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I'm home for a couple of weeks. Well, home is a stretch of the word. In the first place, I hardly ever come to Indiana anymore. I've said goodbye to my childhood house three times now because my parents predict their move any month now (it will still be a while...). I'm more like a guest visiting when I come home now. Furthermore, these past three weeks, I have only been home three nights. Yes, folks, we are living on the job.

How did I get here? Well, the last time I checked in, I was taking finals and getting a new student visa. My brother visited me the last week of class, and I really enjoyed having him there. I liked that he got to meet my friends and see my new world in BC. Then we drove through the night on Friday to get to my grandparents' house in southern Alberta on Saturday morning. We spent a few days with the fam in Alberta (my dad's side), and we left on Wednesday. Dirk went to school in Iowa, and I went back to Indiana to work for a couple of weeks.

Since August 17, I've been living in a lake house. It sounds glamorous, but it's really not. We live in the two rooms we haven't torn apart. We are remodeling the house. I have decided that I like trim carpentry much better than remodeling or construction in general. Plus, I have gotten soft from my days behind a desk. The guys at school treat me like a girl, so I'm not used to lifting and digging and toting... It's tiring, this work stuff! :)

But it's not all work and no play. Since Tuesday, my five year old cousin stayed with us. He had a great time swimming in the lake, building a barn from scrap lumber, and hanging out with us. I got to take him to a steam museum on Saturday, and then we went to our church's Summer Celebration with a rock climbing wall, booths with crafts, free food, etc. It was a good time! Plus, I really enjoyed spending some time with this adorable little guy.

So what's next? Well, working this week, then going to Tennessee for a cousin's wedding. From TN I'll fly back to the Pacific Northwest and start classes after Labor Day. Yeah, more school. I'm doing the Master's program for Linguistics and Exegesis. We'll see what happens after that. :) Busy, busy, apparently.

I thought I would be settled by now. I would have liked to pick a place and start making a life. One where I didn't have to say goodbye all the time. Other people are used to it. They make comments to me about my jet-setting ways and say I've always been a traveler. Perhaps that's true, but I'd really like a home base. It's strange to only have places to visit. And so many loved ones scattered all over... Sigh. I will have to keep following Jesus and trusting that he has a good path for me even though it's not the one I would have preferred.

Borders

I'm thankful for a new visa that lets me study in Canada for the next three years! And for my friend, Dannii, who parked on a side road waiting for me to walk into immigration and looked sketchy at the border. Canada, looks like you're stuck with me for a while.

Yay for visiting people and going home. Boo for saying goodbye. It's been a good summer, and now we're crossing into new territories. Three classes down, one to go. Plus packing, cooking, cleaning, and hanging out. School is out for the summer, and we get a short respite before it starts again. All sorts of frontiers are being crossed - literally and figuratively.

It's both hard and good that I'm living these transitions over and over again. I'm learning that Jesus is my Home. The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He is enough... at least, I'm praying he will be when I say goodbye to some dear people tomorrow. We are sojourners, but we do not go alone. Good thing.

Mumford and Sons

I love the song by Mumford and Sons called White Blank Page. It has some interesting words, great music, and knock-my-socks-off harmony. When my friend in college first introduced me to Mumford and Sons, that was the song that hooked me.

Tonight, I found myself listening to it again. This time, the scene was different from a college dorm room and a computer. I was going home from Dannii's house with three guys in the car. As we zipped through the empty streets of the town, we listened to Mumford and Sons filling the car with music. Our voices joined in, and let me tell you - I really like listening to male voices sing. Not in a weird way. It just sounds good, especially on one of my favorite songs. I stopped singing and just listened and watched them in the car with me.

"Lead me to the truth and I
will follow you with my whole life....
tell me now where was my fault,
in loving you with my whole heart?"

I realized that I really do love these guys with my whole heart. I was surprised by the affection I feel for them. It's not romantic. They are all taken anyway. But we put our hearts on the line, and I chose to love these people even though it was only for a short time. Someone said that these friendships, like flowers, are beautiful especially because of their brevity.

My friends at CanIL have taken my heart, and it's bittersweet to think that this is the end of our time together. I have really enjoyed the summer, and my friends here have made a huge difference in that. They have challenged me to think differently. I have realized that other people speak about concepts in different terms than I do, and I am learning to have a fuller view of life, friendship, God, grammar... I appreciate them for the fun times of hanging out, the help on homework, the moments where we've shared what's important to us.

Sitting in the back seat, singing and listening, I realized that these moments are precious. Sometimes I want to hang onto them, but I can't. We all move on, taking the next steps, being faithful to what the Spirit asks of us. I treasure these friends, late nights, and good music.

Heart...Ahhh....
(listen to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sw-ko6aINI4)

A quote given by Hannah Cooper...

"Following Jesus is simple, but not easy. Love until it hurts, and then love more." 

~Mother Teresa