Our Inspired Journey

It's amazing when you plan a wedding...so much goes into making every detail perfect, and then something big almost inevitably happens to help you remember that regardless of how much planning you put in, you can never ensure the big day won't come without it's surprises! For us, it was our wedding coordinator sending our wedding party down the aisle to the wrong song that meant I ended up having to walk down a song early as well! I stood at the "alter" a very long time as a song intended for 8 couples ended up being the one for only my Dad and I to walk down to! Thankfully even now as I watch the video, I giggled at how funny it was to stare up at John as he's trying to send signals to our mini orchestra (AKA all his music buddies from college) to stop playing! It was as if this was God's way of bringing us into the reality of marriage and life together at that moment....

You see, I've always been a planner...one who likes to work hard for the perfect ending. One of the qualities I appreciate most about my husband, is his ability to be passionate about life but not obsess over the details...especially those details that don't go his way. He was helped me learn how much freedom there is letting go of thoughts of the final outcome looking a certain way...it's in this letting go that we learn to appreciate the journey so much more. I makes me think of the way I can get caught up in staring at the map during a road trip, counting the miles until we get to where we're going and in doing so, miss the view out the window along the way.

These past 7 years have been filled with amazing moments...vacations with friends (pre-kids!), 2 masters degrees, being full time teachers, making connections with incredible friends we'll have for life, having 2 (almost 3) amazing children, family vacations and moving to the Midwest! We've also had difficult times when we had to choose growth over pride and maturity and intimacy with each other and the Holy Spirit over the temptation to rely on our own strength and wisdom. If there was one thing I could boil these past 7 years down to it'd be this...we are nothing without Christ transforming us from what we are into what He knows we can be for His glory. God is so good in His desire for us to have spouses to go through life with...but we must be changed before we can bless each other. We are too prideful, and self-seeking to produce "goodness" on our own...it come from submission to a good God.

On this day I can testify to God's goodness in giving me a husband who is not only committed to me for the long haul but is an amazing father to our kids as well...Just today as I was tucking Ryder into bed for his nap, John came into his room and said, "Ryder...did you know it's Mommy and Daddy's Anniversary today? Mommy and Daddy have been married for 7 years and love each other and you so much! We're going to be your Mommy and Daddy forever..." Ryder (after saying "what?" a few times) smiled and snuggled safely under his covers still smiling. What a gift...a son who knows his Mommy and Daddy love each other, another son whose been given new ears, a husband whose eyes still light up when walks in the door and sees his wife, and a God who has given us all this and more. I sit here with humility knowing that without God's patience with me and the patience he's given John over the past 7 years, I'd be without so many of the blessings I celebrate today.

Thank you Jesus, for the decision you made to love someone like me, and for giving me someone to love who reminds me more and more of You everyday.