Long Time No Blog

The last 10 days in a nutshell...

Honestly, I've been on an incredibly long vacation. It started at 4pm last Thursday with a rain-soaked drive with husband and dog all the way to Lynchburg, VA. Friday, I continued on the road with my sister this time to Mountain Lake, (where Dirty Dancing was filmed). Here I joined my old Lynchburg church for a woman's retreat. The most refreshing conversation we had concerned actively humbling ourselves before God through confession. We went back to Lynchburg Sunday night, and I said good-bye to husband and puppy Monday afternoon. Before he left, he teased my soul with jokes about moving back as I basked in the comfort of knowing where everything in the mall was and how to not only get from A to B, but also from A to C, B to C, A to G and back to B. Monday through Friday were filled with visiting and catching up with family, old friends, and even old professors. I have, most definitely, reached my social capacity.

The reason I decided to stay in the area was because of a dear friend's wedding yesterday. Friday night is when all the wedding festivities began. It was such a good feeling to be so happy for someone. When a friend is as open and honest as this one is, it gives you an even deeper appreciation, understanding, and joy for her when she makes huge decisions like marriage. I really got to see the whole story from start to present. I've seen the scales weighed. I've seen the uncertainty. I've seen the faith. I've seen the worry. I've seen the peace. I've seen the pain. And I have seen her joy. Knowing her heart and their story gives my "wedding wishes" so much more meaning than so many of the other weddings I have been to. It was certainly beautiful to watch. I hope this challenges you to know who your real friends are and really open up to them. It makes such a difference in their empathy. If she had let me, I would have done every/anything for her and to help her out that day. What a special day it was.

Another really good friend of mine gave me a ride home. We actually got in at 4 this morning. It was quite the adventurous ride home as we kept each other awake by creating laughter. It was a really special time for us as we got to do some opening up and reflecting.

God was so good to me this week. He gave me the strength to be social all week, the energy to stay awake all night, the joy to be so proud of a friend be married, and the blessing of getting to spend some much needed time with family- all three siblings. I am overjoyed and exhausted. I probably wont do anything social all week as I recharge, but I will surely feel blessed.