Rinny Pin Rinnathin

The day is August 14, 2010. 

College move-in day. 

Armed with my fish (R.I.P. Kenani) and an armful of bedding, 

I lead the way to the dorm room I will be inhabiting for the rest of the year. 

I walked onto my hall, and passed the first door on my left.

((can I get a HOLLA for people who can't pass open doors without looking in??!))

Inside, I see a family of four...

two girls, one with the coolest dreads in her hair

and one with very very short reddish brown hair. 

Twins. 

((I'm obsessed with twins))

I judged them (correctly) as super cool girls. 

I later met the reddish brown shorty-haired girl...

in the bathroom. 

There's a story for that. 

And later found out that she was in my Torrey group. 

Which meant I'd be spending about six hours a week

in class with her for the next four years.

That's when it all started. 

Erin Whitlow became one of the closest friends my life has been known by. 

It's been a while since I've called her Erin though, 

she's just always been Rinny to me. 

((or Pinny, or Rin-a-pin, etc.))

{Isn't she lovely? Oh yeah, she's blond now}

And what a Rinny she has been!

From late night stress-fests to 

tearful prayers to

silly poems about boys to 

accountabilidicing to 

fits of giggles at four in the morning...

this.girl.is.epic. 

{posing for pictures are fake metal horses is harder than it looks}

Oh yeah...

I forgot to mention...

she's my roommate this year.

!!!!

I know, how lucky am I?!!!!

((friended and encouraged is this Maddy heart))

Accountabilidice

This upcoming school year I get the joyful privilege of rooming with an amazing young woman.

Her name is Erin Whitlow. 

 I call her Rinny.

She is in my Torrey group at Biola and became one of my first (and dearest) friends this last year. 

I am SO EXCITED to live with her.

I get really slap happy giddy dancey joyful every time I think about it!

I'm stoked to get to know her heart better and learn how to encourage

her and love others better because of our friendship.

A few months ago I was trying to figure out ways for the two of us to stay connected

 in the midst of the craziness of our semesters. 

I was falling asleep one night ((this is the time that I become brilliant))

and I came up with the idea of the accountabilidice. 

Dice are hard to paint!!!!

Basically, you roll the di and the number corresponds to an accountability question.

These questions ask things like, "How did you love someone well today?" or

 "What fruit of the spirit 'themed' your day?" 

There are some lighter questions as well, like "What was the theme song of your day?"

We'll switch out questions when we feel like it to keep it fresh and interesting.

These little dice will sit in a jar/bowl on our coffee table (my trunk) in our room.

They will remind the two of us to challenge and encourage each other daily.

They will cause us to intentionally sit together and examine our hearts, minds, and souls. 

On days when we won't have time to sit and do this, the dice will be

 reminders to us to examine our hearts on our own. 

I'm so thankful that God has placed a friend in my life whom I can be held accountable to...

even with a silly thing like painted blocks. 

((so stoked to grow is this Maddy))