Shared Moments of Friendship, Words of my Heart by A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

Shared Moments

The treasured moments of friends is such a blessing.  I promised updated photos with Jan and Arlo from this weekend and you are are getting just that!  We spent a wonderful time with them catching up on old times and making new memories.  Lady L decided Arlo was her other Grandpa and of course with Jan being my 'sis' Lady L decided she was 'grandma' as well.  It has been two years since I sat face to face with Jan and I wanted to cry when they pulled in the driveway. I finally could look into her eyes and feel the warmth of her hug in person.

I found the following on the internet and there is a link to it at the end of the quote.

My Sister of the Heart. Jan and Laurie Spring 2012

"Trust is essential to true friendship. We all need someone with whom we can share our lives, thoughts, feelings, and frustrations. We need to be able to share our deepest secrets with someone, without worrying that those secrets will end up on the Internet the next day! Failing to be trustworthy with those intimate secrets can destroy a friendship in a hurry. Faithfulness and loyalty are key to true friendship. Without them, we often feel betrayed, left out, and lonely. In true friendship, there is no backbiting, no negative thoughts, no turning away. 

The 'Group' Spring 2012

True friendship requires certain accountability factors. Real friends encourage one another and forgive one another where there has been an offense. Genuine friendship supports during times of struggle. Friends are dependable. In true friendship, unconditional love develops. We love our friends no matter what and we always want the best for our friends."  This is shared from AllAboutGod.com 

Jan is all of this to me... she is indeed my sister of the heart. We met by chance in 1995 but for the life of me I cannot remember what brought us in contact. We were living in the small community of Trophy Club Texas.  We shared a common background and upbringing and instantly became friends.  I was pretty much a mess at that time with one in high school and two in college. I had left teaching and had just begun doing my art... on my time.  I think I blossomed from her kindness, trust, her love and her honesty as I began to find myself again as the kids left the nest.  I loved the day she allowed me to shoot photos of her granddaughter and herself at the local nursery so I would have things to paint.  She was my stability and light in some trying times.  We always found things to do and shared not only our lives, but our kitchens, our holidays and our families.  To this day I still make her Pennsylvania Dutch Mashed Potatoes and her Homemade Potato Soup.

The years have been good to both of us as we have kept abreast despite the miles between Phoenix and Dallas. We are prayer partners as well and she will always be my sister.  I loved our short time together this weekend and sometimes wish she was just down the street again...but God keeps us knitted together and the miles are not so important.

My prayer for you is to celebrate again this day your dearest friends. Call them or email them and let them know why they are so special to you.  

Note to Nancy:  Get your hug from me when Jan gets home... thank you for the hug you sent me.

Words of my Heart, Laurie
A Texas Artist Laurie Pace

"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Hebrews 13:5