Most of Ever

Tonight, I got to see my old friends from Fuel. We had a reunion of people who went to New Orleans last March (my idea, oh yeah!). A lot of these people I just don't see very much anymore, for various reasons. It's been hard for me, because I am so community-oriented. I miss Fuel.

But tonight, I got a taste of that again. I got to laugh - so much that tears were streaming down my face and all my eye makeup washed off. I got to get teased by Justin, one of my favorite things - seriously! (Most of ever=greatest, in case you were wondering. At least when you're me, and you're playing Catch Phrase, Music Edition.) I got to catch up and chat with so many people who mean so much to me.

It was fantastic.

And instead of feeling nostalgic and bitter and sad, I felt joyful. I felt peaceful. These people are still my friends. Just because we don't see each other does not mean that we are not still close. I am so thankful that God used these people in big ways in my own life. I am so thankful to still be close to them. I miss them. But I always remember that one day, we will be together forever, in heaven.

In the meantime, I can enjoy our get-togethers and look forward to them with excitement. I can leave with a song in my heart (to be totally cliche). I can thank God for so much.

Truly I am blessed.

(By the way, according to Jeanna we are going to hell when we die. Bummer.)

Phone marathons...

...are fun.

In other news, UCLA lost. Again. At least U$C lost too. And they were beaten by my grad school, awesome!

There are things happening in my life, but nothing that I want to put on here (yet...).

Can't wait to see all my friends from NOLA tomorrow!

I love RENT!

That's it, I think. :)

And God does it again

Several seemingly unrelated events:

Scene: San Bernandino Mountains, Summer 2004. Liz Thomson counsels campers at Arrowbear Music Camp. There she meets an amazing girl named Celeste, who reminds her so much of herself. Celeste is a clarinetist like Liz. They get along fabulously.

Scene: Huntington Beach, 2008. Liz and Celeste get together to play duets. Nerdy, but lots of fun. Liz adds Celeste's number to her new phone.

Scene: Huntington Beach, March 3, 2009. Liz's phone breaks.

Scene: Huntington Beach, March 4, 2009. Liz gets a text message from an unknown number about a UCI concert happening the following week. She saves the message, assuming it's from Celeste.

Scene: 405 Freeway, March 6, 2009. Liz calls her brother, who is super super stressed out about all his first-year teacher duties. He needs, among other things, a clarinet player to help out his high schoolers with their production of Fiddler on the Roof. Liz offers to help, but can't make the big rehearsals. She is concerned, and at a loss as to what to do to help Dan.

Scene: 22 Freeway, March 6, 2009. Liz realizes that she could ask Celeste to do it. After multiple texts to Dan and a phone call to Celeste, Liz secures a clarinet player for Dan's musical. The rehearsals and performances "just happen" to fit in with Celeste's finals schedule. Dan is elated. Liz feels good for helping.


All these things? Knowing Celeste, the phone dying, me receiving a text from Celeste with her number, Dan needing a clarinetist, Celeste being willing to do it and it working around her finals schedule? That's God.

Thanks, God.

A new church in the summer

Today I went with my friend Angela and her brother Ed to Rock Harbor, a daughter church of my main place of worship, Mariners. I have been going to Mariners for a little over 3 years now. It is the first church of which I have been a member. It is the first church where I actually knew the pastor (my awesome mentor, Justin). Needless to say, I was a little nervous about going to Rock Harbor. I had been before with my friend Becky (on a very hard day for me), and I liked it. But I felt this was a big step. This was me saying, perhaps, that it is time for a new place of worship. It is time to try out somewhere else.
But when I got there, everything was fine. Worship was good, Mike Erre gave a great message on 1 Corinthians 5. I was convicted, I was moved, I learned a lot. And while I was there, I heard God say, "There is healing here."
Now we all need healing. But healing for me is crucial right now - it is what I am focusing on in my life. So, it looks like I've found a new place to go to church. Not that I won't go back to Mariners - I still want to take their Intro to Theology class in April. And who knows where I'll end up in 5 years, right? It seems that right now, though, God wants me at Rock Harbor.

In other news...my brain feels less full.

See, during the summer, I always relish the fact that my brain is less full. I am not working (unless I'm doing my masters, like last summer), so I have lots more time (and brain space) to think about other things. Deeper things. Two summers ago I pondered and discovered my lie. My basic belief about my brain and work is that I don't have enough time to do really deep thinking while I'm working. It's just too much.

Lately, however, I have had more time. I have more time to see friends, I have more time to be by myself. It is the first time in a while that I am actually resting. And today, it felt like summer. (Maybe it was the beautiful weather, but I don't think that's just it.) I had time and space to think deep thoughts, and still get my work for school done. It is a glorious feeling.

Is that how I'm supposed to feel all the time? Man, I was WAY too busy.