Happy Monday, and happy March to everyone!
I love March.
1) It is my birthday month. (Granted, my birthday isn't until the 23rd, but still...)
2) In March, the weather starts getting warmer. (It better, at least...)
3) March is the month when spring happens!
So, after a good weekend at work (finally, a whole TWO DAYS without drama or admissions), I started the Bible reading stuff this morning.
I'm not gonna lie, it was hard. Satan wanted to keep me in my bed. And then he wanted to distract me with anything but reading. But I read. And it was good. And I am excited about this year-long journey :)
It will be a good week. I've got a party to go to Friday night, and a lot of cleaning to do in between now and then, but it will be a good week. Wednesday night small group. Thursday morning Bible study. And no extra work days this week.
Yay :)
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Monday, March 1, 2010
Friday, February 26, 2010
thoughts on God
Going to my new Bible study these last few weeks, and the small group on Wednesday, has had me thinking. Spiritually, I've slid into a slump over the last year (and really, longer than that.) I feel stagnant. I'm not reading, I'm not praying, I'm not spending time in fellowship with other believers. And since I've added some of that fellowship back in, it's reminded me of what I'm missing out on.
It's been a difficult road for both Mark and I, spiritually speaking. For me (as I can't personally speak for my husband), the time I was college was awesome. I was pretty involved with a large college ministry here in Birmingham, had a lot of encouragement, and my spiritual walk at that point in my life was probably the best it's ever been. Then I graduated, and started working night shift. The schedule change was huge for me - I was SO tired, all the time. It was a struggle to get up and go to church, and it was hard to find a church, at first. We eventually found one, which I liked. I tried to get involved with that - I sang in the choir, and for a while played handbells (which I used to do when I was younger.) Nearly every Sunday was a struggle to get up early and stay awake, especially when I'd worked the night before.
And then we heard about a new church plant started by the former youth minister of my parents' church. It was wonderful - the vision was great, and while it was less-than-organized, and there were some issues here and there, it was growing. And then the bottom fell out. They aren't my details to give, but I'll tell you, it was one of the hardest times in my entire life. We stopped going to church entirely for a while - we both worked nights, we were exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically, and it just wasn't worth it to try to find somewhere else. We were jaded. We were hurt.
I guess it takes time to get over something like that. I know that's no excuse for letting my personal spiritual life fall by the wayside, but with nothing to guide me, no fellowship for encouragement - I just stopped. I was just so tired all the time that the only thing I did was sit, zoning out in front of the tv. And I worked.
And now we're here. I work dayshift. I'm not exhausted all the time. (Only part of the time, haha.) When we first came to Birmingham, before I started working my weekend shifts, we were going to this amazing church that I loved dearly. I love the pastor, and the people, and the church's beliefs and vision. It's a wonderful place - and we also knew quite a few people who went there. But then I started my weekend shifts, so Sundays are out. Every Sunday. I miss it. Then the holidays came, and I was out of town nearly every week from November through the end of December.
So now it's February. Things have slowed down. And there are these great opportunities that I've finally been taking advantage of. They've been wonderful. And have really made me aware of what I'm missing out on. It's not that I ever questioned my beliefs, or the existence of a loving God, or that He cares for me and provides for me. He obviously does, there's proof in my life. But I have seriously missed out on other stuff. There are things we're talking about in small group, stories from the Bible, and I literally have no idea who these people are. I've forgotten so much. There is so much to know, and SO much I don't know, that I want to. I want to experience the love and the joy and the hope and the trust that the people around me experience.
So. What does that mean? Well, yesterday I called Elissa and gave her a proposal - a church here in town is, as a congregation, reading the Bible chronologically this year. I'd like to do that. I need accountability. Interestingly enough, Elissa is feeling the same way about being stagnant as I am - she also works weekends. Church makes a difference, I think. But you can't always go to church. So ... I'm embarking on a year-long journey with my best friend to know God more. I'm pretty excited about it. And I'm hoping that we'll be able to commit to this a little bit better than we did to our "running" the "half-marathon." Like that was ever gonna happen...
Requesting your prayers that we will be faithful to this commitment. We start on Monday.
It's been a difficult road for both Mark and I, spiritually speaking. For me (as I can't personally speak for my husband), the time I was college was awesome. I was pretty involved with a large college ministry here in Birmingham, had a lot of encouragement, and my spiritual walk at that point in my life was probably the best it's ever been. Then I graduated, and started working night shift. The schedule change was huge for me - I was SO tired, all the time. It was a struggle to get up and go to church, and it was hard to find a church, at first. We eventually found one, which I liked. I tried to get involved with that - I sang in the choir, and for a while played handbells (which I used to do when I was younger.) Nearly every Sunday was a struggle to get up early and stay awake, especially when I'd worked the night before.
And then we heard about a new church plant started by the former youth minister of my parents' church. It was wonderful - the vision was great, and while it was less-than-organized, and there were some issues here and there, it was growing. And then the bottom fell out. They aren't my details to give, but I'll tell you, it was one of the hardest times in my entire life. We stopped going to church entirely for a while - we both worked nights, we were exhausted mentally, emotionally, and physically, and it just wasn't worth it to try to find somewhere else. We were jaded. We were hurt.
I guess it takes time to get over something like that. I know that's no excuse for letting my personal spiritual life fall by the wayside, but with nothing to guide me, no fellowship for encouragement - I just stopped. I was just so tired all the time that the only thing I did was sit, zoning out in front of the tv. And I worked.
And now we're here. I work dayshift. I'm not exhausted all the time. (Only part of the time, haha.) When we first came to Birmingham, before I started working my weekend shifts, we were going to this amazing church that I loved dearly. I love the pastor, and the people, and the church's beliefs and vision. It's a wonderful place - and we also knew quite a few people who went there. But then I started my weekend shifts, so Sundays are out. Every Sunday. I miss it. Then the holidays came, and I was out of town nearly every week from November through the end of December.
So now it's February. Things have slowed down. And there are these great opportunities that I've finally been taking advantage of. They've been wonderful. And have really made me aware of what I'm missing out on. It's not that I ever questioned my beliefs, or the existence of a loving God, or that He cares for me and provides for me. He obviously does, there's proof in my life. But I have seriously missed out on other stuff. There are things we're talking about in small group, stories from the Bible, and I literally have no idea who these people are. I've forgotten so much. There is so much to know, and SO much I don't know, that I want to. I want to experience the love and the joy and the hope and the trust that the people around me experience.
So. What does that mean? Well, yesterday I called Elissa and gave her a proposal - a church here in town is, as a congregation, reading the Bible chronologically this year. I'd like to do that. I need accountability. Interestingly enough, Elissa is feeling the same way about being stagnant as I am - she also works weekends. Church makes a difference, I think. But you can't always go to church. So ... I'm embarking on a year-long journey with my best friend to know God more. I'm pretty excited about it. And I'm hoping that we'll be able to commit to this a little bit better than we did to our "running" the "half-marathon." Like that was ever gonna happen...
Requesting your prayers that we will be faithful to this commitment. We start on Monday.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Fellowship and skinny jeans :)
Last night, Mark and I attended a new (to us) small group connected with SVCC (the church we were going to before I started working every single Sunday.) It was lovely - I really, really miss community and fellowship and being around other married people. (Not that I don't love Andy and Suzie, who are our best married friends!) I miss discussion and bouncing ideas off of other people. God meant for it to be this way. God created us as relational beings for a reason. And it's nice to experience that again - I miss Sundays so much sometimes, and this won't be a replacement, but it'll help get us connected again.
And this morning, I'm going to the Ladies' Bible Study at church. I had to miss last week because we were in Chattanooga, but I really enjoyed it a couple of weeks ago, and am looking forward to making it a weekly thing. It also makes me get out of bed at a reasonable time instead of lazing around and getting nothing done.
And this afternoon, I might just have to run over to the Renaissance consignment boutique that I got a tip about from a nurse at work... They're having a HUGE sale, and their stuff is really, really reasonably priced to begin with. I need a new pair of skinny jeans (that actually fits properly, rather than being insanely low-cut so that they creep way down in the back), and I'm hoping to find some for cheap rather than going to Gap and shelling out a bunch of cash. That's what'll probably end up happening, but we'll see...
LOVE
And, I'm still having issues with my blog, and the html. Dumb polyvore. So fun to play with, but it's totally messed up my posting format. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to fix it? (I'd rather not start a whole new blog...)
And this morning, I'm going to the Ladies' Bible Study at church. I had to miss last week because we were in Chattanooga, but I really enjoyed it a couple of weeks ago, and am looking forward to making it a weekly thing. It also makes me get out of bed at a reasonable time instead of lazing around and getting nothing done.
And this afternoon, I might just have to run over to the Renaissance consignment boutique that I got a tip about from a nurse at work... They're having a HUGE sale, and their stuff is really, really reasonably priced to begin with. I need a new pair of skinny jeans (that actually fits properly, rather than being insanely low-cut so that they creep way down in the back), and I'm hoping to find some for cheap rather than going to Gap and shelling out a bunch of cash. That's what'll probably end up happening, but we'll see...
LOVE
And, I'm still having issues with my blog, and the html. Dumb polyvore. So fun to play with, but it's totally messed up my posting format. Does anybody have any suggestions on how to fix it? (I'd rather not start a whole new blog...)
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Grump, grump, grump, or Can It Please Freakin' Be Spring Already???
It's V-Day! (Ours, anyway.)
I need to start getting ready soon, but I figured I'd do a post first...
I started today out by going to a new (to me) women's Bible study at the church we were going to before I started my weekends. It was really good ... very deep, very intellectual. The pastor led it this week, which he apparently does not do on a regular basis, but we're talking about the Holy Spirit and he wanted to do a good intro on the subject. He is SO wise - there's just a wealth of knowledge whenever he speaks. He's also incredibly nice, he's a good conversationalist, and he totally remembered like everything he knew about Mark from like 4 months ago. So, that was a really nice way to start the day. I'm looking forward to getting to know the ladies in the group better - I'll be able to go like every week (save next week) because of work and stuff, and probably won't schedule myself for any Thursdays from now on.
So then I came home, Mark made lunch (he is SO great, seriously), I watched a few episodes of Modern Family on Hulu with him, and then messed around with scrapbooking a bit. I really wasn't in the mood to do anything major or hardcore, so I played with my new doodle book I got in my stocking this Christmas. It shows step by step how to make cute letters, and has some designs for cute borders and corners for pages or cards, so I messed around with those some. I was surprised how good they turned out - usually I'm too impatient to be any good with fonts, but the step-by-step instructions helped a lot.
I also *think* I know what I'm going to wear tonight... but still not absolutely positive. Here's my dilemma: it is FREEZING. Weather.com reports that it is currently 39 degrees, which I know is a lot warmer than it is a lot of places, but still. I get cold REALLY easily. And when I get cold, I get grumpy, no matter how pretty I look.
And the other inherent problem is that it's next to impossible to be really pretty and really warm at the same time. Like, dressed nicely at least. Mark is wearing this spiffy new purple striped Banana Republic shirt (I LOVE him in purple!), and I will look all blah and yuck. My options are pants (I'm TIRED of wearing pants. I want to wear a skirt or a dress, and look pretty) or my gray wool skirt, which I love, but I don't really have anything to wear on top that doesn't look droll or dumpy or boring. Now, summer clothes, I've got covered. I have everything ranging from sexy fushcia strapless to classy little black dress to fun bright sundress ... the list goes on. But winter? Oh no. April doesn't do winter. So I have... nothing.
What I think I'm actually wearing is probably the gray wool skirt, a black cami, and a cream-colored cardi with shiny fake gemstone buttons - I know, very boring. I could technically wear my denim jacket, but that's not that warm or that pretty.
What I WANT to wear is the awesome fuchsia strapless dress with a gold shrug and my cute new shoes. Or a black shrug and some awesome heels. But I would freeze to death and be grumpy, and I'd just rather not do that.
Soooo ... I should get ready. And stop whining. And maybe I'll post a picture for you guys to see, or something. We'll see....
I need to start getting ready soon, but I figured I'd do a post first...
I started today out by going to a new (to me) women's Bible study at the church we were going to before I started my weekends. It was really good ... very deep, very intellectual. The pastor led it this week, which he apparently does not do on a regular basis, but we're talking about the Holy Spirit and he wanted to do a good intro on the subject. He is SO wise - there's just a wealth of knowledge whenever he speaks. He's also incredibly nice, he's a good conversationalist, and he totally remembered like everything he knew about Mark from like 4 months ago. So, that was a really nice way to start the day. I'm looking forward to getting to know the ladies in the group better - I'll be able to go like every week (save next week) because of work and stuff, and probably won't schedule myself for any Thursdays from now on.
So then I came home, Mark made lunch (he is SO great, seriously), I watched a few episodes of Modern Family on Hulu with him, and then messed around with scrapbooking a bit. I really wasn't in the mood to do anything major or hardcore, so I played with my new doodle book I got in my stocking this Christmas. It shows step by step how to make cute letters, and has some designs for cute borders and corners for pages or cards, so I messed around with those some. I was surprised how good they turned out - usually I'm too impatient to be any good with fonts, but the step-by-step instructions helped a lot.
I also *think* I know what I'm going to wear tonight... but still not absolutely positive. Here's my dilemma: it is FREEZING. Weather.com reports that it is currently 39 degrees, which I know is a lot warmer than it is a lot of places, but still. I get cold REALLY easily. And when I get cold, I get grumpy, no matter how pretty I look.
And the other inherent problem is that it's next to impossible to be really pretty and really warm at the same time. Like, dressed nicely at least. Mark is wearing this spiffy new purple striped Banana Republic shirt (I LOVE him in purple!), and I will look all blah and yuck. My options are pants (I'm TIRED of wearing pants. I want to wear a skirt or a dress, and look pretty) or my gray wool skirt, which I love, but I don't really have anything to wear on top that doesn't look droll or dumpy or boring. Now, summer clothes, I've got covered. I have everything ranging from sexy fushcia strapless to classy little black dress to fun bright sundress ... the list goes on. But winter? Oh no. April doesn't do winter. So I have... nothing.
What I think I'm actually wearing is probably the gray wool skirt, a black cami, and a cream-colored cardi with shiny fake gemstone buttons - I know, very boring. I could technically wear my denim jacket, but that's not that warm or that pretty.
What I WANT to wear is the awesome fuchsia strapless dress with a gold shrug and my cute new shoes. Or a black shrug and some awesome heels. But I would freeze to death and be grumpy, and I'd just rather not do that.
Soooo ... I should get ready. And stop whining. And maybe I'll post a picture for you guys to see, or something. We'll see....
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
This Christmas, or How I Don't Feel Festive
This holiday season hasn't felt very much like the holidays to me. I don't know whether it's because I've not been able to go to church since working the weekend shift, or because we're not close to family anymore, or what, but I have been decidedly less festive than normal.
It made me sad.
Until this morning.
Because this morning, I realized how I've been spending the holiday season. I've not been rushing around like an insane person, trying to buy presents for everybody and their brother. I've not been stressing over Christmas cards, and who to send them to. I started to plan a Christmas party, only to cancel it. Instead of all those "holiday" type things, I've been spending time with people I love. My husband. Andy and Suzie. Elissa, and all her crazy bunch of friends. Mark's family, and my family. And this year, I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, we did indeed decorate our tree. I did get my Christmas china down to use when Suzie came for dinner one night, and we have our pretty red tablecloth on the table. I've bought some presents. But for the most part, the largest chunk of my time, I've been surrounded by the people I love. I've been building on my relationships. I've traveled. And I've been so very happy.
And all that happy, people time is going to continue on through the first week of January. And it makes me so, so, excited. I think that I've come to understand a whole new part of the season this year - a part that doesn't stress me out, a part whose theme isn't tied up with red and green. It's all about love. I always knew that before. I mean, obviously - Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth. The beginning of the most epic act of love ever to exist. But this year - this whole year, really - I've learned and discovered new ways to be immersed in love, and immersed in relationships. I love it. I love my life so, so much.
I am so thankful for my friends and family. They are everything to me :)
It made me sad.
Until this morning.
Because this morning, I realized how I've been spending the holiday season. I've not been rushing around like an insane person, trying to buy presents for everybody and their brother. I've not been stressing over Christmas cards, and who to send them to. I started to plan a Christmas party, only to cancel it. Instead of all those "holiday" type things, I've been spending time with people I love. My husband. Andy and Suzie. Elissa, and all her crazy bunch of friends. Mark's family, and my family. And this year, I wouldn't have it any other way. Yes, we did indeed decorate our tree. I did get my Christmas china down to use when Suzie came for dinner one night, and we have our pretty red tablecloth on the table. I've bought some presents. But for the most part, the largest chunk of my time, I've been surrounded by the people I love. I've been building on my relationships. I've traveled. And I've been so very happy.
And all that happy, people time is going to continue on through the first week of January. And it makes me so, so, excited. I think that I've come to understand a whole new part of the season this year - a part that doesn't stress me out, a part whose theme isn't tied up with red and green. It's all about love. I always knew that before. I mean, obviously - Christmas is the celebration of Jesus Christ's birth. The beginning of the most epic act of love ever to exist. But this year - this whole year, really - I've learned and discovered new ways to be immersed in love, and immersed in relationships. I love it. I love my life so, so much.
I am so thankful for my friends and family. They are everything to me :)
Monday, October 12, 2009
...it is well with my soul...
I really love the church we've been going to. I feel God there. I feel Him in the people, in the love that they have for each other, in the spirit that leads them to take care of the community around them. Yesterday, it literally felt like He was right above us.
The church has this really incredible worship band/group/thing, which I also love. It's led by Brian Pitts, the Student Ministries director from Samford, and I've known him and his wife, who is also in the band thing, for a while now. The band consists of Brian, lead (acoustic) guitar and vocals, and then several other singers, and a keyboard and a bass guitar, and - get this - a mandolin, and violins, and some type of drum thing that isn't a bongo but looks like one that lays down. I don't know what it's called, but it sounds cool. When they play, it's beautiful. But the thing is, it's not about what instruments are there or not there - it's the spirit of the people singing (and that includes the congregation.) I've observed that in a lot of churches, people don't sing like they mean what they're singing, or are paying attention to the words. I guess it's supposed to be like mild and reverent or whatever, but it just feels sort of complacent and dead to me. And I'm not talking about the type of song either - I like a lot of hymns better than a lot of praise songs - it's just how you sing them that matters. At this church, God's spirit moves when we sing. It's a beautiful thing. Yesterday, one of the songs we sang was "It is Well with My Soul," which is one of my very favorite hymns. And boy, I needed to hear that - because my soul is not well with a lot of things. (Like work, right now.) And God was there. And it was good.
In another vein entirely...
This weekend has been totally unproductive for me. I really need to get some stuff done today (but here I am, blogging in bed, at 9 am. oh well...) I should change my attitude about resting. I have this problem, and I think it's genetic maybe, that when I'm not DOING something, when I'm just sitting around reading, or doing a crossword, or whatever, having some restful "me" time, I always say something like "I'm SO lazy," or "I really need to get up and do something," or something to that effect. Usually it involves the word "lazy." Now, when I'm being honest with myself - I'm really not that lazy. I'm not type-A work-a-holic by any stretch of the imagination, but right now, I'm working full-time 3 days a week. I cook dinner for the hubby probably 4 days a week (we try to eat leftovers the rest of the time - sometimes this works out better than others.) I try to keep caught up on the laundry and cleaning - but that's what I've slacked on this weekend. And Mark always says "So what?" when I fall behind. I should listen to him. Because there's nothing wrong with rest. We talked about it in my fellowship group from church - how we need rest, how we don't function without it, how God intended us for rest and rejuvenation. I'm just not very good at not feeling guilty when I do it.
Seriously though, today, I DO need to get up and do some things. Like make my yummy soup for dinner!! Mark doesn't have class tonight, so we can eat at a normal hour, which is nice, and I'm making Turkey Rosemary Veggie soup and cornbread tonight for dinner. Yum! I'm really into fall this year, and I'm looking forward to trying lots of soups for meals this fall (because usually they're pretty cheap, and last a while.)
I also need to figure out exactly WHAT I'm doing for Mark's birthday, and WHEN I'm going to get it... Because his birthday is coming up here pretty soon. I have a few ideas ... we'll see how it all pans out :)
And now ... laundry is calling my name. Farewell, comfy bed :)
The church has this really incredible worship band/group/thing, which I also love. It's led by Brian Pitts, the Student Ministries director from Samford, and I've known him and his wife, who is also in the band thing, for a while now. The band consists of Brian, lead (acoustic) guitar and vocals, and then several other singers, and a keyboard and a bass guitar, and - get this - a mandolin, and violins, and some type of drum thing that isn't a bongo but looks like one that lays down. I don't know what it's called, but it sounds cool. When they play, it's beautiful. But the thing is, it's not about what instruments are there or not there - it's the spirit of the people singing (and that includes the congregation.) I've observed that in a lot of churches, people don't sing like they mean what they're singing, or are paying attention to the words. I guess it's supposed to be like mild and reverent or whatever, but it just feels sort of complacent and dead to me. And I'm not talking about the type of song either - I like a lot of hymns better than a lot of praise songs - it's just how you sing them that matters. At this church, God's spirit moves when we sing. It's a beautiful thing. Yesterday, one of the songs we sang was "It is Well with My Soul," which is one of my very favorite hymns. And boy, I needed to hear that - because my soul is not well with a lot of things. (Like work, right now.) And God was there. And it was good.
In another vein entirely...
This weekend has been totally unproductive for me. I really need to get some stuff done today (but here I am, blogging in bed, at 9 am. oh well...) I should change my attitude about resting. I have this problem, and I think it's genetic maybe, that when I'm not DOING something, when I'm just sitting around reading, or doing a crossword, or whatever, having some restful "me" time, I always say something like "I'm SO lazy," or "I really need to get up and do something," or something to that effect. Usually it involves the word "lazy." Now, when I'm being honest with myself - I'm really not that lazy. I'm not type-A work-a-holic by any stretch of the imagination, but right now, I'm working full-time 3 days a week. I cook dinner for the hubby probably 4 days a week (we try to eat leftovers the rest of the time - sometimes this works out better than others.) I try to keep caught up on the laundry and cleaning - but that's what I've slacked on this weekend. And Mark always says "So what?" when I fall behind. I should listen to him. Because there's nothing wrong with rest. We talked about it in my fellowship group from church - how we need rest, how we don't function without it, how God intended us for rest and rejuvenation. I'm just not very good at not feeling guilty when I do it.
Seriously though, today, I DO need to get up and do some things. Like make my yummy soup for dinner!! Mark doesn't have class tonight, so we can eat at a normal hour, which is nice, and I'm making Turkey Rosemary Veggie soup and cornbread tonight for dinner. Yum! I'm really into fall this year, and I'm looking forward to trying lots of soups for meals this fall (because usually they're pretty cheap, and last a while.)
I also need to figure out exactly WHAT I'm doing for Mark's birthday, and WHEN I'm going to get it... Because his birthday is coming up here pretty soon. I have a few ideas ... we'll see how it all pans out :)
And now ... laundry is calling my name. Farewell, comfy bed :)
Friday, August 14, 2009
The News...
Well friends, I'm back from my interview...
And...
It was amazing!!! Obviously there's red tape and paper work ... but the manager said that she wanted me to work for her :)
I like the unit. It'll be different, but it'll be good.
Also, just real fast .... faith and prayer does work. Because I've been asking specifically for this job, and for a dayshift position in this job, and it was provided. He is faithful, and good.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver ... "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." - C. S. Lewis, from the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
And...
It was amazing!!! Obviously there's red tape and paper work ... but the manager said that she wanted me to work for her :)
I like the unit. It'll be different, but it'll be good.
Also, just real fast .... faith and prayer does work. Because I've been asking specifically for this job, and for a dayshift position in this job, and it was provided. He is faithful, and good.
"Safe?" said Mr. Beaver ... "Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you." - C. S. Lewis, from the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe
Monday, June 15, 2009
Friends and fellowship :)
I have to say, I love double dating. There's just something about going out with another married couple and getting connected, knowing that they get it, they get you... And besides all that, it's part of a healthy relationship (having friends besides your spouse, that is.) With my social tendencies (I'm what you might call an EXTROVERT), I think this comes more naturally to me than to Mark. Not to say that he doesn't enjoy it - I think he does - but he tends to take longer to warm up to people than I do. He's a great sport, though, and doesn't put up a fight, and goes out with pretty much anyone I ask him to, as long as I make the details happen :)
All this to say, we have lucked out to find some really good friends here. One such couple: Sarah and Thomas. I've worked with Sarah for about a year now, and she and Thomas just got married a couple weeks ago. We've gone out several times before, and tonight was one of those fun double date nights. We met at O'Charley's to eat dinner, had some great conversation, and then headed to Sir Goony's to play mini golf (after some debating at the bowling alley about whether we wanted to wait the 40-or-so minutes for a lane to open.)
Sarah and Thomas in front of the volcano :)
me and Mark in front of the volcano :)
We played about a round and a half before calling it a night, and we each got a hole in one - and some of us got more than one :) It was so nice just to be able to relax and enjoy each other as couples and friends for a while, not having to worry about moving or money or work or when are we going to sleep and what are we going to eat... Just good, quality fellowship time over a couple rounds of crazy mini golf. Made for a pretty good evening.
I think that's what I miss the most about college, some days. It's what has been the hardest thing for me to adjust to, working full-time and being on nights and being far away from my closest friends. I miss the fellowship, the social interaction, the ability to just call a friend and meet for lunch at a moment's notice. I miss my heart-to-hearts with Elissa, I miss my silly moments with Kristine, I miss my nursing study group, I miss the friendship that Andy and Mark and Suzie and I all had altogether, I miss all those relationships that helped form who I am now. I miss these sweet friends so much that the ache in my heart is tangible sometimes. But I've learned a few things during this time of loneliness, too - how to open up, and let new people in. I have been privileged to realize that new friends do not replace old ones, that old friends will never leave you or stop loving you. But new friends can bring such great new dimensions to your life too, new experiences, new memories made, and a broadened group of people to love, and who love you back. The first year or so that we were here, I was very lonely, missed my friends, I was shy at work, and reluctant to come out of my shell and open up to people a whole lot. I was almost afraid to try to form new relationships because I didn't want to betray the old ones. During this past year, though, I have found such a joy in getting to know the people I work with, some better than others. We have gone out on numerous of these double dates, with many different couples. Some we clicked with better than others; Sarah and I just ended up hitting it off right away. And I have been so very thankful for her friendship these last several months. It's so nice to have a girlfriend here to talk with, commiserate with, do girly things with, work with, and mourn over babies with. I do so appreciate her, and I hope she knows that. Mark and I will both miss her and Thomas very much when we move.
Me and Sarah
Just another reminder that God is in the business of loving people and providing what they need - even if all that means is a good friend in my immediate vicinity. Thanks - Mark and I both needed that :)
All this to say, we have lucked out to find some really good friends here. One such couple: Sarah and Thomas. I've worked with Sarah for about a year now, and she and Thomas just got married a couple weeks ago. We've gone out several times before, and tonight was one of those fun double date nights. We met at O'Charley's to eat dinner, had some great conversation, and then headed to Sir Goony's to play mini golf (after some debating at the bowling alley about whether we wanted to wait the 40-or-so minutes for a lane to open.)
Sarah and Thomas in front of the volcano :)
me and Mark in front of the volcano :)
We played about a round and a half before calling it a night, and we each got a hole in one - and some of us got more than one :) It was so nice just to be able to relax and enjoy each other as couples and friends for a while, not having to worry about moving or money or work or when are we going to sleep and what are we going to eat... Just good, quality fellowship time over a couple rounds of crazy mini golf. Made for a pretty good evening.
I think that's what I miss the most about college, some days. It's what has been the hardest thing for me to adjust to, working full-time and being on nights and being far away from my closest friends. I miss the fellowship, the social interaction, the ability to just call a friend and meet for lunch at a moment's notice. I miss my heart-to-hearts with Elissa, I miss my silly moments with Kristine, I miss my nursing study group, I miss the friendship that Andy and Mark and Suzie and I all had altogether, I miss all those relationships that helped form who I am now. I miss these sweet friends so much that the ache in my heart is tangible sometimes. But I've learned a few things during this time of loneliness, too - how to open up, and let new people in. I have been privileged to realize that new friends do not replace old ones, that old friends will never leave you or stop loving you. But new friends can bring such great new dimensions to your life too, new experiences, new memories made, and a broadened group of people to love, and who love you back. The first year or so that we were here, I was very lonely, missed my friends, I was shy at work, and reluctant to come out of my shell and open up to people a whole lot. I was almost afraid to try to form new relationships because I didn't want to betray the old ones. During this past year, though, I have found such a joy in getting to know the people I work with, some better than others. We have gone out on numerous of these double dates, with many different couples. Some we clicked with better than others; Sarah and I just ended up hitting it off right away. And I have been so very thankful for her friendship these last several months. It's so nice to have a girlfriend here to talk with, commiserate with, do girly things with, work with, and mourn over babies with. I do so appreciate her, and I hope she knows that. Mark and I will both miss her and Thomas very much when we move.
Me and Sarah
Just another reminder that God is in the business of loving people and providing what they need - even if all that means is a good friend in my immediate vicinity. Thanks - Mark and I both needed that :)
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