My soul is swelling right now. I really can only find one word to describe it: Joy. As I sit I am listing to Joe Purdy, waiting for the waffles to rise, hearing Nathan’s happy noises as Natalie reads him nursery rhymes, and looking at the wonderful Valentines day gift my darling wife gave me. It is very simple, like most joys. A thin black poster frame, filled with nearly a dozen photos from our honeymoon. The photos are from a disposable camera we got while in North Carolina that I have been meaning to get developed for the last year and a half. Unbeknownst to me, Natalie had them devoloped and then arrenged them tastefully in this frame.

The pictures capture the happiness of that time, the joy of the memories. It especially rings true this morning as we enjoy the continued joy, a joy that has matured over time, and will continue to mature. These memories are powerful mostly because of the reality of the present, and the hope of the future. It is this trajectory that makes memories worth making. The past, the present, and the future are dependent on one another in a sort of way that seems to reflect the Trinity.  They are all dependant on each other. Any over-emphasis of one distorts the others. Memories are made for maturing, they seem to look forward, while the future must keep them in mind to keep going forward. All of this connects in the ever-constant present. Sometimes all three connect powerfully, in hope, love, and joy. And Joe Purdy.