Friends

I was thinking today of the friends Tim and I have. We have been blessed beyond belief with an amazing support system. Although many have moved, or we have moved away from many, we still manage to keep in touch with a good amount of old friends from college. I was realizing how proud I am of so many of them and the big things they are accomplishing.
I though of our friend Jack and how he will be finishing his course work for his doctorate at Purdue soon and beginning work on his dissertation. He will not only one day be to us Professor Baker, but Dr. Baker. He would like to teach at the college level.
An old roommate of mine will become Dr. Ennis by the end of the summer. Laura is studying physical therapy at Grand Valley. She is so talented - athletically, intellectually and she is all around a great friend.
We have so many friends who have started their own small businesses or side businesses. Tim Adam has shocked us with the sales of his custom metal designs - not because we don't think they're good but just with how quickly things have taken off for him and how many sales he has had! I told him about the Etsy website back in February and his goal was to have 100 sales by the end of the year. When I looked at his site today he had sold 353 items. Then there is his wife. She is a full-time nanny and on the side has started a small photography business. She gets better with every photo shoot she does and is so eager to learn and soak up every bit of knowledge she can.
Our friend, Chris, has a full-time job and is a husband and father to 2 (well, almost. Sam should be along any day to make it "officially" two.) He also is a seminary student and has been working on developing a Worldview Resource Center at their church. He is one busy guy!
Matt and Jeana are doing what they can to raise money as quickly as possible for their adoption. Matt works full time as a youth pastor and has a side job. Jeana works at Baker College and also does some photography on the side, though she doesn't market herself. It's more doing pictures for people she knows who ask. She also assists her sister-in-law during the busy wedding season with photography (her sister-in-law has a photography business.) During this holiday season, she has been running a toffee factory in her kitchen to sell at craft shows and anyone who wants some.
Then there is my husband. He has his own small business, run mainly on word-of-mouth referrals. He just entered into a business networking group that I think will help a bit to bring business and give him people to talk to about marketing, ideas, etc. There are days when financially I am so frustrated I feel like we should just pick up and move somewhere where home restoration is actually thriving and a good business, but he feels so strongly that God has us in West Michigan for a reason and he will stay. I love his faith, his efforts, the fact he loves to get up and go to work in the morning because it is something he enjoys and is passionate about.
There are more stories I could share, but I won't. I just love thinking that our friends are amazing. They tap into the talents and abilites God has given them. Some let them out in hobbies, others as businesses. Either way, they are not squandering their gifts. I'm so proud.
There are more, but I won't get in to everyone's stories. I am just so