proverbs 17:17

i have an army bookbag. i got it for my birthday in february. it is the coolest thing. i got it at the army navy store on main street in downtown greenville. i think you could probably fit all my school books, iraq and the united states military all in it. that is how big it is.

slowly i have been making it my own bag. puting patches here and there. pins and stuff like that. one special thing that i have on it is a patch from my grandpa hoagland's uniform from WWII. it says HOAGLAND on it and i love it. grandma sent it to me to give to my brother about a month ago. i showed it to him and he scoffed it off and said he didn't want it. so i smiled like a sweet sister should and sewed it to my bag.

today i got the news. drew is going to the academy in a couple of weeks. he needs a bag. he finally saw how cool my bag is and now wants one of his own. but the problem is that he doesn't want to buy it himself and mom doesn't want to have to go all the way downtown to buy it. so guess who gets to be the sacrificing little girl???

a little history on my family before i finish my story of THE BAG. whenever drew gives me something, he is really sweet about it and so sincere. he will tell me he wants me to have it and doesn't like the thing anymore or it isn't cool. so i get it. about two months later he will come back to me, guns blazing and tell me i am abusing his things and what am i doing with his stuff? i just kinda stare at him like he has three heads, five feet and no brain at all, and say "don't you remember giving this to me?" he will then sweetly respond "oh, i never gave it to you. i was just letting you borrow it." then he will proceede to go to dad and demand that he get his things back. i, of course tell dad the circumstances, then dad will look at both of us (mostly me) and say "i will let the most mature one here give up..." whatever that article happens to be. of course, me being the 22 year old blessing that i am rush to say i will be the selfless one and give drew (the little indian-giver) the item back.

that said. today mom pulled the "i want to see who will be more mature" trick out of her bag. parents really can get really slimy sometimes. so she said, "hillary, you need to read proverbs 17:17. " i thought i was going to get some big sermon on how i should be selfless and giving and sweet and 22.

here is what prov. 17:17 says.

A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

can i say amen???