A colleague and good friend of Jim’s through work, Mike Martin, and his wife, Bet, hosted us to a lovely Sunday afternoon and evening…and into the wee hours of Monday morning… at the US Open in Flushing Meadows, New York. (We arrived home at 3 AM this morning!)
You know you’ve arrived at the US Open when you see the World Globe
From the ride up together fellowshipping and laughing Sunday afternoon to our arrival back home at 3 AM today, it was a wonderful time together. Bet had us belly laughing at her “stow the scissors in the airport” story! The Martins are gracious and sincere people who love the Lord. What a blessing to be their guests.
Jim and I were able to bring two guests with us, and we invited two of our favorite people on the planet, Jeff and Cheryll Black. This was such a sweet time of fellowship together as we rarely have the opportunity to be with Jeff and Cheryll socially. We appreciate so much that the Lord ordained and blessed this time together with them.
Jeff and Jim have been friends since 1990. They have a deep bond of friendship and intrinsic respect for one another. Jeff also happens to be one of our assistant pastors at our church. He has been a treasure of a brother and friend to us.
Cheryll is one of those friends in my life who I see only occasionally, but I wish our paths crossed more often. There is just something special about her. She is refreshingly real and down-to-earth. She is easy to talk with and is a perfect blend of depth and levity. Besides all that, she’s gorgeous and lots of fun! We danced and sang and hoped to get on the “big screen” in the stadium, but our shining moment was unbroadcasted and just a treasure between the two of us. (She made me laugh a few times during the “shhhhh” moments at the Open….not good!)
Cheryll is my Fabulous Fringe Friend. She may not be in the daily fabric of my life, but God weaves her in beautifully at just the right places. Her precious threads of friendship add something special and sparkling to the tapestry of my life. I am humbled and thankful to call her friend. (She has actually graciously agreed to be my “BFF“.) She is a fabulous friend indeed!
Of course, it was the US Open, and we also saw some excellent tennis! The men’s match between Marin Celic and Novak Djokovic was unbelievable! Their match didn’t end until well after midnight, and it was so exciting to cheer them on and be there for Djokovic’s victory. They both played amazing tennis.
We were in the IBM Suite (a first-time thrill!) where we enjoyed delicious food and a great view of the tennis court. We also received an exclusive tour in the bowels of the stadiums (walking where the players walk) and in the IBM staging rooms. It was so interesting to see “behind the scenes”. 
An extraordinary day indeed, for which we are grateful to the Lord, the Giver of all good things.
What a sweet and fun post! Thanks for letting us share in your special day. I enjoyed reading about your ‘fringe friend’ – I’d never heard that expression before. Adorable!
Blessings,
Joy
Oh, what a wonderful day. As much as I love going to the US Open, we’ve always gone during the day and our main stadium tickets usually have their own zip code! Thanks for a peek at how the other half enjoys the Open!!! Glad you had such a great time of tennis watching and fellowship.
WOW! What a fun day and how special to spend it with people you simply adore.
Sharon, your gift for writing and allowing the Lord to speak through the words is profound.
So happy you spent such a lovely time with your gracious hosts and dear, dear friends.
Thank you for sharing the fun with us!
Love & Hugs
Heather