Home

So this past Saturday was my 26th birthday, which was amazing! I went to dinner on Friday evening with Steph Pearce (my freakin twin), James Evans, Jamie Long, Marc & Sarah Uptmore, Ryan Amundson, Stephanie Orr, Amy Murrell, Chris Gorman and Craig Vogler. I wouldn't normally put people's last names on here, but I wanted to emphasize the "Nine30 Reunion-esque" of it all. As I was sitting there with them all, I realized how much I missed us all being in the same room together...

Each and everyone of them, I'd met at Nine30 in Lubbock and the last time we were sitting in a room together, we were probably listening to Nick Cooper or Ben Cooper talk about the ins and outs of discipleship. Sitting there, laughing, talking...I felt like I was home again...like I'd never left that partitioned-off, usually blazing hot room in First Baptist...where we had all CHOSEN to be. I was home.

Home is a funny thing...I looked it up of course...my fave definitions are...
1. A valued place regarded as a refuge or place of origin
2. The place where something is discovered, founded, developed, or promoted; a source

I've moved alot in my life...13 times so far...9 of which were all in Lubbock!! But, I never feel like where I reside is my home. I found my home when I worshipped with my dearest friends in the sanctuary of First Baptist...when we went out to lunch every Sunday...when we stayed up way too late at the Long house...when we ate pancakes at Kelsey's or at Marc, Austin & Landon's house...when we sat and slept on a bus for hours on end to work our hearts out in California...when we took oaths that we kept even when they hurt...when we met our running mates for life in this gigantic race towards eternity.

A little over 4 years ago, I was just being introduced to my home...I'd never met any of my closest friends. I'm so thankful that the relationships formed then are intact and thriving still...that in another 4 years or 10 years or 20, we'll all still be able to pick up right were we left off and still be caring for one another.

It was the best birthday I've had yet...a sweet reminder of life to come and that even when everything can change in a year...Christ manages to keep the most important things to us constant!

I wish I could have had tons others there with me to celebrate...Ames, Nick, Daniel, Ali, Ben, Mel, Kailee, Keri, Lex & Leah and too many others to name, but I want you all to know that I love you so much...you feel like home to me!!