The CD gods and marriage

When I first met Jimmy Alley, he drove a Ford Ranger pick-up truck. Since we were pretty much inseparable from the time we met, it didn't take long for us to travel together in each other's vehicles. I was driving a four door Mazda 626. Music was important to both of us, but I was still listening to mixed tapes made from my CD's, or using my portable CD player with the tape adapter to make it come through my car's speakers. Imagine how impressed and excited I was to discover that Jimmy had installed a 10 disc CD changer in his truck, allowing him to choose from 10 CD's at just the push of a button. I was rather fascinated with it and enjoyed choosing songs and trying to remember which CD was in which numbered slot, so as to find it easier. Jimmy however, liked to put his player on "mix all" and let the "CD gods" as he would say, choose the next song for him. I didn't much like relinquishing control, but it was fun to let the player do it's thing and decide whether or not the CD gods had done a good job choosing a song that was appropriate for our mood or day or whatever we were doing or wherever we were driving.

Recently Libby stuck approximately 9¢ in our vans CD player and we had to replace it. Jimmy made sure it was equipped with a way to hook up his iPod, so now we bow to the "iPod gods" while driving around. I could go on about how many times we laugh or are amazed at what is chosen at what time, but the most recent one was the song "Trust" by Sixpence None the Richer. It was less than two weeks until our friends Brian and Andrea were getting married, and they had asked us to sing together at their wedding ceremony, and we had been unable to agree upon a song. One day Jimmy was on some errands with some kids and he came home suggesting this song as what we should sing. I said, "what made you think of that?" and he said with a grin, "it just came up on the iPod while we were out. Sometimes these things just happen, Julie." He's still trying to convert me.

Our kids were in their wedding (except Penelope). It was wardrobe overload for me (I barely ever dress myself up from head to toe, much less the whole family!) but I didn't forget anything huge and managed to get everyone ready in time too. (With the help of Jimmy's mom and various others at the church!) In the midst of all the zippers, buttons, shoes, etc. we were privileged to bless them with the song.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and he will make your path straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

P.S. This is Cash's latest sharpie endeavour.