the “good wife”

One of the interesting and neat aspects of marriage is the desire to do something you may not want to do, just to make your spouse happy.  Now, before you think I’m going some place sexual… fear not, I promise you I’m taking the highroad :)  I was thinking about this unique love element today: sacrificing of yourself because you love that person so incredibly much.  Obviously there is a direct correlation to God’s love for us, and that should neither be ignored nor failed to mention.  But Tabitha, what brought you to this thought provoking moment today?  I’m glad you asked…

I bought tickets… to the “Dark Night”… on opening night tonight… at 12:01 am

If you don’t know a whole lot about me and my views on movies, let me enlighten you.  I love movies.  I love to see movies, hear the soundtracks, critique the acting, get sucked into the story, the whole nine yards.  I typically HATE movie theatres.  Maybe it’s the anxiety thing, but I loathe it when someone is forced or decides to sit directly next to me.  I tend to have a shortened temper when it comes to high schoolers with their friends and their phones.  The experience is usually never good for me.  The movie may be amazing, and I will walk out loving it, but I would have preferred not seeing it in a theatre.  I know… I am a weird person, but that’s just how I am. 

However, in light of a stressful week, and how much Tim adores to see movies, and how long he and I both have anticipated this particular movie, and how much he has been looking forward to this soundtrack, I found myself searching for and purchasing tickets for us to have a fun evening beating off the crowds at the local theatre.  The thing is… I’m really excited about it.  Because I know how thrilled Tim is about seeing this first showing actually makes me excited. 

Yeah for date night

Shannon

I got a phone call today from a person named Shannon.  I say “person” because without trying to judge, the voice was very manly, and had a heavy lisp.  The call went as follows:

Shannon: Yes, um, this is Shannon.  I would like to come in and sing for you.
Tab: Ok, were you interested in joining the choir or auditioning for…
Shannon: No, I have a song that I wrote that I just feel very passionate about.  It’s about not having sex    before you’re married.  Because I think it’s horrible to have sex before you’re married. Do you agree?
Tab: (thoughts= oh gees) … I believe that God designed sex to be in a marriage relationship, and although we may make mistakes, God is both loving and forgiving of our sins if we ask for it. 
Shannon: Wow, cause I just think that everyone who has sex before they are married is going straight to hell.  Do you agree?
Tab: No, I don’t agree.  God made very clear in His scripture that if we repent of our sins we are forgiven.
Shannon: I just think there is no way that someone who has sex before they are married isn’t going to burn in hell.
After several more exchanges, Shannon desired to sing her(?) song for me. I insisted that I didn’t need to hear the song, but she began to sing anyway…
Shannon: (singing to the tune of “If you’re happy and you know it”) If you have sex before you’re married you’re going to hell- *clap *clap- If you have sex before you’re married you’re going to hell…

I think you get the general idea.  This phone call raises so many thoughts… Was Shannon a man?  There is no way this phone call wasn’t a prank.  Who comes up with this stuff and actually calls?  Am I on candid phone call?  I’m really grateful that God doesn’t burn us and send us straight to hell for our sins.  I’m so thankful for His forgiveness and never ending grace.  Indeed, this was the highlight of my day.

The wedding of my baby brother

That’s right, my baby brother is getting married this weekend (he’s my only brother, and not much of a baby at all since he’s only a year and a half younger than me, but I digress…).   He is marrying the best lady in the world, Ms. Mandi Ten Haken.  I am so thrilled for them I can’t even tell you!!  I will be leaving in the morning to begin the weekend of festivities :)  I dedicate this blog to Justin and Mandi’s greatness.  I love them immensely and can’t wait to participate in their special day!  Be back Sunday with pictures… but in the mean time, here are a few of my personal favorites!

The Early Days

 

JC and Mandi are UCF Crazy!!!

 

The very first photo shoot Justin and Mandi let me take of them

 

They are famous for not taking pictures seriously!

 

At Madison's Birth!

 

Haloween Costumes... nice!

 

The four of us at Swamp Cabbage in LaBelle

 

At Tim and I's wedding :)

 

My favorite picture of JC and Mandi

 

At their Engagment Photo session

Answers…

Mrs. Emily submitted some random questions for me to answer… and here they are! Thanks Em!

If you could go back and tell your 13 year old self something, what would it be? Appreciate everything your parents do for you. Thank them for it. I have always been close with my family and have loved my parents a ton, but I wish more than anything that I could have realized then what I do now. They sacrificed anything and everything for my success, happiness, and spiritual well being. I am blessed, truly truly blessed.

What’s your favorite cereal? Honey Nut Cheerios… they have been my fav since age 7

How do you feel about being a “middle child”? I actually love it… for several years at Christmas my grandfather would say, “Now, who opened the first present last year? Did we start with the oldest? Maybe we started with Justin… Well, lets let Tabitha begin opening presents this year. We never start with the middle!” That happened about 4 years in a row.
But seriously, I never experienced any of the “middle child” vices. I wasn’t ignored or left out, unloved or forgotten. I’m not even sure I followed any of the middle child tendencies. I enjoyed being the middle kid- I think with amazing parents being a middle child is just as special or even better than any other child position

What is your first memory? Wow, not sure if it’s my actual first… but I remember playing in the yard with my mom and dad and sister. Not sure if Justin was there yet, but I don’t remember him being right there. Dad or mom had just mowed the lawn and we would get to play in the pile of grass and get filthy. I remember the brown van being there too… that VW brown van was awesome.

When did you get saved? Was it for real, or did it become real to you later in life? I was saved in 1992. My dad prayed with me in my room one night and I remember running out to my mom and telling her the great news. She responded, “Tabitha that’s so amazing, the angels are throwing you a party in heaven!” It was the coolest mental picture I’ve ever had. I learned so much about my spiritual walk during high school with a great ministry in our church. But I think I really chose to take my faith and walk with the Lord “personally” around college. The process began when my first college beau was killed in a car accident. I questioned how if God had a plan, I knew He was powerful enough that He could have accomplished His will without taking Jarred’s life, but He had chose to do that anyway. It was a hard time. I struggled with other situations, choices, and such for the next couple of years, but finally realized that doing it my way wasn’t really working. Surrendering to the Lord was the best choice I ever made… I repaired the relationship with my parents and the Lord saw fit to bless me with the most amazing husband He’s ever created. Just so much blessing- I can’t even tell you. I guess that was the long version, but what a story of God’s goodness.

Thanks for the questions Em!

Bland Blog

I am uninspired.  I can’t seem to wrap my mind around anything creative to write about.  So, I will take an idea I have seen some others use… is there anything you want to know?  Anything you’ve ever wanted to ask me?  I’m all answers.

What a trip…

Literally, this was the most unique trip I have ever taken.  Because some of the amazing people I was privileged enough to serve are doing their thing in secure countries, I’m gonna leave out a bunch of the details.  But rest assure, if you’re really interested I’d be glad to tell you about it in person.  Here are some of my personal highlights:

• I don’t sleep on planes.  Apparently not even with Advil PM.   Therefore, 30+ hours of traveling (there and then home again) left me with little to no rest.  Note to self: get an isle seat if you’re not a sleeper since everyone else in the world seems to be able to doze off the moment we’re in the air
• Thailand rainy season: they were not kidding!  Although the Lord blessed us with mostly perfect weather while we were there, our 2 hour drive from the airport to Pattaya was more like 3 1/2 and lets just thank the Lord the under compartments with our luggage were water tight.  I think we counted at least a dozen cars broken down with water at least up to their doors or higher
• Mold is acceptable.  Our hotel was nice, our rooms were cold, our showers were hot, but everywhere in the air, was mold.  I assume mold is a tough battle to fight when the humidity is 90% or higher every day of the year, but mold managed to give several of us a severe nasal battle throughout the week. 
• Elephants are awesome.  Yep, we got to ride an elephant, with a cart-like things strapped on their back.  It was a decent trek through water and across land, and I think we laughed the entire time.  It was certainly the experience of a lifetime and I have some great pictures.  When or where would I have that opportunity again?!
• Babies… 0-7months.   That was my assignment.  Our group was working with elementary, or 5yr olds and younger, but I was given the task of bed babies.  Things I learned: 1. babies of this age are not appeased by toys or distractions.  2. When moms tell you what time they will be back to feed, the babies know it and cry like crazy if mom is even one second late.  3. The habits that mom makes for sleep are set in stone- they bounce to sleep, they like their stroller, they get rubbed on their back, they like music, they need their blanket- whatever it is, there is no adaptation.  4. There is zero time to breathe.  Babies are a full time attention grabber.  I have never been so mentally and physically exhausted at the end of the day.  Props to the moms out there who have done this full time… and prayers I’ll be able to handle it someday!
• I love tea.  Hot tea.  I have always passed up hot tea for coffee, but now I consider them equal.  I would never give up a chance to get my Vanilla Latte, but I have no doubt that I’ll be perusing the menu for some good tea just as often. 
• Water is precious.  I drank so much bottled water I’m surprised I didn’t sink a boat.  The local water was unsafe to drink, or even use to brush our teeth, so bottled water was the golden ticket.  At restaurants if you order water to drink they will bring a bottle out to your table and allow you to watch them open it as they pour it into your cup. 
• Pattaya is lost.  I’m sure there are some Christians in Pattaya, but according to some of the locals who serve in Thailand, they are few and far between.  You see things on the street that you would never expect to see out in the open- many of our team were quite shocked.  Shopping time in the local markets felt more like a prayer walk.  I gained a much greater respect for what some of these amazing people face in their daily work. 
• I can do it.  Yes, I can travel far far away, and be without Tim for an extended period of time, and survive :)  however, I’m not planning on it again anytime soon.  It’s always nice to remember how much I love and appreciate him, but it certainly didn’t take Thailand to make me realize that.  I fall more and more in love with Tim everyday.  I have no doubt God designed it to be like this, and it’s amazing. 

I guess that’s all I’ll share about that.  Talk to me if you want some more of the story or if you want the short version of my pictures.  God is amazing and the things He’s doing around the world are equally amazing.  I feel honored to have been a small part of it. 

home was never so sweet

Approx. 30 hours of traveling with no sleep and I’m finally home!  I haven’t really detoxed from the trip, and haven’t quite decided how much of it I’ll blog about, but rest assure I will very soon.  I’m catching up on time with Tim, e-mails, facebook, and all the blogs I missed in the last two weeks.

Love you all.  It’s good to be home.

Thailand!

That’s right, tomorrow morning I leave for Thailand.  I will be gone 10 days.  I could have had people try and guest-write on my blog like Travis did on his vacation, but I would have had to have thought of that before… right now :) 

I will get to spend time investing in the families abroad who serve.  I’ll get to ride an elephant.  I’ll get to shop for trinket items that nobody really needs, but everyone secretly likes because they are personal.  I’ll be approx. 12 hours behind Florida time.  I’ll fly to Dallas, then Tokyo (nope, there’s not enough time to leave the airport… boo!), and then on to Bangkok.  I have my camera, and I’ll be taking lots of pictures.  I might be able to get on a computer to blog a bit, but don’t hold me to it.  My sweet mamma will be 4 days behind me.  She’s also coming to Thailand, but on a different trip.  I won’t see her while we’re there, but it’s nice to know she’s experiencing many of the same things I am.  You can pray for her trip as well

I have the biggest phone card I could find.  I’ll be calling Tim a bunch.  A whole bunch.  In the year, three months, and 6 days we’ve been married, I have not spent one single day apart from him.  I am gonna cry when we get to the airport.  Alot.  I know I’ll be ok, and he will be too, but my anxiety can get the better of me at times and I’m sure the good-bye scene will be a dramatic one.  I love my husband more than anything else in this world.  Yal who are here better help take good care of him while I’m gone. 

Have a wonderful 2-ish weeks and I’ll see you all when I’m back! 

p.s. I LOVE YOU TIMOTHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

He did it!

After 76 races without a first place finish, Dale Jr. did it today at Michigan.  He’s been doing very well this season with Rick Hendrick and has consistently been in the top 5 or 10 in almost every race, and because of that has been sitting in the third position of the chase.  But this win had to feel amazing- Tony Eury Jr. (his crew chief) put him in the fuel position to take the win, and a late caution brought out a green/white/checkered finish.  Tim and I held our breath as Jr’s gas barely held out.  It was a great win.  Go get ‘em Jr!

30 years

That’s right, my amazing parents have been married 30 years today.  Having just accomplished my one year, three month anniversary today (yes, I still count the days…) I can’t imagine what the next 29 years will hold for Tim and I.  If you aren’t privileged enough to know my parents, let me tell you that they are amazing.  I am not only the luckiest girl in the world to be their friend, but am honored to be a bi-product of their amazingness.  They have modeled a loving, supportive, christian marriage everyday of their lives, and I am eternally grateful for their example.  They spiritually have guided all three of us kiddies since our births and I could not be more thankful for the Christ centered home I was graced to grow up in.  I could go on for hours, but I will simply say this: They are the best.  ever.  of all time. 

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!!!!!!

This is a picture of mom and dad on their honeymoon!

Mom and dad today