Snow Day!

Well, it's our fourth snow day. Many teachers are complaining that it's cutting into their summer. I don't really mind. I am cozy and warm here in my little space. Marc and I live with my parents in a big room on the end of the house. It's very nice, and we have our own entrance. 

Right now, the room is softly lit with my mom's Christmas star-- a warm orange glow is filling the room at one end, and the cool light of the snowy morning is coming in the large doors at the other end. The picture window is my favorite (and the star is hung right in the middle so that those who pass by can see it), and the snow is steadily falling outside. The door between our space and the house is open, and I can hear my mom reading Scripture to my brother for morning devotions from the other room. Beautiful, precious moment. 

All this snow reminds me of how WARM it was on our wedding day. We got married January 6, and everyone was worried when we told them back in July. "What if it snows?!" "We aren't coming if there are weather issues." "Why would you schedule it then?" Hmmph. God was soo great. It ended up being a record high that day-- 75 degrees. At the hotel the next morning, we woke up (at 2PM...*wink wink*) and found a newspaper outside our door. The headline declared that it was summer in the winter, and there was a large picture of a slightly overweight man sunbathing in shorts, along with members of his family. (And PS... it POURED all night long and all the next day.)

Random wedding tip: If you're looking for a gorgeous, inexpensive way to decorate your reception hall, try this... go into the woods and cut down a large-ish branch, one that looks like a mini-tree. Be sure it's clean of little critters, then drag it inside. You will need something to keep it standing-- we used cement blocks pushed together and covered in white cloth, but you can be creative (do you have a sister, dad, uncle, etc. who loves to be crafty?) After you get your tree to stand (be sure it will stay that way through all the celebrating), grab a ladder and lots of (white!) Christmas lights and start stringing. It makes for a winter wonderland effect, especially inside a gym or banquet hall with hard flooring. (See picture above.) 

Now, I must give credit where credit is due. I had MANY church/family members who helped me with details of the wedding. It would never have been the wedding of my dreams without all of them. Any tips I can give you come from a deeply grateful bride who went through her wedding weekend having the most fun of everyone. 

I will leave you with this note of encouragement. If you know you are to be married, if you know God wants this for your lives, do not be discouraged by nay-sayers and boo-hooers. Many questioned our youth (we were 21 and 20), but we knew we were mature enough. Many questioned the date, but we knew God would make it work. Many questioned, even though we had the blessing of both sets of parents. Again, IF you have sought the Lord and you know your wedding has His favor (and the favor of those who love you), then choose (key word here) to push aside the doubting and wondering, and just ENJOY the process leading up to becoming one with the man or woman you love.

(For Marc)

Sonnet 116

Let me not to the marriage of true minds

Admit impediments; love is not love

Which alters when it alteration finds, 

Or bends with the remover to remove: 

O, no, it is an ever-fixed mark,

That looks on tempests and is never shaken;

It is the star to every wand'ring bark, 

Whose worth's unknown, although his heights be taken

Love's not Time's fool, though rosy lips and cheeks

Within his bending sickle's compass come;

Love alters not with his brief hours and weeks, 

But bears it out even to the edge of doom.

If this be error and upon me proved

I never writ, nor no man ever loved.

-(Best of the best) William Shakespeare