grace eventually.

Matt and I met in seminary. I can't remember the exact said meeting, but my first significant memory of him was my second birthday in KY. Some friends and I had decided to go see the Indigo Girls, one of my favorite girl bands of all time, at UK. At the last minute, one of the girls had to back out. Did I mention that this was an all-girls outing? Somehow Matt got wind that we had an extra ticket and jumped at the chance to go! During the concert, I look over and Matt is on his feet, hands in the air, eyes closed, full-out swaying to the melodic tunes of the Indigo Girls. It was at this moment that I knew we would be friends for life! A few months later, he and I teamed up to throw a going-away party for our good friends, Becca and Toby. It's on this date that we declare our Friendiversary, July 4th. Since that particular day, Matt and I have been a constant part of each other's lives. We've laughed together, we've cried together, we've sang Amy Grant together...oh wait, I would never. I've listened to him sing Amy Grant (loudly) as we've driven with the windows down through our favorite KY roads. We've created our own language (name yet to be determined). If you hear it, you would think we're ridiculous, but we find it amusing. My favorite thing about Matt is his ability to process. This comes out best in his writing. I mentioned his blog at the beginning of Lent. He recently moved to Nashville to pursue his passion of writing. I have no doubt we'll see great things from him. I think seminary was formative for both of us in becoming who God was truly calling us to be. The road was not easy but we did it together and for that I am thankful. Happy Birthday, Matty....I love you!

**The above photo was taken at my 29th birthday party. We call it our "geriatric prom" photo:)

Claire's 32nd birthday fell on the day of Michael Jackson's memorial so we thought it only fitting to throw her an MJ-themed party! Here are some photos from our event!

I love to read other people's blogs, but am not so good at keeping up with my own. I find this bizarre because I've always always loved to write. I used to always love to go to Hallmark and peruse cards for an hour, but I discovered yesterday I'm not really into that anymore either. Of course, I was on a time crunch yesterday so finding the perfect card for the birthday girl is a little stressful when you need to be back in the office ASAP. What I realized when I got back to the office was that I had chosen a sweet card that said nothing about birthdays! Oh well...I think she enjoyed it just the same. I decided to sum up my life over the last month in a list form. It's been a crazy adventurous month and I have often thought, "Oh, I need to blog about this." Now if I really blogged about all of those things, we might be here til next week so here goes!

On another note, a little birdie told me that today is my dear friend and life-long mentor, Lora's, 60th birthday! I ran into her at Starbucks today and I had no idea! Party if up, girlfriend! So glad I got to see you on your big day even if I didn't know:)

Last weekend we celebrated Claire's 30th birthday...I think we're pretty hot at 30:) This has been a strange week...I've had some amazing encounters with friends and even my Mom. My life continues to get more and more confusing it seems. Tomorrow is Jill's last official day as the interim children's pastor and then I will transition into her position until they hire someone. I've learned that they're not just looking for a children's pastor but a Director of Christian Education that will be responsible for children and adults. Seems like a big job if you ask me. I can't tell you how many times I get asked if I'm interested in it. The answer continues to be, I don't know. I've got quite the pros/cons list going on and they're pretty even.

Pros:
-an actual salary
-full-time ministry
-move out of my parent's house but will still be close!!!
-be a part of Garrett, Grant and Avery's lives on a daily basis

Cons:
-quit Starbucks (which is also ministry for me) and a job I love!
-extended time in Ruston
-not many opportunities to meet people my age
-don't really feel connected/spiritually challenged at Trinity right now

Needless to say this list has not brought much resolution. I suppose it's not time yet. I am grateful that I have opportunities to consider. I want to be open...staying in Ruston long-term has never been something I even wanted to consider. As I mentioned in my last post, in my head I'll move out of Ruston after Christmas. I just don't know what awaits me around the corner. As Becca pointed out to me yesterday, one thing's for certain, my "time of rest" is officially over. I've already started planning my vacation in October...good friends, fall foliage and the beach will be included!