HOUSTON, what!

That’s right, I’m now working full time with Cameron and living in my own apartment and a thousand miles away from most of my friends. Is this what “real life” is all about???

Two things I’ve learned about Houston that I shall kindly pass along:

Number 1: It is hot here. Very very hot. So hot that in the thirty seconds it takes for me to get into my car and drive, I get a lovely sheen of sweat on my face. I used to think Florida was just as hot. I was wrong.

Number 2: There are some sweet(and by sweet I mean insane) road systems in Houston. Driving the beltway in the morning really reminds me that I’m ALIVE, blood pumping through my veins and cars roaring by. You most definitely have to be on your game to drive in Houston!!

And before you all get the wrong idea, I really do enjoy Houston. I’ve already found an awesome church(Baptist Church of the Redeemer!) and I’ve had some good times hanging out with my work people!

But hey, I still miss y’all. A lot.

Oh and one more note…just got my first ever digital camera…arrived today!! I haven’t opened it yet – been whetting my anticipation by waiting all night. So expect for me to have some pictures of H-Town soon!!

Oh and one more random story that was almost tragic but ended up in a rather delicious manner…last night I was making some chicken parmesan (first epic meal in the new place!) when a giant thunderstorm attacked my neighborhood…the lightning and thunder was nonstop and I was just a tad nervous. Still, I was just minding my own business frying chicken when the power went out. Power being out meant that my stove did not work which meant that I could not finish my meal! Thankfully…within about 20 minutes the power came back on and I completed my dinner and ate it…albeit at around 10:30 at night. And it WAS delicious.

And now…I’m off. I think ’tis time to play with my new camera.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. -John 1:1-5

How can you read that and NOT be blown away…well, I was just hammered by the truth and utter awesomeness of those few verses…despite all the lies and craziness and deceit and injustice and selfishness and arrogance and hatred that go on in this world…there is truth – there is the Word. And what a comfort that is!!!!

Today was a sweeet day. Celebrated Laura’s 16th(WHAT!?) b-day since I’ll be gone when it’s her actual birthday…we made delicious cinnamon rolls in the morning(with coffee of course!) and finished off the day with chocolate pie and watching Two Towers…oh yes!! Also got to eat lunch at Friday’s with Chris and Liz…good times talking about our fav books(I have so many new book series I now want to read thanks to Liz!) and Muse(I still think Black Holes is the better album, Chris!) and other awesome randomness – man, I realized I’ve known Chris for so long and it was quite…sad…saying goodbye, not knowing when the next time we’ll be together is. Wow, is this what being an adult is like…? So many of my best friends that I’m leaving…but all I can say is, I’m just ever so thankful that I’ve had such sweet friends in the first place. Ah, God is good!! And now it is getting late…so farewell!!

Oh and…

Last night in Tampa.

Tomorrow…Houston bound.

Time to rock and roll, y’all.

Time for bed soon(it is getting LATE!) but just wanted to say that the last few days have been pure awesomeness…hanging with the fam, breakfast with David yesterday, lunch with mom yesterday and lunch with Laura today, sweet time at Rays game tonight with whole family(first time Maryanne and Laura had been to a pro baseball game – it was an awesome game, we beat the Angels 11-1, yeah!)…oh yeah and Houston?

I’ll be there in four days. Eek.

I feel like I’m Bilbo the hobbit, saying farewell to all my favorite haunts in Tampa…oh how I will miss Florida.

But now, bedtime!! Goodnight all!!

Wow, has it been just…an amazingly awesome last few days. And those words really DO NOT adequately say what I’m feeling. Just because I’m terrible with words and all…getting your emotions onto the printed page? Not easy.

But even though these past few days are worthy of pages of writing(don’t leave – I won’t really write that much!!), I really do need to go to sleep soon because church is in the morning and getting eight hours of sleep would really be quite delightful!

But yeah…let me at least briefly describe what I’ve been doing recently. Went back to Gainesville this past Wednesday…one last hurrah!! On Wednesday night, got in and chilled with Rob for a while…was so good to just hang with him and talk and….have great times. I have to say, I’ve had lots of good friends…but never one quite like him. And I am most exceedingly grateful to my Father for blessing me so!!!!

I will not be derailed too much in this brief recap though…! And so Wednesday night was suitably glorious for my return(me and Rob and Andrew ended up watching a movie that will remain nameless, but started with “Pride” and ended with “Prejudice”. Hey. Don’t judge) and ended with me reading some classic Lord of the Rings as I drifted off to sleep(nothing better than reading about sleepy willow trees to help you go to sleep!).

And Thursday started just as relaxingly…sleeping in late and eating crispy bacon with the dudes…yesss. Later that night, me and Rob headed over to Dan and Betsy’s house for just pretty much the most perfect night…playing horseshoes in the rain…grilling and eating deliciousness…talking for hours on end…and just soaking in the blessings of such sweet fellowship!!! You know those friends who you can just talk to about ANYTHING…and whom you just CONNECT to? Well, my conversations with Rob and Dan and Betsy are just always amazing because they’re those type of friends…a communion of love, indeed. So that night…well…just YES.

And the next day was just as sweet. Wow, looking back on it, I really can’t believe how awesome all these days have been!! And I’m rapidly falling asleep, so I better stop rambling and hurry up! But yeah, did some errands in the pouring down rain in the morning(cut my hair…it is so short now, eeek!) and then in the afternoon went to see Rebekah Hope! She’s been staying at her family’s lake house after her surgery, so a bunch of us went to chill with her…it was a pure delight to see her again!! And that evening, prayer and praise. For one last time! We ate delicious spaghetti and read through 1 Thessalonians and sang and talked about controversial topics and prayed and worshiped God. And that really says enough. Oh, and we ended that night with some delicious coffee(Laurie made it – how I will miss her! And not just for her coffee!)

And this morning(we’re finally to today!) began as all mornings should. At the disc golf course. Me and Rob and Galan and Deanna and Shari and Laurie and David and George and Becca went over to Northside park and hit up the course bright and early(8:30 IS early, I swear!) and it was ever so beautiful…I love doing things early in the morning and watching the wisps of fog melt away as the sun hits them and seeing the sparkling dew on the grass and feeling the very first hints of the sun and watching the clouds form in the sky…and walking through all of this with your very best friends. Truly, I’m going to miss this.

And now, I’m home in Tampa. And while I love my friends OH SO MUCH, I also love my fam and it was so good to be back with them and talk with my dad and mom and chat about random stuff with Laura and Maryanne in my room and just relax on my bed. And speaking of bed. It is time. I think I said this was going to be a short entry. Oops. You all have permission to slap me next time you see me!

And I really want to write a more insightful entry about college and my feelings about leaving it…and yes, that will probably also be a very long entry. Alas, now is not the time. And I feel my heart is too full…as I have said before and will say again, I feel so overwhelmed by the goodness of the Lord. I can never stop thanking Him for his marvelous blessings to me and for the friends and brothers and sisters He has given me in this life…and I can never stop praising Him for His love that extends over the heavens and is greater than the seas…and I can never forget the works He has done in my life with His mighty hand…and all I can do is love Him. Because He loved me first.

I am now chilling on my bed, feeling in the mood to write, but not sure what to write. Should I write a poem? Or a short story? Or a random musing? (Oh wait, that’s what I always write here) Or…what? Give me a prompt, someone! I need creativity, but it has fled from me. Oh muse, heed my call and return! Return on the wings of the moonrise and in the chariot of the sun…or else I will die from sporadic poetical random outbursts! Like this one.

..oh, I’m doomed.

Wow, am I exhausted!! It’s a been a crazy and TIRING last few days…

I don’t have time for a long update(well technically I DO have time, but it’s getting late and I rather want some sweet sleep!!)…so I guess I’ll just have to summarize!

Maryanne graduated from Gaither this past Friday! WHOA. My little sister is now practically a college student. Craziness. I just wish I could be at UF one more semester, because I think that would be really sweet to be able to be at the same school with her! Unfortunately, since she’s four years younger…we’ve never been able to be in the same school together. Except for when we were home-schooled, but that doesn’t really count. Anyway, the graduation was super awesome!! And nice and short. College graduation ceremonies…take a hint!!

And because she was graduating, my Uncle Maury and Aunt Cheryl came from Omaha, Nebraska to visit! They were here from Wednesday of last week until today…they stayed at the nearby Baptist camp(where I worked a few summers ago), so I spent much of my time ferrying them to and fro…I think I could drive that route without headlights, blindfolded. Don’t dare me to try it though.

Anyways, the time with them was sweet! We watched lots of movies with ’em, went to the beach, had way too much good food…you know. Oh and speaking of movies, last week the whole family(minus Katharyn, sadly…) went and saw Star Trek at the theatre. It was most excellent – better than I expected! – mostly because it pulled a lot of the old lines from the TV series and really kept the spirit of Star Trek. We were pleased!

Anyways, there is much more I could talk about, but it is time for sleep. So farewell. And…live long and prosper.