September 2006

If you have not gotten engaged/married I should warn you of something… if you do get engaged/married you will be warned about the perils of love and relationships. People will be very good at letting you know that that loving feeling won’t always last, that love will sometimes be a choice, and that marriage is really about commitment. I listened to the many warnings, agreed to the commitment, and took the dive into marriage.

So here I sit, a little over two months married and deliriously happy with being Mike’s wife. I wait all day for him to come home from work; around the time he should be home I make sure all the dishes are done then do homework on the couch so I can hear him coming up the stairs to the door. I smile way too much when I am around him. I can’t help telling him how much I love him or how much I like him or how he is my “favoritest person in the world ” (he is so great he is worth making up a word for).  I always want to hug him or hold is hand or curl up next to him just to be as close to him as possible. It’s been a month and a half since Mike and I have been in Chicago and haven’t really had any other friends, and I still look forward to spending time with him, even though we’ve spent time alone together for days on end. The best part? I have so much fun with my husband, and he is my best friend.

So when is this bubble going to burst? Are you sure it is? Because I remember falling in love with Mike, but I have to say it, I keep falling deeper in love with him. The more time I spend with him the more I know about him, the better friend he becomes to me, and the more I fall for him. We don’t fight, we rarely disagree or frustrate each other, and despite all the rough times right now and changes, our relationship seems to be getting better.

So, be honest, am I just a naive wife of two months, or is it really possible for a marriage to be this good and stay this good? Or even to get better? Are we still in some honeymoon stage of marriage, safe from strife, or is this reality? Are you just going to warn me again, telling me that I can’t possibly feel the same way in a few years as I do now? Or is it possible to keep “that loving feeling”?

Can I avoid ever being in love and just keep falling in love?

Why do so many Christians chose to blog? Is it a passive way to share our faith? Practice for being the next Martian Luther? Or is it simply a postmodern search for truth?

I’m reading “Christian Doctrine” by Millard Erickson (who names there kid Millard? and can you call him “Mill” or “Lard” for short?) for my theology class this semester. He says that in searching for truth we need a metanarrative to pull together different communities’ divergent theological interpretations. To search for theological truths we need to be in community. As he says, “In light of the limitations of our own positions and perspective, it is important that we interact with as broad a community of persons as possible…. We need to interact with believers from historical periods other than our own. Further, we will want to converse with persons from different ecclesiastical, cultural, and philosophical traditions. Finally, we will profit from dialogue not only with those working at more advanced or abstract theorectical levels than ours but also with those at lower levels.”

So, perhaps Christians blog and read other blogs in a search for truth. Maybe we crave comments on our blog because they may start a dialogue. Maybe we search for themes in what Christians are blogging about because we believe we may be on to some truth. Maybe we expose our thoughts and opinions in the hope that someone will correct us if they aren’t true. Writing a blog connects us to a global dialogue- our blog can be read by anyone and we can read anyone elses. For a Christian searching for truth in the postmodern world, what could be better than a global dialogue? We have access to infinite viewpoints, and in that community, maybe we will find truth.

If I think about him, the scent still comes to mind. I was at the coffeehouse this morning, like I am every Tuesday and Thursday morning, when a man walked in. I think I will remember him for a long time, but hopefully not by his smell. He was the worst smelling person I have ever met. Actually, I don’t remember ever smelling anything so bad. It was the most putrid combination of odors- a smell like feces, vomit, and garbage all on a very hot day. The smell stung my nose, and although my senses told me to run, I could not move. He was obviously homeless, and immediately my compassion for him kicked in, gluing my feet to the floor and holding my hand from moving to cover my nose. This man deserved my love and respect. Read the rest of this entry »

Just something to think about no matter what your political stance is. Everything has a cost. The war in Iraq thus far…

Girl, 11, Sexually Assaulted by 20 Boys

Maybe it’s because I know so many 11 year old girls.

Maybe it’s because it happened in Milwaukee, so close to where I grew up.

But this just breaks my heart and maddens me at the same time.

Sometimes I wonder where you are God.
Sometimes I wonder where the Church is.

Oh why?

Have you ever had a job that was below you? A job that you felt under valued, under utilized, and definitely under paid? Have you ever had bad boss? One you felt treated you and the other employees unjustly? Have you ever had a boss you just know you could do better than?

I think most of us have been there- those jobs that we threaten to quit every day when we return home from work. Those jobs that drag us down and make us ask, “is this even worth it?” I think I’m at one of those jobs… Read the rest of this entry »