I'm getting married to the greatest girl I've ever known!

Alright, this post has been a long time coming. I kept thinking, "well, I should write everyone and tell them I've gotten engaged...but maybe I'll wait until I know when the wedding date is."
Well, that, and I wanted to tell the "how we met" part - but I started writing about it in a letter to my Grandma, and it's nowhere near done, though it's already 16 pages.

Guess why I'm writing now.

Guess guess guess!


It's been just a little over a year now since we were engaged - but actually, neither of us is sure just what day it was. I proposed to her as part of a trip we took - she didn't know it, but I'd had it planned as part of this trip as soon as we started talking about going. It was from the 18th until the 20th of July 2007, so anywhere in those days was part of the proposal, as I see it. There's a couple good stories in there. I'll tell you sometime, if you'd like. I think it was on July 19th, but having a two or three day celebration never bothered me, nor does having a three-day window in which to remember our engagement. I suspect we both will remember the date of our wedding, though.

It was a really beautiful place, too, where I proposed to her (it's called Green Island) - I've had pictures of it up for a while, but never said anything about it. You can see them here:
Green Island Photoset
I've got more than that, actually, and will upload them...before I get married, I hope.

...

I was going to say, "before we get married", since obviously there are usually two people in a marriage, but then realized you might think I was talking about you and me, which, while flattering, is not quite what I had in mind. Especially since 3/4 of you are guys, family, the wrong age, or...whatever else. No, 家寧 and I are getting married. And it is soon.


Our Wedding Date:
OCTOBER 25th, 2008
TAIWAN
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Awesome!

I'm really excited, though it may not come through well since I am writing this late at night and my body is telling me "the sun stopped working like 5 hours ago, dude. He's a hardworking guy - hasn't called in sick like, ever. And he's old. So trust me, he knows what he's doing. You don't need to be up now."
While I appreciate the sentiment, I want to get some things done. I want to tell you I'm getting married!

Some of you may say, "my goodness, that's quite soon. How are you going to carry out a proper wedding in so little time? And with your budget?"
Those are both excellent questions, for which I have two answers:

1. Hard work
2. Simplicity

Also, it helps that it'll be in Taiwan, and most of the crazy wedding expenses are not so bad here. They're fairly reasonable, actually, since they haven't been infected by the bride cult yet. They have probably just as many divorces, though, so it's just a matter of time before women find they can be a special pretty princess lots of times.


If you want to come, I would love to welcome you. I'd be happy to see you here! I'm guessing my side of the aisle is going to be...uh, thin. I guess that happens when you get married in some strange, foreign place that is not actually inside America.
But if you can make it - it's really nice here. I bet you'd like it. Everything besides the plane ticket is pretty cheap, and a lot of Taiwan is really pretty. The people are nice. Also, you can gawk at all the weird junk. I know that's appealing. I don't even have to describe it to get your attention. You already must suspect there are some bizarre things to be seen here, and you are right. Come see them.

My writing seems even less joyful than at the beginning, so I suspect my body is winning by default. There's only so long you can overrule it, and it's reminding me that I didn't sleep enough last night.

But I'm really excited! I am getting married to 家寧!

I used to think that wanting to spend the rest of your life around one person was hopelessly optimistic, or the sort of decision made by people who thought interest rates on their home loans would never rise. "Everything is always gonna be great!", I imagined them saying.


I am now one of those people.

Seriously, though - if this were a marriage based on attraction, or lust, or love, or whatever, then yeah, chances are it might not survive. I'm stubborn enough to not give up, and I think she is, too. So we'd probably last until we died...but that's just survival, not thriving.


It might be unexpected, or sound weird, coming from me (since many of you knew me in the past), but I've decided to re-dedicate my life to God. I did things my way for quite a while, and...all I have to say is that wasn't one of my best-considered choices. If you'd like to know my thoughts on it, read on - otherwise, you may as well skip a paragraph or two.

There's a lot of things that seem important in this world, but none of them can outlast God. And that's what I wanted - something that mattered. If something can be lost in an instant, or even a thousand years - if it can be lost at all - it may be beautiful, but it doesn't add up to much, because it will be lost. I can chase after glory, or fame, or power, or wealth, or knowledge - but even if history remembers me when I am gone, this world, and these people, too, will pass. Scientists say that everything in the universe eventually will drift apart, even, and that life in the end - or even anything at all - will be impossible. Whether they're right or not (science is about revisions, not necessarily being right, after all), that's not much to look forward to.

Without God, we can only pursue the things of this world that seem the most important, the most lasting. But God never passes away, never fails. Only in God can life be meaningful. That realization was the start of my return to God, who is always faithful...even when we're...not. That's the polite way of putting it. I'm really grateful for that, because I am certainly not the best maker of decisions ever to walk this world.

So I want to thank God for renewing my life - for letting the old me pass away, for his faithfulness, for everything. I realize, though, that anything I say is going to be totally inadequate, and that actually being associated with me in any way is probably not going to do His reputation any good, and that I probably have no idea what all he's even done for me, so I am going to do my best to live a righteous life through Christ. That is the best praise I think I can give - a life well-lived, dedicated to his service.
So if ever I am successful, remember, it was God, not me.



But I'll take your checks.

Heheh.


So, what does this have to do with marriage?
I must treat whomever I marry with love and respect, sacrificing whatever I must for her sake, just as God has done and is doing for his church. And that woman is 家寧, who I deeply love. I am eager to marry her, and to spend the rest of my days with her. And in the future, even when things become difficult, we will know that our marriage is founded on God, not ourselves, and so despite our failings, our marriage may persevere. We can always rely on God. And we not only should forgive each other, but are commanded to by God's word. This is something we've already got some practice at, and I am thankful that petty things like our egos and hurts can't get in the way of our loving each other, so that we do not become bitter or spiteful towards each other, but can remain always loving, and so be a good example to all who see us, and a reminder that God loves his people.


I just want to thank God again, for all that he's done - I can't imagine being able to meet 家寧 without him being involved - I mean, I know he's got everything under control, but our meeting was really too unlikely to even consider. If I made my life into a movie, critics would think it was preposterously dumb and blindingly obvious. I think God gives me a little more guidance than some people, because I tend not to see things right away...so I suppose that would be a fair criticism, that the arc of my story is pretty obvious.


Well, good night, everyone! I will be writing more often here in the next couple months, and I hope to see you at the wedding! Even if not, we'd both love to hear from you!
Remember, October 25th!

I wanna be like Putin

Wow. Now I wanna be like Putin. Techno+fat guy on armchair+singing girls+clips of Putin = electoral win?




Original Lyrics:
I want someone like Putin.
My boyfirend has got himself into trouble again,
Had a fight, downed a lot of crap.
I'm so fed up with him, I dumped him,
And now I want someone like Putin.

Someone like Putin, full of strength,
Someone like Putin, who doesn't drink,
Someone like Putin, who doesn't hurt me,
Someone like Putin, who won't run away.

I saw him yesterday on the news,
He said that the world is at a crossroads.
Someone like him is easy to be with at home and with friends,
And now I want someone like Putin.
Someone like Putin, full of strength,
Someone like Putin, who doesn't drink,
Someone like Putin, who doesn't hurt me,
Someone like Putin, who won't run away.


English Lyrics

My boyfriend is dumb, he smokes and he's drunk
My boyfriend is dumb, more than Powers Austin
I told him get out, I need a new boy
I thought and I know he must be like Putin.

He must be like Putin, that to begin
He must be like Putin, then I'll give in
You must be like Putin, there's just one way
You must be like Putin, you'll not run away.

Strong Bad Game

It's been a long time since I posted anything. Well, I'm not going to write anything just yet. But did you know there's a StrongBad game coming out?