Titus 2 Tuesday

What have you learned from another Christ following woman?

Time once again for me to try to pick just ONE influential woman in my life.

I'm reaching way back today, to Carmen.

Carmen was our neighbor from the time I entered 5th grade until I moved from my parents home to a college dorm. She was the pianist at the church we started attending when I was in 7th grade. She and her husband were good friends of my parents, and I bonded with her around the time I was 13 on. I would often ride my bike to her house and stay for *hours*. Sometimes there was a legitimate reason--I sang solos often and would rehearse at her house. Other times it was just to be around her. She was such a loving and caring presence in my life. I remember kneeling together in her living room and praying when I decided to accept Christ into my life. I remember confessing to her that I thought I really did have an eating disorder (that was round one, in high school). Her couch was my altar on many occasions, and her arms were the ones I ran to when I was upset or confused.

She was the one who encouraged me to enter Trevecca even though my parents were not sold on the plan. And about halfway through my college career, she and her husband moved to Clarksville, which is about 45 minutes north of Nashville. I was thrilled to have a piece of home in Tennessee. By that time I had already decided that Nashville would be my home after graduation, and there was something comforting about the idea of being able to drive up there whenever I wanted.

Unfortunately over the last few years we haven't been in as close of contact as we would like...thank goodness for email and facebook (she recently joined). Anthony and I did go to her and Bill's 50th wedding anniversary celebration a few months ago.

I don't think I have any pictures of the two of us together that are actually on the computer, so no pictures today. I may be able to scan one in later :0)