Engagement Reflections Part 2

As I go through the journal I kept during my engagement, various emotions are stirred up within me. It is evident that Satan came knocking on my door more than a few times. He was not happy with the whole situation. I wonder if he was thinking, 'I better throw all of my fiery darts at these two individuals because they may be stronger as a married couple, fighting for God's kingdom, than they are now.'

The details of the struggles are not necessary to share, especially since God always brought us out of the miry pit and set us upon the solid rock. He was victorious every time. During one of my lowest points, the Holy Spirit prompted somebody to call me at the perfect moment just to check on how I was doing. It was exactly what I needed, and I was encouraged to press on. God also gave me some neat scripture that I used to ward off the enemy. 2 Chronicles, chapter 20 was a blessing from God that I really held on to then and continue to keep close to my heart. It is speaking to all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem before they go into battle with the children of Ammon and Moab, saying "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but God's." It goes on to say that there is no need to fight this battle, but stand still and see the salvation of the Lord with you. God showed himself victorious in that situation, and He always shows up to fight the battles in my life as well.

I do want to point out that Nate was amazing through every bump in the road. He was not the root of anything negative, only positive things. I realized, like never before, why it was called FAITH marriage, emphasis on the FAITH part. Much FAITH was required in order to be the recipient of such a blessing, apparently more than I had expected to give. The Lord stretched me beyond the limits I thought I possessed, and He made all things beautiful in his timing.

Engagement involved many beginnings and endings for me. It was time though. Certain chapters in my life were meant to come to a close, and other phases were just beginning to blossom.

The love and support we received throughout our engagement journey was overwhelming. 

The Sunday that our engagement was announced began the outpouring of endless offers to help with the wedding. I never took time to actually sit down and realize what a blessing it was to have so many willing people give of their time and resources for us.


We had wonderful shower committees. Wish I had a picture of all of them.

Our caterer was amazing. Having worked for Carla's catering company for six years, I had my wedding menu planned pretty quickly. I still have fond memories of her delightful muffins.

My uncle brought his ice cream machines from Milford, which is over an hour away, and made his delicious soft-serve ice cream for all of the reception guests.

I had some of the cutest gift carriers around.

My bridesmaids, friends, and sisters were terrific and very supportive throughout the whole journey. I was thankful to have them along on such a crazy ride.

I could spend a good couple hours expounding on all of those who contributed in some way or another. Our church culture has a system, unlike any other, when it comes to the amount of help that is given when planning a wedding. I have a feeling that is why apostolic weddings can be planned in only a few short months.

By the last couple weeks of our engagement, I began to treasure each moment a little bit more deeply. All of a sudden, I was gripping more tightly to the time I spent with my family. The last Sunday, in the church that had seen me grow from a child to an adult, the one that I had called my own for twenty-one years, was held at a higher value than most. 

I also began to realize, during those last couple weeks, that a certain somebody was becoming more and more precious to me with each passing day. Goodbyes were getting harder and hellos were getting sweeter. 

We were getting anxious for the big day!