lectionary lovers

there are few to whom using a dictionary of this size would bring such joy. but as you can see from the ear-to-ear grin, kira is such a one.  we all added to our vocabulary on sunday when joanne referred to our "litigious society".  so we had to pull out the giant reference tome to discover its meaning. quite apropos for the scrabble divas.  we laughed our hearts out as well while joanne regaled us with hilarious stories from her life as a nurse practioner.  such fun.  sweet reunion.

the lectionary loving scrabble divas.

thanks friends!

(kira, erica, suz, joanne & beth) 

heirlooms

the last 10 years or so of my grandmother eunice's life, she would select various items of hers or my grandfather's that she thought her daughter or grandchildren might like and gave those as gifts.  

 one year she gave me a crystal dish and another year an antique watch.  one Christmas she wrapped this necklace in holly paper for me.  i treasure this particular heirloom not only due to its obvious beauty, but because it belonged to her.  and even more-so because this little piece carries a story and a bit of my own history.

in the mid-1930's, a particular gentlemen sold dresses door to door in "ark city", kansas.  one day he appeared at eunice's door.  the convincing salesman not only sold her a dress, but sold her on a date as well. 


not too much later when jim proposed to eunice, he gave her this diamond necklace in lieu of an engagement ring.


in the late-1990's, eunice gave it to me, her then unmarried granddaughter.  it was a token of hope for me that one day a man might propose to me. and as the wait stretched on, i would wear this necklace...daring to hope.  

though he didn't sell me a dress at the door, a certain man did indeed sell me on a second date and then a third.  when he knew i was sure of his love, on bended knee he gave me a diamond that he had chosen for me.  one more beautiful than i ever would have chosen.


more than one year later, this sparkling gem on my finger still catches my eye, and i revel in the chapters recently added to my own story. 

looking back

Looking back on 2009  

I learned....that being right isn't usually the point.

I grew most in…walking with my husband.  Being so independent for so long, I am unlearning some of that and learning a new pace of walking beside another.

Another way I saw myself growing was...moving away from the comfortable role of "Beth the teacher" into the less familiar "Beth the woman".

One of my best adventures was…backpacking in the Colorado wild with Scott.

I saw/knew God was doing something when…Scott and I made the decision for me to only work part-time, and then my sister's family unexpectedly moved to Colorado.

A real gift from God was…those who cried with us and loved us well.

Something I really enjoyed doing more of was...going to the farmers' market every week this summer and snowshoeing this winter (Thanks Joanne!)

One of the happiest memories of 2009 I’d like to freeze in my mind…being present for the birth of our godson.  To see a little life emerge into the world seems like a "thin place" where the Giver of Life is so obviously present.
(N.T. Wright talks about the Celtic tradition what is called the "thin places". The "thin places" hold a vision of reality that has at least two layers: the visible world of our ordinary experience and the sacred world. In the thin places the boundary between those two dimensions becomes permeable. Sometimes it becomes so thin or lifts entirely that we can see and hear the sacred life to which we are called. Jesus was a thin place. He wasn't the thing itself but a place through which we could see that other reality, what he called the kingdom.)

I was really brave when…I overcame some of my fear of driving on the ice.


Something I’ve grieved about this year was…the unexpected departure of a gift we were given for a much shorter time than expected. 


I’m still trying to learn what God wants to teach me through this hard experience…waiting again.

The best word of advice or encouragement I can remember is… a phrase that has long seemed cliche and trite to me, but when I began to take the words "Let go and let God" to heart, I have found them quite true.

One thing I’m looking forward to in 2010 is…becoming more alive as the woman God created me to be and having new adventures with my husband.

adventing

i began the season with advent preparation night at a local church with the women in my family.  my mom and i enjoyed wreath-making, while my sisters and nieces created advent calendars and ornaments.  it was a unique and thoughtful ministry, and we all took home an advent booklet to help us continue preparing.

then scott and i ushered in advent with the help of a taize service in early december.  the same chapel where we were married was lit only by candlelight and blanketed in quiet.  it probably took half of the hour long service to quiet me as my mind was rushing this way and that, but the songs which are very short and sung repeatedly finally began to get a hold of me.  the first song was, 

"wait for the Lord, whose day is near.  wait for the Lord: keep watch, take heart.” 

more silence.
someone read luke 1:26-29. 
another song,
“our soul is waiting for God.  our hearts find joy in the Lord”
someone else read verses 30-34 about mary.   

this little bit of luke, highlighted from the rest of the story, made me so aware that the advent and christmas story centers around a pregnancy and a birth.  in april, i had anticipated our own baby’s birth coinciding with advent this december.  and yet in the painful absence of a baby i think the familiar story struck a chord.  the people of God had waited centuries for the Messiah.  so the waiting aspect of advent is something i can understand a bit more this year…especially the first candle of hope.  

  not that this is the first time i've felt that deep sense of longing.  not too many years ago when i lived in japan, i felt poignantly that God had brought me into a long season of waiting.  perhaps we are always waiting for something - for someone to come around, for love, for healing, for God to break through someone’s despair or pain or lostness, for children, for wholeness…

i know that i wouldn’t have chosen the waiting for myself, but i am so grateful for it.  not that waiting is this fun, glorious thing that i would gift to others if i could, but i have seen how God often works deeply through it.  the story of God's people seems to be characterized by waiting.  even the four candles of the advent wreath symbolize the four centuries between malachi (the last prophet in the old testament) and the birth of Christ.  but the people of God did not wait in vain; God kept His promises to them.

 so now the weeks of advent have passed, and i have lit the candle of
hope,
then love,
joy and peace. 

christmas is almost here!
children are anticipating christmas morning with so much hope and expectation.
and i too am waiting for the Lord,
for His answers to my prayers.
for His kingdom to come,
for His will to be done,

for Him to return as He promised.

“wait for the Lord, whose day is near.  wait for the Lord: keep watch, take heart.” 

so i wait and hope to wait like the children are waiting,
eagerly, hopeful, and expecting great things.

one year in

somehow enough months and seasons have gone by 

that have made up a year.

on november 15th, 2008 we said our vows on 

a beautiful, blue-skied fall day.

we stood in black and white at the front of the chapel, 

making promises bigger than ourselves 

and trusting God to help us keep them.  

one year ago, surrounded by faces that love us, 

we stepped into marriage.

one year later, snow and ice covered the streets as we made 

our way to church.  a little further down the road of life together, 

we are learning to navigate the icy days a little better.  

and then there are those glorious days, too.

those are pure bliss.

scott offered me the gift of the written word, 

and i needed no more.  it was exactly what i wanted. 

for dinner we decided to return to the mona lisa, 

a local fondue restaurant where we had gone on our honeymoon.  

we were both surprised when they seated us 

in the same exact table!

from the cheese appetizer, to grilled meats to our 

almond joy dessert...our meal literally melted in our mouths.  

growing up, i often worried about marrying the wrong person.

i felt terrified of being stuck and wanting out or of 

waking up one day utterly dissatisfied.

but somewhere deep down, 

i knew that marriage could be really good.

then scott walked into my life and loved me.

he loved me first, without demanding love in return.

and he simply loved me and called me beautiful.

it held a certain ring of the familiar.

his love echoed the One who 

loved us both first.

on the day that marked day that God took away my fears, 

i was finally able to really begin loving scott.  

i too began to risk my heart.

not too many days later he met me at the end of the aisle 

with a grin reaching from ear to ear.

one year in, i've discovered that marriage can be really good.

in fact, it is even better than i even imagined.

two new books

two books have come to my attention this year, 

both written by people in my own community.

the first is an intimate story of one woman's journey into deeper intimacy with the Lord, as his beloved daughter.  the author?  pamela marhad, the mother of one of my closest friends.  beautifully written in part allegory, part dialogue, the author honestly reveals her own feelings of inadequacy and God's seemingly unbelievable responses to her.  the message is certainly one i can relate to, and that i know many women are longing to hear.  the result is a new kind of devotional aptly titled,

He Calls me Beloved.

http://www.amazon.com/He-Calls-Beloved-Pamela-Marhad/dp/1414113145/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

the second is ready just in time for christmas.  written by a man whose blog i follow and illustrated by a woman in my church.  it is a retelling of the nativity story from luke 1 & 2 with some added fictional first- person perspectives, the familiar becoming wonderfully unfamiliar once again.  although i have yet to read it, the author writes and speaks like an old-time story-teller with the fresh perspective of one who walks with God.

the author?  john blase.  

the illustrator?  amanda jolman.  

i can't wait to read it myself.

Touching Wonder 

http://www.amazon.com/Touching-Wonder-Recapturing-Awe-Christmas/dp/1434764656/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256829022&sr=1-1

if you're interested, both books are available from amazon.com.

happy reading.

pixar's "Up"

just a few years ago i didn't even know what pixar was.

and to further my shame,

i placed all animated movies in a category,

or lesser class, all of their own.

needless to say, i never watched.

but then a few summers ago between conversations over

dinner and in the park, someone i've come to be rather fond of

expressed his delight in the quality and depth of story

found in certain animated films.

though skeptical, i listened and eventually

watched ratatouille.

guess what?

i actually liked it.

this time it was my suggestion -

"Up".

.

within the first few minutes beneath the big screen

a story of two lives

- carl & ellie-

had already been silently told.

it seemed complete all on its own,

a sweet adventure of joy mingled sorrow

that echoed so many of my own hopes and fears.

with tears still wet on my face

the silent ballad ended.

i wondered for a moment if the film was over.

i knew the movie had really just begun,

though i couldn't imagine the story improving.

surprisingly, it did.

the country of marriage

compliments of wendell berry

iii.

"sometimes our life reminds me

of a forest in which there is a graceful clearing
and in that opening a house,
an orchard and garden,
comfortable shades, and flowers
red and yellow in the sun, a pattern
made in the light for the light to return to.

 

The forest is mostly dark, its ways 

to be made anew day after day, the dark 

richer than the light and more blessed, 

provided we stay brave 

enough to keep on going in."

sometimes i just want to stay in the lovely house 
and garden in the light,
but the forest is equally part of the beauty of this country.

thank you scott, my love,
for having the courage to walk
into the forest depths with me.

tears come in the quiet

quiet, hush.

the magical stillness of a starry night,
the silent awe of sacred ceremony,
the look between lover and beloved
pushes down the words and invites wonder.

but no, not that quiet,
not that hush.

a break from the bustle that characterized
her days. forced rest. long hours of quiet.
she anticipated cries, but not hers.
arms intended to comfort now empty.

the hush of
quiet sadness.

days peppered with friends,
but quiet sadness served as the main course.
surrounded by quiet she heard things before
muffled if they sounded at all.

hush, listen.

the breeze brushes the sheers
as the wind brings them to life. footsteps
crunch the gravel under the mailbox,
and the post lid creaks before its filling.

hush, there's more
to hear.

pattering rain suddenly shifts
to pounding hail just for a moment.
distant thunder rolls and the
leaves shiver in anticipation.

listen.

her chatter belies the undercurrent
of pain. in the quiet when she
cannot speak, the lost creek
emerges fuller than she knew.

quiet yourself.

in this clearing, don't rush ahead.
all space needs not filling.
for tears come in the quiet,
and there is beauty here.

hush.

fleeting

my whole life i'd heard of cherry blossoms.
but to hear of and to experience sakura,
or perhaps anything, are worlds apart.

the japanese eagerly track the blooms
from the early deep colored petals of the southern islands
to the later pale approaching the mainland.

certain trees hold local fame and charm
elderly limbs supported with crutches
carry the weight of streaming pink flush.

parties and picnics, called hanami,
two words enmeshed - "flower" and "to see"
young and old sit under the showering petals.

from barren winter pink life seems to
suddenly appear on the naked trees
clothing them in pregnant fullness.

within a fortnight as quickly as they came,
the trees can hold this new life no more
and petals are shed to line the streets.

green shade leaves take their place
a new season is promised,
but the days remain chilly a bit longer.

like nothing else i know, sakura speaks
of all things fleeting and gone almost as
quickly as they come - spring, beauty, a life.

flourishing like a flower of the field
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
its place remembers it no more.

but from everlasting to
everlasting the LORD's love is
with those who fear Him.

being sick

being sick levels the playing field.

on monday i came down with a no-name virus. it doesn't carry quite the sympathy of strep or the flu, but it kept me on the couch for a week and my throat still hurts. each morning i woke early to write lesson plans only to discover that i was supremely exhausted, and had to rest again. and that was how each day went, teaching the accomplisher within to settle down and chill.

a reminder that said, "no, you can't do this on your own. you can't get everything done. and yes, let people help you." so went the week, with colleagues helping in numerous ways at work in my absence, and scott tenderly helping me at home.

its hard to be sick, to face a truth that is easier to ignore when we are well. that is that we are limited creatures greatly in need of help.

by thursday i had improved enough to read, so i embarked on lewis' the last battle. i never realized that it won the carnegie award, the highest honor for british children's literature. i hadn't read it since childhood myself, but quickly became caught up in lewis' story of the world's end and the fight of the remaining faithful to Who they knew to be true while so many others were tricked or deceived. revelation come alive.

though king tirian and his unicorn, jewel, weren't sick, they found themselves in great need and cried out to the God he'd never seen and yet believed for help.

and help came.

and hope came.

the maytrees and me

scott and i each took a book with us on our little mountain get-a-way over spring break.

his choice? redemption ark by alastair reynolds. it is classified as a "hard science fiction space opera novel". despite various conversations about the book as he is reading it, i still can't quite grasp this genre. is it really possible that those 5 adjectives really describe a type of novel? space opera. those two together raise the most questions.

needless to say, marriage continues to open my eyes to many wonders that i previously failed to know even existed. my husband enjoys his read, as he encounters various characters not just of the human persuasion with each new chapter. new words escape his lips for which i require definitions. i learn that a "conjoiner" is a human with technology giving them extraordinary possibilities. (my only term of reference? x-men.) the story also touches on political commentary and a few main characters that have become prominent and caught my husaband's interest. i see the science fiction, and yes the location is space, but where exactly is the opera?

my book of choice? the maytrees by annie dillard. what satisfaction to completely read a book within a week's time. what a delight to spend my time reading something written so well that i am caught up into not only the plot, but the beauty of words, attentiveness to the stars and sea, and the internal worlds of the characters. this story spanning a lifetime reads like poetry. the book initially caught my eye because it was about a marriage; it opens in post-WWII Cape Cod with a couple falling in love and soon marrying then living amidst their artistic friends.

so i bought it, not wanting to know anymore, and saved it for our trip. i happily lingered over the first chapters and halfway through found myself devastated. but hope came, as it often does. the poet-husband toby, referred to as maytree, continually pondered the question of what love is. beauty permeated his wife lou. both maytree and lou came into a more profound understanding of themselves alone and in relationship to each other with the passage of time, need and grace. perhaps a bit like love itself, the maytrees drew me in with its beauty, surprised me with its pain, and challenged me at its depth.

knowing i wanted to finish the book before we returned home, my own loving husband put his book down and read to me the last chapter of mine. and better still than any novel (best science fiction novel of the year or even pullitzer-prize novelist) is the the real-time poetic love my husband offers me.

lent bothers me

on wednesday we wore ashes
a black cross of dust
that i kept smudging
bothered my eyes.

standing and kneeling
in an unfamiliar place
being reminded of my death
bothered me too.

no morning edition
no all things considered
distracted prayer
the silence bothered me.

talk of loneliness
purpose still unknown
lacking usual comforts
lent bothers me.

bothersome discomfort
pain and patterns revealed
holes become apparent
Jesus come and fill me.

lent bothers me,
and
this lent is good.

two moons

"as the two moons raced across the sky...creating double shadows..."
the image lingers in my mind.

the setting? mars

the book? martian chronicles by ray bradbury

yes...it is science-fiction.

no...i never would have read it on my own, but it was in the bathroom, and i have trouble resisting pages of print.

now we are reading it together.

"scott- does mars really have two moons?" i ask, knowing that despite the fact that i am teaching astronomy and he isn't, my science minded husband will know the answer.

"yes," he replies and then adds, "phobos and....deimos, which mean fear and dread."

this is marriage...the marriage of two minds, two people. completely different histories and interests, but the two met and enjoyed the gifts the other brought to the table.

pride and prejudice meets martian chronicles. instead of two lovers set in the victorian england, i (the reader) find myself amidst various astronauts venturing into the planet mars where the martians are highly unimipressed and uniterested in the proud men from a much less sophisticated planet called earth.

the similarities are greater than i ever suspected.

so now the histories become entangled, the interests merge. a love of reading takes a new wife into her virgin voyage of sci-fi where she finds not only a story, but sees her husband in greater dimensions.

i'll keep reading.

sweet evening

sweet evening
day's work complete
a meal made and shared
dinner dishes drying
time is ripe for picking

hands pass across the face
the moments wait for none
companion for life
so near we share this sacred space
yet at uneven pace

she eyes closing dreams begin
he wide awake, mind at work
but as dark falls toward sleep he goes
then she rises, woken within
soberly missing time with him

january evening
full of promise and light
for a moment the pause seems long
dusk's sun lingering
then into dark soon vanishing

on this last day of 2008

on friday afternoons before i leave school, i try to clean off the whiteboard in my 6th grade classroom. i don't just mean wipe it off, but actually clean it so that it gleams white and the new week can begin fresh the following monday. a new year feels like that to me. the old one with its laughable moments, delicious memories. tear streaked days, and ah-ha moments has finally come to an end. and instead of being mundane, the cycle of another year offers hope of trying again, and maybe getting a couple of things right this time aroud. someone sent the following questions my way along with thoughts toward goal setting as well. i think i need to start here.


REFLECTIONS:

In 2008

I learned to…trust God more and Scott too.

I grew most in…letting go of fear (though its mostly just the roots growing underground in this growth department, but growth none the less.)

Another way I saw myself growing was…seeing the futility of an ulitmatum.

One of my best adventures was…falling in love.

I saw/knew God was doing something when…the fear fell away and in the words of Sara Groves "something changed".

A real gift from God was…(is) the companionship of life together with Scott in marriage.

Something I really enjoyed doing more of was…kissing. ;)

One of the happiest memories of 2008 I’d like to freeze in my mind…so many to choose from! But I would have to say, (1) one of the happiest was walking into church on April 20th, and seeing Scott worship the Lord with all of his being. In that moment I knew that I desired to spend my life beside this man and no other.
(2) Walking down the aisle and back and seeing so many incredible people who have loved me throughout my life and who blessed Scott and I by coming to our wedding.

I was really brave when…???

Something I’ve grieved about this year was…the deep wounds my friend is bravely and honestly facing while holding on to hope.

I’m still trying to learn what God wants to teach me through this hard experience…attempting to make a difference in the life of a student severely below grade level.

The best word of advice or encouragement I can remember is…from a wise woman at my shower who has been married for 25+ years. She said, "When your husband says something that can be interpreted two ways, choose to interpret it the better way."

One thing I’m looking forward to in 2009 is…learning what it means to be a fun wife, hiking more often, and hopefully snowshoeing!

betting the farm

just over 2 weeks ago, scott and i vowed our lives to each other for better, for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, till we are parted by death. weighty promises, as they should be. the wedding deserves its own post, but i can't seem to capture it in this space. it is set apart as a day when we found ourselves surrounded by all of these amazing people we call our friends, family and community, who came to stand with us as we made these vows, to witness our ceremony and to celebrate with us afterwards. pictures and words can only offer glimpses into the love, hope and blessing that i felt covered and surrounded by.

almost a year ago, i was still deeply weighing this decision to enter into a deeper relationship with scott. as i sought the wisdom of many friends, counselors and authors, one image took up residence in my mind. the author described marriage akin to "betting the farm", meaning that two people making such promises is a huge, risky jump into the unknown. further they went on to suggest that when making vows like those written above, no one can really know what they are promising to. the future remains uncertain. like betting the farm (one's entire life), the expansiveness of the endeavor can't be underestimated, however the people doing the betting had better have a pretty good idea that they are betting on something solid.

it was this idea that helped me realize that if i did want to enter into the realm of marriage, i too would have to take that jump. a few months later, God freed me from the fears holding me back and opened my eyes to see that indeed scott was the man with whom i wanted to "bet the farm". so bet we did, trusting that as we have jumped into the unknown, God will carry us.

showered!

"A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." -Mignon McLaughlin

two sunday afternoons ago, a few astounding women whom i consider it a gift to count among my friends showered me lavishly with beauty, delicious food, gifts, and time with so many people i love to celebrate my upcoming marriage to scott.
(below: jeanette, wendy, kira & heather)

family and friends surrounded me with their presence, laughter and conversation. my friend laura from church opened up her picturesque downtown victorian home to host the party, and the four hostesses thought of every detail.

the table was laden with gorgeous roses, savory bites of bruschetta, olives, various cheeses and crackers. and then i had to get a second plate to hold dessert! and the roses stole the show.

like the day, the weather gave its best warm fall showing with a clear blue colorado sky--truly idyllic.

for the sweet tooth, there were scones and cream, a mouth-watering italian lemon cake, tiered cupcakes and strawberries, and oh so much more. (above: lisa, laura & brooks)

family and friends surrounded me with love, words of wisdom and laughter. and then there were the gifts! i felt overwhelmed at the outpouring of things for my new home and life with scott...and for the fun gifts with which to enter marriage. what a gift to be so abundantly surrounded and upheld--i wouldn't want to enter a marriage any other way.

weddings bring not only two people, but two families together. here i am with my mom and my mom-to-be, scott's mom, nancy ott.

its so funny how at certain events or times in your life the rules change. at what other moment in your life do your friends throw you a party just to give you cute underwear? similarly, at a shower it is considered completely normal for friends and family to help you set up your home and kitchen for you! such moments are short lived, so i will relish in them.

sign reads: "Hope you have a good life with Scott.- Love, Abby"
(me too)

welcome to seattle

scott and i took our first trip together to seattle to see meet friend who are more like family than friends...kristy and todd. along the way, scott was introduced to washington as well.

todd, kristy, abby & wyatt took us to pike's market downtown. after delicious seafood at lowell's overlooking the sound, we walked to the original starbucks and did as one does in seattle- had some coffee. later we strolled around downtown, enjoying the views and taking a peek at the park where todd & kristy were engaged!
spice girls reunion- part 2. sarah caz welcomed holly & i to her cute westlake seattle abode. we enjoyed playing in the park and then a tasty lunch at her local diner on lake union. as mars hill student body prez and student, she keeps busy, but made time for us! thanks, caz!

holly. elliot & simon drove all the way from portland just to meet scott and hang out. elliot discovered free blackberries and simon realized that hydrangeas don't exactly taste great. (could these boys be any more like their mother?) can't wait to meet baby G!

later that afternoon, todd , kristy and the kids met us at the ferry where we enjoyed the sea breeze along the way to bainbridge island.
on bainbridge, we walked around the cute town, enjoyed more coffee, found a local shop that served fresh pasta and had dinner together. abby and her auntie bb drank in the beauty of the flowers in bloom everywhere - especially these gorgeous green hydrangeas.

"uncle scott" enjoyed his new role and fell in love with wyatt & abby, too. whoever knew this man was such a natural with little ones?

and our trip wouldn't have been complete without spending some time with kristy's wonderful parents, pam and george. they took us to lunch at steamer's in tacoma (yet again, on the water!) and we lingered by the seaside and at the park afterwards.

scott and i had a phenomenol time! being engaged made it sparkle, no doubt, but the time with old friends for me, and new for him was rich for us both. kristy & todd made us feel right at home even with a 6 week old new to their world.

the joy of being together everyday, great conversations with good friends, sweet kids and washington's beauty all added up to one of the best trips we've had.

thanks to each of you who made it so.

Engaged!

AP (Colorado Springs)

July 24th, 2008

Beth arrived home on Thursday afternoon to find a card waiting for her. Inside was a note from Scott which said that she had a 2pm appointment at a specified address. Curious and unsure, she drove to the address mentioned. Upon her arrival she discovered that her appointment was a massage and facial! What a treat!

After being pampered and totally relaxed, she headed home. She stepped into the kitchen to find these beautiful red roses and another card waiting for her.

The card held beautiful words and a sweet note written by Scott. At the end it said, "I'll see you at 6:30pm." So Beth dressed for dinner and a little while later, Scott arrived wearing his 3 piece suit!

Not wanting the mystery to end, Scott would not tell Beth where they were going to dinner until it became quite obvious that they were headed straight for the Broadmoor!

(The Broadmoor is a historical landmark in Colorado Springs that is also one of the loveliest hotel/resorts in the city. http://www.broadmoor.com/) They arrived at 7pm and everything was covered in evening sunlight. Hanging baskets and daylilies offered their blooms, swans glided across the lake and Scott ushered Beth through the gorgeous grounds to the South Tower where we headed up to the Penrose Room. The "Ott Party" was seated at a corner table by a wall of windows with a view of the lake and the mountains at sunset.

Once seated, Beth and Scott were treated like royalty. They were served a delicious and beautifully arranged 3 course dinner. Beth enjoyed the Colorado lamb, while Scott dined on filet mignon.

About two bites into dinner, the sunset became too brilliant to ignore and all kinds of light and color played on the mountains in front of them. Beth commented on the beauty God had made and to her surprise, Scott was suddenly on one knee.

Scott expressed his love for Beth and as he was talking opened a small white box which held a sparkling diamond ring. Then he asked her to marry him. She said, "Yes! With all my heart." The two were all smiles and the wait staff came by to congratulate them. After dinner the waiter said that the live jazz band would like to play them a song. Scott and Beth danced to "Come Away with Me" by Norah Jones and many other couples joined them. Then many of the guests clapped for and congratulated them.

Arriving back at their table, the waiter served this dessert! And Scott and Beth delighted in the celebration. The left the restaurant and took some time to walk around the lake, revelling in the fact that they would soon be starting life together!! After Scott brought Beth home, he thanked God for all that He had done in their lives to this point, and prayed for the days to come.

Beth was astounded at what a beautiful ring Scott chose for her that suits her so well.

Before leaving the Broadmoor, Scott and Beth took a few pictures on the balcony in the lamplight.

They are engaged!!!