We spent the day continuing to pack. We are getting worried about fitting everything into our small traveling space. I have a feeling Monday will be a lot of packing, re-packing, un-packing, etc.
We got a call today from the apartment complex. They hadn't finished looking at everything, but they thought it looked good. They will be calling us tomorrow morning. My phone rang at 6:30 AM, (9:30 in PA). I knew it would be ringing early because the girl we've been working with on this apartment had a meeting at 10 and said she'd call before that. When I got back into bed after taking her call, I thought to myself, "God has a sense of humor." Here I am praying for patience, and what happens? God gives me another "opportunity" to have patience: I have to wait another 24 hours!
Tonight we had a Good-bye Potluck/Picnic at a local park. It was fun to have friends and family from around come say goodbye. One set of very close friends who we went to Fox with, and lived with in Alaska, and are just very, very close to, came, and it was the last time we'll see them. They have a little boy who just turned one, and they refer to Michael and I as Uncle and Aunt. And, his little brother should be born in a month (I had planned on videotaping the birth if we weren't moving). I am TERRIBLE when it comes to goodbyes, I ball my eyes out, and needless to say this was no exception. Throughout the last couple months, every time we'd start to talk about leaving my friend and I would both tear up, and we'd have to quickly change the subject. So, it was a sad moment. Sad, yet exciting, knowing that each Goodbye is one step closer to our next adventure.
The hardest part is not knowing how long we will be gone. We have a lot of connections in the Northwest, and that is the hardest part of leaving, but maybe it helps us at the same time to know how much support we are receiving.
Showing posts with label Friendships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Friendships. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Friends
Last night Michael and I hung out with some friends from college. It was refreshing to spend time with our young married Christian friends. We are blessed with some quality people in our lives.
It was fun for me too because half of us are teachers, so it was fun to talk about our experiences and just know that we're all sort of in the same boat. Three of us are in the job hunt mode as well.
There are definitely things that will be hard to leave from the Northwest, one of the biggest (besides family) is our connections with people that we really enjoy spending time with. Before all this Philadelphia business we were really looking forward to coming North to more of the Portland, Newberg, Tualatin area, since we have a lot of close friends up here.
But, we know that this is a sacrifice that we will have to make. And we will be prepared for that when and if the time comes.
Meanwhile, we plan to continue enjoying our friends and family.
And preparing our hearts for whatever is next.
It was fun for me too because half of us are teachers, so it was fun to talk about our experiences and just know that we're all sort of in the same boat. Three of us are in the job hunt mode as well.
There are definitely things that will be hard to leave from the Northwest, one of the biggest (besides family) is our connections with people that we really enjoy spending time with. Before all this Philadelphia business we were really looking forward to coming North to more of the Portland, Newberg, Tualatin area, since we have a lot of close friends up here.
But, we know that this is a sacrifice that we will have to make. And we will be prepared for that when and if the time comes.
Meanwhile, we plan to continue enjoying our friends and family.
And preparing our hearts for whatever is next.
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Turkey Gravy Mishap
Last weekend one of my high school friends and I decided to have a big Pre-Thanksgiving dinner and invite all our close friends from high school. Yes, I am one of those rare breeds who still talk to and even keep in close contact with many of my high school friends. It helps that I'm living in the same town, but I have kept in touch with many of them since graduation.
Anyway, neither of us had ever cooked a Turkey, and we wanted to try it. We were worried that prepping the bird was going to be a long process, but we were pleasantly surprised when it didn't take very long. That turkey neck is one ugly piece of giblet! Because we thought it would take a while we had opted out of stuffing the bird with bread stuffing. Instead, we just put in cut up carrots, celery, and green onions for flavor.
Fast Forward three hours.
After we took the bird out, I was going to make the gravy. My friend had bought a new baster and for some reason it was not working very well. Once I took the cleaning brush out it worked much, much better. I put all these turkey "juices" into a pot, along with the veggies that had been cooked inside the bird. After boiling this my next job was to strain the vegetables out of the gravy.
Disclaimer: When I think of straining something, I picture straining macaroni or spaghetti, where the object is to get rid of the liquid and keep the solids.
So, I got the strainer set in the sink, (with two of my friends standing there watching), and proceeded to dump the pot into the strainer. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a liquid going down the garbage disposal, and I screamed, "NO!!!" OOPS! I forgot to put something to catch the gravy and instead dumped it down the drain.
Fortunately, Michael was already at the store buying milk for the mashed potatoes, so I called him (trying to decide if I should laugh or cry) and asked him to pick up some gravy packets.
For the rest of the night everyone gave me a hard time, such as, "hey Melissa, can you get me some pumpkin pie, as long as you don't strain it!"
Anyway, neither of us had ever cooked a Turkey, and we wanted to try it. We were worried that prepping the bird was going to be a long process, but we were pleasantly surprised when it didn't take very long. That turkey neck is one ugly piece of giblet! Because we thought it would take a while we had opted out of stuffing the bird with bread stuffing. Instead, we just put in cut up carrots, celery, and green onions for flavor.
Fast Forward three hours.
After we took the bird out, I was going to make the gravy. My friend had bought a new baster and for some reason it was not working very well. Once I took the cleaning brush out it worked much, much better. I put all these turkey "juices" into a pot, along with the veggies that had been cooked inside the bird. After boiling this my next job was to strain the vegetables out of the gravy.
Disclaimer: When I think of straining something, I picture straining macaroni or spaghetti, where the object is to get rid of the liquid and keep the solids.
So, I got the strainer set in the sink, (with two of my friends standing there watching), and proceeded to dump the pot into the strainer. Suddenly, I heard the sound of a liquid going down the garbage disposal, and I screamed, "NO!!!" OOPS! I forgot to put something to catch the gravy and instead dumped it down the drain.
Fortunately, Michael was already at the store buying milk for the mashed potatoes, so I called him (trying to decide if I should laugh or cry) and asked him to pick up some gravy packets.
For the rest of the night everyone gave me a hard time, such as, "hey Melissa, can you get me some pumpkin pie, as long as you don't strain it!"
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Friends
This week I've had the opportunity to hang out with a few friends from different parts of my life. On Tuesday Michael and I hung out with a good friend from college who I was also on summer staff with for two summers. He told me sometimes he reads my blog, which shocked me because I didn't know anyone did, and so I thought I'd give him a shout out. You know who you are!
Then on Friday I got to see a really good friend from my very first summer on summer staff. She was my "twin" that summer. EVERYONE called us by each other's name, and we were just super close! I haven't seen her since my wedding, (which she sang in) and it was fun to see her and her husband of just over a year. She's one of those people that although we don't talk super often, I know we will always have a special in each other's hearts, and every time we see each other it's just like where we left off.
On Friday I also spent time with another summer staff friend from a different summer. It made me realize that some of my closest friends, or at least meaningful and life-giving relationships began at Twin Rocks.
To top it all off, today I spent time with a close friend from college. I haven't seen her in quite a while. Her and her husband are raising financial support right now to head to Tanzania soon to work with a Bible Translation organization and to work in an orphanage. I was soooooo blessed by our conversation and the few hours we spent together. God is so obviously guiding their steps toward this lifetime ministry in Africa. I came to tears repeatedly as she shared how God has been faithful through all the doubts, fears, changes.
I have had many experiences where I've been blessed with meeting and befriending Godly people. I am learning that I am pretty bad at keeping in touch with people, but I try. And I'm learning that I can't keep in touch with every single person that I want to, but that through these every-once-in-a-while meetings I can experience a little more of the community that we are created for. I am so thankful for friendships where God blesses me through others.
Then on Friday I got to see a really good friend from my very first summer on summer staff. She was my "twin" that summer. EVERYONE called us by each other's name, and we were just super close! I haven't seen her since my wedding, (which she sang in) and it was fun to see her and her husband of just over a year. She's one of those people that although we don't talk super often, I know we will always have a special in each other's hearts, and every time we see each other it's just like where we left off.
On Friday I also spent time with another summer staff friend from a different summer. It made me realize that some of my closest friends, or at least meaningful and life-giving relationships began at Twin Rocks.
To top it all off, today I spent time with a close friend from college. I haven't seen her in quite a while. Her and her husband are raising financial support right now to head to Tanzania soon to work with a Bible Translation organization and to work in an orphanage. I was soooooo blessed by our conversation and the few hours we spent together. God is so obviously guiding their steps toward this lifetime ministry in Africa. I came to tears repeatedly as she shared how God has been faithful through all the doubts, fears, changes.
I have had many experiences where I've been blessed with meeting and befriending Godly people. I am learning that I am pretty bad at keeping in touch with people, but I try. And I'm learning that I can't keep in touch with every single person that I want to, but that through these every-once-in-a-while meetings I can experience a little more of the community that we are created for. I am so thankful for friendships where God blesses me through others.
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