Love and Marriage

Today, I have officially been married for 6 weeks. Here are some things I've learned:

1.) I am not a morning person - the worst part is, JP is. I never realized what a crab I am in the morning because, well, there was never anyone around to test me on it before! Poor JP...how could he have known? I'm getting better at it, though.
2.) Taking care of a house takes a lot of work - I grew up doing chores, but they were always split up between five kids. Now I have a whole house to concern myself with. I work 40 hours a week and would love to just come home and lay on the couch with a book...but this place isn't just going to clean itself! Laundry, dishes, sweeping, mopping, vacuuming, dusting (yeah, haven't done that lately), changing linens, not to mention the yard we've barely touched.
3.) I am not a gormet chef - see the crock pot blog.
4.) Husbands really do need respect more than hugs and kisses - I'm not the sweet, angelic soul I'm sure you all think I am. :) I can drop some real hurtful bombs sometimes without even realizing it. Little things, like not doing exactly what JP asked me today because "my way works just as good" can be a slap in the face to him. To a man, that sort of action says, "thanks for your opinion, but you don't really know what you're talking about."Lord, help me to show my huband in every way how much I respect him.
5.) If you try to sleep all cuddled up with your honey, your arms will go numb.
6.) I am a little independent rebel - and it always backfires. Every time I try to do something "on my own," it always ends up coming back to point its finger at me, laughing. For instance, we bought an "assembly required" wall cabinet for the bathroom. JP told me to wait for him to help put it together, but I wanted to do it myself. I tried...and let's just say I ended up putting some holes in places where there weren't supposed to be holes. A small example, but you get my point. Pride cometh before a destruction.

People always say that once you get married, your spouse's faults start to come out. I think it's just the opposite. Now that I'm married, I'm realizing what a silly little girl I can be and how much need I am in of God's grace to help me be a Proverbs 31 woman. Thank God for my loving, patient husband and his willigness to continue to love and bear with me as I learn these truths.

Gratitude

Below are the lyrics to a song that has become extremely dear to me. I have to go back to them nearly every day. The lyrics speak to those who yearn for Jesus to fill them, feed them, protect them. But sometimes we feel dry and vulnerable.
The things we want are not always the things God has in His plan for us. This song is about being thankful in whatever situation, knowing that God is faithful no matter what. Even if He never sends us rain.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet never have I seen the righteous man forsaken, nor his children begging for bread." Psalm 37:25

Gratitude
by Nichole Nordeman

Send some rain, would You send some rain?
'Cause the earth is dry and needs to drink again
And the sun is high and we are sinking in the shade.
Would You send a cloud, thunder long and loud?
Let the sky grow black and send some mercy down.
Surely You can see that we are thirsty and afraid.

But maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to thirst for You,
How to bless the very sun that warms our face
If You never send us rain.

Daily bread, give us daily bread;
Bless our bodies, keep our children fed.
Fill our cups, then fill them up again tonight.
Wrap us up and warm us through,
Tucked away beneath our sturdy roofs.
Let us slumber safe from danger's view this time

Or maybe not, not today
Maybe You'll provide in other ways
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
A lesson learned to hunger after You.
A starry sky offers a better view
If no roof is overhead
And if we never taste that bread

Oh, the differences that often are between
Everything we want and what we really need

So grant us peace, Jesus, grant us peace.
Move our hearts to hear a single beat
Between alibis and enemies tonight.

Or maybe not, not today
Peace might be another world away
And if that's the case...

We'll give thanks to You with gratitude
For lessons learned in how to trust in You;
That we are blessed beyond what we could ever dream
In abundance or in need,
And if You never grant us peace.
But Jesus, would You please?


(You can buy Nichole Nordeman's CD here.)

Polygamy in Netherlands?

I caught wind of this on my dear friend Nicole's blog, Ceasar's Tragedy. Apparently a man has married not one but two women in the Netherlands.
It's a slippery slope, folks. You can link straight to the article here.

Not Just a Bunch of Crock

Yesterday, I tried my hand at my first official crock pot cooking experience. I was so excited about it - I marinated the chicken overnight, and in the morning I put it in the crock pot with wonderful seasonings and juices that were sure to make my husband's mouth water after a long day at work. At work I told a friend how excited I was to see how it turned out.
When I got home, I opened the door to an aroma of...blackened teriyaki. It didn't smell horrible, but it certainly wasn't enticing, either. Still hopeful, I went into the kitchen and looked into the pot.
Bummer.
My first crock pot experience was a failure. The chicken was dry and crusty, the sauce had an obvious "overcooked" flavor to it. It wasn't bad enough to make you gag, but it wasn't good.
I know it sounds like a small thing, but I felt so defeated! I felt like a failure! Everybody had always told me how easy a crock pot would be, how much simpler it would make my life. If it was so easy, I was certainly a screw up in the kitchen. My husband tried to help me laugh it off, but I was too embarrassed (aka: prideful).
But here's what I learned: Every day of our lives is like my crock pot experience. We want to try new things and succeed the very first time. We want excel in our spiritual gifts the minute we realize what they are. We want to be able to play Ravel's Gaspard de la Nuit, but we don't want to practice. At least that's the way I seem to be - if I'm not instantly good at something, I probably won't be that interested in it.
Drawing near to God...walking in the Spirit...exercising our gifts...these all take practice. There is no formula. It doesn't happen overnight. It takes time - lots of time - and committment.
I read a quote - I don't remember by whom, but he's a famous preacher - that said something to the effect of "I make it a point to spend at least an hour with the Lord every morning; unless I have an expecially busy, hectic day. In that case I make it a point to spend at least two hours with the Lord."
Can I sit still long enough? How many crock pot disasters will it take to realize that I'm not a horrible cook; I just need some practice. God doesn't expect me to be perfect today. He only expects me to have a perfect heart...perfectly committed to Him.

Why Pipes' Dreams?

Those of you who aren't too familiar with me might not "get" the name - Pipes' Dreams. "Pipes" is a nickname I acquired years ago. My basketball coach christened me with it because of my unusually large biceps for a girl. Get it? Pipes?
Anyhow, it just stuck. It's not something I'm particularly thrilled to be known for, but I'm over it.

So now I have a blog

So...I'm not really one to be all into blogging and all, but I can, so I figured, why not? I don't have tons of great insight. I'm not too savvy with politics, economics, or theology. But occasionally I do have some thoughts worth sharing.
A little about me - I'm 23 years old, newly wed (August 19th), 3rd out of 5 children who grew up in a wonderful Christian family. My parents are my heros. My husband is my champion.
I graduated from the University of Minnesota's School of Journalism and Mass Communications in 2004 with a degree in Broadcast Jouranlism and a minor in Communication Studies. For a while I worked at WCCO-TV, the CBS affiliate in Minneapolis, as a news writer. I'm currently working at Target Corporation in downtown Minneapolis in the Pharmacy division.
A few of my favorite things: music, spending time with family, reading, and the oh-so-necessary occasional adrenaline rush. Used to be into sports, but I'm way too out of shape now.
I think this blog will mainly be more of a journal of things I am learning as a new wife (and hopefully mother, soon)...different revelations and teachings God shows me...hopefully to be an encouragement to any of you out there who need encouraging.
Thanks for stopping by.