Proud of Him

I am so proud of my husband.

Bobby is on a business trip in Arkansas this week. And, from the moment we heard about this trip, we weren't looking forward to it. The trip means a week of earlier mornings, later nights, lack of home-cooked meals, and sleeping in a strange bed. Not to mention, our being apart from each other. I'd say that part is especially rough.

But, he never complained. (I was probably complaining about it enough for the both of us.)

It's turned out to be an even-less-pleasant week for him than was expected. There have been a lot of work-related problems to deal with, and he's under a lot of pressure to get it all done. But, again, he hasn't complained. (Not even about the $30/night hotel room he's staying in, in order to avoid a long commute every morning. Use your own imagination about how awful that must be.) For that, I'm proud of him.

Bobby got this position a mere three weeks or so before our wedding. Until that point, we had no idea what was in store for us, and having a source of income when you get married is generally considered to be a good idea. It was a major blessing when he got this job. And, it still is! I think Bobby is mindful of that more than I tend to be. That's probably one of the reasons that he works so hard, and takes the good (having a job!) with the bad (sometimes having to be away from home). And, because of that, I'm proud of him.

Bobby has a "go-at-it-with-everything-you-have" attitude that he applies to just about everything he does. I admire it. I'm thankful for it. And, I'm thankful for him. He's teaching me a lot, and I doubt he knows it.

He'll be gone six nights, and this is the longest we've been apart since we became "Mr. and Mrs." We're on the downhill slope of this week, though, and I think we're going to make it. It is "Wine-Down Wednesday", after all, which we fully intend to participate in together, even from afar. So, that's bound to help a little bit.

I miss you, handsome. Hurry home! And, until you get here...hang in there.

A much more relaxed Bobby on a non-business trip of ours.
(Remember those days, babe?)

Faith and Suffering

My last post prompted an anonymous comment unlike one that I’ve received before, and although I’m hesitant to respond publicly, the topic is such that I think deserves a thoughtful response.

The comment dealt with God’s providing for my wants…in a world full of starvation. (Pretty heavy way to start a Saturday morning!) But, it’s a genuine thought and it has given me some things to think about as I begin my day.

I have faith that God can provide for our needs and wants. And, to quote author Lee Strobel, “only in a world where faith is difficult can faith exist”. In my life, I have been blessed to have all of my needs met, and a lot of my wants, too! And, I have made the choice to try to recognize God’s involvement in my life, which includes seeing the things I receive (i.e. a new TV) as His doing. And, it’s made a difference in my Christian life to make an effort to acknowledge God’s constant work around me.

I understand this objection, though. God can provide, but He does allow suffering in the world (including starvation), which is a result of His gift of human free will. God’s answer to the suffering in the world was to come down to it, which is exactly what happened when Jesus was on the cross, dying for humanity’s sins. This response to suffering allowed for the promise of Heaven, where there will be no more suffering, no more starvation!

This is a challenging issue, one that I’ve wrestled with and one that I know I don’t have all the answers to. I learned a great deal from reading “The Case for Faith” by Lee Strobel, though. This book explores several of the toughest objections to Christianity. (Chapter One is titled “Objection #1: Since Evil and Suffering Exist, A Loving God Cannot”.) If one was interested, reading this book might provide some additional things to think about.

Perhaps this is more of a response than was expected or desired, but I’m glad to have had occasion to think through this today.

Difficult questions should not be avoided. Thank you, God, for giving me the conviction and confidence to acknowledge and explore this one…. 

26 Inches

Our apartment complex planned a social event for last weekend...a "Water Fun" day. Which made little sense to me, being that it is September, the weather is cooler, and everyone's pretty much "water-funned" out by now. Regardless, the drawing for the 26-inch flat screen TV sweetened the deal a bit, and Bobby and I decided, "why not?"

Now, although I would not have scheduled a water play day in late September, I was able to see what someone might have been thinking when they did. (Something for the residents to do on a Saturday afternoon....) Sure. But, I was very curious what they were thinking when this event was re-scheduled from its initial time slot of noon-2:00 p.m....to 9:00-11:00 a.m.

On a Saturday morning. In September.

I didn't get it.

Needless to say, Bobby and I were already thinking our chances of winning a TV were looking relatively good (these events aren't usually well-attended)...and once we learned of the time change, we thought "this looks promising! We'll go over there at 10:45 a.m., enter the drawing, and leave!" Couldn't hurt anything.

So, we walked the 50 feet from our apartment to the basketball courts, where we saw a bucket full of water balloons, some squirt guns, and one lone attendant hanging out, who asked "you guys live here, right? Do you want to enter a drawing for a free TV?" We looked at each other, casually acted as though we were shocked by this chance to win a TV (we were feeling a BIT lame at this point), and proceeded to BOTH write down our names on the sign-up sheet. (We were thinking SURELY we'd only get to sign once since we live in the same apartment. Wrong we were!)

Our two signatures made a total of five signatures on the sheet, and the "event" was scheduled to end 10 minutes later. This was shaping up to be even better than we'd imagined. (Only five signatures? Really?!)

I should point out that the girl there seemed genuinely surprised at the low turnout. "I guess everyone just wanted to sleep in", she said. You think? It's Saturday morning, in September, and you want them to come play water games? Figuring out the reason for the low attendance didn't seem all that complicated to me.

Oh, well. I really shouldn't criticize. They had good intentions. And, after all...

WE WON THE TELEVISION!!! Bobby got the call the next morning that he (yes, it was HIS name drawn...he likes to emphasize that point) had won the TV and it would be available to pick-up today. Yay! So, this morning I went to the office and brought it home.

A 26-inch TV isn't huge, I know, but it's our first flat screen, and poor Bobby has wanted one for SO LONG. (I'm too stubborn to get rid of our perfectly good "old school" set...at least until we have room to put it elsewhere.) It seems everyone we know already has a snazzy flat screen.... (As do most people living in our apartment complex, I would guess, most likely contributing to their furthered lack of interest in coming to the event and entering the drawing...which worked out for us!) I'm sure we'll have another TV purchase in our future, but this will certainly get the job done for now!

It was such a fun surprise, and another reminder that we've got it pretty good these days. Our patience (okay, Bobby's patience) in not buying a new TV and being mindful of how we spend our money and being aware of what things we can live without has made this even more rewarding for me.

I like to think that this winning is another of God's reminders that He's looking out for us. A reminder that He takes care of our needs, and is more than able to provide for our wants, too.

Big Things

Big things on the "happening someday" list that I'm really starting to look forward to....

Buying a house

Decorating a house

DIY home improvement projects

Hosting engagement/bridal/holiday/baby/sports parties at said house

Pregnancy

Buying baby clothes (which, by the way, I spent far too much time looking at while I wandered through the mall today)

Decorating a nursery

Being a mom

Big things on the "happening in the not-so-distant future" list that I'm really excited about....

Crossing things off of our "must do in St. Louis" list

Kelsey's October wedding

Fall festivities, followed closely by the holidays

Moving back to Springfield

Finding an apartment to call home for a while

A new job, I hope

Planning/hosting my sister's bridal shower

The 4 special weddings on the calendar for 2011...and 1 more that I'm hopeful for!

Buying a house

Decorating a house

DIY home improvement projects

Etc, etc.

"Little" things that I really need to focus on for the time being...patience and contentment.

Welcome, September!

Bring on the fall! There is a lot of excitement ahead for the Phillips family, and I cannot wait for the transition as summer turns into autumn. Change is in the air! 

A look at how we spent September 1st (in St. Lucia) last year. (Absolutely magical...although with the hurricane lurking in the Caribbean at this time this year, I'm sort of glad we're not there right now.) 

Candlelit dinner by the beach. Not on; see waves above.

                                      

Crazy Crickets

I am really losing my patience. For the past three weeks or so, we have continually been startled by finding crickets (although I am not at all convinced that it isn't the same cricket, over and over again) in various places around our home.

First, he was on the bathroom floor...then, on our bed (although I was a contributing factor to that, since that's where I dumped the pile of clean clothes in which the cricket had been hiding...still, disgusting)...then, in the hamper as I was removing dirty clothes (goodness, I do deal with clothes a lot around here)...the kitchen floor...under the coffee table...and, just now, by our shoes in the living room. Said cricket has now been captured and is now sitting underneath a cup, thinking about what he did. (Don't judge. I have a lot of time on my hands these days.)

Now, if it IS, in fact, the same cricket, the obvious solution, of course, would be to kill him. But, I don't like killing bugs in the house if they can be easily relocated to the outdoors. (With spiders being the exception. They step foot, er, feet in here, they're goners, plain and simple.) Plus, I do have a few fun childhood memories of my dad tying string to the rear legs of crickets so my sister and I could "walk" them around for a while. (You probably had to be there....)

I just wish I knew where they were coming from! I have examined the exterior wall of the apartment, and see no apparent point of entry. Hmm. It remains a mystery.

It's not as though the crickets are particularly threatening or present any real danger. And, it has provided a bit of entertainment as I watch Bobby capture them for release. (He's getting pretty good at it, I must say.) I am just getting really, really tired of the surprise and skipped heartbeat that comes from finding one unexpectedly.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a cricket to release. He's served his time.

One Year

One year ago today, I said "I do" and married my best friend. It's been an incredible year...but our incredibly busy weekend hasn't left much time to write the thoughtful, retrospective blog that I intended in commemoration of this occasion. That will just have to wait, I suppose, until we return from Mexico. We leave tomorrow morning at 6:00 a.m. for a few days in Playa del Carmen! It should be a relaxing, rejuvenating time to reflect and celebrate the past year and dream about things to come. If the year ahead is anything like our first, it will most certainly be full of laughter, and lots and lots of love.

Thanks for a wonderful year, handsome. I love you!

A Good Read

I have found myself with MUCH more free time lately (as a result of my current state of self-inflicted unemployment), and as such I have more time to do such things as reading. It would also stand to reason that I have more time to blog, too, so there's really no excuse for my recent blogging absence. ("It's too...hot...to write?") I used to LOVE reading, and although college sort of zapped all the fun out of it for a while, I'm happy to have rediscovered the joy of recreational reading.

I got a St. Louis County library card a couple weeks ago and chose two Christian fiction novels, largely at random...and I could not put them down! I read them both in 48 hours, and thoroughly enjoyed each one.

I particularly enjoyed reading "Washington's Lady" by Nancy Moser, and I highly recommend it. I'm so glad that I stumbled upon this novel, because it was highly intriguing and its message has really stuck with me. The story is about Martha Washington, and "the loves and trials of the first First Lady of the United States". Although a work of fiction, the story is largely based on historical facts and even includes a section at the end where the author separates the fact and fiction she included in the story.

I have always enjoyed United States political history, and this book certainly contains lots of information regarding our country's beginnings. That the story is through the eyes of a "founding mother", so to speak, makes it all the more interesting. It is quite the love story between President and Mrs. Washington, and it certainly spoke to my feminine heart. The respect, enduring support and encouragement that Martha displays toward her husband is such a positive example, and their continual reliance and faith in God's providence is inspiring.

Below is an excerpt from the epilogue, which I felt summed up well what I loved about the book.

"I hope Martha's story will nudge you toward finding your roots and your purpose, reignite your gratitude to God for all His gifts and blessings, and open your eyes to His work in the world beyond your own front door."

--Nancy Moser--

For me, it did just that. And when reading a book can directly remind me of God's faithful involvement in my country and in my life, I certainly consider it to have been a good read.

"And then...I want you to go out and do something amazing and courageous. Under God."

--Nancy Moser--

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iPhone UPDATE

Last night, Bobby and I went to the Apple store with the intention of getting him a new iPhone. (Remember, iBroke the last one.) WHO KNEW the Apple store did so much business at 8:15 on a Tuesday night?! Long story short, there were no appointments left to be had that evening. (We didn't even know that one needed an appointment. Let this be a lesson to you: you DO.) So, Bobby was disappointed, and after scheduling an appointment for 5:00 p.m. today, we left the mall...new iPhone-less.

So, today, we went to the no-less-packed Apple store at 5:00 p.m., but THIS time, we had an appointment. The technician looked at the phone, took it in the back room, and came back 10 minutes later...with Bobby's WORKING iPhone in hand! As it turns out, the screen "went bad" and needed replacement. And, because we did not have an AppleCare protection plan, it would cost $200ish to fix it. BUT, much to our surprise and oh, so genuine delight, the technician said that he just went ahead and replaced it for us because he "didn't want us to have to pay $200 to fix it". We were stunned. And, although Bobby was not-so-secretly bummed to NOT be getting a brand new phone (...and who can blame him? Have you SEEN the new iPhones?!), we didn't have to pay a dime to fix the old (and still perfectly good) one.

As we were leaving, Bobby wondered if it would have really cost so much for the screen replacement, or if our new friend was just saying that to make us feel like we got a deal. And to that query, I say "WHO CARES?" Brilliant, Apple. Either way, we left the store smiling (with more money in our pocket than we thought we'd be leaving with!), as even more committed Apple consumers. (Although I would NOT have needed such an act of 'kindness' to confirm my loyalty to the Apple brand. But, shhh...don't tell them that.)

I can't help but think about how different the scenario may have been if we actually had been able to get an appointment with Apple last night.

Would we have worked with someone who even knew how to find the problem and didn't just say the phone was done for?

Would we have had the same generous technician?

Would we have a couple hundred less dollars at this point?

God is faithful, isn't He? To see and feel His intercession in common, everyday situations such as this is powerful. I know we're being watched over! And, boy, are we ever in good hands....

I'm going to try very hard NOT to drop Bobby's iPhone anymore. But for the opportunity to recognize once again God's constant faithfulness and provision in our lives, I have to believe it was worth it this time...and iMean it.

iBroke It

iBroke Bobby's iPhone. (You know, putting the little 'i' in front of that phrase doesn't actually make it any more pleasant. It was worth a try.)

So, we were laying at the pool on Sunday, and in an effort to cover my eyes from the sun, I picked up Bobby's shirt, which unbeknownst to me, was holding his phone. You see where this is going.... The phone fell out of the shirt and onto the concrete below.

In my defense, I've dropped it many times, and it has fallen much harder! (Maybe this isn't helping my case like I thought it would....) Go figure, the phone decided this time to completely black out. No amount of turning it on and off has had any effect, and after dinner tonight, we are headed to the store to buy Bobby a new iPhone. The newer version, by the way. (This is actually working out quite well for him!)

So, it's a bummer, and of course we'd rather not spend the money for a new iPhone. (But, since Bobby has now HAD an iPhone, NOT getting another one is really not an option. Way to go, Apple.) However, as annoying as this unexpected expense is, it isn't a bank-breaking one. I'm so thankful that we live modestly and spend wisely so that when these things happen, we're able to deal with it, pay for it, and move on...and continue living comfortably all the while.

Our biggest problem this week is needing to replace a broken cell phone.

We are blessed to call THIS a "problem".

iAm sorry for breaking your phone, Bobby. iLove you!