Sunday, December 31, 2006

49 Hours

You know, I was thinking. Here I am on a Sunday morning in Waterford, Michigan. Rachel and I attended the early service at her church so that we can get some things finished with moving my stuff into her house. What that means is that there are some things that she needs to do by herself in the house and she needed me to "get lost" for awhile. Trust me when I say that being a Starbuck's drinking a fine cup of brew and blogging are better than me saying "let me help" and her saying "I can do it faster by myself"! Since I hadn't checked emails for over a week, this seemed like the prudent thing to do.

Right now we are looking at just under fortynine hours until the time that we are to be wed. I am excited and ready to get this new era of my life started. God has brought us together for His purposes and we are constantly looking at that in our lives. My life has changed tremendously in 2006 and my hope is that through all of these changes that I am honoring God. I am looking forward to being a married man with a very loving and faithful woman like Rachel. We do have our moments like any other couple has but through it all we love one another and have always been able to work things out. God has been so good to us and we both recognize that. He is our rock and our deliverer and He will bring us through every challenge that we may face in our lives.

As a guy I have found that my thoughts and views on things do different from that of the woman that I love. The stresses of finding just the right thing to wear for the ceremony and exactly how we are going to make room for Doug's stuff in the closet just don't impact me the same way they do Rachel but I have learned a lot through this process. I need to stay grounded and focused and never ever try to jump in and help unless I am asked to do so. It is difficult to just stand back and let someone else do the work (especially if I think that I could help) but I keep reminding myself that we have been two separate people for a lot of years and that it will take time for our lives to completely meld together. We will get there though, that I am sure.

To all those who read this blog I would like to wish all of you a Happy New Year and all of my love for the year to come. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

2006 A Year In Review

You know, I was thinking. This year the Pudgeman has had more changes happening in his life than ever before. Like the tendancy to refer to himself in the third person. As I was contemplating posting something this morning I thought why not share the highlights of the year with all of my avid readers. So for you enjoyment I present to you The Pudgeman 2006 Year In Review:

January: Cold, lonely, snow, think I need to start dating again. Why not try one of those internet dating services? In fact let's sign up on my birthday. Decision made, the Pudgeman will date again.

February: Started meeting people online and began the dating process. Wow, this is a lot like work! So many women yet so little time, let's narrow it down. Who's this chick from Waterford? She keeps writing back evertime I right her something. She looks pretty hot in her picture. Let's meet her on the 28th for coffee.
Emily swallows a barrette and momma had to go into the hospital. Very busy month overall, lots happening.

March: Many emotional highs and lows. Great to be dating again and this chick from Waterford seems really cool. I keep asking her out and she keeps saying yes! I dunno what will happen here but it seems pretty good to me. Momma has been inproving and emily has fully recovered. My uncle in New Jersey passes away. This dating service has got to stop though. I have been introduced to a bunch of women but have been concentrating on one. Rachel comes to Newsong and two days later informs me that there is somebody else that she has been talking to and is really confused about stuff. I hit about a low as I have ever hit personally, financially and emotionally. Will the valley ever end? Beware of the ides of March, now I know why Julius Ceasar was killed in March! Well, the month will end soon and spring is around the corner! I think I will start working out again, that could help.

April: God has got to give me a sign right away about Rachel. Go out for coffee after the play, share our first kiss, sign is given. Three days later other guys is out of the picture, what's that I see? Oh, it's a green light! By the end of the month I knew that I was in love with this woman. All other aspects of life inprove as well. Finances and emotions are on an up swing.

May - July: Life is good, life is busy and life is worth living. Getting to know this woman that I love and her family have taken up a lot of my time. NewSong is growing and I am trying to balance social, professional and spiritual activities. The Tigers are playing great ball, hey they could go all the way. It is a difficult month but many good things are possible. I get happy and frustrated all at the same time. God is good and keeps me going through all of it!

August: Not much going on early in the month but oh yeah, Rachel and I got engaged!

September: Vacation at the Thorpe's, Labor Day Invitational, BBQ Blowout and we are planning a July wedding.

October: Celebrated Rachel's birthday. Life is going crazy, driving is driving both of us nuts. We are both nearing the end of our roap with stress! Tigers loose the World Series in five games. Let's change the wedding date to January instead of July! Great plan, let's do something real small and we can have a party in July for everyone as well. On another note, momma has to have surgery! This is going to be a rough one.

November: Short vacation to Memphis, momma goes into and comes out of rehab, my brother comes to visit for a week, another uncle passes away and Thanksgiving day all in the same month. Novemeber is just a big blur!

December: Plant is shutting down for two weeks, get the opportunity to be reunited with my daughter that I haven't seen in 14 years, I am getting married in a month and oh yeah we have to fit Christmas in there somewhere! I am tired! But God is good and life is busy but wonderful.

There it is, for what it's worth. I cannot think of another year where my life has changed so dramatically. God is certainly bringing me through some tough times and allowing me some good time. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Life Is Funny

You know, I was thinking. Sometimes life just gives you something really funny that you just have to share with the whole world. Last night I was up in Waterford. Rachel and I had to go by Office Max and then went to dinner. When we got back to her house I had to use the bathroom so I go in and do my business and then realize that the neccessary paper product that was needed was absent from the scene! Well, I began to weigh my options! Some of the considerations I will not share publically but just suffice it to say that I felt I had options. Since I could reach the door from a seated position I thought about opening it up and yelling for Rachel. I didn't like that plan much and was hesitant to do it! Just then I remembered a piece of valuable technology that was fastened to my belt! I grabbed my cell phone and called Rachel's cell! She answered kind of strangely and I said "honey...." She laughed and said "do you need toilet paper?" I said in my shy voice "uh huh!" In just a couple of minutes she is outside the door saying "special delivery!"

The topper to all of this was that at the time I called her, she was in the upstairs bathroom! Isn't life funny? With all of the stuff that might be happening with you today try to take some time to laugh a little bit. If you don't, God may allow you to be in a situation where you just have to laugh. Be blessed beyond belief today.

Sunday, December 03, 2006

Sarah Beth

You know, I was thinking. It is funny sometimes how God works. You can pray and pray about something and just when you've adjusted to what is apparently an answer of NO, God makes it a yes.

On October 8, 1986 Sarah Elizabeth was born. This folks is my daughter. She was the joy of my life and a precious little girl. Sarah was only about six years old when her mother and I divorced. After a few months of trying to be her daddy I realized that the life that I was living was not one that I wanted to drag my little girl though. Custody had already been given to her maternal grandparents (who are wonderful people) so I left her life so that she could have a "normal" kind of existance. Later on I allowed those same grandparents to adopt Sarah and decided that it was the best thing for her. I still question my decisions but God has handled everything in only the way that he can.

Just last Tuesday I found out that my nieces Tonya and Angie had made contact with Sarah and that Sarah was open to me contacting her. I was estatic!! I wanted my little girl (now 20) back in my life and now I had the chance to have a relationship with Sarah again. There is a lot of stuff for us to share and for us to deal with but we are on our way. God only knows what the future holds for us but I am willing to be patient and allow the healing to take place that needs to happen with both of us. I am truly blessed!

I say all of that to say this. Don't give up on God. Twelve short months ago I was alone and had no idea where or when I could ever find happiness. Today I am less than a month from my wedding and I have been in contact with Sarah! God really has given me some blessings that I am unworthy of receiving. I am glad that God doesn't require any of us to be "worthy" of blessings. All things are done in God's time and the way He wants them done. I know many of you who regularly read this understand what it is like to wait on God. Please understand that there is an answer that God is just waiting to give you. Pastor Tom has often said that God has three answers to prayer: Yes, no and grow. I got the answer to grow and then God gave me a resounding yes! What an incredible gift!

Wait on God and he will be faithful. Know that he cares and loves you more than you can even imagine. Be blessed beyond belief today.