Random snippets and thoughts from my time with Allen, Anne, Bev, Elaine, George, Janet, Jason, and Paul. This weekend was truly something special.

Post-college is a strange time. Distance stretches friendships in curious, sometimes uncomfortable ways.

The playing was surprisingly Wow!...just to be with folks you like and who like you too.

A reunion of the "good ol' friends" can often become a filling of an empty present with the best happinesses of a selectively-remembered past. What made this weekend wonderful was the renewal of forging bonds cut off by separation. To re-connect is to return to a good thing that was cut too short.

The past few months have been fairly rough. As a result, I've been withdrawing from those who care about me and from those whom I care about. I've been lonely to say the least. God has brought refreshing in the perfect way to meet the needs of my heart. This refreshing came in the form of old, wonderful friends. I'm grateful for friends who let me be whacky ol' neurotic me and who are real with me. I'm grateful for friends who share similar passions, dreams, goals, and desires.

Fireworks that fall like glittering dust and shooting stars took us captive. We became little kids for a moment. We marveled at the beauty. We reveled in being together.

It's hard to explain, but it's like my heart feels at home with these friends. They are part of "home" to me.

I was worried that I would be sad when I got back. I was afraid I would be in withdrawal. Bev said it best, "I'm not in withdrawal like I thought I would be. Y'know why? Because my soul was truly fed and refreshed. It wasn't a co-dependent, addictive weekend that leaves you high and dry."

God did some deep refreshing work in my heart this past weekend. I feel like understand Luke 2:19 more: but Mary quietly treasured these things in her heart and thought about them often. My desire is that I would not hoard this blessing. I desire to give it back to God in worship, that He would continue to soften my heart to loving people deeply again.