Beautiful words...

"Have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able to live them. And the point is, to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then, someday far in the future, you will gradually, without even noticing it, like you way into the answers."

RAINER MARIA RILKE.

Thanksgiving...

... was such a wonderful time.

I don't know what was best... my mom learning the Soulja Boy dance, playing Scategories until 1 am, belting out Rod Stewart, Neil Diamond, Don McLean, Beatles, and Billy Joel tunes with Laura(s) and the family, or every moment spent with my amazing sisters.

It was all so great.
As tradition holds at Laughlin family Thanksgivings, we had a stanger at the dinner table... (thank you mom). Usually mom is the one who finds these stangers with no place to go to join us. Usually they are a little weirded out by the family... but then they realize that they would have it no other way... and they become family. Nel joined us as our annual stanger... and she was wonderful. She fit right in. Now we just wait and see if she ever comes back :).

Also as tradition holds, we have our friends... which have become our family. We topped off at 13 people this Thanksgiving... which is rather low for us. It was perfect though. After dinner the music got flowing and we got loosened up on the dance floor (our living room). And oh did we sing. Usually we hold to the oldies, but Paige switched it up this year and put on some Soulja Boy which we were dancing to. Heather decided to learn it with us... and mom had to join in. Jan knows the Soulja boy. She's amazing at it. I know shes going to tell her friends at work... and I know she's going to get judged.

My sisters and I had a blast... late night movies, grocery store trips, and triple solitare make for a very good time. One for all... or all for none. Even though we bicker with eachother... there couldn't be two better friends that I could ask for.

I made some money over break Lifeguarding at Sawmill... and boy did I grieve the WAC. There was nothing like it. Nor will there ever be. I can't believe we used to call that work.

I got to spend some time with my homeless friends downtown. I got a beautiful gift from my buddy Jim. He is just so precious to me. He gave me a necklace that matches his, only he put a cross on mine. It's a friendship necklace. I am the luckiest friend in the world. They have so little... yet give so much to us every time we see them.
Heather came along... and we got to bring two old and dear friends of ours, Kevin and Kwabnea. I love to see Jesus move in people's hearts when they meet our friends downtown. It's remarkable.

I am so thankful for my friends down there. Tom and his perseverance, Jim and his hugs, Rob and his quiet heart, Bob and his precious spirit, Elmo and his voice, and Ernie and his honesty and his tears. They are so so beautiful.

Then we made a little unexpected visit to an old friends house... and man oh man did that bring back some memories. It's incredible how far God has brought me... and what a new creation I've become. I am so thankful that God makes us new, and give us second chances.

This entry is getting long... I'll post some Soulja Boy dancing pictures soon.

Peace.

Through Painted Deserts

"We drive around in a trance, salivating for Starbucks while that great heaven sits above us, and that beautiful sunrise is happening in the desert, and all those mountains out West are collecting snow on the limbs of their pines, and all those leaves are changing colors out East. God, it is so beautiful, it is so quiet, it is so perfect."
Don Miller.