future. updated.

to prep for marriedness i have been reading through sacred marriage with my friend kerri. i've flicked through numerous engagement/marriage books, and this the only one i would recommend.

“If you want to be free to serve Jesus, there’s no question — stay single. Marriage takes a lot of time. But if you want to become more like Jesus, I can’t imagine any better thing to do than to get married. Being married forces you to face some character issues you’d never have to face otherwise.”

The biggest thing I have struggled with recently is the whole change from dating to marriage. A lot of dating (even christian dating) advice is about looking for a partner that you are attracted to, get along with, have similar plans, they have nice traits, love God, etc... But when you're married it's completely flipped over and you're expected to serve the other person. At the start, it's about what can this person give me, and after that, it's about what can I give... It has been good to nut these issues out with somebody else.

If you're engaged, I would definitely recommend meeting with somebody to talk frankly about marriage. Even better if they don't go to the same church as you and have slightly different views on things. I have got so much out of meeting, sitting down with a cup of tea and scones, and talking about the ups and downs of life!

Slightly off topic, I was wondering if anyone has ever heard 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 as a wedding reading?

Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: "It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman."

top notch journalism

recently the place i work at was held up. i wasn't there at the time, and everyone is ok.

i had to laugh when i read the online coverage of the incident on the mercury website. they will do anything to link a story to 'our mary'!!

Don Miller

Donald Miller, author of blue like jazz, has started a blog. You can read it here. i particularly liked his first post (an email exchange between him and obama).

future.

venue? check.
food? check.
drink? check.
florist? check.
dress? almost check.
guest list? check (although this is painful).
bridesmaid? check.
hair? check.
still to do:
transport
decorations
bridesmaid dress
colour scheme... freakin colour schemes.

sigh... i feel like i'm planning a wedding and not preparing for a marriage.

we went and saw a photographer today. she showed us some pictures and told us which couples were divorced, which were having problems, which had gone on extended overseas trips without their husbands, etc. weird. sad.

coming out of the closet

Following a rather successful swing dance exchange in Hobart, I was struck by how many Christians there are in swing communities around Australia. But also, by how hard it can be to find each other. It was only by 'coincidence' that one of the Christian visitors was staying with one of the Hobartian Christians. Had we all known each other at the start, perhaps we could have met and prayed for the event and drawn encouragement from each other.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to just find the other Christians and create our own holy bubble, but it is really encouraging to find other believers in your areas of interest. Particularly when it can seem like an uphill battle - forming friendships, serving the community, trying to share Jesus when there are only a few of you. It doesn't come as naturally to me as it does to others in the group, but I'm getting used to it.

In other news, Matt and I are engaged. I am preparing by reading cleo bride.

strategic uni choice

i've just finished reading this article about a guy that chose an evolutionary biology major at his uni when he was a creationist.

it's a fascinating read, but i particularly like this bit

My first semester created a faith crisis due in large part to the fact that my identity as a Christian had often been supported with evidence and knowledge rather than a deep intimacy with Christ. When confronted with the thought that (gasp!) there might be evidence contrary to the Gospel, God challenged me through other believers to develop my the relationship with Christ on a level of faith — not facts. Nothing can shake me from my belief in God now because I know Him. Not because I know about Him.

seb and coffee

my housemate emily arrived home yesterday. she'd been away in launceston for a week, home one night, and then in melbourne for the long weekend. it was really nice to have another girl in the house, finally. i think i was beginning to grow facial hair.

she came into my bedroom this morning, with a coffee for me, and we chatted about uni and work stress, friends at stuff. i am extremely jealous that jack gets that experience almost every day. there's nothing like a chat with a friend (and coffee) to wake you from the eternal snooze cycle.

seb (our neighbour's cat) is inside with me. mostly because em dumped him on the couch before she left and we have a warm heater that he likes snuggling up to. i'm pretty sure he hates me though. sad, because i have no idea why. he won't quite let himself fall asleep - his eye keeps peering at me like i'm up to no good.

ANYWAYS. study must happen. i have 3 exams left, starting thursday and finishing saturday. 3 exams in 3 days. bleurgh. and 2 of them are really hard to study for - i have no idea what to cover. but after that - full-time work! HA, sounds like freedom to me right now :)

mind you, then i couldn't spend the morning inside with a cat that doesn't trust me.