3 Most Important Choices in Marriage

Jeff called my attention to an article in Christianity Today entitled: The Three Most Important Choices (You Make in Marriage):

http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2007/004/1.22.html

Those choices involve forgiveness, prayer and staying united. It's really a blessing to read. All three played a critical role in keeping our marriage afloat. My spiritual connection with Jeff is something I especially treasure...It was an element not initiated consistently by either party in his previous marriage...So we make prayer a daily priority to strengthen our connection to one another and to the Lord.

The author of the article wrote, "Sometimes all a marriage needs is that little bit of vision, that little glimpse of what we can be."

Today I returned home from a long trip to Bureau and LaSalle Counties. I trekked 180 miles in the car and upon my return had to pick up the kids and whip up a family meal. My body was beat. But on my computer was a note from Jeff saying, "I love you and missed you today. You are the light of my life."

I just long for the day when we're old and gray (of course he'll beat me to it by a decade!) and the hard work is behind us and we're just enjoying each other's company. That vision makes all the work now feel worth it.

school day

Today I filled in for Delaney's teacher. I enjoyed the class and I especially enjoyed snacking on awful cafeteria food (warmed over green beans and chicken nuggets) with Laney. We skipped ahead to the front of the food line and took our trays to the classroom. We had a nice girl chat before classes resumed. It's pretty sweet to be considered cool by the kids in your life. I'm sure I'll be an embarrassment to her in no time.

ice storm

This weekend I convinced Jeff to take me to the mall after the ice storm settled down...He was so eager to start the car, he raced out of the house, and flew in the air after sliding on a sheet of ice covering our front porch. He landed with a thud on his bottom, straight on the cement ground. While he screamed in pain, I screamed back that he could be seriously hurt and what was he thinking--running on ice? He can't skate! We both joked about the whole thing afterwards as we gingerly helped one another to the car.
But tonight as he dropped his pants, my jaw dropped that a bruise the size of a football is stretched across his bottom. It's really something. I felt awful for minimizing his pain...I'm trying to convince Jeff to let me take a picture and share it with all of you.

No Looking Back

Genesis 19:26 But Lot's wife looked back and she became a pillar of salt.

I've been asking the Lord to reveal a Bible verse for me to meditate on during this season of my life. The verse above may seem like an odd choice, but the story of Lot's wife turning into a pillar of salt keeps running through my mind as I pray.

The Bible says just before Lot's wife reached a place of safety, she disobeyed the angel's commands by looking back and she turned into a pillar of salt. The Bible isn't clear on exactly why she didn't listen to this seemingly simple command when her life was at stake. All we know is that she looked back with longing, perhaps with some regret, at what she was leaving behind.

Since becoming a wife and step-mom, I've often looked back at my old life with longing. Sometimes I wonder what would've happened if I made different choices during critical times in the past few months...If I didn't reconcile with Jeff and took that promising TV job in another state, what would life look like? What if I pursued my TV dreams in Hawaii? Would I be more fulfilled surrounded by the ocean and my family? Would I have fallen in love with someone else?

These thoughts run through my mind when I'm vulnerable and weighed down by past hurts...I dwell on what could've or should've happened. It doesn't serve any positive purpose other than drain my energy on the present.

So today Jeff prayed passionately to the Lord that He would redeem and restore our past and the choices we made that led us to where we are. Jeff asked the Lord to keep us focused on the blessings of the present and keep us looking forward to the future.

In this present state, I've got so much to rejoice in. I've got my salvation, my health, and an amazing husband who helps filter my thinking with the Word of God. And I'm looking forward to growing old with him and serving the Lord for many years to come.

Substituting

Before landing a freelance gig at the PJStar, I signed up for substitute teaching jobs in the area. I put that practice on the back-burner to focus on my new work, but tonight I got a call asking me to fill in for my step-daughter's teacher. Delaney was so overjoyed by the prospect, she proclaimed, "This is gonna be one of the best days of my life! Can you announce to the whole class I'm your kid?" I was so tickled by her excitement. I was hoping to catch up on my writing and making contacts but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to spend the day schooling Delaney and her friends. Tonight as I tucked her in, she shared that she had a mean substitute teacher a little while back who yelled at her and made her feel stupid. She told her principal how the sub mis-treated her and the principal promised she wouldn't return. Delaney said, "See? Children can do a lot!"