The good, the bad, and the funny

I refrained from posting much online last week. In the midst of the sadness and confusion that followed the attack in Boston, I found myself both grateful for and thoroughly frustrated by social media sites. Grateful because those of us who were states away from the grieving communities were able to show our support through prayers and well-wishes. Frustrated because, just as news and well-wishes can be sent, so can misinformation, hatred, and uneducated opinions. While I am glad to live in a country where we can basically say anything we want in any public forum, we often say absolutely anything and everything that comes to mind, even when it is unhelpful or unvalidated. That frustrates me to no end.

The one thing that really hit home with me last week was when the suspect was identified as a 19 year old. I've met many 19 year olds in the past few years at Duke. They are smart, surrounded by brilliant people, learning tools of their respective trades from leaders in their fields, and passionate about the world around them. They're 19 now, but someday they will be our country's engineers, doctors, lawyers, business owners and politicians. They have the passion and potential to significantly and positively impact the world, and I'm confident when I say that I know some who will. While I pray for that boy who hurt so many, I also give thanks for the good these others have already done and will do.

Our next few weeks will be full of end-of-the-year festivities with Duke Lutherans, and packing our apartment. So much to do, so little time, and obviously some stress along with that. Assuming you are stressed as well, here are a few goodies to make you smile :)

Brother Bear

Today my brother, Tom, turns 22 years old.

Happy birthday, dude :)

It's going to be a good year for Tom. In a few short weeks he'll graduate from Ashland University, move to Seattle to start his awesome job at Amazon, and then at the end of July he's getting married to the absolute perfect girl for him. I could not be more thrilled for both of them.

I got to spend my last year and a half at Ashland with Tommy.  I loved having him there, knowing that once I graduated I was moving to North Carolina and would thus see him a lot less.  At one point during his first semester, we were eating together in the dining hall and one of my residents came to our table when Tom was up getting food, and asked if Tom wanted to sit with him and his friends. I told him we were catching up, but thanks for the offer, to which the student replied, "Wow, my sister goes here too but we would never eat together!"

I didn't think about our relationship a ton prior to that time. Tom and I grew up doing everything together, but we were surrounded by our cousins and their siblings who also did everything together. It didn't seem odd to me that we would be friends by the end of all that, but I guess for some people it doesn't work out that way. Not everyone likes their siblings. Or, they can like them but not really be friends. Realizing that made me pretty appreciative.  We didn't always get along perfectly, but I can think back throughout our childhood and know that he has always been there for me, and vice versa.

Together, we played made-up games that spanned for months. We had names (and an intricate social hierarchy) for all our stuffed animals. We would get sent to our rooms for fighting with each other, but then sit by the shared wall in our closets so we could keep talking. We made pacts to show each other our Christmas presents early. When I first got my back brace, he helped me loosen and re-tighten it before I could do it on my own, so mom and dad wouldn't know. We survived chamber choir, wrestling seasons, and musicals together. He stayed up with me at night after my surgery, and talked to me until I could take my meds. I watched him come to Ashland and finding an amazing new group of friends, but he still found time to eat with me once in awhile when I was feeling lonely because Drew was so far away. And this past year, I've cheered him on as he took an internship in a far away city and rocked it all summer, and when he bought an engagement ring all by himself, proposed, and then landed a kick-ass job for after graduation.

So, TomTom, happy birthday. I'm so proud to see the man you have grown up to be, and glad I've gotten to be a part of the journey so far.

Here's to you, brother :)

Rolling with the punches

I had hoped to get back into blogging when we got back from Mexico, but of course life started up again and life is crazy and here we finally are, 2+ weeks later. I do intend to blog a bit about our trip and experience there, but first I wanted to give y'all an update on what's going on in our lives.

You may remember way back in the fall I posted about some changes to our plan in regards to life and ministry and Drew's schooling. Well, life and the Lord are keeping us on our toes, and our schedule for the summer has once again changed. Our apartment lease is up in May and for a number of reasons we cannot extend it through the summer, so we will be packing up our apartment and moving our possessions down to Columbia, South Carolina (where Drew will be going to school in the fall) the second week of May. I am currently in the process of searching for jobs down there, and will plan to relocate once I find one. Drew, however, is obligated to be in Durham until August. Thankfully, we are blessed with friends who have agreed to host him/us for the summer months, so we will not be sleeping in a tent.

While figuring all this out has caused us a bit of stress over the last few weeks, I know we have much to be grateful for. We had no trouble getting into an apartment on campus, despite it being earlier than we had originally planned. Plus, the apartments are nice and affordable and literally right on campus, so that will be very convenient. Also, my awesome husband was fortunate enough to be hired for Duke Youth Academy in June. DYA is a two-week program for high school students sponsored by the Divinity School here. Drew will be part of the staff which includes living on campus with the students and being a leader/teacher. The extra income will be a huge blessing, but moreover it will be a great experience for him and I couldn't be more proud.

So along with the beautiful weather April will [hopefully] bring, it will also bring boxes and packing, resumes and interviews, and a lot of goodbyes that I am not looking forward to. We would so appreciate your prayers as we wrap things up with our students at Duke, as we pack and move, and as I start the job application process.