MAKE NEW FRIENDS, BUT KEEP THE OLD . . .

I just returned from a trip (for my job) to Ft. Worth. Flying in bad weather (during last week's tornado-fest) wasn't much fun. I'm quite certain I left my stomach somewhere over Mississippi!

However, the trip was TOTALLY worth it.

Friday night I was able to spend a laughter-filled evening with friends who traveled a couple of hours to take me to dinner. Margaritas annnnnd Tex Mex?! Yes please.

Roy is an ollllllllddddd friend. Okay. He's not really so old (I say that because we're virtually the same age). What I mean is . . . we go way back. Our families were both stationed in Germany in the 80s when we were teenagers. We went to school and church together.

Army brats live a different kind of life. I suppose it's a fraternity of sorts. Those kinds of bonds can stand the test of time. It's a little more of a challenge to stay in contact with school friends because everyone scatters from one end of the globe to the other. It takes more effort but is worth it.

I'm grateful to have been able to get to know Roy as an adult. He's "evolved" from a typical, smart-mouth teenage boy into a wise man. That's been great to see.

The bonus? Roy married pretty much the coolest chick ever. ;-) I kid him that he DEFINITELY married outta his league. I'm sure he knows that I'm, well, NOT kidding! ;-)

Toni's wonderful. She's funny, "smart as all get out" and has a huge heart for God.

As a couple, they each desire to live out their faith every day . . . in very real ways. I gotta say, their lives challenge me. I like that.