When A Friend Relocates

You can learn a lot from Facebook, a lot of it is useless info and some of it, well, the life hacks are sometimes worth the time to read an article making cleaning, cooking and the like easier. It has been fun watching friends on trips or with their families or seeing something funny on a video that makes you laugh over and over again. I'm thinking of Gina VH and the water challenge...never gets old. Facebook reacquaints friends from years back, high school and college. Seems strange that the last time you saw them...was back in the day and they have and I have lived all kinds of life in between. It's funny that when I see happy times or good times of others on Facebook my thoughts are not of jealousy or why do they get to do that or go there? No, not at all, I am happy and thrilled especially when it comes to travel because I have become my mother..."Can we see it from the car?"

Some days there one can learn unexpected news....you know, I knew my friend was moving...and although we hadn't talked about it personally, I knew the day was coming...but I wasn't ready for her move to take place, so soon...too quickly. Really, there are those of us, family and friends, she is leaving behind...We were going to have more conversations and visits...lots more hugs...more of her delicious desserts,but yesterday, she decided to move her closing date sooner...or maybe that should be God knew the date would be sooner than later. Yesterday, our world lost one of the brightest lights ever created, her family and her friends are saddened at the homegoing of Ria, there in the south of France, with her family beside her from breast cancer. An aggressive form of breast cancer. Ria kept us informed of her treatments and surgeries but in the midst of the news, she always had a good word to share that God is faithful, He is good and she experienced His peace. In the midst of her trials she encouraged us. From her October 2017 update....

Like this verse bellow my heart is filled with His Peace and His Joy 

I am thankful for His presence  in my heart ! His faithfulness and His Grace ! Thank you Lord !

Thankful for your Support and prayers , your emails, phone calls ...

Thankful for the medical care that we can have 

Thankful for Life, my beloved, my children to be always there and their encouragements !

Thank you to pray for 

- next part ; strength , radiotherapy, wisdom for doctors 

- my back very weak since surgery ( this part is declining too 🙄)

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace . And be thankful.

Colossians 3:15 

Big hugs 

Ria 

"Count your blessings"

The first time I heard of Ria and her family was in the office that a family from France had visited and had been back. In fact one Sunday they sat in front of Roy and me in the balcony. Once I had retired, I was able to get back to choir and that is when Ria and I met and became friends. She was such a joy to know, so easy to love and she gave just about the best hugs around...We were all sad when they were moving back to the Continent but we had all rejoiced that Claude's work time had been extended past the two years here in the states.

The last meaningful conversation we had was by Messenger. While recovering from bilateral knee replacements, my hours were jumbled and tumbled, so  3:00 and 4:00 in the morning in Houston was early afternoon there. Ria wondered what in the world was I doing up....and then we typed and shared from our hearts things going on in life...

Others from Houston were much closer to the family than we were but make no mistake, we treasured their friendship, our friendship. So now, we, her friends, do what friends do when our friends change residences from earth to heaven...we pray and love the family left to miss their dear one. We cherish the memories and thank God for letting us meet this side of heaven.