A Wonderful Bowl of Soup

I sat down to blog "today" and realized I had no photo from the day. I had a spare hour while I waited to pick up Allie from work and so I began to upload, download and select photos to blog the "rest of July."  It is now TWO hours later...and I've got all the July photos in their place...realized I have June to go...Allie is home and we've gone back out to do some night driving practice...and somewhere along the line I FOUND THESE PHOTOS in the "to be blogged" folder...from August 2021!  

About a week ago I received a text. Nicole was going to be in Alaska and would love to meet me for the best in the world Hungarian Mushroom soup which can only be found in OUR town, at one little cafe. Locals you KNOW where we went, right? For security reasons (which is sort of a joke after all these years of blogging) I try not to mention our town's name... well...

📷 by Nicole 2022

I JUMPED on the opportunity to share another bowl of Hungarian Mushroom soup with Nicole.  Nicole and I have been friends for nearly 50 years. In 2002 - 2005 we were stationed up here and wonder of wonders Nicole and her husband were LIVING up here.  Now we live up here and they don't. Last summer when Nicole visited we went for soup....I was happy to enjoy a replay. 

Michael, me and Nicole

In fact, our fathers were in the same youth group - lo these many years past. They grew up and went to Bible college at the same time...and three+ years ago when we moved dad up to Alaska, Walt drove the Alcan with us to help Dad settle in up here. Walt somehow ended up in the labor room with Mom when I was about to make my appearance. They came up last summer to visit - and it was GREAT. 

Benny loved Uncle Walt

The thing is - life can be hard. It can beat us up. Today, we provided a soft-landing for each other.  It is good to renew connection. It is good to take time to cultivate your community, we need each other. Be ye introvert or extrovert its good and right to contend for relationship. Today, the back corner in our little Cafe was holy ground. This table corner will remind me of unity, grace, freedom, truth, validation, communion and love in and through Christ. 

I'm going to continue to actively seek for my tribe, my people up here in the North...and to count myself blessed to have so many wonderful friends scattered around the states and the world. 

As Nicole says, "Love your tribe HARD, pray for your tribe HARD."

All photos in this post are from a year ago and were taken by Nicole! Thanks.