Where did the years go???

Where did the years go and why do I feel so old???  This is another one of those days.... it is Gwen and Tim's 14th Wedding Anniversary!  Yes.... 14 years!  I told Ken tonight at dinner that I feel like we have only been married.....I don't know......maybe 20 or so years??????  I know, it is 41 years, but really.... where did the time go?  When I look at this picture, I don't see Gwen and Tim looking one bit older.  This looks exactly like the way they look to me today!  I suppose that they would not agree with that... they most likely FEEL like they look a lot older.  Let's face it, four kids take their toll on their parents!

Remembering this day is amazing to me.  Gwen looked so wonderful.  I love her dress.  It was the first dress she ever tried on - and my mom and I were with her.  Of course she tried on lots of other dresses, but ultimately decided that this was the dress.  And she did not make a mistake.  The wedding was held at the college where Gwen and Tim met... and it was beautiful.  Ken would tell you that the aisle was VERY LONG and Gwen would tell you that aisle was VERY STEEP. And one of the most important things to Gwen....my mom was able to be at her wedding!  (This was not necessarily a given since my mom was 86 at her wedding!)  The wedding went off without a hitch.  I remember that we all were expecting something to not go right, but really it was perfect.   At the end of the night, Ken and I were surprised to feel so happy and not nearly as tired as we had expected!

There was no question that Jesus was very present in their wedding.  What a blessing that is.  To see your children begin their married life, with God at the center of their relationship. It's been wonderful to see their family grow.  It's been a fast and eventful 14 years!

I have to follow up on our day yesterday.  Our "hot water heater" event yesterday was really perfect timing.... like only Jesus could have arranged.  If our heater had started leaking just two days later, well it could have been a major disaster.  Ken and I leave for vacation in two days.  It was not just a little leak, it was a MAJOR leak and we did have a pan around the heater that went straight to a drain.  So we may NOT have had major flooding.  But what we would have had was a MONUMENTAL WATER BILL!  As fast as that water was pouring out, more was pouring into the heater.  I can not begin to imagine the gallons of water that would have drained away.  Thankfully Ken heard the water running as soon as it started.  So we shut off the water to the house.  Quickly.  And we had no showers this morning.  I called our heating/plumbing people last night at 9:45pm and left a message with their answering service, just asking them to call today.  Believe it or not, in less than 15 minutes the owner of the company called back and we had a time all set to get new hot water heater, installed.  What perfect timing!  This was certainly one of those times that I knew that Jesus was watching over me.  Don't we all need times like that?  It may seem like you are not seeing anything happen in the BIG things.  But then something little (that is really a big thing) happens and you can see evidence of Jesus keeping his eye on you. So I am feeling so thankful as I just wash my hands at the sink - in the nice hot water!  This will be a special vacation time, knowing that Jesus is watching over us!

Jesus, thank you for your care and love for us, even in the little things.  Thank you for your perfect timing.  It was that perfect timing that brought Gwen and Tim together.  Holy Spirit, continue to pour out your presence and your Spirit over Gwen and Tim and their children.  Jesus you are trustworthy and faithful.  Thank you for the reminder that you are taking care of things in the exact right time!  Amen