True Friends Last Forever

Have you ever had one of those friendships that are so genuine that even if a year has passed since you last saw them in person, when you do get together it's like you pick up right where you left off? For Carlo and I, it’s the Peterson's. I realize that not all of you have ever had the pleasure of knowing who we affectionately call the Pete’s, so I will quickly tell you an awesome story of how God blessed us through our friendship with Steve and Diana Peterson. We met them back in Houston the year after we were married one Sunday morning after a church service we attended. Carlo and I, as some of you know, moved to this hot and humid land where there were no family or friends right after we got married. Turns out, both Steve and Diana have family here in WI and actually lived in Madison for some time before moving to Houston for Steve’s job. Long story short, we ended up growing and doing life together in so many fun and memorable ways. Aside from our weekly gatherings with other dear friends from Crosspoint, the local church we attended, we had many cookouts together, attended parties, date nights, dinners, rodeo’s and even survived a hurricane together! Thinking back to that short but blessed time in Houston, I smile with a reverent joy knowing that God has and always will provide for us. He knows our hearts desires, He knows our every need. He blessed us with the opportunity to know the Peterson’s, and I will forever be grateful for them and that chapter of our lives.
Towards the end of our time in Houston, we all began to sense God moving us forward and onto new seasons of our lives. Though it was bittersweet, we all knew God had big plans and it was time for us all to move. He ended up sending us to separate ends of the earth; us to Sun Prairie first and then later the Peterson's to South Africa where Steve could teach Physics at the University of Cape Town.

This past week on their visit back to the states, showed me again how awesome is the love of Christ. He built and nurtured a sweet friendship in a rather short amount of time and continues to do so from opposite ends of the earth! It makes me think of that verse in Ephesians 3:18-19. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. ~Thank you God for the Pete's!~

Now that both of our families have grown, each with a little bundle of boy, we wanted to be sure they had a chance to hang out and get to know each other.
Last Thursday Caleb and Aaron got to spend some quality time together and play. Watching them interact was such a delight! We definitely had a nice time visiting and catching up. Later in the week we drove to the Olson's, some of Diana's family, for a cookout. The weather was nice and the company even sweeter! God is good.
We look forward to the next time we meet again, but until that time, we trust that God will continue to work and move and bless the Peterson clan.