[wedding] August 15, 2011

The morning light echos across the Oregon sky. Hot chocolate swirls in my cup. My feet are cold. Very cold! My fingers slightly numb. The cup is warm though and I hold it closer. At this moment I feel young again.

My Bible is laying beside me... the verses from Psalms, I John and Revelation still swirling through my head.

"I will praise you as long as I live and in your name I will lift up my hands..."

How often do I raise my hands in worship? Not enough. It's so much easier to blend. To just close my eyes and say, "I praise you, God." And there are times for that. But there are times to proclaim loudly and clearly that HE IS THE ONE I WORSHIP. To take off my shoes. To fall on my knees. To live recklessly abandoned to my magnificent creator.

"My dear children, keep yourselves from idols..."

The words scrawled across the page beside that verse... "Keep yourself from anything that takes God's place in your life..." Oh, God. So many things. My time is filled with stuff and I never look at all these time-filling things as idols. Dirty sinful idols. Oh, Jesus. Set me free.

"And his voice was like the sound of rushing waters..."

I can remember a time when I lived in the place of roaring waters. I want to live there again. God, fill my life with your voice.

The wedding yesterday was so pretty. My baby brother with stars in his eyes. Oh, Jesus. Let them serve you above all else! Let their marriage be a reflection of your glory. The pictures turned out darling, despite my worrying. I was right. I can do this. Zeke's faith wasn't misplaced. Soon their apartment will be adorned with photos from the far distance place of Meyers Beach, Oregon and people will look at them who have never seen the Pacific Coast and say, "Oh, what pretty wedding pictures." And I will smile.