Crafty.

I was going to ask for a painting for Graduation. As it turns out, I don't appreciate art enough yet. I would just rather have a piece of furniture or some sort of fun toy. But Brian and I are going to need something to replace the LSU baseball championship posters on the wall behind the couch in the boys-college-house-gone-first-married-nest. Sorry B. Sooooo the other day Mary Glenn and I went to Marimekko and found a beautiful piece of fabric to wrap around and staple to a canvas. I resisted all temptation to get anything pink or floral- you're welcome B. I didn't realize how girly I was until I began trying to put together a home that a boy is going to live in. Here's how it all went down...

1. Marimekko with MG.

2. Yesterday, I went to the canvas store with MG and Liz. I know, Liz is adorable.

3. Here is the canvas, 38x40, and the fabric.

4. I ironed the fabric. Notice the Chi-O composite pictures from the 80's on the wall behind the iron. Gotta love that.

5. I placed the canvas face down on the fabric, pulled it really tight, and stapled it with a staple gun.

6. TADA

I am absolutely determined and quite delighted to create a home for Brian and Me. I just want us to miss it when we're away and feel comforted and relieved when we walk in. I hope this canvas will add a pretty touch.

Last night, I went to a dinner at City Grocery for the Honors College Seniors. It was really special. They were so generous to rent out the top and bottom, and the wonderful dinner was followed by balcony sitting and chatting. I really can't believe I've made it this far. I defended my thesis last week, which is really something I never thought I would finish. Last night as the dean of the Honors College toasted the class of 2010 and told us it had been a great 4 years, I felt so content and proud to be at this point. I was surrounded by the last of my friends left in the Honors College, and we laughed as we swore out loud that we're still cool even though we're graduating from the Honors College. As we sat on the balcony in the perfect weather and sipped on apple-tinies and had wonderful conversation and laughed and laughed and laughed at Josh Randle, I was reminded of the goodness that comes from working really hard to finish something and then taking a well-earned break. It was just sweet and special and I had a wonderful night.

Rachel

A Healing Place

Last night was my last RUF at Ole Miss. I cried and cried and cried. Les Newsom's wisdom, the worship, the fellowship- every aspect of RUF has been such a blessing to me over the past 4 years. I had a really tough junior and senior year of high school. Don't get me wrong- I had lots of happiness and lots of fun. But in the middle of those two years, in a 4 month and 29 day period, my first love and best friend, Clay, passed away and my sweet mother passed away. College has been a time of healing for me, and I realized last night that RUF has been a place of healing for me. It is the place God has brought me over and over and over to convince me of His love for me despite myself. For this, I am forever grateful and forever indebted to RUF. I can't imagine what it will feel like not to have that fellowship and worship. I will still have Les. Every Thursday, Brian and I will sit around a laptop and listen to his podcasts. But it will be a long time before I stop tearing up over not being at Paris-Yates Chapel on Wednesday nights.

Les talked on Romans 12:1-2 last night. What a perfect way to end. He spoke of the total sacrifice of self that the love of Christ demands. How can I be in a relationship with someone who has sacrificed all for me without also sacrificing all of me for Him? And we are able to sacrifice ourselves because of the mercies of God, this is by the countless acts of grace he has bestowed and is bestowing and will bestow, we can sacrifice ourselves fully to Him. And only in this will we find true joy.

While speaking of RUF, I must pay special tribute to this guy.

The one and only Will Nettleton. The humor, the depth, the love for and grasp of the Gospel. He is going to make the most incredible RUF intern and minister. And he's just so funny. I can't put his funny into words. But he did. Last night in his farewell address. These last words will soon be posted here, so check back, and check back often. It will be well worth it.

We also said farewell to the precious Babbit. I am thrilled for her and her life to come, so very sad we won't be having Bottletree anymore next year, and selfishly relieved we're making our exit from Oxford at the same time.

This is really depressing, but here is my last RUF handout ever. Our last song was "On Jordan's Stormy Banks," which was such a perfect way to end. What a beautiful picture of what's to come- a community gathered together singing beautiful music that is echoed around in the acoustics of a small chapel- and the words reflect the longing and the certainty of hope we have of heaven.

Beautiful. Heartbreaking, but beautiful.

This morning, I'm sitting at Uptown. By Uptown, I mean High Point Coffee, but I will always refer to it as Uptown. Here is a snapshot of my morning...

A little coffee, a little bagel, a little quiet time, a little wedding to-do with, of course...

The Wedding Bag. So I must be off... off to secure my bagpiper and write thank-you notes.

Rachel

Let's Squeal More Than We Cry

I had this dream a few weeks ago. In this awful dream, I was the only one graduating. I was so excited to know I was getting married, but everyone else was staying here at Ole Miss, in the Chi O house. I felt alone and left out and confused. But then I woke up and realized the sad but comforting truth- we're all leaving. We're all graduating into this adult world. We all feel entirely too young to be doing so, but it's happening. Some of us are grad schooling, some of us are working, a few of us are getting married, some of us are moving to fun places, some of us are staying in Oxford and getting the opportunity to experience it in a new fun way. But none of us get to stay in this place- the physical place- Ole Miss, Oxford, the house- and none of us get to stay in this place in time- the four precious years that we will never be able to look back on without longing for another taste.

I hate endings. I always have. I hate them hate them hate them. But what I don't mind, oddly, is change. I love the new and exciting. I love beginnings. So here's to beginnings. Here's to remembering college was the beginning of our friendships, not the end. We're all starting new and fun and fresh and exciting things- so let's squeal more than we cry (at this point I must give a shout out to Natalie, who's probably crying anyway). Think about how our parents always talk about their college days. They smile and they laugh and they tell us they're jealous that we get to be in college now, but they're not actually jealous in the sense that they actually want to be back in their college days.

They would never trade in the years since.

This is what I want to blog about- the fun new beginnings in my life and the lives of those I love.

C.S. Lewis once pointed out that we are not made for time- we're made for eternity. This is why we never feel like we've had enough time. Well that explains it.

Rachel