Ponder This: like jonathan and david...

She was my first real friend in college. We were both enrolled as Theater Majors and looking back now our friendship was the only real reason for that. She and I were fast friends. Kindred Spirits right from the start. We navigated the waters of independence that college gives to youths fresh from their parents’ homes. Together we explored campus, attended different campus ministries and churches, ran our errands, and just plain processed this new life we were experiencing over meals and car rides.

We lived together one year and it ended on a sour note. We still had a lot of growing up to do at that point. Oh, we were so young! Then, as only the truest of friends can do, we got over ourselves and realized that being friends was far more important than pride or being right. We started really being real with one another and found that sometimes in order to heal the deepest hurts in life, you need a best friend to share them with to help carry the load and see you through. So we did that. A lot.

And we moved back in together and this time it worked out great. We still had our moments every now and again, but who doesn’t? They are just moments. We watched Dr. Phil every single day while we ate dinner because back then watching Dr. Phil and eating cereal for dinner were both acceptable behaviors. We ran errands and attended campus ministries and church together. We had a wall in the kitchen that we used to randomly put up Bible verses to encourage each other and by the time we moved out it was full and beautiful. Over the years we watched each other make some mistakes and grow up quite a bit. I was there the night she met her husband. She was there when I started falling in love for the first time and heard all about it.

When I look back on my college experience {which I often do}, I cannot help but think of Beth and the many memories we made. The Lord undoubtedly chose us as friends long before we knew it. He molded me and helped me to grow in my faith and in my relationship with Him through much of my friendship with Beth. She will always and forever be dear to my heart.

For 5 years we have lived in different cities and it’s been really sad. In those five years she has had two adorable little boys whom I love very much. This Fall we will be in the same city once again and I hope and pray it will be that way for a really long time.

The pictures below are from a cruise we went on with her very sweet and generous family. We had an amazing time! We cruised from Boston to Maine to Quebec to Prince Edward Island. We even toured Green Gables, THEE Green Gables! Here are some of my favorite pictures from our trip.