Autumn Leaves and Dandelions

I'm afraid I might bore you or let you down if I explain my oh-so-poetic title. :) Quickly, it's my choices for the magazine cover- either an autumn leaf motif or a dandelion motif. And I'm irritated that this printer isn't working because I want to show the two possible covers around for everyone to give an opinion on.

Other than that, all that boring work stuff....

I'm having a wee barby in a couple of weeks at our place. Technically, we are having a wee barby, but it's mostly me who's planning it. Scott doesn't really like to plan, and I do, so I've happily put the whole thing together. Unfortunately, two friends of ours who have a tiny little baby (he's actually not tiny any more) can't make it, but hopefully the rest of the invitees will. It's fun having friends. I suppose the longer it takes to find them just means that the ones you've found are ones that were worth finding. It takes a bit of searching, but it's worth it in the end.

I have to say I feel really blessed these days. Lots of things fall short but God has been good and faithful to me and us even so. Living in Scotland is very hard sometimes, and sometimes I think I'd be happier going back to Arkansas, but it's also been very rewarding and character-building. It's also been great for mine and Scott's relationship. I feel that we have a bond that strenghtens every day that nothing will ever be able to break. He's really the other half of me. I hardly feel like a separate being from him at all.

But as I was saying, I do feel blessed. I feel tried and broken, too. But many things have been given me that I don't deserve, and I am so grateful for it all. I have a good job which is stable, entertaining, challenging and well-paid. I am making friendships that I'm beginning to think could last a lifetime. I have a house that is becoming a home. And of course, the greatest earthly gift of all is the wonderful husband that God clearly made just for me. But the thing that exceeds all good things in my life is the Lord Jesus who died to save me from myself. Sometimes I let this become an idea that is more intellectual than personal, but the truth is, this is the most amazing thing of all - that the one and only God, perfect, full of justice and holy, wanted me.

Which, by the way, is one of the most touching things about marriage - how marriage is a dim, dusty picture of what God's love is like. In the way that I am absolutely bedazzled that Scott would ever want me, I am all the more, countlessly more, astounded that God would ever want me. He knows me even more than Scott, and He's even greater than Scott, and he wants me.

So anyway, I'm happy.