lyricalisse

of marriage:

- he is INCREDIBLY patient and forgiving, and doesn’t seem to be capable of holding a grudge against anyone
- his sense of humor isn’t always dry– sometimes he can be really hilarious
- he is even more laid-back, accommodating, and flexible than I thought he was… I was waiting to see how long this would last, but I think these qualities are just in his nature.
- he LOVES watching infomercials and is strangely fascinated and amused by them
- he is disciplined about his work– is usually working by 8:30am and often works until 1 or 2am (with breaks for food of course )
- although he is more quiet than I am, he is less shy and is equally content being at a party or being at home
- he can’t touch his toes
- he drives his car like a city boy
- he really doesn’t like vegetables and thinks they all taste the same… but he still eats anything I cook!

I saw this meme on Facebook. Answering the questions made me realize how quickly time has passed since our wedding! I’m really grateful for Joe, and even though the transition is still hard, I’m thankful for the opportunity to live and study in Canada.

Marriage Meme

1. How long have you been married?
It will be 8 months on Jan 23!

2. How long have you been together?
3 years, 2 months.

3. Where did you go on your first date?
First unofficial date: dinner at Malaysia Kopitiam in downtown DC and a 3-mile walk– from Farragut North to the National Monument, to the WWII Memorial, to the Capitol!
First official date: dinner at Ray’s the Steaks in Arlington, VA, then spent the evening at Gravelly Point and sat by the water watching airplanes take off and land.

4. Where did you go on your last date?
Lunch at Thai House on Robson and a long walk in the rain. Then grocery shopping. Not sure if that counts as a date though. Last one before that: watching Avatar in 3D.

5. What’s your anniversary date?
Wedding: May 23, 2009
Dating: November 3, 2006

6. Where were you married?
In the beautiful backyard of dear church friends in Maryland.

7. What was your best/favorite wedding gift and from whom?
Really good devotional book from Joe’s aunt… Devotions for Couples by David & Teresa Ferguson.

8. Where did you honeymoon?
At the Aerie Resort in Malahat, BC. We went ziplining near Sooke, rock-skipping at a secluded beach that we found by happenstance, fish-n-chips-eating at the pier, garden-traipsing at Butchart Gardens, and watched Star Trek!

9. What food do you like now because of your spouse?
Penang curry and beef rendang. I’m also starting to incorporate ketchup, his favorite condiment, into dishes.

10. What type of music do you like now because of your spouse?
Passion Band and David Crowder.

11. What movie or television program do you like now because of your spouse?
Battlestar Galactica! When people hear the show’s title, they just think it’s a nerdy sci-fi series, but it’s actually a really deep and moving drama about the human condition, and funny at times too. You get really drawn into the characters and their victories, struggles, loyalties to one another, etc.! Full of honor and even some romance.

12. Favorite thing you like doing together?
Eating! Watching movies. Going on road trips. Talking about tech/info stuff. Playing piano and guitar together. Finding good bargains.

13. Last gift you bought your spouse?
Five bottles of different kinds of hot sauce!

14. Last gift your spouse bought you?
I have a terrible memory when it comes to gifts from other people… I think it was a heart-shaped pendant necklace.

15. Favorite things about your spouse?
I love how steady and calming he is. He has a deeply-rooted trust in God and a security that everything’s going to turn out all right. He’s also hard-working, easy-going, sweet, and a grace-giver. He pretty much eats anything I cook, which is a huge plus. And he balances out the emotional melodramas I tend to play out in my head. (In the Jungian temperament framework, he is a strong Phlegmatic and I’m a strong Melancholy. Pretty much nothing seems to faze him, and I am easily fazed. It’s a good match!)

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

4 indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;

8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

This is a great promise. I’m thankful for a God who is attentive and watches over us.

When I moved to DC in 2006, my friend Michelle and I did weekly devotionals over the phone together, using the book Devotional Classics (ed. Richard Foster).

Here’s a prayer I like from that book, written by John Baillie (Scottish theologian):

O Lord and Maker of all things, from whose creative power the first light came forth, who looked upon the world’s first morning and saw that it was good, I praise You for this light that now streams through my windows to rouse me to the life of another day.

Amen.

Hi world, haven’t updated in awhile! I know my readers (all 2 of you) have been anxiously awaiting a new post. What’s happened since my last post? Let’s see… I left the bestest job ever, got married, and moved across the continent to a new city and new country to join my new hubby. I also started my Masters of Library and Information Studies at UBC, which by God’s provision is being paid for by several scholarships. School is kicking me into shape! My fave class right now is Resource Description & Access… I <3 metadata!

Transitioning to life in Canada hasn’t been easy, but as I grow older, I’m noticing that most things aren’t. My parents did a good job of sheltering me from the hard stuff and making life so easy! I have hope that this transition will be good, eventually, but right now it’s just hard. It’s been almost five months since we left DC; I’m still searching, trying to hear God’s voice and figure out why we’re here and for what purpose. I know that re-rooting ourselves is going to take time; it took time when I moved to DC, and it’s going to take time here in Vancouver.

Joe and I are still figuring out who we are as a married couple and how we fit into God’s purposes. I feel that the “couple identity” we had in DC was largely based on our desire to serve our church community and worship God through music. We haven’t played music together in 10+ months (since December 2008), when Joe moved from DC to Vancouver; he donated his guitar to the church and we still haven’t purchased a replacement. I think that finding him a guitar and reviving our musical connection and worship is one key to establishing our identity as a married couple in Christ…

One thing I do appreciate about being in Canada is that God is revealing to me the weakness of my faith and that He is sufficient. I have a ways to go in understanding what it means to truly rely and depend on Him. Even though I’ve been in denial about it, the truth is that I’ve always been dependent on other people– what they say, what they think, what they suggest I do. This started with my parents– since I was a child, I’ve been compliant, obedient, passive. I’ve been a follower of people and of people who follow Jesus; but I’m not sure how much I’ve directly followed Jesus Himself. I think I have here and there, but I know I’ve allowed my fear of man to stand in the way.

So that is my new prayer. Even though I desperately want Vancouver to feel like home, to belong and to feel safe here, what I need even more is to learn how to be secure in my salvation in Christ. That is where everything begins. I need the Holy Spirit to grant me the desire to understand His thoughts and His ways, and to value them more than man’s thoughts/ways, and to equip me with courage to live out what He desires for me, and not just mull over everything. I think too much and worry too much! Way too much.

Married life has been good. I’m so thankful for Joe. He’s been so supportive and loving, and he eats all my cooking experiments. He even started making a huge batch of spaghetti once a week for the days I don’t get home from school until late. Yay for husbands who are cool with kitchen duties.