43 Days and Counting....

I know you all are thinking its pretty humorous that I have a countdown going til the Big Day. But, to be honest I have never been more excited about something in my life! I am going to spend my life with my best friend!!!!

Among all the excitement comes the much added stress of 12hours of school, and an average of 27 hours of work a week on top of all the planning. Lets just say I have A LOT left to do. Minor details that is but very time consuming.

In 43 days I must complete the following:

Decide on the band

Pick the music
Make the slideshow

Make the invitations

Make the program
Go with the moms to get their outfits
Design the floorplan for the reception

Design the stage floorplan for the ceremony

Pick a caterer

Pick a cake baker

Go to Sams and load up on candy for the candy bar

Get my dress altered
Find shoes

Find jewelry

Bridesmaids gifts

GET IN SHAPE

Go to Michaels with mom to pick out decorations

Order toasting glasses and cake cutter

Attend final 2 showers, hair practice, bridesmaid luncheon, and bachelorette party

BREATH... lol!

And so much more....

But my wonderful fiance has been so gracious to complete the thank you cards for me! I just love him!! So if they are quite humorous you will know why! ;)

All that to say that once that list is completed I get to marry the man of my dreams! It is all so worth it! I would do it 1000 times over!

Here is a peak at some engagement photos our friend Jon took back in December. He did a great job! Hope you enjoy!

The Reason:

"Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh." Genesis 2:24

I started this blog to be able to capture mine and Drews journey to and thru marriage. Drew and I both have a strong desire to be an example to our friends of a Godly relationship/marraige. We in NO WAY claim to be perfect. But we hope that in some way all our failures can be a witness to God's graciousness upon and work in us. It is thru Him alone that we are who we are and act and live the way we do. We want to be sure that this blog is most glorifying to Him.

Today Drew and I began our journey thru premarital counseling. We are reading "This Momentary Marriage" by John Piper. Im not exactly sure how I feel just yet about the book, since so far I have only read the introduction and 1st chapter. But it seems like it is going to be a very interesting and insightful book. Intro and chapter 1 reminded me of the reason for marriage. I was also reminded of our societies false image of marriage. Not only has secular society removed God from pretty much every aspect of life (the life which God is allowing them to live) they are now just simply not getting married! Marriage, the ultimate reflection of God's covenant with His people, is not even happening. God's covenant, kept by the coming and dying of Jesus Christ, is displayed thru the marriage of man and woman to present the Gospel to the world and people arent even doing it anymore!
I could begin a huge paragraph/page/chapter about how society is treating marriage but that isnt for todays blog. So I will stop ranting now and get to the point...
Drew and I want so badly for the point of our marriage to be for the spread of the Gospel message. We pray that thru this blog and thru the life that God is allowing us to live that we can show a God honoring example of marriage.
I hope you grow in your spiritual walk someway or another thru the reading of this blog.
To Him be all the glory!

Christmas 2009

The last Christmas before we get married!! This Christmas Drew and I were able to spend quality time with both of our families. It was an amazing last year staying the night with my family on Christmas Eve. Something Im truly going to miss once we are married! :(

Every family has Christmas traditions that they do every year. Drew and I are going to follow in my families footsteps and get new PJ's every Christmas Eve to wear that night! We also are going to get a new ornament each year on Thanksgiving to hang on the tree.

I cant wait to see what traditions we come up with on our own! I cant wait to experience Christmas in our own house this December!

I just want to take this time to thank Jesus for coming over 2000 years ago and bringing us back to our Father. Thank you Jesus for allowing us to remember what Christmas is all about and for allowing us to celebrate it together every year as a family!!

My little brother and sister got cell phones! They are groing up too fast!!

The elf rolled my parents tree....

Hi friends! I am tryin to find wedding vendors... Photographer, Caterer, Florist, etc. Let me know of you all have any suggestions! Trying to spend as little as possible! Let's be radical guys! :)

It is 1:00am and I am still awake, wide awake. I dont know if its the caffiene I drank tonight or the many things racing through my head at such a late hour. Over the past two-three months I have been so busy with finishing the semester and planning the wedding, and the holidays that I neglected to even notice the things that have been going on around me. My church is doing a Radical Experiment (spending less and sending more to people in spiritual and physical needs around the world) and I have heard but neglected to let it sink in. Our pastor even sent out cards a few months back asking us to all sign/pledge to be involved. Well, I even signed the card all while somehow wanting to be involved yet not actually getting involved (if that makes any sense). Our premarital counseling couple just suffered a huge loss and because I havent been facebook stalking everyone and watching every post that comes across my computer I didnt even notice. My fiance had to force me to go to dinner alone with him on New Years so we could actually have a conversation, and my family (whom I just moved back in with until the wedding) I never see because Im NEVER home.

All of these things I would love to excuse by saying "Im just busy" but that doesnt cut it! I'd like to say that it is somehow impossible to be radical with my spending when such big changes are happening in my life right now. Drew and I just purchased a house (which needs to have atleast something in it to sleep on!) and we are getting married in March so there is a wedding to plan/pay for. I am so blessed to have a wonderful father who is paying for my wedding but that doesnt mean I dont buy things along the way that Ive been seeing in stores, nor does it mean that my dad should be excused from radical spending just because he doesnt attend the same church I go to. My neglection of this deserves much needed prayer and listening to what God has planned and how He wants me to spend the money He has so graciously blessed me with.

Prayer... thats a whole other topic in my life! In the past 6 or so months prayer has been brought to my attention in several different ways. All of which reminded me of how little I actually pray. I have said to friends that prayer is a powerful thing! And I have seen the affects of prayer! The counseling couple I mentioned above just was told that a tumor in their nephews brain miraculously was no longer there!! I was scrolling down their facebook wall today (yes I actually took some time to catch up on friends lives and not think about my own) and saw all the many many many comments and promises of prayer from friends and family and then I saw those prayers answered in the healing of this little boy. Its almost as if I have witnessed the power of prayer but it has been through other peoples prayers, not my own. I have recently been telling myself I want so bad to be a prayer warrior!! To trust in God so much and to remember Him so much that I am constantly in prayer to Him! I am praying and I hope you will pray with me that God will transform my mind and heart to constantly desire community and fellowship with Him through prayer!!
Also please pray that God will slow me down over the next 2 months to enjoy time with my family, and to enjoy my 'fiance', and to be involved in my friends lives, and to focus on how to furnish a home and plan a wedding 'radically' all for HIS glory!