It is interesting sometimes to sit back and reflect on the days passed and to see how God has worked the pieces of the puzzle we call life.
I would have never guessed 18 years ago that the man I met that summer would be the man that I would eventually marry and that he would be the person who would take me to church and share his God with me.
I never dreamed that I would eventually be able to place my trust in God to meet my needs or direct me in a path of righteousness when all the other people I trusted in my life had let me down and failed me.
I certainly never thought I'd experience an unconditional love from my heavenly father or the love that I have felt from my husband, when most of the boys in my life before them wanted more than I could ever give.
If someone would have told me that my husband would be my best friend, I would have never believed it. I had seen my parents struggle and there was no friendship there in the end.
I never thought that God would chose a man for me that would love me, cherish me and honor me the way my husband has. I am thankful for the 14 years of marriage that I am celebrating today. I am thankful for the husband God has given me and they way he continues to bless me. I am thankful that God makes the difficult choices in our lives, and though we experience pain, God takes those pains and turns them into something great. I am thankful that our past failures shape who we are and mold us into the person God wants us to be and that those failures don't define who we are. I am thankful that God did not give up on family, marriage and mankind in the garden, that his love for us is immeasurable. Today, I am very thankful. Thank you Lord for 14 years of marriage to my best friend.
***Pictures to be added later...as per the usual, I'm having troubles uploading.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Friday, July 11, 2008
Husbands, pictures and tongues...Oh My!
I don't know what it is about my husband and cameras. Last night we went to a friends house to ride for a little bit. Try as I might, I could not get a nice picture of him. I love taking his picture, he is such a handsome guy...you'd never know it from the following pictures.
I have no explanation for this one.
This one neither.
Even with a telephoto lens he STILL manages to sense the camera...
Maybe he was just hot here?
I give up.
They say that women often choose mates who are like dad...I guess you got me there. When we were dating, we were on our way to see my dad. When we pulled in the drive way, he was jogging behind his pushmower wearing silky running shorts (in style in the 80's), mix-matched knee high tube socks and cowboy boots...no shirt. All I have to say is...at least the socks match...
I have no explanation for this one.
This one neither.
Even with a telephoto lens he STILL manages to sense the camera...
Maybe he was just hot here?
I give up.Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Happy 4th!
First off, a big thank you to those who are serving or who have served our country. Your sacrifice is truly appreciated.
In true Baldwin fashion, we spent our 4th Up North, as we have for many years. This year we stayed at the Huntin' Shack. My father-in-law worked hard to have a flush toilet functioning in the outhouse for us, which was great!
Our friends, the Olivers, camped there with us for the weekend. We had a nice time hanging out on the property and watching fireworks over the lake.
You will notice that this post is devoid of photos...silly me. I brought my camera, but forgot to get it out, which means a little bit more reading for you!
We spent a lot of time eating, relaxing, tromping through the woods and playing Canasta. I also encountered something of the creepy, slimy kind while tromping through the creek.
The manly men were down by the creek cutting up some branches and beautifying the place a little bit. While Lisa was over at the cabin with the girls getting showers, I decided to go down river with the guys just a little bit to the little swimming hole they created last summer. Me, being like the big clumsy bull I am, went too far over to the side where the mucky stuff settled. The further I walked, the more I sank. I was up to my knees in black muck and before I knew it had lost my precious croc in the muck. The muck literally sucked the croc off my foot. Not knowing what else to do, I ended up having to step out of my shoe in order to keep myself from falling over.
Dave and I poked around in the muck looking for the shoe. He used a stick, I used my feet. There I was with one barefoot in pretty much knee deep black muck digging around when I saw something creepy, slimy and scary slither up onto the shore. I let out a scream that would curdle milk and vacated the water very quickly. My squeal was Dave's signal to vacate as well. He hopped out of that water faster than me! I think everyone around there received a complimentary heart attack following that scream. I'm still not sure what it was that came up out of that muck, whether it was a little snake or a ginormous leech. I decided that finding my shoe was not that important. The nasty crawly thing could have it.
The manly men didn't quite see it that way. It was their open invitation to get the heavy equipment and dig out the shoe with the excavator. I found my shoe, all is well, and creepy slimy things can rest assured that I will not be violating their space again.
In true Baldwin fashion, we spent our 4th Up North, as we have for many years. This year we stayed at the Huntin' Shack. My father-in-law worked hard to have a flush toilet functioning in the outhouse for us, which was great!
Our friends, the Olivers, camped there with us for the weekend. We had a nice time hanging out on the property and watching fireworks over the lake.
You will notice that this post is devoid of photos...silly me. I brought my camera, but forgot to get it out, which means a little bit more reading for you!
We spent a lot of time eating, relaxing, tromping through the woods and playing Canasta. I also encountered something of the creepy, slimy kind while tromping through the creek.
The manly men were down by the creek cutting up some branches and beautifying the place a little bit. While Lisa was over at the cabin with the girls getting showers, I decided to go down river with the guys just a little bit to the little swimming hole they created last summer. Me, being like the big clumsy bull I am, went too far over to the side where the mucky stuff settled. The further I walked, the more I sank. I was up to my knees in black muck and before I knew it had lost my precious croc in the muck. The muck literally sucked the croc off my foot. Not knowing what else to do, I ended up having to step out of my shoe in order to keep myself from falling over.
Dave and I poked around in the muck looking for the shoe. He used a stick, I used my feet. There I was with one barefoot in pretty much knee deep black muck digging around when I saw something creepy, slimy and scary slither up onto the shore. I let out a scream that would curdle milk and vacated the water very quickly. My squeal was Dave's signal to vacate as well. He hopped out of that water faster than me! I think everyone around there received a complimentary heart attack following that scream. I'm still not sure what it was that came up out of that muck, whether it was a little snake or a ginormous leech. I decided that finding my shoe was not that important. The nasty crawly thing could have it.
The manly men didn't quite see it that way. It was their open invitation to get the heavy equipment and dig out the shoe with the excavator. I found my shoe, all is well, and creepy slimy things can rest assured that I will not be violating their space again.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Stress Management 101
Today I was pondering some things with a friend. We were talking about stress. UGH! Such a nasty ugly thing. There are many verses in the Bible that speak to stress and worry, but internalizing those verses is so hard to do at times. I've blogged before about work and how slow it is...also about God's provision over the past year. I wish I could say that I have a handle on stress and worry, but I don't. There are many nights where my eyes just pop open and crazy thoughts run through my head. I try to focus on praying, experience some relief, only to have to get up and face the day, tired, because I woke myself up stressing. Then I'm stressed from stressing.
I do have to admit that I am getting better. I wake up and decide that I am not going to let things worry me and get me down. I copy scripture and leave it next to my computer, in my purse, in my car...wherever I am, so that I can pray the scripture back to the Lord. It really does help. The part that I can't figure out and the part that my friend and I were pondering...
When we take up the burdens of others or are presented with a stressful situation, how to we immediately go from stressful thought to prayer without internalizing the stress and feeling the effects? I have such a hard time making that transition in my mind. How do you cope?
I do have to admit that I am getting better. I wake up and decide that I am not going to let things worry me and get me down. I copy scripture and leave it next to my computer, in my purse, in my car...wherever I am, so that I can pray the scripture back to the Lord. It really does help. The part that I can't figure out and the part that my friend and I were pondering...
When we take up the burdens of others or are presented with a stressful situation, how to we immediately go from stressful thought to prayer without internalizing the stress and feeling the effects? I have such a hard time making that transition in my mind. How do you cope?
- I have to make the choice daily and minute by minute to not succumb to stress
- I have to seek the Lord earnestly in prayer
- I have to hide God's word in my heart and arm myself with the word
What are your stress coping mechanisms?
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