Friends!!!!!!!!

As I said in the posting before this, my friends Suzanne and Aliyah came up for a visit. This was the first time that I've gotten to see them and just hang out with them since my graduation from Wilson almost a year ago. I was very excited to have them here and for them to meet Ross. They are also the first friends of mine to come visit me in Memphis (Yes, my parents and Lee have been to visit.....but they're different than college friends.).

First, I have to tell you all about Aliyah's love and reaction to Ross. I really think that Aliyah fell in love with Ross as soon as she met him.....cone of shame and all! She loved running him in the street (when no cars were coming of course!) and just spoiling him with all her attention. Hearing the story of Aliyah trying to crate Ross before going out to see a movie was priceless. She tried to trick Ross into going into his crate....being all sweet and playful to do so. I later showed her how to crate him and not have any problems.  Suzanne also enjoyed Ross because of his little quirkes. Suzanne did make the comment that Ross is the perfect dog for me......because he's basically me in dog form and well.....a boy! They got to see Ross without his cone of shame and how much cutter he is without the cone. I think that both of them loved Ross just a little bit more once he was allowed to loose the cone.

We did a lot of things together while they were here. Suzanne and Aliyah made me dinner Monday night which was just wonderful! Who knew that eggs, spinach, and pasta would make a wonderful dish! It was also a very nice change of pace to not have to worry about what to make for dinner.....or figure out if I had the engery to make what I was actually hungry for.  We took a trip to the Memphis Zoo on Tuesday to show Aliyah what a "real" zoo is like. For those of you who don't know Aliyah, Aliyah grew up in Trindad and is convinced that the zoo she went to growing up wasn't a real zoo. She thinks that the guniea pig exhibit was used to feed the snake exhibit. She'd also never seen a polar bear in person.....or any bear for that matter. I will put the pictures from the Memphis Zoo up when I get them from Aliyah and do an entire posting about my first trip to the Memphis Zoo. There's a lot to be said about that visit. They also came to St. Luke last night to meet some of my members and be a part of the Confirmation class. It was awesome, wonderful, and slightly scarey to have that happen. It literally was my past merging with my present and forseeable future. That's a huge deal! If that doesn't go well, then you're kinda left at a loss as to where to go from there. In my case, it was wonderful merger and something that I'll remember for many years to come.

I'm so thankful for their visit. For the first time in a while, I felt free. Allow me to explain. Suzanne and Aliyah knew me before I became (for lack of better term) a youth pastor. They know my back story. They remember certain events in my life that shaped me into who I am today. I don't have to watch what I say around them because they know where I'm coming from. I can make references to past events and they get it. Without knowing all of that, I can't make the same references and share as much as I can with them. Also, I don't have to be filtered with them. I don't have to watch my words with Suzanne and Aliyah because my words are representing St. Luke. My words are represnting me and my journey. Since I haven't made as many friends here yet as I would like to have by now, I'm constantly the youth pastor. I meet new people via my members and I'm introduced as Karen the youth pastor.While there isn't anything wrong with that, there's more to me than just being a youth pastor. I'm a twenty something too. It was wonderful not to be the youth pastor and to just be Karen......and have the title of youth pastor be my job and not my identity.

I'm very anxious to have Suzanne and Aliyah back. I'm so thankful for their visit and a chance to share my life here with some of my closest friends from college.