All Things New

We had a weekend full of new things. Mike and I made sushi on Friday night which was not only a lot of fun, but rather tasty too. We got out some cute china that we got when we got married and actually ate at the dining room table! It was a great change from the usual in-front-of-the-TV ritual. We even had so much fun we tried again on Saturday (that, and we had way too much left over. Next time I’ll shop better!)

Learning new things can be hard sometimes though. I’ve been trying out new wheat-free cookie recipes, and Sunday I made one of the most tragic batches of cookies I’ve ever seen. In an attempt to learn a new recipe, I tried a new variation on a cookie recipe I had. I made a new flour mix that I’d wanted to try for a while. How could things go so wrong? The cookies didn’t rise. They became one giant, thin wafer, and in an attempt to salvage them and make them more cookie-like, I tried to fold them together and let them firm up. I really just came out with scrambled cookies. Bless Mike’s heart, he took one look at them and said they’d be great crumbled over ice cream. At least, even when things go wrong, they can at least be funny.

Hymn of Promise

After sharing my Sunday story as the devotional in choir last night, I decided to revisit the wonderful words to “Hymn of Promise.” Here is that beautiful poem.

Hymn of Promise
By Nat­a­lie A. Sleeth

In the bulb there is a flower; in the seed, an apple tree;
In cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free!
In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

There’s a song in every silence, seeking word and melody;
There’s a dawn in every darkness, bringing hope to you and me.
From the past will come the future; what it holds, a mystery,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

In our end is our beginning; in our time, infinity;
In our doubt there is believing; in our life, eternity,
In our death, a resurrection; at the last, a victory,
Unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see.

Something yet unknown which God alone can see.

Recharging the Battery

So last night we went to the Rangers game, as we often do on Saturday nights. This was a game I new would test the love of our relationship… Mike would be cheering against me. He was there to support his Dodgers, in his Dodger blue. There would be no fist bumps when Ranger’s made great plays, no jumping up and cheering when the home run fireworks went off. He would be the enemy! Ok, that’s dramatic, but we could have fun picking on each other’s teams, especially after the Ranger’s 6-0 win over his precious Dodgers the night before.

So, the game was chugging along nicely (0-0 after six) when the game was suspended for a light delay. Yes, a light delay, as in some of the lights weren’t on. Apparently they didn’t notice until the sun set. Play finally resumed at 10 p.m. and when all was said and done I left the stadium heartbroken around 11:30.

We got back to the car, Mike slightly gleeful, turned the ignition, nothing. Battery dead. Man, not my night. So, we figured we could jump start it once the parking lot emptied out. Nothing. Bummer. God bless AAA.

Long story short… we dropped my baby bug off at Sears, off the bed of a tow truck, at 2 a.m. Ugg. Sleep! When we got home about 2:30 the discussion became juggling cars the next day. We had planned to meet my sister for lunch Sunday after church, and Mike, being the fun-loving guy he is, was going to meet us at the restaurant. He told me to just take his truck and then go to lunch with Em. I suggested he come with me to church so that he could still come to lunch. Silence. Ok, how about I don’t go to Sunday school and you can sleep in a little more? Silence. OK. What if I don’t sing? Then we don’t have to be there until 11 and we can sit together. Umm… OK.
Yippeee!

It was such a joy to be able to sit with my husband in church. That’s just a very rare treat. Even better though… was the opportunity to sit in the congregation and listen to the choir sing “Hymn of Promise.” That song really has a special place in my heart and it was a true healing blessing to be able to listen to their beautiful words and music.

It’s easy to forget the power of the music sung every week when sitting in the choir loft. We don’t know what people are carrying in their hearts, what certain songs remind people of and what memories they stir up. What a true blessing to be able to sit next to my wonderful husband and be reminded of the healing power of worship.

I’ll take a dead battery any day if those are the rewards.

One year ago today...

One year ago today…
I began a different life. A life not about me and I but about us and we. I joined hands with Mike and promised that through the good and bad we would love each other.

But honesty… I’m not sure if any one clearly stated what the bad would be. Yeah, yeah… we got the lines on richer, poorer, sickness and health, better or worse, but maybe some examples would have been nice. Again, I fully believe that people should come with instruction manuals. But since they don’t, here’s some things we’ve learned about the good and the bad.

Better – those days when I come home and see fresh vacuum marks on the carpet. Those are good days! When Mike walks in and smells freshly baked cookies, I think he considers those better days too. When I wake up with my temporary amnesia and forget what the heck we were fighting about yesterday, those are good days. When we realize that it’s not really worth a fight in the first place, those are better days.

Worse – are those times like when I ask him to take out the recycling and then I find he’s thrown it all in the trash. Arg! Worse are those times nobody warned him about, like when he’s just getting used to home cooked dinners every night and I decide to do a play and am gone every night for two months. Worse are those times when frustration rears its ugly head, but we try to let our sense of humor win out.

Richer – I thought that the coolest thing about being married was going to be the joint checking account. I was going to be rich! And shop all the time! But that blasted Dave Ramsey… Ok, so not really. I’ll leave material richness for down the road. We’re rich in heart.

Poorer – Did I mention I work at a church? So when Mike’s company got bought out and sold by the government, we got a little nervous about the future. Scratch that. Not much makes Mike nervous. So I prayed for his kind of patience. As it turned out, Mike was right. It’s all good. As long as we have each other, and we avoid those pesky little money arguments that so many couples have, we’ll be just fine.

Sickness – I realize that I can be a little high maintenance every once in a while. Poor Mike schlepped me across Europe feeling miserable and I know the whole time he just wanted to make it better. He gently put up with me when my joints were so inflamed that I walked like a 147-year-old. He even offered to get me a Hoveround (actually I think he said if my condition was permanent that was the only way he’d put up with me) but oh too sweet.

Health – What can I say other than Mike loves to eat my gluten free cookies. I think the best part of the health side is knowing that we’re there for each other on the sickness side.

I know we haven’t experienced even a portion of the highs and lows that we will together, but it’s nice to know that we can add to our stock pile of experiences.

One year ago today…
My life changed for the better. I smile daily. I laugh full-heartedly. I can’t wait for the years to come.