Jesus Loves the Yankees

This is Parker. I would not consider myself a great writer; in fact I got through college with a lot of procrastinating and maybe even a tear every once in a while when a paper was staring me in the face. Ashley is really the brains in the relationship (maybe she won't read this and get a big head). We titled this blog "The Wandering Watson's".  One, let's be honest, it one of the only alliterations that sounds cool with Watson, two, we love to travel, and three will be talked about at a later date.

Enough of that. I was raised in the South. I was born and bred right here in Barrow County, which might explain my writing problem. My parents always taught me to say "Yes Sir" and "Yes Ma'am," I was always expected to help out when I could without any backtalk, and it was never even a thought in my mind to get in line for food or walk through a door before my sisters. I was taught to shake hands with someone by looking them in the eye and shake with a firm grip. Having been raised in the South though I grew up with the connotation that everyone who lived past the Mason-Dixon line was just rude and terrible.

Not too long ago, Ashley and I were offered an opportunity to go with her family and visit Chicago. I am always excited about visiting new places and seeing things I have never seen, but there was a little hesitation with how I would relate to the people from the "Great White North." When we arrived in Chicago, we went to a car rental place and all my expectations were confirmed by how rude the customer service people there. However, our experience soon turned around the next day with a trip to Wrigley Field. I am a huge baseball fan and I was so excited to be able to see one of the oldest parks in history. Decked out in my Braves gear and knowing how notorious Cubs fans are for heckling I thought for sure we might have a run in, but to my surprise the tour guide was about the nicest person I have ever met in my life. After this, the experience with Chicago just got better and better.

I feel like a lot of times in life we have preconceived notions about all sorts of people. We make judgements about people before we ever meet them..  

"He has tattoos he must not care about his body"... "He had a beer he must be an alcoholic"... "He is homeless he must be a bum"... "He is a Yankee so he must be rude."

I think the CHURCH is one of the worst when it comes to this. We expect them to change and look like a Christian before they even become one. Jesus wasn't about that He met people where they were. I think this is easy for me to forget. Sometimes I go out of my way to avoid people or not interact with them, but they could be one of the coolest people I have ever met or *gasp* maybe not even believe the same thing. I feel like Jesus is screaming, "WHO CARES!" Jesus did not come to hang out with well people he came to bring life to the sick and broken. Jesus would touch the untouchable, He would walk through towns he wasn't supposed to walk through just to talk to someone, He hated religion, He spoke against the Pharisees.... I look around... Are we turning into that? Am I turning into that? Do I expect people to be like me? Do I think I have it all right? 

Ashley and I are currently reading the book, "Jesus Is _____."by Judah Smith. It is really great and sometimes makes me examine myself and how much of a Pharisee I can be sometimes.

Check out this video:

Here we go!

Here we go!  We are starting a new adventure...blogging.  There’s actually a true reason behind starting this blog, but we’ll get back to that later.

So we are closing in on our five-monthiversary.  In a way, it feels like just yesterday we said “I do” while at the same time it feels like we have been at this marriage thing for years now.

In any case, I am kinda wondering what people mean when they say “the honeymoon is over, “ or,  “just wait, you are still newlyweds.”  Yes, you come back from the cruise, and go back to work, and deal with disrespectful hooligans, and pay the bills, and cut the grass, but at the end of the day, you come home, set your worries aside, and get to spend EVERY evening with your best friend.  How could it get any better than that?

Before we got married, we were privileged to receive numerous “words of wisdom” from family, friends, and even an older lady from the Winder Probate Office.  Many have said your first year of marriage is just awful.  But while I am no expert, and only five months into this thing, I cannot say I agree.  Yes, it is an adjustment living with someone else, and going behind them putting their belt and socks and shoes in the closet instead of on the nightstand, but I wouldn’t say that makes marriage “awful.”  We have our quirks, we point them out, and then we make fun of each other and laugh about it.  Because really, who cares which way you fold the clothes, cut the veggies, or make the bed. 

These past few months have been stressful at times, yet extremely rewarding.  I am sure many of you know that Parker’s Dad has been battling cancer.  While often I wondered why this is happening and especially why now, during our first year of marriage when exciting things are going on all around us, it has put things in perspective.  It has shown me the true value of a relationship, and love as I watch Parker’s Mom care for his Dad.  It has shown me not to take things for granted, and to cherish every single moment together. 

We titled this blog “The Watson’s Wanderings” because that’s what we do....we lay in bed at night, and our minds wander.  We think about what happened throughout our day, talk through things together, and try to solve all the worlds’ problems.  While we “wander” we are not lost.  We know exactly what God requires of us:  “To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly.”  

As the months and years go by, we will wander together, resting in what Jesus has planned for us in this crazy adventure called life.   Life’s a journey, and while we wander, we are not lost.