Friends ReVisted

She always prefaced her story with how she was just a simple girl. This spoke to me. I too am a simple girl. I have freckles and fair skin. My lineage full of pioneer stock. My future full of normal. Her normal looks spectacular. In Christ, well that's what normal becomes. Her little stories of simple flood my eyes with tears and inspires me to love people, just love them right where I am, right where they are. When we were young Mom would read her book aloud before bed. Each evening just one more of Ann Kiemel's little stories.

If you're ever in Manassas, Virginia make a stop at Mckay's Used Books. I miss this store. It's like shopping at the library. Old books, new books, stacks and stacks of books and you choose a genre and you get to see the way that genre has been covered through the years. And then, so many times you run into old friends. That's what happened when we were visiting our old stomping grounds and a rainy day left me scanning shelves. There, I reunited with Ann. The book I found wasn't the one I remember from those childhood days but I bought it anyway and greedily gobbled up her words. Ann is authentic. She is authentic even if it means incriminating herself. She's not afraid of the world knowing when she sinned or how. Her honest walk inspires me.

She's currently writing her 18th book and she now has a blog. Want to experience just a taste of Ann then click here and  read her inspiring post titled, 'i believe', and be encouraged by her words.

Grateful Heart for Finding Old Friends and...:

982. 
A peace about upcoming days that can only come from God 

985.
Crazy ideas and being  bold enough to ask when it really feels so crazy


986.
Teenagers saying and doing hard things.


988.
Bags of clothing  for only $29.00


989.
A grocery bill smaller than  the amount saved


990.
Mentors who think none of it is crazy and they encourage us to keep on, persevere.


993.
Studying 1 Peter as a family


994.
Quizzing my Bible Bee Contestant and she's got it and her stack keeps  getting bigger and bigger.