Dinner parties and such.  

I like dinner parties. More specifically, I like hosting dinner parties, because I love to cook. And when I host a dinner party, as most of my friends would attest to, I usually do most of the work myself, even if others offer help. It isn't because I don't want help or think you incapable. It's because I like to do it. I also like birthdays - mine and other people's - I'm not picky. Last Thursday night, I had about 8 girl friends over for a dinner party to celebrate Jaclyn's birthday. She is such a special lady and I really wanted to make a big deal of her birthday because I knew she wasn't going to. Plus, I always jump at the chance to cook dinner for people!

The point is this: I love using my gifts, talents and passions to serve other people. It makes me happy; it fills me up. I guess that's how God created it. And yet at the same time, I feel like some people use their gifts and feel drained afterwards (and I can feel this way sometimes, too). I wonder which is more common: feeling full or drained after using your spiritual gifts?

On another note, I feel pulled in a lot of directions in friendship lately. There are so many people I genuinely want to spend time with, and yet it is so hard to schedule time to see all of them. I am a quality time person, so just seeing someone is not enough. I want to really spend time with them - to know them deeply. It is especially hard because not only am I just plain busy, but, many of the people I would love to spend time with are from completely different areas of my life (old friends, FBC/O friends, Status friends and my HC family, work people, roommates, random friends, etc.). It isn't even like I can combine hang out times when people are not in the same groups of friends at all... Ugh, if only I had more time in my week. I'm sorry if you feel like I haven't been spending enough time with you lately. I want to. I just don't know how.