Of Saint Patrick's Day and Such

Happily-ever-after is not a fairy tale -- it's a choice.

Melanie's 11-year-old Leprechaun

With a leprechaun nearby watching, Melanie's Shawn asked her to marry him. The piano he gave her, now gracing her music room, has played through the hymnbook many times, has endured piano students stumbling through the notes and her own children practicing with one-finger notes to, in nine-year-old Ethan's case, a first place ribbon.

Engagement Picture

Just so, the last eleven years started with tentative baby steps in this thing called marriage. In a world full of broken vows and failed marriages, their bond grows stronger. It speaks of a man leading and a woman submitting.  It's a beautiful picture, this submitting -- not in a cowering harsh way some try to place on the word, but lovingly guiding and choosing God's best for their family.

As with the piano, marriage is full of quarter notes, half notes and rests. Some days the music is one long allegrezza dotted with appassionato, other times it may feel like a one finger martellato. But keep working. God intends our lives to be a duet, the low notes of the husband mingling with the upper register scale of the wife performing a harmonious waltz of praise to the Creator of marriage.

Melanie's Saint Patrick's Day Idea

Melanie found this idea at My Sister's Suitcase. 

Melanie inherited Grandma Cessna's love of blessing others. Just this week she fixed a meal for a church friend, filled a cool mug with tiny gifts for a lonely teen and prepared these Saint Patrick's Day treats for the kids' church class friends. 

And, of course, one of her cute helpers!

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Spiritual Sunday