives it to me!

So, a summer of love, full of love, weddings, new friendships, and so aware of the importance of old friendships, being TOTALLY aware of how little time we really do have in this life, kisses from babies, hugs from teenagers, time with my mom, sunbaths, bubble baths, concerts, crazy nights with my girls on the back porch, even a few nights that lasted until the next morning :)

A church that I have fallen in love with, a pastor that I respect. Time under Beth Moore's teaching...LIVE, writing and reading, worship, watching two friends accept Christ. Knowing that He will use me in spite of myself (HE DID!), knowing that He is my everything. I believe God will restore, renew, and revive. I am more in love with Him now than I ever have been.

Watching my son become established in a career, move into his own apartment and have his own health insurance! Watching my other son get totally buff at the gym, muscles like you would not believe.

Watching my daughter with her first "boy friend" and

watching her march at her first football game...........

And so a new season begins.

Farewell, summer of love.

I will be glad and rejoice in your love,
for you saw my affliction
and knew the anguish of my soul.
Psalm 31:7