Our Glorious Days: A Glorious Goodbye with our story attached.

Let it be known. I am listening to Death Cab For Cutie as I begin this farewell. Pandora, what else can I say? My new love affair, honestly. I wonder what song will play next? Hmmm, I'll let you know. =) I've never heard this song before, Death Cab's (why is that their name?) I Will Follow You Into The Dark song, the one I'm listening to right now-- actually is quite fitting, in a Death Cab kind of way- to what I have to share with you today.

It's been a nice long road of words. Words, ah- my favorite things. =) 

(Ron Pope on the Pandora now.) 

Tonight, listening to Randy Garris speak of Living Life together (yes you should listen) and the beauty of mentorship without even trying-- made my heart swell big and my eyes well with tears until I could no longer hold them in and I began to cry and cry. 

I've had so many beautiful, wonderful, lovely, different, gracious mentors. 

You. Let it be known -- you have changed my life. 

Forever. 

And I don't just say that. You have. 

Through cups of hot coffee, keys on the keyboard, ticks on the text. Through hours of study together, last minute get togethers, sharing tears, or just an ear. You have changed me. 

You have kicked my booty many times. Those truths were hard to hear at times.  Oh, yes. And you've been wrong before- surely, I've been wrong more. 

It all started with a slice of apple pie. When they invited two young kids over for pie and play. They had two kids and we had one. Daniel and I fought every night, sometimes violently. You would never know it by looking at us. It was our secret. 

They only asked us for pie. 

And then, a play date at McDonalds. 

The rest -- history. 

I don't remember what else we did. I don't remember how Jesus in them, changed us. I don't remember exactly when the fighting stopped and when the love began but I do know this- if it had not been for them, loving us- we would not be here. And all they did was invite us to be next to them, in life. They shared a piece of pie with us, we talked about kids and boogers, I'm sure. And the rest is history.

And because of them loving us-- Well, that man of mine? We're so in love.

Then, there's you. Yes, you! And your story of love in our life. There's Mr. Carl Mrs. Judy's basement. There's Landis and his crazy Jesus freak ways spilling over. There's Ginny and all of our giggles, there's Judi and her loveliness. There's Ryan and his iron, sharpening my hubby. Marvin and Darie with their dreams and steadfastness, There's my first ever Chelsea friend, Tiffany and her family serving ways. There's Jenny and Rex and their master suite after only knowing each other for six weeks. =) There's Saundra and her sweet spirit every day at work. Oh, my the list goes on and on... you have all changed us. 

(Oh! Ed Sheeran on the Pandora. My FAV!)

There's Ting who showed us the world and each foster kiddo who shapes us into a new person, over and over again. 

There was never a bible study with any of you, oh but we always shared something from God's word. Most of us never attended church together- but we were the church together. Many of you have seen us at our worst and you loved so sweetly. Sometimes, you loved us back to life. 

When we started Our Glorious Days, we never ever dreamed it would be read around the world? That people from other states would send emails and new friendships would form through simply words? (very broken words at that) It was just intended to keep my mother in law in the loop of life in Missouri. =)  Really? Can so much come from such a little thing? OGD and it's sweetness has been dear to my little heart and I will cherish it's stories-- our stories, for a lifetime. But it's not us anymore. We've changed. And it feels like it's time to say farewell from here and start a new journey with words.

Together, with you- we tiptoed closer and closer to that Jesus of ours. Living, loving, and growing. 

Did we even know it? 

This. 

This is the answer to life. It's true. 

We must be with people. 

We must love, no matter the cost. 

We must seek justice, mercy, and show grace. 

We must change, grow, and thrive. 

We must live a life that is always broken- because we are so broken. 

We must open our hearts, lives, and be transparent in that brokenness. Only then, can we truly live.

This. Is our story. (video below is not pure in content, it's full of mess-- listen with caution to our messy lives and God's redemption?) Once upon a time. It's not that story any more. If someone asked us to share our story now, it would be a different one. 

But this one, THIS is the one you helped make new. All of you. You helped two broken kids become whole again, through grace. 

And it was messy, hard, and a challenge. 

But we thank you. 

(caution, it's a little vivid)




Love the journey you're on,

 

for my love. REMEMBER? {a little story about you and me}

remember when i first met you?

it was raining and you didn't want to get your new shoes dirty.

i walked you down that hill to those trailer looking school rooms to collect the attendance.

i kind of liked you.

remember our first date? The one where you said, "i think i kind of like you" and i said, "i think i kind of like you, too."

remember that summer?

remember how i would sneak over to your house bringing you toaster strudels and you would hide the generic pop tarts from your mom so she would think you had eaten them?

remember all the countless movies?

remember all the basketball?

remember all the drama?

remember country grammer?

remember how much my mom hated you because you parked in her grass?

remember how everyone hated us being together?

remember when i kissed that other boy?

yeah, that was bad.

remember when i first said, "i love you"?

yeah, that's embarrassing.

remember when it all went crazy and we saw each other every day without sharing a single word?

remember how you spent your days at play while I prepared for a baby?

remember what it was like when you first held her?

remember how we decided to get married?

do we seriously remember any of that now?

remember how your grandma gave us $500 and we thought we had won the lottery?

remember the big FAT tv we bought with that money?

yeah, that was before flat screens. we thought we were real cool, didn't we?

remember when we both got "real jobs"?

remember how bad we always fought?

remember how i would totally beat you up?

that's hilarious. {hey, watch 'yo self!}

remember when we thought it was all a crazy mistake?

remember when we entered the doors and made those friends?

remember how that changed our lives?

remember how that Jesus rocked our world?

remember when we got into that big fight in the church parking lot and you got out of the car and walked home?

yeah, that was totally funny too-- we lived pretty far away.

remember how many times we fell -- trying to learn how to walk this whole jesus road with new legs?

remember when our love was finally for real? when we really felt it?

remember when we bought our first home and thought we'd live there forever?

remember when we bought all those other ones thinking the same thing?

remember all.the.times.we.moved?

remember all those kids we had?

remember how crazy we are about them?

remember when we decided to walk their roads with them, schooling them and training them, each and every day?

remember the time we danced and danced and danced--living our cinderella story?

remember the first hitch hiker i picked up? 

remember how mad it made you? {ok, that's still super funny}

remember when you worked for a church?

remember how that broke our hearts?

remember how, once again, we walked that road-- that crazy winding, long, hard road with those new legs?

remember how nothing ever makes sense but it all makes perfect sense?

remember how we agree on everything? 

seriously.

remember when we thought we'd move to my hometown?

remember how totally crazy and hard that was?

remember how we sort of liked it after all?

remember how we like the kids in bed by 8:30 so we can sit and chat?

remember when we were 20 and we decided to make ourselves like coffee, starting with decaf?

we're so big now.

remember how we are happy with little or happy with much?

yeah, we've had some cool lessons.

remember when i cheated at stratego all those times and you still beat me?

remember all the prayers we prayed to live a crazy life-- poor in africa, teaching in taiwan, hippies in new england, watching wildlife in montana, little apartment in new york--living life in a coffee shop, a house full of orphans, farming in tennessee, with friends in so many towns, working in so many churches?

remember how god said, not yet- not now, not that, not there-- just.here?

remember how once again, we walked that road-- that sad lonely, loooong road with those new legs?

remember how we talk?

i mean how we really talk. how you know me, how I know you.

remember how our bodies are a bit more ache now that we're getting older?

remember how we have cocoa on christmas morning and the gifts are just not a big deal?

remember how many blessings that jesus gives?

remember how he tells us to give it all away?

remember how we talk about chickens, kids, old people, love, family, life?

remember how we LIVE?

remember how we do it all together?

remember how it's all totally crazy and unexplainable, this thing called us?

i kind of like that.


   (me)



take time today, friends?

i'm sure you have some 'remembers' =)

It's how we roll

we all really like coffee-- well, some coffee with our cream and sugar. =o)

 

she NEVER wears shoes. it's true.

 

He always holds my hand.

 

I really love people. baby in--

 

or baby wrapped =)

we wash a lot of dishes around here. 

 

we usually take school to the dentist office.

 

then we go shopping and they're always goofy.

this hardly ever happens-- trust me.

 

 it seems like someone is always in trouble.

we have a band.

 

we think it's funny Ting is so short and we sure do miss his short self =(

 

we take pictures of things that are too expensive for a family of our size to do ;)   When the kids are older we'll tell them it's them down there-- HA, just kidding! maybe not?

 

this about sums it up, really. 

we name our chickens.

 

 our children wish they lived in the woods.

 

we miss fun drinks with Ting. 

we give random watermelons to the mail lady ; )

we try to invent fun.

 

everything hangs on a ribbon. 

we miss special times...

and special friends.  -- ok, i miss that jean size also.

 

we love technology. 

we grow up way too fast.

and we love to get our feet wet.

 

We're pretty crazy and totally broken. We laugh a lot, and cry a bit too. I totally stress out if the vacuum is broken, and our baby is always naked. Everyone always forgets to water the garden, and someone's shoe is always being eaten by the neighbor dogs.

There are tons of projects to do, always. There are lots of places to go, people to see, and things to get done. There are letters to mail, bills to pay, and phone calls to make. There are always attitudes to check, groundings to be had, and relationships to mend.

But it sure is a lot of fun.

Make the most of it today, friends!

"There is a time for everything,
    and a season for every activity under the heavens"

Ecclesiastes 3:1

Much love,