Life is Seasonal

It was my last dinner for awhile with our circle of Sisters and we enjoyed the evening at North 11. Miriam, Elisabeth, Ruth and I enjoyed the ambiance of the dimly lit, relaxing space. We immediately caught up with each others' lives including many new beginnings: ultrasound pictures of God’s miracles not yet born, new employment for a Son in Washington D.C., wedding photos for a Son and Daughter-In-Law, wedding plans for an upcoming wedding, all blessings from God we are so thankful for! 

We prayed for our Sisters Rebecca and Sarah who were unable to join us. The end of Summer is official now and we are seeing the glimpse of colors changing on the trees and cooler nights and early mornings. We discussed my parents and the change for me traveling soon to Florida.

Dinner was amazing, though Ruth had a bit of a wait for hers to arrive as it upended in the kitchen! Miriam and Anna enjoyed delicious salmon, while Elisabeth had white pizza and Ruth eventually enjoyed her regular pizza. Miriam, as thoughtful as ever had brought along delicious desert: chocolate cupcakes which were quickly devoured! It was the perfect ending to our meal.

It seems lately we all have been reminded of the fragile nature of our human form, whether due to the loss of a close friend, the loss of a dear parent of one of our circle of friends, or the passing of time watching the summer season coming to an end. 

I am reminded of a passage in James 4:14, “Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” This reminds me to live my life surrounded by close Christian friends, spending each moment praising God for our fellowship together and the reliance each of us feels when we share life together.

As humans, we cannot begin to understand His great plan, we can only await the day when we reach true understanding at Jesus’ feet. In the meantime, I am thankful for precious time with God and with my dear friends. I treasure each of them and our fellowship together. I am always thankful for the quick response to a prayer request to my Sisters in Christ, knowing instantly that I am covered by amazing prayer warriors. As time continues to pass by faster than I would like it to, let me remember to treasure moments with these special friends, trusting that we will be together in eternity with Christ Jesus. 

Until May, when I can join you again, my love and blessings,

Anna

His Ways are Not Our Ways

On Wednesday, August 17, the Girlfriends gathered once again to enjoy a meal together and share our journeys. As with most groups our size, not everyone can make each gathering. This was no exception. Our sister, Sarah, had a lot going on. She needed to take care of herself and her family. 

The rest of us have been there…work, sick family member, house renovations, returning from vacation…and the list goes on; it is easy to understand why she couldn’t join us. This time would be Elizabeth, Miriam, Rebecca, Anna, and me, Ruth.

We are all drawn to the water and sand and with Elizabeth living at the lake, it is the perfect place for summer gatherings. 

It was a beautiful afternoon with blue skies and a few high clouds, a great day for a drive to South Haven with friends. We arrived and used Elizabeth’s home as the meeting place. Earlier one of us had suggested dinner at Captain Lou’s. 

Elizabeth is very familiar with the local eateries. She wasn’t sure if there would be room for a group our size. We decided to walk by and see with an alternative location in mind if there wasn’t a table. Not a problem that evening, there were plenty of tables on the deck in a narrow hall between two buildings.

We tried a couple of tables before settling down and looking at the menu. Elizabeth suggested one of the fish entrees and we all ordered. About that time our telephones started ringing. We all had a message from the church. One of our members, a young woman, mother, wife, missionary, servant of our Lord who had been fighting the good fight with cancer for three years had passed away an hour earlier. 

Along with our congregation and many others, we had prayed regularly for complete healing this side of heaven. In our minds, this would have been the perfect time for a miracle. We all believed God could and would heal our dear friend. 

Not. This. Time.

Why? Why not? Why now? The tone of the evening quickly changed from one of laughter and fun to one of serious need for prayers. Prayers for the husband and children left behind, prayers to help us help them, prayers to help us know what to do, prayers. 

We finished our meals and walked back to Elizabeth’s home to pray. Through choked voices and tears we lifted our thoughts and petitions to the Lord. We admitted we didn’t understand. We admitted it didn’t seem fair. We admitted we know that God is in control. We asked why couldn’t this woman stay with us and continue to witness this side of heaven and make a huge difference for His kingdom. We asked a lot of things knowing that God loves us and already knows what is on our hearts. 

We closed holding hands. Elizabeth suggested a walk along the Lake. It was peaceful. It was reflective. God knew we needed to be together that evening and He orchestrated for us to love on and support each other during this most difficult time.

Since this time I have dug into my Bible about death and dying. There are verses about death and dying; however, in the end that is not what I got out of all those verses.

1. God is in Control. I did review a recent Bible study on the book of Daniel where I was reminded that Daniel stayed the course, even when tempted, because he knew that God was in control. His timing is perfect. I need to remember this even when that hurts, when things seem out of control, when life doesn’t go the way I believe it should. His timing is perfect. He is in control.

2. His ways are different than our ways. Isaiah 55:8 tells us “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.” Even though in my eyes our friend should still be here witnessing for the Lord, God knows better. Is He saving our friend from something? Will her death bring him more glory? I trust that God has done what was best for our friend.

3. All of our days on earth are numbered. Psalm 39:4 “Lord, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered— how fleeting my life is.” No one will live forever here on earth, but believers will have eternal life in heaven.

4. We are not meant to do life alone. We need each other, especially at times such as this. Hebrews 10:24-25 reminds us: “Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” We need each other for love and support, to point us to God and His ways, and to remind us He is in control.

Until we meet again…

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. 


Ruth

Praises Abound!

It’s a beautiful day in my little (new) hometown of South Haven, Michigan! I love living in such a cozy, tight-knit community, while we welcome the tourists that join us every year. I mentioned to friends earlier this year, I love living in a town where you can hear the church bells ring at noon and 6pm. Just feels good. God has blessed this state with some of the most beautiful beaches and lakes on the planet and my girlfriends from Kalamazoo came to visit South Haven for our monthly girl’s dinner in July. 

We met at one of my local favorites, Taste, in downtown South Haven. It is an eclectic mix of small plates, full dinner plates, scrumptious salads, and the best martinis in town! The chef, Joel, is famous locally, and gaining notoriety beyond Southwest Michigan. 

I don’t know why, but I can’t pass up my favorite dish each time I visit Taste. I love the red beet, pear, and goat cheese salad, along with the sautéed scallops in garlic butter, with wonderful bread for dipping! Yum! The girls branched out in their choices and partook of other wonderful dishes, like tip steak and fish tacos.

Our monthly get-togethers are very important to us, and force us to set aside time for friendship, support, laughter, and Christian fellowship. We know that we need each other, and this month our conversations were filled with many praises that we shared. 

Miriam shared that her son had a great trip to China and was getting ready to return to the US, so we all keep him on our prayer list for safe travels home. What a great experience for a young man! 

Sarah is counting down the days to her official retirement and we gave thanks for the circumstances surrounding her departure from her long term employer. Though it remains a bit of an anxious time with some uncertainties, we know that God has her back and is planning so much more for her future beyond the 9-5 routine! 

Ruth had a huge praise and announcement that her youngest daughter is expecting her first child, and Ruth’s 2nd grandchild. What a blessing! We pray for good health for both mom and baby! 

Anna also shared some wonderful news about her oldest son… he got engaged to his longtime sweetheart, and invited all the parents to participate in the engagement event! What a wonderful time for Anna to be part of this beautiful demonstration of love. Prayers for this young couple as they enter this exciting time in their life. 

Rebecca also had a big praise that her son had landed a fantastic new job that will set him up for great experiences in the entertainment industry. Also, her grandson is progressing well and is a happy, healthy 2-year old! 

As for me, my praise is that my youngest son is planning his September wedding, and that my husband and I have been able to find a place, and a new church in our new community, and we are starting to feel at home here! 

God is good, all the time!

We all remain concerned for a friend who is battling cancer at a very young age, but we continue to have faith that God will show us His will for her life. She has been such a strong woman through her illness, it gives all of us strength and encouragement as we continue to pray for her.

I am so blessed to be surrounded by these faithful, supportive women. I don’t think I could do life on this earth without them. Love you all!

Elisabeth.

Seize life!

Do you find joy in life? I sure do. I find it all around me. 

I find joy in a beautiful summer day, a wagging dog tail, a blazing campfire, a good book, a hug from a friend, and good food. I especially take great pleasure in food and friends! There is no better combination. 

On June 1st Miriam, Ruth, Elisabeth and I met at North 11 for ‘Ladies Night Out’. We’ve been there before for one of our monthly outings. The food and service are dependably good and during the week it’s always quiet enough for good conversation. I sat amazed that night at how much pleasure I get from spending time with my Christian girlfriends. I really love these ladies.

The following week one of my daily devotions included some scripture that really made me smile and think of them. Having grown up in a King James world, I occasionally enjoy reading The Message translation. This translation made this scripture come alive for me.

Ecclesiastes 9:7-9 (The Message) 

Seize life! Eat bread with gusto,
Drink wine with a robust heart.
Oh yes, God takes pleasure in your pleasure!
Dress festively every morning.
Don’t skimp on colors or scarves. Relish life with the spouse you love
Each and every day of your precious life.
Each day is God’s gift. It’s all you get in exchange
For the hard work of staying alive.
Make the most of each one!
Whatever turns up, grab it and do it. And heartily!

Like earthly parents, our Father God takes great pleasure in our happiness! He wants us to enjoy life! Be happy! Seize life! Seek joy. (And don’t skimp on colors or scarves!) 

Seizing Life Daily,

Sarah

Laughter is the Best Medicine

It's been awhile since you heard from us, so I thought I'd put together a quick update of our last get-together. 

Girlfriends Breaking Bread met at Martini's in Kalamazoo last month. We had a small group with Miriam, Ruth, Sarah and me.     

Martini's is a locally-owned Italian restaurant that has a variety of food on the menu. It's started out as a small, neighborhood take-out pizza place in Portage and grew to the eat-in-take-out, full-service restaurant it is today, located in Kalamazoo, just south of downtown. 

We caught up on family activities and Sarah talked about her upcoming retirement that she was hoping would happen on the timeline originally planned.

I shared some details of my upcoming parathyroid surgery which had me a bit nervous. As I noted my symptoms, (tired, grumpy, forgetful), all the girls decided that they had those symptoms, too, which brought about a lot of laughter! They do say laughter is the best medicine and this sure helped ease my nerves.

I'm so grateful for these ladies and their friendship and the support of God and family.

Until next time,

Rebecca

Blessings All Around

When the girlfriends started to meet, eat and blog nearly three years ago, we were determined to include only restaurants in Richland Township as our rendezvous points. Have you been to Richland? Probably not. Let's just say it's a small geographical area and even including pizza at the bowling alley and Subway at the gas station the number of restaurants comes in at about 10.

In the past year we have drawn a bigger circle on the map, including restaurants  in nearby Kalamazoo both in its lovely downtown and retail west side. We've also met in some of the surrounding villages and townships.

For our most recent get together, we chose a spot in Comstock Township which sits between Richland and Kalamazoo. Bangkok Flavor is a tiny place with big flavor, located in a strip mall at the corner of Sprinkle and Gull Roads. As you may have guessed from the name, they feature Thai food. On this Wednesday evening, the restaurant was pretty quiet - but not for long with the girlfriends in residence!

Happily all girlfriends currently residing in Michigan were present! We missed Anna and look forward to her return from sunny Florida sometime in May.

We chatted about Sarah's upcoming retirement and she listened intently as Elisabeth and I gave her pointers on making this exciting transition. Ruth had news of her grown children to share as well as some new photos of her sweet granddaughter!  Rebecca had fantastic news of a new job for her son way out in San Diego! What a blessing that he has found work and an apartment so quickly after his move.

Dinner is a sideline activity for this happy group, but we studied the menu and asked for some clarifications from the waitress. One of the great things about this restaurant is the ability to request a specific heat level for the food. With a few, exceptions, any menu item can be prepared with mild, medium, hot or Thai hot spice. 

The waitress explained that "medium" was akin to the spice of a jalapeno. Armed with this knowledge, we all chose to take the safe road with the selection of mild. 

Within a few minutes, our friendly waitress delivered 3 dishes of rice and 5 steaming entrees. After a brief prayer, the table got pretty quiet as we dove into our food. We all agreed we had chosen well from the large menu and the spice level was just right.

As we marked our calendars for our next Girlfriends dinner and prepared to head home, I couldn't help but reflect upon how blessed we are with our families, our God and our girlfriends.

May you be blessed as well this spring season!

Miriam 

“Is any pleasure on earth as great as a circle of Christian friends by a good fire?” - C.S. Lewis


 

Are you tempted?

As Miriam and I got out of the car, I could smell it. The grill was on and it was hot. The aroma of meat cooking aroused and tempted my senses. Applebee's Grill was cooking dinner! 

Not long after we were seated, Sarah joined us. It would be just the three of us this evening. Elizabeth is traveling with her hubby, enjoying some winter time in the south! Anna is south for the winter as well, helping her parents. Rebbecca stayed home to join her husband in a much anticipated telephone call from her out-of-state son who is making some big decisions in his life. 

Many new dishes tempted us as we studied the menu. The menu had changed since I had last been there. I didn’t want to miss an option, so I studied each page. 

I settled on the Chicken Fajita Roll-up (truthfully, I wanted the French fries that came along with it)!

Sarah had the Hot Shot Whiskey Chicken which was my second choice and boy did it look yummy! 


Miriam ordered the Cedar Grilled Lemon Chicken. We thanked God for the gathering and the food and the sharing began.
 
Miriam and I asked Sarah about her job. Knowing that she has an end date in sight for retirement didn’t make it easier to hear that her employer (who just laid off a number of individuals) is now hiring. She is tempted to just put in her time, work 9 to 5 and call it a day; however, Sarah isn’t working for her employer. She is working as if for the Lord. She is strong. She is trusting God to see her through these last few months and all the stresses and trials of her situation. Sarah is a woman of God.

Miriam had just spent time with family celebrating three birthdays. It was nice to hear about her day out of town, visiting local establishments and enjoying a couple of meals with her grown children. No matter how old our children get, it is great fun to spend time with them and get a glimpse into their lives. When most people put themselves first, Miriam isn’t tempted in that way. She puts others first. She is truly concerned for those around her. She is strong. Miriam is a woman of God.

Just as I was tempted by the smells and the looks of foods on the menu, I am tempted by things in life. Satan is a liar and tries to deceive me. In a recent Bible study Children of the Day by Beth Moore, one lesson focused on deception and reminded me to not let anyone deceive me. How do I do that? I read the Bible. I study it. I pray. I surround myself with Christians to give me strength and hold me accountable. I listen to Christian music and I am careful with what I expose to my eyes. 

My prayer is that you do the same. Get to know Jesus.

John 14:6

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Blessings,

Ruth

Sharing Tests of Faith - and Weather!

It was mid-January in mid-Michigan when only the hardy will survive.  We've all been weather tested over the years so a few more inches of snow never stopped us from getting together for our monthly girl's dinner.  

 

Though we've had a somewhat mild winter so far, it seems January was trying to make up for the lack of snow in December!  We arrived at Hunan Gardens on the west side of Kalamazoo, so that I, Elisabeth, didn't have quite as far to travel from the lake shore.  The 40-mile jaunt down M-43 can be somewhat harrowing in the winter, and especially at night.  Luckily, for this visit I was staying with a friend in Kalamazoo, and did not have to travel back home in the snowy darkness!  

 

Hot tea, a warm atmosphere, hugs and smiles greeted us as we settled in for a tasty meal at Hunan Gardens.  The menu was a menagerie of wonderful Asian dishes with all the normal fixings, rice, wanton, egg rolls, and of course some hot tea!  The smell of all the spices was fabulous and made our mouths water as we checked out the menu.  I, for one, was sneaking a peek at the dishes being delivered to the table next to us.  Yummy!

We missed our friend Sarah tonight, who is getting ready for a big trip to celebrate her mother-in-law's 100th birthday!  Wow, what a milestone for this woman and to have her entire family help her celebrate with her!   Our sister, Ruth, is still in sunny warm Florida helping out her parents.  What a blessing for so many of us to still have our parents in our lives, and to be able to give back what they have provided to us throughout our lives.  Perhaps we don't always see it as a blessing, as our parents age and require more of our time and energy, but we all continue to pray for patience, perseverance, and being able to honor our parents in a Godly way.  

Even though some of us don't get to see each other so often anymore, as the physical distance between us has grown a bit, we still seem to pick up right where we left off the last time.  Kids and grandkids are the biggest topics of conversation, as we all share stories of our families, challenges and struggles along with joys and praises.  How difficult it still is to let go of the worry, even as we now all have grown children.  As much as we want them to make their own decisions (and mistakes),  it's hard to sit back and watch sometimes.  We trust God to guide them and keep them safe, but in our humanness, it can be hard to let go.  Conversation drifted into vacation plans, happenings at church, and of course the weather!  

I mentioned earlier about us all being "weather-tested", by Michigan winters.  I thought about how that applies not only to the weather, but also to our faith.  We've all had the ups and downs of plenty and want, joys and sorrows, confidence and fears.  Sometimes our faith does waver, as we are tested by things of the world.  But it seems the longer we continue to hold fast in our faith, and look to the Lord first and foremost, our faith can withstand those tests of time (or weather!).  

 

I know this because I've witnessed it with this group of women.  We are not perfect, nor are our families, but we look to each other for strength and guidance, with no judgement or bias.   It's such a blessing to be able to share our "tests of faith" with our sisters in  Christ, and know that at any time of the day or night, they are there, prepared to pray, prepared to respond, prepared to be by our side.  Everyday I thank God for these women, and the bond that we have formed together.  May God continue to richly bless this special group of women that I am honored to call my BFFs!

Stay warm everyone!

 

Until we meet again,

 

Elisabeth (writing this from sunny Alabama!)

Celebrating Friendships

It was a chilly, gloomy day when the girlfriends last met, but the warmth of our friendships served to brighten the room. 

Since it was a few days after Christmas and Sarah and Ruth had the day off, we chose to meet for lunch at Food Dance in downtown Kalamazoo. The restaurant, which opened over 20 years ago has been known for sourcing ingredients locally long before it was a popular trend in dining. A favorite meeting spot and eatery, on any given day you will find business people, visitors to the area, families and friends at Food Dance.

In addition to food prepared for on site dining, Food Dance offers an array of fresh meats, cheeses, desserts and deli items for take out. This makes it a popular stop for folks who live or work downtown and want a quick, yet fresh dinner to take home to the family.  A selection of wines and even gift items round out the offering.

Calling ahead was a good idea as the restaurant was already bustling on a Tuesday shortly before noon. Although reservations are not guaranteed for parties of 5, the heads up to the hostess allowed us to be seated right away. With the exception of Anna who is still in sunny Florida, all girlfriends were able to make it to town!

With so much goodness on the menu and lots of catching up to do, it took a while to place our lunch orders.  


Eventually we settled on a variety of dishes from salads to soups and grilled cheese sandwiches to burgers.

As we waited for our food to be prepared, we shared a little about our Christmas celebrations which included visits from adult children, aging parents, siblings and grandchildren! We were all blessed to be surrounded with love in this season when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the source of all love.

In case you have just stumbled upon this blog, we have been meeting pretty much monthly for nearly three years! It's amazing how close we have become as we hear each others concerns, joys and sorrows! 

When we are not together, we often reach out to one another with prayer requests, praises and comfort via text messages, email or phone calls. We lift each other up and in doing so, we are growing our faith, friendships and ability to set our worries aside, knowing God is in control.

I recently heard someone say "Why would I want to sit with people who do not know me and tell them every detail of my life?" 

This broke my heart. How else do we get to know one another? How do we build relationships and get past loneliness and isolation if not through sharing our histories, current realities and future dreams?  If not by lifting each other up in prayer?

As the Bible notes in Acts 2:42 - "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

This is the faith, life and fellowship God has planned for us. To embrace our Christian friends and grow in Christ together. To welcome new believers, fence-sitters and those still walking in darkness, into our lives. To grow together in the love of our Father in Heaven who is beckoning to us with open arms.

This is the blessing we continue to receive as Girlfriends Breaking Bread.

May your friendships - old and new - bring you closer to God in this new year,

Miriam