Once Upon a Time

Grabbing a mug from the cupboard, I hear the small "clink" of my engagement ring hitting the ceramic- I stop and look at it as it sparkles back at me- and I smile thinking about what it means. Last winter my mom and I had stood in the sunlit kitchen with our mugs looking out across the field of freshly fallen snow, admiring the sparkling beauty of God creative way's of blessing us with what mom coined as "poor girls diamonds." The peacefulness and joy that settled in my heart that morning now comes twinkling back at me from my ring finger, for it will be there forever and what an exciting and beautiful reminder to have all year round!
There is an endless list of romantic stories that we girls have grown up hearing that follow a similar plot- poor, over worked damsel meets Prince Charming, and is rescued just in the nick of time from becoming an old maid. Cinderella working day and night for those nasty step sisters, loses her glass slipper, Prince finds it and searches persistently till he finds the perfect fit. Snow White whistles to pass the time away, is completely oblivious to the jealous and creepy old hag's plan, eats the apple trying to be healthy and save her figure, but ends up having to wait for her slow, but determined Prince to come wake her from her sleep. Dwarfs just don't have what it takes apparently. We hopeless romantics watch these with a box of tissues and some chocolate's wondering if it will ever happen to us....which makes us grab another box of chocolates for most of us doubt that it ever will--or if it does- it won't be as happy or as romantic. So what then? Is it really as exciting as the movies and story books portray? Is the prince as gallant and chivalrous? Does he really have the strength to make it up that steep and treacherous cliff to save fair lady? Will the love they find be perfect and whole? Will it last forever? As these questions run through my head, I keep saying a big, " YES!" You may ask how I know this is true and shake your head at my confidence and say that it is a mere flicker of temporary excitement, that after the newness wears off, will sink into the pile of broken dreams, however, I can tell you why I am so sure- how this amazing blessing has come to be.
Before I was born, someone loved me and though they knew I was going to be born with many faults and make many bad decisions, that I would purposely do things to hurt them and reject them-they decided to leave me a gift that would provide me with happiness for all of my life. God in His infinite mercy, loved me without one ounce of my own love to give back in return, He chose to give me His love, and send His Son to die for my sins against Him- to give me eternal life even though I deserved death. When I was seven I understood the importance of that gift and accepted it, accepting Jesus Christ as God's Son, and asking for forgiveness, was given the perfect peace that passes all understanding. I am confident that Christ's love for me is true and sure, and I'm so thankful for it and praise Him for all his continual graces to me! How then can I doubt that this new gift He has sent, Jared namely, is not something sure and true? "Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation of shadow of turning." James 1:17 As Jared and I prayed together, as we both sought after Christ together, we were amazed to discover that Christ was giving each of us to the other! So as Jared knelt to ask me for my hand, that I was so nervously sitting on, and told me how much He loved Christ and how much he has come to love me, " Of course I will marry you!" was the only answer I could give- and if Christ's love for us is forever- then so is the love he gives us for others. The pumpkin coach will soon be driving away, and we'll be waving from it together, happy forever in Christ......

After Thanksgiving Resolutions

As I polished off my second piece of thin crust pizza, and gulped the last of the Sprite, my mind was finally at ease. It was finished, the binging was over, after all it was the day after Thanksgiving, and I'd had my fill of leftovers. The Turkey sandwiches, the pumpkin pie with a mountain of whipped cream, and the cheese and crackers were not even appetizing. After working all day, we decided to order pizza for dinner, saving the rest of the turkey for Sunday soup. We sang along with Bing and Blue Eyes Christmas songs on vinyl, decorating the house for Christmas feeling rather jolly. The house looked great and the tinsel was doing a great job glittering and looking glamorous. It was at this moment my glutenous self realized that all this eating was not going to have such a glamorous effect on my figure. Therefore, after that momentous moment of polishing off my perfect pizza crust (pizza hut really does outdo themselves on that thin crust thing), I decided that starting the next day-Saturday-it would be back to eating normal sized portions, at normal hours of the day. Strictly three meals, with plenty of fruits and fiber, eight glasses of water, and "hold" most carbs.
I woke this morning with the motivation level of Napoleon after his successful battle at Waterloo. Wait, that one didn't go so well for him did it? Never mind, at any rate breakfast went pretty well- coffee and a piece of pumpkin pie. Not even a big piece of pie, course I had a sliver more because the piece I cut was rather small, but I was going out to load firewood- surely I'd work it off. After that lunch went well too, small salad and one itsy bit of turkey. Cool, this was going pretty well, ah but alas, it was the calm before the storm. After doing some reading my appetite was pricked, the cheesecake in the frig looked pretty sad all by itself, so down it went. Some house cleaning called and off I went refueled on cheesecake, hmmm...that pumpkin roll it getting dried out, better take care of that too. I stopped, trying to regain some composure, they say when you're craving food you should drink tea, why that is supposed to work I have no idea- but I made some anyway. The only problem is, I'm accustomed to taking crackers with my tea, so a tray of sliced apples, pears, smoked gouda and crackers accompanied me to the study. Not so bad, it's all healthy anyway right? However, after something salty one must have something sweet- pumpkin pie took care of that. Ahh, but we aren't making dinner tonight, better toast a bagel to tide me over for the rest of the night. Bagel and more tea finishes the night off....well maybe the squirt of whipped cream to annoy brother finishes it. ~Big Sigh of Contentment~ Well, maybe my resolutions were a bit manic, maybe N.F. Simpson had something when he said, " I eat food merely to put it out of my mind." We'll try that method tomorrow....