Goldfish?

Ha ha! So let's take a break from CCF. :)

I wanna tell you about some special goldfish!!!! The BEST goldfish in the world!!! This is a very simple story, but it is one of my favorites ... and always will be. Yep, it's true, James Nilsen - always will be! :D

So we (me, James, Hannah, Tiff, and James Cranny) all went to Hannah, Tiffany, and Maggie's apartment after a Calvary-Grace softball game one night this summer. ... Or was it one Sunday night after youth group? Sheesh. I don't remember. But anyway! We were heading there to watch School of Rock or Napolean Dynamite ... man, I don't remember that either!! (Some of the BEST movies EVER!) ... James and James and Hannah and Tiff stopped for snacks, and I met them there after youth group was over. (I help out with the youth at my church ... for those who don't know.) :) So we get there and settle in. Then James (Nilsen) pulls out a bag of goldfish and asks if anyone wants some. James (Cranny) and I both took a handful. About 5 minutes later, James turns to me and asks, "Hey, Mical. Do you want some goldfish?" I smile at him (since he asked me not too long ago), and said, "No, thanks, James. I'm good." ... Or something to that affect. About a minute later, he asks again, "Hey, Mical. Do you want some goldfish?" ... As he points the bag in my direction. I started laughing (as I often do). Then about 10 seconds later ... "Hey, Mical. Do you want some goldfish?" I started laughing harder and probably called him a "goof" or something similar. This went on for a couple of minutes ... eventually, he got the hint that I did not want more goldfish. Good times.

Later that night, as we were pulling out of Settler's Run (their apartment complex) ... James was heading one way, and I was heading the other. As we turned to leave the stop sign, he grabbed his bag of goldfish and held them up to his window ... gave a huge grin ... and then I got a text message that said, "Goldfish?"

A few weeks later, he got me a present. He wrapped it in a Starbucks bag and told me I couldn't open it until 11pm. He said, "You can't shake it or tip it or move it around." And he made me grab the bag from the top. Hilarious. I opened it at 11:01pm. And whatta ya know? It was a bag of goldfish. ....... One of the best gifts I've ever received! And ya know ... I think it always will be. Because it was a GREAT inside joke ... but more so because it is from James Nilsen!!! One of my favorite guys in the whole wide world - for always. :)

And that's my story about James Nilsen ... a guy who's right up there with his brother, Ben - on the most amazing guys ever list! He may not know how much I love him (in the non-scary, friend/we're spending eternity together kind of way, of course!) ... but he should now, right?! ;)

You are a picture of Jesus in my life, James Nilsen! So glad we ARE friends!

...... Hey, James! Want some goldfish? ;)