Friendships are strange and fabulous things. One's very closest friends often change from year to year, or month to month. Friendships change and people change, and interests change. And it can be hard when you notice friendships fading due to changing interests and habits, when you care for the people just as much as always.

But what a joy it is, when you realize that a friendship has survived through turbulent ups and downs. That events that often tear people apart are gently put aside. It's an incredible feeling to realize that after a year of change, you are once again on the same page. You can talk about anything, you understand each others frustrations, and you enjoy each others company.

God gifted me with a few such friends this summer.

Last night I attended Jamie's 8th grade gradutation. She looked absolutely stunning in her new dress, she seemed incredibly happy, and she is now quite a bit taller than me. She is growing up. Oh how I wish I could be home for her high school years. But I'll have to make do with being home only for the summer months.

I love her.

Sometimes I sit at work with nothing to do. This is one of those times.

Home for the Summer

Today I have been home for a total of 5 days.  I arrived at the Eugene airport Friday night to be welcomed by my family and the Selvens.  It was wonderful to see everyone at once.  We headed out to dinner together and got to spend a little time catching up.  What a lovely welcome home party.  I even got to see James at the airport.

The next morning, After feeding the homeless under the bridge with my family, Carina and I took Jamie graduation dress shopping.  She found the cutest dress right away.  She looked stunning.  But we decided to put it on hold, just so we could check out a few other places.  Unfortunately, the people at the store didn't know the meaning of "may I put this on hold please?  My name is Jamie."  Because we came back a few hours later and they had sold it to another girl.  ugh.  Oh well, they felt bad, and gave Jamie three 25% off coupons, so we'll be returning when their next shipment comes in.  Saturday night I made it over to Peter Barnes's house (a close friend from school for 12 years) for his going away party.  Peter left on his two-year Mormon mission this morning.  He is so excited to learn russian and bring peop

le joy and hope.  I am proud of him.

Sunday Morning I went to church.  It was really nice to see so many familiar faces at church.  I spent so much time hugging people that I was a few minutes late to Beth's Sunday school lesson.  She talked about spiritual gifts, and how we can nurture the gifts present within our church.  Very interesting, and hopefully a good start to some good work in our congregation.  At church I got to see Anna and Page, which was wonderful.  I had missed them both so much over the school year.  If I remember correctly, Sunday night I spent at home with my family.

Monday morning I woke up nice and early and got ready to go to the oral surgeon.  Out with the wisdom teeth!  I remember very very little.  When I finally became really conscious, I was lying on the couch at home and mom was changing the gauze in my mouth.  She was wonderful to me.  I iced my face all day, and wasn't swollen at all by the late afternoon.  I even at dinner: yumm bowls!

Tuesday morning, I woke up at 4:45 am.  My face was quite swollen and uncomfortable, and I couldn't sleep.  I got up to get some more ice, and tried to fall back asleep.  I spent most of the day reading.  Anna Karenina is a very good book so far.  I would recommend it.  Around 10:45, Peter Barnes came over to say goodbye and catch up a bit.  He so kindly brought me some chocolate ice cream, and it was gone before the morning was over!  We had a great time sharing college stories, talking theology, and saying goodbye.  It will be quite a while before I see him again.

Today (Wednesday), I didn't wake up until 9:30.  Last night I was out late watching Iron Man with Ginny, Jay, David, Andrew, James and DK.  But I got up and found a note from my mom on the kitchen table.  She asked me to cook up some chicken for this weekend (we're going to Seattle for Jamie's volleyball tournament), so I spent the first part of the morning in the kitchen.  The rest of the day I spent reading, writing letters, making graduation cards for friends, wasting time on facebook, and complaining that my face is still puffy.  Not quite as uncomfortable as yesterday though.

I only have a few more week days left to enjoy before I have to start work.  Tomorrow I'm sharing lunch with a good friend, and I'm very excited.  It's important to catch up with the people you haven't seen for months.

Hopefully tomorrow my face will be back to normal.

I know that for me, two things this year have been really helpful in my walk with Christ.

First, it's those few and precious friends who share my faith, who are regularly encouraging me to dig into God's word. It's those friends who also struggle with ideas of a perfectly good and just God, who created this world full of people, many of whom won't be saved. It's these friends that not only suggest good readings, but read them with me and to me; as we discuss them together I get excited. Sometimes I am frustrated, but more often I am given a sense of peace or awe at the mystery of God. It's these friends that will sit in the Fish House café and discuss the concepts of predestination and free will while going through passages in Romans and Malachi that are hard to reconcile with. And being able to apply new knowledge I've been exploring and learning about through my theology class just gives me excitement and passion for Christ.

The other thing has been my church. Carsten and I have been attending Woodlawn CRC church since November. Sticking around after the service to get to know and talk with the pastors, grabbing some coffee with the congregation downstairs only to spill it all over myself when I shake one of my professor's hands, and being recognized but other members of the congregation have made us begin to feel at home. Just like any church, it has it's strengths, and it's areas that are still being improved, but that's not what matters. It's the act of showing up, for the purpose of learning and worshiping our creator. What a joy to realize that all week I'm looking forward to church on Sunday morning.

April 16, 2008 11:15 PM