Called to Serve

The day before our wedding, my husband, Aaron and I, sat down for a little marriage counseling with Dr. Love.

Seriously.

Dr. Rick Love, my husband's uncle, a brilliant man of God, who was going to marry us the following day, sat before us in a loud cafe, sipping carefully at his piping hot espresso. He began to read from his pocket bible, scripture on marriage.

"Your union is pleasing to God," He said. He seemed to take satisfaction in it, too.

He presented us with a list, the five factors that he considered to be the most important pillars of a successful marriage. The list consisted of some pretty basic elements - communication, patience, respect - of course, all things we had heard before. He then proceeded to offer two rather unique bits of advice, that stood out to us. He said: Find Jesus and find a way to serve together. It hadn't occurred to me before, that serving others, alongside my husband, could bring us closer together, but when he said it, I knew it would be true.

Fast forward a bit, Aaron and I just celebrated our one year anniversary, only a few short weeks after giving birth to a son. A new house, a new job, a new baby; we've had a busy year, and yet, I am disappointed to admit that we have contributed nothing to either the fourth or the fifth pillars on Dr. Love's list.

So, in an effort to take the first step in the right direction, for myself and for my marriage, I am opening up a new, ongoing conversation. 'All the Good Things' is now a place to share stories and information about inspiring foundations, charities, non-profits, organizations and individuals.
I am hereby pledging to serve my family, friends and community for the good of my marriage, for the good of my own spirit and because, well, it is pleasing to God.
And I am hoping to hear about the things that inspire you, for whatever reason: co-ops, charity events, fundraisers, walk-a-thons. New projects or old projects.

Because, there is a lot of good going on out there...