I'M MARRIED!!

Song of Solomon 2:16
My beloved is mine, and I am his...

*** Pictures and news coming soon! ***

Bride on the Go!

• Fold wedding programs. Check.
• Put up signs in designated places. Check.
• Decide on parking. Check.
• Decorate the wedding site. Check.
• Decorate the reception site. Check.
• Finish packing for the honeymoon. Check.....

Busy, busy, busy. A bride's work is never done.

I've heard it said that a wedding is the most stressful time of a girls' life and, after 14 months of planning my wedding, I am a believer! There are so many things to plan, decide, delegate, create, and prepare for.

Everyone has been working so very hard and I am forever grateful. God has done amazing things! He has performed miracles, using others to bless Grant and myself. This past year, I have definitely been reminded that my God provides! People have "mysteriously" showed up and have offered to do things we had no idea how we would do. God has blessed! He is good.

SO, tomorrow is the DAY!! THE day! Tomorrow is the day I have waited for and dreamed of my whole life. Tonight I will (hopefully) get some sleep. Tomorrow, I will get up, go get my hair done, come back and do makeup, then get dressed....and THEN (eventually) walk down the aisle to my groom! I will say "I do," I will pledge my heart, I will kiss him!!....and then we will ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after! It has been a long road to get to this point. It began when I was a baby when my parents began praying for me. And then the road led me through mountains and valleys. It made twists and turns and held forks in the road. But it eventually led me here to this place, where "forever" begins. The road will still go on. It has not dead ended, nor has it reached its destination. It has only paused at a rest stop. It has only turned on to "the Interstate" of marriage. It keeps going; it's not over yet. Tomorrow will only mark the BEGINNING! Like the sequal to a beautiful story, it isn't finished yet. Tomorrow at 2 o'clock, my life will take an exciting turn. My story will have a special twist! It's bittersweet, but SWEET nonetheless!

Well, I have to run....can't be late for my own wedding!

P.S. More posts to follow LATER! ;)

Wedding Prep and Rehearsal!

I thought I would share a few pictures of this wedding prep craziness!

The bouquets turned out lovely! Thanks to Mrs. Shannon Meyers for doing such a marvelous job!

Placing lights in the chapel, decorating the reception area.....wooo!

The flowers for the gorgeous centerpeices!

Now, for the REHEARSAL dinner! It was absolutely beautiful!

The First Kiss

So in two days, I will stand before my groom in front of our families, our friends, and witnessnesses, and we will share our first kiss!

Am I excited? Yes!

Am I nervous? Definitely!

Will it be worth it? No doubt! (that's a big yes!)

People have heard me talk a lot through the years about purity and saving your first kiss for your husband/wife. I've said countless times that I do not believe it is a command from God (saving your virginity IS) but I do believe that saving your first kiss is an honorable thing. A couple of weeks ago, I was sharing my purity testimony with a youth group and I said that we need to begin practicing faithfulness, patience, loyalty, trust, committment, and honor - NOW! It IS attainable. It IS doable. And it IS beautiful! We have been conditioned to think kissing is not a big deal. People kiss on the first date, when they hardly even know the person. Teen shows on Disney channel show young people kissing on dates, and next thing you know, they break up. Yet, if you think about it, kissing is quite an intimate exchange. It’s foreplay that arouses our desire for more. But more often than not, it is viewed as an innocent recreational pastime. So many believe that they can go from one relationship to the next, giving away parts of their body and heart while promising so many great things, and then be faithful to their spouse once they say "I do." But it does not work that way. Committment doesn't happen when you put a ring on your spouse's finger. Committment and faithfulness begins now! Today!

Now, many people take my convictions (and the convictions of others) assuming that it is some sort of rule or law. Quite the contrary. I made the choice alone based on my feelings, my knowledge, and my desires; Not to be legalistic or to prove anything, but only because I felt called of God to go a step farther. There is no such thing as going overboard when it comes to holiness and purity.

Does that make me better than anybody else who has kissed? No way! Absolutely not. We are all sinners and we are all guilty of impurity. We all have certian areas of our lives that are filthy and unclean. And we all, including myself, need to work on cleaning our lives up every single day.

Far too many these days scoff at the idea of going above and beyond the call of duty where purity is concerned. Many agree that abstinence is the way to go, that it's God's way, but then they go ballistic on you and try to give you their "real world" lecture when you mention things like "I'm waiting for Mr. Right" or "I want to guard my heart" OR "I want to save my first kiss!"

**On a side note, It's strange how, the majority of the time, those words come up when you're trying to do all you can do to please God and keep yourself from harms way...from abstaining from the appearance of evil. Odd how people make such a big deal and give you a hard time about doing everything you can to be as far away from temptation as possible. Ironic that they spend their time trying to convince you to LOWER your standards. Anyway....

Throughout my life, friends, family members, and complete strangers have rolled their eyes at me (and dozens more like me) and have laughed at "those poor, sheltered children." They have exclaimed, "That is unrealistc!" I beg to differ. Granted, you will not find the few in bars, clubs, wild parties, dances or in Hollywood. You will not see them in the midst of the popular crowd. But you will find them in that certain group of people who are just....different. You will find them in Churches, volunteering at shelters or nursing homes, active with their youth group, witnessing on the streets - you will find them, but not hanging out with those who live for physical gratification and pleasure. You will usually only find it in those who are laughed at, jeered, made fun of, misunderstood, and misrepresented. Sounds like too high of a price to pay? Well, if you are one of the few, rest assured you are in good company. And FYI - it's worth it!

Those who scoff and say it is unrealistic, I would love to introduce you to my many friends who bask in the "impossible" and glory in the "unattainable." I would love you to meet countless boys, girls, men, and women (of all ages) who, through the grace of God, have gone the extra mile. Those of you reading who are among them, BRAVO and keep it up! :)

Now let me say this....for those of you who have not saved their first kiss, do not be discouraged! As I said before, it is not a requirement of God (although it must never be taken lightly that purity IS a command). Regardless if you choose to save your kisses or give them away (or have already done so), it's not about "right or wrong." It's about a DIRECTION of purity. Some go above and beyond the call of duty, some simply just obey orders. Regardless of who you are or what you chose, STAY PURE - in mind, heart, and body. That's the command of Jesus. I would encourage all to save their kisses, beginning NOW, no matter what has been done in the past. But above all, save yourself! Guard your heart and body. Keep the sacred things sacred. Remember that you, Christians, are a relfection of the Most Holy God. Remember that you are His light, His hands, His feet, His mouth, His love.

              Quotes by fellow nonkissers:

I want my kisses to mean something because with each kiss, I am giving part of my heart away, and I think a lot of times people don't realize that.

I have vowed to save my body, in -all- areas, until I stand by my spouse's side at the altar. Only then will I know exactly who I will marry, thus avoiding throwing away my first kiss to someone I will never marry.

 
I would like to challenge every person to save their first kiss until they hear the words, 'you may -now- kiss the bride'. Don't cheat your future spouse out of their deserved first kiss. And until I find my bride, I will save my first kiss for her. She will be the only woman I kiss....

I am 18 and have never kissed a guy. Purity is refreshing. :) I'm committed to keeping my mind pure as well as my body. It's not old fashioned, it's the way it was suppose to be. Satan has turned the norm into unthinkable in our society...


Leviticus 20:7
Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

1 Peter 1:15-16
But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

The Wedding Guestbook

Personally, I think our guestbook is GORGEOUS!! I had looked at several different guestbooks at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Wal-Mart and various other places but when my Mom found this one, I instantly fell in love with it! It's perfect!....very fitting for the style of our wedding.

A few weeks ago, when discussing the recent wedding purchases, I mentioned that we had finally bought the wedding guestbook. To my surprise, someone said, "So what will that represent?" To be honest, it didn't take long for the Lord to place a likeness in my path. While I was thinking of where to set up the table for the book that would be easy for the guests to get to, I was struck with the thought of another guestbook....a very important guestbook.

What is the purpose of the guestbook anyway?

Well, it is a keepsake reminder for the bride and groom of who attended their wedding. When guests arrive, they sign their name and take a seat. With all the hustle and bustle of a wedding, most times the bride and groom can't remember who attended the event so it's great to have a book of names to look back on and cherish.

So how is that spiritual?

What's the other very important guestbook?

Have you ever heard about God's guestbook? If you haven't, please keep reading! The Bible tells us about a very important "guestbook" in Heaven's courts. It is a book of names.

What names? Those who have accepted the love and salvation of Jesus Christ.

It is known as The Lamb's Book of Life. The very moment a person cries out to Jesus, asking His forgiveness and grace, and accepting His life for their own, their name is written in that great Guestbook. They are now invited to the wedding! Their name in that book means that they have a place reserved in Heaven. It means they are now a child of the Living God. Their name is in the book! It cannot be erased or scratched out. It's written with a heavenly, heavy duty permanent marker if you will! :) THAT is the other very important guestbook. And my wedding guestbook reminds me of it.

However, do not be fooled into thinking that you can slip into Heaven without signing in and enjoy yourself there. I'm sure there will be people who will forget to sign their name in my wedding guestbook this Saturday, but they will still be able to take a seat and watch me and my groom enter into a covenant marriage. They will still be welcome. But with God's guestbook, however, it does not work that way. No one can slip in late and have a place in Heaven. No one can get in without their name written in His book. And unlike a wedding where you can write your own name, in Heaven, Jesus does the writing. If He knows you, if He has called you and you have answered, if you have cried out to Him and accepted God the Son into your life, then your name is written by the hand of God.....not by your own doing.

I hope your name is written in God's Guestbook. If not, it can be! Don't wait. Do not hesitate. Jesus wants you to join Him. All of Heaven is praying you will come. All you have to do is call upon the name of God and accept His saving grace.

And then when the roll is called up yonder, you will be there.

Revelation 20:15
"And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

The Last Minute Details

COUNTDOWN:  1 week left!!!!!

My goodness, how time is flying by! There are so many details to take care of in these last seven days.

• Clean up the wedding and reception area
• Decorate the wedding and reception area
• Finish packing
• Get my nails done
• Pick up part of the wedding party at the airport
• Bring the flowers to our cake baker
• Print the programs
• Get pictures printed for framing
• Put up signs at designated places
• Get baskets for the programs and wedding favors
• Pick up the corsages
• Go for one last trial run for my hair
• Clean! Clean! Clean!

There are lots of last minute details to take care of on the final week of the wedding. There are decisions to make like "Who will pick up the tables?" or "Who is taking so-and-so back to the airport?" or "What about parking?" etc. etc. etc. Details + Wedding = Stress. :) But it's all good and by this time next week, they won't even matter. All that will matter is that the bride and groom are finally married!!

My dear friend, Anna, loaned me a book early on in my engagement and its sole focus was learning to plan a wedding, while keeping God the center of your life. It inspired me to find rest and peace in Christ and not get caught up in the chaos and detail planning. And it has been so refreshing and it has helped remind me that is not all about the wedding....it's about the marriage!

Sadly, though, many people around the world today, when thinking of Christianity and Salvation, think only of the "details"....they think of good works, of Church attendance, of Baptism, or some other thing, and forget entirely the main foundation - which is Salvation through Jesus Christ! So many countless millions spend their lives trying to live well, be faithful to a Church, or get plunged in water in order to go to Heaven...yet they miss the point! They get caught up in the details, but when all is said and done, the details won't be the focal point. When they stand in front of God on Judgement Day, He won't ask about how they lived, what Church they went to, or whether they were baptized. He will ask, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus?" It's all about Christ! It's all about the "marriage" in other words. Baptism, Church attendance, and good works are FRUIT of Salvation. They are the beautiful resulting acts of salvation. It's proof. It's the details of the big event....just like the napkins, the parking attendants, the candles, and the wedding favors are all the details of mine and Grant's big event - our wedding! In a week's time, the color of the punch won't matter, nor will the fact that the programs were on ivory paper instead of silver. All that will matter is the vow we made to one another and the marriage that took place.

 

I pray those of you who are reading this blog will never be a "detail person".....getting caught up in the details and forgetting the "marriage." Trust me....when all is said and done, and when we leave this earth, nothing will matter except Jesus and what we did with His love, His blood, and His sacrifice.

When God Made You

Have you ever wondered what your future husband or wife will be like? If you are like me, then you definitely have! I remember having all these daydreams about how my man would be, how he would act, what he would look like, how he would win my heart. I remember writing out a list of character traits I longed for in a husband. I dreamed of a noble modern-day Prince who would be patient, Godly, loving, encouraging, and gentle. I dreamed of a man of God who would storm the gates of hell and try to rescue the lost. I dreamed of a big smile and adoring eyes. I dreamed of strong arms to carry me and tender hands to hold mine. I dreamed of belly laughing with him and being able to walk around in sweats and no make-up and still feel beautiful in his presence. I even dreamed about sharing an intense love for mexican food! .....and my dreams came true!

Our story is a funny one (to read it, click here). I was always so confident that I would know immediately when "he" waltzed into my life. Did I know? Not at all! It took almost two years for me for me to actually see that the guy I daydreamed about my whole life was standing in front of me. Talk about an overwhelming experience!!

As our wedding day grows closer and closer, I've been thinking of my childhood. It's funny to think that Grant was five years old when I came into this world. When I was having my slumber party on my 10th birthday, he was learning to drive to school. When I was graduating high school, he was working at his job. And then, through God's amazing way of making paths cross, we met!....and the rest is history. :)

I've realized, as I fall more and more in love, that Grant is not just what I wanted. He's also what I needed. I got the Godly preacher and the sweet personality. I got the strong arms and tender hands. I got the brilliant smile and caring eyes. I got the fun, belly laughing moments. I even got the mexican food part! But I was also given so much more. I was given a guy who teaches me, who helps me see outside the box, who loves me in spite of my emotional idiosyncrasies, who lets me cry, and who encourages me beyond anything I ever dreamed. He's my best friend (and yes, it turns out that being best friends IS incredibly romantic!). I can't help but believe that when God made him, he thought of me. And when God formed me, he thought of him. He knew that Grant would be just what I needed. He knew that we would both grow in so many ways when brought together. He knew. :) And He is faithful.

Single ones reading....God IS faithful. He WILL give you His best. He can give you the desires of your heart. And He will give you exactly what you need! Trust Him. He knows. :)

Captured!

Photography.

Let me give a shameless plug to the wonderful husband-and-wife team that make up Word Photography. Andrew and Heather Word did our engagement pictures and will do our wedding next weekend. If you haven't seen our beautiful pictures that were taken in November, please feel free to go check them out here. They were taken on my family's beautiful campground which is also the location of our wedding.

For me, it's a strange feeling when you are told by a photography to "act natural" while they snap away with a camera. Walking, talking, laughing, content, etc. They are trying to capture the real you. A fake smile will not do. A pose is usually stiff and uncomfortable. So they say, "Just smile! Be happy! Act normal!" Why? Because they want you as you! Genuine. Authentic.

Now, I hope you know where I'm going....

Photographers watch, then snap, and capture who you really are. And likewise, the world is watching and clicking away with their "cameras" - observing us, testing us, critiquing us. They want to see if we truly are who we claim to be. They watch to see if we're really committed to the God we claim to "serve." They test us. They try us. They want to capture us; to see the real Christian.

Luke 14:1
And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him.

The world is searching for truth. The world is searching for something real and geunine. The Christians declare that we have it!.....and yet so often, the Christians are entangled in the chains of sin; talking the talk, but failing to walk the walk. The lost see that. The world, full of God-haters and mockers, laugh at it. And Satan uses it to his advantage.

We are captured every day, through the lense of this world. What do they see? When they bring their camera up to their eye and snap, do they capture a genuine Christian, full of joy and honor and holiness? Do they see a happy man or woman of God, as giddy in Christ as two newlyweds on their wedding day? Do they see the Gospel demonstrated and lived out in their life? Do they see a real Christian? Or do they find that the snapshot they took is a posed picture; an act; A phony and hypocritical person with a fake smile, an artificial joy, and a conterfeit Christianity....

Let it not be so!

Next weekend, when our photographers take dozens of pictures of me and my groom, they will capture us as we are - as a bride and groom completely in love and altogether happy! But my prayer is also that they, along with the whole world watching us, will see the joy of Christ in our eyes and in our smiles....and in our life. And I pray that is your prayer too.

Luke 6:7And the scribes and Pharisees watched him, whether he would heal on the sabbath day; that they might find an accusation against him.

Luke 20:20
And they watched him, and sent forth spies, which should feign themselves just men, that they might take hold of his words, that so they might deliver him unto the power and authority of the governor.

Colossians 2:8
Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

He Rose!

"But now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that slept."
1 Corinthians 15:20

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!!

He died for us to give us life, and to give us hope, HE ROSE!!

A Token of My Love

I love the beautiful fact that rings are exchanged in a marriage ceremony. I love tokens!

Last week, I went and picked up Grant's wedding band from the jewelers. For those of you who don't remember, I blogged about my plan for his wedding band last month. I have to admit, I was so nervous when I walked into the jewelry store. I wanted the ring to look perfect! But when the sweet little woman walked up to the counter and handed me the band, my fears melted! It was exactly what I had hoped for. In less than three weeks, I will slip my beloved purity ring onto Grant's finger. The ring will be a token of my love. It will be a circle to symbolize "everlasting" which is what love and marriage should be; Never ending.

So now, you may see the finished product!

HERE IT IS!!!

I don't know about you, but I love it!

The heavens yield, the earth shall shield, and may our Savior sing the beauty, purity, and love sealed in the wedding ring. ~ Michael Rew