2 Years Already, How Can It Be?

Two years ago, to this day, the Bluffton country church was filled to the brim. Nate and I were humbled and speechless when we saw the overwhelming amount of support that had come to witness our wedding.

After the first service, my bridesmaids and I had a nice lunch at the fellowship hall. My appetite did not seem to show up, which is probably common for most brides, even bridesmaids.

We put our dresses on and still had plenty of time to spare. I enjoyed those pre-wedding moments with my girls.

We sang around the piano, and I remember feeling so happy and blessed. We sang the words to the song "Amazing Grace." I thought about the amazing grace that God so freely gives, the grace that led Nate and I together. Now here we were on our wedding day, prayers being lifted up on our behalf, and we truly felt them.

Soon the time had come to head over to the church. I was anxious to see Mr. Zollinger and to steal his last name. 

It all happened so fast, and soon a beautiful wedding ceremony was complete.

We made it official, and the rest is a blur.

I am constantly amazed by the man of God who permanently came into my life that day. He makes me happier than I could have ever imagined. I really do not know where the two years have gone. It has definitely been a learning and growing experience, but isn't that just life in general?

We love our stage of life right now, just the two of us. We know that God may call us to leave our comfortable phase one day, and we pray that we will be willing.

Whatever is in the future, we want to face it together, all while having our marriage firmly built on the foundation of Christ.

I will tell you one thing, we will not miss the bird seed shower that we had to experience that day.

And then we were off, at least we thought.

What are they all waiting for?

They look as if they expect something else to happen.

Maybe the return of the maid-of-honor is what they were anticipating.

 

All in all, we are thankful for a wonderful two years. Today is special and set apart, but we pray that we can show sacrificial love to each other each and every day.

Happy Anniversary to us!

Engagement Reflections Part 3

There are many events in life that we are never quite prepared enough for, marriage in this case, but God prepared me as much as He thought I needed to be.

The days leading up to our wedding were more fun than stressful. All of the planning was out of the way, everything was set in place to happen on its assigned day, and I just focused on the fun, small details.

My mom was hoping that the lilac trees would be blossoming by our wedding weekend. Not only for pictures, but also to incorporate some sprigs into the table decorations. Although Spring came late that year, we were pleasantly surprised to see a few buds make an entrance.

The Friday before our wedding we went to the fellowship hall to set up. Korinn and Jenae were kind enough to assist. This was also the evening that Nate made his drive to Indiana, and this time he would not be leaving me behind. This was the point in time where I realized how close and real our wedding was becoming.

Saturday morning brought much hustle and bustle. Flowers were being delivered, our photographer arrived, we all were getting ready, and I was ready to start the day.

I am convinced that we took our wedding pictures on one of the ugliest days of the month, but I tried not to let the coldness or wind dampen my spirit. I was excited to start our future together, as man and wife. Nothing could take away the joy I had in my heart.

God placed a peace in my heart, during our wedding weekend, that I probably took for granted at the time. As I reflect back, I realize how thankful I am for the calm spirit He so gently instilled into my soul.

It was a relief to get pictures out of the way. The wedding party and family came back to my parent's house for lunch, and a few short hours later we were off to rehearsal at the church, followed by the rehearsal supper.The rehearsal supper was set up beautifully.

Great service and delicious food.

It was a neat time of sharing. Several from our wedding party and family talked briefly, expounding on memories they had with us, along with other thoughts. We felt privilege to be surrounded by such a loving and supportive group of loved ones.

Soon we were off to the singing. I remember being exhausted by the time we got there, but God gave us the energy to get through another social event.

Before I knew it, the day had come to a close. I was about to spend the last night, as a single girl, in the bedroom that had once held my crib. With tears starting to flow, I grabbed a blank card and scribbled down some words. There was no way that I would be able to express my thanks and appreciation to my parents in a few short sentences, but I wanted to leave them with some small token. I thought about all the hours that they had spent on their knees, praying for me and praying for my future husband. They prayed that a Godly man would come into my life, and now he was here ready to love and provide for their daughter. Nate was an answer to their prayers, as he was to mine.

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!

Engagement Reflections

With our two year anniversary right around the corner, my mind traces back to the events that took place during that time, two years back. Starting with our first night together, as an engaged couple, back in January of 2014.

As I look at the first picture that we ever took together that evening, various thoughts run through my mind. 

We look so much younger back then compared to now. I guess that two years really does make a difference.

Why did I ever wear that outfit I ask myself? I should have worn a shorter skirt and not so many layers. That first night with Nate, which included meeting his family, did not set itself up to be a cool evening. I remember being quite warm most of the night.

When Nate first arrived at my house that evening, he climbed out of his vehicle with two beautiful bouquets of roses. I was discreetly peering out of the kitchen window, intending to stay right where I was. One of my sister-in-laws, also peeking out, said, "Oh, how sweet of him!" I nonchalantly agreed.

My mom instructed me to go open the door and welcome him and his parents inside. I had been counting on my dad to be the door-greeter that evening, but unfortunate for me, it seemed that he had disappeared at that very crucial moment. Never had I been so anxious when it came to opening the front door, but I must have survived.

This all seems a bit silly as I fast forward to today. The filters have progressively started to wane, as they do for most married couples. By now, we have seen many facets of one another. Our negative and positive qualities have come to the surface. Nate has accepted me for who I am, and I try to do the same.

If I could write a letter to the girl that I was two years ago, I think I would be a bit hard on her. I would tell her to simply be herself and not go on creating false actions or appearances. I would encourage her to not be quite so serious during her engagement but to lighten up a bit. I would explain to her that sometimes love comes softly and not quickly, and I would conclude by writing how blessed she is that God chose her to be the wife and help mate of such a wonderful, God-fearing man. A man that she will fall more in love with each and every day.

I apologize if this post seems a bit sappy, and for your warning, there may be some similar ones to follow. I understand that as a young single guy or girl, it may not always be easy to hear or watch the details of love unfold in the lives of your friends or family. I have a heart for the individuals still waiting for their own love story to come about, and I hope you know that the Lord may very well be preparing that perfect person for you right now, even if it does not happen for a while. God's timing is so different and personal for each of us. He looks at our personality, circumstances, ability to trust, ect. and orchestrates his perfect timing. I want to be that married friend that single girls can comfortably come talk too. In no way did I do anything perfect when it came to seeking God's will for marriage in my life. God blessed me, but that was only after I had made many mistakes and sought his forgiveness. I hope to address more on the topic of "singleness" when the time is right, not because I am qualified to, but more out of conviction.

I do not know if I meant to jump on this bandwagon or not, but what is written is written.

Please join me as I reminisce, during the next week or so, of the events that took place back when God brought Nate into my life. 

New Life Is Born

Here is a quick post to let you all know that I do still value this blog of mine. 

The highlight of last week was the arrival of my newest niece Bristal Ann. The fourth child born to my brother Todd and sister-in-law Jessica. I cannot think of a much better family for this sweet little girl to be joining. I have no doubt that she is being smothered with love by her amazing parents and adoring siblings.

I picked Nate up after work and we headed up to the hospital to see the newest member of our family. I am never prepared for how small a newborn is. She is quite adorable and I hope that Bristal and Aunt Han will get to make many memories together!

While on the topic of babies. It is beginning to seem that I am departing from the "friends getting married" stage and entering into the "friends having babies" stage. Both of those stages bring about showers, and in this instance a baby shower. I found an idea for a "New Mommy Survival Kit" gift idea. I picked up various items that each had a purpose in helping a new mom survive the transition into motherhood.

Do not strain your eyes by squinting to read the words in the picture below. Keep scrolling.

Socks to remind you to take time for yourself and relax.

Book to point out that this is only a chapter of life.

Hand Sanitizer to keep out any unwanted little “visitors.”

Candle so you never feel in the dark.

Tissues to dry the tears, the babies and yours.

Energy bar for an added boost of energy after those long, sleepless nights.

Wipes to help wipe your worries away.

Rubber Band to remind you that flexibility is key and to help you stretch beyond your limits.

Paper Clip to hold things together when they seem unorganized.

Eraser to note that everyone makes mistakes.

Chapstick to help you stick with it.

Matches to light your fire when you feel burnt out.

Toothpick to pick out the good in all situations.

Altoids to let you know that you are worth a “mint.”

Ibuprofen for when all else fails…take two!

Oh and Chocolate never hurts either.

I would like to mention that I only give Pinterest partial credit for this. Pinterest was my foundation, but I came up with a few of those on my own. I better stop, starting to sound a bit boastful.

I am beginning to see a few more signs of Spring! My tulips have finally started to bloom. Nate has even been monitoring the status of our tulips and was keeping me updated on their progress a few days this week. We both enjoy watching things grow, or maybe it could be that he highly excels at trying his hardest to share my interests. Either way it makes me smile.

If you are looking for us, good chance we may be traveling. We have been spending an ample amount of time on the road the last couple days. Nothing major, just out to Smithville/Rittman for a wedding last weekend, followed by a quick trip to Bluffton, last night, for our couple's bible study. It is good to have loved ones scattered about.

 I leave you with this quote, for it has given me something to think about today. "Only God's view can reveal our journey as the best solution to the intended destination." Praying that I can more naturally look at life, self, the future and others through the lens of Christ. 

Thanks for reading!