Wedding Bells

Around 36 hours from now, I will be heading to my brother's wedding! I was talking about marriage tonight with my roommate, and how significant events change our perspective, passions and purpose in life. Marriage is one of those events for sure, and having kids. I can't imagine the sacrifice that goes into preparing for and being a parent. You're always a parent, forever. Irreversible life change that brings sacrifice and blessings and challenges and memories. I'm so excited to celebrate my brother's marriage to a great gal this weekend. (And, I finally get a sister after 25 years of only brothers!)

Holidays + Jesus = Interesting Conversations

The holiday season is soon upon us. Turkey. Football. Family. Christmas cookies. Vacation from Work. Family. Putting up the Tree. Pie. Family. Christmas Music. Christmas Gifts. Family.

Oh, and Jesus.

One of my favorite things to do this time of year is to take a seemingly normal holiday conversation and take it down a rocky path to a specific person that everyone often avoids: Jesus. It is particularly fun to do this with total strangers and extended family members that already think I'm weird.

Here's an article for some ideas about sharing the "reason for the season" with your family, friends and others. Click here for the article.

(Sidenote: Is Jesus REALLY the reason for the season? More on that later).

love

"I want my son to know that I loved him before I even knew him or saw him- I loved him before he was even born." - new mom

Isn't that great?? God says the same of us. He loves us as much as a new parent who is seeing their child for the first time. And He loves us even more than that! How and why I do not know.

weirdest weekend ever.

The longer I walk w/the Lord, the greater my desire for my family to come to know Him. I want so badly for them to know the joy and hope and potential for change that Christ can bring to an individual, especially one who thinks none of these things are possible in the great ways that they are. To experience that common bond of belief in something and love for something so much greater than ourselves is a constant prayer. After five years, I'm finally starting to just be myself around my family. But I still feel like an outsider, and that feeling will probably never go away.

So after spending several days with family who are obviously not happy or hopeful, I spent 8 hours today with some of the best people in the world. I am so encouraged by being around families that love the Lord. I can completely be myself around them. I've never felt like an outsider, even when I'm being really ridiculous. I want to have my own family some day and experience that enriching joy, that lasting love, with them. To create that environment in which to raise kids. I've had slices of it here and there. Is it possible to miss something you've never truly experienced?