We interrupt our regularly scheduled program to bring you this report:

Jake pitched in the Home Talent League All Star Game tonight in Madison.  He did great.  If there’s anything I enjoy, it’s a baseball game under the lights on a beautiful summer night.  I am always amazed when either one of my boys takes the mound.  I think to myself, “Who is that….man?”  *sigh*

We will now return to our regularly scheduled wedding countdown.

This afternoon I went into the dining room to get my daily allotment of two Jordan almonds and was shocked to find that the bag had been moved.  Evidently, I have not been the only one dipping into the delectable treats.  But who?  The boys never go into the dining room so I didn’t think they were the culprits.  Besides, they really aren’t the Jordan almond-types. 

It had to be PB.  When I confronted him with the evidence, he gave me that wide-eyed innocent look before realizing he was cornered.  He admitted to taking two almonds out of the bag, but quickly added that he didn’t really like them that much. 

Sixteen more days.  Man, will I be glad to get this candy out of the house.  It’s turning us into thieves and liars.

Tucked into the pages of Deuteronomy 24 there is a gem.  In the midst of laws about tithes and offerings and uncleanness in the camp, under the heading “Miscellaneous Laws” is this treasure:

“If a man has recently married, he must not be sent to war or have any other duty laid on him.  For one year he is to be free to stay at home and bring happiness to the wife he has married.”  Deut. 24:5

Sounds like a year long honeymoon to me!  Can you imagine?  The husband’s only duty was to bring happiness to his bride.  The Message version puts it like this:  “When a man takes a new wife, he is not to go out with the army or be given any business or work duties. He gets one year off simply to be at home making his wife happy.”

I admit there’s a lot of Old Testament laws that I just don’t know what to do with, such as “Do not cook a young goat in its mothers milk,” or “Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material”.  I’m sure there’s some significance to those commands but I haven’t got a clue.  However, this one in Deuteronomy makes more sense to me.  I wouldn’t mind my husband dedicating a year of his life to making me happy.  Wait a minute.  PB has pretty much dedicated his whole life to making me happy.  Huh.

Dan and Anna, make each other happy your whole life long.

RSPV means “répondez s’il vous plaît”,  or “please respond”.

I’ve been guilty of failing to send back those little response cards that come in wedding invitations.  I’m so sorry.  It does put the hosts in an awkward position.  Do you call, text, or email, “So are you coming or not?!”  But then, maybe the invitation got lost in the mail because the zip code was wrong on the envelope and it’s sitting in a post office somewhere, languishing.  I made a list of over 50 invitees who are keeping us guessing.  That could put us off by 100 meatballs.  That’s 50 cake balls I don’t need to dip. 

I read again the story Jesus told in Matthew 22 about the father who was putting on a wedding banquet for his son.  Except nobody came.  He sent out servants to let the guests know it was party time, but they gave all kinds of excuses why they couldn’t attend.  One bought a field (won’t it still be there tomorrow?), another bought a cow (come on, really? a cow?) and a third had just gotten married himself (I’ll buy that one).  So, the father brought in beggars off the street to fill the reception hall. 

The invitation is out there.  God has sent it.  He’s waiting for our RSVP.  Please, come.

I didn’t do anything wedding related today, except eat two Jordan almonds.  I’m limiting myself to two Jordan almonds a day.  And no more licorice. 

I feel like this is the lull before the storm.  Nothing is pressing right now. So I’m focusing my attention on getting things prepared for the programs that will start at church in September.  Once the wedding circus train starts rolling full steam, it will be nice to know things are set for Sunday school and Bible studies.  

It’s kinda hard to think about going back to regular life after the weddding. 

But then, there really isn’t such a thing as “regular” life, is there?  

A new adventure will be waiting!

Today is a day of rest.   And I ain’t kiddin’. 

Went to church, watched a movie, watched part of a ballgame, took a walk, read a book, watched another movie, went to bed.  Amen.

I was gone most of the day today, and it’s a good thing.  It’s getting dangerous around here.  There are bags and bags of candy on the dining room table.  The sweet treats are for the reception’s candy buffet, but I may have to put all that sugary temptation in a locked trunk…in the basement….with dynamite wrapped around it. 

I’ve always had a sweet tooth.  When I was a kid, there was a drawer in the kitchen that always had a bag of licorice in it.  I remember my mom stopping in at the drugstore on the way home from the dentist to buy me candy for being a good girl.  I often had a bad tummy ache on my birthday because the night before was Halloween and I had over-indulged in all the goodies from trick-or-treating.

Now I have to face boxes and boxes and pounds and pounds of candy every stinkin’ day.  That container of 100 pieces of licorice?  Well, there’s more like 95 pieces now.  And the 5# of Jordan almonds?  Uh…make that 4.8#.  I had to make sure the strawberry-banana taffy wasn’t too hard.  It wasn’t.  I needed to see if the raspberry drops really do takes like raspberries.  They do. 

Three more weeks.  I sure hope there’s some candy left.  I sure hope my dress still fits.

Today, PB loaded up a U-Haul trailor in Minnesota and unloaded the U-Haul trailor in Iowa.  And he’s driving back to Wisconsin tonight. 

When our oldest daughter moved out to Oregon, PB drove out with her. Leaving her out there was really tough for him.  Dads just want to protect their little girls.  It took a two day train ride home to pull himself together.  This time he’s only got a five hour car ride.  I’d better wait up for him.

 There’s a big empty space in the storage room where all her boxes were piled up. 

 Her bedroom will now be the guest room. 

 Huh. 

 It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the details that go into making a wedding day special and memorable.  Months of planning, list-making, and shopping are poured into this one day.  A person could get caught up in the details and lose sight of the point of all this!   

This morning, I felt a need to get grounded.  I had gone a few days without a quiet time and my spirit was dehydrated, so it was time for some Living Water.  I opened up my Bible to John 2 where Jesus was at a wedding and provided wine when they ran out.  I wonder if He could do that with cake pops.  Then I went to Matthew 22 where Jesus told a story about people who were invited to a wedding but didn’t RSVP so the host brought in others off the street to enjoy the celebration.  I guess we could do that.

But it was Revelation 19 that really got my attention.  “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!”  Someday the church (that’s us) will be the Bride at a wedding to end all weddings.  It’s exciting to think that there are preparations going on right now for this big event that will be the climax, the culmination of an eternity of planning and preparation.  I really don’t care what is served at that reception (what will heavenly food taste like?!) or what I will be wearing (what will the bridal gown look like?!).  The only thing that will really matter is seeing my Beloved, my Savior, and rejoicing with Him. 

Just as the details will melt away when my daughter looks down the aisle to see the one she loves waiting for her.

Awhile ago some dear friends put on a lovely bridal shower for Anna.  Each guest was asked to write down a bit of advise for the bride-to-be.  It can be a real challenge to come up with profound bits of wisdom in a moment’s notice.  However, it does force one to condense what otherwise could become pages of counsel.  If you had to boil down years of ups and downs in marriage, what is the best advise you would give?

My beautiful sisters and friends didn’t disappoint.  Here’s what they wrote: 

Listen first.  Then talk.  It’s not 50/50.  It’s more like 110/110.  Take time to have fun.  It takes 10 positive remarks to balance 1 negative.  Love!  Love!  Love!

Pray together even when you don’t want to.  Have fun together even when you don’t feel like it.

Remember that your parents love you so much.  It’s not that they need to know everything you do – they just like being included in your daily lives because you will always be in their thoughts, even when you are 40 years old.

Be slow to anger and remember that neither opinion is necessarily right or wrong, just different.

Count your blessings…. Live well, laugh often, love much.

Marriage is give and take….we all need grace….continue to put God first, everything else will fall into place….

Make your home a haven that your husband can look forward to at the end of the day…greet him with a smile and a hug and tell him how much you love and respect him….your marriage will blossom. 

One card held a recipe for a happy marriage.  I chuckled at one of the ingredients: 1 small pinch in-laws. 

From the bridesmaid: Always be sure to cough when you flatulate.  (Good advise whether married or not.) 

And from the youngest shower guest: Take Dan to Knuckleheads (a local pizzeria and fun zone).

Good advise, all!!  Anything to add to this fantastic list?  Comment, please!