Ireland or Bust: It's Been A Week

          Last night I watched a movie called Leap Year. This is the movie where Amy Adams goes to Ireland to propose to her safe, rich boyfriend on Leap Year because I guess that's a tradition. She's trying to get to Dublin, but the weather is bad, so she stops by a pub and picks up an Irishman who's going to take her there. They fall in love on the way or whatever and they live happily ever after. I cried during this movie, but not because I'm a woman who loves romantic comedies. I cried because of all the little things that I remembered about being in Ireland.

          It's been exactly a week since I left and I miss it everyday. I'm sure it'll subside eventually, but for now it's pretty absurd how much I wish I never left. School will start soon and I'll run out of Irish chocolate and I'll forget to drink tea, but I don't want to think about that. I'm going to think about the bus I saw in the movie that was the bus I took from Dublin to Dundalk on my way in and from Dundalk to Dublin on my way out. I'm going to remember everyone saying that it'll be "grand" and I'm going to remember the green that is sorely lacking in this California drought. 
          My blog has been pretty much just about Ireland lately, and I would say I was sorry, but I am definitely not. It's hard to keep myself from talking about Ireland 24/7 because I know that it's probably annoying. Praise the Lord for my roommate who listens to me and loves me anyway. Now that it's been a week since I've been back, I'm getting back into the swing of my "real" life again, but I'm trying really hard not to forget what I learned back in Dundalk. 
          Here's what I learned, in case you were wondering:

• I can know God's love through His people. I felt God's love through the people of Dundalk Community Church and I realized how rare it is for me to feel so enveloped with love back here at home. It shocked me straight through to my bones and I am determined to feel that love again and to give that love as much as I can.
• What I do is not enough, and yet I am loved. Sure I led a team to go serve, but that doesn't make me a saint and it doesn't buy my ticket into heaven. It doesn't mean that I made up for my sins. I may be obeying God, but it is not enough. Allowing myself to be loved is all I can really do because that's all there really is. 
• "See You Later"s are hard, but necessary. There are so many people in this world that can change your life and we shouldn't be complacent and miss out on meeting those people for the sake of not wanting to say "see you later." I don't do goodbye's, by the way. 

          I learned so much more, but that's all my heart can handle right now. I know I'm usually a little bit funny, so sorry for the seriousness. I'm pretty positive that this will be the last time I blog about Ireland, but don't hold me to that. I'll leave you with the best quote of the trip. Please don't take it too seriously, or do if you feel you should. 

"You put a bit of brandy in your tea in the morning and hope for the best."