Tag Archives: friends

All He takes away

There’s nothing for a couple like good couple friends. Friends who feel to drop by for dinner, call you up spontaneously, cry with you, work alongside you, text you when they’re in need of prayer. Eat your ravaged mustard mash that didn’t turn out quite right with nary a word of complaint.

Especially when they’re not only your couple friends, but your bandmates. Who have also been in your Bible study for 3 years. Oh, and are on the worship team at church with you. And when the female component of this couple is your best girlfriend.

In case you haven’t caught on yet, I’m talking about my friends Eric and Carrie.

Carrie was the one who kicked my butt into the world of blogging over two years ago. Carrie was the first person to call me after our break-in in January. She took me for my first pedicure. Carrie’s thrift shopping stamina is enough to satisfy even this hard-core thrift shopper. And Eric and Carrie forced us to go to a Regency Ball . . . twice!

Carrie invited me to sing back-up vocals for one of her gigs one fall long ago, which put the wheels in motion for the formation of our band, Thornfield.

Eric and Carrie were the first people I played one of my original songs for (with the exception of my husband, of course!), and the catalysts for my songs actually ending up not only being performed in front of actual people, but recorded on our CD. They have encouraged, challenged, pushed, comforted, and advised me.

I can’t say what Eric and Carrie have been to me in the past 3 years.

Now they are moving to North Carolina (a process started long ago), where Eric will be getting his Masters in Composition at UNCG. We had a goodbye brunch for them at our place a few weeks ago, and another goodbye brunch with our church family this past weekend. Yesterday evening we helped them pack up the truck.

And that’s it. Now–as in, this morning–they are going to get into their vehicles with all their stuff (as well as our furry and cruel band manager) and actually drive away. In fact, at this time of the morning they are probably already outside the city limits of Chicago, heading South and zooming off into this new phase of their lives.

And the only reason I’m not burying my head in the sand in despair is because I know God has a plan . . . that his plan is GOOD . . . and that he will meet all of our needs.

We will try to keep both our friendship and Thornfield going from a distance, share our lives and songwriting, engage in road trips for the occasional gig, and hopefully record another album down the road. But the reality is–it’s not going to be the same. I know I have a lot of tears ahead of me, and there’s nothing to be done except cry them, and walk through the pain of my loss.

I take so much comfort in the words of the hymn “Be still my soul” that say:

Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side,
Bear patiently the cross of grief and pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide,
In every change He, faithful, will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend,
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.

And especially close to my heart is this verse:

Be still my soul: when dearest friends depart,
And all is darkened in the vale of tears,
Then shalt thou better know his love, his heart,
Who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still my soul: thy Jesus can repay
From his own fullness all he takes away.

I love you guys, Carrie and Eric.

Drive safely, sweet friends, and I pray that after a few years, somehow, we will end up in the same city so that we can share our lives again in this way that has been so, so precious to me.

Sugar and Spice baby shower

Hi friends!

So much to say. With my baby shower a little over a week ago and our big CD release party and concert on Saturday, I’m quickly falling behind in keeping you all up to date. So let’s get to it: my baby shower was lovely!

My friend Beth hosted and took care of all the food, and Carrie headed up all the decorations, games and activities.

It was great to have all these women gathered together from different realms of my life–my mother and mother-in-law . . .

. . . friends from college . . .

. . . ladies from church . . .

. . . all of them so encouraging and supportive (and three of them also pregnant!).

I didn’t get any great pictures of the food (hitting self on head), but Jessica brought awesome gluten-free cupcakes with pink frosting, and Beth made about half a million delights: some kind of quinoa pie/quiche thing, a fruit bowl, lemon squares, berry tarts, a gluten-free cheesecake tart, quiche, Caprese salad, and more treats that I’m probably forgetting all about.

Oh, and coffee! Her husband David brewed it nice and strong, just like I like it.

I loved all the games Carrie chose. My mom proved fiercely competitive at stealing peoples’ pink ribbon necklaces if they slipped up and said the word ‘baby.’

(you can see above that’s she’d collected 3 at that point–many more were to follow)

I expected no less from her.

Then we played the game involving drawing a rendition of baby Alice on the back of a paper plate placed on top of your own head–without looking.

Beth’s focus was intense.

My friend Sarah kept winning–first, she won the paper plate game (she’s the one with the plate still on her head).

(she drew an adorable singing baby that looked like a snuggly little glow worm)

Then she won the belly-measuring game; her string measured exactly–and I mean EXACTLY–what my belly did. And then she cleaned things up by winning the whose-baby-picture-is-this game. We decided her new vocation should be baby-shower-crasher. She should just waltz into baby showers, win all the games, and collect all the prizes.

She could end up with a lot of candles and soaps, or something.

Then the ladies all prayed for me, my husband and Alice. I was so encouraged by all their prayers, and by the sweet song we sang at the end of this time.

And then, to finish things off, it was time for presents!

The generosity of all these ladies was amazing. There were baby books . . .

. . . adorable outfits . . .

(some of which I wanted to wear myself)

. . . things that made me cry . . .

. . . PRECIOUS girly little socks that looked like shoes with ruffled ribbons . . .

. . . beautifully written cards (that made me realize I need to stop forgetting to include a card with my gifts) . . .

Oh my, you guys.

I’m having a girl!!!

I leave you with a few more pictures. And thank you to everyone who came (or sent gifts and well-wishes from afar) to make that day so special for me and my wee one!