A Circle of Friends

As you can tell, I've decided to dedicate today to all of the lovely people that God has brought into my life. If I forget you, I do apologize. It doesn't mean that you are unimportant for me-curses on a ditzy mind! I am thankful for you, Bobby. You are one of my oldest and dearest friends. You've been there throughout all of my highschool and college years, and have been an older brother to me. I can't count the times that you've cheered me up when I've been sad, brought me dinner, taken me to movies when I'm going nuts, shared my silly stories and given me those sweet hugs. I've always known that I can call on you if I need you, and that you'll relish the thought of feeling like a knight in shining armor. You honestly strive to be a warrior for Christ, and your chivalry is unmatched. We have a somewhat interesting relationship, because I do tend to "mother" you....I seem to remember a conversation we had when I didn't approve of a girl you were looking at. But I hope you realize that those conversations were only had because I truly care about you and the person that you become. You're very special, and you deserve the best. I pray that you and your princess will continue to support one another...and that I'll continue to have the priviledge of being one of "Bobby's kid sisters." Rachel, I am thankful for you. You were my best friend long before you were my brother's girlfriend....and I love the fact that I had a small hand in knocking my brother's head against a wall and bringing you two together. You are such a special, beautiful young lady who is rich in God's promise. You are loyal, trusting, and completely blind to other people's faults. You have an ability to love that never ceases to blow my mind. I am truly honored to be considered one of your friends. Whether it's getting stuck in prom dresses, going to lunch, or falling flat on our faces in a hallway, I always enjoy being with you. I may be older, but I find myself learning from you. You are always such an encourager, and you fuss at me when I despair of my thoughts. I only wish that the rest of the world could see through your eyes. I love you very much, and no amount of Starbucks or hugs could ever show it. Jordan, I am thankful for you. You and I had a rather....touchy time in highschool. You got on my nerves, and I was always SO jealous of your ability with the piano. But I finally realized how stupid that was, and now I consider you to be a brother to me. I love how gentle you are with my sister, and how hard you work at your passion-your music. I admire you dedication, and your ability to admire beauty in all its forms. You are a kind, considerate young man and I rely on your imput and opinion. I had a hard time relinguishing my sister to you at first, just simply because I'd always felt like her protector. I want you to know that I fully trust you with her. If that doesn't demonstrate my regard for you, nothing will. God bless you in all you undertake. My pals up at Crichton, I am thankful for you. When I came to school as a lousy freshman who was scared out of her mind, you took me under your collective wing and made sure that I didn't get lost, either in the halls or under the massive amounts of homework I had to do. You never made me feel "less than" because I was younger. I always felt appreciated and like I belonged, and I love you all for it. Rachel, you are quiet, but the more we talk and go through self-defense together, the more I like you. I'm so glad that you're not graduating this year-I would be devastated. You never say anything unless you mean it, and our combined love for literature and "Howl's Moving Castle" makes us alike. Thanks for being my friend, Warrior Princess! Jon, you went to school with my older brother, but you never compared any of us to him. (Love you, Drew, but you left an intimidating reputation behind you.) Your laughter makes the difference in any classroom, and your gallantry in treating a lady as a lady will continue to serve you well. I admire you as a Christian, and I really wish that I was smart enough to understand what you're saying most of the time! Still, every time I read your writing I learn something. Keep listening to God, and allow Him to guide your pen. He'll never let you fall......although the critics will do their best to trip you, I'm sure! I have every confidence in you. Jessica....my sweet Jess, my big sister that I can call and wail to whenever I don't have a CLUE as to what God or guys (equal mysteries) are doing. You squeal whenever I wear hats or mention anything having to do with Ireland, dragons, or Harry Potter. Your enthusiasm for life is contagious...and I'm going to miss you like crazy when you graduate. Thank you so much for being such a good friend to me. I hope you know how much I appreciate it. You deserve the best, and I pray that you'll get it. Hopefully, you and I will be hopping a plane to Ireland in two years! Keep your fingers crossed! My bubbly Julianne, I am truly thankful for you. You and I are so much alike that I sometimes wonder if you were an early quad that somehow got separated from us at birth. However, I can't believe Dr. Callis would be capable of something like that, so I'll just have to believe that we're kindred spirits! You are always so sweet, giving me huge hugs whenever we see one another and squealing over Christian Bayle, Colin Firth, and Neville Longbottom whenever the above are mentioned. You kindly drive Dora the Explorer for lunch and smoothie breaks, and turn bright red whenever anything remotely crude is mentioned. I love that about you. Why do you have to be two years older, and leave me at the end of next semester??? Even so, I hope that God continues to bless you in all that you do, and will make your path smooth after graduation...and I pray even more that our paths will continue to run alongside one another. Steven Bowman, I am thankful for you. Your love of music is infectious, and your earnest desire to use that gift is inspiring. I continue to pray for you, and I hope that you will find next year to be ten times better than this one. Well, folks, I'm starting to feel the early beginnings of Carpal Tunnel just from this post, so I'll let you go now. Please know that everything I've said is the honest truth. Lord, thank you for the blessings that you've bestown upon me in the form of friends.