K.P. n Chocolate Cheesecake

There is no other way to say this than, one of my best friends is struggling for her life. Kristin Price, KP (as I call her), has Cystic Fibrosis. In the time I have known KP she has battled off and on with this disease. Personally, I think it sucks. I love my friend. She was one of the first people I got to know as I returned home to Calvary 3 years ago. She was also one of the only people I felt that I could be my self with. I felt I didn't have to put up a stained glass masquerade with her as I felt I needed to with most everyone else. She was so "real" and made me feel as I could be the same. I can remember first meeting her at Leadership Advance in January of '06. If I had one word to describe KP, it would be spitfire. We ended up being in the same group and became extremely close from the start. I can remember God saying to me that I need to get to know this girl. So began our friendship.

KP n I always talked about everything. We didn't hold things back. We talked about our failures and successes in every walk of life knowing that God loved us and we loved each other. It was okay if we messed up. It was okay if we succeeded. One of our biggest talks was always about relationships. We sat in The Waffle Shop talking about our current "loves". It was then that our inside joke was born. In pure KP style n humor she said, "Randy, he's like chocolate cake (motioning to one hand) n he's like cheesecake (motioning to the other hand) but I want chocolate cheesecake!" We shared a laugh and for months we joked about different guys potentially being chocolate cheesecake. Then along came Jason...

I wasn't too impressed with Jason the first time I met him. Of course, I am extremely protective of KP so I wouldn't have been impressed with anyone but as time went on I began to realize that Jason WAS chocolate cheesecake. Not only was he just any run of the mill chocolate cheesecake but he was chocolate cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory!

I look back at the past year how they have grown together and it makes me smile. I thank God for Jason. KP deserves a man as good as Jason and he deserves a woman as good as her. As she struggles for her life, I thank God that Jason can be there for her and her parents but feel sad that he has to witness the love of his life experiencing the trouble she is. I know this though, Jason will never regret the time he had with her no matter how much he hurts. You see, a moment with KP and you will be forever changed. I was. Despite the garbage she endures, she is so full of life and it infects you and makes you realize just how precious life really is. I chose the picture above because I felt it captured her life, happy and full of life. I pray that God would give me more time with my friend. But mostly, I pray that others may spend time more time with her because she will point anyone to our loving God by the joy evidenced in her life in the midst of great trials. Thank you, Papa, for my friend.

-Rando