This is my commandment, that you love one another

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it means to really love people, and not just because I have a boyfriend or am thinking solely about romantic love or because that wonderfully over-commercialized Hallmark holiday is coming up, but the kind of love that Jesus commanded of us. For some reason, this quote from a child stuck out to me powerfully and I thought I'd post it here to share with you all:

"When someone loves you, the way they say your name is different. You just know that your name is safe in their mouth." ~Billy, age 4.

What a profound statement. How we say one another's names matters, and conveys so much more than sometimes our actions manage to. I have more thoughts on what it means to love one another besides just saying people's names differently, but I am pretty much out of creativity or words right now so maybe one of these days I will write more about this, but for now, may those words from a child be thought-provoking for all of us.

so maybe...

...it won't be the most exciting quarter ever. I do in fact have mono, and have been relegated by doctors, parents, and friends, to my couch. Thankfully I have a pretty mild case, and if I am really good about not trying to do too much, I should be back to normal in a couple weeks; but I will still have to drop one class. So yeah, I am pretty much tired a lot, and watch a lot of movies, and have a wonderful boyfriend and friend who are willing to bring me more fresca, and provide me with company as I lay on my couch! That's the latest and greatest from the life of Sarah these days--stay tuned for something more exciting later on :)

And just in case you care, which I am sure you don't, but they, I have mono, I can't do a whole lot of other things...here is my running list of movies I've enjoyed (sometimes while half awake) in the last few days--feel free to offer any suggestions!

**Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (which is actually very enjoyable!)
**The Story of Us
**Elizabethtown
**The Cutting Edge
**Raising Helen
**Finding Neverland
**Mulan
**Hook

Being the proud big sister for a minute...

I loved these pictures so I thought I'd post them. Megan and Nathan just went to a wedding for one of Nathan's cousins, and send these photos:

them with Nathan's parents

Welcome to 2008!

I know I kind of slacked off a bit in updating this from the rest of Christmas break and the beginning of this new quarter, but I'll try to hit the hilights of the last few weeks for ya.

**Christmas in Minneapolis with Mom, Dad, Megan and Nathan was very relaxing, not very eventful (which was ok with all of us) and very snowy! It snowed ALL day Christmas day with perfect white flakes drifting down to give us a beautiful winter's night to play in after Christmas dinner. We also had found these Gingerbread House kits at Costco that we bought several of and had a house decorating competition, which provided hours of entertainment for some of us (mostly megan and nathan). I think the rest of us gave up when we saw Nathan making Santa stuck in his Gingerbread chimney. Here are a couple pictures from that:

Dad had a few structural problems to begin with, but after a couple attempts his house is finally standing and in one piece.

Megan's intricately decorated Christmas tree for the front yard.

Nathan sorting candyNathan's snowmanMegan's roof--the rest of us gave up when she started hand-painting sprinkles onto it with a paintbrush. Oh and don't miss the gum drop Christmas lights that eventually went all the way around the house.

Nathan's roof with Rudolph, Santa stuck in the chimney, and the sleigh/sackthen he added the frosting icicles all the way around the house, the mail box, and a pretzel woodpile on the side of the houseMegan's finished productmom and Imy snow angel that I made Christmas night

**After Christmas I headed down to Charleston, SC & Jacksonville Beach, FL to spend 5 days with Chuck and his family/friends which was SO fun. It was wonderful to spend so much time with him, and to see where he came from, and meet the people who mean so much to him. I had always wanted to see Charleston, and his parents so graciously became my tour guides, taking me all over the city. It was a beautiful city, which I kind of fell in love with--the architecture, the history, the water--it was gorgeous. I think I could really love if it weren't for the humidity in the summer! Here are a few pictures from our time together:

lunch at Sticky Fingerswe toured the old governer's house, and this is me out on the piazza, or side porchChuck learning all about this very cool wooden door with the audio tour guideon his parent's front porchdinner one night in Charleston

My first trip to the Atlantic Ocean--it was beautiful!with his best friends, Jodi and Nate, who we stayed withJodi and I playing Ticket to Ride, the greatest board game ever!Nate and Chuck getting ready to trounce us in Ticket to Ride

**So, now I am back here in Pasadena headed into another quarter of classes, which was shaping up to be a great looking quarter, and I'm hoping it still turns out that way, but I haven't been feeling super hot lately and am still waiting for lab work to come back and tell me if I have mono (which was what the doctor thinks it is) or another random virus (which is what I think it is). So I'm hoping to feel better in a few days, but it's been a little tough to get moving on school work this month when I'm not feeling super great. But, I'm still optimistic that since I don't actually have class again until next Wednesday (I don't have classes Tuesday, Thursday or Friday and Monday is MLK day) I'll be fine by then. And if that is the case, I get to take 3 very cool classes: Pastoral Counseling, The Ethics of Life and Death, and a preaching practicum. Plus, I'll be a teaching assistant again this quarter for Chap Clark's Leadership in Youth Ministry class. So I'm really hoping I get to be healthy soon! Prayers would be appreciated!

I think that's about all that is new and exciting here in the life of Sarah :) I'll keep ya posted on other happenings this quarter, my friend Jenn is coming to visit next weekend, my parents are coming in February, and the girls and I are already working on our Valentines Day adventure plans, so more is coming, I promise!