becka lippy

So today is my birthday. Yay! I spent this past week on a roadtrip with my dad and sister. (I will post photos later.) We went upstate to where my dad grew up and then back down to Manhattan for some city life, and finally down to Philly for my graduation from Westminster Theological Seminary. The past two days have been so sweet. Being with this group of people that have meant so much to me over the last two years, reflecting on our time together and how much we have all changed and celebrating this great ending of our time here. From the banquet Wednesday, to going with the old gang to Union Jacks for one last beer, to the actual graduation ceremony, it was a great way to close my two years here. After graduation, my dad, grandma, and sister and I went out to dinner. And then I ended the night with wine and ice cream with my dear friend Hannah Kang. We talked just past midnight, right into my birthday! It was perfect. I am so blessed with amazing friends and while Philadelphia itself

This posting is dedicated to the lovely ladies I have been blessed to know this year. Every thursday morning, at 7am, a group of young women gather together over coffee and bagels to talk, laugh, cry, and study God's word. It has been one of the most amazing experiences ever to have these women in my life. In this group I have experienced such love and honesty. THese ladies truly love and care for each other and are committed to loving each other throughout the week. We pray for each other, we are honest with each other about the ups and downs that we experience each week. I am heartbroken to be leaving them, but am confident that we will see each other again. Ladies, just thinking about you and your love brings tears to my eyes. You have been such an enouragement to me. I can't express to you how deeply your friendships have touched me and I am forever changed by our little community. God bless, my sisters!

Karen, Enoch, and bagels... can you ask for more? Carrie! Miss Diana, who I have known since high school! I will miss these good friends!!!

As some of you know, I've wanted a tattoo for quite some time now. I made a rule (because I love rules!) when I was in college that if I were to get a tattoo, I had to draw it out and keep it for a year before I could get it. So almost 2 years ago in India, I drew out a design that I have sat on now for quite some time. I don't have the details down yet, but I think my time is getting close. I think I might make my tattoo my graduation gift. But I'm not sure yet. Anyways, here is a fun blog about tattoos: http://tattoo-talk.blogspot.com/ and another blog about a guys tattoo and the decision behind the design (very cool!) http://jhagerman.blogspot.com/2008/01/new-tattoo.html Some time soon I will post more about what I am looking at for my tattoo.

I'm not sure how many times in the last 5 years I have moved, but the number is out of control. Every year in college I moved. And since college not only have I moved from apartment to apartment, but from country to country. I've lived on 4 different continents in the last 3 years and the longest stretch I've had in any living situation was last year in Glenside with Liz. (By the way, I think this is one of the big differences between Jason and I: my life is a lot of instability and he is all stablity!) So, after 6 months here in New York, I am packing up my things to move back to Philly. I won't move for another week, and I really don't own much, so why am I starting so early? Well, I love packing. It is probably one of my favorite things to do. I like getting all my stuff organized, and getting rid of the extra stuff I don't need. And I love seeing how little I own. I'm not sure why, but I love the feeling of being able to hold all that I own on my back.

(A Jason Mraz song that caught my attention today... especially as I was reflecting on love and how it is that God can bring two sinners together, to love each other, hurt each other, to dwell together in this thing that really can best be described as "a beautiful mess") You've got the best of both worlds You're the kind of girl who can take down a man, And lift him back up again You are strong but you're needy, Humble but you're greedy And based on your body language, And shoddy cursive I've been reading Your style is quite selective, though your mind is rather reckless Well I guess it just suggests that this is just what happiness is Hey, what a beautiful mess this is It's like picking up trash in dresses Well it kind of hurts when the kind of words you write Kind of turn themselves into knives And don't mind my nerve you could call it fiction But I like being submerged in your contradictions dear 'Cause here we are, here we are Although you

This month has been an amazing month! Here are some photos of the awesomeness that I have lived through this past month.... Katie, Myself, and John with our amazing pieces of art. Hannah and Sonja from Bible Study I love the inside of this church Flowers from a certain someone... :) Katie and I in the Park.

So I have never put much thought into how I sign off letters (emails really). But about a month ago I wrote probably one of the most important letters of my life. It was an email to Jason, and I needed it to be perfect. I will always remember the moment because I was sitting at my desk, I had just spent days on edge, going crazy, wanting to say so much to Jason, but needing to say just a little. And I wrote out a letter, an honest, heart felt letter. And when I got to the end of it, I paused. How do you sign such a letter? Do you sign it with "love,"? That seems generic and sterile. How about "sincerely,"? Um, bor-ing! After debating for a while. I asked a friend, who gave probably one of the funniest answers to the dilemna: to sign off "Rebecca Peterson" !!! After almost peeing in my pants from laughter, I finally settled on "prayerfully,". It was probably the most honest way to sign off, not too corny, but not too generic. Just true. So since t