slap = growth...sometimes

i'm incredibly tired. and clearly i'm not working. even though i'm at work. ironic. but i'm kinda unmotivated at the moment and i don't have students for another 45 minutes. so my logical conclusion? post on my blog. :)

i just got through with this crazy weekend. i could go into all of the stuff that went on - from the 5mile fun run i did, to the certification test i finally took (yes, i'm teaching and not certified...yet), to the retreat i showed up to a day late, and then coming back and hanging out with 2 of my favorite people - but I will spare you the details. The funny thing is that in the midst of all the stuff, God can and will still shake my world (or mind). Sometimes I envision it as one of those smacks in the back of the head - like "hello?! what are you doing?" that you see angry moms do to their rebellious, obnoxious kids in the grocery store and you don't know who to feel more sorry for - the mom or the kid. but then i know that God is gracious, and it's probably not a slap to Him but a "friendly reminder" (like those emails i frequently get from my principle about meetings and such). anyways, I'm glad God does that. b/c I don't want to stay in one place. i want to move. grow. change. and for me, that has most frequently happened through those breaking moments, which seem horrible at the moment - but are later proved fruitful.

which has also made me so thankful for friends. those that are safe and you don't care about how you come across. you can just be. b/c you know they will love you no matter what. there's no pride or insecurities or fear. and i think that in a lifetime - there may only be a handful of those. and different seasons bring different people. and maybe some of them only come for awhile, but how they are a gift. and for that i'm thankful. i'm glad we don't have to walk this life alone. that would be horrible and terribly boring and hard. i mean, if you don't have a friend that you can call at 3am, laugh with, cry with, vent frustrations, get advice from and just be with - life would be rough. i mean, this life is already rough enough as it is.