Boys, Boys, Boys

Yes, count it three. Hanging out with three boys in 2 days. I know what you are thinking. This girl is a player. Am I right? Well my friends, you would be sadly mistaken. This girl just happens to have a lot of amazing guy friends whom she loves to hang out with.

First off is my wonderful friend Andrew. He's pretty much like my big brother, except we didn't have to go through all the fighting and awkward childhood memories together. Best of both worlds right? Friday night we went to go see Cop Out, and it was really funny. Then we chilled at Hastings and talked about music FOREVER. Oh and some art too. Basically he's an amazing guy with a huge heart and I know that I can count on him no matter what.

Then we have Austin. Austin is the newest addition to my close guy friends, but he has caught up really fast. I can always count on him to ask the hard questions, and to make me think about life and why I believe the way I do. He challenges me like no one ever has. Most of the time I hate it, but then I love it. Make sense? Well, it does in my head. When I'm with Austin people always say we act like an old married couple. Eh, so what? I've been trying to teach him some compassion, and I think it's working. He on the other hand has not been so successful in trying to teach me the ways of logical thinking.

Then the last guy that I hung out with was Shane. You see Shane and I were good friends in high school. We've talked quite a bit since graduation, but not really hung out. So we decide, "hey, let's hang out!" This was the most awkward decisions I've made in a while. Not because I don't love Shane as a friend or anything, I just don't think we are cut out to be hang out alone kind of friends. The whole thing felt like a date that neither one of us really wanted to be on, even though we enjoy hanging out with each other. Hmmm, now that really doesn't make a lot of sense, but hey, what part of life does? He even said, "this just keeps getting more awkward doesn't it?" So, I've learned my lesson on that one.

I think that boys make the best friends. I'm all for having that one girl friend that you can always go to, but there's just something about boys that I trust. There's no drama, most of the time they are really good listeners ( that may be because they really don't care what you are talking about or aren't paying enough attention to contribute to the conversation, but hey does it matter? I think not.), and they always promise to beat up the person that has hurt you. Oh and the best part of having guy friends is that they always without fail give the best hugs. Period. And we all know how a good hug can fix everything, at least for those few seconds that you are safe from the world in his arms.

"But friendship is precious, not only in the shade, but in the sunshine of life, and thanks to a benevolent arrangement the greater part of life is sunshine."

Thomas Jefferson

So, there's this little thing I like to call compassion...

~a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.~

What do we think of when we hear the word compassion?

I know that I think of helping people and being there for them during their struggles and being a good listener. But is there more than that? It compassion always easy? Could it be that we should show compassion towards others even when we know with all of our soul that they are wrong or that they have wronged us?

Why is it easier to show compassion to a complete stranger than to someone we care deeply for sometimes?

Is it possible to be too kind, or too loving or too compassionate towards those who have wronged us?

How do we find the answer? Easy.

JESUS

How many times did Jesus love when it was it easy? How many times did he forgive when it seemed impossible? How many people spat in his face while he still showed kindness?

Should we not be daily showing this to all people? Especially those within the body of Christ should be an example to those outside by loving, kindness, and compassion towards one another. Even in the face of adversity.

This is something that I've been struggling with lately. It's not easy, but no one ever said it would be. So cliche right? But oh so true.

"I believe that man will not merely endure; he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among the creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of kindness and compassion."
William Falconer

First Time for Everything

Life is full of firsts. Just today I had many of those first time experiences:
-I skipped my 8 am class for the first time
-I did my German homework and actually understood what was being said
-I started blogging

So far, it's been a great day. You know why? I downloaded some new music and I had Subway. Both make my heart happy, not nearly as happy as John Mayer makes it though.

I like quotes, so I'm thinking it's time for a quote of the day:

It is cruel, you know, that music should be so beautiful. It has the beauty of loneliness of pain: of strength and freedom. The beauty of disappointment and never-satisfied love. The cruel beauty of nature and everlasting beauty of monotony.
Benjamin Britten

That's all for today. A good start to my blog I think.