The company you keep

Holly: This weekend was Berea's homecoming.  We got to see several of our friends, some that we haven't seen in a year or so.  We all went to lunch and as we were leaving, one of our friends asked if we would be getting together for new year's, because that's likely when we'll next see each other.  The reply was, and it didn't really hit me until just now because it was basically laughed off, was something to the degree of  "We can have a thing at our house since we're not into the going out and drinking."  This morning Kelly and I were talking about this, and we came to this conclusion: That is the reason why we aren't into "that" scene- because our friends really aren't either.  And let me tell you, that makes it a million times easier to not give into it.  Don't get me wrong, I've never been one to follow the crowd, but that doesn't mean the temptations aren't there.

On the flip side of this, I know several people who are into "that" scene, and guess what....typically so are their friends.  Coincidence? I think not.  Is that a bad thing? No.  Not at all.  But contrary to popular belief, who we associate with GREATLY influence us, and that could definitely swing one way or the other.  I am at that age and time in my life when I can determine basically who stays in my life and who doesn't.  It sounds blunt, I realize this.   Unfortunately, I learned this the hard way just this year when an almost 10 year friendship came to an end- I'll make a set of very long stories short and just say we weren't the same people we once were.  She became a different person (entirely not for the better, I must admit) and Kelly and I just didn't understand.  But I digress.  I, long ago, set boundaries, guardrails, for my life, and I have enough respect for myself to hold to them.  Anyway, if you're into the drinking/going out scene, then by all means, please have a good time (but please be safe as well).  As for me, I am much more inclined (and so are me and my friends) to go have dinner and go see a movie.  In the instance of this weekend, it happened to be Cheddar's and Thor: The Dark World, both of which I highly recommend.  :)

Kelly: In this day and age, it's so uncommon for a young adult of my age to do what I do...or don't do in this case. A typical get together involving my close friends usually involves going out for lunch/dinner, going to someone's house (usually our friends in Lexington. Many of our friends have cat allergies), talking, hanging out, watching a movie and snacking on popcorn or the new healthy snack of the week (these same friends introduced us to Orgain shakes. They're quite good). :) But over time, the people you spend a lot of time around BECOME one another, without ever really intentionally meaning to do so.

Some of our close friends are Christians, but most of them are not. They know I am a believer in God and do not hold that against me or make fun of me for it. I sincerely hope that my friends can see Christ in me. They are supportive of the good choices I make, as I am of the good choices they make. If I don't want to do/try something, they drop it. I remember when I was in Scotland and I was a flat-sharer with 5 other girls. I was the oldest, which already put me in an awkward position. But they were the typical party girls and often tried to get me to come as well; I soon learned realized this was their lifestyle choice at their home universities. I politely declined because I'm not really into that kind of thing. At all. One on my roommates asked me "so do not drink because you're a Christian?" Number one: rude. Number two: the generalization that all Christians are thumb-twiddling Bible-thumping hermits needs to GO! It was at that moment that I missed being back in Berea, because in my circle of friends I'm loved and accepted for who I am and what I do or don't do. I love all of my friends like my own family and I would do anything for them. I'm happy that God put them in my life and hope they are happy I'm in their lives as well.