Friends as Family

"...may the righteous be glad and rejoice before God; may they be happy and joyful. Sing to God, sing praise to his name, extol him who rides on the clouds—his name is the LORD—and rejoice before him. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth the prisoners with singing..."
-- Psalm 68:3-6

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God truly does "set the lonely in families". I am blessed with many friends that have become like family to me, some in the form of actual families and some in the form of peers and peer groups that seem like family. Each friend holds a special place in my heart and I am eternally grateful for the love that pours out from them into my life through prayers, encouraging words, open ears, laughter... Mostly I'm thankful for the time they spend with me, whatever form that takes on, and for accepting me for who I am and loving me anyway.

Thank you, Lord, for the abundance of love You've surrounded me with. I pray that you would reveal to each of my friends how special they are in Your eyes and how much they help make the lives of those around them brighter just by being there.

Zeke & Ruby are gifts that I received from one of my families for Valentine's Day.
Zeke is incredibly soft and almost 3 feet long, from the tip of his tongue to the end
of his tail. Ruby is very quiet but mischievous. She doesn't have a squeaker but
she can squirt you when you're not looking..............................................................

photo (c) 2007 by DKF