Things with Julie are getting much, much better. Monday was fine, but I bathed in sadness on Tuesday and Wednesday. I thank all of my good friends (friends from both college and home) who have been so supportive for me during this time. Sadly, one of my other good friends broke up with his girlfriend (who is also my good friend), and she's a wreck because of it. These things, I am afraid, happen to us all. I wrote this "contemplation" a few days ago, called "journey":

Each day gets easier than the one before it. We may fall a lot, but we pick ourselves up and keep moving. New days come, new years dawn, and our lives continue to evolve and take shape. As we look back at where we've been and where we've come from, we begin to see the wisdom of God at work. When we originally wondered how in the world God could treat us so apparently badly sometimes, we come to see that His actions were works of mercy and grace, and that through all of this He is preparing for us a home beyond description, a life beyond measure, in this realm of existence and in the next.

I went to the Garage this evening to visit some friends who were working. It's always a task to get through the front door without paying, but somehow I manage every time. Thankfully I am friends with the man who runs the place! I made myself a hot caramel macchiato and sat outside on the bench, watching the cars drive by and thinking about life. I also had the privilege of making a few drinks for some customers; it's always good to know how to make exquisite coffee drinks (I am a beast at macchiatos). Work has been killing me lately: lots of long shifts that conflict with my "study time" (a.k.a. "free time"). When I got back, Amanda and her boyfriend Matt were over, so we had some good laughter and conversation. I read Mom some imprecatory psalms (see Psalm 137) and the last verse of Hosea 13. I love finding scripture that makes people uneasy.

I am thinking about changing-up the series I teach on Sunday. I want to spend the next 10 weeks going over the minor prophets, starting (Sunday) with Obadiah. A lot of people do not even know these prophets exist, which is sad seeing how fascinating and relevant these stories are.

I am really tired and need to get some sleep. I leave you with a wonderful quote from my good friend Alex Kaufman:

You're taking things slow with your girlfriend? That's a good call. If you go too fast, you'll find yourself standing in a dark alley with fifty bucks in one hand a goat in the other.