Small town discoveries

KK

I have decided to keep a running list of all the things I learn and/or notice about living in a ridiculously small (or as some say, "po-dunk") town.  Here is what I have so far:

1.  I can leave my house 2 minutes before I have to be at work (or anywhere for that matter) and still make it on time, and sometimes be early.  

2.  I see my students everywhere.  Like...literally everywhere.  Walmart, heb, football games, the gym, church...and that's about all the places I go. 

3.  I get excited about the possibility of going to Target on weekends.  

4.  Everyone is related to someone.

More will be added, I assure you, but that's all I can think of for now.  

Excellence Pursued

Excellence Pursued

JK

Having been married for 31 days or so, I’d day that I’ve pretty much got this marriage stuff figured out. I am an excellent husband. I eat the food she cooks, I let her sit by me when I’m watching TV, and I have made the bed for 80% of our married life (as in, I make the bed 80% of the days that it needs to be made, not I make the bed 80% of the way, only to give up on the last 20%. Well, except for the days when I neglect to replace the decorative pillows. Sometimes throwing those last 15 pillows on there seems a bit superfluous).

You ladies out there are probably getting a bit jealous, in which case, please take a moment to repent. Don’t feel bad, but understand that the reason I’m such an excellent husband is because of the incredible amount of pressure there is to be excellent when every single moment of my personal life is being shared by someone else. All kidding aside, I will spend the rest of my life trying to figure out how to be excellent for Kristen to the glory of God, and it has already started. I woke up one day last week with this incredible feeling of reality bearing down on me. I realized what every married person has been trying to make me understand is true: being married is hard. It’s not that I’ve done anything majorly wrong yet (although I’m always one sarcastic remark away), but I’ve just been average. In my life BK (“before Kristen”) I was able to spend hours on my own, consuming massive amounts of television, facebook, twitter, Netflix, etc. In my life AK (“After Kristen”) this is no longer an acceptable use of my time. In all actuality, in my life BK, wasting that much time wasn’t acceptable either, but it took some vows and a live-in roommate with intimate access to every part of my being to help me fully understand that. With Kristen around, mediocrity is no longer an option, and I realized the other day how mediocre I actually am. This is truly the highest form of accountability I will ever face, and Kristen is God’s reminder to me that even when I’m alone, my every move is always being observed. In a passage devoted specifically to marriage, Proverbs 5:21 says:

“For a man’s ways are before the Lord’s eyes,
and He considers all his paths.”

I know that every choice and action I’ve ever made has been seen by God, but having this living, breathing representation of constant observation has added a whole new level of accountability. I am pumped to see the man I am years down the road thanks entirely to the positive influence of a beautiful and godly woman walking beside me every step of the way. Justin BK was pretty good, but Justin AK is taking glorifying God to an entirely new level.

Changes

KK

Before you start reading, I feel like I should warn you that this post is basically me vomiting my feelings on you.  So get ready.  Throughout the past week or so I have found myself growing out of the fairy tale idea that I am officially a "grownup".  While the idea is still cool, the reality is terrifying and uncomfortable.  I think the most uncomfortable thing I have ever done with my life up to this point has been moving a little over an hour away for college.  Even so, I was home more weekends than not.  I don't handle change very well.  I like routine and knowing what's going to happen.  I have always wished I could be one of those girls who is crazy and spontaneous, but let's face it, I'm just not.  Sometimes I feel like I'm borderline boring, nay, lame.  However, with people I'm comfortable around, that's a totally different story.  Those of you keeping up with this blog would probably fall in that category and are thinking, "Kristen, you shut your dirty mouth! You are the life of the party!" While usually I would have to agree, this week I have felt like anything but that.  The novelty of having a new grownup job, a house to take care of, moving to a new town, etc. has begun to wear off.  Thankfully, I have found nothing boring about the marriage part of this equation.  I am constantly amazed at how blessed I am by his love and leadership.  I understand it sounds like I have nothing to be complaining about, and realistically, I don't.  Nothing that is new to me right now is a bad thing.  But that's just it...it's new.  Very few things about my life right now are familiar to me.  I feel as if I have been ripped away from everything that's comfortable to me and put in a place where I have to basically start over.  I find myself craving familiarity.  The other day, I bought some bars of dove soap, because that's what I've been buying for years.  I opened one of the boxes when I got home and my response was probably unlike anyone else who has ever opened a box of soap.  I didn't cry or anything, but like eating Special K cereal in the morning, painting my toes on the couch, or even wearing my retainer, I have found that little things that are familiar to me have become special.  That also goes for spending time with Justin.  Being around him makes me feel like I'm home.  And not home as in Round Rock.  Home, as in that's where I'm supposed to be.  He has been so sweet and understanding through this huge transition for me.  I could not imagine going through it with anyone else.  And the Lord has been teaching me through everything I've been going through.  I have been resisting being joyful.  He is making me aware of the things I have to be thankful for.  I have complained about Target and Starbucks being nearly an hour away.  He is allowing us to save money.  I have missed having numerous friends to hang out with at any time.  He has reminded me that it is a blessing to be able to spend essentially all of my free time with Justin, and that someday when we have kids, we will so badly want to have the alone time that we now have plenty of.  This new way of life will undoubtedly be a process getting used to. But might as well embrace it and choose to be joyful instead of letting myself be miserable.  The change will keep happening whether I like it or not. I can find things to be thankful for, or complain about it.  

Thanks for reading! Now you may go get a towel to wipe off the emotions you are drenched in. Have a great rest of the week :)