31Days to Keep a Tender Heart: October 8

Still counting gifts:

· #493: Forgetting my headphones which allowed me to listen to the forest during my run

· #494: The smell of the heat coming on in the house for the first time

· #495: Watching leaves caught in the wind, dancing across the road

· #496: Multi-colored trees: green at the base, lightening to red, orange and yellow at the top

· #497: The privilege of offering compassion to those who are habitually hard on themselves

· #498: Treating my youngest brother to dinner at one of his favorite places

· #499: Celebrating the man he has become

· #500: Bible study with women I enjoy and led by my mom

I know that I have said this before, but it bears repeating. My mom, Anne, is a woman who has been passionately committed to pursuing God with her whole heart since before I was born. She is a wonderful student of the Bible and she is a gifted teacher to those who desire to study the Bible for themselves.

We are studying the book of Ruth on Monday nights. Tonight, my mom added a discussion of some scriptures that talk about being satisfied in God. I was so touched by these verses and this conversation that I want to share some of it with you.

As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake. Psalm 17:15

It’s in the place of connecting with God, face to face, where we can be satisfied.

The fear of the LORD leads to life, and he who has it will abide in satisfaction; He will not be visited with evil. Proverbs 19:23

I want to abide in satisfaction. Doesn’t that sound incredible?! It’s linked to the fear of the LORD, which leads to life. I want to cultivate the fear of the LORD so that I can have life and abide in satisfaction.

And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Even my needs will be satisfied in Christ Jesus. This gives me hope, knowing that God wants to satisfy me in relationship with Him and meet my needs. Thank you God for loving me enough to want me to be truly satisfied and for providing that fulfillment in yourself.

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Transition

It's snowing outside my window. It just started to stick a little bit. I can see it on the trees and covering the leaves. This is the first snow of the season. It means change is coming. Fall coats are no longer be sufficient. Hats, scarves and gloves become a part of my daily wardrobe. My car needs time to warm up and I should fill up with gas when it gets down to 1/4 tank. I really like this time of year. Fall is ending and winter is coming. I like snuggling in front of a fire and wearing sweaters. I like drinking hot chocolate, apple cider and spice tea, in addition to my usual coffee consumption. I like Thanksgiving, the holiday and the practice. While I welcome this change in season, I am so aware of how I am struggling in my own transition. I have spent several hours contacting insurance companies to change my name now that I am doing business as Jody Striker, LCPC. Ben is still collecting our things from the various places where we have been storing them. Th

3 weeks ago today

I got married three weeks ago today. I’ve been thinking a lot about our wedding since that day. This was my first week back to work, which meant that I got to talk a lot about that day and show pictures, because everything is still fresh and new and people are anxious to know how it went. I have missed writing. Several times during our honeymoon, I almost grabbed my laptop because I had the urge to write. I never did, but I wanted to. I think that it felt too intimate to record in some ways. And, in others, I was just enjoying being lazy and carefree. I plan to write about what I remember from my wedding. (Maybe even some things from our honeymoon. We shall see…) I don’t know what I will share, but I want to make a record of my memories and experiences from that day. Just three weeks later, but the feelings are less vivid and the mental pictures are less crisp. Fortunately, our photographer did an amazing job and I am thankful that I have those images to remind me.

How do I like being married?

People keep asking me how I like being married. I get it. I’m adjusting to a major life transition. People are excited for me and this is an easy way for them to enter into my joy. They ask this question and I start gushing. I say that I love it. It’s wonderful. Yes, we’re settling in well, there in the basement of my parents house. I may mention that Ben has been hanging things in our room and brought furniture out of storage to make our space more like home. If the conversation lasts long enough and becomes more intimate, I may even tell them that some of my favorite things are when we pray together in the morning and he makes me coffee to help me wake up. I like when we fall asleep with hands and toes just barely touching; in our space, but still nearby. I like calling him my husband and hearing him say that I’m his wife. Being married has been wonderfully different and also surprisingly the same. My life at work, for example, feels exactly like it did before I w

pursuing LOVE...and JOY...and WHOLEHEARTEDNESS!

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