Double digits

Well, the day has finally come when the number of days till I get married is in the double digits instead of triple. 99 days from today is May 21 and I'm exited. I had a kid at North Clay tell me that I would regret it and had made a mistake. I couldn't disagree more. Sure, she and I have had and will have problems that need to be worked out, cold spells to overcome, and times where we annoy one another, but that's just part of life. There isn't a person in the world who can say that you have been 100% delighted by your best friend/favorite co-worker/mailman (I'm stretching for illustrations, can you tell?) at every single moment in life. No! That's silly to think and as unrealistic in other relationships as it is in a marriage. Anyways, I'm still not freaking out about anything yet. She got a phone call yesterday and her dress came in at the shop. The bridesmaids dresses are ordered and ought to be in late March. The wedding party is in place, counseling is almost done, things are getting paid for, and reservations are being and have been made. It's a joy right now, honestly. I'm so pleased with Laura as a person and as a fiancee. I'm grateful to the Lord for making her and for giving us the opportunity to meet. So, I guess I should have someone check my math, but as I calculate, I have less than 100 days till I'm no longer single. It may sound to some like I'm gloating, and to a certain extent I am. I just can't help it! But I'll shut up now so I don't lose any readers who might be finding themselves just the faintest bit queasy right now.

Proverbs 11:7 says, "When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes; all he expected from his power comes to nothing". The wicked live for the now. Their lives are really only focused on what happens from the moment they take their first breath until the moment they breathe their last, however that might come to pass. Power usually seems to be the focus of their life. In various forms, whether as a child it's terrorizing siblings or neighborhood dogs to adulthood, striking fear into the heart of a battered spouse or controling a large crime ring, power is the goal. His only hope in this world is that he finds the power he seeks and keeps the power he has. This verse tells us why. After his life comes to an end, he has no hope. All the hope there was to have he squandered on things that would not last. He misused the time he had here on earth and now has nothing to show for it, because our spirit goes on into eternity. I think that's the essense of a spirit. Of all that we can gain in this world, what we need to seek are the things that will last into the hereafter. Worldly things, like power, will not stand the test of time, in this world or that. In this world, power changes hands quickly. Ultimately, the God who created the universe, the Lord Almighty has all the power and whatever we have has come from him. The things that we can gain in this world that will make a positive difference for us in the next are righteousness, godliness, charity, virtue, love, and goodness. These things will make the passage into eternity a lot more pleasant because we will be rewarded for them. But as the old saying goes, "You can't take it with you", those things that people waste so much of life chasing after will in the end amount to nothing.

Two big events coming up soon:
Jr. High Winter Retreat at Camp Illiana: March 16-17
Sr. High Spring Retreat at Johnson Bible College: March 31-April 2
These events are consistantly good and cost very little. Sign up and put them on your calendars.

Later...