The Beginning of the End

The blustery cold air in January has a bight to it like none other.  It seems like in Oklahoma it is colder in January than in December.  The January of 2006 was  no different...but the cold air didn't stop our little group from hanging out and my friend Julie was about to celebrate her 35th birthday.  It's hard to believe but Julie and I have known each other since we were in high school.  It was about to mark our 20 years as friends and we wanted to do something special for her birthday.

Jules picked the place we were going to eat at to celebrate this special day.  We all met at the Olive Garden (her favorite place at that point) with gifts in hand.  Little did we know that Robert had a serious conversation with Mike prior to us meeting there.  It went something like this:

"Mike, are you sure that you want to give her that for her birthday.  Once you do, there is no turning back."

Mike didn't even hesitate when he confirmed that he was prepared for whatever may happen.

When we were seated at our table there was much discussion about whether to open presents now or later.  We opted for later and we all ordered our food.  It was so much fun.  Great food (especially the bread sticks - who doesn't like Olive Garden's bread sticks?), great company, and great conversation.  Could we ask for anything more?  More was about to happen. 

Julie excitedly began to open her presents.  Oooing and Awwing over the things her friends had given her.  Then she came to a little bag that had a little box in it.  It was the gift from Mike.  She carefully opened the box and there was the most exquisite necklace - an Opal Star of David in a silver setting and a silver chain. Mike had liked Julie from the beginning of our group and he had purchased the necklace six months prior while on a missions trip to Jerusalem.

Julie gulped, unsure what to do.  She loved the necklace, but she also knew there was more meaning behind it than just a pretty piece of jewelry.

She graciously thanked everyone and her party was over, but she had much to ponder.

A few weeks went by and it was a Sunday night.  Jules, Sandra and I were standing around talking when Mike approached Julie.  He whipped out the February calendar and pointed to a Friday and said to her, "See that date right there?"  Julie smiled and nodded at him.  "I believe there's a Valentine Banquet going on, would you do me the honor of attending with me?"

It's hard to imagine now, but Jules was very nervous.  I need to back up a little bit.  Jules had gone to talk to our pastor about Mike a few weeks prior.  She knew of his feelings for her and the necklace had confirmed it. You see, she had always felt that she would eventually serve the Lord as a missionary in full time service and she knew that Mike was not called to such a thing.  So, when she talked to Preacher she was expecting him to advise her against dating him.  Much to her surprise he told her quite the contrary.  "Mike is a good man, and you'd be a fool not to date him."

So here she was faced with having to make the decision, should she say yes and take the plunge into the scary unknown or stay "safe" and say no... 

A Coffee good Christmas

Christmas is such a great time of year.  It is time to remember not only the greatest gift that God gave us - our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ - but also the many blessings bestowed upon us.  It was no exception that first Christmas that the Java group shared together. 

The gentlemen invited the group to dine in Guthrie and experience an "Old Fashion Christmas".  They made dinner reservations and purchased theater tickets to "A Territorial Christmas Carol" to be watched at the famous Pollard Theatre. 

The gentlemen picked us up promplty at 2:00 PM that Saturday afternoon. We girls gussied ourselves up and then bundled up in our nice winter duds.  There was a chill in the December air and we knew that we'd be enjoying the outdoors walking down town. 

It was such a great night!  The merchants in downtown Guthrie were dressed in their late 1800's clothes and offered hot apple cider and goodies in each one of their stores.  There were carolers on the corner and horse drawn carriages driving along the streets.  It was a sort of magical night and one that we will always cherish. 

The play "A Territorial Christmas Carol"  is an Oklahoma take on Charles Dickens' classic.  The setting of the play, of course, is in the old west.  It was so very enjoyable, even if Jules got a little nervous every time a spirit appeared to old Ebenezer.

After such a delightful evening, we all exchanged gifts.  We gave the distinguished gentlemen their favorite Peanuts characters - Mikey received Charlie Brown (who to this day is an important mainstay in the home of the Millers), and Robert got Snoopy. 

Mikey, meanwhile, was hanging onto a little gift that he had for Jules, who was not quite ready to receive it...

I'll never forget something that Robert had said in reference to our little group, "Things will eventually change, and we will all go our own way, but the coffee group has meant the world to me."  Little did we know how quickly things would change and the dynamics of our group would forever be different.