Drum Roll Please.................

Luke got the billet he wanted!

He's going to be on a Submarine with the home port of Pearl Harbor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

WooHoo- Congratulations Luke!

Everybody who has his contact info should look him up and congratulate him!

I know where I'll be next summer...

:-)

Love

Dearest All,

I am simply overwhelmed by both the riches and greatness of God's love. How fathomless is God, and His ways are past finding out.

Alex mentioned in a previous comment that when a letter is signed, "love to all," or something like it, that "all" or "each," feels loved in a general sense, as part of a group.

So then, how do you feel God's love? Do you feel loved in a general sense, as in part of "the world?" Or do you feel that God loves you, personally, and in a unique way from all the world? I am not looking for a correct answer, I am looking for the truth. The truth is not always right.

What do you Feel? Also, How do you feel God's love?

Blessings,
Shannon

"Study, or go to bed"

"Mom, what should I blog about?"
"I don't know. If I knew, I'd have my own blog. That's why I go to your blog."
"Hmm... oh I know what I'll say!"
"Wait, no. Don't blog. Either Study, or go to bed."
Ok I suppose I won't blog.

But first, I would like to say, what a wonderful day, it has been.
I updated my profile.
I went to work and finished the Character Community Network Update with the Magnificent Toni Swayze! Kudos to Toni!!!! And thank you, Father, for so gifting and inspiring her. :-)

I talked to Leaha today! She came by the office. I love Leaha, she's a great friend. Busy friend.
I talked to Quinton today, he came to the TC to go camping with some of the guys. He just took the bar exam in CA.
Anita is going to take the bar exam this summer. She is my office mate and a wonderful person and friend. God bless Anita!
I've been reading Jeremy's blog too much.
I need to hang out with Alex. I miss her! Maybe on Sunday...

XOXO~
Shannon

something profound

Dear All,
I wish I had something profound to say, but I do not. And if I did, I would be too tired to make any sense of it anyway. It is 11:58. Alex, I love the new format of your site, it looks really really good. I am so tired. I have to do the dishes and blow dry my hair before I go to sleep, or even to bed. I went out with a friend and did cool stuff tonight. I went out on Saturday, too, and did really cool stuff. Tomorrow, well my aunt is coming in around 1, and I suppose we will do cool stuff tomorrow night... like sleep maybe.

So, what do you think of the word "love?" Is it allowed to be used? What does it mean? How strong is it? Does it carry "baggage?" It is certainly used differently in different situations, but I think that many uses are appropriate. I hope that when I am married, my heart will lend the neccessary emphasis to the word, and my husband will know that when I love him, and when I tell him that I love him, it is different than any love I have every had for any other person- or that I have ever expressed to them. It is a sacred word, but in loving we fulfill a command- so it cannot be wrong to express that to someone, can it? I certainly have respect for those who so value the word, for whom it is so sacred, that they reserve it wholly and will preserve it for their spouse. Sometimes I wish I could be other people... but I cannot and am not and will not ever be. Jesus. I just want Jesus. I want to know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings... and the joy of His love, and... Him. Just Him. Just Jesus. Jesus~ isn't that a beautiful name? The most beautiful name on earth. Or in heaven. In time and eternity, I love the name Jesus. And He loves me. And I love Him. And I love you, because He first loved me. And I want you- I want you to know Him, and love Him, and to be held by Him as I am. And I want you to be my friend, so that I can love you too, so that you will know for sure that Jesus loves you.

Sometimes it is hard, difficult, painful, to love people. To open up to them, to trust, to share your heart. But if Jesus is holding your soul~ then there is nothing to fear. Come to Jesus today, tonight, right now. Come to Jesus and let Him love you, He knows how, and let yourself love Him in return. He is waiting for you- go to Him, run to Him, run. He is everything.

I love you all, truly I do, in Jesus name. Amen.

I Talked to Luke!!

I talked to Luke! haha, he called me tonight and not you, so :-P

Really though, we had a wonderful, 2 hr. conversation. Gentleman readers, invest in the lives of your sisters. You will end up with beautiful, intelligent, phenominal friends :-) (like me! but not me, your sisters will be those friends.)

It is just amazing how two people can be so different, and yet so much alike. Luke and I have such similar perspectives on so many different things. One of those things is "depth." If a friendship isn't deep, at least on some level, then it isn't a real friendship. We are both very intense people. It is a verbal, intellectual, spiritual, emotional, soul- thing. To give a vague analogy... when we push we need someone to push back. There is slight conflict on some levels. There is mutual, simultaneous support and challenging of thoughts and ideals... The freedom to be real... The courage and confidence to be sincere. Wisdom that does not judge. Discretion that does not accept lies. This to me is a great kind of friendship.

I wish that I could say it was model- here is what a friendship should look like... but I cannot say that, because it isn't in the nature of friendship to qualify things.

*Side rant* -like the need some people have to clarify "just friends." Good grief! Who wants to be "Just" a friend of anybody's? I mean, c'mon! Why would someone devalue a friendship by qualifying it with the prefix, "just?" I think that's just stupid. You're a friend or you're not. *Rant has ended.*

So, I have a wonderful, unique friendship with my older brother, even as I have wonderful, unique friendships with many other people. The beauty is in the diversity.
Those of you who know me and like me, Luke has been influential in the formation of my character. He has taught me by example how to view God, and how to look at people from His perspective. This is very useful for loving people, some of you in particular.
Those of you who know me and don't like me, it is partly Luke's fault.

I happen to be very tired, so please forgive the poor construction of this post.

I will post again, hopefully soon :-)

I love you all... so very much~
Love,
Shannon