one spirit, one mind

This trip home has been good for the soul.
I rarely realize how much I miss home. But I HAVE realized that West Texas is not as dog gone awful as I made it out to be after I moved to Nashville.
..mm..that doesn't really mean I'm ready to move back, but I do think life would still be enjoyable back in Texas.. : )
I've been thinking about how abundant life can be lived anywhere..Seminole, Texas...Madrid, Spain..it's all about what you make of it.
I think mom was right when she told me only boring people get bored.

So anyways, reunion time with high school friends..my word, I don't think I've enjoyed myself that much in quite a while. I love how stinking dry my guy friends are from high school. I will say something borderline funny, and I'm met with.."If you say that again, I'll hurt you," and, "You are lame.." ..things like this coming from Matt and Regan, it's just funny. We are so real with eachother, and the fun comes so naturally. I just miss them oh so much. !

Time with the family has been perfect. I've had hours of time in our comfy living room..just knitting and being. We had Christmas this morning with just me, Mom, Dad and Melanie. It was unquestionably the best Christmas we've had together. Melanie's blog from today words it perfectly. I loved my gift from Melanie so much. She gave me a book with photos from Africa..it tells the story of people there through the pictures and a few sentences here or there..usually a quote from the people in the photographs. It is beautiful, and I cannot wait to dive into it and let the stories break my heart and shatter my worldview..as needs to be done every single morning. She also made this pretty, pretty thing for me to put on wall with a perfect quote about really LIVING. Mom and Dad gave me some fun things here or there (including, but not limited to, season one of Arrested Development..yessss..), but the best thing came at the end. They said they had one last gift for Melanie and me. It was a homemade card that told about how they were recently affected by their participation in "Feast or Famine." They learned more about the huge numbers of people around the world who are starving, and how inexpensive it is to feed large groups of people. They decided to give Melanie and I each a check for $100 to give to whatever organization we wished. Tears came immediately. As Melanie says..it was just a moment when we all came together in one spirit. It was such a God-given thing..I felt him bringing us all together in a way we've never been before.

Thank youuu, Father. You are constantly kind.


My cousin Layne seriously argues with me on every topic. We do not have one conversation in which he does not make fun or try to make me feel stupid. I dish it right back. I love it. I know this much..I need a boy who will remind me not to take myself so seriously. And who is willing to laugh at himself. Sometimes we try to convince ourselves we are super cool.

Here's to remembering I'm really not cool..not even a little bit.