Game Night

While I was in Fort Worth over spring break, my dear friends in Lubbock all got together for a fun game night. How dare they have game night while I'm gone? Don't they know that game night is my favorite? I guess they owe me one. And by one, I mean one game night while I am in town and able to attend.

I'm waiting for the call...

An Adventist Bachelorette Party?

By their very nature, the words Adventist and Bachelorette Party do not belong in the same sentence. They are polar opposites, one evoking images of debauchery and the other evoking images of utmost conservatism. And so, like other aspects of Adventist culture that take something "worldly" and make it more conservative (think of all those cleverly named foods in a can), we also have our own version of a bachelorette party. We tamely call it a lingerie shower. And while we may look innocent,

don't be fooled by the conservative name or our posed picture - it doesn't mean that our girls-night-out in honor of the bride-to-be is prudishly innocent or clean.

Sias Weddings

Last week Chris and I attended my brother-in-law's wedding. I sat in a chapel pew by myself during the wedding ceremony. While most eyes were on the bride and groom, my eyes were on Chris who was standing by the groom's side as the best man. It reminded me of our wedding day and the many days that led up to it.

Our story is not one of love at first sight. In fact, I do not remember the first time I met Chris. Instead, I just remember knowing him.

For the first year that I knew Chris, we only saw each other occasionally. We would run into each other when mutual friends came together. We always ended up sitting and talking together in these settings. One time we ran into each other at UTA. To this day I can remember what he was wearing and how I was struck by his handsomeness. One spring break we both went on a beach trip with mutual friends and spent the entire car ride home talking about nothing and everything.

Then one summer Chris started talking to a girl. I was surprised to find myself jealous that someone else was getting his full attention. I realized that I wanted to be closer to Chris and I told myself that I would no longer sit idly by. The following school year I began inviting Chris to have lunch with me. We met for lunch almost every Tuesday that semester.

The truth is out now: In the beginning, I pursued Chris.

Over lunch that semester, we slowly built up a friendship; a foundation. At that time I only knew that I wanted to know Chris more. I liked being around him because he always had something interesting to say while I usually felt like I had nothing interesting to say. Later Chris told me that he liked being around me because I always had something interesting to say while he usually felt like he had nothing interesting to say. In hindsight, we can see that we had instant chemistry.

By Christmas we were dating. I had no particular expectations for our relationship. I was having fun and never thought about being in a serious relationship. I only knew that I enjoyed being around Chris like no other person I knew or had ever known.

I can distinctly remember, however, the moment when I realized that I was in love and wanted no other man in my life. I was driving and can remember the exact place on the road where I made this exciting discovery. And then one day, there we were, in the same position as Jesse and Vanessa were in this past weekend:

Last week Chris and I attended my brother-in-law's wedding. I sat in a chapel pew by myself during the wedding ceremony. While most eyes were on the bride and groom, my eyes were on Chris who was standing by the groom's side as the best man. And that's when our story rushed through my mind. As I watched Jesse and Vanessa make the same commitment Chris and I made two years ago, I found myself wishing for them the same happiness in that Chris and I have found in marriage.

Natural Gas or Aliens?

Right now I'm visiting Fort Worth and staying with my parents. Once a rural oasis, my parent's house is now filled with the alien-like sounds of a nearby natural gas rig. The constant hum of machines accompanied by strange, wavering, high-pitched noises make me think that ET is going to walk though the door at any minute. And if ET does walk through the door, I will run straight to my car and won't look back until I'm in Lubbock.

A Typical Day at the Park

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