Hi. I leave a week from today. Whoa. All has been going well in preparing for this momentous move. At times I feel completely on top of all the to-dos, and the next moment I feel completely overwhelmed. I don't do well going 90 miles an hour. I need a measured pace. Thankfully, the Lord knows (and made) this trait within me, so he often reminds me to"just sit with Him awhile". Now the list of necessaries has shortened mostly to the daunting task of packing.
I spent a great weekend in Fayetteville over Labor Day. I was blessed to spend precious, meaningful time with dear friends that I realised should be characterized as family members to capture their importance to me and my heart. Fayetteville has been my home for the past six years since graduation from college. One friend I have made in the past handful of months continues to be amazed by how many people I am know in NW Arkansas. "Do you know everyone up here?", she asks over and over. A smile creeps across my face. I do not know everyone, of course, but I am thankful for that repeated question becuase it does help me to continue to appreciate the vast number of friends (and family) I can count in NWA, a.k.a. "home".
Goodbyes are tough. Each person I spent time with over the course of the weekend dealt with our farewells in different ways. I loved it. I love the dynamic nature of people and relationships. I sat and chatted away answering questions with some friends, hugged and was on my way. With others, we just sat and did what we normally do, sort of avoiding the topic on everyone's mind, my leaving. Jokes were made to lessen any bit of emotion that might surface and produce awkwardness. The beauty of it all lies in the uniqueness and life of each friendship dynamic. If those who normally joke and are silent suddenly sat intently asking questions and being overwhelmed with emotion, it would have been sort of strange. If those who normally chat it up had avoided information...odd and disheartening.
Expectations. All of these observations leads me to thinking about expectations...and the Lord. Predicting people, life, interaction is selling you and those involved short. Allow people and relationships to be dynamic. Beauty lives here! Expecting someone or something to always look or play out a certain way can at times paralyse individuality and limit depth. The Lord desires that we love people as we love ourselves. I like to be free to evolve, grow, change as life and the Lord moves me. I guess, in all this rambling, my thought is to remind myself to let life happen as it happens, to let the Lord lead and to learn to be flexible in our expectations, predictions, and notions of the way things may look.

He surprised me this weekend by allowing me to spend sweet time with friends that blew my mind in depth, encouragement, connection, and love. The interactions looked different, but each moment spent was captured in my mind and heart as a moment well spent. From chats over tacos, to coffee on a patio, to a rocking chair on a porch with slow jams, to a football game with synchronized swimming done on turf, to weeping with laughter over old YL skits, to a visit with a 47-day-old blessing, to a four-year-old who laughs with me like he is my age and enjoys "two flavas" with dinner, to reuniting with old friends who recommend learning to be a "Guitar Hero", to time on Custer with my brothers watching Ali, to a ride and a sweet prayer with a best friend... I could tell you stories for days. Thanks to you all, and I have no doubt you are in my corner cheering me on as loud as you do our beloved HOGS! : )
I fly out on Wednesday, the night of the 13th from Dallas. Will be in touch!
kb

Oh, and the sermon on Sunday focused on these words and following (Ecc. 3.1-15) which touched me. Allowing ourselves time for each is important. I am thankful that the Lord affirms us in each of these moments of life.

Ecclesiastes 3.1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven..."