Let's hear it for my girls!

Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. James 5:16

It seems like the older I get the harder it is to find true real friends. The kind you had back in the day, the kind that can make you laugh one second and cry the next, the kind you could tell secrets to and know that they are safe, the kind that pray for you and can spiritually life you up when your down, the kind that can look at you and say "girl you need to do this..." and you'll actually do it. Adam is forever one of those friends to me and luckily for me he is my husband too. But we girls need friends like the above that are female. We just do okay?! I have also learned over the years that if I am going to be the best wife, mother, and woman of God that I want to be I MUST HAVE strong woman who can keep me accountable. This post is about those ladies. We have been meeting for almost 4 years. We have cried, laughed, prayed, yelled, wanted to just take a nap, lifted each other up with scripture, given advice, and kept each other accountable.
So be patient with me while I take some time to brag on my girls. I love you and will miss you!
Kari Minter and I met at a small group for couples with no kids. Since then we have managed to be pregnant at the same time 3 times. She had 2 girls and then had 1 boy and our kids are the greatest of friends (see the below posts). She and I have a lot of the same crazy theories on how to do this whole raise kid thingy. I say crazy only to sound cute, we're not too crazy. She is one of the only people in the world who can look at my kids and correct them without the hair on the back of my neck standing straight up. We have cried and laughed through each pregnancy and the adventure it has been so far raising 3 kiddos so close in age. Spiritually she challenges me everyday. Her passion to be a better Christ-follower knowing that it makes her a better wife, mother, and woman is contagious. She is true prayer warrior and has done just that; prayed like crazy for me and my family when we needed most. Kari is the kind of person who says "I'll be praying for you" and you KNOW that that means something more than just a nice thing believers say to each other. My heart aches when I begin to think about life without my best friend. No more phone calls early in the morning begging for a play date. No more looks of understanding from one of the only people in the world that knows exactly how I am feeling when I am feeling like my cup is a little full. No more....Actually no more no mores!!! Kari I will continue talking to you and our families will continue to see each other, it'll just be a little different. Love ya friend!
Oh Suzie!!! Susan Keener (whose face is already red when she realized that I was going to write something about her too, hehehe) Susan is one the youth pastors at our church, so when we starting serving the youth ministry 4 years ago Susan and I became fast friends. She is a east coast gal and feels a little outta place here in Texas just like I do. Her style is exactly what mine would be if I had any style. She also happens to be one of the most beautiful woman I know, can we say natural beauty?! I have had the great pleasure of serving along side of Susan, I have seen firsthand the passion she has for youth especially the girls. Her love for every student is soo real! I have watched her cry for her girls and pray over them like no other. How lucky those young woman are to have such a woman disciplining them. She was single when we first started meeting and it was so much fun talking about single woman stuff. 2 years ago, week after week I got to see her fall more and more deeply in love with her husband Andrew. I loved hearing wedding details and still think her wedding was one of the most beautiful I have ever been too. She is the type of woman I pray my little Alexis grows up as. Her love for others and most importantly Jesus is so real and she is so confident in Him. Alexis take notes my darling, this woman is a real jewel!! (Plus she always laughs at my jokes no matter how inappropriate or lame they are)
Ah Christin Jones. First let's talk about this picture....I need a little credit for putting such an awful picture of me up on MY blog, but I love her so much and looks how great she looks? (yeah and she is 9 months pregnant) Another thing, poor little Christin is that little, thanks for making me feel like a giant every time I see you! :D Christin's husband Dustin (I know Christin and Dustin, so cute huh? This girl is the definition of cute) is the other youth pastor at Northwood church. I still remember the first time we sat down with the two of them at Starbucks. Adam and I wanted to serve in the youth ministry, but first wanted to hear Dustin and Christin's story. After that night I knew that we would be great friends. Christin was in school at the time and wanted to be a teacher. Oooh a teacher just like me! She also has a gift ministering to youth girls and I immediately leaned on her to help me as I jumped back into youth ministry. Christin and I can talk about most anything for hours and do often; movies, books, music, tv you name it. She is the person I call up when someone has really ticked me off and I need someone to quickly talk me down. She is an encourager and I need that, like my own little cheerleader. She inspires and encourages me to do things that I wouldn't normally think I can do. And she knows me well enough to look at me and say "Jen just say no, you are doing too much already" (I need that more times then I like to admit) We have a special bond that is sealed in tragedy when we both found out that we had lost a baby a mere month apart. She has seen me cry more than most people in this world and I love that I am so comfortable with her. She is my best friend and I already miss her. Luckily for me her parents live in Austin and I will get to see her and her family often! (Can't wait for our little girls to meet!)