So, How Did You Know?

A blog about married couples, and how they knew they wanted to marry their spouse.

Prayer – Getting back into it

This is an article with some great insight on how to pray.

I’ve struggled lately with the format of prayer. I don’t want to be legalistic – I don’t think folding my hands or kneeling is somehow “more spiritual” but I do recognize that sometimes I’m catering more to my own comfort than demonstrating humility before God…when I refuse to get out of my warm bed despite trying to make a concerted effort to pray. And my mind wanders and I have trouble focusing…

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

If we stop and think about it, our lives are full of these rites of preparation. At breakfast this morning I did not begin my meal by opening the refrigerator door, grabbing the orange juice and drinking it straight from the container. No, the orange juice had to be poured into a glass. Tea had to be brewed. Bread was toasted golden brown, then covered with a swath of delicious maple butter. The toast was placed on a plate, then carried, with the tea and orange juice, into the dining room. There I sat down, prayed, and then ate my breakfast. Rites of preparation made it possible for me to enjoy my breakfast. In so many areas of life, whether we are conscious of it or not, we enact rites of preparation.

These rites are no less important when we begin to pray.

Ok, first off – MAPLE BUTTER?!

Secondly – you pray before breakfast?!

That’s such a good idea. I pray before dinner, but to be reminded to pray by every meal – wow. Now that’s a good idea.

Good? Book

I don’t know how I feel about this one, but I thought I’d share…

A fashion magazine-style New Testament.

One bride-to-be said to another bride-to-be

“isn’t wedding planning fuuuuun? :D”

and my gut reaction was -

bite me.

Maybe if money is no object, and you don’t have to spend time looking around, doing research, maybe if you don’t have to stick to a budget, but can buy whatever suits your fancy, maybe if you just go-go-go because your engagement is short so you don’t have the time to engage in the battle with other people’s expectations…

Then maybe it’d be a riot, maybe it’d be a breeze, a walk in the park, a piece of cake…
fuuuuun.

For me, it’s felt like hard work. It’s be sobering and saddening and I’ve faced the disappointment that comes when it isn’t fuuuuun at all.

Some parts are fun
I don’t regret any of it
working with family and friends and vendors can be discouraging at times yet heart-warming at others
but it isn’t easy
it’s often stressful
and it has the potential to bring out the worst in your worst relationships (for me, that’s my parents) like salt on a wound, or lemon juice in your eyes…

My engagement has been hard.

And I resent the fact that yours has been fuuuuun.

I’m all about Granola Bars

I eat one every day around 10:30 at work.

I’ll only buy them on sale – but when they’re on sale I go nuts and buy six boxes.

Last night, there were these new bars on sale – “Curves” bars, by General Mills. Curves, for those of you who don’t know, is a women’s gym, catering to older women (middle-aged and up) who aren’t already skinny and looking to hook up at the gym.

So I buy this 100 calorie snack (the normal granola bars I eat are 120 calories, which I’ve never noticed before, because I’m too distracted with the delicious fibre and nut pieces…) and I’m eating it right now – AND NOT ONLY IS IT KINDA DISGUSTING, but there are “strawberry flavoured” cranberry pieces, and “Yogurt flavoured coating” (ew…coating), and I’m just kinda pissed off that they went to such great lengths for a 100 calorie snack that is…

gross.

It’s like eating corn syrup.

Horrah for Books!

Learning. It comes from reading books.

On Friday, I received my two Amazon purchases: Jon + Kate Plus Ei8ht and Domino: The Book of Decorating.

While Jon+Kate, according to my fiance, is my “crazy show with a billion babies”, Domino has proven to be quite the useful resource for us right now because in the coming week we will be looking at apartments. The most useful thing I’ve got out of it so far is being able to see the potential in a room, especially with all the real-life examples of lived-in spaces. And the tips are practical, so it feels like making a space nice is doable, even by lil ol’ me.

I’ll share some of what I’ve learned, so you have an idea of how this book isn’t just the prettiest thing ever (I LOVE WELL-DESIGNED BOOKS) – it’s also educationa!

Round, pedestal tables can be great for two or fit up to six people. The space for people/chairs is made by the lack of table legs. Pair the piece with chairs that tuck in, or stools that tuck under, and you’ve got a compact, while expandable space.

I will be scouring craigslist for a table like that, as it is apparently one of the most expensive simple white tables in existence (see Beth’s comment).

That last picture is from page 100 of the book. It pretty much made my night.

The following is a pic of your typical breakfast nook in an apartment in my neck of the woods. I’d paint that small, square wall yellow, I think. Then put up framed photos. Then try to find a nice pendant lamp. PENDANT. Yum. Or a funky chandelier.

I’m really excited for the challenge, to be honest. I think living on a budget, and scouring the online classifieds for steals is fun. Building a home slowly, being ok not to having everything right away, and kind of living that minimalistic, simplified life – my goal is to make this a place of quiet retreat for my husband and I (wow, I feel like I sound thirty when I say that), and also a hospitable, comfortable space for having people over (Bible studies, parties, casual hanging out, etc.). Yea.

is good.

One more thing:

My Favourite Rabbi

An Article About Porn, by Rabbi Shmuley.

I’ve heard a lot of amazing wisdom come from this man’s mouth, and I trust his insight into life and love and family.

Victory!

grr. arg.

My mom recently tried to get me to switch from my choice of a reception venue:

to her choice for a reception venue:

*shudder*

It took three hours of talking, but she finally realized I wasn’t budging.

This wasn’t an issue of price, mind you. It would’ve been slightly more for her option. It was the difference between a ten minute drive to the heart of Scarborough (that’s your first problem when looking at reception venues…) and a thirty minute drive to downtown.

The food would’ve been catered by Latvians (click on the image to see their website – it seems like they like wrapping fruits and vegetables in meat).

Anyway.

I won.

Which basically means, my mom has decided not to fight this battle anymore. Horray.

Amazong!!!

It’s actually spelled “Amazon” but it’s more fun with a ‘g’ at the end, don’t you think?

I created a wishlist for my own benefit, so that I can have a list online somewhere of things I want to read/buy.

Sure these are things I could get from the library or borrow from friends (if my library or friends had them), and buying them sight unseen (except for Son of Rambow) is a bit risky, but I’ve just heard so many GOOD THINGS about the following…

except for Calligraphy for Dummies. That’s something I should REALLY just go to the library if I want to learn more about. But by having it on the list…I remember that I want to learn calligraphy!

Real Sex: The Naked Truth about Chastity
by Lauren F., Winner (Author)
In Stock
Price: CDN$ 14.00

Jon and Kate Plus Ei8ht: Seasons 1-2 BOUGHT
In Stock
Price: CDN$ 22.99

Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
by Matt Lewis (Author), et al.
Usually ships in 1 to 3 weeks
Price: CDN$ 20.76

Calligraphy For Dummies
by Jim Bennett (Author)
In Stock
Price: CDN$ 16.05

Domino: The Book of Decorating: A room-by-room guide to creating a home that makes you happy BOUGHT
by Deborah Needleman (Author), et al.
In Stock
Price: CDN$ 23.31

The Fall
In Stock
Price: CDN$ 22.99
Add to Cart
17 used & new from CDN$ 16.96

Son of Rambow
DVD ~ Bill Milner
In Stock
Price: CDN$ 30.39

NHOP – National House of Prayer Pancakes

Interesting. People are praying for Canada in Ottawa. Who knew?

But more interesting, is this blog about John and Eloise from Kenya. Maybe you’ll remember the story from the news.

It’s pretty amazing.