The Sista's

In the previous post, I made mention of The Princess Sista's. There may be a few of you who don't know who these incredible ladies are. There are six of us. Among us, we represent two single mothers, a grandmother and a great grandmother. Three have struggled with infertility and had hysterectomies. Three have overcome childhood struggles that are not mine to tell. One is a breast cancer survivor. Three have lost fathers, while one has lost a mother. One of us is a new bride, while the other five remain single. We represent two decades in age. Four of us are extremely close to our families, while all six struggle with the irritants and joys that family brings. We have our differences and our similarities.

Five years ago, we went on our first trip to Orange Beach, AL. While there, our friendship was forged through laughter and Weight Watchers. We decided that, when we were together, nothing we ate contained WW points. Thus, The Pointless Sisters were born. After a year or so of misunderstandings of our name, we became The Princess Sisters. Too many people thought we were saying that we thought our lives were pointless because of our single status. NOT!! Our new title is in reference to the fact that our Father is the King, and we are and will always be His daughters.

We have found ourselves sisters in the truest sense over these past five and a half years. We discovered that a yearly beach trip was not enough time together. We have eaten at just about every restaurant in Birmingham. We have attended high school and college football games. We celebrate birthdays, Christmas, the Iron Bowl, and just about anything else we can think of. When one of us misses church, we all miss her. This summer, we adopted a practice (Kathi's idea) that we meet at least once a week. This does not include Sunday morning's service or our Wednesday night classes. Can you tell that we are all just a little bit obsessive? We are planning a cruise for this summer. We talk, e-mail and pray for each other regularly. Although blood connects only two of us, we are truly 'sisters'. God has forged a connection that none of us can explain. I can't imagine my life without them! I am richer because of these women. May you all have friends like these in your lives! I couldn't love them more if my own mother had given birth to them. To list them:

• Marlene Lawley


• Kathi Davis


• Deb Shaw Stark


• Tina Parkhill


• Lisa Moore


• Lara Moore

Rest

For the past several years, Lisa (my sister) and I have been planning to spend a week in the mountains this fall. My fortieth and her forty-fifth birthdays fall this year, so we decided it would be a good way to celebrate. Thanks to good friends, we were able to stay at their lake house and enjoy the foothills to the Smoky Mountains. This is the view from the deck and I must say that it's just as beautiful at night when you're wrapped up in a blanket and sitting in a rocking chair. How do I know? We did just that, at least twice. Lisa surprised me on Saturday, by secretly flying in my sis-in-law, Janet, for the weekend. Two of the Princess Sista's, Marlene & Kathi spent time there, also. We talked, napped, ate, and worked a mystery puzzle. Can I just say that I don't like puzzles that don't show you the complete picture on the box?!

There is something to be said for times like this. This place was almost a sanctuary for my friends and me. Janet returned from her rest to a sick husband and a report of head lice in her children's school. I'm so glad that she had a short vacation. As a wife and mother, rest is a hot commodity. Even though I could have stayed days more, I didn't dread coming back. I feel refreshed. That's what I wish for you. A place of sanctuary, where you can be refueled. If you need somewhere to go, I can recommend Lewis Smith Lake in Cullman County, AL. It truly is a beautiful retreat.

A rested Lara