Twins!

College Sports! It's game day! This picture was taken at the Baylor Men's Basketball game last weekend where the bears dropped a heartbreaker to texas by one point in the last 11.3 seconds. Coach Scott Drew is so close to putting the Bears on the map...maybe tonight is the breakthrough game...timing would be perfect with the Big 12 Tournament two weeks away. The next day, our Lady Bears whipped up on arch-enemy number one: the texas women. The Lady Bears are tied for the conference lead and are exceeding all expectations with 10 on the roster and five being true freshmen! Sic 'em Bears!

Even though college sports provides us with "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" there is a far greater thrill in life...which is that of FRIENDS. Our lives are filled with touchpoints created by our need for meaningful human contact. Friendship meets a need for connection with others. It is modeled throughout the Bible: Ruth and Naomi as well as David and Jonathan in the Old Testament and of course Jesus and the disciples along with Paul and Timothy and Barnabas in the New Testament. We would be miserable if we didn't have friends.

I have been blessed beyond all measure in my lifetime to have a steady stream of friends whose lives I can share in through the times of joy and the times of sorrow. In fact, I believe that especially for believers, our deep desire to connect with Christ Himself is met many times through friends. These two friends, Rachael Johnson (left) and Elizabeth Williams (right) are often asked if they are sisters because they look so much alike...when in reality they should answer "yes" because they both belong to the Family of God.

Two are better than one...for if one falls, the other will lift him up...a cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart. (Eccl. 4:9-12) We are all better because of our friends. We share experiences along with our hearts and walk through life together; on a journey toward the same destination...Thank God for friends who serve as His hand extended in our lives.