Hi, I miss you. Nothing to say about light fixtures just tired of the same old thing. How are you dear? Are you listening to your music loud? Are you bored like me? It's my fault. Sometimes I just want to dye my hair blue, live in a loft, and ride a bike or walk everywhere. You know-  carry home fresh bread from the bakery, and buy fresh produce from the market every night. Oh, and flowers cleverly perched in the bag with the fresh bread. Forget the blue hair. I want regular hair and a flowy sundress, or jeans and a white t-shirt. Not spending as much time with God as I should. He is exciting and I had better get back to Him before I get into trouble. Stephen has a new tattoo that says Belly Up To The Clouds on his arm. It's from a song. I like that thought. Maybe because he's my son and I am his #1 fan. I love you, Amy. Sorry nothing spiritually mind blowing to share. God has blessed me with you and I am very thankful that's for sure. That in itself is very spiritual and brings me great joy as I think of how he brought our lives together. Thinking about you sweet friend.

That's an email from a friend - one I've known for 30 years.  We don't see each other much or talk much or even email much.  But our hearts are woven together.  As I read her email I pictured her face, pictured her wishing I'd turn my music down - or up - and wondering just how many times I could listen to that George Benson 8-track before it would wear out!  I dreamed right along with her, only my hair would be purple.  And we'd be in Europe or Manhattan or on a tropical island.  And I'd go for regular hair, too.  And we'd ponder how exciting God is together while belly up to the clouds.  That is spiritually mind blowing to me.  All of it.  The friend, the email, her face, the music, the memories, the dreams, the pondering.  I am very thankful for her, too, and I can't help but smile as I think of her.

And the subject line of her email was perfect.   Friends are light fixtures.  Sometimes they wait until we flip the switch and other times they come on automatically to shed light at exactly the moment we need it.  Friends are lights in our lives placed by our God who knows our every thought, our every hope, our every dream, our every cry, our every pondering.  As light fixtures they shine brightly into our darkened and misdirected days and bring His light to every part of us, revealing that He is exciting.  When they shine the light of His love on to us, we find our thoughts turned to wonderful things, our hope renewed, our dreams go technicolor, our tears are wiped away and our ponderings become blessings.

My friend's reaching to flip my switch on her life last week drew us both to the source of our light - to the Light of the World - to realize that life in Him is lofty, moving, exciting, bringing our minds, bodies and spirits to places of fun, vitality, smells, sights, sounds, beauty, comfort, ease, and blessing.  His light puts us belly up, resting in His warmth, gazing at His beauty, and focused on His love and presence.

I'm belly up with you, Laurie.  I miss you.  And I love you, too.
Amy

I Peter 5:7 - Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.