Happy Birthday, Chrisse!

People say that you have that once in a lifetime friendship....You all know the one...It's with the person that is your soul mate...She's the one that completes your thoughts, the one who knows what your thinking before you even say it....The one who reaches for the same book or card at the exact same moment you do....Your soul mate. I don't mean in marriage, I mean like in your family. Sometimes it's a cousin or aunt. If you're super lucky, it's a brother or sister. Sometimes it's not. Of all the friends I've had in my life, she's the one that is different. God sent her to me because he knew I needed her....He knew I'd been praying for her most of my life. He knew that she would make my life a better place. He also knew that I would love her as if she were my sister and He was right.

I've always wanted a sister...ALWAYS. When I was younger (9 or 10), I'd wonder what life would be like to have someone to tell all my secrets, share my clothes, discuss children, life, love, ups, downs, heartbreaks and successes. My own principal and cheerleader wrapped up in one. You know, fuss at me when I need it and realize that sometimes I just needed encouragement. The one who, sometimes, just sits there and listens because she knows that there are no words that can help....Things only a sister would know.

Today Chrissie turned 30...It's a milestone that she handled much better than I did, probably because when I was 30, I wasn't in church and if you'd have asked me then, I would have laughed at you and said, "Church is not for me." I'll save that for another blog some other time. Anyway. She has handled this milestone with grace and thanksgiving. I can't even begin to tell you how thankful, honored and privileged I feel to be counted as her friend. She is in the top three of my all time blessings (with Savannah and Dori being the other two). I've always wondered at various points in my Christian walk, why God was doing something that He did, but I will never question why He did this. He answered my prayers from WAAAAAYYY back. He gave me the sister I have always wanted and prayed for....Not in the DNA kind of way, but in a "Wow, God is so cool and she was worth the wait kind of way." My unbiological sister.

Today I thanked Him a million times. Every time we laughed, every time we almost cried, every time we reached for something at the same exact moment (and it happened a lot today), every time I looked into her eyes...I thanked Him....She and I talked about in God's timing today...Yeah, let me tell you about God's timing...I finally got my sister that I've prayed for all these years...IN HIS TIMING! Thank you so much, my Heavenly Father, for the blessing I NEVER thought would come and for the blessing that was greater than my most wonderful dreams!

Happy Birthday Chrissie Lynne!!! I can't wait to see what we have to blog about when you turn 40!!!