Years ago, a friend helped Mary (Laing) Vaughn and I reconnect on Facebook. Then lengthy emails followed, and our old high school friendship is still growing. During my junior year, her dad had tutored me in geometry when I wasn't doing well. It meant I got to hang out with Mary more too. We spent many good times at each other's houses, sharing lives.
There's one important story about Mary that I want to tell you. During my senior year, a YFC leader was praying for us as a group and told us God would be speaking to us and giving us the name of a friend whose heart He wanted to touch for Jesus. In the silence that followed, I was surprised to hear the name "Mary." I knew it was my dear friend Mary and began to pray for opportunities to share Jesus with her. As the school year ended, nothing had happened. But we had a slumber party one night at the home of another good friend, Linda Gardner. All my best friends were there, which of course included Mary. We got to talking and after a while went out to sit in the car for some privacy......
Here's what Mary later wrote of that encounter, "Do you remember the night of the slumber party at Linda Gardner's house?? You wouldn't let me out of the car until I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior.(You must have known something about me that I didn't know!") Since that time Mary has continued to follow Jesus and has a wonderful husband who also does. Mary and Buck and Bill and I have spent some precious times of sharing our faith in Jesus together.
Then last year it was my high school's 50th class year reunion. While I didn't make it to California, we were on a trip and stopped to see Mary and her husband Buck in Pennsylvania. We took this picture together at their house and sent it to the class (the falcons were our mascot). "Ever forward, never backwards, that's our Crescenta Valley Team!"
Thanks to Facebook, I have been in touch with other good friends from high school too. Marilyn (Petersen) Kirshberger and I have continued to keep in touch over the years. We've missed the birthday hot fudge sundaes but we have spent good time together during our travels. Most recently my good friend Terry (Morris) Cleary and I have found each other (she was in an earlier photo with me and my mom)! We haven't yet been able to get together face-to-face, but we're talking about it! It's also been a joy to reunite with Shery (Rife) and Paul Lowen, in email and in person! I'm sure there's been others too....and the story's not all written yet!
I love "friending" and renewing these relationships, learning about the between-years of those I have loved--and their families and stories. God's been very good.
One thing I am leaving out are all the boys I had crushes on! I didn't do a lot of serious dating, but had fun and special times with lots of the guys from YFC. Here's Milt Jones and I at one of our YFC retreats. I think he was from the Pasadena YFC. Milt, where are you??
PS: If any of you have pictures of our high school years, please send on!! Below is another picture I found in the yearbook of the future Teachers Club! Terry and I are in the front row on the left. We both made it into teaching too.
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