Seems like a normal morning. I’m drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying my typical breakfast burrito. A talkative little girl and a quiet little boy stand beside me as I write this post. Sounds like every morning doesn’t it? Except this is not my dining room table it is Rachel’s. And these are not my children, they are hers. I’m still in Tennessee. I’ve not blogged since the 3rd and I owe you almost a week’s worth of post. I have photos and links and stories and… well it has been a good trip. A really good trip. Not crazy at all. Well, crazy good. Like a much needed retreat. Like a trip to the Abbey but I don’t have to get up at 3:30am to chant with some monks…

Speaking of sleep:
Actually I’ve been staying up ridiculously late most of this week. On the Fourth, I stayed the night at Aimee’s house and we finally went to bed at 2:30 then woke up too early the next morning. The next day though, I went to bed early and slept for 11 hours. Eleven hours. That’s like… three times more sleep than I normally get in a night. Which was nice because the next night morning we went to sleep at 5:30 a.m. Saturday we stayed up till 5am… then had to wake up at 7 to go to church.

It sounds crazy, but when else will I get to talk to Rachel? I still can’t even believe I’m here. I don’t normally fly across the country to spend a week with someone I’ve never met. I’ve got to make the most of my time here… I really should have planned to stay longer.

I fly out of Nashville tomorrow morning. Though I look forward to seeing my family, I dread saying good bye to the Harmon family. It would be easier if I thought I’d see them again soon. We live 571 miles apart. Which is rather unfortunate. Why do I live so far away from such good friends?

Thankfully, I have good friends in Springfield too. But friends are not interchangeable. One can not take the place of another. At least mine can’t and when they are far away I miss them terribly and continually. For example, the Godzwas. No matter how hard I try, I’ll not find anyone like them in Springfield. They are irreplaceable. And Patti… she one of a kind and unfortunately she lives further away than Rachel does. So does Tamara…

I’m tempted to complain, to whine, to say it’s not fair that God gives me such dear friends and puts them so far away. But really, I should just thank Him. For the time he has given me with such good people. Six amazing weeks at the Chaplain school with some of the best people in the world. And a week here in TN with Rachel and her children. My feeble typing can’t possibly describe how thankful I am for her friendship.

God is so very good to me.

—
Note: Sometime soon, I’ll post the daily updates I’m behind on.