Easter Morning

We got up this morning and found that the Easter Bunny had left this…he and I worked it out in advance because I told him we were going to the sunrise service this year. He’s a good guy, real accommodating.

Our church held their sunrise service at the cemetery which I think is really cool…I love the reminder that because of Jesus, death has lost its power over us…

After the service, we took a walk through to see the old graves. The earliest tombstone we could find was dated 1838. I think if I was going to be buried, I’d like it if someone held an Easter service near my tombstone. I just don’t think there’s anything more hopeful than that.

Bundled up in the chilly Easter morning…

When we got back to the church this morning, I slipped into the sanctuary before the service and just sat in a pew in the dark, looking up at the skylight, smelling the Easter lilies and staring at the cross. It was a quiet moment and I was so aware of the presence of God. Like the rest of my life, I so often rush through prayer, like it’s something to check off a list. But this morning I felt like I could just sit, without really knowing what to say.

And then we had a wonderful Easter breakfast with our congregation.

To my Christian friends, Happy Easter! To my Jewish friends, Chag Semeach!

love, elizabeth

Six Life Lessons from Christmas Movies

1. If you go to an inn in New England with Bing Crosby, there will be smooching.



2. No one can say ‘Merry Christmas’ with the fervor of Jimmy Stewart. No one. (see It’s a Wonderful Life, Shop Around the Corner for exhibits a and b)



3. If anyone shows up and claims to be a messenger, an angel, or a ghost of Christmas past perfect participle, listen to them.

4. Tim Allen knows it. Virginia knows it. The Supreme Court knows it. There is a Santa Claus. Don’t argue.

5. Don’t forget to hire the large ethereal-sounding choir well in advance of your life-altering transformation on Christmas Eve. They book up fast.



6. It’s okay if you burn the dinner, end up in an insane asylum or on a greyhound, fall off the roof, have no money for presents, or feel like jumping off a bridge because if it’s Christmas, there’s always hope.

What about you? What’s your favorite Christmas movie?

love, elizabeth

The Monster That Should Have Ripped Us Apart

Like a lot of other blogs written by people in love, I sometimes think maybe I give off this impression that Kyle and I do nothing but go apple-picking and having picnics in the park and being super fuzzy, lovey-dovey all the time. Recently, I’ve been inspired by some of these wonderful bloggers who have been so open about their lives and relationships and I thought it was important to share some things with all of you.

I’ve alluded to this before but Kyle has some pretty serious stuff in his past, stuff that we’re still coming to grips with, working through together. If you’ve ever wondered why this blog is called “Love is an Adventure,” this is why.

Honestly, the last almost seven years together have been utterly blissful at times and at others, unbearably painful. I have questioned our decision to get married. I have longed to abandon the heartbreak and pain that we are forced to face daily. I have dreaded that soul-sorrow that stays aching in the bones.

Kyle suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (or PTSD, as it is often called). Without sharing too many of the details here, I can say that it stems from early childhood abuse at the hands of a stranger.

Source: weheartit.com via Elizabeth on Pinterest

Kyle and I have thought before about sharing some of our experiences of healing here on the blog but it has been difficult to think of how to really talk about it in a way that might be helpful for others. I have decided to spend the better part of this week highlighting some of the lessons he and I have learned as we have struggled our way through some very dark days. Maybe what we share can shed some light on his experience of PTSD.

It’s important for me to say that no two people are alike and that no two experiences of PTSD are alike so while there are some common symptoms, reactions, triggers, and treatments, every survivor’s story is unique to him or her. We have no right or wrong answer, only many questions and some moments of hope to share. We’re not experts on PTSD, just experts of our own experiences. We share this with the hope that it may offer some encouragement to someone out there struggling like we have, like we are, like we will continue to do.

PTSD is the monster that should have ripped us apart. But God is the God who has continued to hold us together when we couldn’t see past any of it, when we couldn’t even breathe.

I hope you’ll read this week.

love, elizabeth

PS: Still time to enter the First of Fall Giveaway and win a softer-than-soft scarf!