Monday Thirteen: Big Event Theme

I'm going to be a whirling dervish the next couple of weeks. Who knows if I'll be able to post ,let alone comment on any blogs. I'm staying sane by the grace of God, and one of the graces is the wonderful four-letter word "list."

While I'm in List Mode, here's 13 things going on in my mind, world, and heart, in random order.

1. My son Ben is the typical groom-to-be. Details are not important. Since the wedding is in March and I hadn't seen the need to put it on the calendar (it's not like I'm going to forget it, right?) I didn't register the time, either. All I could remember was they're serving brunch food. It's the bride's favorite. So I was thinking noon-ish.
2. My future DIL asked me to find out from our side of the family who will be renting hotel rooms what night so she can reserve a block of them. I asked Ben what time is the wedding? He said 11.
3. So I sweated and panicked and thought, "Eleven??? Seriously?? That is SO early for Marylanders to get up to New Jersey!" I hate to ask people to rent a room the night before, but was having nightmares in the day (daymares?) about half the family showing up late or missing it! The combo of not-early-birds, notorious traffic, and unpredictable weather known between MD and NJ in March, my stomach had tied the knot many times!
4. I highly encouraged folks to rent a room Friday because the wedding would be starting at 11 and ending in mid-afternoon. Not so much need for a Saturday booking.
5. I asked Dee and she said, "The wedding is at 1."
6. "One?! Whew! Where was I getting 11 o'clock? Oh, yeah, from the GROOM! I figured he ought to know.
7. Why should he know? My own groom nearly 25 years ago didn't care about the "details." I guess in a groom's mind, details include the time of the wedding.
8. Um, no, honey. A detail would be the time the girls are having their make-up done. I wouldn't expect you to know or care about that. In fact, I might be worried if you did.
9. My other young adult son is wondering what to give his girlfriend for her birthday. He is such a romantic, such a planner, but a broke romantic planner. Her birthday is in two weeks. Won't surprise me if he starts asking for some odd jobs around the house for money. If you hear someone singing, "Scrub! In the name of love! before you break her heart...o-o-whoa-whoa..." that's me as I hand Steve a rag.
10. My daughter sweet-talked her daddy into getting tickets to the Ravens game yesterday. You should have heard her build her case. "It's one of the few Sundays I won't have much homework this semester. The weather is beautiful. It's a 4:oo game so we're not gonna miss any church. We could make a memory. You know you want to." They took the boy with them. He was in his glory. Pictures coming soon. ( "Upload pictures to laptop" is on another list somewhere. Oh yeah--in my head. Not likely to happen if left there. )
11. I've started decorating the house a little with fall touches. Knowing your sisters are coming in from out of state has a way of making you notice that other things need your attention as well. Kind of want to get from "to do" to "ta-da" without really working., though. Not sure how...
12. I heard an excellent message today by a visiting pastor, a message that has encouraged me for the short- (and hopefully long-) term. It was from Jude 1b. That's right: Jude One b. The words "called," "loved," and "kept" are so sweet, so amazing. If you're a Christian, you're called. Why does God love you? Because He loves you? But why? Because He loves you! It's not because of anything lovable in you. ( "Sorry, pal.") And you are kept in Jesus. Kept! Forever! That is, if He has called you to Himself, and you have repented of your sin and put your faith in His work alone on the cross, you are His and kept forever. "That should put a really big smile on your face!" he concluded.
13. I am really tired and really excited at the same time. The effect of stress on me is somewhat narcoleptic. Seriously. I yawn a lot, and if I close my eyes, I can fall asleep on the spot. I really think so. I get it from my dad. Here's a picture from his retirement. He is holding up a sign he would post outside his cubicle before stretching out on the floor behind his desk. You can imagine how unsettling a sight that would be if the sign were absent. He's always believed that if your body needs sleep, give it sleep, not coffee, if you can.