I Do. I Am. I Will.

About 13 years ago, when Pace and I were still in the early months of dating, he crushed his foot. I'll spare you the details, but his slam-dunking in sandals trick landed him a foot full of pins and stitches. Because I was young in love, I cheerfully swabbed the pin sticking out of his foot with antiseptic and kept him company until he was no longer drugged with Vicodin. I was more than happy to dole out antibiotics, fill up his water mug, and fluff his pillows.

Fast forward more than a decade, and we're typical suburbanites: married a while, claim a few kids, with a nice little house and a golden retriever. We're comfortable.

And then, wham! Life hits hard, and it shakes us up a little. Last year we were hit with a sledgehammer when our daughter was born with a hole in her heart and other issues. We clung to each other, knowing the other was the only one on earth who shared the pain equally. We weathered a couple of surgeries, a multitude of specialist appointments, and the journey of grieving disappointment. But we came through shining, with a marriage that was stronger and more precious to both of us.

As I sit here, propped up on the couch and never far from my hated crutches, I realize that this is another storm of a different color. It's not critical, and it doesn't threaten our happiness or future; it's just supremely annoying. My lack of mobility translates into not being able to do my share. I am proud of my ability to make sure our home is a place Pace wants to come home to each night, and being stuck in bed, surrounded by chaos and mess and whiny children, is not my preferred way to greet him at the end of a long day. I feel lazy, and so I feel guilty. But when I start hobbling around, I end up back in bed, regretting my choice. There's no good answer here. So Pace comes home after work to fix meals, do dishes, fold laundry, vacuum, bathe the kids, and change diapers. It's not pretty, but it's necessary.

When we got engaged, Pace pulled out a large blue and white pitcher and bowl and washed my feet, telling me that just as Christ had served his disciples this way, so would he in our marriage. It was romantic then, and as much as he meant it, there was no way for him then to know how that would translate in the future. Just as we wholeheartedly promise to love and cherish in good times and bad, we can't see how that will look years down the road, when bodies wear out and tempers flare and love isn't so romantic. That's when we have to roll up our sleeves, dip our hands in the water, and be willing to go outside our preferred place and serve. It's not fun, or glamorous, and rarely convenient, but it's part of saying "I do." And while I'm currently the one who is being extended grace and service and help, I've been married long enough to know that the tables will turn, and I'll be the one serving. The real question is whether I'll be able to do it with the same grace and cheerful attitude.

So as I sit here tonight, I whisper to myself what I will say when that time comes:

I do. I am. I will.

A WORK IN PROGRESS...

Please don't mind the template of this blog. We promise we will make it look
good.

Saturdays Are Crazy But Great!

Pace= blue

Sarah= pink

I love Saturdays. They usually start with either Sarah or me getting up and cooking a big breakfast for the kiddos (I bet you can guess who does this most of the time). After breakfast with the family, I hang out with the kids for a couple of hours, watch some College Game Day, and then get ready to head to the church at 12:30 p.m. Family, Food, Football, and Fellowship Church. I love it!!

Today, since Sarah is on the sidelines with a broken pinky toe, I have had to be Mr. Mom. Let me just say, ladies, I don't know how you do this every day. God has given me the grace to do this the last several days, but GNN (good night nurse) I am TIRED. I have cooked breakfast, cleaned the kitchen twice, mopped all the floors in the house, vacuumed, changed way too many diapers, and put a tent up in the backyard for the kiddos, all just in the last 2 1/2 hours. I don't know how Sarah keeps this type of pace. But for now, I am just going to just keep on plugging away. We have some family coming over to give Sarah a bit of help while I am gone. Thank God for FAMILY!!

God is going to do BIG things this weekend at Fellowship Church. If you are in the DFW area, come check out a service!

And I You...

Pace= Blue

Sarah= Pink

I miss ministry with my wife.  For 6 years now, Sarah has had and continues to have the awesome responsibility of being a mom to our kids.  Before then, she was my compadre in ministry and in the middle of all the action.  Although she continues to be "with me" in ministry, her new position as CFO (Chief Family Operator) has her spending most of her time with our kids.  I thank God for her commitment and dedication.  She is the best mom out there (I am biased)!!  

When I first met Sarah and we started to get to know each other I remember asking her what she wanted to do when she got out of college.  Her answer:  "Be a great wife and mother."  AND THAT SHE IS!  

So, going into this relationship I knew what I was getting into with her.  Her life ambition was and is to be a great wife and mother.  But man, I never knew how much time the "mother" part would take.  I miss time in "ministry action" with her.  I want it back! 

Together we are taking it back!  We are starting a blog-TOGETHER!

Now it's my turn:  When Pace and I started dating, I was 19 and love struck.  I was willing to go to any lengths to do ministry with him.  I helped him set up chairs in the youth room each week, I taught the 8th grade girls' Sunday school class, and I willingly volunteered to stay up all night at lock-ins.  It's crazy, the things we'll do for love!

All the while, though, I knew that my long-term calling into ministry would probably not involve youth trips and speaking from the stage, but instead changing diapers and planning meals.  I am a homebody at heart, as pro-family as they come, and I'm willing to live in the trenches of teething and the stomach flu for years on end.  I was designed to be a wife and mother, and I relish my place.  

So as our relationship has changed from casual dating all the way to celebrating our 10th anniversary as husband and wife, so has my ministry changed.  Realistically speaking, I'm not going to be able to do much volunteer work at our church until our children can at least all feed themselves.  Instead, I spend as much time as I can praying for Pace, making our home a peaceful haven for him to come home to at night, and instilling a love for the church in our children.   While our roles have changed from those early years, we continue to balance each other: as I  monitor the pulse inside our home and family, he does the hands-on work of ministry at the church.   One without the other wouldn't be effective, but together, we thrive.

Sarah- that's why I love you.  AND I YOU!

We hope that together we can encourage and challenge people in their journey with God.