15 years....and teachable moments.

15 years. How is that even possible? How it is that I have lived 15 years without my best friend by my side. How is it even possible that I can still hear her laugh, feel her hug, and remember the moments like they just happened.

THIS girl knew how to light up a room, and when you heard that laugh...you just laughed along with her. She carried so much joy and laughter, but what I cherished the most about knowing her, was her love for Jesus. She was madly inlove with her maker that being in the same room with her challeged you to know Him more. Oh how I miss her face!

I remember the passion she lived for and her biggest desire was to bring people to know Jesus. That was her completely. I am reminded of that today...and I think about the most special story. As I was driving down Herndon with my kids, we were approaching on the cemetery where Ashley was buried, Dawson became curious and began asking questions and Jenna chimed in and told him that my friend was buried there, but is in heaven with Jesus because Jesus lived in her heart. That sweet conversation that day....led to the most amazing moment. He asked me to pray with him that very afternoon to ask Jesus into heart.

15 years later. It amazes me the ways in which God works. There were so many seeds that she planted for Jesus in the people she knew, loved or maybe even just met for a moment. She left impressions on their hearts. Seeds were planted. What I love....is that they don't just have a short season to grow...and then they die. But these seeds have been planted and when God sees that perfect moment its time for those seeds to grow.  15 years later she is still doing his work.

Today my sweet Jenna had asked to visit the cememtary with me to see Ashley. I have never taken her. To be honest....I never thought this far. When she died is was so much to bear not sharing life with her...and experiencing life without being able to tell her all about it. Never in a million years did I think of what it would be like to have to tell my daughter about the most special friend I have ever known. But one of the BIGGEST lessons God has been teaching me....is teachable moments.

Lately there have been teachable moments that God quietly whispers to me to take them, for they might not come again and I might miss this moment to speak Truth into my daughters life. Those hard conversations that are just down right uncomfortable. That it would be SO easy to change the subject or sugarcoat it. But when you sugarcoat what God has done....you take the Truth out of it. And the Truth is what saves, redeems and brings hope.

So today we are going to go and visit her grave and talk about Gods amazing plan for our life. How to live a life of legacy, be used for His Glory. But most of all talk about the Best Friend I can't wait to see again one day.

One of the sweetest moments that I truely treasure was finding a picture she had of us in her bible and she had wrote a scripture on the back. In the hardest moments when I would have given anything just to talk to her one more time....she still points me back to Jesus.