29059 Day 98

super_hero

i don't know much about comic books, or the green lantern* in particular. this is a very helpful link and having read most of the information on it, i think that, of all the comic book characters, this one seems pretty interesting. that aside, amy and i received two rings in the mail today with this note:

"this is probably the oddest Christmas gift you've gotten, but i want you to know that you are heroes to me. and i want you to know that i fight along side of you.

i've given you two rings. steve, the Green one is yours. as a green lantern, you signify Will. you are determined and, especially with what you are facing and taking on, you wear it well.

amy, the Indigo ring is yours and it signifies Compassion. your heart will always lean towards those wounded, those suffering, and your light draws them in."

wow! how encouraging is that. life was spoken in to my soul today in a way that i desperately needed and that is a good, good gift.

thanks =)

*new favorite quote, from alan scott (aka, the green lantern): "I shall shed my light over dark evil, for the dark things cannot stand the light."

21859 Day 26

life_as_a_house

sometime i really freak out and think that what we are doing is way too preposterous. changing jobs and careers while one spouse is still in school...raising and living off of financial support...moving at the beginning and the middle of an important and busy semester...buying a house...all in year two of marriage. i can't wait until five or so years from now when i can look back and decide if what we did was really stupid or a really big step of faith.

in particular, i've been concerned about the house over the last 24 hours. we got some news yesterday from the mortgage company that was not bad, but not exciting either. some numbers have changed a little and not in our favor. in moments like that i waver between seeing it as another challenge to over come or a way to back out before we get too far over our heads. so, feeling discouraged i decided to go to the house today.

i prayed. i wrote a friend a letter. i read psalms 68 which says in verse 6, God sets the lonely in families, which is a verse that seems to keep coming up all the time and has become the "mission statement" for what amy and i hope this house will be. then i rode my bike home.

we got a note today in the mail from amy's mom that just happened to talk about the house and the "daunting" mortgage progress (even in the best of times...i like that line). funny how that happens, eh. most of what she said had to do with maintaining a vision for our home...for the people who will live there with us, the memories we will make, and the stories we will tell. what an encouragement...thanks!