full of love.

The past week or so, love and marriage has been a major theme of my life. It is so refreshing to be reminded that 1. love still exists, and fairy tales can become realities and 2. marriage can last a lifetime.

Engagement. On Friday, two of my most favorite people became engaged. Mallory and Adam have been dating since our sophomore year at Arkansas, and it has been such a blessing getting to watch their relationship go from a first date to a proposal. I had been waiting for the day Adam proposed for a long time, and it could not have been more perfect. The biggest treat for me was that I got to go with him to get the ring, AND I got to be apart of throwing the engagement party afterward. Going to get the ring, and planning the party was so. much. fun. I'm not a crafty person, but getting to do something like that for two people I love dearly, was such a treat. The "set-up" of where it all went down was unreal, and Adam blew it out of the park. Mallory was so surprised. It was pretty much perfect. Friday marked a new chapter in their life, and a beginning of a life together. God is so good in His ways, and His timing. Watching the Lord do His craftsmanship through both Mal and Adam over the years has been the best thing and one of the best gifts to me! Witnessing times of bliss, and times of less bliss with the two of them has shown me the power of love, faith, prayer, and patience in a relationship- and get this people, they were only dating. I cannot wait to see what the Lord is going to do through their marriage. I am so excited to get to be apart of it all, and walk alongside of them as they prepare for their wedding day and a lifetime together.

my presh engaged friends: Adam & Mallory

Marriage. Today, August 15th 2012, is my parent's 32nd wedding anniversary. 32 years. Wow. I cannot comprehend that--I am only 23. I don't know what it means or what it is like to be with someone longer than you ever were without them (they got married in their early 20s). But I do know, it takes a lot. It takes a lot of love, patience, kindness, forgiveness, work, strength, fight, and promise. Getting to be their daughter, and witness their Christ-centered marriage, and what it means to love has been one of the biggest gifts and blessings- I cannot put it into words. One statistic says that 50% of marriages end in divorce. I totally believe that. Marriage isn't supposed to be easy, and it isn't supposed to be done without the Lord being in the driver's seat. I don't know how to do marriage, or even what marriage is like- i'm not married. But I do know what a successful, Jesus-loving marriage looks like. What a gift that is. I cannot thank our Lord enough for my parents and for their 32 years of marriage. As I get older, i am learning and seeing what it takes and what they have done to be in the place they are today in a much more real way. They have fought so hard, because to them, giving up is not an option. I hope one day, Lord-willing, i will get to have children and that they could witness a fraction of what I have witnessed being a child of a marriage like my parents.

my wonderful parents

The fact that He has chosen others to show us His love and His power blows my mind. How creative is He? He and His love are, oh-so, good.