Seasons... {Community Brew}

I am so thankful for Rachel and Madison hosting this link up! It is such a joy for me to blog and to read all the posts everyone else has written. Since I have been so busy with life lately, I haven't had the chance to join in for a while - thankful that I'm here today!

Today we are talking about seasons of life. Right now I just moved out of one season and am in the most amazing, new, crazy, and a little overwhelming season I have ever experienced. Nathan and I will have been married for 2 months tomorrow, and I am in the middle of my third week of my new job. 

Desert song - Hillsong

In some ways when I think about seasons, they make me sad. There are so many that will never come back. Childhood, teenage years, singleness, being engaged, newlyweds... No matter what happens throughout, all of those are beautiful seasons, each with their own wonderful (and maybe hard) memories. And each one only gets a certain amount of time. As I am just leaving the engaged/single season, it has me thinking about how many times I 'pulled the string' of life, wishing for a season to move on and how now, I miss all of them deeply. Not in a holding onto, won't let go, won't live in the present, type of way; I'm just starting to realize how wonderful they all were and how fast they went. I am learning how important it is to be present in each one, enjoying them as a gift from God, and letting Him work through you in every one. Then when one is over, may I be able to say "Thank you, Lord for that season and for everything you did in my life through it. I am ready for this new season, with you."

Like I said this season I am in is new - like, everything is! It's crazy. Figuring out married life, wife-y life, working at a real "out in the world" job for the first time in my life, balancing my new church and family with mine in St. Pete, and so many other things. 

Sometimes it seems normal, and like it has been this way forever; sometimes I stop in amazement that my new life is real - the life I have dreamed about for so long, and it's actually happening; and then sometimes I completely breakdown as I start to think of all the things that are different: not going to the same church every Sunday/Wednesday, not seeing all my friends that I grew up with, not living with/seeing my family, my dog. I am being stretched and pulled in ways I never have before. I am experiencing things, confusing, hard things, that I have no clue about. And it's good. I love it! But it's also hard, and a little scary. 

Not only do we have physical seasons of life, but there are also spiritual and emotional. Those can change even more often and can be even harder, but also even more amazing! Right now I am having a hard time figuring out what season I am in, and how to thrive in it. That is a huge prayer of mine right now, to learn how to thrive in this season God has put me in. The Desert song by Hillsong has been a wonderful way for me to express my feelings right now and I love the reminder that no matter what season I am in, spiritually, emotionally, physically, He is God and He is good and I have a reason to worship...

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that's within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me, Lord, through the flame

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I'll stand

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I'm filled to be emptied again
The seed I've received I will sow

I am so glad that God brings new seasons into our lives and that He is control of them and is working in every single one. So, even though right now I am in a season that I am still figuring out, I have that comfort. God is with me, God is for me, God is working for my eternal good and His eternal glory. 

Is. 40:31 -

"but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;

    they shall mount up with wings like eagles;

they shall run and not be weary;

    they shall walk and not faint."

Esther 4:14

"For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

What about you? What has God taught you about seasons in life? How have you learned to move from one season to another? What is your current season in life and how are you learning to grow in that season?

No matter what season you are in, wait on the Lord and remember, he has placed you there for a reason.

{Linking up with Rachel and Madison for community brew}

Until next time...

Our Vows

When it comes to wedding vows, I love the traditional kind. It's neat to think about how many times those words have been said before us - so I was pretty sure that's what we would use. Once I started thinking seriously about it though, I did some research. Some about writing your own and also several really good posts on marriage and the gospel. 

When my pastor sent over the traditional vows he uses, I realized that it was missing a lot of things that were really important to Nathan and I as we made the commitment and vow of forever marriage. In the end, I did a mixture of the traditional and my own (inspired by everything I read on the subject), mostly taken from the truths found in Ephesians 5:22-33 - 

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

{Picture credit - the best photographer ever! Check out her website, A&M Photography}

Here they are, below; I was so happy with how they turned out - 

Groom: I, Nathan, take you, Jessica as my wedded wife.

Choosing this day to leave my Father and Mother and be joined to you as one.

By God’s grace - Whether in sickness, or in health, abundance or need,

for better or worse - I promise to choose to love you as myself,
cherish, protect and provide for you 
in accordance with my love and fear of God and His word.
I promise to be your head and sanctify you according to His word,
as Christ is the head of the church and sanctifies her -
These things I vow, till death do us part, according to God’s Holy ordinance -
And thereto I promise my trust.

Bride: I, Jessica, take you, Nathan as my wedded husband.

Choosing this day to leave my Father and Mother and be joined to you as one.

By God’s grace - Whether in sickness, or in health, abundance or need,

for better or worse - I promise to choose to love you as myself,

respect, and obey you in accordance with my love and fear of God and His word.

I promise to be your helpmeet for as long as we both shall live,

supporting you and your dreams, while continuously pointing you towards our Savior - These things I vow, till death do us part, according to God’s Holy ordinance -

And thereto I promise my trust. 

These words were so special on our wedding day; how wonderful they will be to serve as a reminder in the years to come, all that we committed to each other and God. 

If you're married, which did you choose to do? If you're not, what would you choose? I'd love to hear from you!

Until next time...

Our First Look

Some of you may not know, but Nathan and I chose to do a first look - Where on your wedding day, the bride and groom pick a spot and time to see each other before the ceremony (Pinterest has some great photos of first looks).

Now I know that this isn't for everyone, and that some may choose to stick to the tradition of not seeing each other until the Bride walks down the aisle, and that's great! In fact, before my sister got married, I couldn't imagine breaking tradition. I thought it was the best thing ever for it to be a surprise and that's all I wanted to do. But then, Jaquelyn did it, and we were able to take all of the pictures before the ceremony. That meant no two hour (or longer!) wait between the ceremony and reception. (Plus they have some cute pictures from it!) That won me over. Honestly that is the worst part of weddings for me. There have been many times my family has left before anything has happened (first dance, cutting of the cake, etc.) because it's taken so long for them to even get there that its way too late. Especially if we have church the next morning. Granted ours was in the afternoon, but still. 

I am so glad that we did! Our wedding was at 2, so we planned our first look for 11. That way we'd have time for couple pictures and then wedding party/family ones. I was pretty nervous leading up to it, but after I saw Nathan, nothing mattered anymore! I wasn't worried or stressed, I was just ready to get married! 

So, here are the pictures! Goodness, I love every single one - they are perfection. (In fact our whole wedding was! More on that in later posts ;) God was so good to us and held off the rain long enough for us to do the first look and our couple pictures outside. The way He blessed both of us throughout every detail of our special day was awesome!

{Make sure to check out our amazing photographers website! Melissa did the most perfect job - A&M Photography}

If you think I look sad in the first few pictures, it's because as soon as Nathan turned around, I burst into the happiest tears ever - Such an emotional, amazing time.

Until next time...