Here are some pics from the past year:
Looking back on my real, true years of being "single"-- six years in Houston, I really truly did live out my single years in the fullest of ways. I worked at a Montessori preschool starting off, then did five years in public schools teaching art to PK-12th grade! Through my awesome teaching schedule with summers off, I spent every cent of my hard-earned salary on traveling the world. I traveled in every single way possible--selfishly with my girl and guy friends (the best trips being to Madrid, Paris and Barcelona with Jmay & Matty D and to NYC with Matty D, Clare, Nicole and Kelly) and then Unselfishly (although, everyone has to admit there are unfortunately selfish desires deep down) through Missions to Belize, China, Mexico and Honduras. Both my career and my traveling were very fulfilling. Well, at least they should've been.... I was going through immense grief during all of that time, and honestly, the places I went were amazing and all, but I'd get there and say to myself: "where you go, there you are." That basically means, the grief travels with you! I don't want to get into grief though, because I spent a large part of my last post talking about that (so click backwards if that's what you want to read about). Being single, all in all, was the truest learning and growing experience. Everyone needs to be single to find out who they really are.
Andrew is a very strong and compassionate person! He is truly the best person for me, in that he understands and knows me VERY well (after 14 years of dating/marriage he should know me well). He knows when I am starting to feel tiny bouts of grief over my dad, or just grumpy or moody, or on the more positive side--when I'm just full of life and happy, or feeling super adventurous and wanting to travel everywhere! He knows when I'm needing more depth in my spiritual life seeking Christ!!! Thankfully, we are similar in many of these feelings. Two weekends ago we both admitted we felt our spiritual life seeking a deeper relationship with God was really lacking. We have had the unfortunate events of not one, but two pastors (actually three, if you include the music pastor) stepping down from leadership at a small church plant we both love here in Austin--all within the past two years while I've been trying to move and plant roots here in town.
Well, to progress on-- we've discovered a new church that meets at the same location as the other church on Sunday mornings instead of at night. It seems like a really thriving and vibrant church that doesn't seem to be going anywhere except growing and getting bigger--maybe even outgrowing the building they are currently occupying! I guess after coming from a church group in Houston that just recently ended, I don't want to be newly part of a church that could possibly stop meeting, and instead want to enter into a vibrant community! So, for now, we are visiting and taking our time one Sunday at a time. We will check it out for the second time tomorrow. I'm glad we have been able to visit two Sundays before Easter and during Lent because I feel like this season in a church is a very beautiful and transformative time. I didn't personally give up anything for the Lenten season because usually I give up Facebook and this year we are eagerly anticipating the arrival of our new niece, Charlotte Grace and Casey (her mom!) updates constantly on her pregnancy--and I don't want to miss a single thing!!! Anyways, I will probably be giving up social media in May so that I can continue to see Charlotte updates right after she's born!
Anyways, these are some of the new things going on in our life and about our marriage. We have a wonderful married life, and as we get closer to our two year anniversary I am feeling tremendously blessed to have such a wonderful husband! I will try to write a bit more in the coming months!
No comments:
Post a Comment