I would like to take a moment to share this recent experience with the hope to encourage you all of the sweet blessing that comes from having communion with God.

 I prayed a simple, sincere prayer a few weeks ago, after just arriving in a new state, attending a new church, and settling in to a new season of life here in South Dakota. With all the new sites to see and people to meet I was excited and had a positive outlook about everything that was unfolding. Until, the day it caught up to me that I'd become another face in the crowd and I realized how much I missed my friends & family-the hugs! At first I relied on myself to handle it and I kept telling myself it would just take time to make friends. The longer I tried to hold out, the lonelier I became. So one night I openly spoke to God about my feelings. I prayed something like, "Lord, it's getting harder and harder for me to remain content being here when I watch people hug each other at church, and I don't have that anymore. I know this is where we're supposed to serve...I'm okay with not having a baby right now, but please God, bring me a friend." And this is how God saw fit to answer...

  I was sitting at women's bible study and before we started, I asked the group leader if there were any ladies in the fellowship who played guitar and sang. (I was looking for someone to practice my bass with.) Sure enough, God's perfect timing, there was this new girl there that I hadn't met before. Not only does she play and sing, but she also lives on the base in the same housing division as me and James! I remember thinking, 'cool, we can carpool sometime'. After the study we exchanged phone numbers and got together 2 weeks later to jam. Once we found each other's My Space pages my eyes were opened in amazement of how well God knows my heart. All I prayed for was a friend, what He gave me was a kindred spirit. (I didn't think those still existed!) Her personality, her kindness, her genuinness; these broke down my security walls and drew me in...her humor, her love for her family, her smile; these made her irresistible to be around...her interests, her likes and dislikes, her taste in music; these threw me for a loop with how much we have in common...her honesty, her humanity, her heart; these qualities gave me comfort that she is for real and not a figment of my imagination. She is a rare jewel, she is a God Send. All I prayed for was a friend, and He one upped me with numerous bonus features. She's married, she's Air Force, she's originally from the West state of Oregon. She loves God, she loves music, she loves her beautiful blond son, Evan Michael and she loves coffee with creamer. She is thoughtful and compassionate. She is pretty, she is strong, she is funny, she is five inches shorter than me. She is clever and mischievous...and I've only known her a couple weeks. Her name is Buffy and I am thankful to call her my friend.  She is the beauty of an answered prayer, and a portrait of God's love. How wonderful it is to be His child and to be loved by Him...that's my King, I wonder do you know Him?