30

A year ago I set a goal to make 29 the best year of my twenties--more than anything else, Trevor helped me reach that goal! :) Trevor and I went on our first date one day before he turned 25. Now we are getting married the week after I turn 30. I like to say that we are each other's birthday presents this year.

30 used to seem like such an intimidating number... I guess it seemed old to me. But now that I'm here, I realize that 30 is very much in the prime of life. I still have my best years ahead of me!

Today was an awesome birthday! My family took me and Trevor out to Chili's for dinner. They've changed their menu recently. I couldn't resist trying the fiery pepper chicken. It was DELICIOUS--but it burned so much it made me cry and I wasn't able to finish it. Not sure I would recommend...

Afterwards Trevor gave me a ride home. He offered to drive the car up to the restaurant to get me because it was so cold outside (it actually started snowing!). When I got in the car, he presented me with a half dozen hot pink roses. :)

At my place, we had a delicious chocolate cake (a test run for our wedding cake here in a few weeks!). I ALMOST succeeded in blowing out the 30 candles in one go. There were four stubborn ones in random places that didn't go out. Better luck next year!

Ralph

I just got word that my coworker Ralph Jones passed away today.

He was one of the pioneers of the Relationship Education movement, someone who'd been involved since the very beginning. Ralph was 94 and still working for our company. He seemed like the Energizer Bunny. Sometimes his health caught up with him, as it always does for someone his age, but... he always bounced back. Nothing could stop him.

Ralph was the sort of person who always had a kind word for everyone. When I was a new employee fresh out of school, he was a great mentor to me who helped me feel comfortable and appreciated in my new position. In some ways I thought of him as an adopted grandparent.

I will really miss him. The news hasn't quite sunk in yet. Since I telecommute from home, I don't see Ralph very often in person. I'm very grateful that I had the chance to go to San Diego last month for a staff meeting... I knew there was a chance it was the last time I would see him but I didn't really think it would be!

It's hard to keep up my workday knowing that Ralph has passed away. It feels disrespectful to go with business as usual, and doing work related things just makes me think about him even more. But--I also feel like the best thing I can to now to support his wife, Patty (my boss) is to carry on with our company affairs while she takes some time to recover from her loss.

Please keep Patty and all of Ralph's family in your prayers!

Carest Thou Not?

Trevor and I went to what is probably our last ever institute class last night (!!!). We were studying Mark 1-7. When we got to the story of the Lord calming the wind and the waves (Mark 4:37-41), Trevor raised his hand to share an insight that really hit me (and I think it hit several other people in the class, too!).

I wish I could say it as beautifully as he did... Essentially he asked how often we ask that question in our own lives. How often when we are in the midst of life's storms and waves, when we see no end to our problems or any way to get through them, how often then do we assume that God is asleep or that He doesn't care because He's not taking our problems away? "Carest thou not that we perish?" "Don't you care how much I'm hurting? Don't you see what I'm going through right now?"

But God always cares. Always. He is with us in our trials. Sometimes He calms the storm, and sometimes He calms His child--if we let Him. We can trust that He will not let us sink beneath our trials--instead, if we rely on Him, we can learn from them and come out stronger than ever.