Incarnation

 

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John 1:14

This Christmas especially, I find myself thankful for the miracle of the incarnation. So much of it is a mystery to me, yet it comforts me to be reminded that my redeemer once had a human body and once walked among us.

I generally shy away from discussing my job on this blog, but the short story is that I am a social worker and sometimes it is really hard. I cannot imagine anything else I would rather be doing and am truly honored by the work, but it is difficult to confront daily ugly parts of the world like poverty and cruelty. Even though I love what I do, I still have days when I just want to hide under my covers from all of that.

It eases my soul to remember that God understands these uglier parts of the human experience. I believe that because one time he was born in a manger. As John says, he became flesh. I don’t know for certain, but I imagine that was an uncomfortable transition. Suddenly he had a body and sometimes bodies are not so great. We get too hot or too cold, too hungry or too tired. We stub our toes and get tummy aches. These things are all infinitesimal compared to the suffering of the cross, but they help me appreciate the miracle of Jesus being fully God and fully human.

It also helps me to remember that because Jesus once dwelt among us, he lived in relationship with others and in a social context. He lived among those who were broken and sick. He spent time with little children. He grieved with dear friends. He had firsthand experience with poverty, suffering, and injustice. He knows what it is like.

Christmas is a beloved chapter in a much bigger story. So much more could be said about what the birth of Jesus means but this year I want to just turn the corner of the page down right there and spend this season being grateful for this mystery of God in human form.

Merry Christmas.

Happy Birthday.

On Sunday afternoon, my precious niece was born. Derek, Kolby, Emily and I were able to visit her during the first hours of her life. The following poem is by Mary Oliver and it is one of my favorites. It makes me think of her and the moments we sat watching her get acquainted with the world.

Hello, sun in my face.

 

 Hello, you who make the morning

and spread it over the fields

and into the faces of the tulips

and the nodding morning glories,

and into the windows of, even, the

miserable and the crotchety -

 

best preacher that ever was,

dear star, that just happens

to be where you are in the universe

 

to keep us from ever-darkness,

to ease us with warm-touching,

to hold us in the great hands of light-

 good morning, good morning, good morning.

Watch, now, how I start the day

 

In happiness, in kindness.

 

Welcome, Kyndall. We love you so much.

Updates

This blog hasn't been updated lately because...

A. Both of us have jobs now.

     Derek began a new job back in June. He started looking into new opportunities back when we were living in San Antonio because he was worried about the possibility of an NBA lock out. I thought he was crazy. Sweet kid hasn't even said "I told you so" once. He really likes what he is doing now and I'm proud of him for being able to see this situation coming and for all the hard work and courage that it took to step into his new job.

     After hunting for about two months, I accepted a position a wonderful local non-profit. I truly love the work that I get to do everyday. It makes me very happy to be working in a role where I spend most of my day actually helping people. I'm honored by that opportunity and encouraged by the people I get to work alongside. I also get to set my own schedule and that flexibility works well for me. Most of all I'm just grateful that Derek and I are both employed in fields that use the degrees we worked so hard for. We are blessed.

B. It's football season.

     Since Derek used to work in the OSU ticket office, we have some of the best seats in the house for an incredible season of Cowboy football. I have to admit that when I put on an OSU orange tee shirt, it still feels all wrong. And is objectively not as flattering on me as my beloved burnt orange. But it has been really fun to take little road trips this fall, visit family, and be part of a great game day experience. I'm enjoying it more as the season goes on. Initially, I couldn't really relax because I felt like people would know that I was an imposter. It took real effort not to throw my horns up when good things happened.

     We also made it down to Austin for the UT vs. OSU game. We got some much needed relaxation at my parent's place in Wimberley and enjoyed spending time with my dad and brother. Texas lost, but it was great to be back on the forty acres for the day.


C. We've had a lot to celebrate.

     Since the last posting, we celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We had a perfect lazy Sunday just enjoying spending time together. It started with pancakes, bacon, and coffee in our favorite "his" and "her" coffee mugs and it ended with some wonderful cake: fresh not frozen.

     For fun and a challenge, we opted to exchange traditional wedding gifts of paper. I got Derek's diploma, our wedding invitation, and a watercolor of the place where we got engaged framed nicely. Derek gave me a beautiful bible with my new name on it. Actually he gave me two because one is an enormous "mom bible" and the other is more travel friendly. I love them and it kind of made me tear up when I opened the box.

     We also celebrated 9 years of togetherness. Ridiculous, right? Maddie stayed with my parents and Derek and I had a fabulous night out on the town. We had dinner at Hattie's and it was romantic and perfect. I daydream about those fried green tomatoes. 

     We stayed the night at The Magnolia because I just needed to get out of the house for a night. I love that I can work from home, but sometimes it makes it hard for me to fully relax when I know that I have paperwork hidden in the cabinet.

     
     Last weekend, we got to celebrate at the wedding of our friend Lindsey. Arkansas is gorgeous this time of year and it was a fun trip for us. The wedding was beautiful and joyous and we are so glad we got to be a part of it. I got a little sentimental because Lindsey is my last close friend from high school to get married. When the wedding party was announced "Allen"..."Ellis"..."Ringler"..."Tolleson"..."Mr. and Mrs. Dykes" I realized that all these girls who are precious to me have new names. It really hit me that we are all very grown now. Grown and blessed to have found so much love and happiness early in life.

     Besides being a great chance to catch up with old friends, it was also a great time to dance. By far my favorite moment was when the band played "No One Else On Earth" by the incomparable Wynonna. It was such a perfect moment for Lindsey's wedding. I remember belting that song in her car and in our dorm room. So much fun to belt it at her wedding.
    

D. We have the neediest dog in the world.

     Even as I type this, she is edging her wet nose between my palm and the laptop begging me to pet her. She is whining and staring at my ardently. It's pathetic and it makes blogging difficult. But how can I resist the snuggles?

One Year

I, Kassidy, take you, Derek, to be my husband.

 

You are my favorite,

the love of my life,

and the best friend I've ever had.

With great joy, today I bind my life to yours.

 I take you for better or worse and forever and ever.

I will endure with you through any sorrow or trial

and I will share with you all of the good and perfect gifts that God may bless us with.

     I will do my best to be patient, kind, encouraging and forgiving.

I will take good care of you and keep you safe from harm.

I promise to be honest with you and faithful to you.

You are an incredible blessing to me and I will be grateful for you all the days of my life.

Above all else, I pledge to you my steadfast love.

This is my solemn vow.

 

This is a symbol of my love

and a reminder of the promises we've made today 

 

With this ring, with all that I have and with all that I am, 

I marry you and am honored to call you my husband.