Growing up is hard to do. (but worth it)

Its been about a month since I wrote about Joey's proposal. Oh, what a month it has been! God has been moving in some amazing ways in such a short time.

My sweet oldest sister had a precious baby boy, Liam Benjamin. Due to some crazy committments and car troubles, I have not been able to get home to hold that tiny baby boy. I get to see him in 5 wonderful days and I absolutely cannot wait.

I have gotten to experience the opening of a church in Marshall called Oxygen. Check it out: http://www.letsjustbreathe.org I have been able to take on the responsibility for praying for people every day, and it has been a wonderful learning experience. It is such a blessing to meet with friends (and new people) every Sunday night to worship God and learn about how to share His love with others.

I have gotten to visit Lawton and spent time at the church Joey & I will attend when we get married. It was such a sweet time to see a beautiful old building full of such life. New Haven is so full of life and joy. Every single person there was so kind and loving to me. I cannot wait to be married and attend New Haven with my future husband.

There have also been a lot of lessons learned in the last month. Some I can now laugh at and some are still hard to swallow. But, because I truly believe the lessons I have learned could help others, I will share:

1. "The things you own will end up owning you." That's a quote from Fight Club, a favorite of both mine and Joey's. But it was a reality check after 4 hours of gift registering at Bed, Bath & Beyond. The things we registered for are just that...THINGS. They don't matter. It doesn't matter if we have Emeril or Calaphalon cookware. It doesn't matter what color our sheets or towels are. I will feel comforted at night because I will be with my husband, NOT because of the print or color on the sheets. (Also, if you don't like the stuff, you can just buy new things after a few years.)

2. Grace is difficult. Until I was engaged, I thought I knew about grace. My acceptance of God's grace has slowly started to make an impact on the grace I show Joey. He is loving and kind, but when he fails...I am still called to love him. That is so much easier said than done.

3. Love is good. Its beautiful & changing every single day. It makes me smile to know I will get to spend the rest of my life with Joey. Its not always easy, but its so worth all of the hard work. Every single day, I learn new lessons in love. And I can't wait for a lifetime of daily lessons.

I'm going to start writing more often. (Probably posting a lot about the wedding planning!) FUN!!