so this is why i love california in january - our avocado tree. this is one of the avocados i enjoy on a daily basis, they are huge and so delicious. it's amazing to walk out the front door and have this goodness fall on my front lawn. love it! avocados bring me joy today.
my marriage also brings me joy today. in the midst of birthday celebrating ryan and i also celebrated our 8th anniversary. i am so thankful for my marriage and the amazing man that i call my husband, ryan. we were able to go to dinner together thanks to our friends, the Lozanos, watching the kids. we had dinner at a fabulous crepe place and walked around this great little neighborhood in Long Beach on January eighth without coats. looking back i wouldn't have thought we would ever celebrate our anniversary in warmth, it is january after all, but it was quite balmy that night. anyway. i am thankful for my marriage and the journey we've had and the years that are ahead of us. my cousin was married in december and her brother, Dirk, did at the message at the wedding. it was such a great word on marriage and it being the pursuit of holiness, not happiness, but holiness. i know today i am more holy because i have been married to ryan and he helps me, encourages me, challenges me to love Jesus more and love others more. it's in the day to day moments that our marriage is built and nurtured, not the next big event, but the tedious, seemingly mundane interactions as we keep on pursuing this marriage thing together. kind of like the joy i find in the simple pleasure of an avocado for lunch. you can miss it when it's right in front of you because it's not huge but its life. it's the joy in all the little pieces of our lives that makes me stand back and be thankful and joyful for my marriage and my husband. it probably also helps my reflective spirit to have amazing avocados and warm ca sunshine thrown in the mix.
if you're reading this and your married i pray for you too. that we would all continue to work through all of life to pursue holiness in our marriages. because it is not always happy. i would be lying if i told you i was happy even for a complete week or day for that matter. as grandma verwys said, as we sat across from her newly engaged, "marriage is, W O R K, work." she's right. a lot of work and a lot of joy. i know that over these short 8 years i can see clearly how there is great blessing in this commitment. a commitment to the holiness only God's grace allows us to chase.
hey if you live near by come over for some great guacamole any time, it'll make your day so much better
8 comments:
like i'd turn down an opportunity to eat guacamole
The top 5 things I miss about Southern California:
1. My Family
2. My Friends
3. My Animals
4. The Beach
5. Avocados in effing January! I mean c'mon I lived for 25 years with avocados dropping like mad in my back yard and now I have to pay for them...major bummer! Enjoy the guac!
What a wonderful expression of married life! Makes me smile and reminds me to make marriage about growing in holiness! Thanks for the encouragement. Congrats on your 8 year anniversary! Wish you could send me the avocados!
true story: i went to a subway here, and when i asked if they had avacado, the girl looked at me and said: "ava what?" she had never heard of an avacado before. appearantly it's some kind of delicacy here.
great post.
Thanks Rachel, you couldn't have said it better. Thank YOU for blessing my day. :) And, thanks for the avocado, Tessa is the one who gets to appreciate it.
that is a very good expression of a married life. the wedding season might be over but who can deny the fact that wedding is a once in a life time experience. one of the best thing I like about the wedding is the bridal dressing. it is every brides dream to look more beautiful and elegant on her wedding than any other given day. So in case you missing it again here is the opportunity for you to get that feeling once again going on it here
Happy belated Anniversary to you guys and Birthday to Malachi! Glad your celebrations were great!
Love your new template too! :)
thanks Rachel, for the great reflection on marriage and for sharing it. i still remember when you and ryan met and how quickly it went from dating to something larger than both of you. you were made for each other.
your boys are gorgeous. jane and fletch are similar in ages (jane is 2.5 and fletch is 10 months). so i can imagine what life is like from day to day for you.
nursing, highchairs, trying to make balanced meals, strollers, cleaning, laundry, painting, cleaning, nursing, smiling, cursing, wanting to take a nap when the kids do. . . . . .
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