"The more we get together, together, together, the more we get together the happier we'll be."

"Cause your friends are my friends, and my friends are your friends."

I am convinced that someone who works as an assistant to Father Time has accidentally hit the fast forward button. The days and weeks speed by and sometimes all I can do is just hold on. Luckily, I've learned that most of the time, holding on is simply not enough. This semester has been a whirlwind of things I am doing. I remember thinking not to long ago that I didn't have very many life stories to tell people when catching up with someone. I loved hearing about how someone had traveled over there for a semester, or gotten involved with this great program that is doing a lot of good, or how school wasn't 100% boring all the time. And I loved hearing about them, but I didn't enjoy telling people that I hadn't been anywhere, or done anything as remotely excite as what they had done. Not too terribly long ago, I was not so much hanging on to life as watching it go by, waiting for my opportunity to do something, anything.

I've changed, though, especially over the last several months and year. I've gotten out of that rut now, though. I've stopped waiting for my opportunity and decided to go find it. I'm teaching myself to play the guitar, and actually learning a little bit. I have sign language for a class this semester. Yes, you heard right, I am getting credit towards my degree with a class in sign language. My faith is growing every day in ways I couldn't have imagined.

On the subject of church, I am in a class offered by Canterbury (my church and Tuscaloosa home) called the Community of Hope. It is a class offered to teach people to be lay pastoral caregivers. If all works out, which it probably will, I will be getting college credit for this too as an independent study. As part of that, I will be writing responses to some of the lessons through this blog. Just thought you might like to know.

I also think you should know that life is good. Not just for me, but for everyone, you included. That's not to say that it's always easy, or that there isn't some sadness sometimes, or that there aren't some terrible people out there, but if you are reading this, know that life is good, and that you should smile every chance you get, if for no other reason than because I asked you to, and because my heart will be smiling back at you.

"The more we get together the happier we'll be."