Short and sweet tonight – I am quite grateful for friends, even those in far away places. Some days I can still feel distant and misplaced here. Certainly not all of the days, and we do truly feel that this is home. But every once in a while you hear from a friend who’s known you for so many years that you don’t even have to think about what you’re saying. They’ve heard the good and bad, silly and strange. Even on days when I don’t know quite where I fit or what my purpose always is, I’m so glad for the friendships that allow me to just be myself.
good friends
Thursday Three
Just three simple truths tonight.
1. Life is busy. It just is sometimes. This week and last week and the week before is that way. Our church is moving this week and life between home and church has way too many parallels right now. Boxes left and right, Ikea furniture on the brain and lots of miscellaneous details. But in the end, it will all somehow come together and is an exciting next step in our lives.
2. Friends are good. We’ve been blessed with some really good friends. Friends who listen and support us, close by and from farther away. A lot of times we have the same stories, struggles and jokes, but they still laugh and listen and care. Thanks, friends. You make an impact and also make the days better.
3. God is in control. About a year and a half ago when we were starting to seriously consider moving and had a few details on the table that we were trying to figure out, we were a total wreck. Neither of us were sleeping well and we were just little stressballs. On a day we knew a few big things were being decided, I put a little post-it up in the bathroom. My pen was weak and I ended up making a mess of it with a marker. It’s not the prettiest looking reminder, but it was nothing but truth. I still have that note and it still applies in our life today. So although there are things I am stressing out about now, I know this to be true.
Whatever happens – it’s good. And from God. He has us taken care of.
Going Away Gifts
It was a great (and tearful) weekend full of good friends, good music and goodbyes. Getting some of this closure and a chance to spend time with those closest to us was a gift in itself, but we were surprised with a few more. Food, drinks, candles, wine, reference letters, gas money, sunflowers, cards, wall decor and gift cards. This one seems to be the crowd favorite though (courtesy of the boys at work). Thanks everyone for all you’ve done for us! We’re blown away by your generosity and love.
Camping, Then and Now
Once upon a time I went camping for the first time in my life with four great friends. Looking back, I don’t even know how or why we did it, but the stories have lived on for years to come. That summer is often referred to as the “best summer ever.” It was before we had real jobs, but we all had enough money and freedom to do essentially whatever we wanted. Just the same, at the time we stressed about life decisions, health problems and who liked who. Now, 5 years later, we’re taking the same camping trip. It’s a different place and we’ve all changed, but here’s a few of the things that I love that’s stayed the same:
- It’s the same weekend – right before my birthday and the 4th of July.
- It’s the exact same people (plus 1 – who we owe big time for constantly hearing the infamous stories from the first camping trip).
- We’ve grown and changed and moved away, but we’ve all stayed friends.
- No one was dating anyone at the time, and now we’re all married to each other (and all got to be a part of each other’s weddings).
- We’re at a turning point in our lives, not sure if this camping trip will be our last together but I think we’ll continue to be friends regardless of the next thing.