Asides

Dear Anonymous,
Thank you for your wise words and prayers. They were much needed and much appreciated. Nothing is impossible with the Lord.

Sincerely,
Me

One year of pure bliss... is so not what the first year of marriage is all about. It's not about keeping that "honeymoon" stage alive and well; it's not about not arguing and accepting everything with a nod and a smile; it's not about being superficial or giving up your right to your own preferences, it's not about you and it's not about him (or her). It's about growing, learning, loving, and transforming into the person (husband/wife) that God intends for you to be. It's about giving without expecting anything in return; it's about trust in the Lord and in His love for you above and beyond your love for each other; it's about learning the true meaning of love as defined by God and living it out through Christ in you; it's about loving selflessly and wholeheartedly with no hidden agendas, it's about being real and knowing that that 'real' is the good/bad/ugly/sad. It's about being humble, having fun, laughing together, crying together, praying together, staying together. It's about being one in Christ, which doesn't mean sharing the same hobbies or enjoying the same food. Rather, it means that amidst the differences Christ's love and life binds you together. Happy anniversary to us! Hehe. It's only been our first year of marriage and I've already learned much about him, me, and the grace of God. I am so thankful to the Lord for giving Dale to me. He truly does "complete me" (in the human sense of the word) and I am looking forward to what lies ahead in the years to come.

So, after a restful and yet active weekend in Whistler I'm back online. We made good use of the facilities at the Fairmont. Well, just the gym and pool. On Saturday, I had a nasty allergic reaction to something I ate or to the sunscreen I put on. Whatever it was made me break into hives which only irritated all the more my already rash-infested skin. Summer weather has done this to me for the last twenty years! It's a fact of life that, unfortunately, one or all of my kids will probably endure. No, we didn't make a baby...that is, I hope we didn't ;) I ate the best rib eye steak at Monk's Grill. We watched Transformers which was AWESOME. We ching-chang-pushed (me for Licenced to Wed and Dale for Transformers) and Dale won fair and square. Sometimes I think that I won't like certain movies and then when I watch them I end up loving them! Like Gridiron Gang. Dale borrowed the movie a couple of weeks ago and I was so not interested but watched with him anyways. As it turns out, it's now one of my favorite movies according to my Facebook profile, haha. Anyway, it was a nice getaway and I'm looking forward to our Calgary trip at the end of August.

Lately, God has been pruning me. Well, I know that he is consistently pruning me but perhaps it has only been recently that I have become aware of his pruning. I am drawn to the verse in John 15 that says "He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." In ministry, I have always been one to avoid conflict. I just don't like it. Although I have been met with ideas, opinions, attitudes, and actions that I'm not particularly fond of or would think or have done otherwise myself, I always try to be accomodating to the extent that I cover up emotions that should be communicated. These emotions then turn into bitterness. Even though we may not be conscious of it, the bitterness surfaces in our thoughts and actions and we wonder why we are easily irritated at this person. I'm learning that sometimes conflict (the healthy kind where it's not about spitting out insults and creating emotional mayhem) is necessary and not entirely a bad thing. We can't all see eye to eye and sometimes our own ignorance or shortsightedness needs to be exposed and corrected. In other words, we need to be rebuked and likewise, we need to also speak the truth in love. The key is speaking the truth in love. Godly motives and intentions must take precedence and it is love that must fuel a person's endeavor. Otherwise, it becomes a game of wills and pride, something not characteristic of Christ. Anyhow, I need wisdom everyday to filter the thoughts that enter my mind. We all do.