Well, we're both feeling a lot better. Because of my heart, I always take a long time to recover from simple viruses or colds, so JJ's had to take care of me this week. He's a sweetie and did a great job! But I seem to be back on my feet for the most part.

Our big news is that we had our vicarage meeting with Dr. Nielsen this week. I think it went well, but it was pretty simple, just answering questions. We don't really have a preference for geography or congregation profile. A good learning experience that will help form JJ as a confessional theologian and caring pastor is our priority. Of course, I did have to mention that I prefer a rural setting and hate cold weather! So Dr. Nielsen joked about sending us to North Dakota or Alaska! eek! I actually had a dream the night before our meeting that we got sent to North Dakota, but I don't think I'm prescient, so I'm not too worried. :) Well, anyway, we won't know were we go until Call Day, which is April 27. The service should be available as a webcast, but I'll let you know when the time gets closer. We are definitely starting to feel the reality of vicarage, as we also had another vicarage workshop to attend this week. Hard to believe that in about half a year, we'll be who knows where!

We were very happy to celebrate our eighth month anniversary this Saturday! Big spenders and romantics that we are, we went on a delightful date to CiCi's all you can eat pizza buffet! It is one of our favorite places even though it's cheap, and we've taken many a date there. The time sure has flown. On the one hand, it seems impossible that we could have been married eight months already! On the other hand, May seems like years ago, and it seems hard to believe I was ever not married! Marriage certainly is a commendable state, and these past eight months have been the best of our lives. What everyone says is true, though. Marriage is a lot of work, and you do learn a lot about yourself. As much as men and women compliment each other, it also sometimes seems impossible that two creatures who function so fundamentally different can possibly coexist peacefully! Communication, for instance, girls and boys seem to speak two different languages.
There's actually a hermeneutical principle to this idea. There are three levels of communication. Level one is simply the word on the page (technically called the signifier) and what concept it evokes in the speaker and listener (called the conceptual signified). So, when I write the signifier (word) CAT, I have a specific animal in my head (the conceptual signified). When you read the signifier CAT, you get a specific concept in your head (the conceptual signified). The signifier is the same for both of us, but the conceptual signified may be different (I may be thinking of my kitty Freckles, but you may be thinking of a wild lion). That is all level one interpretation. Level two involves sentences and figuring out what someone is trying to say. It's the level that we read on most. When I say, "I have a cat," what does that mean? Level three communication involves reading into what was stated or what wasn't stated. So when I say, "You're going out in that?" you can infer a lot from what I'm saying that isn't explicitly stated with my signifiers. An example of this in Biblical scholarship is that using a level three reading, scholars have inferred that the Apostle Luke is a doctor. Nowhere in the text is this stated, but we infer certain things about Like from what he how he writes.
Why is this important? Well, as our professor Dr. Voelz told us, boys tend to communicate on level two, while girls tend to communicate on level three. To prove this, our professor challenged his classes to tell their wives this simple statement: "There's a new employee at the library, and she dresses nicely." The responses his students have collected throughout the years have ranged from an accusatory, "What's that supposed to mean?" all the way to heated arguments that could only be defused by Dr. Voelz himself assuring the wife that her husband had been instructed to make this statement to prove a hermeneutical point!
My point is that this seemingly esoteric information can be extremely helpful in everyday life. It has been for us! For example, a simple comment by my husband about dinner can very easily result in an accusatory, "well, what's that supposed to mean?" from me (usually followed by a confused, "huh?" by JJ). I think we laughed for a full five minutes the first time JJ averted an argument by reminding me of this hermeneutical principle. And now it's our special keyword. All he has to say to me is, "Sarah, you're reading on level three!" or if I'm especially accusatory, a feeble "level two! level two! I only communicate on level two!" It's been pretty funny but also extremely beneficial for us. Amazing how practical theology is!
Even though the technical jargon isn't common knowledge, I know the principle is. I'd be interested in how more seasoned couples deal with this disjunct between men and women and they way they communicate. post a comment and tell me!

well, there's my lengthy thoughts on our eighth month anniversary. I will post more actual news later this week! God's blessings.