DO NOT PAY THE RANSOM!

I have just escaped the kidnappers and the first thing I want to do is post to my blog! Alright, I wasn't really kidnapped. I have been out of the country.....yeah, I was in Greece with Brad. You don't believe me? Actually, the truth is I have been caught up in a vision from the island of Patmos. That's right, I am teaching Revelation for the first time and have been reading A LOT. That does not excuse breaking my promise to submit weekly accountability reports on chasing my weight loss goal. That is not going so well. I am not giving up, but discouraged. This week will not be a good one because it is a week of celebration. That is my segue to a more fun part of this post.

Saturday, April 7, my son Mark will marry Lindsay Edwards. It has been a long time coming in many ways. I am thankful that they dated a long time and had a long engagement to allow time to be sure about their decision. Such a time is usually happy for parents. I feel doubly blessed because Mark went through a time in his life when the future didn't look so bright. He was making bad decisions and was mad at the world for the consequences he was suffering. It is very painful for a parent to watch. But prayers were answered and Mark did the hard work to turn things around. He worked harder and did without more than most people can understand. During that time he developed a relationship with Lindsay and that relationship grew during hard times. Lindsay demonstrated true, unselfish love during those times in ways that convince me the two of them can overcome any difficulty they encounter. Will they ever argue? Sure. Will they experience difficult financial times? Probably. Will they ever worry about what other people think? Well, one of them will. But I believe they love each other with a deep, mature love and that they both understand that seeking God must come first. Because of that, this weekend is a great celebration in my mind. Will something at the ceremony not go as planned? Probably. Will somebody get their feelings hurt? Possibly. Will the reception be more rowdy than most of us older folks prefer? Ummm, good chance. But at the end of the day, Mark and Lindsay will be married. And I for one will be happy....proud....content.....dancing like an old fool!