On the Road to Illinois in Which We Kick Off 40 Days

We kicked off our forty days of celebration with a quick trip to Illinois. Some of Sarah's friends (the ones that let me workout with them the weekend of her graduation) reached out to us early last year. They just needed a sounding board, and we were happy to listen and learn alongside them. Now they were getting married, and they asked us to play our cellos at the wedding. On our many road trips together, we've learned that Aaron can focus and work really well from the passenger's seat while I drive. So that's what we did :) I admit it was a wee bit strange not to have any kids doing school in the back seat. Katherine had a dress rehearsal and a concert with the youth orchestra, so she stayed home this time.

The first day on the road, we planned to stop and get something yummy from Futrell's Pharmacy and Soda Fountain, but when we got there we discovered that the soda fountain didn't have ice cream or milk. So we practiced our flexibility and kept walking around the cute town square (because I really needed to find a bathroom!). We did discover Timeless Books, with its old hardwood floors and book-related gifts. We also stumbled across Black River Beads and Pottery. I wished we could have spent more time and money there, the store had an old Kay cello that I tuned for them. The proprietor called another nearby shop for us to gain access to her facilities. Obviously Day 1 didn't go as planned! But on Day 2, I got started with a virtual 5K to join the wedding party. They planned a lunchtime 5K and invited me to join them, but I knew 1) we would be on the road and 2) I'm waaaaaay slower than they are. So the hotel treadmill and I had a sweaty morning date.

On the way to the wedding, we stopped in Springfield to visit Abraham Lincoln's home. We didn't have much time, and this visit only whetted my appetite to come back with our kids in tow. One of the fascinating things I learned connected with a book I recently read. "The Small and the Mighty" encouraged me to be faithful in the little things, and one of the people featured in the book was Julius Rosenwald. Rosenwald was one of the Sears and Roebuck owners, and he generously gave towards education and museums. Most notably, he established Rosenwald Schools throughout the South that were funded by his donations and matching community grants. The Tuskeegee Institute received much of Rosenwald's time and energy. My home state of Arkansas also benefitted from these schools. Maya Angelou, raised in a small Arkansas town, attended a Rosenwald School. Rosenwald grew up half a block from the Lincoln house, and his home is open to the public.

The wedding rehearsal was sweet, especially because Sarah was leading worship with us. In the middle of the wedding, the congregation would be singing three songs, and she was the beautiful voice they would follow as we supported her with guitar and cellos. What a treat to share this experience together!

 

The rehearsal dinner began with the meaningful liturgy from Every Moment Holy, "On the Eve of a Wedding". Words that I continue to pray for our not-so-shiny-and-new marrage:

May your love for one another overflow in blessing to all who have the joy of knowing you. May the world be better loved because of your passion for each other. May the flame of your love never wane, but burn ever fiercer across the years, that even in old age you would remain wellsprings of one another's delight.