Mother of Seven + 2

 Dear Linda, I do not weep for you.  My tears are for the empty spot inside of me.  I rejoice for you.  You are with the One you loved more than this life.  No more pain.  No more suffering.  If you can get this message in heaven, I just want to say thank you.  Thank you for all the memories.  My heart is full of gratitude to God for the blessing of you.  Thirty-eight beautiful years I knew you, and I treasure every one. God brought you into my life when I was in 8th grade.  You taught our girl's Sunday School class at church.  We were a silly bunch of giggling middle school and high school girls.  I remember you shaking your head and laughing along with us. You would invite all of us crazy girls to your house for fun and taffy pulls.  You even braved loading us up in your car for shopping trips to Bartlesville each year.  You knew our secret crushes, our dreams, and our struggles.  We were all your girls, a...

There are several women who have been role models and teachers to me.  Esther Friend was one of those people in my life.  Titus 2:3-5 says, Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.  Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Esther taught me much about how to love my husband.  I remember meeting Esther when I was twelve years old.  To me she was beautiful.  She often had a smile as she cheerfully worked serving those around her.  She was in her element when she had a kitchen at her disposal with lots of people to feed.   Over the years what stood out to me about Esther was the way she worked alongside her husband.  They farmed together, raised dogs together, and drov...