Sometimes it's about time, part 2

So... I guess the most recent news is... SHE SAID YES!!! But not only is that the most recent news, but that's just about the best news. I'd put it #2 on my list, behind Romans 3:21-26.


It seems a lot of people want details, but I know I can't tell the story the same way that Jen can. But I'll try....

Jen and I went to the Badger game on Friday because it's fun. (We were able to get tickets at the last minute from a friend.) The church was having it's semi-annual dance that night, and neither of us wanted to go, so it was an excellent excuse to avoid stepping all over her feet.

After the game, we didn't have any real plans, to we decided to go back to my place and watch a movie. I "forgot" that I had a bunch of camping gear all over my room because I wanted to use the tub that I normally store the gear in. I apologized for the messiness and asked for a minute to wash the tub before I put everything back in it.

Ah-ha... An opening.

Ever since I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with Jen, I've only had one thought in my head about the proposal. I'm not into anything fancy or anything that requires a month of planning. I don't really understand the proposals that require the woman to hunt around town for little notes or flowers or whatnot; is that how he will woo her for the rest of his life? Doubtful, but they always make for an interesting story. I guess I'm a little more practical.

Instead of just washing the tub, I filled it with water and brought it back to Jen. I set it down and asked if I could wash her feet. Confused, I went on to explain that there are 2 great symbolic acts of love and service that Christ showed others: His death, and washing his disciple's feet. I explained that this is how I want to demonstrate my love for her through this act of humble service.

The irony is that early on in our dating relationship, she had asked me to wash my own feet. It was hot...I wasn't wearing socks all day... I'll agree that my feet didn't smell very good. But it was kind of humiliating.But now it was humbling.

As I washed her feet, I told her that this is how I want to offer my life to her, as a servant, for the rest of my life. And I asked her to marry me.

Fun, right? So I've been on cloud nine ever since, and I can't seem to get this smile off my face...

Kaboom! Sort of...

Saturday was the annual Rhythm and Booms event in town. Supposedly it's the biggest fireworks display in the midwest. How do they judge that? What's "the biggest" mean? Does that mean in terms of the number of shells they shoot off? The duration? The number of people in attendance? This has been going on for well over 10 years now, and I still can't figure it out.

So I decided to open up my house for a gathering before the show, not sure whether or not the fireworks would actually take place because of a 40% chance of rain. I can only think of one other year they've actually postponed the fireworks because of weather, but Sunday wasn't supposed to be any better. Anyway, during the day, the weather was perfect. Great for burgers and brats and a little bocce.

...And a nap, apparently...

Possibly the funniest event of the day was a result of some decision that couldn't be made about bocce. I don't completely understand it... But we all had a good laugh.



Eventually, almost 20 people showed up for the fireworks, which is a pretty big group. So we started walking to a good location, only to be told as soon as we arrive that the show had been cancelled.

Bugger.

Although, I guess it was probably a good thing when the 50mph winds blew through the neighborhood...

Emotional Peaks and Valleys

As you'll see, I haven't updated this whole thing in a long time. Maybe that's because I haven't had any interesting pictures to post along with a new blog, maybe not. But I've been really busy with work and homework, and dealing with a lot of personal changes.

God's really been working hard with my life, so the past couple months have been filled with a lot of emotional peaks and valleys. I guess it all started back before I made the decision to get baptized, which was the end of April. I had decided that I was playing a spiritual game and holding onto my religious pride and piety for too long. Pride and piety never saves anyone, so I don't know why I held onto those for so long. Once I made the decision to get baptized, I decided to give my testimony to all of my friends and family. I didn't do it because I was trying to change anyone else, but just to explain how God was changing me. So getting through that was somewhat of an emotional valley... I had to think about how I'd lived the past several years and how I'd talked the talk, but walked a pretty crooked walk.

But the baptism was amazing... It was actually more emotional than writing my testimony because I never thought about what I was really writing. But when it was read back to me before I was dunked, that was the first time that I really knew what I had written... So it was powerful. That, and the fact that my mom had a camera 2 feet from my face...

So that was a pretty big high, and God's still working on me. (He will until I die, because I'm nowhere near finished.) He's also been generous throughout this changing... I've got some really great friends out of the "ordeal" and He's even given me the opportunity to date an incredible girl. I've been really blessed...

I'm still working on getting a new job, but I'm definitely being patient. God's been really gracious lately, and a new job would be fantastic, but I also know that I haven't deserved anything that I've been blessed with thusfar. So whenever it happens, it happens. Until then, just keep plugging away at the whole school thing until I get that all-important piece of paper.

Small World is an understatement

On saturday, I had the opportunity to hang out with a friend I've known since 7th grade. We used to go to the same church, and hang out all the time. We even used to visit each other while in college, which didn't happen with any other friends from high school or church. She got married a few years ago, moved around, yadda yadda yadda... Anyway, her husband is overseas serving in Kuwait (Go Joe!) and she's been...bored.

Ditto, here.

So we spent the day catching up on about 5 years on missed communication, which was cool. Throughout the day, we talked about church, both past and present. Out of nowhere, she starts spouting names of people she knows from somewhere, and I happen to know the same people from my current church. Weird....

We end up at the bowling alley that night. The 20-something group was throwing an event that had something to do with trucker hats and mullets... I looked pretty dapper in my mullet, if I do say so myself. (Probably the only time I will every voluntarily cut my hair into one of fashion's biggest blunders.) But as my friend and I are sitting around and talking to everyone, I get a tap on my shoulder because I'm about to be introduced to someone.

"Nate, I'd like you to meet..."

"Wait, I already know you!"

It turned out to be a girl who I used to be friends with WAY back in the day. Our families went to the same small church until I was in 6th grade, and there were only 3 people in my sunday school class. Her family even lived close to us, so we were at their house all the time. I really hadn't heard anything about her family for years. (I ran into her mom once while shopping, but that's about it.) This friend had moved to Zoo York and had spent quite a bit of time there. She moved back recently, Googled churches in the area, and ended up at Blackhawk. How weird is that? An old pastor I knew would call that a "God Sighting" and I don't think I could disagree.

As if that's not enough, my mom wanted to go see "The End of the Spear" this weekend. I knew it was about missionaries in Ecuador, and knew a little something about the story, but nothing significant. After 27 years of life, my mom finally tells me that I was named after one of those missionaries: Nate Saint. Of course, after seeing that flick, I apparently have HUGE shoes to fill. And I'm trying to find a new pair of checkershoes!

THEN... tomorrow night, I show up at church and find out that one of the 2 new members of my small group lives a block away from me. Seriously?! I figured that I was the oddball of this 20-something group and my small group because I was the only person from the Eastside, let alone the Northside.

It's a small world after all... Just never go on that ride at Disneyworld; you'll go crazy halfway through.