Getaway.

We took full advantage of this long weekend and headed up to visit my grandmother in Berea, Kentucky. The weekend was full of antique and craft shops, loving on Adria's sweet little girls and driving home in a snow storm. Thank goodness this is a short week because I could totally get used to weekend getaways!

Control.

Hi blog world... its been a while! I have been contemplating writing this post for a while and after some recent life events, I finally feel ready to put it out there. It's hard to expose one of your biggest weaknesses... especially to people you might not even know. So here goes the rambling thoughts and hope that maybe someone else finds comfort in these words... 

Control. According to the dictionary "control" can be defined as "the situation of being under the regulation, domination or command of another." In my own words, "control" can be defined as "doing whatever you can to keep situations or circumstances in line with your own desires." Wedding planning is all about control. As the bride, you are controlling every aspect of this perfect day... hoping and praying for no bumps in the road. But life is full of bumps. And wedding planning is definitely NOT out of that equation. 

I have loved every second of wedding planning... seeing pictures, thoughts and ideas coming to life with our own spin and twist has been a welcomed distraction. But when everything is going so smoothly, there is bound to be something that throws in a kink or two. While the "kinks" in our planning are, in the scheme of things, NOTHING, it is the lack of being able to control those aspects that becomes more un-nerving. Once the initial shock of "Oh my gosh, you mean it's NOT going to be the way that I had hoped for..." wears off, the more important aspects of a wedding set in. Admitting that you want to control all those "little details" and that there might be a lack of "perfection" is kind of a hard pill to swallow. I have been quickly knocked back down and reminded of what is really important. It's not about the flowers, the dress, the linens, the programs, the music, the food, or the cake (even though its so yummy - and I would eat it for a week straight, if I could)... it's about the two families that will be brought together...

It's about the friends that we will get to celebrate with... and dance with... and fist pump with... and go WOOOWOOOOOWOOOOOWOOOOO...

It's about the man that will be waiting at the end of the aisle. The commitment we are making. The faith that we share.

I love how God does things... because in the midst of this wedding "stuff" way more important life "stuff" has taken place. It's as if God was using the lack of control in the wedding details to prepare me for the events that have taken place over the last week. God doesn't freely give us hope, perseverance, trust, or whatever it might be that you are searching for... He gives us situations that force us to practice and exercise those characteristics. 

Last week our church was rocked and devastated with a situation that proved we are not in control. This past week, my family found out some news that once again reminded me, we are not in control. Both these situations and all of the wedding planning has brought me back to the core of faith... relying and fully trusting that God has a plan. I may not like how that plan unfolds in my life. But what I do know is that faith and trust in Him will carry me through. 

This week, "Jesus Calling" brought it all home... and I leave you with this...

"The bottom line is that I am taking care of you; therfore, you needn't be afraid of anything. Rather than trying to maintain control over your life, abandon yourself to My will. Though this may feel frightening - even dangerous, the safest place to be is in My will."