Celebrating Six Amazing Years of #TeamWilliams

It is a rainy Saturday morning as I sit down to write. Jamie is sleeping in after a long night where sleep was not her friend as she did what she always does so incredibly well. She gave of herself to serve others—this time it was for our precious daughter Sylvia. And, right now, Sylvia is in a Líllé carrier strapped to my chest, sleeping restfully as well.

It was a rainy Friday on the day when we made our vows before Jesus and a small gathering of family, and friends. God gave us so many incredible gifts that day! First and foremost, He gave us the gift of each other. I don’t think either of us had any idea of the adventures God had in store for us as we stood on the shore of Lake Floyd looking at each other with tears of joy as we began this incredible journey. And, although it was a rainy Friday when we made these vows, God opened the skies over our outdoor wedding festivities while it continued raining in communities all around us. What an incredible gift! What an array of incredible gifts He has carefully placed along the path we walk together, always following His lead!

Earlier this morning I sat down to read my Bible, and the story was of Jesus’ first documented miracle. He was celebrating at a wedding in a place called Cana in an area called Galilee when He turned water into wine. And it wasn’t just any wine, the master of the feast said it was the best wine—and it was strange to him, because this best wine was being served last instead of in the beginning of the celebration. Jesus did his part to enable the celebration to continue (if he had not intervened, the wedding party would have run out of wine), and not only did He do his part, but He insured that this feast had the very best He could provide.

And now as we celebrate the anniversary of our own wedding, we are so filled with gratitude. Jesus continues to lead us in our celebration, and as we follow Him we are blessed with so much more than we could have ever imagined. And this year, we celebrate in simplicity close to home, enjoying our growing family, and cherishing gifts we have been given that are too many to count, especially the wonderful gift of each other.

My best friend in the whole world, Willie, wrote the song in the video above for us on our wedding day, and the words ring as true today as they did on that warm spring evening six years ago amid the flourishing of the Creator’s beautiful world.

A Birthday Reflection And Message For My Father-In-Law

A little note for Jamie's Dad on his birthday...which happens to be the same day as MY dad's birthday!

Les,

I am so tremendously grateful that over the last eight years, we have begun building memories.  I feel privileged to enter into this most recent chapter of the story of Leslie Ivan Reaser. Over these last few years you have become a friend, a father, a teacher, an example, and a brother to me, and I know that you have spent a lifetime serving in these capacities for many others.

I remember very clearly the November day in 2008 I drove to Lake Floyd, following Jamie home during Thanksgiving break, to have the conversation with you and Kim and to humbly ask your permission to date Jamie. After I asked, you shared with me wise and succinct series of words that have stuck with me to this day. Well, the way I see it, if the Lord is in it, there’s nothing I could do to stop it, and if He isn’t, well this will not amount to anything anyway. I appreciate you teaching me and even more, for taking your own step of faith and trusting me to court/date Jamie.

I also remember watching and learning from your example over the next few years. You would regularly go out of your way to help friends and neighbors around the lake, and even though the selfishness and lack of gratitude you would see in others might leave you frustrated, you would keep on serving, and teaching others to do the same. Going with you guys to serve on Christmas day by doing the jobs nobody really wanted to do, and doing them well comes to mind as well. I think those Christmas afternoons doing dishes had a strong impact on who Jamie has become, and they certainly have given me a more rounded understanding of exactly what we are celebrating on Christmas too!

And then, there was the second conversation. About a month before I asked Jamie to marry me, I asked your permission to ask her. Again, our conversation sticks out so clearly in my mind because it had all of the color, humor, and sincerity of the family we were becoming. You wisely reminded me after granting permission that I should consider what might happen if she said no. Nobody bats a thousand you know. Every step of the way I have been hope-filled and faith-filled and yet prepared mentally in case things didn’t go as planned. Thank you for that wisdom.

I remember vividly the text telling me and my groomsmen that it was “Go time!” on the day of the wedding. I remember sharing tears in a sacred moment as you walked Jamie down the aisle and we officially became family. 

I remember road trips together through the years as well—like the time when Jamie swam a mile in the Chesapeake Bay and we all traveled out to support her! And then there was the time when we shared a car and a room for Cindy’s wedding, and we found an endless hill while running around Warrenton VA. Man I thought that hill would never end! We kept going right on up it and right through town though.

Alongside all of these memories, I also remember when you asked me to speak at your mom’s funeral. We have had many great conversations around the word of God and encouraged one another in our journey’s with Christ, but I remember how much you worked to make sure that everyone was taken care of during the day of your mother’s memorial—you rose early to begin preparations, and you continued to serve and care for others by returning the clubhouse to its original state. And, I still remember Doris’ smile and joy-filled laughter. And I hear that same joy when you and I share a laugh together. 

Not only do you inspire me with your resolute and tenacious faith and commitment to service, but also in your commitment to your physical well-being as well. You are diligently committed to logging, tracking, and improving your diet—I’m so glad My Fitness Pal has been working so well for you—you’ve got several years under your belt now! Your commitment to your physical fitness has inspired Jamie, myself, and many others to get after it in the early morning while most of the world is sleeping—but we are still not quite getting up as early as you do.

Thanks so much for helping so many of us to be better than we would be otherwise. As you journey into a new year, may you be blessed as much as you have blessed so many others with your presence and example! I'm truly grateful for you, and I love you lots!

Remembering and Looking Forward: Celebrating Our Fifth Anniversary!

I remember it as freshly as if it were yesterday. Eight of my closest friends joined me to stand on a boat dock in West Virginia on Lake Floyd, and we prayed together as the time moved purposefully to the grand moment. A text message came through indicating it was time for us to begin the journey. It had been raining earlier in the day, and all around the region, massive storms had broken out, but for us, there were blue skies and the lush greens of spring. The water was calm, peaceful, and inviting. The nine of us purposefully descended into three small rowboats, and began our journey across the lake.

Upon docking at the far side, we came walking in single file to a gathering of a few close friends and family (to be honest it was all family—our friends are our family as well). The music had begun, and I was looking over the crowd smiling and filled with anticipation of what was to come. And then, she came from around the corner of the Lake Floyd Clubhouse with her father walking alongside her. My eyes began to well up with tears of joy. They came down to the waters edge across a grassy field through a center aisle made by folding chairs brought out for the occasion. I breathed in deeply as I thought about the sacredness of this moment. I was about to commit my life to this amazing woman, and she was about to do the same.

She looked so beautiful as she gracefully made her way down the aisle in a refitted and redesigned wedding dress, made from her mother’s own wedding attire. Her eyes glowed in the same bright azure blue that I’ve enjoyed waking and looking into as we start our day together for the last five years. I can remember so vividly every moment because my heart was (and is!) so captivated by this incredible, compassionate, faith-filled, beautiful woman. We exchanged our vows, we participated in an ancient Shawnee wedding tradition, and we even had the blessing of my best friend in the whole world, Willie, writing an original song for us. The entire time we were surrounded in beauty and held in love by our gathered witnesses.

As the wedding came to an end, the celebration started, and honestly hasn’t really stopped! We were presented to our gathered family as husband and wife, and made our way down the aisle exceedingly joy-filled to the tune of Country Roads, a fine new West Virginia/Appalachian tradition. We made our way to the dance floor of the clubhouse and enjoyed the best wedding food I have ever experienced thanks to the generosity of Jessica Kerr—She even made pepperoni rolls from filo dough. (Jamie had told her dad when she was a little girl that she didn’t know all that she hoped for with her wedding day, but she definitely wanted pepperoni rolls—a West Virginia staple).

And here we are, five years into the future. As full of joy and vivid memories as that day was, today seems more full. We have both grown in our understanding of what it means to be husband and wife, and we have also both grown in our understanding of how deeply loved and cherished we are by God and by each other. On our wedding day, when Willie sang that song he wrote, we carried it aspirationally, and today we still carry it in the same way, but at the very least we can say that for the last five years it has held completely true. Our love has only grown stronger over time, and our understanding of just what a treasure God has given us in each other gets revealed freshly each new day.

 

As we left crossed Lake Floyd late that night on a paddle boat to the cheers of many who we hold very dear, we had no idea that the late night paddle across the lake and ensuing drive to our home in Morgantown would be not only the very beginning of our marriage, but it would be a foretaste of our adventures around the world to make new friends and connect with old ones. So many times we have been richly blessed by the hospitality of others, and we have been so privileged to share in experiences with them as we learn together how to live out the exhortation of the ancient Hebrew prophet Micah to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.

And today, the journey continues. We are nestled on a small island off the coast of Maine, and enjoying a moment of respite and reflection before making the journey across another body of water and starting the drive back home. This time, instead of a paddleboat, the Swan’s Island Ferry will provide our transit.

We do not have any idea what the future holds for #TeamWilliams, but we are certain that if we continue to faithfully seek the wisdom and counsel of our gracious Creator together, He will supply us with absolutely everything we need for the adventure ahead. We are thrilled as we think back over memories that we have made with many of you during these last five years, and we look forward to savoring each new chapter of this story we are writing together with each new day. May we all take moments to soak in the joy of the present while we look forward to a future filled with hope and possibilities.

Joe’s Island Tours in St Thomas USVI and Our Honeymoon Adventure

In 2011, I had a goal of writing 3-5 blog posts per week, and failed to achieve that goal, but it was certainly not for a lack of content. Interestingly I ran into a similar shortfall in my goal in 2012--maybe 2013 will be different? There was one particular post that eluded me in 2011, that I wanted to make sure I wrote in 2012. And that post is a post about Joe Penn and Joe’s Island Tours in St. Thomas.

Last year, for our honeymoon, Jamie and I drove to Florida, and hopped on a Carnival cruise ship for seven days around the Eastern Caribbean. One of our stops was a visit to the island of St. Thomas, one of the US Virgin Islands. Our stay on St. Thomas was limited from 8AM-6PM, and it was a bit of a rainy day on the island.

It appears that the typical cruise ship port itinerary consists of visiting a litany of duty-free alcohol, tobacco, jewelry, and clothing shops, and for Jamie and me, this was not our cup of tea. We also didn’t want to purchase a ‘shore-excursion’ through the cruise ship even though this was strongly encouraged. Every stop we had on the journey, we wanted to soak in the local culture and vibe, and find our way quickly away from the well beaten path to shopping, and tourist traps. We decided on St. Thomas we would splurge, and take a tour of the island. Initially, we had hoped to just walk and explore, but we had underestimated the size of these islands.

On St. Thomas, we met a taxi driver named Joe Penn who ran a business called Joes’s Island Tours. The deal with his tours were that you paid $25/person (standard rate for all taxi tours), but you could stop for a swim at Sapphire Beach for an hour or two, and he would pick you up on a subsequent island tour trip during the day.  Not only this, but he insisted that folks not pay until they arrived safely back at port in time to board their ship. 

Jamie and I had explored all of the island we could explore on foot, so we asked Joe if he had room on his ‘cab’. It was a pickup with a series of five bench seats built on the bed of the truck. He could haul 25 passengers at a time. Well, by the time we showed up, he was at capacity, but he offered us an opportunity to ride in the cab with him.

I’m so glad we did! Of course, Joe took us to all of the usual tourist spots, Drake’s Seat, top of the mountain, Blackbeard’s Seat, and Magen’s Bay. But he also took time to stop and share some of the medicinal plants and nature of the island. He also offered us an opportunity to stop for a swim at Sapphire Beach. While we rode in the cab with him, we enjoyed the same tour that he gave the 25 other passengers, but we received the added bonus that was our hope. We learned more about daily life on the island, we connected with Joe himself pretty significantly, and we learned more about Joe’s hard-work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit, and solid business practices.

As we made our way back to port, Joe drove us as close to the ship as he could, and dropped us off before collecting our $25/person taxi fee.  We really enjoyed the time we were able to spend with him and were grateful for what was for us, one of the high points of our Caribbean experience.

Joe shared many words of wisdom, and even shared his challenges and struggles both personal and professional. He is a successful businessman, and I wish him the greatest success in his endeavors. He understands that to be successful you have to be willing to work hard, and provide superior service.

Jamie and I think of Joe often, and if we ever have opportunity to visit the island of St Thomas again, I’m sure we will look Joe up. And, if you find yourself on the island, I suggest you do the same. Take his tour around the island. Whether you are riding in the cab or on a bench on the bed of the truck, you will be grateful for the experience.