Love

Yesterday was our two year anniversary.   

We spent the weekend celebrating at the Westin Galleria Hotel.

On Friday night we ate at Star Pizza, and we watched Sherlock Holmes.

On Saturday morning we had french pressed coffee in bed.

We also celebrated at Nordstroms and J Crew.

( this was Chris's first shopping experience at Nordstroms, and his life is forever changed)

We laid out by the hotel pool.

We then ate at La Vista

I ate this:

And we drank this:

The we went back to the hotel and watched It's Complicated.

The next morning we slept late and drank more french pressed coffee in bed and had wonderful conversations about life.

We determined that year two of marriage brings with it a comfortableness with each other that year one simply does not have.   You simply trust one another so much more.

We then went and ate at Yao Ming's Chinese restaurant for lunch.

Chris wore this:

And I drank some of this:

All is all it was the most fantastic Houston weekend.   

It is amazing how you can spend the whole weekend with the person you are most in love with, and then still miss them when they go to work on Monday morning.

How I met Mr. Hill: Edition 3

I believe this weekend Mr. Hill will be giving his side of the story on how we met.   So stay tuned ....

I will continue with my side :)

As I remember we had this amazing conversation where I was rendered speechless and light headed and Lauren Lust had declared to the world that I would marry this man Chris Hill.

You see Lauren Lust, Wes Whitney, and Daniel Weizel all had this communication class together that particular semester.  It is also possible that the beautiful Sheridan Murphy also had that class with them.  Sheridan let me know if this was the same class!  I believe the very next day as I was getting off the bus on campus all three of them ran up to me, accosted me, and told me that I was going to marry Chris Hill.   Then they ran off and left me standing there bewildered and a little angry.

The next three weeks were all quite interesting.    Later on that same week Kristi and Lauren sabataged me at the Chi O house with Chris in tow.    I tried to act a little aloof but I was already totally smitten.   Chris and I began talking on instant messenger.   Yeah - we totally exchanged AOL im names.   My username shall remain a secret forever and ever.

Chris and I started talking via the computer and facebook and email.    Then I invited the entire Lone Star Verde over for Fratty Friends Friday at the sorority house.    This is week two after Chris and I had our three hour conversation.   We served pizza that Friday and it was a ton of fun.   Chris stayed after to talk to me as I was having a few problems with Mr. Boy from freshman year.

You see during this whole two week period of Chris and I recognizing that each other existed in the world.   Mr. Boy from freshman year had come back on the scene and thought that he wanted to date me again.    I was so very confused, and feeling lots of pressure to make a decision about which boy to choose.   This particular Friday marked the weekend before I was so to have FIVE tests the following week.    In fact ALL FIVE test fell on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of that next week.

I was feeling a little pressured by Mr. Boy and feeling TONS of pressure about my tests.    I sat Chris down in the sorority house and told him about all of my troubles.    He instinctively gave me some great advice about Mr. Boy.   Which of course I cannot remember.   He did not muddle or munipulate, he was just very honest and wise.   He was confident and not threatened at all by Mr. Boy.    This greatly attracted me to him.

Mr. Boy made several phone calls later on that afternoon as I was trying to study.   He very much felt that we needed to date again and was putting the pressure on me.    Chris being the studly man that he was sensed that I was under duress and made an executive decision.    He called me and said that I was to put on some super comfy clothes, gather up my books, and wait for him to pick me up.   He had cleared all non-studiers out of the Lonestar Verde, made coffee, and had even gotten some blue bell ice cream.

Chris came and picked me up and took me to his house to study.    Matt Sloan was there too and together the three of us studied in peace all night.   Chris protected and provided.   Mr. Boy was still calling and pressuring.

The next week I took my tests after being well studied thank to Mr. Hill.   But I was still confused about Mr. Boy.   Chris and I were definitely friends, and were definitely not dating yet.  I could tell that Chris was being supremely careful and cautious and was not about to make any sudden moves.

[  Little did I know that Chris Hill had taken Mr. Boy out to dinner DURING my accounting test and gave him a good talking to. ]

My Cowboy Daddy was drilling in Papau New Guinea at the time that all this was going down, so I was not able to talk to him much.    But I was in some desperate need of some good fatherly advice so I gave him a call and was able to get him on the phone.   I quickly explained the situation and he said one thing and hung up the phone.   He said "God leads and Satan pushes".

Instantly I knew what to do.   I called Mr. Boy up and set up a meeting in the park.   As we walked around the track I told him that it was time for me to be fought for, pursued, and cared about.   I put up that challenge and told him what I wanted.

After a summer of spending time with the Lord and talking to my Dad I suddently knew who I was and I  was no longer willing to compromise anything for that.   I wanted to present myself wholly in a relationship and not leave out the deep love I had for Jesus, or any of the opinions I had about life.

This definitely awoke something deep inside of Mr. Boy that I believe he had been searching for.   But, I had already made up my mind.   I told Mr. Boy that I did not want to date him, and that I just wanted to be friends with Chris Hill.

Mr. Boy was very confused.  FRIENDS?  I said yes, just friends.   Chris Hill had so intrigued me that I was content being just friends with him without any promise of a future.    God had stirred something deep inside of me and I was willing to risk my heart for Mr. Hill.   Mr. Boy was not happy about that at all.  Especially since when he and I had been dating the previous year he had confided in Chris about our relationship.   Chris had no idea who I was at the time.

After our conversation I went over to the Lone Star Verde with Kristi and Lauren.   Chris and his friend Brian Cooper had just gotten back from dancing at the Hall and were eating What A Burger (which I had always thought was Water Burger growing up).   Chris paid no attention to me at all.  This was mostly because his entire hosue of roommates had been pestering him that we were going to get married.

So I sat there on his couch, while he was ignoring me, thinking to myself "I have just sacrificed the relationship that I had wanted so badly for YOU."   I seriously think Chris said nothing to me that night.

More to be continued later on this weekend

Mr. Boy update:  later on that year God did some awesome and amazing things with Mr. Boy.   I believe he went on to meet his future wife that year.   They are happily married now and quite an amazing couple.

The Free

Our friend, Kyle Wood's favorite book is East of Eden by John Steinbeck, and Jasmine Star just recently posted on her blog that she also loved the book.


I have kind of been starved for something a little more intellectually challenging to read than your average Christian novel.   Ya know, sometimes your mind just needs the exercise.   So, last week I walked in to Tomball's little used book store and picked up a brand new copy.


So far it is very interesting.   


As I read last night John transitioned in between story lines to make a little vignette about human kind, and it just captured me so I thought I would share:


"And this I believe: that the free, exploring mind of the individual human is the most valuable thing in the world.  And this I would fight for: the freedom of the mind to take any direction it wishes, undirected.  And this I must fight against: any idea, religion, or government which limits or destroys the individual.  This is what I am and what I am about.  I can understand why a system built on a pattern must try to destroy the free mind, for that is one thing which can by inspection destroy such a system.   Surely I can understand this, and I hate and I will fight against it to preserve the one thing that separates us from the uncreative beasts.  If the glory can be killed, we are lost."


On this memorial weekend where we remember and honor all those who have fought and died for this "free" country, I think this little vignette is especially appropriate.  It is the interesting thing about America that we fight for some sort of chaotic balance between the system and the individual.   It is the tension between the two that gives us momentum to continue to move forward, freely.   


It is also interesting to me that it is God who gave us our free mind and will, and because of that we are presented with the most valuable choice on earth.  To choose Him or not.


Happy Memorial Weedend, y'all!

How I met Mr. Hill: Edition 2

Lauren Lust marched me up to the front door of the Lone Star Verde while I was still holding my large vanilla dr.  pepper from Sonic.   I was also wearing a dr. pepper t-shirt from Urban Outfitters and my old worn out Abercrombie jeans.    Please note: this was the same outfit I wore the last time I was at the Verde, which of course was a crime of humanity.

So, Lauren is marching me up to the front door all the while I am complaining and resisting because we were not invited.   I was not a boy chaser.   I did not go places uninvited.   I did not walk into a boys house just to say.

Then the front door was pulled open and there Chris Hill was sitting on the couch in a green John Deere shirt playing Madden on PlayStation.     The neck of his shirt had been stretched out a little so I could see some chest hair peeking out ---- and I thought this was totally sexy.

I was smitten like I had just seen Brad Pitt, and as far as I was concerned I had.

I sat down on the couch across from Chris and Lauren sat next to me.   I believe Wes and Matt were also there. At first we were all in the room together talking.    Then all of the sudden Chris scooted over closer to me.  My heart sank and started beating really fast.   All of the sudden Chris and  I began having our own conversation, and all of the sudden we were the only two in the room.

Chris was talking a lot -- and I was glad because I had been rendered speechless and light headed. You see that previous summer I had sat my Cowboy Daddy down and handed him my list of requirements for my future husband.   He agreed to the terms and signed off on it.   As I sat there on the couch, and while Chris was talking,  God slowly took me through that list and checked off each item.   I kept thinking WHAT IS GOD DOING.  I am SINGLE.  I want to be SINGLE.  But this man is so incredible.  

You see I had never met a person who I was both intellectually attracted to and physically attracted to -- who also loved Jesus with his whole heart.

Chris was:
1. A Cowboy
2. Radically loved Jesus but was not weird
3. Loved business
4. Had also lived in a different country
5. His dad also owned a business
6. Believed in excellence
7. Was raised with on the same principles as me
8.  Grew up going to the same kind of church as me
9.  A Cowboy :)
10. Had chest hair
11. Was really, really, really TALL
12. Had shoulders that were as wide as I am tall
13. Had deep blue eyes
14. Had dark curly hair
15. Had vision
16. Was so attractive that I could barely stand to sit on the couch talking to him

We talked for three hours straight, about everything.   Our hopes, our dreams, our previous relationships, everything.   I just sat there thinking, "God what are you doing?".

Then Lauren came back out and we started walking to the car, and before we got in  it she looked at me and said "You are going marry him".  I told her that I was not and there was no way she could know that.

But in my heart of hearts I knew that I had just met my future husband.

And that was just beginning .......

How I met Mr. Hill

I thought it might be fun to tell y'all the long saga of how Chris and I started dating.

I think it will be fun for me to tell my side of the story and then for Chris to tell his side.  That way you get both point of views.

I think I will give you the long version.  Does this interest you?

My freshman year  I dated a boy.   He was a nice boy.   I was a nice girl.   We were just not nice for each other.   That ended in April.   I was mad at God for letting me waste my time.    I was living in the sorority house at the time and I remember lying on the floor of my room which was also called "The Cave" and being angry at God because  I felt like I had wasted my time dating this boy [who was and is a very nice boy].  

Then God said two things to me that got me up off that floor.  He said first "I do not waste your time".   That brought great peace to me but my heart still felt like it had gone through a cheese grater.    I asked the Lord what I was supposed to do and he said "Hope and Wait."     So that is what  I did.

That summer I went home and interned with Young Life and worked at a day spa and hung out with my super bestie Kelley Samu Ellis.    It was awesome and got awoke a hunger in me for Him that was unreal.   I was pouring into people while also getting poured into by Jesus.   That month was busy.   Every moment was planned.   I grew so much.

Then my family went to Cains, Australia for the rest of the summer because my Dad was drilling in Papua New Guinea.   I went from barely having time to think to laying on a beach doing nothing and all I could think about was marriage.   I was pissed.   I remember lying in bed next to my Mimi telling God that I did not want to think about marriage because it was driving me utterly insane.   Then God said something interesting to me, he said "I do not give you passion without purpose".    In an instant I had such complete peace --- it was awesome.    Then I went on this whole search for understanding God's goodness which you can read about here.

Then we did all kind of wonderful things in Australia and I decided that if there was no Texas that I would live in Australia even though they had British food.    The Chinese food there was glorious, so was the Great Barrier Reef.

As soon as my feet landed back in the U.S. it was time to head back to College Station for sorority stuff. Once I was settled back into the sorority house Mr. Boy from freshman year came back on the scene and was interested in dating me again.   I was thrilled to say the least.

I had two friends in Chi O who were older than me and had discipled me the year before,  Lauren Lust and Kristi Stewart Lewis.   They were and are wild for Jesus and everything I needed and wanted in friends at that time ---- and still to this day.    Kristi Stewart Louis had been partners with Wes Witney at Impact camp that summer.    Wes Witney had just moved into a house with four other boys the beginning of my sophomore year.    One of which was Daniel Weizel who I knew because of my friend from high school and roommate freshman year, Ellen Armour Olive.    Wes and Daniel just happened to be friends with Chris Hill who was living in the house, called The Lonestar Verde, with them.

Kristi and Lauren started hanging out there all the time.    About two weeks into the school year they called me up one day and said they had met this awesome house of guys through Wes.   Lauren was like "Yeah, and there is this guy named Chris who is super hot and loves Jesus and business".  

Little did Kristi and Lauren know that the previous night I had just been to a party at Kristi's house and had the awesome realization that I was single and I was in college and the boys at the party knew I was single.   And I liked it.

But remember Mr. Boy from freshman year is still on the scene --- calling me and what not.

Then Daniel Weizel invited me and some of my sorority girlfriends over for a Thursday night party.   This would be the second time I met Chris Hill.   The very first time was at the Marina for a football BBQ --- but I was there because Mr. Boy from freshman year was there and I did not have any eyes to take notice of Chris.

I get to the party at Daniel's (The Lonestar Verde) and Kristi and Lauren are waiting to introduce me to Chris.    I walk in and Chris is standing in the hallway announcing to everyone that he is going to bed because he has an accounting quiz the next day.    And he was wearing his glasses.    I thought he was dorky.

That was on Thursday.  On Sunday we had our first co-ed bible study.   Kristi, Lauren, Shaina, and I and several other girls had bible study every Sunday night the year before.   This year we decided to open it up to everyone who wanted to come.

I was late and I walked in and Chris Hill was sitting in a chair.   I was captivated, smitten, and totally taken.    He was dressed in his maroon air jordan

I did everything I could to ignore him completely.   I kept telling myself that I was single and I liked it AND there was Mr. Boy.    At the very end of the bible study this stunningly handsome Chris Hill asked if he could pray for me.   All the girls gasped in delight and my heart sank.   I thought man if he touches me I might faint.  

Then he prayed for me.  He read my mail.  He prayed everything I needed to hear.   He spoke to the Lord about every secret of my heart, and then he read me the part of scripture that I had been reading all summer.

Then he left.

Then the girls rushed me to Taco Cabana and sat me outside and announced:  YOU ARE GOING TO MARRY THAT MAN.    Then I yelled at them and told them not to be silly, immature, and annoying.

Then on Tuesday I went to Houston and got my hair done and drove back to the sorority house.    Lauren Lust called me and asked me if I wanted to go get a vanilla Dr. Pepper.

But what she really did was kidnap me and force me to go over to The Lonestar Verde unannounced while wearing the SAME shirt I had worn on Thursday night.

That is when everything started which I will tell you all about later  :)

This is when the story gets really good and I stop saying then, then, then  :)

The Excited List

The top ten things that make Mr. Hill exuberant at the behest of our friend, Travis Bearden...

This is so much harder than making "The Angry List".  A couple of differences are obvious to me as I begin to try and think through this list - These are in order of importance, there are many more things in life that make me excited in life than make me upset, and trying to describe the emotion that rises up at the thought of these things is beyond me.

1) My Jesus.  This is not here as cliche.  I am who I am because of Him.  He is my love.

2) My Wife.  Again, not cliche, simply true.  She is my partner in everything that I do.  My life would be completely awful without her.  Watching her be who she is enthralling.

3) The thought of being a father.  No, we have no kids on the way, nor any plans for them currently, but I have wanted to be a dad since I was little.  The honor and privilege it will be to be a daddy is beyond my words. 

4) Having the opportunity to be a blessing by the direction of the Holy Spirit.  Be it giving, encouraging someone, or teaching.  I am alive for these moments.

5) People.  I love people.  I love being around them, talking to them, watching them.  People.

6)My G Puppy.  Cutest and smartest ever.  No debate.

7)The Diamond H Ranch.  I proposed to my wife, learned how to bass fish, shot my first big deer, bled and sweat, grew in Jesus, learned to build fence, and generally became a man on that piece of land.  It is very dear to me.  

8)Sports.  I love playing sports.  I love watching sports.  I love sports - especially Aggie Sports and playing basketball.  My wife probably questions my sanity with how excited I get at the thought of playing basketball.

9)Nike and Ralph Lauren clothes.  They fit right.  They make me really excited.  Undoubtedly, Nike makes the coolest sport apparel.  Period.  It is the best, and it makes me happy.

10)Music.  I don't even want to be honest about how much memory on this Macbook is taken up by music.  I also do not want to be honest about how much money I have spent in  my life on music.  It is likely disgusting.

11) Ten just wasn't enough for this list...Cowboy Boots.  The way they smell when they come out of the box.  How dependable they are.  How good they look.  How versatile they are.  The world should wear boots.

I love my little wife, her pretty red shoes, and how well she fits in my arms.

Point of View

So let's see how quickly I can describe what just happened here on our glorious Sunday morning.


Preface:
Yesterday we slept late. I got up before Jess, like I usually do, and went downstairs to turn on the coffee. After the coffee was made, I poured myself a cup of unadulterated morning awesomeness and began the process of concocting my wife's morning brew.

Sugar goes in the cup first, then the creamer...wait, where's that creamer?

I look on the top shelf of fridge with all of the other milk/breakfast liquid products. Nothing doing.

Hmmmm, think like your wife, Mr. Hill.

Literally picture me standing in front of the open refridgerator looking at the top shelf, but then ever so slightly (or maybe not so slightly) bending my knees to "squat" down to the height of my beautiful wife.

BINGO.

Right on her eye level shelf at the very back sits the majestic box of her "Silk" creamer.

I literally would never have seen it had I not done that.





Today's happening.

So Jess is making herself some coffee. We're kind of silly this morning.

I tell her how funny it was for me to find her creamer yesterday, as she's pulling it out.

I say, no really, check this out...I walk over to her, literally pick her up and say, "here's what I see." Then I set her down and proceed to tell her the rest of my Silk seeking saga. After we finished laughing about my ordeal, she goes, "I have such a better view of the fridge than you do!" There can be no argument on that point. I see the top shelf, and that's about it.

Life with someone you love is simply an excuse to make something fun out of looking for the creamer.

Proverbs 12:4

"A wife of noble character is her husband's crown."

I have truly obtained favor from the Lord.  I am a blessed man.



Mr. Hill

I do - 6_7_08

I, Christopher Carl Hill, do hereby vow - before our Lord and man alike - these things to you and you alone, Jessica Ann Jordan:

I commit my life to the prescribed soil of your heart.

I vow to always follow and love Christ Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength, so that in my leading, I will always reflect the Lord’s character.

I vow to love you, my wife, even as myself; so, that in this love there will be no sacrifice too great for me to make – that Christ’s perfect will be completed within you.

I vow to support, provide for, and protect the dreams and desires of Christ that He has placed within your heart.

I vow to live my life of service with you and for you before Christ…Being submitted one to another out of reference for Christ, the Messiah.

I, Jessica Ann Jordan, do hereby vow – before our Lord and man alike – these things to you and you alone, Christopher Carl Hill:

I commit my life to the prescribed soil of your heart.

I vow to submit, adapt, and cleave myself to you, always putting my needs as secondary to yours, and to always serve you as I would the Lord.

I vow to adorn myself inwardly so that I might always have a gentle and peaceful spirit towards you.

I vow to respect, admire, and honor you and to lift you up and encourage you to be the man that God has called and destined you to be.

I vow to go to the Lord daily to find my joy, satisfaction, beauty, and nourishment in Him, so that I may freely give of myself to deeply love and cherish you always.