Grateful for the Small Things

This is not going to be a wordy blog, but I thought in light of the events of yesterday it would be an important one.

The small things I'm grateful for:

* being able to spend time cooking a meal with the love of my life, Jennifer, then sitting down and enjoying it and some good conversation.
* spending some time with my mom and introducing her to the love of gourmet popcorn.
* having dinner and drinks with friends, even in the midst of flickering lights and raging rainstorms.
* being kept safe from a very NASTY storm.
* despite seeing trees knocked into streets and on top of houses and power outages, our street wasn't barely TOUCHED (a few small branches and some leaves in the street...that's all).
* getting to marry my soul's perfect counterpart in 15 days!

Find some time today to thank God for the small things He's blessed you with. It's the small things that keep us from being overwhelmed by the big things.

A Good Place

Joy is such a great feeling. The feeling that wells up and lets me know everything is as it should be. I've heard it described as a small taste of eternity - that's such a GREAT description (too bad I can't remember who said it and where...sheesh!). I love how God gives small samplings of what heaven will be like and I can't wait until I get to taste the full menu!

As I sit here, listening to Coldplay (one of my FAVE music groups) and typing away, I realize that, "hey...I'm in a really good place right now!" So many times, we only see the negative things: the stress at work, the messed up relationships, how little money we have for the ever-increasing bills, etc. It's so easy for us to get bogged down with all the problems we face that sometimes it's hard to see how God has blessed us and provided so much for us.

The biggest blessing is my beautiful fiance, Jennifer. She is my PERFECT match. God has provided this light in my life just when I was pretty sure all lights were out for good. It is uncanny how much we share in common and how manage to read each other's thoughts. I know it's cliche, but can finish each other's sentences and do things at the exact same time without discussing anything (just ask our family and friends how many time we've matched or coordinated outfits). With our wedding just 26 days away (WOW!), I can't help but be excited for what God is going to do in and with our marriage. It excites me to no end!

Another big blessing is the continued good health and the improving health in my family. I've always struggled with weight issues. I'm a foodie and it happens. For the majority of my 20's, I've been hanging right around 190-210 lbs. at any given time. Finally, as I move forward toward those blessed 30's (eek!), I've dropped 50 lbs. and am sitting pretty at around 155-160 lbs. YEAH! My mom, too, has been inspiration to me and an answer to prayer as she too has improved her weight as well. I've very proud of her and her continued commitment to improving her health. My dad, too, is working on improving his health. I am so happy to see us becoming healthier - I want at least 30 more years with them. :)

The last blessing talked about here are my new friends and family. I have been so blessed to have people in my life that help me through any particular season - good or bad. These people are so important to me and I love them all dearly. They come from different places (church, work, etc.) and have made my life that much more colorful. I especially thank God for my future in-laws. They have adopted me into their family and I couldn't imagine a GREATER group of people. These are people I can just hang around with, be silly with, or share my deepest feelings. Thank you!

Today, as we process all the problems in this world, be sure to also thank God for all that he has blessed us with. Find your silver lining...find your joy. God bless!

31 DAYS!

That's right folks....31 DAYS!!! In a little over a month, I will be taking Jennifer as my wife. Yippee!! Wahoo!! Party on!!

I am so pumped right now it's not even funny. Sometimes I get our wedding bands out of their safekeeping place and just look at them for a while with a grin that some people would classify on the verge of crazy. Just thinking about having her as my wife brings a smile to my face and tears (of joy) to my eyes. Of course, along with all this excitement comes some of the nervous jitters that rightfully should be felt. If one DOESN'T feel these, there is something wrong with them! Just some of the things I get nervous about are:

1. Will I be a good husband to her and be able to love her the way I so desperately want to?

2. Will the transition to living in the same place work out and will we be able to adapt to each other's idiosyncracies?

3. Will I be able to keep her entertained so she doesn't resign me to the attic? :)

4. Will I be cooking or cleaning up?

Don't get me wrong - I am ALL for this marriage. I love Jennifer with all my heart, body, and soul. She is my perfect fit. I just really want to make sure that I have a successful marriage. As we get closer to the big day, I'm sure I will feel a myriad of emotions, both positive and negative, but I am striving to give all my cares to God, because He "cares for [me]". Jennifer is doing the same and we are working together and separately to make sure the He is at the center of our marriage. We pray each night that not only will the wedding be a success, but also the the marriage that follows.

Please comment by giving me some tips on how to deal with the emotional roller coaster I'm feeling and/or rendering some tips for a successful marriage. Come on, be creative! :)