Teacups

I never did post the story about the engagement. If you want to read all about it, if you haven't already, you can go here.
So I'm not gonna lie. I love being engaged. I have a huge ring, and everytime I look at it, all I can think of is how much he must love me to have sacrificed for this ring. That's love. Not that love is measured by material things, but that he cared so much for me, that he picked something WAY more than I could have even dreamed about, and it's really a picture of Jesus loving us. Be overwhelmed at how much you are loved.
Let's talk wedding. Any of you who have planned a wedding know that it's all-consuming. You could be thinking about lunch, you could wonder what you're going to eat, you might want to have a salad. Then you might think, "I wonder if we should have salad at the wedding? Oh yeah I forgot to call _______ back about the wedding. I have to remember to do that." Then maybe your thoughts end up at lunch again but usually after a couple of times around the wedding thoughts ferris wheel.
How involved to guys really want to be in the process, anyway? I've learned. Not much. But then if you pick something he doesn't like-you'll hear about it! It's a catch 22. Don't bother him with details, then find out he hates that choice. Ask him 50 questions about it, he's too tired to even think about it. He told me he's ready to just show up at the wedding-let him know what time to be there. Well the wedding is pretty much planned at this point. Now it's just wait. Wait. Wait. I'm ready for July. Maybe not July but at least the beginning of June!
Registering. Choosing the plates for the rest of your life. I picked out a fabo pattern that I am also in love with, aside from the groom. I could eat the plate it's so yummy. I registered for teacups and saucers. Groom says NO. We don't need those, if we need them ever we will buy them. I tried to explain that the point is, you go ahead and register for it all-you can always take stuff back. NO TEACUPS! Yes teacups! I decided that it wasn't worth it. I took the teacups and saucers off my registry. I love them. But I love him more. Maybe one day I will be in an antique store and I will find a set of those teacups on sale, and it will be just the right timing.
I really want the salt and pepper shakers though. We need those, right?
They have really cool kitchen things these days. Collapsible collanders and measuring spoons! Who knew? Rachel Ray made a spoonula. I do not like RR but I think I might like a spoonula. It's fun to say. Say it with me. "Spoonula." See, that was fun.
Kate can't wait to be a flower girl. That little girl is so fun. She has a great guy in her life that loves her so much, and he is so good with her. I can see the love on his face for her.
Hmm what else can I ramble about....um.....looking forward to going to Second Saturday in BSL this weekend with Tater Tot. We're gonna meet with my photographer, so that's exciting. I think I need to be excited about St Patrick's Day in some form or fashion but I'm in wedding world. It's an alternate universe.
I have told myself I am going to read every bridal magazine I can get my hands on. I'm entitled to; I'm getting married. It's like having your mouth water over a chocolate cake cookbook. The dresses and happy brides are delightful.
I'm sure this is a pleasant change from the a)long absence of blogging; b)sorry subject matter for the past 1.5 years; c)at least you know I still am alive!
So if you don't see me for a couple of days, call me. I'm probably too absorbed in theknot.com to notice. So what if I listen to Purcell's Trumpet Tune every other day just to imagine how it will look walking down the aisle-you know you'd do it too!
Good thing I don't have internet at home-or a computer for that matter!
I do talk about other things, people. I like to talk about Jesus and body lotion and pedicures and Kate, and groom, too.
And I know you clicked on Trumpet Tune and you are listening to it right now. :-)

And.....

I'm engaged! I'm so excited!!!!! If you'd like to know the story, just let me know. It involves a wedding (not ours), a pier on a lake, airbrushed t shirts, and McDonalds. (Good product placement opportunity for McDonalds). I mean, it's always good if McDonald's is incorporated in your engagement story, right?
I could not be happier, God has blessed me so much, and I am still in shock that I have such an awesome guy that will soon be my wonderful husband.
I am living proof that God always intends good for His own, and He always provides better than we think He possibly could. Our plans are not His plans, and that is so good to know.
Kate is very excited about it! Plans are already underway, and our families rejoice with us.
And yesterday I had the opportunity to go home to Brookhaven to catch up with my 4 best friends from childhood/college....it was so good and felt like we hadn't missed a day.
Yay yay yay! Yay!

WHAM

I need to get back into blogging. This, I know. It becomes addicting, though, but it is very therapeudic.
I see I haven't written since last September. That's sad! I will try to do better.
I miss you all, and I lost my bloglines password so I haven't been reading many blogs at all. I can't Facebook at work, either, so I feel like I've stepped back in time. (And no, I don't have Tivo anymore, either. I might as well listen to AM radio programs.)
Take care.

Funny

Top Ten Reasons Hurricane Season Is Like Christmas
By the haynes family

Number Ten:
Decorating the house (with plywood).

Number Nine:
Dragging out boxes that haven't been used since last season.

Number Eight:
Last minute shopping in crowded stores.

Number Seven:
Regular TV shows pre-empted for 'Specials'.

Number Six:
Family coming to stay with you.

Number Five:
Family and friends from out of state calling you.

Number Four:
Buying food you don't normally buy . . . and in large quantities.

Number Three:
Days off from work.

Number Two:
Candles.

And the Number One reason Hurricane Season is like Christmas:
At some point you're probably going to have a tree in your house!

A little something extra

Click here to read Lagniappe in the news. I'm very happy to be the travel agent in above mentioned article. However, I do not think this article was well-written by any means. It left nothing to be desired.

Step outside of your comfort zone. If something is comfortable, it's not worth it. Work hard, push hard, and live life for the One above. If you aren't doing that, you cannot be happy.

Punting Perfection

Mo is a fellow soul that desires deeply to work with those who have nothing to know the fullness of Grace. you can know more about him here. He is good at what he does. Which is marketing and loving people and being honest.

Punting Perfection
By Mo Leverett

I was a punter in high school and college. Nobody likes a punter. The punter only comes on the field when the offense has failed. Punters are most despised by perfectionists - persons who think failure an unacceptable option.

When we consider the men of the Bible - we get a picture of the nature of achievable spirituality. Often they fail. And yet it is wrong to hyper-moralize their failure. Their failures not only open the door for grace, it demonstrates what is non-achievable spirituality - perfection.

I think one of the most unbecoming features of the American evangelical church is the perpetual state of surprise with failure. And while it is good to strive for holiness, even perfection, it is not good what we do to those who naturally fall short of it.

Ironically and sadly the church is no longer a safe place for sinners. An institution who is a recipient of the Kingdom of Heaven precisely because it acknowledged its state of sinfulness, is now in the state of denial about that same spiritual state - as if her sinfulness was a brief episode, a bad moment.

The biggest surprise for the perfectionist will be when the sinners they once judged and condescended to, will be appointed to judge them. Perfectionism is among the greatest of sins, not only because the perfectionist assumes the place of God - but perhaps more poignant than that, they withhold the grace that God so freely offers.

Despite the fact that David, for instance, King David, was a murderer and an adulterer - he was also a man after the heart of God, the author of divinely inspired psalms and the leader of an incomparable army of men. And while he has landed a sacred place in the family tree of Jesus, so that Jesus, the KING of kings is called the Son of David - it is quite uncertain whether or not the American church would receive him, much less defend his right to leadership.

Despite the fact that Elijah brought down fire from heaven and was the greatest of the prophets, he was bedeviled by a single solitary woman, sank into a great depression, wallowed in doubt and self-pity as he was exiled in fear.

The American church tends to worship perfection, therefore its leaders pretend to be so. And as the church perceiving the men of God statuesque in virtue behind their fancy pulpits, it should be known that their wives could pull the chord on the curtain in a moment’s notice, unless they too have fallen prey to the Christian masquerade. Some pastor’s wives are expected to represent a level of spirituality that sweet Mother Mary herself wouldn’t aspire to - no offense intended to my Catholic brothers.

Perhaps we should become more like Paul, also a murderer, and glory in our sinfulness, and wear the title with pride - Chief of Sinners, not because we love our sin, but because we love what our sin has wrought - the precious and limitless supply of grace that flows to us through Christ.

And when one pretends that he is not a sinner, he prohibits the flow of grace. Rather that we cut off our own limbs than to cut off God’s grace.

True men of God are measured not by the sins they’ve avoided in this life, but by their authentic encounters with grace. Fortunately, access to grace is not restricted to those who have achieved perfection, rather to those who have rejected it.

I for one want to be in the fellowship of sinners when they encounter the final dose of God’s grace. Then and only then will we be made perfect. And until that day comes, we will fail, fall short and miss the mark.

Rather than surprised, we should be supportive. For until that final day, we need each other. And we need from each other the identical grace that has been so lavishly offered to us. Then the church will regain her beauty and irresistibility to a lost, dying and sinful world.

So will you join me in realizing that there are times to punt. And while we’re at it, maybe we should give some thought to punting perfection.