In the beginning

(John1:1)  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.


Over a year ago I attended a 1/2 day Biblical Story-telling workshop. The speaker told of a challenge he received in college to memorize his favorite Gospel.He chose Mark. I have thought of this often in the past year.

It is no secret that the bible was never meant to be read. It was meant to preserve the stories. As in oral -storytelling tradition stories. (okay..I know, I know..the letters from Paul, etc.) Still..most biblical stories are meant to be told. Not read.

I am drawn to John. Always have been. But really? It's the longest gospel. I'm not that talented. So I tuck the idea in the back of my mind and leave it there.

Then? I begin reading some of St. Teresa of Avilla's Interior Castles. I am working on letting go of anything that holds power over me. Primarily..ideas of social status, and memories. Memories that are good, bad..or simply never were. I take these ideas/memories and hold them individually and collectively...and then I pray. I pray for guidance on letting these things that hold power over me go. I pray and listen...and as I listen? I keep coming back to the book of John.

So..I am trying to memorize the book of John. So far? I am comfortable with story telling John 1:1- 5.

Yeah..back to the not that talented. Yet I am compelled to try. And somehow? This feeble attempt to know John...well..is helping me enjoy (okay all you Eckhart Tolle fans) the here and the now.

So..as for the here and the now? I would like to tell a tale of another beginning.

It was the beginning of my marriage to Big B. We were young, naive, broke..and hopeful..that we could really make this work.We dared eachother into this venture..and then headed to the flea market (because we like flea markets..) to search for wedding rings.

Fast forward a decade+.  I have lost my ring .Rumor has it , it might be on a ship in Corpus Christi somewhere. Brian has broken his at least 3 times. We spend a few years without rings. For the last year and a half? We just keep talking about looking for some replacements..you know..when we have time.

So this weekend? We made the time!  We spent the weekend in Port Aransas with the Van Bibbers , Balsleys, Devin and Austen.

Cody chose to hang at sardinemama's house for the weekend. Brian and Angee? Studying still.

Pictured here are Jack and Rhonda early Sat.(Sun?) a.m..

 and pictured here are Austen and Devin with newly discovered costumes from a yard-sale.

On Saturday, we messed around in souvenir shops..when I thought. Aha..we should get beach rings! We can afford them...and the mission began.

We went from shop to shop- Big B and I ..dragging all the other families (complete with the wolf and dragon boys)and I would explain our plight.

Here's the thing, I begin. We (motioning to Big B and myself) lost our wedding rings a few years ago. We would like to replace them while we are here..but we are on a budget..and sort-of irresponsible..so we might lose them (break them) again. Still..we enjoy being here (Port A) and would like to try. Could you help us?

And most places did. Shop 1? We found cool rings made of shells. But they only fit me. Shop 2? Wooden rings..but Big B didn't want flowers. Shop 3? Nope. Then? (and by now we have lost everyone else..they were much more interested in t-shirts) Shop 4: Two women helped us dig through a bucket of womens rings. Finally Big B finds one with waves. He grins. This is it. I like this. We decide it is perfect because we have spent 20 years "riding the waves of life together."

Another search through the bucket of mens rings..and we find the match.

By this time the rest of the crew have wandered into this shop. The woman behind the counter directs us to place our rings on eachother's fingers. She waves her hands in a grand gesture and announces that we are officially rewed.

...and we are off to enjoy the rest of the weekend.