The anticipated rain and wind storm has finally arrived, and with it an army of ants moved in to my kitchen. This morning I was awakened by the rain beating against the window and couldn’t seem to fall back asleep. I got up to make myself a cup of tea. Darkness is very deceptive because I was ignorant of the secret activity going on in my kitchen as I filled the tea kettle and set it on the stove. When it whistled I came back to the kitchen and turned on the light to make my tea and toast. To my dismay I found my sink and surrounding counter top to be covered with ants. I was confused becasue the sink was empty and the countertop clean! Nevertheless I began to wash them away and at this they went crazy. I can safely say that they began to swarm. I hastily consulted my mom who told me that the ants are inside merely because of the storm. Storm or not I don’t want any ants in my house! So I will be buying the necessary equipment to be the exterminator later today.

Last night I enjoyed dinner at 17B with Astari, Bethany, Jen and Missy. When I arrived they were working on this puzzle called “A Million Marbles.” Insanity in a box. I think puzzles have this way of messing with minds because we will study it for a long period of time without accurately fitting any pieces. Then right as I say, “I’m not going to do this any more,” I find and fit a piece. So I keep working on it hoping to find just one more. Then I end up staying up all night trying to finish the puzzle. They can be fun to do with people you can talk to and laugh with while the puzzle addiction process continues. We discovered last night that Missy has the “gift” of puzzlery. She will simply pick up a random piece, study the box cover and then place the piece correctly, all within a matter of seconds. It worked for me a couple of times but then we started watching Star Wars, Return of the Jedi which I haven’t seen in ages so I resigned from the puzzle to watch the movie and have a cup of tea. Not having seen it for 5 years or so I found it to be much more of a comedy than I remember. I used to think it was dramatic, and even a little scary at parts, but last night I couldn’t stop laughing at C3PO’s English-accent dramatically delivering lines like, “Yes, your worshipfulness”. There is a hilarious constant reference to searching or reading feelings and fulfilling destiny. Most amusing of all were lines like: “I have a very bad feeling about this…” ; Han-”I love you” Leia-”I know” and “Get going, you pirate” It was fun to watch together but I’m most excited how we decided to read 1 Peter together and each week write at least one paragraph in response and bring it to share with each other. I think reading the Word and spending time in prayer together will do much to encourage our friendship and challenge our individual growth. Hebrews 3:13 gives this guidline for friends, “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” This call to challenge and encourage is true friendship. It is not an aquaintence that trys to make us feel good about ourselves, or suffices to talking about the weather. Instead it is a togetherness–open, honest, gentle and caring. It works for the purpose of building each other up in Christ. I’m excited about being more purposed in this kind of encouragement, and am inspired to be this way in all relationships, sharpening each other while it is still called today, for today might be all we have together…