but i DO love this weather...

Yesterday, I took a bubblebath...in the afternoon...granted, it was the LATE afternoon...but the afternoon nonetheless. I felt very extravaggent ;-)
The reason for the bubbles: I was totally cold. You know that cold that gets IN your bones and no matter how many more layers you put on you cant get warm?!
that's how i felt...of course, then, my bath was waaaay too hot and I probably only stayed in there about three-five minutes before having to get out and lay on my bed so I wouldnt faint or something. Lesson: It must take practice to be a "bubble bath person".


So, its 9:10 on Saturday morning...I've been at work for 45 minutes...my doctor still hasnt arrived. I had a feeling this would happen. This particular doctor is natoriously late and working with him on the weekends means you will most definitely miss church. Boo. :-( I shouldnt complain though, right? I mean, i'm getting paid for this...meeeeh.

OK! So, lets use this time wisely! I didnt have time to write up an inspirational/influential person last night...I could have, but I was tired and I wouldnt have done them justice.
So, today, I'm going to try and do two...because, kids, we are RUNNING OUT OF DAYS! only two more days until my birthday. can you believe it?!

Emma
Emma was in my life group last year, it was one of the most special life groups I've been in...and I've been in several. I think the major difference was it was an all-girls group so we pretty much jumped into the gory details of life feet first.
My first impressions of Emma were: She's an american, she's totally cool and funny. And my first thoughts of Emma were: I SO want her to like me!
Yes, I think there are just some people you are just drawn to, drawn to their personality, drawn to their very life...and I think that's how it was with Emma. For several months, before I really started to feel comfortable around her I was like a teenage girl trying to impress her older brother's friends.... I dont know WHY I had such a desire to please her, and make her feel comfortable around me but I did. I am still not sure what purpose this fulfilled...but I feel like its important. Thus the beginnings of our Friendship.

Lets jump forward, and in doing so, let me just say...in thinking about my relationship with Emma the word: Bad timing. seems to come up. In normal everyday life I dont think our friendship would have ever made it, for one thing, we didnt get really "started" on our personal relationship ( not just life group stuff) until a few weeks before I left new zealand. For good. Bad timing. But, I dont think God HAS bad timing...and so you'd never have guessed that Emma and I have only spent several weeks together as FAST FRIENDS. And when I say together I mean in each other actual presence. ;-)
Yes, I've learned HEAPS from Emma. She has taught me to be OPEN and to be brutally honest no matter what-things I am still working on. She has been instrumental in the "opening up to friends movement" which was gracefully started by Lydia and Louise and was pushed violently forward by Emma's efforts. She has shown me what fighting for Truth and for Hope really look like...and let me tell you, its inspiring. It brings tears to my eyes at this moment thinking of how I could NOT have faced this past year without Emma's perspective helping me through. Seeing her life as an example of Overcoming. God truly knew I needed her help to face things in my life, things I had lived with for twenty odd years and that I was perfectly happy with only half-struggling against. Emma was the catalyst that brought me out of my stupor and into fighting mode.

Along with all the serious stuff, Emma is also one of the funniest people I know, she is also one of the kindest people I know and most brilliant. I am inspired by her very Life and I am truly grateful that God didnt think being thousands of miles a way to cultivate a friendship was too difficult, for I truly do not know what my life would be like without her...