Finding Joy in Every Answer

Returning tonight from a weekend away with a friend who I love to hang out with, who I love to talk to, and who is one of the genuine pearls in my life. We have seen each other through some of the very best times in our lives, and some of the very worst. She lives in San Antonio and I, in Dallas, so we try (and so far successfully) to see each other at least twice a year. One of our favorite trips is to Salado, TX, which is where we spent this weekend. I love to make this trip in the spring because the Blue Bonnets are blooming in full force. I have a difficult time keeping my eyes on the road because the bright blue mounds against the fresh green spring grass excite my eyes so much. This year, I stopped to take pictures, excited to play with them and post a few on my blog.

When I got home, I found that somehow I had reformatted my memory card and lost them all. What a disappointment! I also lost the ones of my friend, Susan, and I too. That made me even more sad.

But what I do have is a wonderful sweet gift from Susan, which is also a sweet blessing from my Loving Father, God.

Let me back up a bit. Last August, Susan and I went to hear Beth Moore speak. The trip to Beth's conference had been planned for months, but as God's timing is...it was perfect! The timing came along when my heart was broken over the end of a very long term, very close friendship. I was grieving and needed God's unconditional love and comfort, and I especially needed His perfect healing. The message was about MY (our) inheritance. I am an heir of Jesus Christ. It was exactly the message that I needed to hear. Susan knew my need as she and I have been prayer partners for nearly 15 years.

So, last night, Susan and I returned to our hotel room after a day of shopping, of wine tasting, art showing, and a fantastic dinner at a lovely place called Adelea's and she handed me a gift.

I was surprised, and eager, to see what she had selected for no occasion, other than a celebration of who we are in Christ and who we are as friends.

What I opened was a gift that she had no idea would touch my heart the way that it did! She had given me a ring...a silver band, that states the words, "His Princess". She had also bought one for herself.

I knew God was speaking to me right then and there.

You see, I had a ring that I wore for 10 years...a silver band with the fish symbol all around it. My former best friend and I bought these rings on a vacation trip one year; one for each of us to represent our love for Christ and our loyalty to one another. It was one of the saddest days in my life last summer when I took that ring off the day she ended our friendship and I placed it in my jewelry box. My finger was indented from the years of wearing it. I felt naked, sick, and full of sorrow.

Last night, I put a new ring in it's place. For the last 24 hours, my finger is happy again! And when I see this new ring on my finger, I know who's child REALLY I am. I also know who my very best friend is...He is my King and I am His princess. And Susan is an honest to goodness gem of a friend, who I know will be loyal until the day that we enter the kingdom of Heaven as co-princesses of the King!

I love my new ring!

On a side note, I have to tell you about Blue Bonnets. Every time I make this trip, I really am excited about the Blue Bonnets. All of my life, I have heard about the Texas Blue Bonnet, but I don't remember seeing one until I moved to Texas. When I first set my eyes on the Blue Bonnet, my senses came alive. Blue is my very favorite color and these are so very beautiful. For three years, I look at them, but never touched. I had heard it was illegal to pick a Texas Blue Bonnet in the state of Texas! Well, I looked it up on the Internet this year and found out that there is no such law! So, today, when I was driving home, I stopped in a huge field of Blue Bonnet's and touched away. I took lots of photos, which are now lost. (oh well) I also picked some and brought them home. I am so excited over these flowers, Y'all, that I am talking Texas style with pride today!

Since I lost the pictures of the lovely State Flower of Texas in their natural habitat, I took some of them in the vase where I will proudly display them in for as long as they last.

My Blue Bonnet Bouquet

My Beautiful Ring too!

In The Shadows

All Alone