Saturday, June 27, 2009

and they called it young love.

downtown st. paul. the landmark center. three friends touring.

this was the setting.

we had been walking around, enjoying the historical, restored beauty of a building. we were avidly reading the signs and placards about the famous courtcases that took place in the building. Alvin "Creepy" Karpis (one of the most famous #1 most wanted, who actually went to Alcatraz prison). John Dillinger, and his fiancee. and several more. the history was astounding. the experience quaint.


we (it was only me, actually) were lamenting not having brought a camera to document the trip. but little did we know what adventures were in store for us that will only be held by our memories and one camera-phone picture.

near the end of our visit to the center, we came across a little display portraying the postal business also based out of the building. there were posters on the wall, and about eight old-school postal bags hanging under a glass slab. while my friends were reading the posters, i wandered to the bags to see if there was anything inside. the first one had a cardboard space-filler with a picture of old letters on it. slightly disappointed, i looked in the second one. but this one had a few REAL letters and a postcard or two on top! slipping my hand down into the bag, between the glass, i snatched the letters. i called the friends over, and showed them excitedly what i had discovered.

it was a love letter. postmarked november 1929. i felt the excitement well up inside me at the possibility of holding history in my hands.


at first we weren't sure it was real, thinking someone just wanted to make it look realistic. but as we looked in the other bags, there were more letters. from the same year, from the same people.
the next 45 minutes were spent reading and discovering more letters. they were from different times of year, extending into 1930. as we read bits and pieces, we tried to fit together the puzzle of the lives of two young lovers. each letter held declarations of love that to our movie- and book-jaded ears felt so simple and sweet.

here is their story:
to skip, love rube. planning a june wedding in november. she lived in washington, he in oregon. their love was strong. they missed each other like the desert misses the rain. they eloped. deciding to keep it a secret they wrote every day as husband and wife, hours and miles drive apart. they continued planning their wedding for june...for family appearances. phrases like, "there is not even one tiny piece of my heart that i could possibly give to anyone else" or "i miss you more than i ever thought i could miss anything in the whole world" or "i cannot think of anything else but you." their flowery words and heart-felt sentiments were a symbolic beacon for eachother, as they passed the time apart, waiting for the future. they asked advice on daily living and decisions and discussed their innermost thoughts and feelings. we were let in on a little sliver of two lives, witnessing the story that shaped their hearts and lives. i was giddy with excitement to discover the each fun detail of their daily living. it was like an old carol lombard/clark gable film. but for reals. it was touching. we were captivated.

oh to have this kind of undying love. a devotion that bound their hearts together forever. a secret that shaped their early years of marriage. a story that would be passed down for generations. and one that has touched lives of complete strangers, touring a museum.

skip and rube will never know that we read these letters, but their devotion is an example to me of the selfless and undying love of a man and his woman. in another parallel, it reminded me of how i am loved by the Man in my life right now. He rejoices over me (zeph 3:17) and i am His. how often do i tend to lose sight of the precious words of promise and lavishing He has for me. it becomes common-place. a little cliche to hear and give the words of love. but i want to be like skip and rube, declaring love and recieving love with abandon. no reservations. i know for a fact He deserves it. and i am coming to believe i am worthy of it as well. Thank you, my King for loving me.

"...but the greatest of these is love"
1 cor 13:13

Monday, June 22, 2009

life. summer. UPDATES!

I cannot believe the time that has passed, the occasions i think about sitting down to write, and i just don't. So here is a mini-update on my life.
Align Center
i have finished my first semester at biola, and i loved it so much.it is now summer which means work, traveling and other fun stuff. we had a family vacation with 8 of us for the first time. what fun new dynamics =).i just got back from an amazing trip to mexico.it was the first time i never took pictures or had a sad goodbye.it was as if its just another visiting place and i'll be back for SURE.i fall in love with it everytime.the june gloom is just now fading into beautiful california summer.i love it.i am very content with where God has me in life.and i can see his hand in all parts of my life.

here's some pics from the family vaca:


(back row: joey. johny. amy. krissa. jim. mumzy
front row: me. dad.)



(me.johnny.amy)

just a little story:
So being at the mercy of the random selection for serving on our county's jury, i was summoned to appear in the second week of classes starting back in february.

unable to tear myself away from academic achievement for that long, I regretfully called in and asked to postpone it until june.


(me. regretful of not serving when they summoned)

I strategically picked a date that would land between my 10-day family vacation and my regualr summer Mexico trip. genius, right? i thought so. well my date came around, and as my summons said, i was available between the two dates, spanning a week. no longer, though. what i DIDN'T know was that you call in everyday until they need you. THEN your service starts. *sigh* well i went in and addressed a very disgruntled jury-service woman. and i told her that being a victim of our messed up system, that i would not be able to appear for seven working days following this day, and if she could please help me. just to have a little bit of mercy, because this trip was important to me.

To which she responded, "and thats my problem, why?" ugh. remind me NEVER to be a government employee. it might make me mean and jaded. so anyways. she told me to call as soon as i was back from mexico. i did. they wanted me. the lady said, sorry, you're at the mercy of the judge now. So i prayed lots and felt slightly stressed that i wouldn't be able to get out of serving. tragically i have aNOTHER trip planned for later this week and so i am really hoping this all works out. i have a back up or two if they can't be reasonable:
1. Vengeance is the Lords...he will repay.
2. tell them my theory: if the defendent made it this far already, even if he's not guilty for this, he must be guilty for SOMETHING. so i go "guilty" every time.

3. i am a criminal justice student at at private Christian university.

bailiff calls. we file in. hear ten other people's hardships on why they can't serve. i am the last. my heart is pounding. i stumble over calling him "sir" or "your honor." i don't trust my voice. it sounds more confident than i feel. i tell the judge my problem. he laughs. my stomach drops. he asks if i can postpone my trip by a week. feeling a burst of confidence, i try being witty. "its a non-refundable ticket, and i am but a poor college student, sir...err. your honor." the coutroom erupts in snickers from fellow jurors, judge and council alike. the judge pulls council up to consider requests. my heart is pounding. will they let me off? i watch their faces for positive signs. they all nod. judge returns to his leather thrown behind his "Judge Pluim" plaque. he looks right at me and says "Suzanne K, you are hereby excused from serving on this jury. thank you for your service and willingness to join us today." my hear soars.

i walk out in a daze.
and they say there isn't proof of a God. ha.

they were so wrong.

xoxo.