It’s been a really exciting past couple of days here in Preston because…AMANDA WAS HERE!
Amanda is one of my oldest and greatest friends from home and after spending her semester at sea, she ended her journey with me in Preston.

We don’t go to the same universities, so I realized that these days were probably the most amount of time we’ve spent together since graduating high school. It was a lot of fun getting to hear her stories of boating the WORLD and just catching up on life in general. I hope that as my friends and I spread across the globe, we can always take time to push aside life and just appreciate friendship together.

Amanda spent ten days here and a lot of the time she just joined in on a lot of things I would do regularly, but after being at sea for so long, I think she really appreciated just doing life with me. She hadn’t been in a kitchen for months, so I got to show off my newly developed cooking skills (plus it was fun for her to go grocery shopping and other normal life stuff.)

One day we took a day excursion with my friend Katie to York, a city on the East side of England. While I was backpacking I went on a lot of free tours (they were really interesting tours by a highly recommended company), so I found a free tour in York that I’m pretty sure was the most boring two hours of my life. We decided to ditch the tour after 2.5 hours and attend Evensong at the York Minster. The service was mostly choral, so we got to hear a boy’s choir, which was quite interesting to say the least. I had never been to an Anglo-Saxon service (or a Catholic service at that), so I definitely learned a few things.

Sadly, today I sent Amanda back to the US where she’ll work in Missouri for the summer. I’m already excited to hear about how she adjusts to life back in the US, since that’s one thing I’m starting to get a little nervous about.

BUT IN OTHER NEWS…

Life is going to get exciting again because in just a few days MY DAD AND SISTER WILL BE IN PRESTON!

By midday Sunday, both of them will be with me in Preston, where we’ll then travel to Edinburgh, Dublin and London together!

In the mean time, I’ve been spending last moments with friends, as many of them are leaving to go home for the summer. Since I’ll be traveling with my family, this weekend will also be my last at Longton Community Church.

I always knew that this time would come, but it usually just seemed so far away. It’s getting a bit scary now that Landry and my dad will soon be here and quickly after that I’ll be leaving to go back to the States. I’m not sure I’m ready yet, as I’ve really started to build better relationships with people here and I’m always meeting more people I wish I could get to know better. Either way, I still have three weeks and am trying not to think about leaving for too long. 

Last summer I realized that I was an introvert.

Anyone that knows me may disagree, as I’m quite outgoing and find great joy being around people.

However, after being a cabin leader at Youthfront last summer I realized that I recharge best when I’m alone.

After being with my campers for most hours of the day, if I didn’t have an hour to spend alone I would become more irritated and annoyed with my campers and other people in general.

Since working at camp I’ve wanted to be alone a lot more and in turn have spent the majority of the past year alone.

I love solitude. I love the peace I felt being alone. I love not being bothered. I love the healing solitude offers.

But— I am now starting to think too much time alone can be dangerous.

I wonder how Jesus felt about people the days he left the wilderness. As the bible talks about him only meeting with the devil, I’m sure it’s quite shocking seeing another human after being in solitude for so long. I wonder if he was annoyed with other people? I know I was.

When I spent 15 days alone, I was still surrounded by other people. I had conversations with strangers and made new friends. However, after being alone for an extended period of time I’ve noticed myself becoming easily annoyed, more introverted and less social—ultimately liking people less.

In fact, last week I almost took a cheap bus to London, not because I actually wanted to go to London, but because I really just wanted to sit on a bus alone for 7 hours there and 7 hours back to read in a quiet space without being interrupted by other people (plus there’s not wifi on a bus, so I wouldn’t be distracted by social media.)

As I’ve noticed myself changing, I’ve become more interested in what the Word has to say about solitude. The Lord tells us to spend time with him in solitude, “And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” (Mark 6:31)

However, I am convinced that there is a danger in spending time alone.

Jesus tells us to rest a while, not rest forever. Satan uses such a refreshing experience to in turn make us less of the social beings God created us to be.

In fact, I read an article about solitude that said that people who spend too much time in solitude are 26% more likely to die.

So, I’m interested in hearing people’s thoughts on solitude. I don’t really have a conclusion because I’m not sure I have a real opinion on this topic, because I know it’s like eating, where it’s healthy but can easily become dangerous.

In fact, I’m writing this alone instead of being at a pub with friends. Maybe I’m proving a point to myself right now.

I just bought my plane ticket back to the United States.

Los Angeles, you will see me June 9.

People are fascinating.
You never know what we’re going to do.

 One day we’ll bake cookies for everyone we love; the next day we’ll bomb a city.
As drastic as these two things are, it’s what people do.

 PEOPLE ARE FASCINATING. So mysterious, so unpredictable, so beautiful.

People are so fascinating because we reflect our creator (and our creator is freaking awesome, if I do say myself!)

“Let us make man in our image, after our likeness” (Gen. 1:26)

If God created people to be like him, are we living life right?

Acts 1:1 blows my mind every time I read it,

“In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus BEGAN to do and to teach”

If waking the dead and walking on water is what Jesus BEGAN to do, I am ecstatic to see what he does full speed. (I pray that I see him full speed in my life.)

 “For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” (Matthew 26:41)

We’re capable of a lot more than we can imagine, because Jesus is capable of a lot more than what we’ve seen. I wish we believed that.

 If we’re capable of blowing up a city with a man made bomb, we are capable of doing a lot more the power of God. I hope I live this. I hope I really believe this. I hope I listen. I hope I stop making excuses.

People are fascinating because our creator is even more fascinating.