Wanted: A church home

We've started the search of looking for a church home. Why, you ask. Because I love Jesus and want to try to be a better Christian. I also want to raise a family in a God-loving home. There are literally hundreds of churches to choose from in Houston. We're looking for something in between traditional and contemporary. A few weeks ago we went to a super traditional Episcopalian church. That wasn't the one. We need to find somewhere with young people who actually talk to each other. Not the case there. That's ok, on to the next one. Today we had planned to visit a Lutheran church not to far from our house. They have a early traditional service and a later contemporary service. We did a little research before we went and learned that on the 5th Sunday of the month (which today was), they do a unified bilingual service. We were thinking it would be in Spanish. I also thought it would probably be in English and Spanish because the English speaking crowd would still need a service to go to on the 5th Sundays of the month. We live in an area with a high Hispanic and Korean population. We drove by the church and saw a sign written in Korean and 2 Korean gentlemen directing traffic. We chickened out and decided not to go in, but to try this church on a "regular" Sunday. Why is it so intimidating to go to a church for the first time? I feel so uncomfortable going to visit somewhere for the first time. Too bad we can't be flies on the wall to just "see" how things work in a church. I really don't like feeling this way because after all its just a group of people who love Jesus. Why should I be so scared of them? Am I afraid they'll actually talk to me? This "finding a church home" busines clearly isn't an overnight process. I continue to pray that God will lead us to the right place and I know He will.

Reflections

Things have really been put into perspective for me lately. I've realized how easy it is to be in your own little bubble and be oblivious to the outside world. It's very easy to get caught up in material things and forget what really matters in life. My mind is constantly "on" these days. Sometimes I feel like I can literally see the world spinning around me. It's times like that when I have to stop and take a deep breath. It's also a wonderful feeling knowing that I'm not alone in the crazy game of life. Call me crazy but there have been many days lately where I can physically feel God's arms around me. I also have my partner in crime to celebrate the good and deal with the not so good. I pray every night that I will be a good wife. This world isn't all about me. Kinda sad that it took me 32 years to realize that, but better late than never. I understand what people meant now when they said you really figure out who you are in your 30s.

New Beginnings

I have another first day of school under my belt. Hard to believe that 9 years ago I was fresh out of graduate school working in Center, TX. My how things have changed from the days of driving behind chicken trucks to work everyday. I'm thankful to have found a career that I truly enjoy. It was so cool today to see those little guys come to school so excited. I'm also enjoying working at the new private practice. It's a different kind of therapy and the extra cha-ching doesn't hurt either.

I've taken a break from the wedding planning but it's time to start getting back on the wagon. My current projects are photographer and DJ. We went to an open house at the Westlake Club this weekend and it was so exciting to walk through and see everything. I could actually picture what the night of our reception will be like. Can't wait to be married!

We've officially begun the task of finding a church home. We've only visited 1 Episcopal church and it wasn't for us. I like tradition but this was too traditional. We walked in and it was silent. No one was talking to anyone. There also weren't any young people there. So on to the next one. There's a lutheran church near here that we're checking out next. God will show us to the right one!

Under Construction

So today is my first day back at work. It actually felt good to go back and I'm excited to what's in store for this year. Since our school was built in 1938, the process of building a new school began over the summer. It was weird driving up this morning to see several buildings totally gone and we have a new area to park in. They've also moved in a village of portable buildings, lovingly known as the "condos". I am in the same room as last year. I was so excited last year to walk into this room and see a window. Nothing beats natural light. To my surprise the window has now been boarded up since construction is happening right outside my window. Looking at the big picture, our new school will be so nice even if all I heard this morning was dump trucks and hammering. I'm coming off the high of a great summer and trying to transition to my "thinking" hat. This morning I was just sitting in my room thinking of ways to arrange it. Here's to another year!

Yes to the Dress!

We have a wedding dress! Mom, Karen, and Vanessa were here today to start the search. I had set up 2 appointments today and 1 tomorrow to try on dresses. I saw this dress in the David's Bridal catalog about a month ago. I kept looking at this dress so I decided that DB would be the first store to visit. We had a really awesome salesgirl who worked with me and let me try on whatever I wanted. She got me. So I tried on the dress that I had in my mind first. I put it on and wow. I loved it! Wanting to see what else was out there, I tried on several others. One was so lacy it looked like a tablecloth and one was really beautiful but was so heavy. I kept it on for a while but I was uncomfortable in the 10 minutes I had it on, so I decided it wasn't a good choice. After trying on all the other options, I tried on the original dress. I got the feeling of "I never want to take this dress off" so I walked around the store with it on for a while. I said yes to the dress and we all cheered. That was a fun moment. We found a matching veil. Got an awesome deal on the dress and veil.

Dreams

So I was told that I would start having wedding dreams (good & bad) once we started the planning process. I believed that just about as much as I believed that I would carry around a notebook containing wedding details at all times. Well, I do carry a notebook with me, along with a calendar and accordian file, and the dreams have started. My first one was that mom became a Mother-of-the-bride-zilla and demanded that each and every guest be escorted down the aisle to their seat. Now, anyone who knows Mom would know that she would never do that. The next one was actually one that my sister had. We were getting ready in a hotel room along with several of my cousins. I was ready to go take pictures and my sister hadn't even showered yet. My cousins were all in line to get ready and weren't letting Karen take a turn to shower. Again, never would happen. I do find it amusing though that my sister is having dreams about weddings even though she's been married almost 2 months now. My recent dream had to do with a wedding dress. We're dress shopping this week so I think that's what inspired this one. I found the perfect wedding dress and wore it to school everyday.

Home is Where the Heart Is

Our new house is starting to feel like home. Most everything has found a happy home. This is such an exciting time in my life. I'm finally living my dream. I knew one day it would happen. God has a funny way of operating sometimes. There were times when I would get so mad at Him and wonder what I did to tick him off because he hadn't sent me anybody yet. Now I know that he was just making me hold out for the right one. And boy did he pick a good one! I'll just chalk my 20s up to one, big learning experience. I knew when I went skydiving on my 30th birthday that this decade would be good. Two years later, I haven't been disappointed.

A huge load has been lifted from my shoulders now that we have a wedding date and a place. Next task is dress shopping. Mom and Karen are coming to Houston next week to begin the search. I have a picture in my head and saw a dress I really like at David's Bridal. My wish is that I walk in to DB, try it on, and say yes to the dress. But just in case, I also made several other appointments while they're here. I get goosebumps just thinking about trying on wedding dresses.

I'm enjoying these last couple of weeks before I go back to school. I feel like I've accomplished so much this summer. I'm going to miss my mid-morning workouts. It will be time to get on a new schedule. I am looking forward to school starting though. I miss those little guys! I work at a transient school so I'm just hoping that most of my little friends return this year.

We're also starting the task of looking for a church home. It's something Neal and I are on the same page about. We have a list of churches to start visiting. As I was searching for churches, I think its so cool that Houston just about has a church for everybody. All different languages and interests. There is even a Houston Church for the Deaf nearby. That might be neat to visit. I might not agree with everyone's views but one of the reasons that America is so great is that everyone can worship as they choose and feel welcome.