when friends become family // fourth of July camping

"I fell in love with a ghost, oh, under the moonlight.
You took my hand and held me close, for once I was alright.
I cried and the tears fell from my eyes, like a waterfall,
And I swear I could feel you in my arms, but there was no one there at all.
You were my clarity, I swear, all alone in a daydream. Yeah, there was magic in the air,
And you were right here beside me. Held down like an angel with no wings
I wanna fly again. I just can't get you off my mind, and now I'm gonna be up all night"

 -Owl City // Up all night 

There are some memories which cannot be forgotten, and while you may not remember each scene as vividly, the emotions, the feel of it still remains, like hot embers that are not quite a flame, but have not completely died out. I think this weekend will be remembered by everyone that went, a circle of best friends, family, and while I know that time is swiftly pushing us forward into a path that we have chosen, dreamed about, and worked hard for, but those three days time stood still and we were all together. And I guess that is what matters, that we hold tight to these times and do not let go no matter what the future holds and where it may take us, thousands of miles away or right here in this city. There is nothing quite like having three days where time does not exist, and getting up and going to bed where there are no schedules or even obligations, just whenever the fire died out, whenever songs stopped being played, when the guitar was put back in its case. And there was so much laughter, doubling over with tears in your eyes until your stomach hurt, and sometimes I am overwhelmed with the fact that God put these people in my life, because they have always been there for me, encouraging, helping, praying, listening. I will never forget. In the evenings when it would start to get chilly we would add a couple logs unto the fire and sing songs of worship, the flames illuminating everyone's face, revealing vulnerability in the way that tears could be seen, but no one cared, because we all have a story that is playing out in our hearts and it is okay. When we decided to go exploring and I found the courage to talk about the ache that kept me awake at night, I discovered that you listened, like the brother and sister you are to me, and understood. It feels good to discuss those things, even if your heart is pounding and you do not know how to say it, but surely thoughts hidden away are more dangerous and eat away at your mind, than the ones that are shared and prayed about? Because that night I realized again that I was not alone, and God knew all the time. I am blown away by the love of our Creator. Glow sticks were brought out, surprisingly strong in the light they brought, and stars burned above our heads. Mornings were relaxed, spent around the fire warming up after a cold night, drinking strong coffee, preparing breakfast, and waking up slowly. Afternoons were spent listening to music in a field of flowers and catching some sun, trying to write in our journals, but ending up talking instead, dancing on our own dance floor that we made, and listening over and over to OneRepublic and Owl City, because they are awesome like that. One day we decided to paint our faces with ash, and while the guys went with various designs, L and I went with the kitty face. I still think it looked adorable. ahem. We laughed so hard as we piled into the car, too many people for the amount of seats, and jammed to Good Life, and Everybody Loves Me. The greatest part was walking in public, around the lake, and seeing everyone stop and stare and shake their heads at our painted faces and quickly look away. Doing something so crazy comes naturally with these people, and I love that about them. 

That is how we spent the fourth of July weekend. Caught in a bubble, time and days completely forgotten, talking about Jesus, and realizing that I have a bigger family than I ever thought. It is a good life, and you put a fire in my heart to want to live it right.