A Redeeming Love - Chapter 5

A summer romance series, chronicling my love story

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

After the holidays Roger and I spent more and more time together.  On Tuesday nights, after the college group, we’d stay in his office talking for hours – I knew I had to be at work early the next morning, but I didn’t care!  I didn’t want our conversations to end.  He was kind, funny, loved Jesus, and irresistibly handsome.

 As I continued to volunteer in the college ministry, it wasn’t just Roger that I was falling in love with.  I was also falling in love with college students and college ministry.  I quickly felt that I was created to minister to college students.  With an opportunity to co-lead a mission trip to Thailand and my growing love for college ministry, in Spring of 1998, I decided to leave my job at E! and pursue ministry opportunities.  Shortly after I quit my job I was on an airplane with Roger and 9 college students, bound for an adventure of a lifetime!

 Aside from being overwhelmed by the experience of traveling to Thailand and Burma, I was also thrilled to be sharing this experience with Roger.  Up until this point, we had never discussed our feelings for one another – for all I knew, he just considered me a good friend.  Roger was always a man of strong integrity and he would have never asked me to co-lead this trip with him if we were dating.  It wouldn’t be appropriate.  If he had any real feelings for me, he did a really good job of keeping them hidden.

 After a phenomenal trip, I returned to Southern California where I had packed up all my belongings, quit my job, and accepted a summer position as the head of female staff at a Christian camp just outside of Yosemite.  I had been a water ski instructor at this camp when I first graduated from college and was excited to return and minister to all the college women who would be on staff.  This would give me a real hands on experience ministering to college students more than just once a week.  It would also mean leaving Southern California and Roger, not knowing when or if I’d return.  I wondered if this big move would kill any slight chance of potential with this handsome man that took my breath away the first time I saw him, but now without a job and no concrete ties in Los Angeles, there was no reason for me to stay. 

Trust

On our trip to Nor Cal I wanted to take the children on a hike in the mountains I grew up hiking in.  It’s a quick 10 minute drive to the top of Big Basin and the hiking trails are amazing and beautiful.  Once I could drive, I would go up into the mountains behind my parent’s house all the time to journal, pray, set goals, and just be.  Those mountains are very special to me and hold significance to some pretty poignant moments in my life.

As we started winding up the mountain, it was evident that the marine layer from the ocean on the other side was not going to burn off, so we’d spend a very chilly July morning in the mountains.   Almost to our destination, a little voice from the back of the car said, “Mommy, will there be other people there?”  “On the trails?,” I asked to clarify.  “Well, in the mountains.  Will there be other people up there?  Or will we be alone?”  I could tell from her tone that she was nervous for some reason about our little adventure.

“You don’t have to be scared.  Mommy grew up in these mountains and I know exactly where we’re going.  I would never put you in danger.  Don’t you trust me?”

I could tell that she wasn’t comforted.  She has no reason not to trust me.  I tried to think of what I could say to ease her mind and just get her to enjoy the beauty around us, but I couldn’t think of a magical phrase to make her trust me.  Shouldn’t a child automatically trust their parents?

How many times have I questioned in a small, shaky voice what God is doing?  There is no reason for me not to trust Him, He’s proven faithful time and again.  Still, I don’t always trust.  When the fog is getting thicker, the road bending from left to right and what lies ahead is unknown, I too get nervous and start to doubt.

There was nothing I could do but to lead on in confidence
and assure her that I knew what I was doing.

I don’t know if it was the park ranger she saw in the parking lot or my assurance that everything was going to be fine, but eventually she had a wonderful time exploring the mountains that I love so dear.

Sometimes I guess we have to see to believe.
God has our best interest in mind.  He is for us.  We can trust Him.
As my daughter began to see that we were safe, Mommy knew the trail and the wonder we saw was worth the risk, she began to trust a little more.

Highlight Reel - Part 1

Since I haven't really posted in a few weeks, I thought I'd share what I've been up to!

With my husband's crazy work schedule these days, I decided to take the children to Northern California for a few weeks to stay with my parents.  We had a wonderful time!

I got to spend a few days away from the children up at my brother's house in San Francisco.  While he was at work, I got myself some "lunch" and sat by the water to enjoy!  That evening we went to dinner with an old friend.

The following day, my brother and I went on a "Lilly Blanchard."  Awhile back my brother dictated a text to a friend, "let's go on a little adventure."  It was translated to his friend, "let's go on a Lilly Blanchard."  And thus, the Lilly Blanchard was born!

We drove north, over the Golden Gate, through the hills, and came to a magical place where we tasted some delightful cheeses,  stopped for some seafood on a bay, and practically froze our buns off!

Upon our return, the children were delivered for "Uncle Camp."

There was lots of coloring.  Check out this site and thank me later!  There were dance parties, and the fabulous formation of the Uncle Camp Band!!

Then onto amazing kite flying.  You didn't just fly these kites... they flew you!!

The kids had a blast!

The Uncle Camp Kite Team

Well, there's lots more to come, but I thought I'd give a little update.

Birthday Love

OK, so I'm still on vacation and today is actually my birthday!  39!  First time in years that I'll be spending my birthday with my parents and brother - but a dear friend I used to work with at E! just sent this to me and I laughed so hard that I just had to share it with you!  SO worth the watch - enjoy!

PS - I don't know this guy, but now I love him - and if you didn't know, my name is Raeanne.

A Redeeming Love - Chapter 4

    It was a beautiful wedding. Deer Valley Resort in Utah provided the deck and God provided the majestic mountains that ushered us all into His presence for this holy occasion. I had met the groom while I was in college - a phenomenal man who embodied a love for Jesus and a love for bacon! The bride did not become a close friend until we lived together after college and over our buttered toast in the morning before work, we'd share life and prayer requests and become fast friends. The wedding was in her home state, I was singing in the ceremony, and he, Roger Newquist, was officiating. Many of my college friends were present for the weekend festivities, so I was busy visiting with them while admiring Mr. Newquist from afar.
       As the ceremony began the bride started walking down the aisle alone. It was her choice to walk down alone and it was a bold and powerful statement. Her groom was waiting at the end of the aisle, but as she walked about half way, he ran to meet her. It was an image I'll never forget. His excitement to be her husband was great, but his love for her was even greater. He had to run to get her.
       As the wedding weekend wrapped up, I found out that Roger and I were flying out of Salt Lake around the same time and he offered to take me to the airport. At last, I would have time alone with him to talk and get to know a little bit more about this mysterious, handsome man. I was thrilled.
       On the long car ride to the airport I asked Roger all kinds of questions about what led him into full time ministry.  We had wonderful conversation together and I was trying to keep my imagination from running wild.   After all, we had just spent a weekend in Utah witnessing a romantic wedding!
       Roger knew that I was active in our church and as he talked about the college and young adult ministries he led, he asked if I were interested in helping out in the college ministry.  I was never involved in a college ministry as a student, so I didn't really know what it entailed.  All I knew was that the man who caught my eye and took my breath away 2 years ago was now essentially asking me if I wanted to spend one evening a week with him (and several college students).  I said I'd think about it, but in my heart I already knew I would say yes.  Little did I know that his offer would radically change my life in more ways than one.
       A few weeks later Pepperdine was starting up which meant that the church would soon be flooded with college students and the college ministry would be in full swing.  I agreed to be an adult volunteer and I quickly discovered what I was created to do.  Even though I continued to work at E!, I couldn't wait for Tuesday nights when I got to mentor college students and spend a little extra time with Roger.  Soon our conversations after Tuesday nights would turn into conversations on Wednesday nights and my heart was falling deeper and deeper in love with this man.

       In December Roger asked me to go to Disneyland with him.  It wasn't really a date, we just went as friends.  But if you've ever been to Disneyland at Christmas time, it's even more magical than normal and date or not, it was a magical day together!  We walked over to Snow White's Wishing Well and I said that we had  to make wishes.  We threw quarters into the well and made our wishes.  Immediately after, Roger asked me what I wished for.  "I can't tell you or it won't come true," I said.  He didn't believe that, but since I wouldn't tell, neither would he.  It was December 20th 1997; he'd have to wait 6 more years before I'd tell him what I wished for.

Summer Vacation

We're on vacation for 2 weeks and I thought I'd be able to keep up on the trip,

 but my body is telling me to just rest!

I will have posts on Fridays, continuing the Summer Romance Series.

Then back to normal on July 23rd with lots of yummy updates.

Happy Summer!

A Redeeming Love - Chapter 3

I think that every story of romance is worth telling.  As I recall my own, I myself am amazed at the woven tapestry of love, heartbreak, tough lessons learned and bliss.

I hope you’ll join me every Friday this Summer for my Summer Romance Series:

A Redeeming Love

Chapter 1,   Chapter 2

Chapter 3
In April 1995 I graduated from Pepperdine and left Malibu.  It would be about a year before I would return to Southern California and once again attend Malibu Presbyterian Church.  From the time I first saw the handsome man in the navy blue suit in church, to the time I returned to Malibu, I hadn’t thought about him.  I had no idea who he was and I was preoccupied with trying to figure out life after college.  Because I once thought I’d meet someone in college and marry shortly thereafter, I didn’t have any career passions or goals and was waiting for God to give me some vision.  Romance and dating were far from my mind.  Looking back now, I guess I did meet that man in my last 2 months of college.  But it would be another 9 years before he’d become my husband, so I needed to pursuing some kind of career!

 I was embarking on the new adventure of living in Los Angeles as a single, young woman and looking for a job!  Luckily my brother was dating a Recruiter at the time and she helped me find a job.  All the while I was very active at Malibu Presbyterian Church.   I finally was introduced to the handsome man in the navy blue suit.  His name was Roger Newquist and he was the Associate Pastor of College and Young Adult Ministries at the church.  I was smitten.  He was handsome and a pastor – what could be better?!

I sang on the worship team and at Thursday night rehearsals he would drop in sometimes.  I could barely contain myself.  We were introduced several times, “Roger, this is Raeanne Jones.”  He’d nod and shake my hand, I’d be thinking, “yea, I met you last week, and the week before.  Don’t you remember my name?”  Now I know that he did know my name and thought I had a boyfriend so he acted disinterested!

Through a few crazy temp jobs, I finally landed a job at E! Entertainment Television and a whole new set of adventures began!  I was living with 3 amazing girlfriends in a fabulous penthouse apartment overlooking the ocean, I was working at a “low budget cable network” where I met interesting people and got to make a few TV appearances myself!, and I was loving my church family and all the ministry opportunities there – life was full and rich.  All of the newness was a wave I rode as long as it kept coming.  I still didn’t really know Roger, but my heart skipped a beat every time I saw him.  I had never been so attracted to a man.  Because I was shy around men, I didn’t know how to get to know him.  I was not bold enough to approach him and our circles didn’t cross much.  For now, just seeing him on Sundays and the occasional Thursday rehearsal would give me a little something to dream about… until we ended up in Utah together the following summer.

Make Out Monday - Waterfront Date

It's Make Out Monday!

July's date theme is The Waterfront 

A fun date by the water.

Our littles have been in Vacation Bible School all week, so one morning I packed a little breakfast pic nic and took my husband to the beach for a morning date.

Fresh fruit, hot tea, and a little Enya to accompany the crashing waves.

We sat together and made a list of summertime dreams.

It was a wonderful time together.

Now it's your turn!  Plan a date for your loved one around the water.  Any water will do - a lake, river, ocean, even a bathtub!  If you want to tell us about your date, please leave a comment :)

Happy Dating!

A Redeeming Love

I think that every story of romance is worth telling. As I recall my own, I myself am amazed at the woven tapestry of love, heartbreak, tough lessons learned and bliss.

I hope you’ll join me every Friday this Summer for my Summer Romance Series:

A Redeeming Love

Chapter 2

Time spent with Mr. M was lots of fun for me.  I’m not sure what I liked more – the fact that so many girls were interested in him and I was the one he chose to spend time with,  or the fact that he was a gentleman and really great company.

I confess that my heart didn’t really leap out of my chest when I was with him, but on paper he was so wonderful in many ways that I continued spending time with him to see if feelings would develop.  As my senior year was wrapping up I had plans to celebrate graduation with a European trip with some girl friends that would end with a cooking school in France with my mother.  Mr. M would be studying in Florence for the summer, so somewhere in the middle, I would meet up with him in Italy.

The trip was a wonderful adventure filled with hostels in Germany, The Sound of Music tour in Austria and then meeting my mother in Rome.  We toured the colossal city together for a few days before departing for Florence where Mr. M had left a lovely message welcoming us to Firenze.  We met him for dinner at a fabulous restaurant where the waiters brought us dish after dish, none of which we ordered!  It was a culinary journey I never wanted to end.  After some time in Florence, Mr. M, my mother and I left for Venice.  It was there that Mr. M shared his true feelings for me.

We were staying in a funky hotel right on the canal and what our room lacked in décor, it made up for in location and view.  It was a rather large room and yes, all three of us would be staying in there together!  Looking back on it now, I’m not sure why we didn’t book Mr. M his own room, it was a little awkward!  One night Mr. M grabbed some half burned candles from an open closet on our way to our room.  We stuck the candles in san pellegrino bottles and used them to light our card game while my mother slept.  I’m still not totally convinced that she was asleep, but it appeared that way.  As the card games finished and the candles burned even lower, Mr. M began sharing his feelings for me and his desire to further our relationship.  I felt very stuck because my heart just wasn’t feeling anything, but my mind was screaming “this guy is a catch!  Go for it!”.  Perhaps my conflicted thoughts had something to do with that Sunday morning 3 months prior.

It was February 1995 and I was 2 months away from graduating from Pepperdine University.  I had started going to Malibu Presbyterian Church that year and really grew to love that church family.  This particular Sunday morning seemed very normal – I went to church alone, preferred to sit in the back by myself, and leave shortly after it was over.  I wasn’t looking for a social event.  As I parked my car and walked up the steps to the sanctuary, I was slightly late and tip toed in the back.  Then I saw him.  Something came over me that I had never felt before.  He was standing on the stage in a navy blue suit sharing the morning’s announcements.  When I saw him I knew.  I said to myself, “I’m going to marry that man one day.”  I didn’t even know his name.  But I knew.

Blueberries

Tis the Season!

We had a grand adventure to our local farm to pick blueberries.  This year we got a surprise – raspberries too!  We have more than we know what to do with, but have made all sorts of delicious treasures thus far!  My favorite was the blueberry coffeecake.  I don’t know if there is anything better than fresh summer fruit.

As we picked an abundance of berries I thought of God’s word to us that if we remain in Him, we will bear much fruit.  I love the earthy lessons our Lord gives.  It’s not too difficult to understand these words when walking through rows of beautiful fruit growing on the bushes they are connected to.  The closer we are to God, the deeper we are connected, the more fruitful our lives will be.

⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. ⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

John 15:4-8

Some of our creations have been:

Blueberry Syrup over waffles
1/2 c. fresh blueberries
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
2 tsp. lemon juice
2 heaping Tbsp. sugar
cook in sauce pan on low until berries start to pop open and it thickens

Buttermilk Blueberry Breakfast Cake

Blueberry Mint Lemonade


What are your favorite berry recipes?

Timing

One of our little ladies lost her first tooth!  It was the first in our family and the timing couldn't have been better... all the grandparents were in town!

It was so much fun to play the tooth fairy and thanks to Pintrist, I used the cute idea of writing a tiny note from the tooth fairy who we’ve named Miss Mollary Floss!  Miss Floss delivered and special book and 4 quarters in a pretty lace bag to the lucky lady.

I was marveling at how her permanent tooth starting popping up a few weeks ago and knocked the little one out.  How does the body know when to do this?  Our bodies are precisely programmed without any computer chips or codes!  It truly is miraculous.  God’s timing for everything is perfect.

I remember when that little baby girl was in the NICU with her sister.  They were born 6 weeks early and could not yet suck, swallow and breathe on their own.  That is a skill that develops at 36 weeks.  You know what?  Exactly 2 weeks after they were born, what would have been 36 weeks, they could suck, swallow and breathe!  It blew my mind.

Isn’t God’s master precision of His creation incredible?  He has everything timed perfectly. 

Even witnessing these perfectly timed miracles, I often question God’s timing with things in my life.  Certainly a God who has perfectly timed the development of the human body is trustworthy to perfectly time the events of my life.

Help me to be patient Lord and trust your timing in all things.

A Redeeming Love

The Summer is here and the Romance Novels are filling the shelves at most book stores.  It’s the simple pleasure of loosing yourself in someone else’s life and dreams.  It’s the easy read while you’re at the beach.  It’s so much fun! 

I think that every story of romance is worth telling.  As I recall my own, I myself am amazed at the woven tapestry of love, heartbreak, tough lessons learned and bliss. 

I hope you’ll join me every Friday this Summer for my Summer Romance Series:

A Redeeming Love

Chapter 1

 It was a romance that was 9 years in the making.  9 years of surprises, falling in love, heartbreak, break-ups, pain, healing and redemption.  It was 9 years of butterflies, smiles, tears, questions, loneliness and discovery.  It was 9 years that taught me what love is and what it is not.  It was 9 years where God showed me His lavish love for me and taught me to settle for nothing less.  It was 9 years of waiting and trusting that God’s timing was perfect.  And indeed, it was.

 As a I child I dreamed of getting married.  I wanted to be married and have children more than anything.  I didn’t have any grand career aspirations because I thought I’d just get married and have babies.  I viewed college as a “time killer” until I met the one.  I never thought I’d be the girl who never dated anyone and wouldn’t get married until I was 31 years old.  But then again, I never dreamed that I’d live a life of adventure and travel the world as a single woman either!

 I never dated in high school and it wasn’t until college that a boy asked me out on a date.  I remember it clearly – he asked me to dinner and drove me to a small restaurant in Malibu.  I had no interest in this boy, but having no experience with boys asking me out, I didn’t know how to turn him down!  Dinner conversation was random and I was mostly dreading the bill… who would pay?  Clearly it was a date, but I didn’t want to presume that he would pay, so when the bill came I quickly grabbed my wallet and offered to pay.  He let me.  That was the last time we went out. 

 I had lots of guy friends and spent time alone with them here and there, but nothing ever serious and definitely nothing romantic.  And then everything changed my senior year at Pepperdine.  I was living with 2 juniors girls and together we had many mutual friends.  One evening a house of junior guys invited us over for dinner.  Their new roommate, a transfer student, would be joining us.  I already knew a lot about him, he had been the topic of most conversations amongst our friends.  He was tall, very handsome, kind, a Christian, and a gentleman.  All the girls had their eye on him!

 I wrapped up my lifeguard training class and headed over to the guys’ house with wet hair in a knot and no makeup.  At dinner I was seated next to the eligible bachelor but honestly didn’t think anything of it, after all, I was a year older than him and not nearly as interested as all the other girls.  So, no one was more surprised than me that he called me the next day for a date.

 For our first date he made dinner reservations (I was already impressed!) and picked me up right on time.  As we headed down PCH along the ocean, we hit some traffic and quickly realized that we would not make our reservation.  We got off the coast highway and headed into Westwood to find another place for dinner.  One thing he didn’t know about me is that I have low blood sugar and as we drove around looking for somewhere to eat, it got later and later.  I started feeling faint.  I began sweating and tried to roll down my window just to have him tell me that my window didn’t work!  We were stopped at an intersection in the little village and I kicked into fight or flight mode and unbuckled my seatbelt and jumped out of the car!  There was a bakery on the corner and I just needed a piece of bread.  As I ran inside, he parked illegally and came in to find me munching on a roll.  The joke became, “If you’re going to ask Jones out on a date, make sure you have some groceries in your trunk!”  The evening ended well and in spite of my dangerous attempt to save myself from passing out, he asked me out again.  He was the first boy that peaked my interest and I was excited at the prospects of more time with him.  Little did I know that more time with him would eventually mean an adventure to Venice Italy.

Jesus Calling

Happy Wednesday!

And Happy First Day of Summer!!

A quick word of encouragement today from my favorite - Jesus Calling

(if you don't have this little devotional, I HIGHLY recommend it!)

I am the firm foundation on which you can dance and sing and celebrate My Presence.  This is My high and holy calling for you; receive it as a precious gift.  Glorifying and enjoying Me is a higher priority than maintaining a tidy, structured life.  Give up your striving to keep everything under control - an imipossible task and a waste of precious energy.

AMEN!!

Friday I'm kicking off my new Summer series - A Summer Romance

I hope you'll join me!