Hello! Is anyone else just completely in love
with Autumn? I think the world is about at its
height of beauty now, at the end of October.
There were leaves all strewn about the highway
as I drove past downtown Cleveland today, making
all that concrete and the rows of traffic so much
more magical. And of course there was rain. It
does that a lot here. But the moisture seemed
to make the brilliant shades of yellow and red
even more dramatic, blowing all over but with
restraint, swimming in puddles and sticking to
the sides of things as I drove the curves in the
winding roads. My windshield wipers accompanied
the silence in my car as I took repose from all
the noise stored on my iPod.

So, I want to mention that I have been feeling very
blessed lately to be dating such an awesome guy.
We have been working through some communication type
issues, just normal guy/girl stuff, but the past
couple weeks have just been wonderful. It seems like
we kind of broke through the confusion and mis-
communications and finally started connecting on the
same wavelength, and things have been great ever since.
I know these things go in waves, but I'm feeling good
about the capability of this boat to weather the storms
that may come. I've been really impressed with the way
that Jim handles things when I get emotional or express
something to him. He listens, and though he may not
react immediately, he does respond in his way and in
his time, and comes back with this rock like steadfastness
that we will work it through together. That has been
really great for me. I really appreciate him and am
very hopeful about where God might be leading us, but
also keeping my eyes open and trusting Him to guide us
further. Having some time in the same city again will
be helpful.

It's now less than two months before I'll be done with
the internship and back in the midwest. The time that
I've been in Cleveland has not been long enough to
really start to feel rooted and at home here, but I
have begun to feel the beginnings of what could grow
into a feeling of at homeness. I think the biggest
barrier to that that I haven't overcome is finding a
home church. I have been to some great churches, but
I've been church hopping a lot, since Parkside is just
so far away.

But I have still managed to meet some great folks, both
at church and at coffeehouses, on parkbenches, at garage
sales, and through Sarah. There are some awesome people
out here. I know I could come to feel at home here.

And I haven't even mentioned some of the places I've
discovered here lately! Oh, my goodness, I so fell in
love with "Algebra Tea House" last Friday. It's about
perfect. I loved the mis-shapen, hand painted mugs and
this drink called "Roasted Roots" that tasted kind of
like coffee. And they had Baklava and falafel wraps
and the cutest, handmade looking tables of different
shapes and sizes... it was nice.

I also discovered a great vegetarian friendly sandwich
shop (not that I'm vegetarian, but I do love a good
vegetable) called "Tommies" in this area of town called
Coventry. It reminded me a little of Lawrence because
there were all these great little shops and restaurants
all along this long street. But... it still isn't
Lawrence. It still isn't quite as hippie and unique as
that town I miss. But it had it's own charm that I
could definitely come to appreciate if I ever lived here
for a while.

Real quick, I just have to tell you about last Wednesday
night. After some evening sessions at the group home in
Lakewood, I went down to Beck Cafe for the open mic night
there. I've gone a couple times but hadn't been brave
enough to play yet. I decided it was time. I made friends
with this sweet lady last week and she said that if I sang
"Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" she would sing harmony with me.
So I played one of my songs ("Weigh Me Down" is what I'm
calling it) and then an old hymn that I wrote new music
to ("Jesus Meek and Lowly") and then we did "Swing Low,
Sweet Chariot." It was like a dream moment to me because
everybody in the place started singing with us. There's
just something about singing with a group of almost
strangers that is just strangely bonding and wonderful.
Yeah, I think I'm in the right profession. : )

Hope you're enjoying October while it lasts! I miss you,
dear friend reading this (unless you live in Cleveland...
but I don't think many Cleveland people read this...). I
hope you are exceptionally well and feeling blessed. We
are always blessed because we serve a God who hears our
prayers and graciously blesses us with every Spiritual
blessing in Christ. And all we must do is believe in
Him, trust His Word, and allow Him to work in and through
us. Faith is such a mystery! God is so faithful and good.