I just need to brag about a few of my friends! Friendship is one of the dearest things to my heart. And I have been so blessed to have found some of the most amazing friends there are in this world. Seriously, I may not be a 100 new friends each new day kind of girl, but the friends I do have the kind that will truly last a lifetime and will never get old or worn.

The first if my amazing maid of honor. She has always been there for me and I have no doubt that she always will be. She is my go to girl. She is always so thoughtful and always chimes in at just the right time. She is always up for anything, especially sitting in the basement watching our old animated favorites. We never get tired of "gossip" hour where we fill each other in on our lives and the lives of everyone we know, but not in a mean or cruel way. *wink* She encourages me and builds me up. She gives me hope for the rest of humanity. She is one of the sweetest and most loyal people I know. She is patient and wise and never thinks I'm stupid or retarded when the rest of the world looks at me and thinks, "Ugh!" She is the most amazing best friend I could have ever dreamed of. Who would've thought that a few random and kinda awkward conversations on AIM before we even met in person would turn into the amazing friendship I now hold so close to my heart. My maid of honor is someone to brag about. You should be so lucky as to be her friend. I am, and I consider myself deeply blessed by God.

My next friend I'd like to brag about is one of my closest friends. We have been friends for the large majority of our lives and we've had an... interesting relationship. There have been lots of ups and downs, but through it all I always knew that this friend of mine was sincerely striving after God and sought a deeper relationship with Him. And that is the most important thing in this life. Much more important that the petty arguments we had in fifth grade over who sat next to who at lunch and who was really whose best friend. Yes, we were silly and jealous girls. This friend and I have a lot of special things in common that others will never understand. This friend and I have been through so much together that no one else will ever be able to duplicate. She always encourages me. She is always very transparent with me. And she always asks me point blank how I am doing spiritually and in what ways I need to grow. I don't have enough accountability in my life. A lot of my friends take it for granted I think. I should be more proactive in this area. Asking my friends how they need to improve and how I can help them, asking for their help in my life and struggles, and asking them how they see me needing help in different areas of life.My dear friend has been that to me. She has been my mirror when I refused to see my faults. She has held me accountable for my actions and kept me on track. She has taught me how important it is to truly seek after God in every aspect of life. I am so grateful for this friend of mine and I do not know what I would do without her.

My last friend I'd like to brag about today, although there are several other friends I could brag about for hours, is a newer addition in my life. She and I were randomly thrown together but quickly made a bond that will not quickly disappear. She is a fellow bride-to-be which is refreshing in and of itself. She is as interested as I am in all this wedding mumbo jumbo. She really truly cares about how my planning is going and she understands the pressures we brides face. A lot of my friends do not understand how it feels to be a bride with all the responsibilities and very little help. She asks how the process is going and where we are in our planning and she truly listens to my answers. It's not some polite question because she knows the wedding is soon like a lot of other random people I'll bump into. She is a shining star of a friend. I have seen her blossom so much since our friendship began and I am so thankful to God for the way He has worked in her life and in her fiance's life. They have grown so much and I feel they are more ready to be married now than they ever were before. I hope Matthew and I appear as such to outsiders. I feel we have grown so much the past semester in our love for each other and our commitment to each other. My friend has reminded me of how much will continue to change in the next few years and how we'll continue to grow and learn as new instances and experiences arise. I can hardly wait!

I have several gems for friends. And too often I take them for granted. So much bad is in this world today, but my friends... they are the shining light that give me hope. Jesus shines through their lives as they live to glorify Him. And He is the one we truly put our hope in. For through Him all things are possible. We serve a mighty God indeed.