hi wonderful friends,

i love and miss you all so much however the exciting amount of blogging this week has been so refreshing. it is so wonderful to hear how God has been working and changing in each of your lives. i am so proud of all of you and am so blessed to be called your friends.

karissa-way to makes us all proud and not be a pansy. i guess its a lot harder to chicken out when you don't have the Jack's Deli option. i'm sad i can't be with you this weekend. :( stupid security deposits, speeding tickets and rent. BUT i will be there on September 5th, October 3rd and November 11 (for Cal games but still!) also you must be so happy that Ed came back last night, i was devastated at the loss of jesse. while my heart truly lies with kiptyn (and reid in a weird way), i loved jesse as well. there was some anger down at nicole's last night. had you been at ralph and barbs, you probably could have hears the screams.

katiecraig-i suck and haven't sent your pants yet...i swear once this stupid move is done they will be sent to you i promise. but on a happier note, you have no idea how happy i am to hear all the cool spiritual stuff that's happening with you. it has been amazing to watch you grow these past 2 years, and i am so glad you are finding satisfaction in the Lord's presence. honestly, nothing has brought more joy to my heart this week than to hear you say that. i am excited for when you live closer to me! i know santa monica is far, but i can feed you. healthy food which i am so proud you are eating.

becs-first off, call me back. secondly, i'm so excited for you and all of your exciting adventures! i am glad the internship has been rewarding and fun! it is excellent to actually be doing real work as hard and as long as the days seem to be sometimes. and Tanzania! so much fun! i know that God is going to use you. i love how you are so willing to go to far off lands to use your gifts. God has blessed you with such a fearlessness. know that i am praying a lot for the whole Paris situation and i firmly believe that He will work it all out. waiiiit, also jesse? as in jesse steele? as in what is happening there? CALL ME BACK!

jules-rooms, post one of these days. also, nicole and i want to come visit you soon!

as for me, honestly, i have had a pretty rough week. In between work (which i still love so much despite the fact that my boss is completely nuts), packing and life, one of my friends from high school who i went through a whole lot with committed suicide last monday. i hadn't seen her in a few years, and it just makes it all the harder. but i have already seen such good come of it in terms of repairing some broken relationships and watching how amazing the Body of Christ is during a tragedy. Watching the way that this family has been cared for and loved by their friends was so inspiring and it made me so thankful to have a community of girls that i love and who i know love me.

but on to happier things, i am moving!!! we have the most perfect apartment in Santa Monica. its in a little neighborhood area AND because the previous tenants had lived there for 35 years, we get all new EVERYTHING. paint, granite counters, light fixtures, sinks, toilets and for a really unreal price. i am so excited to be settled there as of saturday and just really start investing in friends, church and of course, work.

something i have really been pondering recently in my quiet times is the idea of a Sabbath. it's the 4th commandment, but yet it seems to be the most ignored. i have decided to commit my Sundays completely to the Lord and to rest. i think being in the working world has finally made me see how important that Sabbath is for our wellness and to just reconnect with the Lord. i remembering reading that commandment and the notes in my study about it and wondering when was the last time i took an entire day and did nothing but enjoy God's presence. no errands, no obsessive cleaning, nothing. i was really convicted to make it a priority and i am really going to try hard. pray that i keep following God's will in that situation.

i love you guys so much and this week has really made me praise the Lord that I have such amazing, grounded, loving friends like all of you. i hope we can all have playtime soon.