Phone a Friend

Or maybe text a friend in this case.  My texting teenagers think it's odd that I am so anciently old and texting.  Anciently old mothers should be making dinner and cleaning bathrooms; certainly not texting or blogging.  These days though when they want to know where their clean underwear is and come looking for their texting mother they almost always assume I am texting Beth.  Half the time they are right.  Mystery Beth, texting lady they do not know, who lives more than 500 miles north of us, and whom their mother me has known since third grade.

We go way back.  Third grade after school care.  Middle school youth group trips and Camp Assurance.  Who can forget cheerleading and all those bus trips all over Illinois?  Our year at Baskin Robbins where we played more than we worked.  College together, weddings, babies, and now texting buddies.  She is the one who sent me the book MADE TO CRAVE; SATISFYING YOUR DEEPEST DESIRE WITH GOD, NOT FOOD by Lysa Terkeurst that finally helped me stay motivated long enough to put down the doughnuts.

The other thing she did was send me that bright note full of these homemade little goodies.  They are precious to me; I read and reread them almost daily.  They are verses full of truth and life that keep me going, but they are also written and humorously decorated in her handwriting (forgot to mention she is wickedly funny).  Seeing her love and time in her handwriting on all those cards motivates me to turn north, head the right direction, live in victory, and strive to make the next right choice.   She and I have always been a little obsessed with bodies and weight, and this is our year supporting each other in prayers and texts to win this battle.

                                                        Fun verse cards.

                                                Love the illustrations!  :)

                                                      Check out that tree!

                                    Working hard at Baskin Robbins.  Top me, bottom Beth.

                                       Matron of Honor Beth on my big day 1988.

Support and friendship is so important in this life, no matter what your struggles and victories are.  Isn't that why so many of us are blogging our journeys?  Support, encouragement, help, and camaraderie are priceless.
Thank you Beth in Illinois, friend for over 39 years, texting buddy, dieting guru, prayer warrior, encourager, and most importantly laugher at my jokes.

Thank you too Mr. Smoothie for joining me on this crazy cleanse and inspiring me in your exercising every morning and loss of 18 pounds in half the time as me...umph.  :)  It seriously is so much easier with you doing this with me daily!

All you wonderful blogs that I read and am inspired by...thank you!  To all you new followers on my blog...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!  It is so inspiring to keep going when I know I get to be accountable to you!  I have a long ways to go and I am so happy and thankful to have your blogger friendship along the way!!!

This is beginning to sound like the Oscars, but today I am counting my blessings in people and am overwhelmed by how rich they are!!  Happy Friday!  Heading NORTH toward VICTORY one choice at a time!!  We are made for more; we are made for Victory in Jesus!!  (my interpretation from Lysa Terkeursts  book)