It Takes Two

Sorry it's been a while since I last posted something. Originally, I intended to write almost every day. But my time this week has been devoted to completing a couple of projects before we leave for vacation on Friday. James and I are so excited for our trip to California. We realized the other day that, although we both have traveled a lot over the past few years, this will be the first time we actually get to fly somewhere together.

James and I agree that the best part about being married is getting to do things together, rather than attempting to share our days over the phone. After the wedding, we were definitely looking forward to doing things like traveling and cooking and going out with friends. However, there have been some unexpected things that we have gotten to do together, including figuring out how to work complex kitchen appliances.

We were ecstatic when we received a bread maker for our wedding but, sadly, it went unused until yesterday. I figured it would be fun to do something different for dinner, so I picked out the necessary ingredients and set everything up in time that James would come home to the smell of freshly baked bread. Unfortunately, my brilliant plan failed. For the life of me, I could not progress past step #3 in the manual: remove the baking pan. It said I needed to gently lift and twist it out of the machine but that pan refused to budge! I tugged, twisted, and made all sorts of bizarre faces and grunting noises, but was eventually forced to give up.

If I lived alone, I may never have been able to use that machine. Fortunately, I married someone who is not only much stronger than I am, but has much better practical reasoning skills. He was, of course, able to remove the pan on his first try. He even had the grace not to laugh too much at the look of disgust on my face. With his help, we enjoyed some delicious homemade bread with our dinner.

I have always been an independent, ambitious person - full of plans for how to make my future great. However, James is helping me to see that I really can't do it alone. Not only do we, as people, need help from time to time, but life is so much more enjoyable when you have someone to share it with! Community is important, and I feel very blessed to be a part of a new and loving family.

Olympic Dreams

Well, the Olympics are over. While I cannot imagine what the athletes are feeling as they prepare to go back to normal life, I DO feel I can empathize a bit... The Beijing Games have seriously altered our daily routine and it will be difficult to return to the way things were. We found ourselves purposely orienting our schedules around the broadcast times so that we never missed a minute. We were there for all eight of Michael Phelps' gold medals, the high-flying glory of the gymnastics teams, and every record-breaking race in the Bird's Nest. When we did leave our couch in order to spend time with friends, the Olympics were our primary topic of discussion. I don't know how many times I've said, "Did you see that last night??" And now we will have to find something else to talk about...

Part of me wonders what I will be doing the next time the summer Olympics roll around. Last time I was about to enter my senior year of high school. Now I'm finished with school completely and am married. What next? Where will we be in four years, and what will we be doing? Who will be there with us to share in the excitement?

One way James and I differ is that I worry a lot about the future, whereas he is content to trust that everything will turn out alright. That is one of the many reasons I am so thankful to have him in my life. He keeps me grounded and reminds me of what is important when I start to freak out. After all, we do not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future. And that's all we really need to know.

Good Housekeeping

One surprising thing I've discovered since getting married is that I really enjoy keeping a clean house. Household chores were never really my thing... My parents can attest to the fact that I rarely did my own laundry before leaving home, my room was perpetually messy, and I would avoid doing dishes like the plague. However, I find that these days I not only do these things regularly, but joyfully!

Have no fear, this change of heart has nothing to do with me settling into a permanent state of housewifery. Soon enough I'll be out and working again. No, I think it has much more to do with my deep desire to serve my husband and friends by always being able to welcome them into a home that is warm, clean, and comfortable. I employ the senses in my quest - making sure everything is soft and smelling good, and that there is always something tasty brewing in the kitchen. =^)

It struck me earlier today as I was cleaning out my shower drain (nightmare!) how much filth we naturally produce, and how much effort it takes to really keep things nice and tidy. This is the natural way of things - not only physically, but emotionally and spiritually as well. If left to our own devices, we can really make a mess of things.

I've been concentrating on making one special man feel at home here in this apartment, while there is another, more important Someone in my life who was invited to make a home in my heart quite some time ago. How hospitable have I been to Him lately? Does He really feel at home, or is He more like a long-term guest I only spend time with because I feel obligated? Is my heart the clean, inviting, mature space that I work so hard to cultivate around me? Or is it more like a college dorm room - cold, juvenile, and full of miss-matched odds and ends? (I shudder to think of a heart being maintained like some of my neighbor's dorm rooms!!)

More importantly, do I treat my relationship with Him as a priority? Do I spend as much quality time with Him as I do with James? Heck, do I spend as much quality time with Him as I do with my television? =^/

Sadly, I think the honest answer to these questions is no, I have not been working very hard on maintaining my inner-life. (I suspect that this, more than my unemployment, is the source of my recent lethargy). But luckily, my House Guest has been faithful and has not abandoned me, despite my insistence that He live on spiritual Easy Mac. I think this blog will be one of many things happening in my life right now that will help me work on repairing that relationship, and move toward having a cleaner, brighter, and more peaceful interior.

A Purpose Statement

Greetings!

I don't suppose a blog actually requires any explanation for its existence (as that is somewhat self-explanatory). But I figure I will offer one - partly so I feel better about participating in this slightly silly form of electronic self-expression, and partly so that you all can help fulfill its purpose.

In the past few months since our marriage, I've been feeling the desire to write. However, I've been at a loss for WHAT to write, as it seems my new life is not particularly eventful. That's not to say that it's less enjoyable than my action-packed college days. Quite the opposite actually. I LOVE being married and spending all of my time at home with James. However, my life now is much more simple and I failed to find something noteworthy to write about.

Of course - this is ridiculous. As one wise friend exclaimed; "Are you kidding?!?! You're a newlywed... HELLO!!! Your life has COMPLETELY changed. You now have a lifetime's worth of things to write about!" And she is, as always, quite right. To say that nothing exciting is happening in my life is doing a huge disservice to me, my wonderful husband, and my Maker.

And thus, I have created this blog as a way to help me explore the subtle ways that God is moving in my life. As I take the time to really reflect on the outcome of my day, I see small, shining examples of His design and purpose, and it gives me encouragement in the dull moments. So I hope you all will continue to read and help hold me accountable to this quest to grow in my appreciation for His Plan.