Bittersweet

So I'm at home in Brighton now. Just woke up from my first sleep here and am doing a little reflecting before I start my day.

I'm very glad to be home and to be with my family. My brother's girlfriend Manda is here (I met her for the first time last night - she's great!). Last night the five of us had homemade pizza together and watched a movie and all but Mom stayed up past 1am watching TV and taking in moderate amounts of 'Christmas cheer'. It was great. But there is always a bit of a downside to being home. Its hard to see my Mom in so much pain and to see her so frustrated with her condition. I'm glad that we're home and here to help her, but I know that we also create more work and more pressure. Also, Manda only stays until the 20th and I'll only see John for two weeks (after an absence of over 5 months) and then I won't see him again until May or June.

I'm glad for the break and the time off. But as usual, I still have school work to do and things to organize for January. So like most of the real world there is very little time that is actually 'free'.

The beginning of January comes as a very happy and a very sad time for my heart. Chelsea leaves for Florence then. She doesn't get back until the middle of June. This semester we have grown very close and have watched God work many wonders in each other. It seems just as our friendship is about to ripen, she is leaving. But after some angry accusations shouted at God he has informed me that all is well, and indeed it is. He is calling her there to study and I can't wait to see what he has in store for her and for me too - cause he is already setting things up in a very cool way. Simon comes back from South Africa in early January. I haven't seen him since last December. He is one of my closest and deepest friends. I will get to see him when I'm in London saying good bye to Chelsea (who is on her way to becoming a very close, deep friend). Simon will be around for almost a month before he heads out to BC to work for Jesus.

So you can see, bittersweet indeed. My heart is feeling a lack of middle ground - so much rejoicing and leaping and loving and yet, so much grieving and hurting. Good thing the creator of that heart also lives in it, so He can take care of it.

PS - hooray for me hooking the wireless router up at my parents' place & for church services that don't start until 11:20, so they allow for Sunday morning blogging