Tonight I landed on my blog through a link on someone else's. That's not - in itself - remarkable, but the journey to this post made me really nostalgic.
I saw Luke and Kristin's beautiful engagement picture and so vividly remembered the day he talked with Steve & I in Steve's office and asked our thoughts about him asking Kristin out for coffee. If I remember right, our answer was "Go for it!" but our real thoughts were, "Good luck!" cuz we didn't really think that was gonna go anywhere. Now, they're going to be married in 2 weeks and I just goes to show: we're wrong a lot, and that's why we often say, "Uh, yeah...give it a shot!" : )
I also ran into the blog of Caleb & Ashley Brown. Caleb put in a full year of weekly meetings with me - mostly because he found that girls were mad at him a lot. He talked to me about Ashley - one of my favorite girls EVER - before she even returned from Australia, as he stared lovingly at her picture on my fridge. I think with him, I actually said, "Uh, yeah...well, she's WAY over your head, but go ahead and ask her!" And sure enough, it was good and God and they are serving Kingdom purpose in Kansas and are going to be a family of renown.
Brent and Virginia Earwicker. Jump with me into the wayback machine and travel to 19something - before Brent even had a drivers license. We met him and loved him immediately and wondered and prayed about the way he would someday change the world. Now - wow - look at him doing just that in Africa, alongside the incredible woman of God that he convinced to marry him. AND - can we all just imagine for a moment the level of cuteness and prophetically-gifted-musicianship their baby is going to possess upon arrival? Wow and wow again!
And I mosied through the blogosphere of one Samuel Spedick. Can I just say that this is my favorite boy in the "under 7" division? He's just been so "him" from the moment he was born and I have a special and significant affection for him. So, I watched the video of his first steps and so clearly remembered the meetings that Jenni and I had when she and Chris were falling in love and the profound discoveries she was making as God led her through the process. And also - this one great road trip that we took with our friend, Russ Devos, and this heavily-pierced guy to see a Master's Commission program in Olympia. Steve and I talked extensively about the qualities that we saw in Chris and how we hoped for young men exactly like him in Westside's internship. Turns out, God totally answered our prayers with exactly a guy like Chris in our first year of CMC! Now, we see his wife and son and realize: his legacy is in full flight.
And I also remembered meeting Eric Parnell for the first time at Applebees...and Tara Jean at Red Robin...and Lindsay when she visited while she was still in high school and I thought, "that's the cutest girl EVER."...and Clif while HE was still in high school and was still deciding whether or not Jesus would really be worth it (and man, I admire his choice more than ANYTHING)....and Annalisa, when she tossed away her return ticket home and stayed to do CLC, even though she knew no one and it cost her just about everything.
These are the people that remind me that God is a generational God and what He does is for now and for tomorrow and for years to come. So it makes me wonder: who haven't we met yet? What stories are yet to unfold? And who will be the children of the children of these people who's lives I have watched grow and change and become?
I don't know - but bottom line: I have just about the best job ever.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
Kill the Suckling Pig!
It's been a long time, friends. My schedule pretty much swallowed my spring...but summer is here and I'm done speaking for a bit and I'm so excited to be with my kids and do some serious nothing! One plan that Katie and I have had for awhile is for a celebratory dinner when CLC is over. And not just any dinner will be worthy of such a victory...nope, our plan is to have a dinner of rotiserrie suckling pig at Merenda. We've taken a lot of criticism for this decision - mostly from my son-in-law - because it would seem that "suckling" mostly means "young" and Corey has very passionately expressed his resistance (I quote: "WE DON'T EAT BABIES!") Whatever, it's the closest thing to killing the fatted calf (also a baby, by the way, and even the Bible endorses it!) While we've been really excited about this idea for many looooong months...our plan has been foiled by another event on the same night (Merenda only cooks baby pigs on Fridays). So, we're double booked for celebration and it won't happen THIS Friday, but mark my words...it will happen. Our faith commands it.
Saturday, February 3, 2007
22
February 2, 2007
Steve and I are at the beach, celebrating our 22nd anniversary which seems completely ridiculous. Not that we’re celebrating - but that it’s been 22 years since we took the big walk down the long aisle and said two enormous words: I DO. It’s funny how much I thought I knew about love and life and commitment and family back then.
Turns out, um…not so much.
I was woefully unprepared and way too young for everything that we would face. And yet, face it we did. And I think we’ve managed to conquer most of the stuff that wanted to conquer us and I know that we have a deeper respect and appreciation for one another then we did when our love was young and untested. Steve has put up with a lot from me. I’m not very organized. I hate house work. I’m self-focused a lot. And probably the biggest thing is that I’ve struggled with fear for most of my life. He has walked with me every step of the sometimes-arduous road toward freedom and I just can’t begin to say how much his strength and love has meant to me. In fact, I’ve probably leaned more on him than I should, which is my weakness. And he has always stayed faithful and steady, which is his strength. In that way - and so many others - he’s just a lot like Jesus.
It’s interesting when I hear young women talk about the kind of man they want to marry. What I found in Steve is just so much more than I even knew to ask for at 18. What I found in marriage is so much deeper and more real and intimate and vulnerable than I ever imagined. And what I’ve learned about the overwhelming love of Jesus by being loved by the man of His choosing has made me who I am.
Wow, Steve, thanks. I can’t begin to say how much you’ve meant to me. The best is yet to come…
Steve and I are at the beach, celebrating our 22nd anniversary which seems completely ridiculous. Not that we’re celebrating - but that it’s been 22 years since we took the big walk down the long aisle and said two enormous words: I DO. It’s funny how much I thought I knew about love and life and commitment and family back then.
Turns out, um…not so much.
I was woefully unprepared and way too young for everything that we would face. And yet, face it we did. And I think we’ve managed to conquer most of the stuff that wanted to conquer us and I know that we have a deeper respect and appreciation for one another then we did when our love was young and untested. Steve has put up with a lot from me. I’m not very organized. I hate house work. I’m self-focused a lot. And probably the biggest thing is that I’ve struggled with fear for most of my life. He has walked with me every step of the sometimes-arduous road toward freedom and I just can’t begin to say how much his strength and love has meant to me. In fact, I’ve probably leaned more on him than I should, which is my weakness. And he has always stayed faithful and steady, which is his strength. In that way - and so many others - he’s just a lot like Jesus.
It’s interesting when I hear young women talk about the kind of man they want to marry. What I found in Steve is just so much more than I even knew to ask for at 18. What I found in marriage is so much deeper and more real and intimate and vulnerable than I ever imagined. And what I’ve learned about the overwhelming love of Jesus by being loved by the man of His choosing has made me who I am.
Wow, Steve, thanks. I can’t begin to say how much you’ve meant to me. The best is yet to come…
Friday, January 26, 2007
The one that almost got away..
Do you ever feel like the area in your brain that receives and processes information has gotten really swampy? That's me right now. Since the Word of God is awesome and powerful, new treasure is still getting thrown in, but because my mind is so overloaded it just kind of sinks to the bottom like a shoe in a swamp and I can only hope that when I need it, I'll be able to retrieve it.
For example, on Monday I was reading in Luke and one sentence poked it's head out of the chapter and demanded attention. I literally had goose bumps when I read it the second and third time, it was so FILLED with life-changing possibilities. Just then, my office door opened and a crisis walked inside. After that, my day was filled with stuff way noisier than Luke.
So now it's Friday and here's what I've discovered: the word of God is high-impact, but low-maintenance. It's not the crying kid in the grocery store. It's not the horrific alarm clock cricket noises. It's not the honking horns or ringing bells or fire drills of every day life. It's really more charming and romantic and alluring. It's strength-of-steel and life-altering power packaged in an unassuming little wrapper that is not equipped with a big screen or a sound track or commercial breaks to run upstairs and get a snack. Much like the walls of a damp and dark mine, it doesn't have a lot to grab your attention except this one thing: the heart-pumping, pulse-racing possibility that there could be a diamond inside. For those who are willing to strap on the silly-looking head lamp thing and forge ahead, there are secrets and treasure to be found.
I'm going to start with my treasure from Monday - the one that almost got away. Luke 22:29. Check it out - it's not flashy and may even look a little average at first glance. But read it again. And then again. And then out loud. And then ask yourself: do I really believe this? Because if I believe it, this verse will mess up life as I know it. It's a million bucks in the bank and I don't want to toss that kind of cash in the swamp.
Oh also - welcome to my blog!
For example, on Monday I was reading in Luke and one sentence poked it's head out of the chapter and demanded attention. I literally had goose bumps when I read it the second and third time, it was so FILLED with life-changing possibilities. Just then, my office door opened and a crisis walked inside. After that, my day was filled with stuff way noisier than Luke.
So now it's Friday and here's what I've discovered: the word of God is high-impact, but low-maintenance. It's not the crying kid in the grocery store. It's not the horrific alarm clock cricket noises. It's not the honking horns or ringing bells or fire drills of every day life. It's really more charming and romantic and alluring. It's strength-of-steel and life-altering power packaged in an unassuming little wrapper that is not equipped with a big screen or a sound track or commercial breaks to run upstairs and get a snack. Much like the walls of a damp and dark mine, it doesn't have a lot to grab your attention except this one thing: the heart-pumping, pulse-racing possibility that there could be a diamond inside. For those who are willing to strap on the silly-looking head lamp thing and forge ahead, there are secrets and treasure to be found.
I'm going to start with my treasure from Monday - the one that almost got away. Luke 22:29. Check it out - it's not flashy and may even look a little average at first glance. But read it again. And then again. And then out loud. And then ask yourself: do I really believe this? Because if I believe it, this verse will mess up life as I know it. It's a million bucks in the bank and I don't want to toss that kind of cash in the swamp.
Oh also - welcome to my blog!
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