the grrrrrrrrrre

oh man, so much to write about. i miss processing with my blogging friends! unfortunately, most of this still must wait.

the Olympics are addictive. i mean… it’s almost worth it to swim for 10 years just to be able to truly appreciate that inconceivable, incredible relay anchor by Jason Lezak. i even found a little animosity towards the “Frenchies” that I didn’t know i had. (they said they had come to Beijing to smash us. we didn’t say anything… just said it all, that’s all.) i have always loved the relay, and loved being the anchor. Jason, you have my permission to die happy now…

i’m back home now and… i think i’m going to start packing for school. that and buying a car and studying for the GRE (I like to call it the grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrre) and a hundred other things. today church was so good, though i missed the first 20 minutes (and of course my family chooses this sunday to sit in the farthest front row, which faces sideways towards everyone else).

it stinks….i’m finally starting to really connect with people over 30, and now i’m leaving. i am glad i get to spend several months at one church soon. it’s too much to move and keep moving on this much, though i’m thankful for my parents’ church this summer.

some days i’m excited to test myself on the GRE, which is weird, but i’m a good test-taker and i have fun pitting myself against a standardized test; it can be kind of like a really hard game, a code to crack. other days i am not sure what the heck i am doing with my life, so why do i even think that grad school is a possibility? oh, this year will be one of sorting out. every year is, and i’m glad for that. i’m glad even for the tears that i’ve spent at this school, did you know that?

it has been a very long road to being able to love that school, and to treasure the time spent there. to treasure even the tears. this is one big fat Ebenezer for me, people.

i had a conversation with an awesome person today, someone who reminded me that no matter where you are in life and the background you come from, everyone has strengths and weaknesses…. which they bring to what God has for them in the church, and which they bring to relationships. it feels good to remember that. i think too often i identify myself as one big great ball of weaknesses, and i feel more comfortable using my weaknesses to relate to people, rather than my strengths. who am i to deny that God has equipped me with good gifts to serve him? now, just… what exactly are they? and how?