Only by the grace of God...

...am I saved and where I am today. The LORD is doing amazing things in my life but I know that I am only here in this time and place because of the grace of God and prayers. An old friend of mine friended me on facebook the other day, a friend from my teen years. I haven't seen or spoken with her since she graduated over 15 years ago. We were pretty close friends but even then I knew she wasn't the best influence for me but I was a teenager and wanted friends and to be "in" and she definitely was fun and crazy.

But I am so thankful that I listened to the LORD and well feared my mother and God because that is one of the only reasons I am where I am today. Of course her friendship wasn't the end of my "rebellious" teen years, but if I followed in her footsteps, I wouldn't want to know what kind of life I would have right now.

By the grace of God I have a wonderful husband of 10 1/2 years and two beautiful, healthy little boys, a great church and wonderful friends and family...but it could have been different.

After looking at her pictures I was, I don't want to be harsh, but appalled and sad. Sad that such a beautiful girl decided to take that path in life when she was certainly not raised that way.

I so believe in choosing the right friends throughout all the stages of your life and of course we all make mistakes and choices that we may regret. But that is what life is all about...choices and there are so many. Thankfully God is a forgiving God and all is in the past and forgotten. That's how I live my life, I try not to dwell on what has happened to me in the past...decisions, actions, words that I might have said or were said to me. I repented of my sins and God forgave me and wants me to grow.

I feel the same about people in my life. Can you imagine what a burden it would be if I held onto every word, action, event that happened to me in my life that caused pain. God is a forgiving God so I should forgive too. Nothing is ever worth dwelling on or to bring it up time and time again. I strive to forgive and forget. I want happiness in my life not to be miserable. I want to be an enjoyable person to be around and happy for my children. A blessing to those around me not a burden.

All this being said, that I am sad that she has chosen that life but I am by no means above her and God loves her just as much as me. We can only pray for those around us and that they make the right decisions in life albeit as hard as they may be sometimes. I can only pray for His mercy on my life everyday.