Happy Birthday Bethany!!!

Happy Birthday to the dearest and sweetest friend in the WORLD!!!

Dearest Bethany,

Today I feel so honored to be able to *hack* into your blog {smile} and share with you and your readers a little insight into my heart. I will never forget the feeling in my heart when I put your very first letter into the mail. How I hoped you would accept me as a friend. It turned out you did. We began to write frequently, and soon the day came in which we planned to make our first phone call. You should have seen my fingers shake as I dialed your number. Questions swirled in my mind, “Would she be as she seemed in her letters? Would I be as I seemed? What if we didn’t like each other?” All of a sudden my tacit enquiries were stopped as I heard your sweet “hello” ring in my ears. Now, nearly a year later, although it seems like a lifetime, you claim the place of a dearest and best friend within my heart. You are one of the best things that has ever happened in my life, sweet girl, and I will always, always thank God for this amazing gift he has given us.

You have made such an impact in my life, in so many numerous ways that I could not even list them all. But today, I want to thank you for the two most important in my mind. Firstly, thank you for bringing me closer to Jesus. I can’t tell you how much you have opened my eyes to His love, and awakened a renewed love and joy in Him. You held an inward radiance and beauty which I had never seen before, and you inspired me to seek after the same. Secondly, you have given me the pleasure of a true and steadfast friendship. Ever since we have met, you have been the sweetest, most considerate and loving of friends, and I thank the Lord daily for you. Thank you for being the friend you are to me. I can’t tell you how honored and thrilled I feel to call you my best friend.

I pray that as the years draw on, our friendship will continue to grow in the love of God. He has truly been good to me in giving me someone like you, my dear. And for that I will always praise His name! and bless yours!

May your day be full of blessings from the One above,

Love Always,

~ Johanna ~