Old friends

The other interesting part of this weekend, tied together with the two phone messages is that this has been a time of significant conversations of "reconnect"--or at the very least of catching up with some folks I have not seen in quite a while.
1) the grandson of our now elderly neighbors--with whom my sister and I used to play cowboy/cowgirl, and superhero adventures with (With my underoos over my play clothes, I was always Wonder Woman, he maybe was Superman or Spiderman--I don't quite remember.)
2) an old crush, and later good friend, Tom, from high school--who is trying to find a church for he and his family that will really grip him and allow him to enjoy praising God, rather than consider it a duty.
3) my lengthiest college roommate, Karelynne, who happens to be one of the smartest and most diligent theologians I know.
4) and all of that after I spent a marvelous day just hanging out with my sister, whom I haven't seen since...I don't know when...uh, January? Though we've definitely talked since then!
5) Plus, Last week was 2 amazing phone conversations--the Pittsburgh friends, and Chicago Lisa =), both with fun, good news.

All of this to reflect how exciting it is to reconnect with people I care deeply for, but don't have the luxury of seeing on a daily basis, as was once true in our lives. And though I don't always see or remember it, I am very, very relationally blessed, and I would not trade that gift away.

80 years of blessing

Getting to be in Cleveland this past weekend to celebrate my Grandma's 80th birthday was a wonderful time. It is amazing to see how much God has given her in life, experiences, lessons, faith and love. It was also a treat to ask a handful of my students to make cards for her (as we tried to get her to receive 80 birthday cards...we hit 73 as of Sunday), and they were so willing and sweet about it--and she was tickled! Such fun.

Random? Graces

On my answering machine tonight are messages from two of the most significant Black women in my life: Kitamu, a huge spiritual mentor to me in early college, and Kathy, my dear sister in Grand Rapids, who I likewise had just been thinking about this past week.

Just a cool blessing--and not truly ironic, but nicely juxtaposed with the lengthy conversation I enjoyed this evening in discipleship about Ethnic Reconciliation processes in people/our IV chapter. Wow. Neat.