Loving Married Life!

So we've been having fun lately, so many good times with my bestest friend. :) I'm getting very excited about our Labor Day weekend get-away down to Corpus Christi on our newly-fixed boat. Don't know where we'll venture out to, but we're sure to get quality-time together and some delicious seafood. Perhaps we'll even catch something worthy of adorning our dinner plates. No matter what, it'll be an adventure. That's what we love best. Our Grand Adventure is what I sometimes refer to our marriage as, which seems fitting.

Jonathan had a test yesterday on top secret weapons and defenses the US military has... He did wonderfully! He was so diligent in his studying, going in early most mornings (6:30 when show-time was 9), and also going in on the weekend. He is such an example of a hard worker and serious student. I love watching him in that role... I guess that's something I've watched since before our marriage.

My sister Suzanne flys in later today! She used her hard-earned money to buy a ticket out here to visit me! I've planned many fun outings and two craft-like projects for us together. We of course plan on going to Starbucks every single day! Just like I did when Mary was here.... except she refused it one day. :( So we broke our record. BTW, if you reload a Starbucks card online from a Visa with $50 or set it up for (any amount) of automatic reload, you get $10 extra put on your card. 3 cards per household. That's $30. Our monthly Starbucks budget. You betcha I'll cash in!

Nothing more here, except I got a beautiful present from Seth & Karen in the mail, it's a dresser with these gorgrous coffee-pictures painted on it. I'll post a pic soon. I moved all my coffee stuff in there where it sits in my kitchen looking beautiful. More later! Here's a pic of us on our trip to Dallas.

Ponderings...

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.
...For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God."
II Cor 4:8-11,15
Can you attest to being given over to death for Jesus' sake? For His life being manifest in your mortal flesh? We're called to this, in more ways than I can name. I attest to this, and yet to His unfailing faithfulness. To quote something not-so-spiritual, but seemingly true, as Marilla Cuthbert says, "To despair is to turn your back on God." We may be in the utter throes of hardship, but there's no cause to despair with Christ's Words as our Promises, and the Holy Spirit as our Comforter, and God the Father as the One who Hears our prayers as has pity on us (Ps. 103).
So you who may be in a time of great trial, persecution, harship, or trouble.... Cling to Christ our Mediator, Christ our Friend, Christ our Great High Priest who is able to sympahtize with our weaknesses because He was tempted as we are, yet without sin....
Hallelujah. What a Savior. What a Lord.