And Your Feet Shod With... Wedding Shoes!

Galatians 5:25
If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

My shoes came in!!!

I have been stressing over shoes for nearly three months trying to find the right ones. And I mean the right ones at a decent price (meaning I find a pair of shoes for $170 outrageous!). But I found a lovely and very reasonably priced pair two weeks ago and, after a few days of thinking, I ordered them. 3 1/2 inch heel (yes, I know), white satin. Beautiful! And now they are in my possession and....they...are...simply...lovely. Very simple, yet very elegant. Very me.

I tried them on with the dress last night and I felt like a princess yet again. ....I seem to be having a lot of those "princess" moments lately. :) So we have the shoe department taken care of. Glory be!

With shoes on the brain, I've been thinking about my spiritual shoes. On my wedding day, when I slip on my shoes and walk towards my groom, it's a picture of everyday life. Every day we are to put on our spiritual shoes and walk closer to our heavenly Groom. We're to walk in a lot of things... in peace, in love, in wisdom, in truth...to name a few.

Ephesians 6:15
And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

Ephesians 5:2
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.

Colossians 4:5
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

3 John 1:4
I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.

Each morning, as we greet the day, while we put on our every day shoes like sneakers, sandals, boots, or even slippers, we're also to take that time to remind ourselves to walk in peace, in the love of Christ, to walk in His wisdom, and in His truth. As a Christian, the world is watching our feet. They see where we go, what we do, and how we act. To showcase the glory of God, it's absolutely necessary for us to walk in Christ; to put on our lovely shoes and walk towards Him, with Him, beside Him, etc.

As I slip on my beautiful bridal wedding shoes, I'm reminded that I must walk in peace. I must seek to be a peacemaker and show the world that the Giver of Peace is alive and well and able to bring peace to any situation. I also must walk in love. As a Christian, I must demonstrate the love of God in my life to others. He loves....so I must love. And truly, if Christ lives inside us, His love should naturally flow out of our lives. As a Christian woman, I must walk in wisdom! I must tame my emotions and allow the wonderful wisdom of the Only Wise God to invade my being, thus enabling me to make good choices - His choices! And also to show the world that all pursuits of knowledge is fruitless if God is not in your heart, bringing true wisdom to your life. And, I must walk in truth. Satan is on the prowl, spreading lies and seeking to destroy. So then I must walk in the unchanging truth of Christ and be a light that shines in the darkness.

Of course, there are plenty of other things a Christian should walk in... but there are four.

As a girl, I love shoes! As a bride, I adore my wedding shoes. But as a Christian? I must ask myself, do I love and adore peace, love, wisdom and truth more? And if so, though I stumble and even fall in my spiritual shoes, will I continue to walk in them?

Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

To Have And To Hold

To have and to hold, from this day forward,
For better, for worse, for richer, for poorer,
In sickness or in health, to love and to cherish....forever

I've been thinking of the wedding vows. What is a vow?

Vow
1. a solemn promise, pledge, or personal commitment: marriage vows; a vow of secrecy.
2. a solemn promise made to a deity or saint committing oneself
to an act, service, or condition.
3. a solemn or earnest declaration.

There is a wedding every day and, at those weddings, people make a vow to one another. They vow to stand by one another, to love one another, to cherish one another, to respect one another...etc. etc. It's quite a promise.

So many marriages fail, so many couples give up, too may lives torn apart, hearts broken, promises broken.... Looking at the divorce rate, it's hard not to ask, "Why did they even bother vowing? Promising their love?"

In many if not most marriages, the vows end with "'til death do us part." Meaning, the promise they have made to be with one another, loving, serving, etc. will continue and not end until death separates them. Though the Bible says clearly that you are bound to your spouse until death, and are then free to marry another if you chose (though it is better to stay single), I just don't find that appealing. Personally, I like what my parents did. They vowed, not "til death" but "for forever." Marriage is for life. To have and to hold. I cannot imagine saving everything for my "one and only" only to give it to another if he dies. No...marriage is for keeps.

On April 17, 2010 when I stand before Grant, I'm going to make a vow - before God, him, my family, my friends, and all the onlookers - to have him and to hold him, from that day forward, for better or for worse, in sickness, and in health, to love him and to cherish him...forever. It's a covenant. Just like the covenant God made with us, marriage is a picture of forever. Christ came and offered us promises... to never leave us or forsake us, to uphold us with His hand, to serve, to "loveth more than a brother," to build a place for us, to receive us, and to be with us forever. Heavy promises, but it was a vow Christ made that was kept.

...so marriage should be.

Hosea 2:19-20 -
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.

Matthew 19:6
Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.

Things and Diamond Rings

Isaiah 61:10 -
I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

You've heard the term... diamonds are a girl's best friend. I wouldn't go as far as to say that's true. But I will say that girls DO like diamonds. Personally....big, small, princess cut or pear cut - it doesn't matter to me.

Usually when a girl gets engaged, when a ring is placed on her finger, some questions are commonly asked. They are known as the Four C's .....

1. Color?
2. Cut?
3. Clarity?
4. Carat?

Those things may mean the world to some girls, but personally, I just don't find them all that important. I have my own list of C's. MY "Four C's" are more like....

1. Christian?
2. Character?
3. Committed?
4. Compassionate?


Those things are far more important in a marriage. The color of your diamond ring is meaningless when your man is a God-fearing Christian. The cut of your ring isn't as important as the cut of his soul....his character in other words. Is he caring? Is he Courageous? Now, the clarity of that ring? Hmmm...more like "Is my man committed?" In other words, "Are his motives clear?" I'd say that takes precedence over the ring. And....a carat? No, I'd choose compassion.

Color, cut, clarity, carat....those things are just a part of a piece of jewelry on your left ring finger. Marriage is made up of more than that.

Whether you have a rock on your hand or no ring at all....it isn't about the diamond in a ring. It's about the diamond called your man (or your wife for you men reading). It's about the love and commitment between the two of you as you join hearts and lives in serving Christ. That's the real gem that is priceless! That's the real jewel, worth so much more than money can buy.

The Greatest Lover of All Time

Philippians 2:5-7 -
"Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:"

A Poet and a Prince

It's common knowledge that most girls want a prince. They want the suave, confident, handsome, and heroic manly-man. They want a man who isn't afraid to swing a sword and defeat the villian. Blood, sweat, dirt and all.

But there is another side of a man that is greatly desired by ladies as well. It's the poetic side.

When guys hear the word "poetic" they usually grumble and think of Shakespeare and Longfellow and their English Literature class in school. But the poetic side that girls long for isn't a man in tights fervently saying "It is the east, and Juliet is the sun!" It's not even roses and rings. It isn't even fancy restaurants and candlelit dinners. Those things are sweet, but it is so much more than that! The poetic side is the simple romance of the heart. It's the time spent thinking of and appreciating the other. It's the tender words, the thoughtful actions, the sweet little notes and beautifully written love letters. For a prince to be truly noble, he must be tender. He must be willing to fight off the dragons (and bugs and mice too!) and willing to risk his life saving you from harm, but he also must be thoughtful, kind, considerate, loving...not just risking his life for you, but willing to literally lay it down. And vice-versa for us ladies! (But more on the flip-side another day!)

Jesus, as I have written before, is the PERFECT Prince! The true Prince. He is the ultimate Warrior, the ultimate Champion. But He is also the ultimate Lover. He is the ultimate Poet. He demonstrated His love for us not only by coming to earth and defeating Satan's hold on us, offering us Salvation, but He demonstrated His love by literally laying down His life for all of mankind.

I heard it said once that the perfect picture of manhood and of Jesus can be found in reading Revelation and Song of Solomon together. In Revelation, we see the strength and mighty valour of Christ. We see His Kingly manner and His royal position and authority. Then when reading Song of Solomon, we see His tenderness, His passionate love, and His poetic expression of that love. We see two sides of the Great King and Prince, Jesus Christ.

So it should be with earthly men.

If they desire to be like Jesus, then they must follow in His footsteps. They must be mighty and strong, standing up for least, defending the weak, serving Christ, and fighting in the army of God relentlessly. And along with that, they must be gentlemen, respectful, thoughtful, kind, sincere, trustworthy, faithful, romantic, tender, and loving. They must work with all their heart to be a poet and prince... just like Christ.

We girls swoon over a man like this. And as a reminder to myself and all you girls out there - earthly poet/princes are carbon copies, not the real thing! We should swoon 100 times more over Jesus Christ - the ultimate example of nobility and the Creator of all that is Princely and Poetic. We should desire an intimate relationship FIRST and FOREMOST with Him. As a result... He will lead us to our earthly poet/prince. :)

The following song is a perfect picture of the contrast between the earthly noble prince/poet and our heavenly Prince/Poet. It makes me cry...fyi, so grab some tissues girls and WAIT for a man like this. And all you guys? Tighten your belt and determine to BE like your King. I can assure you, there is nothing so handsome and worthy of respect and honor than a man who is a Poet and a Prince...

http://www.imeem.com/sunshine-rachelle/music/5Ad7QIaB/eric-and-leslie-ludy-poet-and-a-prince/

She longs for me to hold her
Offer my shoulder
Cherish her as a flower
Adore her as an angel

She longs for a defender
A love-inspired prize fighter
A champion, a charmer
A prince so noble like this

When I look within
Do I see a prince smiling back at me?
Or do I see a soul that’s been swallowed
By selfishness and greed?
If I’ll ever be a great lover, I must remember this
Love that lasts forever is found only in...Jesus

She longs for me to serenade
Think of her throughout my days
Know when to buy her flowers
Talk with her for hours

She longs for a lover
A true man of tenderness
A gentleman, a poet
A prince so noble like this

When I look inside
Do I see the signs that God is changing me?
Or do I see a man still led by self
Yearning to be free?
If I’ll ever be a great lover, I must remember this
Love that lasts forever is found only in...Jesus

He can teach me how to love her
Honor and defend her
How to be a man she laughs with
And she trusts enough to cry with
Someone just like Jesus

She longs for a true lover
I can be this for her
Cause I will learn from Jesus
How to be a man that’s tender

His gentleness and strength
And love that spans eternity
He’s a champion of true love
He’s a gentleman, a poet, a prince

Veiled

FYI - I love my veil!!

Random, I know. To be quite honest, I've tried on my wedding veil more than I've tried on my dress. Now, don't get me wrong. I LOVE MY DRESS!! ....but I'll save my dress adoration for another post. Right now, I'd love to tell you how much I dearly love my veil...and why.

When I hear brides talking about their wedding, I hear them gush about their groom, I see them glow about their dress, and I see the sparkle in their eyes when discussing the ring. I hear the excitement mixed with stress when talking about invitations, flowers, food, parking, and dozens of other things. But when I think of it, I rarely hear a bride go on and on about her wedding veil.

Well... I'd like to. :)

Besides being long and lovely and simply beautiful, the veil shows the bride's modesty. It shows respect for the man and for God, and her respect for the sacredness and sanctity of the marriage covenant.The veil in the temple was rent when Christ died on the cross. This was to show us that Christians have free access to God. Since marriage is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the believer, the removing of the veil after being pronounced as husband and wife represents the fact that a sinner who comes to Christ is no longer separated from God. It also indicates that the husband and wife now have full access to each other which they should not have had prior to marriage.

So the veil is quite amazing, to say the least.

Ever since I was a little girl, my Dad and Mom instilled in me the importance of modesty. Of course, at 10 and 11 years old, modesty was easy enough and not something I would even think much about. At that age, I was more concerned over memorizing and learning school work and AWANA, and reflecting on all the reasons I thought boys were gross. But when 15 and 16 came along, modesty was something I had in my mind every time I dressed. While friends would wear mini-skirts, and cleavage-bearing blouses, I would do my best to dress modestly. I didn't want guys ogling me, I didn't want to complete in the game of attracting guys that modern girls love to play, but most of all I didn't want to disgrace the Lord. My mouth professed to be a Christian. And I didn't want my body to showcase something different.

One beautiful picture of modesty that I've always used is the story of Rebekah in Genesis chapter 24. After a long and beautifully romantic story of how Abraham sent his servant to find a bride for his son, Isaac, Rebekah is found...and now she is on her way to meet her husband - a man she's never even seen! After what I'm sure was a looooooooong journey, at last they arrive. Isaac sees Rebekah and Rebekah sees Isaac. But instead of pulling up her skirt just a little to show off her legs, instead of applying CoverGirl's new red rose color of lipstick, and instead of adjusting her outfit to show every curve God gave her - INSTEAD of the modern approach - she took a veil and covered herself.

And I say beautiful! Would that we all were like Rebekah.

1 Peter 3:3-4 -
"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."

I remember something my Dad told me long ago regarding modesty. In one of our many talks, I remember asking, "How do you know when something is modest or not?"

I'll never forget his answer. He leaned back and said, "Let me just say this.... If you try, you will."

I stared at him. Then he said, "If you try to dress to attract the eyes, then you will. But if you try to glorify God with how you dress.... if you try to be modest... then you will."

Profound, yet completely and utterly simple. I've tried to live on that principle ever since.

...if I determine to live my life for the glory of God—that will affect why
I wear what I wear. It will make me think about what I wear, not just go to the store and pick up whatever is the current style. - Nancy Leigh DeMoss

I can't say I've been a success in looking 100% modest all of my 23 1/2 years. But I can say that I have desired to be modest....for many reasons.

* To honor my parents

* To dress respectfully and ladylike, so I will be treated as such

* To showcase God's beauty and loveliness in the way I dress

* To obey His commandments

* To please Christ

.....I could go on.

I Timothy 2:9 -
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array;"

I'm anxious to put on my veil again. Maybe I will tonight! Or maybe I'll wait....

Maybe I'm a bit too excited about my veil, but I see such beauty in the symbolism of it. It covers the bride... a picture of how she has, hopefully, been all her life. Which is modest.

The veil isn't just about beauty and girlyness. That's icing on the (wedding) cake! No, it's really a beautiful picture of modesty. The modesty of the bride, the groom....and even the marriage.

Veiled is good!

The Party of Attendants

This past week, Grant and I finally made the final decisions about our wedding party! It's going to be quite large, but there are so many people we want surrounding us on our special day. My sisters, his siblings, our cousins, and friends who have meant a great deal to us in our life will gather around us and watch us enter into the sacred covenant of marriage.

The bridesmaids will be decked out in sapphire blue dresses and the groomsmen will don the suits and sapphire blue ties. Lilies will be held by the ladies. Hair will be brushed on the men. ;) The flower girls will drop white rose petals and the ring bearer will, hopefully, not lose the rings.

Smiles are sure to be on everyone's face.

I've heard it said that a wedding ceremony is not merely two people covenanting before God - it is two people covenanting before God and before a select host of witnesses. I think that's very true.

For me, my bridesmaids are special. They include my sisters who are my best friends in the world, my friends who have encouraged me and prayed for and with me for years, my closest cousin with whom I share some of my greatest memories, and the sister of my groom.

The groomsmen are no different. They are men that Grant has chosen who mean a great deal to him.

Thinking about our attendants and who will be standing with us at the alter on April 17, 2010, I've thought about the wedding day we'll have one day with Christ. All the Old Testaments saints will gather 'round us and watch with ecstatic joy as we marry our Beloved. They will be our honored guests at the marriage supper. They will smile as they see us - the bride - come to Jesus, robed with white and "made ready." As exciting as my earthly wedding day will be, it won't hold a candle to that glorious day when - at last! - the waiting will be over.

I'm anxious to walk behind my friends and sisters and have them smile as a ring is placed on my finger and vows are spoken. But I'm quite ready to walk towards my Heavenly Prince and see the smiles from all the attendants up there, as well. :)

Revelation 19:7-9
"Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb..."