I sent this picture to Brade a while back, I could have sworn someone snagged a picture of his bag. Only, wrong shades, and he assures me he now keeps a couple extra business journals in there as well.

While I'm at it, I might as well give a little praise for one of my good friends.   After years of high school and NOT being friends (his fault), I finally got to enjoy the benefit of knowing this cool guy in college.  It's wild how much we've both changed in a matter of a few years - I guess that's what the 20's are about.  He genuinely sees the best in people, and that's a priceless gift in a friend as we all muck our ways through who we are to who we're called to be, often falling short of our intentions.  He's become gracious.  He's passionate, and honest and wise.  And he's embarrassed me pretty bad more than once.  He cares about the Word, his family, people, and the nations with a reality that leads to action.  Sometimes I think he might be more passionate about me fulfilling my calling and living an un-ordinary life than I am.  Then I realize, he probably just doesn't want me living on that park bench outside his house in New York after all.

I love that I was able to enjoy UW with the friends who started there during my four years.   Two of the best being Brade & Mad.   I love these people, for their passion, truth, and crazy personalities. I look forward to their futures, and I enjoy living out the present with them, even if I often feel a bit lost in the conversation about which North African tribe speaks which languages and so forth.   Their two smiles have been present in many of my memories, Mad's beginning in high school and Brade just a few years later.   So grateful for them, and for MacKenna who was the first to introduce me to the Unger greatness. ;) 

Friendship, sometimes it feels it costs us all, other moments we realize how much we've gained.