For the majority of my life my closest friendships were white upper middle class conservative christians. This homogeneous environment was mainly due to the school and the church I attended. It was not a conscience thing by myself or my family.
In contrast my closest friendships today are spicy. My friends hail from Canada, Estonia, Africa, and Boston. Our common thread is the preschool we selected to put our children in. Through playdates, class parties, and fundraisers we have grown closer. Three years later we are closer than ever even though none of our children attend the same school. Three of the four moms are strong Christians and have their own ministries separate from their home congregation. (What a novel concept.) One is completely disconnected from any church. All are remarkable blessings. I have been stretched in faith, spices and parenting as our friendships have grown. I would like to take a minute to share a bit about each of them.
Roman's mom- Elizabeth blows me away. When I met Roman she explained to me that he was born with a condition called sensory integration disorder. I have never seen a mom work to hard and so consistently with their child. Under her care Roman went from severely challenged to fully mainstream in a regular classroom. This is made even more remarkable by the recent conclusion that Roman began life not as sensory but as autistic. His mom is writing her second book telling their story. Did I mention she has already authored a children's book too? Besides all that her family operates the Ron Burton Training Village for at risk boys from around the country. Each summer Elizabeth preps the boys for college placement exams and teaches Bible. I strongly urge you to visit their website and see the remarkable difference this family is making one boy at a time. (view Ron Burton Training Village) Organizations like the Boston Red Sox & the West Point Academy support this life changing experience.
Phoebe's mom is Nikki. She and her husband are childhood sweethearts from Nigeria. They married moved to London for schooling and eventually moved to the states. Nikki homeschools Phoebe (six) while tending to her 2 daughters both under 2. On weekends she runs the ICU ward as the supervising nurse for the local hospital. She and her husband have a ministry to young couples. These couples come over once a month for a meal and have a "get real" conversation on marriage. Each Saturday morning the couples gather by conference call for prayer. I have seen this ministry save marriages the enemy had set apart to destroy. I am blessed to have such a wise friend who is a powerful prayer warrior.
Jillian, Tatum's mom, is from Canada. She has compared herself to Dharma of Dharma & Greg. This fall she is homeschooling all 3 of her kids (12, 7, & 4.) She is a great cook and hostess. We love to eat at her house. She is also a great decorator. I think she may be my youngest closest friend but she is wise beyond her years. She openly shares struggles from her teens. I see her as a shining light of God's mercy and grace for anyone whose sin seems to show up in the spotlight. She and her husband support a ministry in Oklahoma. They pray regularly about divine appointments to share the message of true freedom in Christ. Many of our divine discussions include a glass of wine. I have come to cherish these moments.
Margarita's mom is from Estonia. Beatrice came to America for work and stayed for her husband. She is an amazing cook too. She actually translates recipes to English for me and then teaches me how to make them in her kitchen. She and her husband have their own business plus she audits bank branches for major bank. She loves details. And yet she is also a people person. She is very kind, gracious, and loving. She seems to sense when I need something before I ever ask and she just calls at the perfect moment. She is the most athletic of all my friends. She was an Olympic swimmer in Estonia. And now she is training for boxing matches.
On a regular basis I thank God for the way He has spiced up my life.
In contrast my closest friendships today are spicy. My friends hail from Canada, Estonia, Africa, and Boston. Our common thread is the preschool we selected to put our children in. Through playdates, class parties, and fundraisers we have grown closer. Three years later we are closer than ever even though none of our children attend the same school. Three of the four moms are strong Christians and have their own ministries separate from their home congregation. (What a novel concept.) One is completely disconnected from any church. All are remarkable blessings. I have been stretched in faith, spices and parenting as our friendships have grown. I would like to take a minute to share a bit about each of them.
Roman's mom- Elizabeth blows me away. When I met Roman she explained to me that he was born with a condition called sensory integration disorder. I have never seen a mom work to hard and so consistently with their child. Under her care Roman went from severely challenged to fully mainstream in a regular classroom. This is made even more remarkable by the recent conclusion that Roman began life not as sensory but as autistic. His mom is writing her second book telling their story. Did I mention she has already authored a children's book too? Besides all that her family operates the Ron Burton Training Village for at risk boys from around the country. Each summer Elizabeth preps the boys for college placement exams and teaches Bible. I strongly urge you to visit their website and see the remarkable difference this family is making one boy at a time. (view Ron Burton Training Village) Organizations like the Boston Red Sox & the West Point Academy support this life changing experience.
Phoebe's mom is Nikki. She and her husband are childhood sweethearts from Nigeria. They married moved to London for schooling and eventually moved to the states. Nikki homeschools Phoebe (six) while tending to her 2 daughters both under 2. On weekends she runs the ICU ward as the supervising nurse for the local hospital. She and her husband have a ministry to young couples. These couples come over once a month for a meal and have a "get real" conversation on marriage. Each Saturday morning the couples gather by conference call for prayer. I have seen this ministry save marriages the enemy had set apart to destroy. I am blessed to have such a wise friend who is a powerful prayer warrior.
Jillian, Tatum's mom, is from Canada. She has compared herself to Dharma of Dharma & Greg. This fall she is homeschooling all 3 of her kids (12, 7, & 4.) She is a great cook and hostess. We love to eat at her house. She is also a great decorator. I think she may be my youngest closest friend but she is wise beyond her years. She openly shares struggles from her teens. I see her as a shining light of God's mercy and grace for anyone whose sin seems to show up in the spotlight. She and her husband support a ministry in Oklahoma. They pray regularly about divine appointments to share the message of true freedom in Christ. Many of our divine discussions include a glass of wine. I have come to cherish these moments.
Margarita's mom is from Estonia. Beatrice came to America for work and stayed for her husband. She is an amazing cook too. She actually translates recipes to English for me and then teaches me how to make them in her kitchen. She and her husband have their own business plus she audits bank branches for major bank. She loves details. And yet she is also a people person. She is very kind, gracious, and loving. She seems to sense when I need something before I ever ask and she just calls at the perfect moment. She is the most athletic of all my friends. She was an Olympic swimmer in Estonia. And now she is training for boxing matches.
On a regular basis I thank God for the way He has spiced up my life.
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