Joel's Journey: bff !!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

bff !!

me and my friend..... Nikki

I have never been to the cheesecake factory, i really liked it
they have a "book" for a menu!!!

I did not get this kind, but they have such huge
cheesecakes!!
Terry and I split a piece of
white choc. macadamia caramel cheesecake

There are some things in this life that God blesses us with that are priceless! One is friends! We all have many friends. Many times God puts people in our lives as we pass through seasons where He will use them to accomplish His will in our lives. Then there are those people that God puts in our lives who are like "pillars." People who are there with you through the thick and the thin. I was saved in Dec. 1982 in a Sunday evening service at a church not far from our house, so it was easy to get involved and become apart quickly. The following Wednesday that I went back to church, two young ladies a few years older than me "clobbered" me with welcomes, excitement that I was there and really just took me under their wing. One of those young ladies name was Nikki! Her dad was the Pastor of the church, a super family, friendly and so willing to nurture a new Christian. Of course I began to attend Bible study , got involved in the Choir and our friendship went beyond the church. Tennis, snow skiing, photography, swimming, softball, and much more. And here we are 29 years later and best friends!!! She does not live here and we dont get o see each other often but there is something that God has placed within us that continues to bond us......its Jesus. I am so thankful for her, her friendship, her commitment to me when I was a baby in Christ, her incredible personality of fun, her adventuresome spirit, and on a funny note, how she was Terry's mediator when we started liking each other to "help" us get together!!! I love her dearly! I think its a rare treasure when one has a friend for 29 years and to the Lord I am grateful that He has given us this unique friendship!! So this week her and her husband had to come to OKC for business and we all went out to eat dinner last night and just sat and talked and talked and talked and ate too!! Today she came out to our house while her husband was at meetings and we had the bestest time!! She is like a "good medicine" to a heart!! I wish we lived closer!!

Best Friends Forever!!!!

2 comments:

sarahdodson said...: everyone should have such a friend! How wonderful :o); March 26, 2011 at 11:29 AM
Teena said...: How awesome.....

I have only been to the cheesecake factory once.... but oh my that cheesecake looks amazing! My sister goes often....

so great to have a wonderful friend.

Hugs,
Teena; March 28, 2011 at 4:24 PM

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Joel's Story

Joel, our 11th of 13 and a twin of Josiah, at age 3 was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a childhood cancer, on December 6th, 2006. Joel had three perfect years of health and he and Josiah celebrated their 3rd birthday Sept. 13th, 2006. The first of Oct. Joel started having unexplained fevers for a few days and would return to active play. After the fourth round of fevers we took him to our family Dr. which they said his iron was low, so we treated that for a few weeks and took him back only to have his hemo. showing lower than before. We were referred to a hematologists and saw him a few weeks with blood checks twice a week. At a visit on Dec. 4th we showed the Dr. the bumps, (which were tumors but we did not know at the time) on Joel's head and he was very concerned and we were told we needed to admit him immediately and start extensive tests the following day. Joel went through rigorous testing and then the dreaded results were given. Joel was at a stage IV the most extensive stage, but we were hopeful that the Lord would use the means of Chemotherapy treatments to restore Joel's body. Joel endured 8 1/2 days in the hospital, came home for Christmas, and returned for his second round of chemo Jan. 3, 2007. Joel had a seizure that night after midnight and went into a coma due to a tumor bleeding in his head area and causing his brain to swell. After tests the following days, the Dr. declared Joel "brain dead" and took us to court to force us to take Joel off life support, as we did not agree with the medical field's definition of death. Our family sought to stand with the scripture, "life is in the blood,"and until Joel's heart quit beating naturally, he was living. We were making arrangements to bring him home and on January 23, 2007 his little heart stopped beating and he went to be with the Lord Jesus in heaven. Our lives are changed forever. God is faithful in the midst of this trial and we look with great hope to be with him someday.