Happy weekend, everyone! Spring is out in full force down south, and this week I've gotten a chance to sit down and listen to others -- a great gift that I forget sometimes in the midst of all the busy.

1. We had friends and their five-month-old twins over for dinner last Saturday. Sean grilled, the weather was beautiful, the babies were precious, and it was lovely to spend time with good folks. (It also made us clean the house more thoroughly than we had in an embarrassingly long time. Guests rock!)

2. A childhood friend has recently moved back to the area, and we had a long catch up coffee date. I have slowly declined in my ability to follow through on phone dates, so I loved seeing her in person to swap more than a year of stories. (Anna's also a really gifted artist -- can't wait to feature her in Fine Folks//Creative Callings!)

3. I interviewed students at the seminary where I work for a magazine article, and it once again reminded me why I love where I am. These people are going to do so much good in the world, within the church and outside of it. In many cases, they already are! And getting to sit down with them and hear their stories in their own words so that I can share it with others is a real privilege. I definitely felt that this week.

4. On that same note, I was also reminded that I get to work alongside so many talented and compassionate people. We celebrated a colleague who's retiring at the end of the academic year (so, soon) after nearly two decades. She's our worship + music guru, so of course the celebration was chocked full of both, with plenty of laughing and tears mixed in. Follow that with lunch on the plaza + live music, and you'd have hardly thought it was a Tuesday.

5. Another catch up! My college friend Allison (which means we've known each other nearly a decade... ack) is currently backpacking around the world, and I was lucky enough that she made a stop in Atlanta this week, after South Korea and before South Africa. I've been following adventures on her blog (and you should, too), but it didn't compare to hearing her travel reflections in person, over French fries. And don't worry, I've already asked if I can send her some questions for Fine Folks//Creative Callings -- can't wait to share her story.

Honorable mentions: Sean's delicious and cozy weekend breakfasts, evening walks, women's small group, the smell of rain as I walked out of the office, dinner with my parents to kickoff the weekend, my weekday morning combo of English Breakfast Tea + Honey Nut Cheerios.