me? i'm a sponge.

Tonight I...
studied (no), read (not yet), ate (kind of), worked (well, I went to youth group),
caught up on my blog reading (YES!)

I pondered the c(C)hurch, viewed a breathtaking cityscape and springtime in Ohio (that makes you forget you're in Ohio), checked out a tofu press, reminisced about the birds-eye view of Chicago, smiled at a cute baby, thanked God for the return home of a friend from the hospital, became envious of California beaches, brushed up on all things vegan, and yearned to go dumpster diving.

I have cool friends.

These last few days/weeks I have felt like a sponge - letting the knowledge, laughter, love, and pure experience of life soak into me (and sometimes the misery, woe, lament and challenges - I mean we did just end the Lenten Season, folks!). But what am I doing with all this stuff just dwelling inside of me? I am thankful for friends who will laugh, converse, wrestle, struggle, and dream with me. I am grateful for our coffee addictions, our voices that sound so perfect when singing together, our text messages, our culinary creations, resource sharing, rock band playing, etc., etc., etc... All of this stuff makes me me, I guess.

Some days I want to wring the sponge and let everything that is inside out, Out, OUT! Thankfully, I'm learning better ways of doing that than just verbal diarrhea (ew, that's gross - sorry).  BUT, I'm also learning how to keep things inside - in a healthy way. At least I think I am learning this. As an external processor I recognize that this telling people everything bit can sometimes become exhausting and, quite possibly, annoying.

I don't have any figments of knowledge for you today, just a sincere thanks - whoever reads this - for your friendship. You've touched my life in ways you will never know...