i sometimes laugh and tell people that i fell in love with my in-laws before i fell in love with kev
if you remember, i lived with kev's parents when i first moved to southern california
{for more of that story, see here}
and it's kind of true.
i really did fall head over heels for these people,
absolutely and fully.
today is mama Cook's birthday,
and in her sweet honor i want to share the treasures i've learned from this beautiful woman
so...drumroll please....
{sadly, i could find hardly any pictures of barbara and i. this pathetic super old orange sweats picture will have to do!}
1) don't hold on to your expectations:
i could probably write an entire novel on this subject as i'm someone who has high expectations and is constantly crushed when those do not become reality. {which, hello!, is life...i'm a slow learner people}. from the minute i moved into the Cook's house, i was absolutely amazed at how i didn't ever {even the tiniest winch} feel like barbara had any type of expectations for me. i could come and go as i pleased. she was delighted when i ate dinner with them, but never made me feel bad when i missed it.
when you are with barbara, you feel free. because she allows you to be who you are.
no expectations to meet.
and that has been life transforming to me.
i feel fully loved and cherished for being me. just me.
i want that for my kids. i want to be just like barbara in this area.
i want to be a woman of freedom, where people breath free in my presence.
{i've got a long way to go, but thankfully have a good role model in this!}
2) nothing is off limits:
i've shared a lot of my life with barbara, and here's why: she listens and cares.
like not just "uh-huh-shake-your-head" type of listening,
but like "drop-everything-sit-on-the-couch" listening, where she really hears.
barbara has spoken in to so many wounds in my life
with words of encouragement, bible verses, and prayers.
she doesn't mind wading through the hard stuff in my life,
she takes the good with the bad.
i've had people in my life that only like to hear the "good" and get uncomfortable when i open my heart to share the "hard".
but not barbara. she takes all of me. and loves me.
{thank the good Lord for her in those tough times!}
3) ALWAYS laugh
to know barbara is to have laughed with barbara.
it's true.
she doesn't take life too seriously, and finds the humor in everything.
even when she battled cancer, her sense of humor over her bald head abounded.
{i searched long and hard for the most epic video of barbara rapping a happy birthday to nate-dawg, but couldn't find it! but I did find this sweet picture of her dancing with some girls in the girls-group we co-led}
{sorry barbara, this was too good not to share with the entire world!}
4) lastly, love Jesus and be available
there is no denying this woman loves the Lord.
she's free in Christ, and offers a space of freedom to others.
HIS love just pours right on out of her.
love you barbara...so thankful you're my second mama!!!
happy birthday!
love Katie
