Kaci's Ramblings

Good Saturday afternoon to you! I pray God is blessing you and yours this weekend.

Over the course of my lifetime, I have been blessed with many mothers. Due to situations, my mom wasn't always able to be there for me. My dad remarried and I had stepmothers, but neither my mom or my stepmothers are of whom I speak. There were women in my life who showed me how to be a Godly wife and mother without giving birth to me. They weren't there when I took my first step or said my first word, but they were there in crucial times in my life when it really mattered most. The Bible is full of Godly women who we can learn from, but God has truly shown his love to me through the women in MY life. I will write of two of these today.

In the third grade, my family moved across town. One of the first people we met was Kathy...at that time in my life she was the "coolest" grown-up I had ever met. She always had enough popsicles for every kid in the neighborhood, taught me how to make perfect chocolate chip cookies, and was always there when I needed someone to talk to. When I had to do a report for the great American smoke out, I did it on her, (who was also my inspiration to quit smoking) who quit, not with patches or nicotene gum, but by giving it to God and allowing Him to take it from her. Every Christmas, she held caroling practice at her house for weeks before Christmas and took all the neighborhood kids caroling, followed by a Christmas party at her house. I recall many New Year's Eve's at her house, sleepovers, I baby sat her kids, and just hung out when things weren't so great at home. She took us to the pastor's house one night, a practical joker himself, where we toilet-papered and "forked" his yard (for those of you who have never been forking, we spelled "gotcha" across his yard with hundreds of plastic forks). She and another friend got me my first bra, embarrassing at the time, but a fond memory of caring friends now. In high school, when I needed to ask the "How do you know if he's really 'The One'" question, my Kathy was there. I live to this day, by the advice she gave me on finding a Godly man, I'll never forget the way she smiled when she told me of the first time she met Charlie The lessons Kathy taught me and the memories we made will last a lifetime. The make a difference, still, in my every day life. God blessed not only me, but an entire neighborhood of children, by sending us this saint, by loaning her to us for our "other mother." Because of her, there are always enough popsicles in my freezer for the entire neighborhood.

I also have another "other mother" who I met as an adult and has meant so much to me this last year. Carolyn, thank you, you will never know the ways you have touched my life. God has truly blessed me by putting you on my road When I was lost and alone and had nowhere to go, she was there for me. Showed me the true meaning of hospitality by opening her arms, heart and home to me. Proverbs 31:10 says "Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies." I praise the Lord, and thank Him for bringing these virtuous women into my life.

Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." I learned so much from these Godly women about Faith, and Virtue and about Trusting in God and I am so very thankful. I pray one day that my walk with God will be as evident to others as Kathy's and Carolyn's is to me. I pray that I can touch someone's life the way these wonderful ladies have touched mine. I am truly blessed!

Who are you thankful for today?