Memories of March 31st

10 years ago...

There was a glowing girl and a slightly nervous young man. They pledged their love in the presence of God.

My big brother got married 10 years a go today. And I was beyond excited to be at his wedding and perfectly thrilled to sit at the witness book. It was the very first wedding I could remember in our family. At my sisters weddings I had been too busy crying or sucking my thumb to be aware that I was being gifted with brother in laws.
I sat all by myself during my brother's wedding awed at the beautiful ceremony of marriage. I even found myself crying discovering a emotional side I did not know I had. Was this really my big brother getting married?

Just a few weeks earlier my mom had woken me up and whispered to me “Jon is going to propose today” and that made me quite pleased. I respected his girl and was elated to think of her being my sister. My brother’s marriage made me discover how wonderful a sister in law could be. We baked cookies together and went shopping now we visit about life and find a wonderful camaraderie. We are much closer in age than even my own sisters, so it was only natural for me to find a friend in her.

Earlier in the day of the wedding my cousin and I had persuaded the groom into supervising us while we went swimming in the motel pool. Later we repaid his kindness by slipping shaving cream under his door handles before he departed for his honeymoon. That’s what good little sisters do you know. But I have gone off subject. My brother just seemed too serious that morning and now He had reason to be. Marriage is a grave task and my brother knew so. I watched my brother as he pursued his future wife and than I watched their marriage. I saw the love and respect. I say him open the car door for her years after their honeymoon. I babysat my nieces often just so my brother could take his wife on a date. My brother and I only lived under the same roof a few short years, so its really not odd at all that I have learned more from him as a married man than as a single.

10 years later and 6 children later I think its pretty obvious that my brother still adores his wife a great deal. And this makes me smile...very big:)

To Utah and Back

I wasn't sure if it was the right thing to go, but I wanted to go. My brother said go. My pastor said go.. I still wanted to go, so I did. And I'm so very glad I did.

I wondered how the trip would impact me and to be honest I didn't see it coming, the wave of compassion for the lost and the encouragement of God's work

Classes got out and we were free from school 12 hours later and lots of laughs and snow later we arrived in Utah. In 4 short days, we saw a lot, enough to change our outlook on Utah.

There were the two very lovely Mormon missionary girls and oh they seemed so happy, but it was sickening to see how blinded they really were.

650 Gospels of John were passed out in a Mormon community of 20,000 homes. The pastor excitedly spoke of maybe getting 10 responses. The little tiny Bible church boasted of 40 people, the number of people is less than the number of Mormon churches in Salt Lake. The pastor praised the Lord for goodness and we listened and learned from his testimony.

We scrubbed dishes and wipped up dust. The guys shoveled snow and counted green gurillas and candy bars. Than we slid down the mountain and threw snowballs, well the boys threw snowballs at the girls. There seemed so much to do to get the little Bible camp ready for the summer and we had done so very little. Still they thanked us, said they were so very encouraged.

The lights were too dim and the plush arm chairs and carpet were hopelessly out of style. A mortuary seemed a depressing for church, but oh the life and spirit of the people who were the congregation. They exclaimed over our group of 9 tremendously boosting the number of attendance. Music, all they wanted was a piano player every Sunday, they begged us to stay.

Pastors spoke, telling of discouragements and disappointments, but they spoke even more of God's work and faithfulness, and we listened.

We ate lots of food too and watched too much basketball. Everything seemed to be something to laugh about. I say though even if without the food and basketball the trip still would have been the bomb. Although this is a female perspective not a male one. I think they would concur though.

We drove miles across WY to back to school, but we did not want to go back to school. Even Starbucks was not enough of a consolation prize.

Now we are back at school and people ask how the trip was and we all say, "amazing"! Because hearing testimonies of God's work and seeing God's work just is.

1,000 Gifts

Today is one of those days...I want to go home and curl up on the old overstuffed couch and forget that I ever had anything pressing to do. I cannot do that...I'm not sure that would be a good idea for me anyway, because you think you can run from problems...here is a secret...no matter how hard I try or how fast I run my problems will never leave me.

So...

I choose joy, I choose to let Someone else carry my problems and work them all out, because in His timing they will be smoothed out.

31. Twittering birds, singing with the joy of the spring time.
32. Warm sunshine that makes the puddles shrink and shrink.
33. Less than 5 weeks till I see my family.
34. Teaching Sunday school...why is it that the teacher has the very most fun and learns the most?
35. Carpet beneath my feet...it makes my bare feet very happy.
36. Getting well for one of the most amazing Roman's classes ever.
37. Friends who willingly fetch jugs of water and packages of salty crackers for my lowly sick self.
38. Going to another state and seeing something in it besides the dingy bus station and the airport.
39. My verse for this year...

[3] You keep him in perfect peace
whose mind is stayed on you,
because he trusts in you.
[4] Trust in the LORD forever,
for the LORD GOD is an everlasting rock.
(Isaiah 26:3-4 ESV)

An Ode to my brother...

Cause its his birthday
I wrote this a few years ago, but it is still true and I haven't the time this midterm week to come up with 27 things. So take a peak back in time and enjoy this 25 things about my big brother.

I will just say this though...

I am still my brother's little sister and that will never change...I'm not sure I want it too.

My brother is a a very handsome bachelor, but that is changing very soon. Not the handsome part, but the bachelor part.

He still doesn't like chocolate I can live with that.

I like it when we do stuff together...like when we go shopping or eat ice cream.

I think he is pretty much amazing...yesI just said that. Who would have thought after all those years of bickering?

So Happy Birthday from a little sister to her big brother.