Last Friday I lost a dear, life-long friend of mine, Misty Ezell George. We grew up together and were only a month apart in age- our parents were and are the best of friends. We spent countless hours at each others' homes. We went to church together, school together, camp together, played ball together, vacationed together (that is we shared a tent together for 8 years when our families went canoeing every summer), and college together. She is a significant piece of my life-story, and I am changed for knowing her.
Misty had a laugh and smile that was contagious. She sang wherever she went. I can still hear her singing in the dorm the Dixie Chicks from the top of her lungs! She was full of energy and fun- everyone enjoyed being with Misty. She was always up for an adventure, which is something I admired in her- I was always a little more afraid or timid. She was the one to drag me into the cold cold river water when we canoed so that we could float down the rapids and sing "Comet it makes your teeth turn green..." When we shared a canoe she always wanted to hit all the rapids too!
She was a kid magnet, humble at heart, and full of life and love. She loved God, her Jeremy, her three precious children, her family, and others so well. I will cherish all of our memories together.

This is a picture of the last time I saw Misty- just a few weeks ago at my home church's Trunk-or Treat. She held up Annelise and doted all over her. She gave me a big hug- one that I won't forget.
The pictures to come are some that I found on my computer- some of us over the last 10 years. At some point I'll go through my memory bins in the attic and pull out some old pics of us as kids. I'll scan and post them then.

Here we are celebrating my 21st birthday.

Misty, Marcie, Mashea, and Emily came up to the boro one night and had dinner with me.

Here are my pledge sisters minus my roommate, Holly. Pledging with these girls was one of the most memorable and fun yet exhausting 4-5 weeks of my life. We went everywhere in Misty's "pledge mobile." The eight of us slept most nights (the 2-3 hours of sleep we got a night) in mine and Holly's dorm room. It was crazy!! But because we lived together for those weeks and endured all of the pledging activities together, we share a bond that I will treasure for a lifetime.

I have to share how God has showed me himself in the midst of this tragedy. My family last Friday night was decorating our Christmas tree when I placed an ornament on the tree that I had made several years ago in M.O.P.S. It had a scripture in it from John 14:17b. "He lives with you and will be in you." (Jesus speaking of the Holy Spirit to his disciples). When I read that I felt like God washed over me anew that He truly was with me and in me. I was joyful and thankful in that moment. Then just an hour or so later I received the phone call that our Misty had passed away. I felt like never before that God was so very far away. I kept telling Austin, "Where is God; I don't feel him." After the long night had passed, I woke up and the Lord reminded me of that verse from John. I opened my Bible and began to read all of John 14. I was very encouraged and felt God speaking over me that He was with me and in me- that He was with the Ezell's and George's and in them. Then while we sat and listened on Wednesday at the funeral service, the scripture read was from John 14. I was again reminded that He goes before me- he knows the events that will take place in our lives before we experience them, and he will give us a Word- he will give us the mercies we need.

Our senior year of college, Misty, Elizabeth, and Erin (not pictured-she must have been taking the picture) took a road trip to Harding University to see Martha Lynn perform in Spring Sing- her group one first place! We had a blast!

Here we all are in Misty's wedding in 2002. It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony and reception. We all approved of Jeremy- he passed the test!

To Mr. and Mrs. Ezell, Jeremy, Ella, Miles, and Griffin:

My heart bleeds for your loss. I will pray for strength, for peace, for hope, for laughter again, and for you to remember that God is good and that He is with you always. Here are some verses I am clinging to, and I pray you will find strength in these words as well:

Psalms 68:19-20 “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens. Our God is a God who saves; from the Sovereign Lord comes escape from death.

Lamentations 3:21-23 "Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness."

Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord your God is with you. He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing."

John 14:27a “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you.”

To all of us who are in pain over this precious life lost, may God graciously give in abundance faith, hope, and love.

In Christ, Nicole