I must qualify a statement I made in my previous post. Friends do have eternal value. The Lord was giving me an opportunity to grow closer to him and to better rely on him. The original inspiration came after I met with my Bishop last year just after or before Ray left. I can't recall exactly. I can look it up in my journal if you need me too :) Anyway. The Bishop had just given me a blessing where the Lord said that while Ray was gone I was to go through a refiners fire. That I had an opportunity to learn things I would never get the chance to learn again. And I had the ultimate choice but the lessons were mine if I was willing to do follow the Lord. Before I walked out of the church building I felt impressed to sit down and write my thoughts and feelings. As I wrote very specific thoughts came to my mind. Quit Facebook. Quit your blog. Leave your friends. (I was with out cable as well because Ray and I had already suspended it for while he was gone to save money.) Those impressions were very strong. I struggled with them. A made another appointment with my Bishop to share with him what I had felt. He reminded me of my blessing. I knew what I had to do. As I prayed about my concerns in having contact with no one other than Ray's sisters and mom, that is when the image of Lot's wife came into my mind. Friends are important to the Lord. But at that point in my life, I had something more important to learn. I would give it all up again in a heart beat. The things I learned are innumerable and eternal. The pinnacle of that fire came when I had to deliver my baby girl with out my husband. Probably the biggest lesson I learned is that you truly are never alone. It was hard a experience, but a fulfilling, peaceful and eternal experience.