Month: March 2008

Do as I say, not as I do…..

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I got mad at a friend last week.  She’s not a really good friend…or even one I’ve known that long – but the potential is there.  She pissed me off – she didn’t mean to, I’m sure, but she did. I’d tell you the story, but it’s really too long and conveluted. The point is that this is usually the point in a friendship when I just decide it’s not worth the frustration and “I’m done with you”. But, then I remembered my talk with Jake yesterday – is tetherball worth losing a friendship over? Well, this is kind of that same thing. I hate when that happens. My own words come back to haunt me…..”sometimes you have to be humble instead of right”. If it wasn’t right there in black and white, I would deny that I said it.  Ugh.

I think the problem is that I tend to expect a lot from people. I know it’s not fair – not everyone is like me.  And then I get to thinking that when I set the bar that high for somebody else, I set it that high for myself.  Yikes.  Can I even live up to my own expectations?

To top it all off, I’m studying Matthew right now.  We are in Chapter 23, where Jesus is denouncing the religious leaders of his day.  Verse 3 nearly jumped off the page and smacked me in the head.

“so practice and observe whatever they tell you— but not what they do.  For they preach, but do not practice.” – Matthew 23:3, English Standard Version.

So, I guess God is trying to teach me something right now. 

*Note:  As I was writing this, the Today Show was on in the background.  They were talking about emotions and how they only last for 8 seconds, anything after that is because you want it to be that way.   <sigh>

Funny things kids say….continued

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After school today, Jake was telling me about an argument he got in with his friend over a tetherball game.  Jake was accused of cheating, which he insists he did not do.  I asked him if tetherball was worth getting into a fight with a good friend.  He said no.  So, I told him that sometimes it’s better to be humble than be right.  He emphatically disagreed with me.  I told him that I thought Jesus would agree with me. 

After a pregnant pause, he said “I think the Bible needs a new chapter”.

I reminded him that the Bible is complete, but I’m thinking I might let him go ahead and write down what he has to say.   I’ll keep you posted. 

15 years ago today…

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Lloyd and I ran off to Lake Tahoe and got married.  It’s one of those sweet, adventurous stories that make people think we are cooler than we actually are.  I was looking back on what I wrote a year ago today, which pretty much sums it up:

March 13, 2007

14 years ago today a VERY young couple thought that it would be a good idea to run off and get married. I was living in San Francisco and moving back to Seattle. Lloyd had flown down to drive back to Seattle with me. When he got off the plane he said “Let’s go get married”…so we did. We only told my cousin Amy (really more of a safety issue than anything which is ironic given our impetuous nature).  After stopping in Sacramento for clothes (Lloyd only had the clothes on his back), we made our way to South Lake Tahoe where we found a little wedding chapel that fit our miniscule budget.  It wasn’t a dream wedding by most people’s standards, but I wouldn’t change anything.  And, I can’t say that it’s been bliss every single day, but we have lasted a lot longer than the critics said we would (although you can’t blame my parents for being a bit blown away when I called them from a payphone in Medford, Oregon. It was raining so hard, they could barely hear me).

Lloyd gave me the prettiest heart necklace this morning. When I opened it, I just started to laugh. He asked me why and I just said “We thought it was a good idea to get married!” lol  In retrospect, it wasn’t the smartest idea at the time, but it’s turned out to the be best idea we’ve ever had.. God has truly blessed us – as I was made so aware of this morning as our little boy played the Wedding March on the piano for us. 

Life is good.

Today, I can look back on the last year and see that God is constantly reminding me that I have a wonderful, loving, faithful husband who is truly my best friend.  All around me are stories of people who have struggled in their marriage.  The one that rocks my world the most is the recent divorce of my aunt and uncle…who are like parents to me.  Yes, there have been times when we have struggled….and it’s not always been a honeymoon.  But, God is truly the center of our relationship.  He brought us together at the perfect time and the perfect place.  And, it was a complete surprise.  You see, I never dreamed of getting married and having kids.  My dream was to travel the world, meet lots of interesting people but not get too close to anybody. 

Recently, I playfully asked Lloyd if he ever expected to be married the rest of his life.  His response?  “Yes, just not to the same person”.  And, while he said it with a smile in his eyes, it was the truth.  Neither one of us had any examples of marriage working out that well.  But, God has made it abundantly clear that we are meant to be together….to live this life that He planned for us and raise the child that He wanted us to have. 

I still dream of running off to rent bicycles on the beach in Key West….but only with Lloyd by my side.

Current mood: grateful