65 degrees and sunny

i heard this morning that it's snowing in new england and it made me miss being home. but then i went outside here, in sunny southern california, and remembered that this is really quite nice. the most difficult thing for me here is not wanting to stay inside and do homework because it's so beautiful outside!

well i just got back from lunch with joanna, one of my co-workers. joanna is from india and came into my cross-cultural counseling class on wednesday to talk to us about her culture. i wish i could explain how amazing it is to hear about the life of another person when it is completely different from anything you've ever known; but you just have to experience it. after i heard much about her life she said she wanted to get to know me, hence the lunch date.

she was surprised when i told her that my parents were divorced and explained to her how i got saved. she thought i would have come from a long line of Christians. i've had people say that to me before, but it never really hit me that it was a compliment until today. it's amazing what the Lord can do! at the same time, it is very humbling and challenging since i still have so much to learn.

another thing that came up was male/female friendships. interesting. i think i'm starting to understand what it looks like to be a sister in Christ to my brothers, but i definitely don't have it all figured out. talking to joanna today was really encouraging for me to seek first the kingdom and His righteousness. having never been married, and now 33, joanna lives a life that i truly admire. she has such a joy in the Lord and in serving Him. she is content and rejoicing at where she is in life and what she is learning. the Lord is simply amazing. :-D