Wedding Memories

It's been two weeks since the wedding. It was a very busy weekend full of a lot of fun memories. Friday was rather stressful for the whole family. Pastor Dan was car pooling with two of my bridesmaids who were late for the rehearsal. This got us off to a late start and we rushed through the rehearsal. Than that night we all went to the pool to relax. My brother-in-law fell and hit his head on the tiled swimming pool deck and had to go to the hospital to be checked out. He had a huge lump on his head, but no blood. Then that evening my brother, who was to do our music at the reception, got mad about music. I tried to talk to him and it didn't work, so I fired him and asked Pastor Dan to do the music instead. In the end it turned out alright, but it was not the best night.

Saturday morning my bridesmaids and I had breakfast together and they shared different scripture versus with me. Some about marriage, just about me and my relationship with Christ. We borrowed my Uncle Chris's van and all the girls got our hair done at a salon that was near by. We then drove to Lakeside park to have pictures taken. We had a good time and the weather was wonderful, not like this week. After pictures we went to the church for the ceremony.

The ceremony went as we expected it would, like our dates. Most of our dates had disaster following us and the wedding was no different. Things were going just as planned, when Pastor Dan skipped our vows and went right to the Vow of a Christian Home and then the unity candle. The sound guy was waiting for the vows and he didn't play the song Michael had picked out. When Pastor Dan began to pronounce us married, I whispered to him "What about the vows?" He stared looking over is papers and couldn't find them. I started to laugh and couldn't stop. Everyone in the church began to laugh, and soon I told Pastor Dan to just make some up. In the end we were married, and that is what counts.

One Month to Go

The wedding date is only a month way. 30 days until I become Michael's wife and we begin our lives together. Wedding plans are coming together and we just need to talk about music for the ceremony, reception, and dance. Everything else has also fallen into place and I've had little to no stress planning this wedding. I don't get why everyone else stresses out about it. I'm excited and can't wait for this final month to pass by.

Shower Time

With about a month and a half left to the wedding, my weekends are now full with bridal showers, moving into the apartment, or other wedding preparations. The last 1 1/2 months will go by quickly. This past weekend I had my first bridal shower, held at my church. They really blessed me with a lot of kitchen items that Michael and I were in need of as well as many other wonderful gifts. We even got a bed linens set; skirt, comforter, and pillows. Next week my bridesmaids are throwing me a shower.

It's been how long????

So I've been told bye about a dozen people, or maybe it was one person a dozen times, that I need to update my blog. Life gets busy and priorities take over, so it has been a long time since I've written anything. In the past six months since I blogged, I've taken a class (got an A), gotten engaged (wedding in November), and gotten a job (full time in middle school). Needless to say much has happened and will continue to change in my sphere of the world, that little corner of the globe that I would love to revolve around me but it doesn't. At least that hasn't changed, much to the delight of others in my world I'm sure. God continues to bless me and those around me, even if I don't realize it. Often we forget to thank the one who gives us everything we have, our homes, jobs, family, and friends. So thanks God, I've been blessed beyond measure time and time again by all you give to me and my loved ones.

Balaam

Last night I was reading in Numbers when the story of Balaam came to my attention. His story is told in Numbers 22-24, and is a story I remember hearing in Sunday school. Now when I read these same stories as an adult I find more things and more questions arise than as a child. As a child I never fazed me that the donkey talked to Balaam, that happens in stories quite often. Of course it is helpful to know that I use to think all biblical people were Flannel Graph men until I was like 10. Jesus was real, but no one else.

Now as the story unfolds before me I wonder, why did God tell Balaam to go with men (vs 20) and then send an angel to kill Balaam on the road when he was with the men. Balaam was obeying God by going, and yet God sent the angel. Balaam even obeyed the first time when God told him to send the men away and not to go. He is obviously listening and obeying, which is more than I can say about my self at times. This part also reminded me about in Exodus when Moses is going back to Egypt and the Lord comes to kill him because his sons are not circumcised. Moses' wife Zipporah circumcised the boys and turned away God's wrath. Is sending danger a way of God getting us to do something we should have done from the start like Moses circumcising his sons? But what about Balaam? What was the purpose of the angel being sent? Was Balaam going to disobey God by cursing the Israelites instead of listening and saying only what God told him to say? I can't find an answer. Balaam does say he has sinned but doesn't really say what his sin was. The intent of the heart is never show, but I can imagine it was that which caused the angel to be sent.

Spring!!!

I went for a walk today after work. The weather was so nice and the sun was shinning, I just couldn't refuse the tempting offer the nature was offering me. I walked out to one of my favorite places near home. Spring is coming, the geese are back and loud as always, but no robins yet. Now I just need to weather to keep getting warmer and the days longer.

25 Random Things About Me

Rules: once you've been tagged, your are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

1. Certain food make me gag (bananas and some puddings)
2. I lived and worked in Macedonia for about a year
3. I don't like most fish
4. I laugh a lot
5. I can be argumentative, especially when I'm right
6. I'm right a lot
7. The dictionary and spell check are my best friend
8. I randomly burst into song (to the shagrin of some family members)
9. I'm reading through the Bible in one year
10. I've been trying to get a teaching job for 5 years
11. I like to watch House, Chuck, and Psyche
12. I enjoy things from other cultures
13. I have a collection of Barbie Dolls (in the attic)
14. I own over 1,000 books
15. I only buy what I can afford; not credit card debt!!
16. Settler of Catan is the best game ever invented
17. I finally got a cell phone in December
18. I have a birthmark on the back of my neck
19. I caught on fire when I was 3 and got 3rd degree burns
20. My family thinks I was/am a button pusher
21. I'm opinionated
22. I don't like American Idol (oh, the horror)
23. I don't like to shop
24. I will be just like my mother (no denials, just admitting it now)
25. Family history and genealogy are interesting to me

I tag Sonya, Mark, and Ian

Birthday Gift

Another year in my life has come and gone. I'm now 28! I've never quite understood why some people, women in particular, don't want to share their age, or weight for that matter. I'm proud to say that I have 28 years of experience under my belt and am looking forward to many more years (if I don't like my weight, I can do something about it). Each year I've learned, grown, and hopefully didn't make the same mistakes. This year to celebrate I decided to give blood. My mother gave life to me today, so I'm sharing the blessing by giving blood to help save a life today. I've donated blood previously and I am now two more donations away from having given a gallon of blood.

Inauguration Day

Today our new president was inaugurated in Washington DC amidst great fan fare and pageantry. Watching the inauguration on TV, I found that President Obama's speech to be very interesting. He didn't give a list of what he was going to do, in fact he hardly spoke about himself. Instead President Obama focused his speech on us as a nation and what we as a nation need or should do. He made a few references to being black and how far our country has come that he can now be the President. Maybe because I'm white or didn't live through segregation, I don't see the big deal about him being black and now the President. Race should matter, it doesn't to me. He even had a few references to God and scripture (the verse he used, in its original context, didn't really apply how he used it). He didn't place blame for our national situations on one person or group of people, but instead said it was all of our faults. I found this interesting since many people place all the blame on Bush and his administration, forgetting that the Democrats and they themselves played a part in what is happening as well. Over all his speech was good and challenged us as a nation to work for the better.

While I may not agree with many things our new President stands for, allows, or agrees with it is my job to pray (1 Timothy 2:1-2)for President Obama. God has placed President Obama in leadership(Romans 13:1, Daniel 2:21), whether for good or for the discipline of our nation. He has some very difficult decisions he will have to make in the next four years and he deserves and needs our prayers, whether we agree with him or not.

Rebecca

I've been trying to keep my New Year's Resolutions and I've been doing pretty good so far. Of course it has only been a couple of days. Because I plan to read the Bible in one year, I've been reading in Genesis. Last night I read the story about how Rebecca was chosen to be Isaac's wife. I began to wonder what I would have done in her place. It's a normal day and I'm/she was doing her normal chores, which included getting water from the well. A stranger asks for water and she noticed his camels needed water as well. Being kind and hospitable she offers to water the camels. It makes since, the man has no pot to get the water for the camels him self. The next thing she knows the man is giving her jewelry and saying she is to marry his master. I don't know about you, but I would have freaked out. Some strange man is telling me I'm going to marry somebody I have never met.

Rebecca runs home, tells her family, and they send her off with the man. Now I'm sure there are a lot of cultural aspects to all of this story, but I would not have joined a strange man on a journey to marry a man I had never met. Being the good Norwegian that I am, I would have become stubborn and refused to leave with him. He would have to take me kicking and screaming. But not Rebecca, her family asks her if she will go and she says yes. I wonder what she was thinking? Was she afraid? Apprehensive? Nervous? What was going on in her mind the whole trip back to Isaac? The trip would have lasted at least a couple of days if not weeks? Her strength and courage to leave her family and marry an unknown man amazes me. Did God speak to her before all of this to make it easier, or was she just following cultural expectations for a young women? What ever the case, Rebecca did something I couldn't imagine doing.

New Year's Resolutions

I don't like to make New Year's Resolutions because I always get frustrated when I don't keep them. This year I decided to just make resolutions that are not quite as definitive as previous resolutions, except one. I figure if I write them down then I will be more likely to complete and work on my resolutions, plus people can keep me accountable.


1. Eat better. This means more fruits and vegetable and less sugar and breads (my greatest downfall).
2. Exercise more. Go for a walk two or three times a week weather permitting. I may not get to start this one until closer to spring; wonderful Wisconsin winters.
3. Read through the Bible in a year. That is 5 chapters a night give or take. Any ideas or suggestions of what order to read in let me know.


I'm sure I will come up with more, but these are the most important ones.