This post is published in full at The Village Magazine blog. Thanks for reading!

The first time he prepared my coffee was on the morning of our five year wedding anniversary. Our daughter was two, our son had just been born a few weeks earlier, it was nearing the end of the fall semester - one of the more overwhelming times on the academic calendar to which our family is beholden. We had no plans to celebrate until later that month, no gifts for each other, but his simple act of kindness was gift enough that morning for this sleep-deprived mother: a hot, steaming cup of creamy coffee perfection, waiting for me right at the table.

The best mornings now start when he gets my coffee ready. It's "my" coffee for several reasons, the most obvious being that he doesn't drink coffee - abhors the taste, hesitates to kiss me after I've had my cup. But he knows how much it's like a warm hug to me in the morning, to hold that cup in my hands as the day begins.

It was purely an act of love for him to learn the process: boil the water, grind the beans, measure it out, let it steep for no more than 5 minutes, pour, add cream. And it's an act of love each time he prepares it for me and there's a hot cup ready and waiting like a love note in the morning. It doesn't happen every morning, and I'm glad for that - I have a habit of taking things for granted. This isn’t one...

You can read the rest of this post here at The Village Magazine blog.

fullness

Is it our anniversary? No. A few more months before that. And in between now and then, we have what is shaping up to be a (good) full fall season, including welcoming a new family member into our home. But when you are facing fullness, it can be so, so good to pause and reflect, to stay grounded through that fullness (even if it's a very *good* fullness!). So I love looking back, remembering, refocusing, and repeating the promises we made to each other. Marriage is beautiful and it is hard (my favorite quote about this, from Jamie The Very Worst Missionary goes something like "We've been married for 20 years, but only the first, like, 20 were hard" - ha!). There is much pruning and resulting growth to be done in both of us...and that is good. Love you, Mark Gordon. Looking back at these promises, and looking forward to this full season together.

"...I take you to be my partner in Christ's service.
I will help you develop God's gifts in you,
and work with you for the coming of the kingdom of God.
I will listen with you for God's call on our lives,
that our home may be a place where the good news is proclaimed,
where justice and mercy are lived,
where God's children are welcomed,,
and where God's name is honored..."