A Birthday to Remember

Time flies when you are having fun! I have always heard that from others and wondered what truth was behind it, but until last week, I didn’t fully grasp the truth behind it. I had the chance to go out to N.C. for a few days to spend time with my fiancée, attend our first engagement party and take care of some wedding plans. During my time in N.C., I celebrated my 29th birthday and was treated to an amazing and fun filled day with my future bride. Leslie came over to the house where I was staying around 10:00 a.m. to fix me waffles. We then took off for a day of greatness! Years ago, I started a tradition that I have attempted to uphold every year by treating myself to a round of golf. Seeing as how I did not want to spend half the day without the person that I came to visit, nor did I want to travel with my clubs, I opted for a round of putt–putt. Leslie was great! We played 36 holes and I was so proud of her for the way that she enjoyed the day with me. I was very impressed with her skills as well. We really had a good time!

After a rousing game of putt–putt, I asked Leslie if she would mind if I hit a little bit in the batting cages. It had been years since I swung a baseball bat, but I still had a great time doing so for old times sake. Lunch soon followed where she and I got the chance to sit in a restaurant that was showing the NCAA tournament games. I have to tell you, it is so amazing to be marrying a woman that is more passionate about her college basketball than most of men that I know. And she really has a passion, let me tell you. It’s so fun to sit and enjoy a game with her, especially when her precious Tar Heels are playing.


The game room was calling our name after lunch so we headed out to see what kind of fun we could get into. It was amazing to me that Leslie was so into the joy of the day. I have never been much of a “gamer”, mostly because as kids we were not allowed to play many games. If we wanted to play arcade games, we had to plan ahead and earn money doing chores around the house. By that time, I didn’t want to spend money on things that were only going to last for a few minutes. So when Leslie challenged me to some games, I felt as thought I was getting a little bit of my childhood back. She kicked my butt at Skeeball, but that’s ok with me. She’s got great form!


We had an amazing afternoon and evening! We enjoyed a few crossword puzzles, fixed a late dinner, and watched some CSI (my favorite show). It was a great birthday! It’s an amazing thing to find the person that you were meant for. Someone that is so comfortable to be around, someone who makes you laugh when you want to punch someone, that person that eases your mind when you are frustrated, the one that gives you grace when you don’t deserve it. I am so grateful that the Lord gives us the opportunity to experience parts of his love and adoration through loved ones. I have loved the past year of my life and look forward to the next. May the Lord bless you and keep you and give you days such as this!

Advice From Friends

It’s amazing to me how much advice that you receive when the topic of marriage comes up. Don’t get me wrong, I know so little about marriage that I find it instrumental to gain advice from those who have lived in it for years. But not every marriage is the same, or is it? Just the other day I had a dear friend ask me, “Have you guys thought about getting married later and living in the same town together for a while?” My response was less than polite. Have we thought about this decision? Have we prayed for this decision? Only about a million times! Are you kidding me!?!

I think the question that I have is, “Does anyone ever really know enough about the other person before getting married?” There are always new things that we learn about others and will continue to learn about our partners for the rest of our life, no matter how long you try to work out all the details.

I do, however, value the advice that folks have given me over the years, and Leslie and I over these past few months. One of my favorite conversations about marriage was about the things that you need to discuss before getting married. We have been encouraged to clean out the closet, so to speak. The questions were something like this…

Make sure you talk about…
1) Finances- who, what, how much, if any debt, how do you spend?
2) Child rearing- talk about everything from discipline to college funds
3) How do you spell love?
4) How do you fight?

The list goes on (feel free to add to that list if you would like), but the fact remains that none of us really knows what to expect in any partnership until you are in it. The most important thing about our marriage is that we have both agreed that we are committed till death parts us. Everything else, through communication, hard work, and a lot of laughing, will be figured out and I can’t wait! It is such a gift to know that I GET to partner with my best friend. Through thick and thin, up’s and down’s, I will always have the earthly love of my life at my side.

Advice is an amazing thing to me though. No matter what the advice is, it always encourages us to put a mirror up to our face and search things out for ourselves. Do we agree with the advice? Do we not? Why?

What a gift we have from God…the gift of free will. We get to decide, with the direction of His amazing love story for us, how we are going to live out our own personal lives. The journey is long and winding. I could think of no better person that I would want to partner with than the one God has pointed me to in Leslie Ruth. I hope that in your own lives that you feel the same, and if not, move back towards your partner and find joy again!

You learn something new everyday

When I met Leslie, I found out that she graduated from the University of North Carolina and that she was proud of that. So proud, in fact, that the first time that I went to visit Leslie, the UNC campus was one of the first places that we visited. I have come to like the university myself because it was on a park bench on the UNC campus that I realized that I wanted to marry Leslie. As you can imagine, when a profound realization like that comes you find yourself drawn to such an institution. I don’t plan on getting any Tar Heel memorabilia just yet, but I do have a place in my heart for UNC now.

On Saturday night, however, I found out a few things about my soon-to-be wife that brought her and the Tar Heels closer to my heart. Saturday night, for those of you who live under a rock, was the UNC vs. Duke game! There is no other collegiate rivalry that caries such passion and hatred. The Heels brought home a very crucial win on Saturday night shutting up the mouths of those who have doubted them all season long. The suggestions that a young UNC team that lost their seven top shooters last year to the pro’s and that they would not do well this year, were thrown out the window on Saturday night.

Leslie and I watched the game together from across the country and we found out a few things about each other that we had yet to see. I, Jason, am a stickler for good officiating. My dad was an official for years in college and post college, and he taught me from a very young age the difference between a walk and a carry, lane violations and charges. I was taught all the sports lingo and signs, but basketball was always dad’s favorite and for me. Good officiating is critical to my enjoyment of the game. Leslie, on the other hand, is dictated by passion when watching a sporting event. She takes into account her hatred for the Dookies, the “Cameron Crazies”, and Coach “K”. She defends her beloved coach Roy Williams and has had enough experience and passion for her Heels to know that it’s weird for him to take off his jacket in the first half! It was an evening of madness and mayhem as we listened to each other yell at the TV and I listened to her tell me traditions and normalities for her school.

I have been brought into the fold, somewhat, as I try to learn such things as the fight song…

I'm a Tar Heel Born
I'm a Tar Heel born
I'm a Tar Heel bred
And when I die
I'm a Tar Heel dead.
So it's Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Rah, Rah, Car'lina-lina
Go to hell Duke!

I can only say that it’s a good thing that I like the color Carolina Blue because apparently I will be seeing it and wearing it until “I’m dead”.

It’s amazing to me how the simple things, such as college sports, can bring people together. I am grateful to be marrying a “Heel”! I’m just glad she’s not a Dookie.