Not every year is this emotionally painful but for some reason it is now. I don't know if it is because I am so far away from my family or because Jordan will soon be joining the Marines and I am terrified of losing another sibling and friend.
In all my sadness I am trying to stay thankful for the blessings God has given me. I am thankful that I got to have Rachael as my best friend, sister, and roommate for 12 years. I am thankful that we fought like sisters and I can now look back and laugh at it. I am thankful that even though I cannot be with my family right now, God has put me in a community and a city that knows my pain and loss. I am thankful for new friends here and old friends. I am thankful for the deeper relationships with my other siblings that are growing as they get older.
God is good all the time.
Friday, January 29, 2010
She would have been 21 today.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The city of Indulgence
At community group this week we were talking about living in New Orleans and how we can be "resident aliens". I wasn't exactly sure how to verbalize the difficulties of living in this city and yet standing apart from non-believers until someone else in the group mentioned that NOLA is a "city of indulgence". It takes what is beautiful and meant to be celebrated and turns it into gluttony.
The pastor at my church has said that New Orleans is one of the best pictures of heaven...and hell. We are always celebrating, enjoying the company of others, eating, drinking, enjoying music, art, and the other cultural gifts of this city and yet these things can be taken to the extreme--not to mention the politics and general poverty and crime of the city.
I have mixed emotions about living here as it is one of the most unique and culturally rich places I have ever been, but it is also a broken place where you cannot hide from the constant reminder that this world is not our home. I am encouraged and exhausted by this reminder. There is so much work that needs to be done to restore this city and it is easy to get caught up in thinking that the redemption of this city relies on me when I know that anything I do will be a minor drop in the bucket. God is mighty! PRAISE the Lord that he is our salvation--not me.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Freezing like a popsicle
Yes....that is an icicle IN my house! We left the faucets dripping so the pipes wouldn't freeze but with the combination of an old house and no central heat/air with below freezing temperatures, we ended up with iciles indoors and frozen pipes throughout. My landlord, being the wonderful person that she is, got my roommate and I hotel rooms for the next 3 days so I am now enjoying warm temperatures and running water. It is like a little "staycation"--the hotel has a heated pool, workout room, is located on St Charles Ave (so I can hop right on the streetcar and ride to church in the morning), and a little thing called rooooom service! AND cable television so I can watch plenty of football and law and order. Hehe.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Life Update
Most of the cousins at Disney
My FAVORITE part was the castle. It was georgeous!!!!
While we were at my cousins in Jacksonville, FL we got to meet Quentin Groves!! For you non-Auburn people, he was a defensive end for Auburn while I was in college and now plays for the Jacksonville Jaguars. Him and his wife were driving by my uncle's house and gave us a "War Eagle" after seeing our Auburn tags. They were looking for a house in the neighborhood and my uncle invited them in to see their's because there was one just like it down the street. They stayed about an hour just talking with us.
Woot Woot!
There are so many things I want to write about and hopefully I can get to them this week...but right now there is one thing that I am so excited about! I just met up with a group from Auburn (they are in town working with my church for the week) to see a popular brass band called Rebirth at the Maple Leaf Bar. As we were waiting for the band to start playing, several of the girls start whispering to each other and telling each other not to stare--I did not hear what they were talking about but I turned to see what they were looking at AND there was Kate Hudson standing about 5 people behind me. Wow! I always see movies being filmed around town but am not sure which one she is in. I am so excited to have my first celebrity sighting!! Too bad I forgot my camera--I don't know if I would have tried to get my picture with her anyways; I love her but I can't imagine not being able to go out in public without being bombarded by people--so I settled on doing the stalker stare (short glances back when I think she won't notice). hehe.
