{"id":43857,"date":"2014-02-17T11:51:48","date_gmt":"2014-02-17T17:51:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.austincnm.com\/?p=43857"},"modified":"2014-02-17T11:52:00","modified_gmt":"2014-02-17T17:52:00","slug":"another-dating-blog-change-thanks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2014\/02\/another-dating-blog-change-thanks\/","title":{"rendered":"Another Dating Blog: Change? No, thanks."},"content":{"rendered":"

“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.” – \u00a0Robert C. Gallagher<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I don’t mind change. Well, I don’t mind little<\/em> changes. For example, I rearrange my bedroom to match my moods. I would change my hair color for the same reason, if I was allowed to have blue\/purple\/pink\/green hair at work. I love to change up my workout routine, mostly because I get bored easily. I have a stack of books that I read simultaneously, changing between them again, to suit my mood.<\/p>\n

But you throw a big\u00a0<\/strong>change at me? Hold on while I freak out and hyperventilate into a paper bag… My panic-type reaction to big change is a huge reason why I won’t get a tattoo, because 5 years\/days\/minutes later, I’ll want to change it, but oh wait, IT’S THERE FOREVER. No thanks, man.<\/p>\n

Moving rattles me to the bone. Ditto changing jobs. And the biggest change of all? Yeah, the one I’m consenting to in exactly 3 months? The one that makes me feel like my heart is in my throat, cutting off my air supply? Yep, you guessed it. MARRIAGE.<\/p>\n

“MAWAGE… Mawage, that bwessed awangement, that dweam wifin a dweam…”<\/p>\n

“Princess Bride”, anyone? No? You should go watch it immediately. But I’m avoiding the point: We’re talking marriage, aka the event that changes the rest of your human life by joining it in Sacrament<\/em> (that’s a capital S, you guys), to another person’s. The day where you hand your hearts and souls over to each other, vowing all of these really hard things. That day, I will be given the responsibility to get my husband to heaven. No big, right? It’s only his one eternal soul. Not like a life or death situation or anything.<\/p>\n

Sarcasm never looks good on me.<\/p>\n

Needless to say, I’m scared. I love Danger so much and want to be the best wife in the whole universe. I want to stand by him, thick and thin, no matter what, loving him and being true to him until we’re both in our 100’s, and die together in a nursing home, Nicholas-Sparks-“The Notebook- style. I want to have tons of kids that I raise so wonderfully, that they don’t have to go to therapy as adults to reverse the damage I’ve done. I want to have that Better Homes and Gardens house, where my family grows our own food, never fights, and never takes awkward family photos. I want everything to turn out good, easy and lacking any grief.<\/p>\n

This is why change feels so dangerous, because there are no guarantees that it will turn out okay. Change means lots of opportunities for me to fail in all the things I don’t have experience in, and even the things I do<\/em> have experience in. I could fail my husband. I could fail my family. I could fail God.\u00a0And therein lies my problem: I assume that if I make this change and then make mistakes, I have failed beyond redemption. I somehow expect that despite my many human flaws and setbacks, I should do things perfectly, and that my husband will also do things perfectly. But we won’t. We can’t. It’s arrogance to think otherwise.<\/p>\n

The only way we can survive this marriage thing, is to entrust it to God. There’s no way we can do it left to our own devices. Who do we think we are, anyway? We’re just people who are completely, totally, 100% dependent on God. Any marital success is due to His infinite mercy and love. And any marital failures? Totes on me and Danger. But the beauty is that God loves us anyway, and will always be right where we fell, waiting to pick us up and walk with us again. We just have to humbly embrace our deficiencies, and keep trying til death do us part.<\/p>\n

So, big changes?\u00a0Easy peasy… Except not at all. But this whole marriage thing with Danger? Totally worth it, at least that’s what God tells me. I guess I should trust in that infinite, unfailing, never-changing wisdom of his and just keep moving ahead.<\/p>\n

“Even if you fall on your face, you’re still moving forward.” – Robert C. Gallagher<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“Change is inevitable – except from a vending machine.” – \u00a0Robert C. Gallagher I don’t mind change. Well, I don’t mind little changes. For example, I rearrange my bedroom to match my moods. I would change my hair color for the same reason, if I was allowed to have blue\/purple\/pink\/green hair at work. I love… [Read More]<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[4,89,88,91],"tags":[709,875,81,210,842],"class_list":["post-43857","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-blog","category-family","category-marriage-blog","category-young-adult","tag-change","tag-dating","tag-marriage","tag-relationships","tag-trust","entry","has-post-thumbnail"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":127348,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/07\/god-wins\/","url_meta":{"origin":43857,"position":0},"title":"God always wins.","author":"Britt Echtenkamp","date":"July 6, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cIf you are what you should be, you would set the whole world on fire.\u201d -\u00a0St. Catherine of Siena By now we are all quite aware of the Supreme Court ruling on same-sex marriage. I think this is the first time in my life that I've been nervous about\u00a0being Catholic\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":301030,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2016\/09\/review-helen-alvare-restoring-culture-from-confusion\/","url_meta":{"origin":43857,"position":1},"title":"What Does a Marriage Culture Look Like? (Review: Helen Alvar\u00e9, “Restoring Culture from Confusion”)","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"September 27, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Since the decision of the Supreme Court in Obergefell v. Hodges effectively legalized civil marriage between two people of the same sex in all 50 states, many opponents of same-sex marriage have been wondering what to do. Is there anything to do? The law has clearly come down on one\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A review of \"Restoring Culture from Confusion,\" by Helen Alvar\u00e9, at ATX Catholic","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/unsplash_woman_forest-550x365.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/unsplash_woman_forest-550x365.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/unsplash_woman_forest-550x365.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":344672,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2017\/01\/response-archbishop-chaput-tocqueville-lecture\/","url_meta":{"origin":43857,"position":2},"title":"Taboos and Resolutions (A Response to Archbishop Chaput’s Tocqueville Lecture)","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"January 3, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"They say you shouldn't talk about sex, politics, or religion in public. As an evangelization-minded Catholic, I live a little differently, but I do tend to stay away from politics. I just don't like it. These days, however, there's no getting away from politics, even when we'd rather talk about\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"\"The Gospel of John reminds us that the truth, and only the truth, makes us free. We're fully human and free only when we live under the authority of the truth.\" \u2014Archbishop Charles J. Chaput","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/atxcath-chaput-tocqueville-550x289.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/atxcath-chaput-tocqueville-550x289.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/atxcatholic.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/atxcath-chaput-tocqueville-550x289.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":119864,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/06\/review-change-of-heart\/","url_meta":{"origin":43857,"position":3},"title":"Love Seeking Justice and Mercy (Review: “Change of Heart”)","author":"Lindsay Wilcox","date":"June 9, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"I do not support the death penalty. I don't think any Catholic ought to, although I respect the option Catholics have within our tradition to do so. The Catechism of the Catholic Church notes that, in the modern world, sufficient means exist to contain dangerous criminals indefinitely without ending their\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Reviews"","block_context":{"text":"Reviews","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/reviews\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"acnmchangeofheart","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/acnmchangeofheart-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/acnmchangeofheart-550x367.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/acnmchangeofheart-550x367.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40550,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2013\/07\/an-open-letter-to-catholics-for-choice\/","url_meta":{"origin":43857,"position":4},"title":"An Open Letter to Catholics For Choice","author":"Jason Elizondo","date":"July 10, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Yesterday Catholics For Choice ran the following full page ad in the Austin American-Statesman. That led me to post the following comment on the Catholics For Choice Facebook page. It is very interesting that \"Christ humbled himself becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:8)\" yet this\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "World and News"","block_context":{"text":"World and News","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo provided by Catholics For Choice","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/07\/CFC2013AustinStatesman10x21V7copy-333x700.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":90963,"url":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/2015\/02\/changes\/","url_meta":{"origin":43857,"position":5},"title":"Changes","author":"Rachel","date":"February 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Right now my life is going through many changes. I have a new job that signifies a new phase of my professional career. I moved into a new home in a new part of town, and there is a lot yet to be settled and figured out. It's a whirlwind\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Blog"","block_context":{"text":"Blog","link":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/category\/acnm\/blog\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A photo that my mother took - a perfect fit for the end of this blog - You light me up!","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/StMdPSunsetMom-550x362.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/StMdPSunsetMom-550x362.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.austincnm.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/02\/StMdPSunsetMom-550x362.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43857","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43857"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43857\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43857"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43857"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atxcatholic.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43857"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}