the wilkie!

this picture is from June 2007 (duh, right? since it says it on there) - four years before we would be married... I always loved the Wilkie.  I'm not sure if we knew that it was going to be torn down soon or not - do you remember when that was announced?  So, anyways, we took ourselves down to the levee for a little photo shoot.  I also remember that we ate at Bub's on this same day, and Joe was working second shift - when he went to work, I went to my parents' house.  we had only been together one year at this point, and would have four years six months and twenty one days left of our perfect life together. forever my love.

tonight's grocery shopping experience has been different since all the others in the last 3 months 16 days... i think it is because i am starting to think about my eating after my sweet pea is here.  i'm getting more and more excited to rejoin weight watchers, and i'm starting to wean myself off of this wonderful pregnancy diet i put myself on.  so, i'm thinking about pre-pregnancy grocery shopping, all of the times joe and i shopped (first of all, i NEVER did it alone - we always did it together)... we would buy baked chips for me and delicious chips for him... healthy cereal for me and delicious cereal for him... laughing cow cheese for me and some delicious sliced cheese for him... do you get the point?  so tonight i started buying healthier options and got sad that i am only buying those, and not their delicious not-so-healthy counterparts... then bringing it all in, i actually said out loud "ok honey, i'll bring it in and you put it away."  you see, we really did everything together and shared most tasks... (i say most because he cleaned more than i did, and there are things he would tell you that i never did.)  we would both bring the bags in, and i would put away the stuff that went in the cupboard, he would do the freezer, and we would share the fridge... he was so much better at packing the freezer than i.  i miss him so much.  take my sadness and turn it into gladness in your relationships... how do you treat your significant other?  how do you spend time together?  now take also the peace, love, and joy i have from God and think about your significant other - what if you lost them?  what if tonight you got your last kiss from him/her?  what would your life look like tomorrow?  who would you turn to for support?  how would you go on living each day?

We each may come into this life in different classes - rich, poor, etc. - but, we leave this life one of two: saved or sunk... and sinking is totally preventable.  today, the door of salvation is wide open - but some day, it will shut.  once we are dead, there is no second chance - when you die, will God say, "I never knew you"?  will the door be closed?  don't wait for 'someday' to come before you accept Christ - you don't know when you will die.  Being religious is good, knowing Christ as your Savior is better.  Going to church is good, coming to Christ is better.  You can't get into Heaven by sitting in church your entire life, being close to a Christian, or being in a Christian family... you have to be a true believer and accept Christ as your Savior for yourself.  (you can't go to Heaven hanging onto someones coat-tails)  Just because you go to church doesn't mean you are truly converted.

Romans 8:28

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

God give me the strength to live out every day for you. 

 Lord, help me to be ready for whatever comes my way. 

I will sing, sing, sing,

to my God my King,

when all else fades away

and I will love, love, love

with this heart you gave,

for you've been good always.