Jaci Dawn

I have a group of friends I see about once a year, maybe once every other year and sometimes twice a year. Our friendships date back over 20 years to the time when we were all young Christians and involved in a denomination that is borderline cult. Some of my friends were more into it than I ever was: shortly after we started attending Victory Chapel in Oregon City, our pastor cut all ties with the cult and formed a non-denominational church he named New Beginnings. And most of those friends from Victory Chapel & Potter’s House also attended New Beginnings, if only for a short while.

Don & I attended NBCC for over 15 years before the go-go-go demand got to us and we found we could no longer burn the candle at both ends. We followed many others out the door and into the world of the un-churched, which is where we remain to this day.

Some of my girlfriends are involved in different churches and one of them remains at New Beginnings. Some of us are un-churched but only in the sense that we don’t have a church home anymore.

Not all of us have children but most of us do and our children are close enough in age that they all knew each other and were maybe even friends (or still are). We range in age from 40 to 55. Only two of us are grandmothers.

I love seeing these women. We don’t agree on everything, we don’t have all the answers, we’ve all been through some sort of hell (usually having to do with children or spouses – or both), and we all have a strong connection to our faith. Not all of us were able to be at the party today.

Today’s excuse for a get-together was Julianne’s 50th birthday. She came all dressed up and wore a tiara, a birthday hat, and carried a magic wand (balloon).

The cake was gorgeous!

I love these women: DeeDee, Kathy, Julianne, Diane, Christina, Ardith, Christina, Jaci & Reva.

What’s not to love?

They are witty, intelligent, loving, non-judgmental, strong women.

I’m not sure what Julianne was doing with that last candle. Choking, I think.

We are also peri-menopausal and post-menopausal. We talk over each other. We share our hurts and bare our hearts.

And the only reason we ever get together is because of Ardith.

That’s Ardith on the right with the bright purple shirt and the glasses. Ardith is committed to getting us all together and keeping the fires of friendship burning in our hearts. Friendships that may have died because we all went our separate ways are kept strong because Ardith has this gift to pulling us all back together.

That’s Kathy, Julianne, Christina & Ardith in the photo. Christina is the youngest.

I just want to thank Ardith for her wonderful gift of friendship and for always bringing us back together when our natural tendency is to wander off.  Ardith: you rock as a friend.

Christina (Julianne’s sister), Ardith, Christina, Diane, Kathy, DeeDee & I all around Queen for a Day, Grandma Julianne.(Reva already left – sorry you missed out on this photo, Reva!)

Happy Fiftieth, Julianne!

Friendship is a wonderful gift.

I love you, Girls!!