I will lift my eyes to the Maker of the mountains I can't climb...

I'm back! We actually got back on Sunday, but I haven't gotten around to blogging yet. So here I am.

This Saturday Jeremy and Aleah are getting married. It's really weird. I've known Jeremy since he was 16. He was one of my only friends during my first year of living here. He was the first teenage driver my mom had to interrogate before she would let him give me rides home from youth group. Haha. Youth group. My first day of going to youth group, I was there with Sarah Reece, and they were doing a study of the 40 Days of Purpose. He came up to me, spiky hair, bouncy jog, worn out black tank top and khaki cargo shorts, and randomly started talking to me. "Hey, Mara, are you homeschooled?" he asked me. I remember thinking, How the heck does this kid know my name?! I shyly answered him. "Uh, yeah..." "Really?! Me too! That's awesome!" And then he ran away. Weirdest thing ever. Freaked me out. You have no idea. *laugh* But he was the first person there to welcome me like that. I hadn't really had anyone do that ever before. I didn't know people could be nice like that.

And then there's Aleah. I adore Aleah. The first time I saw Aleah was in the community theatre audition for Robin Hood. She was short. Shorter than me, even. Maybe 4'10". Her sister was short too, and far more outgoing, but was far more like the average highschooler than Aleah seemed. Nevertheless, I paid little attention to her, because by this time I'd turned into a spastic freshman who cared little for people who I didn't already know and didn't make an immediate impression upon me. She was shy, quiet, didn't talk a lot. But I got to know here in the tiniest, most subtle ways. She played guitar. She liked Sixpence None The Richer. Kiss Me, specifically. It was her favorite song to play. I played too, so we talked about that, and talked about music. I was sort of annoying though, so it's no surprise that there wasn't a whole lot to the conversation. I wish I'd been smarter then, and had gotten to know her, if only to have seen a bigger part of the story. She started coming to youth group with Ericka Durby. She went to Expeditions Unlimited with us two years ago. I remember watching Jeremy talk to her at McDonald's on the way back home. He'd taken to her. He liked everyone, and he was nice to everyone, and he talked to everyone, but there was something about how he talked to Aleah. She was sweet and quiet. He was outgoing and inquisitive. It worked perfectly. They're perfect.

The stage is decorated, the service planned. I'm in it, sort of. I'm in the worship band that will play during the ceremony. That makes me so happy. You have absolutely no idea. I'm so excited. Just... to be a part of it, nomatter how small. They've played such a key role in my life the past few years. Both of them. Jeremy showed me how to live my faith boldly and to love others nomatter what they did. Aleah showed me how to stop and to listen to God and to be gentle and quiet. They both taught me how to love people regardless of who they are or what they've done or how annoying they come off. They are two amazing people. I am so happy for them.

That said, I'm practicing for the two worship songs on Thursday, getting a manicure on Friday (!!!), and celebrating on Saturday. There are few things left to say, except that Saturday night there will be much dancing.

Sincerely,
Mara Tenille