snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes

Another three-day weekend come and gone. This time, I spent it in Tahoe for our annual Barnabas winter retreat. We crammed into the Lees' time share place, where 16 people shared two bathrooms. It went surprisingly well with the bathrooms, even with non-stop turns going poo-poo. It was a time for people to catch up on naps, a time for people to spend with one another, a time to stay up all night playing silly, challenging games. (I'm all for a round of Cranium!) For me, I tried out snowboarding again, this time with the help of Queencie. At Heavenly, you're taken all the way to the top of the mountain, whether you're a snow bunny or a seasoned boarder. It took me awhile to get used to it, but I enjoyed it. Unfortunately, my ankles and shins killed me. It had nothing to do with the boot cutting into my leg...it is what my legs do when I put too much strain on them, and this time, the pain was more than I could handle. I wanted to throw my boots off and go barefoot.The next day, I stayed off the slopes and played some tennis, basketball and ping-pong instead. And let's not forget the snowball where I pelted Peter in the eye with an icy snowball. Oops.

But most importantly, I will not forget the moments shared with the people. Time seems to be ticking quickly, and I am saddened by the thought of leaving these people. Sure, they tease me a lot, but I think it's all in love. When it comes down to something that matters, I feel the love and support of these people. Even with something like playing a board game...when someone seems discouraged because they can't do well, the others help them out, even if you're on the opposite team. People watch out for each other.

In Dorc's entry, she was talking about feeling welcomed (or not so welcomed) in church and the feeling that it gives you. If you're in a church, and it's filled with God's people, shouldn't you feel welcomed and loved even if it's your first day? But that's not always the case. We all know that. And in the beginning, I didn't feel so comfortable there but that was my fault for not opening up and letting people in. But now, I really feel like I'm leaving a family that I have grown to love.

This past weekend, Queencie wasn't feeling too well at one point. I think it was the omelette from IHOP because after she threw up, she felt a lot better. Anyway, she was sitting in the chair, looking really sick, and people kept caring for her. Mandy brought her tea and Manus offered her medicine. I felt like I should have done all that because I brought her, but it allowed me to see their love and concern for someone they hardly knew.

Hopefully as I return to Sac, I can bring back that love and encouragement that I received from SFCAC and in turn, give it out to people I encounter back at home. I cannot be hardened by people who watch out for themselves all the time, or people who are blinded by gossip. I feel like I grew up in an environment like that, and because of that, it makes me different from the others at SFCAC...but I've learned a lot just by observing them...and I feel like they have effected me in ways to make me more sensitive to others' needs. I'm sure it's easy to be light and love in an environment that is already bright with light, but the challenge is to be light and love in a place that needs it the most.