Thankful

Yesterday was Thanksgiving, and we spent the day with my parents and extended family here in Dallas. This afternoon we will head up to Enid to see Adam's side of the family - we are incredibly thankful for our families, and we love getting to celebrate with them. 

It was a year ago yesterday that Adam and I got engaged. It was the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, and I came home in the mid-afternoon after a bike ride with a friend around the lake (note: I was sweaty, had helmet hair, and wearing my oh-so-pretty spandex bike shorts. See picture.)

Adam was sitting in my front yard when I got home, but I didn't think anything of it - it was pretty typical for me to be running late and for him to be early. 

He surprised me with this on my front door...the email our friend Avery wrote to Adam asking if he wanted to have dinner with me. Apparently, Avery included what he thought Adam needed to know.

I opened the front door of my house and saw this...and then I wished I wasn't wearing spandex bike shorts.

He carefully walked me to the top of the stairs as we talked about the memories he had captured through the pictures, and then he read me the most beautiful poem. At the end, he told me he loved me for the first time, and asked me to marry him. He says I said, "Yes," before he hit his knee. That may be true.

I cannot remember being happier than I was right then. I had long looked forward to that moment, and my emotions overwhelmed me. I couldn't believe that Adam had chosen me. I figured, if he was excited to marry me after a bike workout, what more could I ask for? :)

This isn't the best picture, but it's in a frame in our kitchen, because I love the joy on both of our faces. 

We celebrated that night with family and friends,

and then went back to where we had our first date for dinner. 

I woke up early the next morning, Thanksgiving Day, more thankful than I had ever felt before. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." The day we got engaged, it was easy to be thankful to the Lord. Today, one year later, we are not only married, but we are expecting a precious baby girl - and again, it's easy to be thankful. There have been difficult things along the way, and I want desperately to be someone who lives out this verse, regardless of the circumstances in life. I have a long way to go, but I am starting by making a list of current circumstances that it's difficult for me to have a thankful heart in the midst of, and asking God to remind of reasons to be thankful in each of those.  I am definitely thankful that the Lord continues to be patient with me as He grows me in this area.

I thought I couldn't love Adam more the day he proposed. Then I married him, and thought I couldn't love him more than I did that day. A year later, my love for him continues to grow. 

I can't wait for tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Waiting...

I once remember doing a study of the word 'wait' and how it's used throughout the Bible. I wanted to do this because it seemed like God mentioned it alot, and it was hard for me to do. The thing that stuck out to me the most was that waiting was not a passive process, but an active one, in which I was a participant. To wait required strength, endurance, and patience...all things I have to depend on the Lord for. 

This morning I am waiting to hear results from my dad's doctor about whether or not the chemo he has been undergoing is working. We have been waiting for this day for several weeks, and now it is here. I have found myself turning to anxiety or fear of what is ahead for my dad in this journey with cancer. 

I read Psalm 33 this morning, in somewhat of a desperate attempt to input God's word into my mind. It's easy for me to get distracted, and so I'm much more inclined to busy myself with things at work, at home, or anything else to get my mind off of the waiting. But as I chose to read through Psalm 33 randomly this morning, I was blown away by the reminders the Lord has for me today.

It talks of God's power in creating the earth, His love that is unfailing and fills the earth, His word that is always right and true, His faithfulness, His plans that cannot be thwarted, and the hope we have when we trust in Him.

Psalm 33:16-17 says, "No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save."

I am so grateful for the medical care my father is receiving right now, and I know that 50 years ago, he would not have survived this diagnosis, apart from a miracle of the Lord. But this verse reminds me that the Lord is in control, even of all the medical treatment he's receiving, and therefore He's in control of the results too. Only the Lord can bear the weight of my hope. 

So, whatever the news we receive today, I know that it is sovereignly planned by the Lord, and I can trust Him. I will continue to ask Him for the strength to wait on Him...and I will spend my morning going to the grocery store and cleaning the apartment, and wait to hear these results I am so eager to hear.

Psalm 33:20-22

"We wait in hope for the LORD;
   he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
   for we trust in his holy name. 

May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,
   even as we put our hope in you."

A Day Off

My friend Emily and her husband have a blog that inspires me. Check it out here. They write letters to each other and to others that gives fun insight into their lives, displaying the love of life they both have. Last Thursday, I wanted to thank Adam for something he did, so in the spirit of the Loerke's letters, here's a little letter to my love.

Dear Adam,

Thursday I came home and found this in the kitchen sink. You spent your day off from work working on painting our 2nd bedroom, that will become our daughter's room in just 2 1/2 months. Thank you for loving me and our daughter by serving us like this. Your selflessness encourages and challenges me.

I love you,

L

A perfit birfday...

Well...I wanted to write a birthday post for my dad and I just decided that a month late is better than never. My dad turned 66 in October, and we loved getting to celebrate him. No, I didn't misspell the name of this post -- my dad has two words that he says a little different than everyone else, and I love it. One is birthday, which he pronounces "birfday." The other is perfect, which he pronounces "perfit." Just 2 of his little idiosyncracies that make him unique...and endear him to me even more.

He's been a dad for 31+ years, and he's been my dad for almost 30. I am so thankful that God chose him to be my father. He has modeled integrity, discipline, and generosity for me. The times when I have listened to his wisdom have always served to bless me. The times when I have chosen not to listen have not always gone as well. 

My dad is going through a difficult time right now, and I am filled with fear and sadness as I think about the future. At the end of August he was diagnosed with a rare kind of lymphoma, and he's been enduring chemotherapy since then. Again, I see his integrity as he continues to run his business in an honorable way, though he is not able to do the same amount of work. I see his discipline as he and my mom get up at 5am every day to go on daily walks, because the doctors told him that exercise would help his body fight the cancer. And I see his generosity as he continues to rejoice with Adam and me about his first grandbaby, and our preparations for her arrival.

On his birthday, Adam and I got to go over to my parents' house and cook dinner for them. We loved getting to share a meal with them, one of his favorites, and then open presents. My mom continues to amaze me. I think God knew she would be the best wife for my dad as I have watched her care for him over the last 2 1/2 months. One of my favorite things about my mom is the way she makes people feel special by the gifts she gives and the way she wraps them. They are so cute and creative - she's been known to write a note and tape it to a six pack of diet coke, just to throw you off. I always look forward to seeing the gifts she brings. Dad's birthday was no exception, and I loved getting to see him open her gift to him. The only thing that would have made the celebration "perfit" was if Dr. Brother could have been there to join us. But we'll see him this weekend! Can't wait!

Mom and Dad...they will celebrate 40 years of marriage this Sunday!

So, happy birthday, Dad!! Here's to many more. I thank the Lord for giving me the great gift of you as my dad. I love you.