Day 2....3....7.....: This one's to my boy!

Jeramy's favorite number, which he sees ALL the time (it's kind of crazy how often he sees it!) is 237. Therefore, I want to take a moment to write to him. I know he's going to read this, because of the number. Lol!

To the love of my life, and my best friend:

In 237 days, our "best friend" status goes to a whole new level! No more goodbyes at night... which means no more slammed fingers in the car door, missing flip flops, hidden wallets, chewed up hats, half-asleep-mean-comments (from me), lame goodbye kisses, dark hallways, midnight alarms from your phone, disturbed dogs barking at you, or sleepy drives down Kernan Blvd. 


In 237 days, you'll have a ring on your finger. "If you like it then you better put a ring on it.." Baby, I am! You'll have a ring, just like me (minus the huge rock!!), which will represent the love that flows between us, and never stops. It will represent the rest of our lives being centered around our Savior. Every decision, every step, every trial, every success... it all comes back to Him. 


In 237 days (have I said 237 enough yet? ;-) you won't have to grocery shop alone anymore. You won't have to eat cereal for dinner because you don't want to cook. You won't have to worry about leaving your shoes in the back of your truck and wearing them wet as a consequence to work. You won't have to stress about having no clean clothes to wear. And, you won't have to be cold... ever again! I'll be there to cook yummy dinners for us, put your shoes on the shoe rack when you come home from work, keep your laundry clean and folded, and keep you close to me and warm all day and all night! And doing all of this will be my joy. Ah, what a thought!


In 237 days, our world will be rocked, and it will be SO awesome!!! The power we have apart is going to multiply when we come together as one. We'll begin the journey of a lifetime- together. The happiness that fills my heart when I think of that day is beyond anything I've ever felt in my entire life. And to know it's within sight.... less than 8 months away... just floors me!!!!


Babes, I love you with every part of my heart. I look forward to supporting you and loving you more every single day until we go home to meet King Jesus face to face. My desire is that on that glorious day, He looks back on our marriage, our unity, and says "Well Done!"

I love you. 
Here's to an incredible future with the man of my dreams.

Day 240: Is it weird?

QUESTION ON MY MIND:
(as I continue to scour the internet and think...)


Since the following items are only used once, and most people buy them (maybe there's a reason why... that's why I'm asking this), is it WEIRD to borrow things like....

Cake knife & server
Toasting Glasses
Ringbearer Pillow
Flower Girl Basket (although I know most people give this to the flower girl to keep :-) )
Decor (I'm looking for a tons of glass containers/vases)
Unity Candle Stand
Decorations


If I ended up buying this stuff, just want all of you who are not already married to know that you are MORE THAN WELCOME to borrow it when your special day comes :-) Sharing is caring!! Lol.

 Pondering,
Kathleen

Day 241: Details, Love, Sickness, and a whole lot more...

I'm making PROGRESS! The planning is coming along and I still love it (which I hear is progress in itself). Still haven't found "the dress"... but am working on it any time I get a couple hours to go try some on. Time is limited, but I'll find it. I've narrowed it down to a couple options. :-)

This love that I have for Jeramy is CRAZY! Literally. I can't explain to you how it continues to grow everyday. The good thing is, most of you are married, have been engaged, and know what this season feels like. Every facial expression, every cute comment, every touch, every moment we get together it's like the love grows a little more... then a little more.... then a little bit more...each time. It's so beautiful! This love could have only been created by the ultimate Lover of our souls, the most creative Creator- Abba! It's such a cool process to be a part of. I just love it!

Speaking of Jeramy, he's SICK. BOO!!! This doesn't happen often, especially sick enough to go to the doctor. :-( Makes me want to do anything in my power to change it. He has strep throat AND an ear infection. Can you say UGH?!?! Please keep him in your prayers. He has a lot on his plate this week and needs immediate healing!

Loving the journey... especially sharing it with you. :-)

Day 244: The Center Aisle

As most of you know, I (Kathleen) am the assistant worship leader at a church here in Jacksonville. Our worship team holds weekly rehearsals every Thursday night in the main sanctuary. During this time, we prepare for the Sunday morning worship set. Last night (Thursday), I was sitting in my chair on stage, as our music director Steve focused his attention on the band guys to teach them a new song. Before I know it, I caught myself staring off into the distance, looking at all the chairs and thinking about our big day that's to come....

Then, I looked at the center aisle, and it hit me. I think it all hit me at once, because I literally gasped for breath (which caused me to come back to reality :-)  It hit me that in 245 days, those wooden doors would be opened by two men in tuxedos, and there I would be standing, on my daddy's arm, ready to head down the aisle to the man of my dreams. Even as I write this, I have chills and slight tears, thinking of that moment. The center aisle now has a whole new meaning to me. All throughout the rest of the evening, I kept looking back at it, as if I just noticed it for the first time ever. WOW! How stinking cool!

________________

I'm getting things done, though I find it hard to find more than just a few minutes to focus on wedding stuff. I realized this week that my only full day off, which are Mondays, will now be totally packed full of wedding tasks. This past Monday, mom and I were driving around town for 8 hours, and I was BEAT by the time I went into work Tuesday morning. This coming Monday, we'll probably visit another dress shop, and a couple of bakeries to test try cakes. It's fun, don't mistake what I'm saying, it's just proving to be more hard to get to than I expected.

Today, after work, I met with a dear friend who will be providing the food for our reception. He is an INCREDIBLE CHEF! We nailed down the majority of the details, and I walked out with a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders! We also have the venue, and signed a photographer this week. God definitely took the time I did have this week, and multiplied the tasks I was able to complete. Thank you, Abba Father, for always working for our behalf! He cares about these little things too, ya know. :-)

Question of the Day:
What was the flavor of your wedding cake???

Day 248: Shaving $$$$ Off!

Ok, so I want to know EVERY SINGLE CREATIVE IDEA you have for going slim on cost for this wedding. I have a very large guest list, keep that in mind. Any ideas will be much appreciated, as I plan and make decisions to save money!


Share the ideas....


:-)


Love you all!

Day 250: Bed, Bath, and waaaaayyyy Beyond!

So I missed a couple days. Why you might ask? Well, the photographer search. It's really hard. I'll leave it at that. (Oh oh, but I finally found one I love and have a meeting with her Tuesday morning. Man, I never realized how picky I am!)

This Valentine's Day has more meaning that any V-day ever has before in my 21 years of breathing. It's sweet, special to my heart, exciting, exhilarating, nerve-wracking (to be honest!), and just pure AMAZING. I'm about to marry the love of my life. It couldn't get better than this!


I've made some progress in the past couple days:
- Found invitations (good ones..... for $.40 a piece... compared to the normal $4.00 a piece! Awesome!)

- Scheduled the meeting with a photographer (www.JMosley.com) She's a photojournalist!

-Scheduled meeting with the service coordinator (Julie) and dear friend who was a professional wedding planner (Maggie). She has great tips, for anyone needing suggestions!

- Registered.... yes... I did say REGISTERED! WOOOO!!! At Bed, Bath, and Beyond.... And, I've officially decided they need to change their company name to the title of this blog. That have so much STUFF! Things that I've never even heard of or new existed. It was so much fun. And forced it to decide the colors of our home. Hehehe :-) Yay! Oh, who wants to help paint?! (Just kidding) Got a couple more registries to go.... it's fun!

- Found bulk roses for low, low cost. (Thanks, Ashley!)

- Made final decisions on the bridal party. :-)

Maid of Honor: Jenn Baxter- my sister
Best Man: Ben Nelson- Jeramy's best friend

Bridesmaids:
Ally Ziegler- J's sister
Stacey Williams- friend
Danielle Browning- friend
Ashley Workman- friend

Groomsmen:
Daniel Baxter- Kath's brother
Chris Browning- friend
Barry Williams- friend
Mat Radacz- friend


....rollin' along here in the "non-sunshine state". It's freeeeeeezing!!!!

Love you all,
Kathleen

Day 253: Dude, He's POWERFUL!

Our blogs will be different by the day... some will be fun details, questions, issues, surprises... and others will be verses, lessons, deep thoughts of God in our hearts. This journey is FAR BEYOND the physical, the natural... the journey goes much deeper than the surface. These 257 days have already become and will continue to be a crazy time of spiritual growth. Closer to Jesus, deeper in Him, being drawn tighter to His heart.

I heard an awesome quote today (on a side note) that really shook me up:

"I am loved BY God, and I am lovely TO God, therefore I desire to be a lover OF God!"

Chew on that.

I read Psalm 19 this morning after listening to a message on the life of David by Mike Bickle, and wanted to post this Psalm. It totally got me shouting, LITERALLY, in my chair. I was filled with awe, joy, overwhelming adoration for the power of Jesus. Read this:

Psalm 19:4-9, 14

God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.

It BURSTS forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.

It rejoices like a great athlete EAGER to run the race!

The sun rises at one end of the heavens, and

follows its course to the other end.

Nothing can hide from its heat!

The instructions of the Lord are PERFECT,

REVIVING the soul!

The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy,

making wise the simple.

The commandments of the Lord are RIGHT,

bringing JOY to the heart!!!

The commands of the Lord are clear,

giving insight for living.

Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.

The laws of the Lord are true, each one IS fair.

May the words of my mouth and the

meditations of my heart be pleasing to You,

O Lord, my Rock and Redeemer!

I don't know about you, but this chapter makes me want to dive, run, emerge myself into His teachings and His laws. He has our best interest in mind. He's not mean, angry, selfish... He's a Father, who disciplines His children. He's set laws to protect us, guide us, and BLESS US! He's jealous for our heart and screaming out for our attention. Yep, He sure is. :-)

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What is ONE (1) scripture verse that has shaped who you are today? Why?

Love you all,

Kathleen

Day 254: Checkity-Check-Check!

Accomplishing the Checklist: (I thought it'd be fun to share the successes along the way =-)

We'll be married at our amazing church, Christ the Redeemer!

We'll be married by our Associate Pastor, Sean Yost. He's had a huge impact on our lives!

Our dear friend and mentor, Pastor Bowen Slade, will assist Pastor Sean in the wedding ceremony.

Roses have always been my favorite flower. They will join us for the occasion (they'll be everywhere!!!)

Logan Venn will be our Flower Girl! She's more excited than I could've ever imagined. So blessed to have her in the wedding!

Pastor Bowen's son, Tommy Slade, will be our "Ring Boy", as we're calling it! He's been a beautiful part of our story since the very beginning. We love our Tommy!

We will take Communion, remembering the incredible sacrifice of our King, as our first act as a married couple during the ceremony.

Of course, other things have been accomplished too, but these were some of the most important to us! Now, I'm going to pose a question to all of you married ladies who are reading this... think really hard....

QUESTION OF THE DAY:

What is One (1) thing you REGRET and One (1) thing you LOVED MOST about your wedding day?

Love you all,

Kathleen

Day 255

If you haven't heard by now, Jeramy pulled off the proposal of a lifetime- for me! It was the most incredible proposal. The way it involved those who have impacted my life, those who have grown with me in the Lord, my family, and so so so many friends. Amazing! Props to ya, Babe! =)

This proposal however did so much more in my heart than the common eye might see. A few weeks ago, I was watching a video online that goes along with the book we are studying right now, "Crazy Love". (Here's the link to the video, if you'd like to check it out: http://crazylovebook.com/videos_stop.html ) So, I'm watching this amazing video, and listening to him describe salvation in the simplest, most unique way. He said God's offer to us is like God Himself, getting down on one knee and pulling out a ring. He's asking us one question- a question that will radically alter our lives. And He's waiting for our answer.... it's that simple. YES...or NO... It's not about our works, our past, our family situation, our mistakes. None of that is weighing in! This relationship that our Creator is offering to us is His proposal to us- to walk in unity with Him, and spend eternity (literally, FOREVER!) with Him in Heaven.

After Jeramy and I ran off the stage, crying and celebrating after he proposed, I remembered this analogy and my eyes were opened to see even deeper the incredible love of Jesus- for me, and for you. He's asking if we'll spend the rest of our lives with Him... if we'll join our lives with His purpose. Have you answered yet?

Just stop and think.

- Kathleen