What I’ve Been Reading Winter/Spring 2017

April 21, 2017April 21, 2017 ~ Emily ~ 1 Comment

Short-ish reviews of what I’ve read so far in 2017!

Jane and the Twelve Days of Christmas by Stephanie Barron

A book I couldn’t resist from an MMD Kindle Deals email around the beginning of the year. I love mysteries but have to avoid them because of an overactive imagination and inability to forget creepy details when I’m home alone. If Jane Austen is involved I figured the murder couldn’t be too gruesome. I enjoyed this and would read others in the series.

What Women Fear: Walking in Faith that Transforms by Angie Smith

We are fans of Audrey Bunny in my household (I can’t read it without tearing up), but this is my first experience with Angie Smith as an author for adults. I listened to the Audible version read by Pam Turlow which was a little stiff (Angie’s sense of humor came off flat) but was still very engaged by this take on fear. Angie is real with her struggles with fear (that are definitely more than the average – she was hospitalized as a young girl because of anxiety). Tied with Unafraid: Trusting God in an Unsafe World by Susie Davis for most impactful books I’ve read about fear/anxiety.

A Portrait of Emily Price by Katherine Reay

I’m a huge fan of Katherine Reay. She expertly weaves classic literature into her own narratives, creating page turners that will effect you deeply. Dear Mr. Knightley is still my favorite of her four novels, but Emily Price delivered Reay’s signature subtle spiritual themes around the enjoyable framework of food, Italy, art, and romance.

Prayer: Finding the Heart’s True Home by Richard Foster

One of my 101 things in 1001 days was to read five books about prayer. Richard Foster’s was book number one! With similar accessibility to The Celebration of Discipline, Foster’s guide describes 21 types of prayer that help move us inward, upward and outward. I loved this book.

Coming Clean: A Story of Faith by Seth Haines

A fascinating peak in the mind and heart of a man who realizes he’s an alcoholic and journals through his journey to sobriety. Slim and well-worth the read.

Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God by Sybil MacBeth

The second of my five books about prayer was a complete departure from Foster, though I think he would approve of this practice. As someone whose perfectionism often stifles their prayer life, using a kinesthetic activity to focus your mind and heart on the subject of your prayers was intriguing and welcome.

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Another of my 101 things in 1001 days is to read the favorite book of 10 readerly friends. (This has lead to the discovery of gems such as The Penderwicks and Code Name Verity.) The Great Gatsby is one of the favorites of a friend I’ve had since childhood. I hadn’t read it since high school and then heard this podcast where Megan Tietz (of the Sorta Awesome Podcast) raves on an on about The Great Gatsby. I may have understood it better on this second read, but I’m still not a huge fan.

Radical Spirit: 12 Ways to Live a Free and Authentic Life by Joan Chittister

Picked this up because the MOPS theme for next year is Free Indeed and my Input strength (yay StrengthsFinder) now compels me to consume everything within reach about freedom. Radical Spirit explores the 12 steps of humility laid out in the Rule of Benedict. Humility, to Joan, is the key to ultimate freedom in faith.

After reading the first few chapters, I realized I only needed to read the section addressing the spiritual implications of that step of humility to grasp all the concepts laid out in the entire chapter. And even those could have been said in a couple sentences. I did come aways with a few chewy nuggets but wonder if just reading the Rule of Benedict would have been more productive and insightful.

(I received this book from Blogging for Books for free but all opinions are my own!)

Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

Previous to reading this, I knew nothing about Russia’s involvement in WWII. Winter Garden explores mother-daughter relationships and the hardships endured by inhabitants of Leningrad before and after Germans laid siege to the city. The narrative flits back and forth between past and present. Fantastic read.

The Coincidence of Coconut Cake by Amy E Reichert

I was (and still am) in the middle of four non-fiction books and needed a light fiction read to break things up a bit. This was definite fluff. I enjoyed learning more about the Milwaukee food scene as the food writer gets shown the city by a chef, but the rest was unremarkable. A good diversion, tho!

What I’m Into {lately}

May 5, 2016 ~ Emily ~ 1 Comment

This is part What I’m Into (a la Leigh Kramer) and part What’s Saving My Life (a la Modern Mrs. Darcy). I hope you find something new or noteworthy!

Fam Bam

The whole fam getting ready to head out for #LoveLehighValley. It was special and humbling to serve as a family and with our small group!

The Great British Baking Show – My brother and his fiancé recommended this show while we were comparing notes on what we were binge-watching on Netflix. (Fixer Upper and House Hunters for us…) Utterly delightful. That’s the best way to describe this British-import baking competition. It’s beautifully shot with fun hosts, charming judges, and kind contestants.

Natalie Freeman, of Natalie Creates, introduced me to the Whoa, wait, Walmart? Instagram account. Bethany and Amanda just may help me conquer my dislike of Willy Waldo Mart. (Anyone else have nicknames for stores? Just me? Okay…) I have purchased at least five articles of clothing because of their IG.

I bought a Kindle! I had been reading my small collection of e-books on my iPad/iPhone and wasn’t thrilled with the whole experience. Then I subscribed to Modern Mrs. Darcy’s Kindle Deals newsletter and my resolve to remain Kindle free went up in flames. On my brother-in-laws recommendation, I didn’t do the cheapy thing and bought the Paperwhite instead of the regular. The backlit screen is so worth it.

This brings me to how much I love Amazon and their amazing customer service. I was waiting to purchase my Kindle until after I sold my iPad, so I was unable to take advantage of the electronics sale around Thanksgiving. Two weeks after I bought my Kindle at full price, Amazon put it on sale again. The aforementioned brother-in-law noticed and suggested I ask Amazon for a reimbursement of the price difference. I did. And they issued the reimbursement, no problem. And that is why I will happily buy all the things on Amazon.

Rachel Hollis of The Chic Site (a lifestyle website that is easy to get lost in). Her Happy Hour with Jamie Ivey (a fantastic podcast) was one of my favorite episodes.

The Lazy Genius Collective – I heard Kendra on Around The Table (another fun podcast). She was the inspiration for my 101 things in 1001 days. Kendra has a lovely balance of silly and serious. She’s also a hard core baker which makes me love her more.

Pinch of Yum’s Capsule Wardrobe – One of the best posts I’ve read about starting a capsule wardrobe.

Carpool Karaoke – I am mildly obsessed with carpool Karaoke. James Corden of The Late Late Show drives around with a famous artist and they chat, sing, and have shenanigans. I’ve watched Adele and Justin Bieber’s multiple times.

Burts Bees candles – Soy candles that smell delicious (I’m partial to Pinecones and Cinnamon and Sweet Basil). My only complaint is that the wick dies before the wax is gone.

I kinda love looking at other people’s wedding and family photos. I did a deep dive on Jenni’s blog and loved this family’s photos (I used to write with both Jenni and Callie at Kindred Grace).

My buddy Kat’s blog is endlessly inspiring me to write more, parent intentionally, and find more joy in my daily tasks.

I saw on Rachel‘s Instagram a genius idea to use your dishwasher as a drying rack. I’m really trying to keep on top of my dishes, lately, so I don’t end up with an overwhelming pile of that takes me ages to clean after the kids go to bed. Sometimes I end up with too many dishes for my actual drying rack which halts my whole process. I’ve been doing the dishwasher drying rack hack and it’s awesome.

Along those same lines, I’ve been making a concerted effort to keep my house in maintenance mode which requires actually putting things away where they go at the end of the day, not just shuffling the shaz.

I’m loving Modern Mrs. Darcy’s newish podcast What Should I Read Next. She talks books and reading and does a little literary matchmaking with a different person on each episode. AND Tim is going to be a guest in a future episode (insert JEALOUS emoji here.)

I could go on, but several things deserve their own post…

What are you loving right now?

Poo Piles and Other Fears

April 21, 2016 ~ Emily ~ 5 Comments

James is ready. He’s been ready. I, on the other hand, am so not ready. Potty training has been on our parenting radar for months now, but we keep putting it off for various reasons, some more legitimate than others.

For awhile, I thought my reluctance stemmed from the hassle of it all. The mess. The time. The energy. In reality, I don’t really mind the idea of him running around nudie for large portions of the day – that’s not much less clothing than he prefers to be in these days anyways. I don’t mind adding to his sugar intake for every successful toilet venture. I don’t even mind being sequestered in my kitchen for days on end.

The real reason I don’t want to potty train my two-year-old came to me while I was elbow deep in dish water. I am scared that I will fail. What if I try to potty train James and, after a week, I’m left with a house full of poo piles and a kid who’s still in diapers? So, I have yet to try.

fear

Pushing suds around plates and silverware, I began thinking of all the things I don’t do because I’m afraid I’ll fail. I don’t attempt new hobbies, like dancing, because I might not be good at it (or I might not be good at first or I might look like a goof trying). I don’t pursue new friendships because I might not be someone they like. I don’t always write because I might have completely lost my ability to string words together.

As a fairly self-aware perfectionist, non of this is mind-blowing news. It may take a while for me to recognize fear as the source of my reluctance, but it’s not a surprise when I finally make the connection.

What I hadn’t processed previous to that evening, standing in front of my sink with my white rubber gloves on, was how fear of failure effects my faith. Contrary to what my subconscious tells me, my relationship with God does not come out unscathed by such a prevailing pattern in my life.

Sometimes I don’t pray because I’m afraid nothing will happen. Sometimes I don’t say anything because I’m afraid I won’t have the right words. Sometimes I don’t help because I’m afraid it won’t make a difference.

Examined out of the context of my fear, those statements show a selfish, skewed view of my Heavenly Father that I’m rather embarrassed by. I’m thankful that His grace covers my failings. I may still end up with poo piles, but God’s love is greater, stronger than my fears.

101 things in 1001 days

February 4, 2016 ~ Emily ~ 8 Comments

I heard about the 101 things in 1001 days concept from Kendra Adachi of The Lazy Genius Collective (new discovery that I really enjoy). She chatted with the gals of Around The Table Podcast (long-time listener to this fun podcast) about a new version of goal setting that focuses on joy not productivity.

She created a list of 101 things she wanted to do in 1001 days. The idea is not unique to Kendra, but I loved her spin on it and immediately started thinking of my 101 things. As someone who tends to idolize productivity and have unrealistic expectations of myself, I resonated with her idea that goals/lists should be life-giving not soul-sucking.

Kendra does a much better job (and is much more inspiring) explaining her take on 101 things in 1001 days, so if this appeals to you at all, listen to this podcast (discussion starts at 11:15 ) and read this blog post.

In the meantime, here’s my list!

101 things in 1001 days

Guidelines:

Realistic.
Something that would truly bring me joy.
Not a to-do list item.
Something I would look forward to accomplishing.
No habits. (Not make my bed/floss everyday)
Specific. There had to be a measurable amount.

Start Date: February 3rd, 2016

End Date: October 31st, 2018

Compile a month of dinners we love for each season. This would make meal planning so much easier.
Create and wear a capsule wardrobe for at least one season. I’ve been intrigued by this concept for a while. I especially like Lindsay’s take on it.
Ask 10 friends what their favorite book is and read it. Bookish friends, I’m coming for you…
Go wine tasting with Tim. There’s several wineries practically in our backyard that we want to check out.
Take a train ride with the family. Either Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway or the Hawk Mountain Line (or both).
Submit three pieces to Hello, Dearest. I don’t care if they are chosen for publication (well, that would be lovely…), I just want to be better about putting myself out there as a writer. Since I’m involved in MOPs, their magazine seemed like a good place to start.
Run a race that gets a medal. I just want a medal, dangit.
Learn and perfect choreography to one Zumba routine. You know the “would you rather have an amazing voice or be a fantastic dancer” question? I’d rather be a fantastic dancer. I made Tim steal a Zumba DVD during a white elephant exchange and I will work on my moves in the privacy of my own home.
Finish a quilt. I have several half-finished projects that need to be completed.
Do 10 push ups.
Take Cozy Minimalist and Cozy Minimalist Mom courses. A Christmas gift from Tim that I am so excited about.
Buy a house. Our lease is up at the end of 2016 and we’d like to buy a place.
Create a gallery wall.
Make a Hyder/Jensen favorites cookbook. It’s good to have all the family favorites in one place. Plus, this fulfills one of my college career dreams of being a cookbook editor.
Finish my Italy semester Blurb book. I have a lovely coffee table book made for my semester in Oxford, but the book for my semester in Italy has been half done for years.
Make a wedding photo album. It’s only been four years…
Pick and arrange wildflowers.
Go on a bike tour with Tim. I’ve been on two of these with my mom and I know Tim and I would really enjoy doing this together.
Speak somewhere? Question mark because this scares the heck out of me, but I find that oddly thrilling. I’m guessing I could wrangle Tim into letting me be a guest speaker at youth group.
Go to NY city. Haven’t been since our honeymoon and now we live so close.
Can something.
Grow something edible. Definitely herbs this summer and raised beds when we buy a house.
Sew more cloth napkins. My mom sewed me a bunch of cloth napkins and I’d like to add to the collection.
Touch my toes. Tall girl problems.
Family road trip. Snack breaks and potty stops included :)
Read 5 books about prayer. My list so far includes: A Year of Living Prayerfully by Jared Brock, Prayer: Finding the Hearts True Home by Richard Foster, The Way of the Heart by Henri Nouwen
Memorize 10 verses about trust/fear.
Create an anti-anxiety playlist. I’m not one of those people who listen to music all the time, but certain music has a way of pointing me to the true source of peace..
Make homemade pizza and make it a weekly thing. An inexpensive and fun tradition.
Find natural makeup that doesn’t make me itch. I’ve inherited sensitive skin that seems to get worse with age. Most drugstore makeup either makes me itch or gives me a rash. I don’t wear much makeup, but I’d like the stuff I do wear not to make me look like a lizard.
Wear red lipstick out in public. Something I’ve wanted to try, but am nervous that if I do, people will just stare at me and think, “oh my goodness she has red lips.” One of my favorite podcasts is sponsoring a #LeapIntoLipstick challenge this month (February 2016), so I may cross this one off quickly.
Go on a midnight kayak. My parents live on a lake and I love to kayak when we visit. I’ve never been at night and I hear it’s magical.
Float in the middle of the lake. Another to do at my parents. I’m taking a book with me!
Swim in the lake with the fam. Confession: Underwater plants freak me out. The lake we go to is filled with things that will touch you and heretofore that has kept me from actually swimming in the lake. However, I know the kiddos will enjoy splashing around and I don’t want to miss out on the fun.
Visit my brother and sister-in-law (wherever they are living). My brother is getting married in 2016!!!! We’ve lived in different states for the past 5 years. I want to visit he and his wife wherever they settle down, which is currently Nashville.
Go cross country skiing. The thought of hurtling down a mountain on two pieces of wood is utterly terrifying, but I think I’d love sliding through silent woods.
Knit a blanket. Not specifying a size…
Make a throw-pillow cover. Like this or this.
Throw a birthday party. Tim’s 30th falls in this time frame, so he might be the recipient of this one :)
Take a class at Barre3.
Get a tattoo. Pretty sure my mom just threw up a little when she read this.
Watch 5 musicals I’ve never seen. Suggestions welcome!
Make a cocktail. I’m tempted by a Moscow mule because the mugs are so darn cool.
Read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskall. Loved the BBC mini series. I can’t believe I haven’t read the book yet.
Go to Longwood Gardens.
Go sea glass hunting at Torrey Pines. Which would require a trip to California. I’m totally okay with that.
Try my hand at faux mercury glass.
Complete 12 dates. My sweet hubby planned out 12 dates to go on as a Christmas gift. I think 2.5 years is a more realistic time frame.
Go to the Philadelphia Zoo.
Get You Are Here Starbucks mugs from places we go. Tim came with a Starbucks cities mug collection and we’ve enjoyed growing it together. I particularly like the You Are Here collection. We have California, Disneyland, and Nashville. I’m eyeing Philadelphia, CA Adventure (not sure why we didn’t buy that one while we were there last year), San Diego, and New York.
Do a jumping photo with Tim. They just make me happy.
Finish Downton Abbey. We left off some where in Season 4.
Find a way to preserve family photos. I want to be better about albums or prints or something.
Attend a conference. One of my strengths is Input. I love everything about conferences – learning, taking notes, information packets, the cool name tag lanyards…
Do something crafty with my embroidery hoops. Inspired by all the cuteness here. And all these pins.
Read a marriage book with Tim. We started You and Me Forever by Francis and Lisa Chan last year. I’d like to finish.
Read a parenting book. I’m thinking Boundaries with Kids.
Make a side income. Whether it’s a one time thing or a part-time job. I’m in no hurry, but this is on my radar.
Finish “tidying” our things. Loved The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up but didn’t get to everything before Kennedy came.
Make freezer jam. Probably blueberry (see #81).
Plant a cutting garden. Flowers give me joy. When we have a house where there’s room for a garden, I will fill it with flowers to pick and enjoy.
Watch the sunrise somewhere. From the porch at my parent’s camp with a cup of coffee sounds pretty delightful.
Run with Tim. When we were dating, Tim and I ran together often, but with kiddos the logistics of that is difficult. I miss it.
Do a trail run. A winery near my parents hosts a trail run in the Fall. Gorgeous scenery and tasty post-run fuel is a win win.
Repaint our table. I painted the top of a table I inherited from my Grandma with Annie Sloan chalk paint, but it needs a new coat.
Go to HomeGoods by myself. I love HomeGoods, but it’s a wander around kind of store that is best enjoyed without kids.
Have afternoon tea with my mom. One of my favorite things to do with my mom and we haven’t done it in ages.
Get a facial. Maybe they can help me with #30.
Have a picnic.
Go hiking with the kids.
Have a cavity free dentist appointment. All I want is to have the hygienist say, “well done, good and faithful brusher.”
Do a Whole 30. We’ve gone sugar-free multiple times. I’d be interested to see how I felt after doing Whole 30.
Finish The Chefs Table series. A fantastic documentary series on Netflix.
Buy or build a fire pit.
Do some chalkboard art. I have a cool frame that I’d like to convert into a chalkboard. Gives me an excuse to practice some hand-lettering.
Fix up James’ easel and have an art day. We bought James an play easel at a garage sale that needs some TLC. He’s not super crafty, but I think he’ll enjoy messing around with paints and such.
Participate in #LoveLehighValley as a family of four. Our church shuts down one day a year and serves throughout the community. I wasn’t able to participate last year and am looking forward to doing this as a family of four.
Make homemade ice cream. I have fond memories of doing this when I was a kid. Nothing beats the taste of homemade ice cream. Especially hand-cranked homemade ice cream.
Acquire a birthstone ring for Kennedy. I have this birthstone ring for James and would like one for Kennedy to stack with it. Our fifth anniversary falls within this time frame, hint hint.
Buy something at an auction. I love me some country auctions. Last year I accidentally bought two glass swans, among other goodies.
Stock the freezer with blueberries. There’s such good blueberry picking up near my parents. James loves blueberry picking (so do Tim and I) and I’d like to have them available year ’round.
Explore Healthy Alternatives. Healthy Alternatives is a health food store and cafe near our home that Tim and I want to check out.
Visit the Farmers’ Museum. A living history museum In Cooperstown, NY.
Put exterior Christmas lights up. We haven’t done this since we got married. Lights are one of my favorite things about the Christmas season.
Successfully poach an egg.
Decide on a go-to meal to take to new moms.
Create and implement a schedule for Jimmy. I think James would thrive (and, therefore, I would thrive) if he had some activities he could count on doing at a certain time most days.
Monthly James date. I love my little man and I want to be purposeful about having one on one time with him.
Get together with the Bowers family. I met Katherine and her husband when we were all studying abroad in England. We’ve kept in touch over the years despite living in different states. We now each have two kids, very close in age, and she’s been an awesome momma friend. The last time I saw them, Kat and I were both pregnant with our daughters. I’d love for our families to meet up again.
Figure out my Enneagram type. I’m a personality type junkie (I’m an INFJ), and would like to explore the Enneagram. It seems a little intimidating.
Create a new family tradition. Traditions are and were important to me. I’d like to establish some memorable ones for James and Kennedy.
Buy new running shoes. Extra points if I go to a place that analyzes your gait.
Finish Psych. Tim introduced me to Psych when we were dating and we spent many nights watching episode after episode. We stopped after season 6, so we have two seasons to watch.
Visit a National Park. We’re visiting Gettysburg soon, so this one will be easy to accomplish.
Take a book to Baked and read on the porch. Baked is a favorite, local breakfast place.
Make pain au chocolat (chocolate croissants). I’ve always been super intimidated by croissants.
Find a way to track my activity that I will use consistently. I’m thinking a Fitbit Zip might be a good, unobtrusive option.
Get to a point where we don’t buy bread. I have a bread maker, but it makes a weird shape loaf that is not conducive to sandwich making. So, I either want to become proficient in hand shaping or invest in a Zojirushi.
Sit down with a financial planner. We stick to a budget but we don’t really have a plan for our kiddos’ college/weddings. I’d like to be proactive about saving for the future.
Buy a chest freezer. We have an extra mini fridge in our garage that works for now. However, I’d like to buy meat in bulk and have room to store all the blueberries we pick in the summer.
Document my 101 things. I’ll be keeping track of my progress on Instagram. Follow along at #Emilys101things.

Marriage and the Phlebotomist

January 29, 2016 ~ Emily ~ 2 Comments

Marriage

Getting my blood drawn ranks right up there with vomiting on the list of things I hate. After putting off some follow-up blood work I needed to get done for far too long, the dread had become more all consuming than my distaste of the procedure. So I decided to pull off the proverbial band-aid last week, which is why I was found dutifully sitting in a crowded lab office.

My fellow blood-letters were mostly from a previous generation. The powerful scent of aftershave and Chanel No.5 filled the space not taken up by walkers and puffy jackets. They make conversation with each other about their Power Ball lottery losses, raising gravely voices over the morning news playing on the TV above our heads. While I decide whether to distract myself with Instagram or let all the ambient noises lull me into a false sense of security, I hear my name called from around the corner.

A woman my own age ushers me down the hallway. She reminds me of a girl I knew growing up. Her trim, athletic figure looks enviably good in scrubs; their plumb hue complimenting her unadorned olive skin and bright eyes. We turn into an empty room. I slide off my jacket and take a seat in the chair trying not to stare at the lone vial of someone else’s blood standing sentinel in the collection tray. The phlebotomist asks a few preliminary questions. When I tell her my birthdate, she looks up and smiles, “I’m a five too.”

Pleasantries aside, I push up both sleeves and we begin the banter that always ensues when I give blood…

“Do you have an arm preference?” She unwraps a needle and gets some tubes ready.

“No. I tend to be a difficult stick.”

“What’s your dominant hand?”

“Right,” I reply.

“Dominant sides generally have bigger veins. Do you mind if I do your right arm?”

I clench my right fist and she feels around for a few seconds.

“I think I’ll use a different needle.” The cold sweat begins.

She goes back to the drawer and unwraps another package. Taking off a glove, she hones back in on a spot in the crook of my right arm.

“Well, I think I found one. It’s a little rolly. I bet most people don’t find it because they won’t take off their gloves.”

I can feel my face blanch at the mention of rolly and I don’t hear her finish the sentence. I’ve already been doing deep breathing to keep my heart rate normal, but the thought of her having to fish for my rolly vein makes me feel nauseous. I don’t want to experience the two things I hate most in the same day.

I’m not sure if she sensed my panic or if she was just being courteous, but she turned around to close the curtain separating the room and the busy hallway, muttering something about privacy. I am thankful that if I do happen to pass out vomit there will be only one witness my shame.

“You’re doing great.” I let my eyes drift away from the glove boxes I’d been staring at over my left shoulder and look at her in surprise. I hadn’t even felt her put the needle in.

As she attached the last vial to be filled, she asked what I had going on the rest of the day. She worked steadily – sliding the needle out of my arm, holding a cotton ball to the puncture site, taping the cotton ball in place – and listened quietly as I explained I’d be hanging out with my 3 month and two year old.

Her next question took me by surprise.

“Do you like being married?” She paused and before I could answer, added, “Marriage kinda scares me.”

“It’s good. I really like it,” I said lamely.

I’m not sure if she felt a special camaraderie with me because we shared the same birth month or I looked like someone she could confide in, but she continued her line of questioning. “Marriage kinda scares me. I’ve just been hurt really bad, you know? How did you know he was the right one?”

I stared at her for a moment, wondering how we jumped from what I’d be doing this afternoon to how I knew Tim was the one. While she threw away needles and added my vials of blood to the collection tray, I replayed June 10th to October 30th, 2011 in my mind as quickly as possible, searching for a decent answer. I wasn’t sure I actually had an answer.

Was Tim the right one because he met all the criteria on my list? (Yes, I had created a physical list that I still possess.) Was Tim the right one because our relationship survived a week long camping trip with his family? Was Tim the right one because both of us happened to be available at the same time?

My brief replay of history didn’t yield much fruit, but this felt like one of those God-ordained opportunities to have a meaningful conversation and I didn’t want to blow it. I wish I could say I came up with a profound answer that gave this woman hope and enthusiasm for future relationships. In actuality, my response was lacklustre and riddled with the religious jargon I was meaning to avoid. I slid my jacket back on and walked into the hallway a little reluctantly, feeling like I had indeed blown it.

How do you explain to someone that marriage is created by a God who loves us and wants to be intimately involved in our lives; that marriage is hard and doesn’t preclude you from getting hurt; that marriage is less about finding the right one and more about finding a person who always points you to the Right One

I guess you say just that.

Here’s to hoping she becomes my regular phlebotomist.