First Year in Recap

In just a few weeks, Nathan and I will celebrate our 1 year anniversary.  What a year it has been. God asks many things from His children, but in particular He has asked us to walk by faith, not sight.  We do not know what our future holds, nor what direction it will take; but we continue to follow His calling on our lives and trust in Him, not ourselves.  This year has been a year full of following Him and waiting on the Lord.

Shortly before our marriage, we started a year-long residency program (internship) with Antioch Church in Bend, OR; which has deepened our knowledge of both Scripture and ourselves.  Along the way we have had some adventures, made new friends, and discovered hidden gifts.  I believe the most significant gift the Lord has been endeavoring to instill in me is patience.  It is still a daily struggle; forcing myself to not worry about finances and the future, but God continually presses me to trust Him, to have patience and wait on His call.

Living in Bend was a great experience.  The like so many cities, Bend has its own, unique personality.  This is the town of micro breweries, mountain sports, and cold brew coffee.  The fact that I personally do not enjoy any of these things is besides the point.  It is a great atmosphere and there is always something going on, something to do.  There are always new friends to be made, new activities to learn.  Not that we had much time, between our internships and driving home to see family.  But one feels alive in a town like that, it is hard not to.  You feel guilty for wasting a sunny day inside, when you could be "floating the river" for goodness sake!

In Bend we began to grow together.  It was there that we learned just how much work a good marriage takes.  And marriage is work, "any one who says differently is selling something." (To quote The Princess Bride.)  But it is glorious work, and I am confidant that the amount of work I but in is directly correlated to the amount of joy I receive.  But I digress.  We learned many things this year; namely: I can't cook to save my life (though I bake good cookies), Nathan is an amazing photographer and cinematographer, we are each other's best friend, and lastly, no one can live off cookies.

My husband and I love to travel, and we did as much as we could this year.  We flew to the East Coast for The Justice Conference 2013, road-tripped to Cali, and took several excursions to the coast.  The ocean holds a special place in my heart, and I do not doubt Mr.Gerhardt's as well.  We try to get there as much as possible.  I also took another flight to the East on my own to see my sister in Washington, D.C. and spent a weekend in New York City.  Mr. Gerhardt took a similarly solo trip to South Africa and spent a month there, filming and photographing rock climbers.

There is something magical in the sea.

Nathan teeing off

Kesh & China Town graffiti.

One of the trips we took was a coast roadtrip. Driving down to California with friends, we worked our way back up the coast; playing disc golf, wondering through China Town, San Fran, and exploring the beaches.  And of course, it wouldn't be a good roadtrip unless we drove til the sun went down and found our campsites by headlamp light.  And don't forget to go stargazing in the sand!  That's what makes these trips so worthwhile. I must confess I do not much appreciate road-trips. Car manufacturers have yet to come up with a seat that does not bruise your hiney after several hours in it.  But the landscapes and vistas I get to experience vastly make up for a sore rear.

Setting up camp in the dark.

This summer wrapped up our internship. 20 college kids from across the nation joined the Antioch internship team for the summer to see what pulling off a mobile church is all about.  That's right, MOBILE. Everything from the sound equipment to the kids toys must be unpacked and then repacked every Sunday.  I thank God for those 20 extra pairs of hands.

A few of the summer intern girls and friends.

OK, so far, I've just been rambling. Of course, those who know me well know that that is what I do. Ramble.  I'm very good at rambling.  I ramble through stories and books, I ramble through rooms, through activities, through life.  Even through blogs apparently...

But that is what this blog is all about!  When I met Nathan Gerhardt, I made a decision to stop rambling.  I decided that I would live with purpose, with passion, and with the Lord guiding my steps.  I knew that while I might choose a rambling path, He would not.  I made the decision to become someone new, someone better than who I had been content to be.  To no longer be Miss Phillips, rambling through life; but to become Mrs. Gerhardt, purposefully striding through life with my husband by my side and my God leading us forward.  A pretty picture, don't you think?  Now mind, this decision, though made; is far from done.  This is a decision I must re-make every morning when I wake, every hour as I go about my day, every night as I dream about tomorrow.  It is a lifelong process.

I am hopeful that through this blog I will be able to document and share my journey of becoming Mrs. Gerhardt.

Oh and P.S.

 

 I also got to see my lovely mother married this year.  My mother is an amazing woman, and I cannot express the joy and love I feel for her.  This answer to prayer was a long time coming, but no less sweet and joyous for the wait.  I'll miss the free food and warm counsel, but such loss is nothing to her gain.  The pain this lovely woman has suffered will no longer hold sway before the love and adoration of her new husband, Jason. I wish them both joy and long years with all my heart.

[from left] Mr. Stehly (the groom) , Mom (the bride), Grandaddy (the dad), and Mr. Buller (the officiant)

That said, it's still an odd thing to say, 'My mom just got married!' And to think, I've been married longer...  A strange world we live in, indeed. ;)