Deep Friendships

Some old art major buddies of mine were getting together over the weekend, and it looked like I might not be able to make it. After some consideration, I decided to make it happen. I've had a lot of heavy stuff on my mind lately, and a spur of the moment trip to visit old friends did a lot of good. In fact a couple of weeks ago, I got a visit from my old friend Casey Butler, which also helped me.

So lately, I've been reminded of the importance of having deep friendships. I have a lot of what I'd call "peripheral friends" - people who I consider friends, but rarely share the deep concerns of my life with. Unfortunately, however, I feel that I don't have a lot of friends right now who I can share my deeper emotions and thoughts with. In the last 2.5 years, I've had several very close friends sort of move out of the area (and thus out of my life, in some ways). It is not impossible to keep up those distanced friendships, but certainly difficult.

So it was good to meet up with people I have history with, and with whom I share interests and passions. I've dealt with my dad's passing through introversion- I've spent a lot of time alone (I wanted it that way- don't freak out, extroverts), but it was great to get back into relationships and community with old friends.

It was another step toward "getting back to normal" for me. And it woke up a little more of my creativity and taste for adventure. God is good.

So there's an insanely big rainstorm outside and all I want to do is go run around in it!

Spring and Life

I spent the weekend with my family. It continues to be huge for healing and moving on, little at a time.

I took yesterday off so I could help my mom clean out my dad's office at the church. It was rough at times, and we both shed a few tears while putting away his books and misc. desk stuff. However the hardest and most emotional part was closing the door of the office and leaving. The act of doing so just had this heavy feeling of finality. We both cried hard as we got ready to leave, but with time we're healing. Going through his books (some he helped write/edit), I was reminded by what a brilliant guy my dad was. We also came across more personal things- a mother's day card for my mom (he never wrote in or gave her), among other things- that revealed his loving side. I sure miss him.

My sweet 9 month old nephew had a health scare a few days ago. Doctors thought his spleen was enlarged, which could mean several very scary things, cancer being one of them. I'm usually very laid back and worry free. But with the pain of the recent loss of my dad still close in my mind, I was far more concerned than I normally would have been. This is not to say I was panicking- I was still praying and trusting God. But it just reminds me- life is so precious. Why would we waste moments watching worthless tv? Or arguing over worthless things? Well my nephew ended up being fine- his spleen is just a little more "protruding" than the average spleen, I guess. So he's fine. Praise God.

With the weather starting to warm up, I'm getting excited about the possibility of new adventures (which, frankly, is what this blog is SUPPOSED to be about!). This spring/summer, I'm hoping to do lots of camping, treasure hunting, hiking and such. Though I imagine I won't feel quite like myself for some time still, my heart is beginning to feel a change in the winds. The hope of Christ, I'm reminded, is that life goes on and death is only a temporary separation. Joy is making its way back into my life (and that of my family) in spurts. I feel compelled to also say this: Without knowledge of the redemptive death and resurrection of Christ, I don't know how I'd deal with this. God is so so so good.