Ladies, Ladies, Ladies...

I need to thank you ladies for coming over tonight. (kellie consider this your shot out) It means so much to me that you would all take time from your schedules to be present, to sit, relax, eat, talk, laugh, joke, stress me out, throw food, eat more, listen, rejoice, pray, cut hair, hug, cuddle, hope, and love.

It is often difficult to see God and feel God, but your prescience makes it impossible to question, you are all evidence of His provision in my life. He has brought me to a place where I can find comfort, guidance, support, love, and joy... a place where I can find friends that will wipe away a tear, give a hug, open a home, share a word of encouragement and then... point me back to Him.

I know it will be difficult to feel so cut off from my friends and family while I am gone, but as several of you said and as several of you prayed; this will be a time for me to draw nearer to God. A time for me to learn to turn to Him to wipe my tears and hold me close, a time to learn to turn to Him first, turn to Him before I turn to you all for comfort. A time to learn to lean on and trust in God first and fore most.

Thank you ladies, Thank you for sending me off refreshed, thank you for letting me share the concerns I had hidden form myself, thank you for letting it be OK to have concerns, thank you for letting me reach that point of "oh crap I'm going to Thailand" and thank you even more for teaching me that "oh" is all I need to say and the rest is outside the realm of God and his plan and provision for my life.

I love all you ladies, You are all wonderful women of God whom I respect and adore. Thank you for being women in my life that I can look up to, relate with, and learn from, thank you for letting me be the tag along kid that wants to be just like you big kids.

As for the rest of you.. shame for not being here! I'm just kidding.. that would have been a lot of food for someone (that was not me) to cook for dinner.

But seriously I love all of you and Ill miss you but hey Ill be back in a month.

And mom please stop crying. I'm not going to Thailand to stay. Ill talk to you just as much as I do while I'm away at school. Just think of it like that... I'm at school and I'll be home to do laundry, eat your meatloaf and steal food from your pantry soon. I love you so much, but really stop crying because just thinking of you crying makes me tear up and I cant be doing that while sitting next to random strangers on the plane.

Dad.. give mom her teddy bear and give her hugs like I do when she does cry. And have a movie and a smiley face brownie waiting for me when I get home in august :-) I love you dad. thanks for all the coffee dates and for still letting me hold your pinkie when we walk.

Ill start posting again when I leave on Tuesday... Ill have plenty of time to think and write while I'm flying and riding around the world