Starting Back...Joshua and His Friends

Today was the big day! Joshua's group started back after a 4 week break over the holidays. He was so excited!

He and Jenni have been talking about it incessantly on the phone. He's done really well this year. Usually, he about works himself into a tizzy over the breaks. He misses his friends, misses his routine.

I try to be really patient with him. You know, when you are dependent on others to work out your schedule, well, it's hard. It would just have to be, wouldn't it? I don't think any of us would enjoy waiting on someone else to make decisions that will affect us...either directly or indirectly. And then, if their plans changed...our plans would change. At the drop of a hat.

I know I would be frustrated.

So, I try to be patient and I try to let him know what is going on.

Now, sometimes we do have to spring stuff on him. Our nerves cannot take the every-hour-of-every-day "is it time?" that sometimes happens. In these cases, we have found it works best to not tell him until the last minute, especially if it's a "maybe" thing, or if the plans aren't set in stone.

In the car on the way to Little Rock, Joshua talked and talked...like I knew he would. He said, " I didn't get up at 6. I thought, 'this is a new year and that is toooooo early.' So I got up at 6:20."

Oh, good. Since we don't have to leave until 8:15!!!

Goodness!

But he said, "I had my quiet time from 7-7:30. Thirty minutes for God. Yep...that's good enough."

After we got to the Center, all the friends came up to give hugs. It is the sweetest thing ever, the pure way they love.

Holly picked him up for me today, so she got all the good stuff during the first 5 minutes of their drive. But, once he was home, he methodically went through his day. "Well, after you left this morning, we just HANGED AROUND...and then we went over the ruhs (rules). After that, we 'brainstormed' for a while."

Joshua used his "air-quotes" over the words "a while."

During the brainstorming sessions, all the friends get to suggest places to eat or things to do or places to go. They usually write them on a big dry-erase board and talk about them.

Joshua suggested they have another course on "manners and etiquette." It's been a few years since they've gone over that. He said that Jenni said, "uhhh...NO."

Someone else suggested "golf." They usually play golf sometime during the Spring as part of their fitness regimen. Jenni said, "NO!"

Joshua suggested they eat at "Chili's." He thought that was Jenni's favorite restaurant. Jenni looked at him and gave him the thumbs down.

Did I mention that they have been boyfriend and girlfriend for over 10 years?

I didn't? WELL.

Did I mention that this was all the friends' first day back IN A MONTH?

I didn't? WELL.

Then Joshua said Jenni took her notebook...where she had been writing down all of the brainstorming suggestions...and vigorously MARKED OUT "manners," "golf," and "Chili's."

This "makes" me "extremely" unhappy. See what I did there?

All in all, I think everyone had a good day. Joshua said, "me and Jenni got along pretty much."

Tonight I made chicken and dumplin's...and a chocolate pie! Joshua's first day back and I got a LOT done!

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24