To Get a Dog or Not to Get a Dog...?!

Hello Everyone, especially all of you dog lovers and dog knowers,

Andrew and I have been considering for quite a while whether or not to get a dog. We go back and forth and back and forth. 3 months into our marriage, we brought home an adorable little puppy named, Hudson, a lab vizsla mix. Unfortunately, after a week we had to take him back. He was a dog that had been rescued and it turned out that he had been fairly heavily abused, causing him severe separation anxiety as well as soiling himself and his cage constantly.

I loved every minute with Hudson. He was such a people lover and loved nothing more than to snuggle up with me, but for the long-term, keeping him and having both of us humans sane was just not an option. So, we took him back.

It has been my lifelong dream to have a dog, but there are a lot of factors to consider.

Andrew and I set out and made a list of the things we wanted in a dog:

- not a lap dog (apparently that's not manly enough! :0) )
- does not shed
- family dog
- medium amount of exercise
- intelligent and easy to train
- not a constant barker
- not a lot of health problems
- needs to be able to stay at home while we are at work

I've taken several tests on-line to see what kind of a dog we should get and nothing satisfactory came up.

I love Hungarian Vizslas! I know that is not a very common dog here in the United States, but in the past week, I was overjoyed to see two in Wheaton. Of course, I had to go right up to the owners and ask them if that's what they were. They would say "yes" and I would just stare at the dog and smile. Creepy!!! I know. :0)

Anyway, the only problem with Vizslas is that they do require quite a bit of exercise. Websites say that you should take them out for at least an hour walk every day. That's a lot, especially when the days get shorter and the temperature gets colder.

Here are a few pictures of what Vizslas look like:





Aren't they just the most beautiful dogs in the whole entire world?

Ok, so here is the question to all of you out there...

1) Do you have a dog breed that you would recommend to us?
2) What should we know before getting a dog?

One of us tends to be rather spontaneous and the other a super planner and needs all of her ducks in a row before making a decision like this. It's a big commitment and we just want to make sure that we do the right thing.

What do you think? Any thoughts? Suggestions?

Learning to live a life of obedience in the same direction...

Over the past few months, I feel like I am finding some answers to questions that I have been asking myself for the past year or so, even if some of those answers mean that I won't know in this lifetime and I just have to wait until I see Jesus face to face. That's hard, but I am leaning slowly that I need to content myself with that answer.

You see, I am probably one of the biggest planners you have ever met. I like, no LOVE, having a plan... some distinct direction that I am going in, something that I am striving for to achieve. As soon as I left the womb, I knew that I was going to go to college. As a little girl and teenager, I dreamed of being married and having children. College and marriage were deep down the things that I was waiting for... that was where my life was headed. About 20 months ago, "those two goals were met". I graduated from a school that I absolutely loved and I married my best friend. I thought life would be perfect then, having gotten to where I had always dreamed of being. Shouldn't I be fully satisfied? I thought so... but instead, I questioned, "what now?" Panic overcame me and so many questions began to arise in me. No longer did I have a plan and here I am just a quarter of my life lived. What am I going to do for the next 60 or so years?!!! The achiever and planner in me were/are simply not satisfied.

At times the pain felt like it was too much and the questions just seemed to echo off the walls without any answers. Why am I here? What's the point? If I'm made for Heaven, why can't I just go now? God, what do you want from and with me?

As I am processing through all of this with some of my mentors, I am beginning to understand that I may very well never know "why" I am here. For some reason, God created me for His pleasure and my job here on earth is to live for His glory and love Him with all that I have. I need to content myself with the fact that one day I will know what this life was all about and that is when I see Jesus face to face.

Accepting that fact is more tricky on some days than others.

Until then, what am I supposed to do?

In college, we talked A LOT about calling. I did not really understand the big deal about all of that back then, after all, I was still living my "calling" my finishing up college. I had a plan! Now what, though?! I have never "felt called" to be some big street evangelist, go into the business world, or have any other big career motivation.

I am beginning to understand that some people have a very definite and easy to see path in life, but that most people do not.

So, what are all of us who do not have a life map until we are 80 all drawn out supposed to do? Answer: Be obedient one day at a time. Go to bed each night, knowing that my day glorified the Lord by serving the people that He has placed around me. It's that simple.

It's so simple and yet still hard to accept on some days.

The game plan: Live one day at a time and not worry about a year, 20 years or 40 years from now, but just live each day to its fullest. It sounds so simple, now I just have to get my mind and heart to cooperate.

Have any insights? Thanks for you prayers!

Wow!

All I can say is: THAT IS QUITE A FASHION STATEMENT! :0)

Oh, the British and their CRAZY HATS!

Today was the big day! Kate and William are finally married.

I don't know about you, but I wanted to make sure that I caught this big historic event. After all, I want to be able to tell my children one day that I saw Princess Kate and Prince William get married just like my parents talk about the day that Lady Di and Prince Charles got married or some other big event happened. I did not get up at 5 a.m. to watch it, but I did TiVo it. :)

I have to say, I am quite surprised at my reaction. I think most people in my immediate family, including myself, would have thought that I would get all wrapped up in this romance. After all, I was the one in the street car 6th through basically 10th grade was grinning from to ear to ear as I was reading a romantic section from my much beloved romantic teen fiction.

The truth is, I came home and turned on the recording and for several hours tried to get excited and swept up in this fairy tale - but I didn't. It seemed like a facade - not the real thing at all.

Don't get me wrong, I thought Kate's dress was beautiful. STUNNING. She was breath-taking.

The main thing that kept me watching were definitely the hats. Have you ever seen such head accessories in your life? Wow, I finally understand what my dad means when he says, "Oh, the British and their hats!" :0)

On the whole, though, I came away quite saddened. There was a sanctuary filled with 1900 people stumbling along as they were trying to sing beautifully rich lyrics, but their hearts were left completely unmoved by the magnitude of their meaning. The lyrics are filled with words of praise to God, but if felts as if the words were being lost as soon as they escaped the lips of the mouths by which they were being uttered.

I listened to the words of the bishops and did not find flaw in the theology of them, but I did not find them compelling to worship either. Rooms and sanctuaries can be decorated and elegant to the nth degree, but unless the ceremony turns our complete focus to Christ as the center - there will always be a big void. The true beauty of a wedding is when the Gospel is at its center. The evidence of His love and grace shines brightly through the very vulnerability that a believing bride and groom feel as they enter into this sacred covenant on their wedding day. These two people will change in the coming years - no doubt. Who is to say that they will not grow apart and decide that they are just not "right" for one another anymore?

There is no guarantee, but when Christ is at the center of that marriage, then reconciliation, forgiveness, sacrificial love and the power of the love of God is on their side, which conquers all obstacles. It is His power that is made evident and perfect in our weakness that is at the same time mind boggling as well as breath-takingly beautiful.

I've always loved weddings. I love the "magical" aspect about them. Like many if not most girls, I've always had the desire to be a princess and be absolutely beautiful and swept off my feet by my handsome groom. The day would be beautiful and perfect.

That day came for me. And no, it was not as I expected it to be, it is far more meaningful than anything I could of imagined. It has taken me a good amount of time to come to grips with my own vulnerability in this situation, but as I sit back almost a year and half later, I would not describe the life as a wife as "magical" because as a wife I am still living life, everyday life, which has its ups and downs. Instead, the word that comes to mind is "grace". Here we are, two individuals with our own personalities and desires partnering in this thing called "life". And God, in His amazing grace and abounding love, breaks the wills of these two people as they attack life together. Love grows despite the struggles, putting aside our own selves, as we seek to emulate Christ and in so doing learn to truly love.

Now, to me, that is a truly beautiful picture and something that I cannot get enough of.

Pumped!!!

This past weekend, I got pumped. Really really pumped. About what? Well, the fact that I am going to the European Leadership Forum and am serving with one of the most incredible volunteer teams, working to support something I think is so important.

To be honest, I had not been looking forward to the weekend very much. I was nervous how everything was going to go at the Volunteer Training since I had been responsible for putting it all together. We had a really tough start to the day, but once we go there, boy, it just took off and I had to hold on. The time went by so incredibly quickly.

I met wonderful wonderful people, whose applications and personality tests, etc. I have been processing for the past 5 months and I finally got to meet them. What a wonderful group of people who are coming. I can't wait to meet the other half who are going to be coming from Scottsdale.

There was so much laughter and such a sense of community and joint purpose within just seconds of being together. Ever since college, I have been missing that sense of community and it was just refreshing to be on a team together.

My boss cast the vision of the Forum on Saturday morning, which was followed by an amazing introduction to what our role is going to be at the Forum: serving, loving, working with excellence, and being flexible. I was deeply touched by Pastor Eric's words as he described how Christ's disciples were floored every day as they walked with Jesus and he performed one miracle after the other. The Forum is such an incredibly big thing with so many people and so many tasks and we are going to have the privilege of seeing God show up and work.

I loved getting to talk and connect and with so many different personalities - each person bringing a different set of strengths to the table.

It is my heart to see Europe change. It needs to change desperately as it continues to become more and more secularized. I don't just read statistics about people who are spiritually isolated, but I think about people in my life for whom I wish there was more spiritual nourishment. I long for my childhood friends to have godly mentors pouring into their lives. The resources simply aren't there. That is why I am so excited and supportive of this ministry. Let's empower the leaders that do exist. Let's help them network together and give them resources.

It is my dream, that one day not only my friends and some of my family members will have godly people pouring into their lives, but millions of other Europeans as well.

Five more weeks until Hungary.... :0)

Day 4 - Finally Friday!

Well, it's day 4. After a what seemed like and incredibly long day at work, I talked to my mom on the phone, ate dinner with the Tebbe fam, talked to Mom Tebbe about traveling to VA tomorrow for Meredith's baby shower, went on a little shopping adventure, talked to my grandparents on the phone, got my stuff in order - am traveling super light - and am ready to do some reading and head off to bed. 4 am is going to come awfully early!

Sionara!

On Day 3

...So, what have we done so far?

Tuesday: Library to get some books. Both of us were successful. Gym for me and Andrew headed to Buswell Library to get studied up for leading Bible study. We both came home and had a leisurely evening of reading.

Wednesday: great dinner with Mom and Dad Tebbe. We brought Saga to us. I headed off to an appointment and Andrew headed to Bible Study. When we were both home we had a good chat, read and off to bed.

Thursday: Date Night! Andrew took me to York Town Mall. Burger King for him and California Rolls for me. They're pretty good, inexpensive and they make them right on the spot. I got a whole meal for under five dollars! We shopped around until Andrew had reached his limit. Went to the photo booth for the first time and took some funny, but rather scary pictures and on the way home stopped at Hobby Lobby to pick up some needed craft supply. My husband was incredibly gracious. Now I am at home and waiting for a phone call form a very very special person.

So far, I would say things are going well. :0)