An update...

I'm slacking in my blogging lately. Oh well, life is wonderfully busy and fabulously less dramatic!

The job search is in full swing! The job seekers network at our church wasn't quite the best fit, so we are searching alone for the time being. G didn't really fit into their box of what a job seeker is, wants and needs. If someone doesn't understand or even sympathize with the whole new immigrant thing, then they tend to do more harm than good and be a discouragement. We don't need that right now! The down side of not going to the job thing anymore is that my dad spent time taking George and that was SO SWEET! I would hear how wonderful my dad is about as much as I heard about the actual job meeting! Adorable! We are very thankful for the support we get from my family.

We have tremendous faith that God will show us what to do and come through for us. We also understand it may not be as fast as we'd like or look the way we think it will. Before G arrived, the thought of both of us looking for work and how two new jobs would logistically fit in was pretty daunting. However, now that he's here-those worries are on the back burner! Please pray with us that God would provide the perfect jobs for both of us and that the transportation (1 car, 1 driver, 2 people going to 2 jobs) would work out smoothly!

It is cold! Not snow on the ground cold, like the DC area, but for an African and Texan...it's about as bad!

Things are so wonderful right now. I know it's the honeymoon phase and whatever, but truly, life is good now that we are together. I hope I always remember the struggle and prayers to have George here and never take it for granted. My worst of days when he's here are still better than my best days when we were apart. I'll stop the mushy stuff now.

Our wedding photographer is uploading pictures tonight and I am SO excited!! He posted one and it beautiful! You can see both of us! George is brown, not black and I am my normal white, not a ghost. Amazing. I'm so pumped! We have empty frames waiting for wedding pictures and I can't wait to fill them.

George is discovering new American things everyday and I love watching it. Last night, he pumped gas for me since it was so cold-it was quite the sight! G had only gotten the run through on how to pump gas once (it's all full-service in Ghana with OLD gas pumps) and the station we went to had new machines. I was particularly classy, twisted around in the driver seat shouting directions to him through the back window which was open about 2 inches-I had to shout because he couldn't hear me otherwise. When he finished, all we could do was laugh, it truly could have been a comedy sketch! He also discovered Jerry Springer (I didn't know that was still on!) Dr. Phil and Oprah yesterday. Thankfully, he didn't like any of them!

Marital bliss...

As you probably guessed from the absence of blogging, (or from facebook stalking me or actually being there) last week was the BIG DAY! It was so completely wonderful and I really cannot imagine what could have made it better, other than the impossible-having ALL of our family and friends there! It was a bit chilly here, but we got through just fine. I can’t wait to get the pictures! We had a blast, we felt so loved and we ATE! Here are a few fun things before the picture post…

When I was waiting in the lobby of my hotel with my dad to go out to the ceremony, this guy kept telling me how beautiful I looked and was going on and on. It was a bit weird, but my dad and I just laughed it off. Then, he came back (for like a seventh time) and gave me a rose, which didn’t go with my bouquet, and introduced himself. It was Eddie Vedder, front man of Pearl Jam. Haha! That’s Austin, people!

One of the things we had at the wedding was a more personal guest book. It had individual pages with questions for the guests to answer and to give advice. Reading it this week was SO MUCH FUN! G and I laughed and laughed. Nearly everyone said something about us having babies, lots of babies or beautiful babies. The advice was my favorite part. From a couple who was career focused and started their family into their 30s, Have kids while you’re still young! From a couple who struggled to have kids and that was a big focus in their lives, Enjoy your time getting to know each other before you have kids. From an old family friend who has been married 30+ years, Settle all arguments while you are naked-they usually settle pretty fast. I guess that’s the secret to a long and happy marriage! Ha! Seeing everyone’s perspective was a lot of fun and I’m glad we have this memento to keep for many years to come.

We’ve had a wonderful week settling down and settling in (thanks a TON to my mom who filled in for me at work this week!!!!). We have been able to relax and have been productive as well-it's been great! We are just so happy about life and are looking forward to our future! We are so thankful to God for taking us this far and to all of our family and friends who have been so supportive.

This is bliss…

Constantly amazed...

George has been here for 11 days and I am still in awe! I catch myself thinking, "What time is it in Ghana? Can I call him?" Then I remember, he's 15 minutes away! I can call him, I can text him (for free) and I can see him when my work day is over! It hasn't gotten old and I hope it never does! We are so thankful to be together and to begin our forever life in just a few days! God is so good.

Yesterday, George was able to come with me and the kids I watch (almost 2 and 3 months) and run some last minute wedding errands. It was SO much fun to have him with me and I always love seeing him with kids. After we had done most of our errands, both kids fell fast asleep in the car, so we decided to steal a front seat date! As we were sitting in a parking lot, eating burgers from a drive-thru and drinking Diet Coke I realized......this is our life in 5 years. Hahaha! Seriously though, it's not just visits anymore, this our real life!

Having him here melts away the pain, anxiety and loneliness that have filled so much of the past several years. I never imagined life could be this wonderful! Each day gets better and I am excited for all of our tomorrows!

Last night we met with our officiant and went over the ceremony. It was so sweet! We are excited to exchange these vows and prayers in front of our family and friends and to celebrate all that God has done! It's just so amazing that it's finally happening!

In other news, George's SSN came today! It was faster than expected and we are happy to have it so we can move forward and join our lives on paper-I can't wait to have things in BOTH of our names!

Things continue to go well, the hardest part right now is slowing down. We have been happily meeting people, trying new things, going here and there and all sorts of busy stuff. It's been great, but we are ready to begin settling into our life together and to find our normal. We are SO EXCITED about the wonderful wedding my parents are giving us (stay tuned for an awesome blog post about it:) but we're excited for life too!

Job seeking and wedding planning...

Yesterday, George went to our church's Job Seekers Network. It was completely amazing! He was blessed and encouraged (and because of that, so was I) and got some great tips! He'll keep going and the wonderful people there will continue to help him understand the American way of hiring and to encourage him in this search and new chapter. What a great church! We are so thankful and excited!

Yesterday was also my sister's Birthday and her birthday party/personal shower. TOO. MUCH. FUN. We laughed and laughed, and I must say, you don't really know someone until you see the type of gift they bring to a "personal shower". Haha! During said shower, George and my dad had man time. My dad introduced George to two of his close friends, Lowes and Best Buy. They had an equally good time.

In other news....our wedding is SO CLOSE!! I can't believe it! Unfortunately, I am working MORE, not less in the days that lead up to it, so I am doing some juggling and leaning on my family and friends to help out! I used up all my stress on immigration, so I'm pretty chill about it all, though I keep having dreams about forgetting something. Oh well, the most important part is here now! It will be great and I am so excited-my mom has been working really hard to make this a perfect day for us. I really can't believe it's so close!

I have been terrible about taking and posting pictures! Soon, I'll put some up, but at the very least, there will be a wedding post with all the good stuff!

Great, great day!

Today George wen to church with me! Awesome. We haven't been to church together in more than a year! It was so wonderful. He really likes the church I've been going to and we're excited to get plugged in together!

It's been a good weekend that has passed too quickly!!! We are counting down to the wedding and looking forward to finding our normal. God is so good and we are so blessed!!!

Dream come true!

This is day 4 of George being here and I'm still on cloud nine...I hope that never goes away! He is doing so great adjusting to life here, it's been a very busy 4 days! A lot of people are asking how he's doing, so I thought I'd fill y'all in a little bit.

George is fitting with my family SO well-he was our missing puzzle piece. He's always loved my family because they are my family. But now, he loves my family because he knows them (and vice-versa). Watching them interact together is quite possibly the greatest thing ever! I have waited and prayed for years to have the people I loved most be together! Now they are and it's better than I ever imagined! I'm at a loss for words to describe how wonderful it is and how completing it is for me.

George is the same man I fell in love with in Ghana. But there is something about him being outside of his norm that seems to magnify all the things I love about him. For instance...

He has always been very teachable, but in Ghana, he already knew so much. I am really enjoying watching him learn and observe things here. He's a quick study! He already clears my dishes from the table, the way my dad does for my mom....it's precious!

He's always been concerned for my well being, but for the first time, I get a "Call me when you get home." [swoon] The best part is, he can't actually wait for me to get home, he ends up calling me about the time I pull up to the gate at my apartment. LOVE. IT.

He's still adventurous! George has been so wonderful and easy going about trying new things, and there have been a LOT of new things to try! Concerning food, he likes most things (including Chick-Fil-A, Diet Dr. P, and strawberries-heck yes!) and only has a few dislikes so far-guacamole is one of them (oh well, more for me!). On his first full day here, he helped my dad put a piece of furniture together-that is NOT something that happens in Ghana, and he did a wonderful job! He's also a natural at Wii and I can't wait for a tennis showdown!

I'm kind of rambling because things are just so fabulous and I can't really put it into words. I'm so excited! Excited for today and excited for all the tomorrows to come!

What a man, what a man.

His first air travel took him 8,416 miles, over 29 hours and through 3 Continents. Wow.

......

My man is HERE!!!!!!

It was a harrowing journey, one that included lots of new experiences and struggles for George. (And one that included frantic phone calls and tears for me, when my man didn't get off his plane!) But alas, he's here. We can begin our forever!!

[Breakfast, THIS morning, TOGETHER in TEXAS]

When I began planning my first Ghana trip four years ago, I had no idea that I would meet this amazing man. I also had no idea what we would be fighting in order to be together. These last 18 months have been particularly hard. We have experienced so much! We have cried and struggled, we have learned a lot and aged even more! We have grown closer to one another and closer to our God. We have worried and planned and felt greater disappointment than we thought was possible. We have waited and waited and waited. We have been very alone. At last, we have triumphed!

I have been dreaming of picking George up at MY airport for more than 3 years....it finally happened!! There are no words to describe my joy. Complete is the closest thing I can think of. Praise God!!!

Woezor, George!!!

You have multiplied, O LORD my God, your wondrous deeds and your thoughts toward us; none can compare with you!I will proclaim and tell of them, yet they are more than can be told. -Psalm 40:5

Heck. Yes.

VISA IN HAND!!!!!

George has his "golden ticket" to enter the US! It's no longer a dream, but a reality. We are so excited!!!

This has been such a long journey and we are thankful to God for getting us through and thankful to our families and dear friends for supporting us. I just can't believe it!!!!!

Breathe...just breathe.

I can't believe George will be picking up his visa in the morning! It's so shocking and exciting! Somewhere in my heart and mind I really didn't think this would happen. We are both getting so pumped. Several times today I realized that tomorrow is the day and that in x number of days he will be HERE...I nearly cried at the thought of that! I'm so full of joy and anxiety!

We are so thankful to God that this part of our immigration journey is almost over!

2 days 'til visa pick up!!!

Ahhhhh!!! Yay!!

5 days...and other things.

FIVE days until George picks up his visa!! I am officially excited!

My car eventually started. It's a weak Texas car. Apparently, one below freezing cold start took all the juice out of the battery and it had to warm up/recharge for a while before it would start again. I'll remember that the next time it's that cold, though I hope it's a very long time before it's THAT cold again! Heat, when will you come back to me?

I have plan for the unwanted call and am choosing not to worry about it!

As for that thing I probably wasn't supposed to hear....well, I'm taking quiet action. I will decide what to say and when to say it later. I have a pretty good poker face to people who don't know me very well, so I think I can keep things on my terms for a while. I'm trying to relax about it, trying is the operative word!

I have the best little brother. After my hard day on Friday, we went out to dinner to unwind. He wouldn't let me talk about stressful things and kept me laughing. We went to Pei Wei-at about 7, I had only consumed around 300 calories for the whole day so I was HUUUUUNNGRY! While we waited for our food, I had 8 fortune cookies (I know, ridiculous). The first one had a stupid fortune about patience. Showing his support, Little Brother snatched it, shoved it in his mouth and ate it! Classic. We laughed all night long. I sure do love my little brother!

African Cup of Nations has begun! (For you soccer illiterates, it's like the African soccer Super Bowl) George is one happy guy. :) Anyone know of any sports bars that will have coverage in the Austin area?

Trusting...

I've had a kind of tough week; I can't really pin point what has made this a tough week, but it is.. Last night I went to bed thanking God for all the good things I have going for me and praying/longing for a happy Friday. Friday's are great.

I woke up and forced myself to get out of bed (it was 20 degrees!!!). TGIF!! I did my normal stuff, got in my car and drove to the mailboxes at my apartment. I checked my mail and ran back to my car. Then....it didn't start. Nooooooooo! I tried again, no go. So I called my mom and waited in the cold...and tried again. My mom was great, she showed up and took me to work. I'm worried about how much this might cost though.

Then I went to work. Things were just okay. Until I heard something I shouldn't have. Something that will affect George and my future considerably. I don't know what to do. I'm worried.....my day got worse.

Then I had a voicemail. A voicemail from an agency I prefer not to name. Yuck. That worries me a lot. I don't know what to do.

Proverbs says: Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

I'm trying hard to trust in the Lord-my understanding of today is, bad, bad, bad. In mind I'm seeing the worst case for each of these situations. It's hard to hand it all over to Him, hard to know what exactly to do.

A bunch of things...

There are so many things going through my head right now...it's hard to even know what to say.

My brother and sister-in-law lost their baby. My heart breaks for them! I can't imagine their pain and it's terrible to me that there is nothing anyone can do to help them feel better. God and time is what is needed, and that hurts to watch. If you think of them, please pray for them.

I'm nervous about our life. All we have done for years is work and struggle to be together and dream of the one day. We've come so close, so many times....will this really happen? I know in my mind all the things about trust, not fearing, blah, blah, blah. But in reality, those things are hard to cling to when you've been jerked around over and over again. I can't wait for life with George, I am so excited about that. But it's still hard for me to think/believe that this process is nearly over and that he will actually come SOON.

I hate to admit this, but I'm really struggling with a relationship in my life (that same one....will it ever end). This relationship is often hurtful and plain irksome...I just want it to be over. But that's wrong of me. I don't know what to do, which only adds to the pain and irritation. I wish I didn't care.

Being back at work is good, but a big change from the last four months. I still love my job though and I have really great bosses. Thanks, God.

I long for boring. Seriously.

When I talk to people and they hear about my life, my family, my relationships, I often see a look of longing (and sometimes shock) in their faces. They want the drama and excitement that I have. As for me, I'd like to give boring a try. My life has never been boring and in all honesty, it probably never will be. Plain would be nice.....regular even? There has been so much uncertainty and change recently (which I know is life) but I am really, really hoping for some stability...normalcy. I think I'm a control freak...which is why all of this LACK OF CONTROL is killing me!

Keepin' busy...

Happy New Year everyone!

I have been keeping busy this week! Two of my friends came to town anyway, even though there was no wedding. So we've been having a blast and catching up and getting so excited for the future. I've been searching for airfare like crazy and go back and forth about waiting for "visa in hand" or buying right away. Also....I start back to work tomorrow!! I'm a little bit nervous, which is so weird, because this used to be my normal. I'm excited too and I know with a full time work week, the time before G arrives will fly!!

So that's all, nothing new, but still all good!

1 year, 4 months, 2 weeks and 2 days!

As you can see from the ticker on the side, that is how long it took from our first paperwork to the word, "Approved." That doesn't count the prep, or the other visa tries.

Wow. I don't even know what to say. It's still sinking in. I woke up at 2:30 this morning and prayed and prayed until I finally heard from G a few hours later. His time at the embassy took longer than it should have (more than 3 hours, 2+ was just waiting to be seen). All of the 'what ifs' starting running through my head. I began to calculate how many months I would need to work, what I would need to sell, and how long it would take to move me and all of my remaining belongings to Ghana. There were so many things going through my head and I didn't even know what/how to pray. The minutes seemed to pass slower than normal as I pondered the unknown.

Then I got the call....

"Hello MY LOVE!"

...I knew it, we were okay.

I could breathe again....mostly. It's not really over until he's here (sorry, it had to be said).

My head is still spinning, this has been quite the journey. I can't believe my man will be here soon....for real.

Thank you, Lord....I don't know what else to say, just thank you so, so much!

APPROVED!!!! APPROVED!!!!! APPROVED!!!!

YAY!!!!

George will pick up his visa on January 15th.

Post-Christmas Slump

Normally there is this bizarre post-Christmas slump of sorts. The anticipation and excitement for all things Christmas has abruptly stopped and now all that's left is the mess, which isn't festive anymore, and thoughts of what the past year held (which can be hard). Ugh.

Not this year, I am excited about life and the things to come!

No doubt, 2009 has NOT been easy! It's been my most difficult year and while I could never truly explain what happened in my circumstances, relationships or in my heart, somehow, I feel like a recap would be appropriate.

I began the year sad and anxious as our immigration case had not moved at all in the 4 months it had been processing. I saw my future slipping away and no amount of success, family time, or festivities could change how I felt. My one glimmer of hope was the airline ticket I had for a very short visit...I had to wait 3 months though.

I trudged on in my job and my faith and things started to move. There were many looong weeks of waiting, followed by looong nights of filling out paperwork and paying fees, we were finally on our way!

Before I knew it, I was off to Ghana to be with my man! It was the sweetest two weeks of my life. We made more progress in the immigration department and I left Ghana with no tears, "I'll see you in a couple of months." Ghana gave me a malaria parting gift (again!) and the recovery took a bit longer than I had hoped, but soon enough I was back to myself.

Then came April 3rd. The high of the year so far: CASE COMPLETE! Soon this whole mess would be over, all we needed was an interview. My faith was renewed, God had moved. We rejoiced in this progress and rested easy in the knowledge that G would be in the States very soon.

Friends and family rejoiced with us and we were showered with wonderful things for our home and life together. Wedding plans were in the works. Then, 2 weeks became 4, became 6, became 8. The promised 8 week maximum wait had come and gone and slowly, agonizingly, we waited for that interview. Week after week our hopes were dashed. We were crushed. We continually cried out to our Father. Where was God?

In the midst of this, my parents sold our home of 12 years and we ended up (all 5 of us) living in a pretty small apartment. Soon, we all moved to our more permanent places. I was in my own apartment, waiting for my man to come any time and make it our home....7 months have passed and I'm still waiting. My haven was gone and it was time for me to truly grow up.

I trudged on, seeking God like I had never done and hoping for the best. He seemed silent.

I had everything most people would ever want and none of the stuff mattered.

My sister soon announced on the eve of a "big news" day, that her 6 month relationship was now an engagement. She would be getting married shortly, my wedding was her only roadblock. I was shocked by my strength....and then by my anger. I was inexplicably hurt beyond words. I didn't know how to pray, but I prayed anyway. Where was God?

Week after week continued to pass, our promised hope did not arrive. At least I had my work, 45+ hours a week sure did help. My church, on the other hand, didn't. They hurt me more than I knew. I wondered, where was God? And I didn't want the god they were touting...

My beloved job soon ended, I didn't know what to do. I had faith for a while, but it began to waiver. I had been calling out to God for so, so long and He did not answer me. I withdrew.

I cried a lot. I begged God to show us what to do-staying apart was killing me. What hurt more was the silence I felt so strongly from my God and the pain from "His people"- I wasn't sure what my faith had become or who I would be when all of this ended. I endured many, many hurtful comments, relationships and suggestions. Some friendships ended, but others grew.

I continued in my daze, picking up work here and there, still praying to a God I hoped actually cared. I needed more.

Our situation continued to change and become more stressful, I can't share all of it, but it wasn't easy. I wanted to give up and say goodbye to this American life forever, but I couldn't even afford to do that. The waiting continued...

I started church again and the different churches I went to started to help me. I began to find strength in the Word again and hope where I had none. I started to understand better who God is and where I fit in. My spiritual life was starting to change and mature and I was becoming me again. My anger was being stripped away. I had no assurance of what would come, but I began to believe that whatever it was, we would make it work.

George and I had a plan to be together, that got smashed too. While we were so very disappointed, we waited and tried to figure out what was next. We prayed, again. And waited some more.

October 30th, things changed. We got the long awaited interview appointment!! Words cannot describe the joy we felt...we could hardly believe it. The next 5 weeks were filled with hope, excitement, and preparation for the big arrival. It looked like God finally heard our prayers. We had faith again, we were our old selves again.

We KNEW G would be coming. All his paperwork was in order and wedding plans were being made. The interview came. It was not good. For some unknown reason, we needed more paperwork. We begged God and everyone else we knew to change the return date and bring G here for Christmas and the wedding. It didn't work. G did not make Christmas. The wedding was canceled. Our hearts were broken, again.

We felt like God had strung us along. For years we had been waiting, for months we had been waiting for that very moment. We had false hope all along, God knew, but we didn't. Then there was an attitude adjustment. We weren't going to let this small setback ruin our holidays, for us or our families. So we moved on, we mustered up some more faith and found many things to be thankful for.

Here we are again. Hoping for things to change. Anxious. Bruised. Praying. Yet we are different. We have grown and learned so much this year. God is bigger and more mysterious than He ever has been. He does great things, and allows some not so great things. He doesn't owe us an explanation.

This has been a year of growing, pain, waiting, silence and trusting. We are hoping and believing that 2010 will be a year of healing, living and learning, together. That God will continue to show Himself in our lives and that we will experience peace. We are hoping for wonderful things and mindful that much of that is in the perspective we have.

I am SO ready to close 2009 and start 2010...we'll see what happens this final and first week.

Party-tude!!

Merry Christmas y'all!

I have surprised myself with how ready I am for Christmas and how much joy I have for this holiday. My 2nd oldest brother told me to put my party-tude on for Christmas, and especially for the festivities at his house tonight. Well said, brother. So I have. I am choosing to see the joy and positive this year and to delight in what I do have going for me.

God has been so good to us and I'm not gonna grouse around on His holiday. :) I am not sad because George isn't here (again), I am hopeful, because he's almost here. I'm not angry that we are still waiting, I'm excited that the waiting will be over very soon and that I have a Love who is worth the wait. I'm not grieved for the loss of the wedding, I'm thankful for flexible vendors and loving family and friends who have rallied around us. I do miss George terribly, but I'm so glad for a big and awesome family who help to pass the time and fill up the silence. Isn't it great that God put us in families?

I'm a happy girl and ready to party!

Everybody needs an Ellen.

I have a really great friend, her name is Ellen. Ellen and I met in the Heathrow airport almost 3 years ago on our way to Ghana to volunteer. I never would have imagined that I would be blessed with such an amazing friend.

We were roommates for a couple of months in Ghana and experienced many new and sometimes hard things together. At times we were the only Christian volunteers and the only ones from THE South. We laughed and grew and challenged one another and cried our eyes out when it was time to part. She is also one of my few friends who actually knows George and that is so special to me.

Our friendship continued when were back in the states-she in South Carolina and me, in Texas. She loves my family and my family loves her, we would adopt her if we could.

Ellen has taught me so much and been so supportive through everything. There is so much to say about Ellen, but I'll condense. She ALWAYS tells me how strong I am, especially when I feel the opposite. She is honest and loving, but never makes me feel bad. She knows when to call me and make sure I'm not isolating myself from the world, and when to give me space. She can make me laugh and is quick to call or text something funny-this is vitally important to my well being. Ellen is always on my side. I hope I can be a friend like her and I am so, so thankful for her! I think everybody needs an "Ellen" in their life.

Ellen may flip out about this picture, because it is not flattering (AT ALL) for either of us, but I die laughing every time I see it. We were being awesome by taking newbies to a traditional chop house and eating real Ghanaian food. The pic was snapped as someone announced that they found tongue too big and intestines too small for the meat we were supposedly eating. Hahahaha!! How I love Ghana...

Namesake...

I'm big on name meanings. It matters to me what a name means and I'm glad it mattered to my parents too. When I was young, I dreaded my grown-up uber Christian name, I just wanted to have a cool name, like Ashley or Stephanie. I'm glad now that I am Bethany instead.

Do you know what your name means? Sorry if you have a made up or trendy name that means "soap opera-ish". I'm learning more about my namesake recently and it all comes from my favorite story in the Bible. The raising of Lazarus. I figure most of my readership is Christian or educated, so you're all probably familiar with this story. If not, you can find it here.

The whole bringing a man back to life thing is not really the important part of this story for me. It's the trust and sorrow and faith part.

Lazarus was sick, so his sisters sent word to Jesus and He told them that this sickness would not end in death. I'm sure that was a great comfort them, they knew Jesus would show up. Except for one thing, Lazarus DIED!!! Can you imagine? This friend you have, who loves you and you love back happens to be God incarnate and he seemingly lied to you? I don't know what sorrow was greater, that their brother died or that GOD, their beloved friend, didn't show up for them. My money is on the latter.

Four days into their heart broken grief fest, Jesus showed up. Martha came to meet Jesus and said two things (which I love). First, she let Jesus know that had He been there, this would NOT have happened. Second, she showed faith and said she knew God would give Jesus whatever He asked for (I can only imagine what was going through her head: pleasebringmybrotherbackfromthedead x1,000 ). Then, my favorite, Jesus told her her brother would rise and she over spiritualized it. Ha! She over spiritualized a conversation with GOD! I think Christians do that a lot-sometimes, it really is what it is. Anywho-then they reiterated that she believed he was indeed God and they got Mary in on everything. Mary had similar sentiments to Martha. Jesus had compassion on them and then the famous, "Jesus wept." happened.

Before they knew it, Lazarus had been raised from the dead. Pretty awesome. But you know, I don't think that un-did the days of sorrow and heartache they went through. I don't think it all of the sudden clicked why He did that-Jesus could have showed his glory in healing Lazarus just as well as raising him from the dead, and it would have been a lot easier on his family. Jesus did show up for them, but it wasn't without pain or sorrow, it wasn't without doubt, and there was some hard waiting involved.

So what on earth does this have to do with my name? Bethany is where all of this went down (as well as the perfume and hair thing). Bethany is where Jesus loved to be. Bethany has meant 'Dwelling place of God' all of my life, but now I also see it meaning other things. Bethany-trust, sorrow, waiting, joy...the place where God showed up.