As I sit in the Brew Mountain coffee shop near PHC, enjoying an iced berry green tea and free wireless Internet, I have a moment to reflect and post. Ostensibly, the purpose of this off-campus trip is to study. All in good time; I am too peaceful, and I haven't posted to my blog in too long.

I have a car. I have my own laptop. I can go off-campus for Tae Kwon Do lessons. God has given me so many gifts this semester, so many things I longed for the previous three years. I was reflecting this morning that I don't think I would have used them properly if I'd had them then. I wouldn't have known whom to thank. Even now, I hold these things lightly. My happiness does not depend on what I possess, no matter how pleasant it is.

Last night Lisa, Joanna, Deborah, Brittainy, Helen, and I met for the first Smudge meeting of the semester. Smudge is our writing group, and at the end of this semester we will have been meeting for three years. It has been a happy time of committment, friendship, and writing. The idea is that every two weeks we gather together, and all members must have something to bring, no matter how little. Sometimes after a break, like now, I will bring pages and pages. Sometimes I will bring only a few paragraphs. Still, the committment always keeps me thinking about my projects and where they are going. This meeting, we rededicated ourselves, discussed summer progress and fall plans, and critiqued each other's work. I brought ten pages of Erthe. I didn't want to drop all 19 on my fellow members in a single meeting. :) I was delighted to find that they thought it was excellent! Even better, they gave me helpful suggestions for improvement. God is good.

I get to write a story this weekend, based off of something in Gawain and the Green Knight. That means that now I should finish this post and read the actual work of literature. :)  ¶ 11:47 AM