Fine or Fabulous.

This week has been very encouraging and productive!  My to do list is growing smaller and it begins to feel like things are under control.  The tuxes have been selected.  My wedding dress is ordered.  Gift registries are set up as is the wedding website.  Save the Dates were mailed today after we had our engagement photos taken.  The church is spoken for.  The reception venue reserved.  Invitations and RSVP cards are nearly ready for printing and my bridesmaids dress are all purchased.  I have shoes and the wedding bands are ordered.  Yes, I'm very happy with the way things are coming along.  It's very exciting to see God working things out in a way I never dreamed I would experience!  I'm not sure what exactly I thought wedding preparations would be like, but it wasn't anything like this.  I don't think I ever expected them to literally become an act of faith.  I had my way I wanted things to work, but they were all things I could control and make happen.   Last Saturday I attended a Beth Moore simulcast.  The thought I walked away unable to lose over the last week is this.  God didn't call us to "fine".  He called us to faith.  The idea being that a life that is fine can be explained by human reasoning.  A life of faith defies explanation,  It helped change my approach to this wedding.  All of the sudden I found that piece of me that could depend on God that what he has in store for my and Dustin's wedding is beyond explanation.  That it is far more than just fine.  It's fabulous!  It seems that after that moment I started to realize the little things that are falling together and find myself in awe every time we try to rework the budget!

To Inconvenience or Not Inconvenience....

You know, I'm not sure that I make a very good bride...  I tend to think maybe I might have been better suited to a ceremony in our pastor's office with two witnesses.  Don't get me wrong, I truly want that special day and that experience, but I often feel that I'm inconveniencing people with any plans I make or dreams I have of what I'd like my wedding to be like.  I really struggle with believing that it's suppose to be a day that is about me in any way shape or form.  In fact I think I've come to realize why I want and in many ways need Dustin so involved in every aspect of this wedding that he's willing to step into.  If it were for just me I'd probably give up on the idea of a wedding settle on whatever would work with as little inconvenience to as few people as possible and try to not think about what I was missing and what I really wanted.  So you might be wondering exactly how that translates into Dustin being involved in wedding plans.  You see in a way just as important as that vision of all things princess that little Lauren, my flower girl inspires, Dustin makes me believe that it's important for me to experience that moment.  Wedding plans, budgets and wedding stress pretty much seem more than I'd be able to take on if Dustin were a hands off groom.  If left to myself I'd be one of those brides that you hear horror stories about.  I'd be cooking and cleaning in my wedding dress because I couldn't think to inconvenience anyone by asking for help.  In fact asking for help has been one of my biggest challenges in this whole wedding process.  Not because I'm a control freak, but because I struggle with the feeling that people have to have more important things to do than mess with helping me.  Now granted up to this point most of what we are doing has of necessity been done by only the two of us, but I've realized that many of my panic moments stem to that feeling that comes from the habit I've developed after being on my own for so long of "just doing it myself".  I truly believe that God gave me the perfect man in the form of Dustin.  Not that he's perfect without fault, but he's perfect for me in that he pushes and encourages in ways that help me grow or become stronger.   He helps me realize that people genuinely do want to help.  That they consider it an honor to be intimately involved in such a special moment in our lives.  I'm truly hoping that God leaves us together for 50 or 60 years since I'm pretty sure it will take that long for me to get this particular lesson that he's using Dustin to teach me...

Priorities and Steps of Faith....

I have a feeling of accomplishment tonight.  It feels like we're actually getting somewhere in the planning process.  Save the Date cards have been ordered and have arrived, my wedding dress is ordered, tux style selected and today the wedding rings chosen in a rather unexpected trip to the jeweler.  Somehow the selection of the rings makes everything seem real.  Sometimes it's easy to feel like I'm just a little girl playing wedding.  To feel that even when I'm planning certain things or choosing certain things that it's not really me or for me that I'm just planning a party of sorts.  The rings somehow make it seem real.  I think it's maybe because ultimately the rings are the physical symbol of the purpose of the entire day.  Oddly enough to the point that me the one who spent the first 2 months of our engagement freaking out and ending up with headaches every time the budget was mentioned or the cost of things had to be discussed without a moments hesitation found myself stepping up and telling the jeweler we'd take the ring that I could tell Dustin really wanted when he started to settle for his second choice.  This from the girl who in the fist month of our engagement slashed through the wedding budget like it was an expendable extra in a horror movie cutting every conceivable extra expense.  Yep!  I'm the one who made the call to go over our budgeted amount on rings.  You see there are some things that I find to be non-negotiable in the big picture.  The wedding rings are one of them.  Everything else from that one day pretty much goes away.  The tux goes back to the store, my dress gets put away in a box, the decorations go away to be re-purposed, but the rings... Well, since neither of us plan to make a habit of repeating this event every few years the rings become the one thing that remains when the day is over.  The Gift of the Magi is a story that while it always struck me as cute and sweet is one that with Dustin in my life I've come to appreciate in a way that I haven't before.  I understand why the couple in the story were able to part with their most prized possessions.  It meant that it made the one they loved more than anything happy.  I find that is a large part of the reason that I love having Dustin involved in every area of planning the wedding.  I love to hear what he likes, what's important to him and if it's something that I realize I don't have the passionate connection to that he does I find it easy to turn over that part to him to turn his dream into reality.  Some of my happiest moments in wedding planning happen when I stumble on an idea that gets him excited because by listening I found a way to incorporate an element that makes that day even more ours in its uniqueness.  I realized the moment I could look at the one doll I consider the prized doll of my collection, the one that I've always said is the last one I will ever part with and say that if making a certain part of a dream Dustin has come true means I need to sell it that I would part with that prize possession that at one time I never thought I'd be able to let go I realized that the value of things has changed.  I've found the one earthly thing that is more important than that beautiful little doll.  It's the way that a certain smile lights up Dustin's entire face when I do something that makes him happy.  It's the way that smile leads to excitement that nearly has him bouncing like a little boy on Christmas morning.  Thankfully, while I've definitely indicated to God that I am willing to part with that little doll if necessary he seems to be planning on letting me keep it for the moment as he continues to expand the potential budget in a way that Dustin and I can't quite make sense of...  Every time we make a decision that is made with the thought we do this and we'll look at the list of things we could cut and we'll cut something else God seems to send the money to cover the step of faith moment in a way that causes us to take the next step of faith just a little easier the next time...

Struggles...

I had a revelation this week.  Actually I had several of them which kind of culminated yesterday.  I've been struggling horribly the last few weeks.  I've had this feeling of oppression that I really couldn't shake no matter how many "good" things seemed to be happening.  Honestly, it's a little hard to deal with in the middle of the moment you've spent nearly your entire life looking forward to.  Somehow as a young girl you think that the moment of planning your wedding is the moment that your life should be perfect, right?  I really don't think I'm alone in that feeling.  Oh maybe you expect the few minor skirmishes over guest lists, wedding party, dinner or no dinner, cake or cupcakes, but somehow I expected the challenges to be extremely minor.  Now before going on to the feelings of the last few weeks I feel the need to explain that nothing about my relationship with Dustin has really been normal.  In a lot of ways we've faced challenges as early as our first couple months of dating that when I look at them right now I don't know who exactly it was that handled them in the mature, understanding way I seem to have handled them considering we've made it to this moment of wedding planning since I'm pretty sure it's not the Tonya I've lived with the last 30+ years that made those choices and decisions that were the right ones to make for us.  I know her... She's the one who reads the end of the book if the beginning or middle gets too frustrating.  She's not the one who waits patiently because God tells her to...  I'm not sure who that changeling was...  I think maybe I fell into the trap of thinking that I'd arrived in some way and the insecurities and struggles of my past would just miraculously fall away.  Right!!  Think again!!  They just find a new way to present themselves...  Where to even begin...  I have a secret...  I'm a pretty good faker...  I'm not even sure how I manage it sometimes, but the mask that I mentioned several weeks ago is something I've become pretty good at utilizing when the need arises....  The last few weeks I've found myself pulling it out to hid my true feelings on certain things.  Now don't get me wrong...  I had a wonderful time with my Mom and aunt trying on wedding dresses, walking through JoAnn's with my Mom looking for inspiration for projects without a complete vision at the moment, but just like when I was younger scouring the shelves with mom searching for that one inspiring object, I'm by no means saying that those moments aren't special.  They are memories I know I will cherish when I think of my wedding (Ok, especially getting locked in JoAnn's at 9 pm on a Friday night with Mom because we decided to go shopping when  a severe thunderstorm was on it's way...lol).  I think the fact that those special moments seemed to be shortly followed by this heavy, depressive spirit that I couldn't shake no matter what I tried or how I prayed is what has made the last few weeks such a struggle.  There's something indescribably sad about experiencing this feeling in the middle of a period of time that should be the most special and joyous celebration in a girl's life.  It's funny though because even in the middle of all of the inner turmoil I've found myself begging God to show me the lesson I'm suppose to be learning so I can be happy at this moment in my life that will only happen once.  I've spent the last few weeks when people ask about how excited I am, what plans I'm making, what dress I'm getting, etc pulling out my mask with it's proper little wedding smile and "excitedly" telling about "my plans".  The truth... Inside I'm screaming if only you knew how I really feel....  There are some moments that my little flower girl with her vision of sparkly dresses and shoes is the only thing that pushes me to the next item on my list to be done.  You see, there's a reason I chose little Lauren as my flower girl...  In her uninhibited excitement for sparkly shoes and princess dresses I see the me I don't want to lose sight of.  I look at Lauren and see my favorite picture of myself at her age...  I've needed that a lot over the last couple of weeks.  I've needed that little face that walks up and very seriously starts to inform me what her sparkly dress and shoes will look like for my wedding and how her younger sister will need them also...  I really hadn't given much thought as to why having Lauren as my flower girl was so important to me, but this weekend I realized exactly why I need her...  Through Lauren I stay in touch with the "princess" focus of that special day.  There's a very sweet, adorable innocence (although I'm sure her parents would beg to differ...) in her belief that she is a princess and it's not really a matter for question or debate.  You see... I'm an adult...  I somehow fell into the trap of believing that when Paul says to "put away childish things"  it meant I had to grow out of my princess moment...  I had to forget about it and move on to the adult world of reality which is I will never be good enough, I'll never be as pretty as some other girl, that I'll always fall short and be lacking.  Sadly, I believed that enough that I find myself struggling with those insecurities and doubts that I'll ever be able to make the "right decision" (whatever that is suppose to be) and for some reason it becomes the lie I struggle with right now.  It's a lie that makes me live in fear.  Rather than being a confident princess, I find myself trying to become the model maid, who says yes sir and no ma'am exactly when I'm suppose to.   I had my moment on Saturday where I realized the fear that had begun to overtake me and what role exactly it was playing in removing the joy from this moment of my life.  It leaves me with a rather interesting perspective on the last few weeks.  I find myself with a greater appreciation for Joseph's insight when he told his brother's "you meant it for evil against me, but God meant it for good".  You see this oppression drove me not only to God in prayer, but it drew Dustin and I closer as we both tried to make sense of it, but even more importantly it became instrumental in bringing me closer to my pastor and his wife as I struggled to make sense out of the senseless.  Could God have chosen to take what has been at times a soul wrenching anguish away?  Of course he could have, but I do also realize that in his doing so I would have missed some very significant moments.  I choose to believe that because of where certain moments fell that were a positive experience such as the shared moment of discovering the perfect dress, the excitement over actually wearing my dream shoes, that those moments will be that much sweeter and stand out that much more when remembered later maybe even because of the sorrow that surrounded them.  Rather than one discovery in the middle of many they become little oasis's of happiness in the middle of struggle.  Moments of promise and little glimpses of a joyous future God has planned.  Whatever his bigger plan I truly do believe that as Paul says "all things work together for good".  I chose to believe that even in the moment of distress that at times seems unending that God does have a larger plan that I can't even begin to imagine.  

Interesting Observations....

I've found myself thinking a lot the last week.  Which actually accounts for the fact I haven't posted.  Well, that along with being busy with wedding details.  I've found myself thinking a lot as details involving a wedding demand to be dealt with and the question begins to be asked what is it that you want your wedding to be like?  It's funny because had anyone asked that question prior to my meeting Dustin I could have told you in detail from the invitations to the bridesmaid dresses to my own gown.  Now people ask and I find myself stuck...  The important thing...  The thing that truly means something to me is marrying the man I love.  The other things are details that aren't that important to me anymore.  Not to say I don't want a nice wedding or that there aren't things that won't make it special, but I have found there is a difference in thinking about one's wedding in abstracts and actually planning it as a couple.  Especially when you're part of a couple which consists of an architect.... For me it tends to mean that one's groom is not exactly uninvolved....lol.  I've discovered something though...  I like having a groom who takes an active role in wedding planning.  I feel like it gives me a small taste of what marriage is like.  I sometimes think maybe it's in part that I've been alone for so long that I appreciate being part of a couple.  To me it means the more I let myself believe the truth, the more I realize that I'm not alone in this endeavour that feels huge at times.  Not to say that I'm not surrounded with friends and family wanting to help, but in Dustin I somehow find my balance.  In the middle of all of the planning and arranging and busyness of wedding preparation I find that God has provided me with someone who makes me believe in the middle of insanity that everything is going to turn out better than either of us could ever dream.  I find I'm definitely not a traditional bride as I truly want his input and opinion. I find that I'm quite alright with handing over responsibilities and letting him take the lead on the parts that are important to him.  The interesting thing is that in the end it seems to be becoming the trend that the finished product is shared effort and ideas.

Progress....

This week has been very eventful and productive.  As I mentioned in my last post it started out excitingly enough with the coming together of my bridesmaids dresses.  I feel like it was the beginning of a productive week where wedding preparations are concerned.  It started with the dresses and continued on a new idea for a reception venue, a wonderful deal on some decorations for the church and today an awesome deal on my Save the Date cards which actually go quite well with the theme that has developed out of our initial ideas.  It's funny how now that my initial meltdowns seem to be easing up and things start to come together I do find myself enjoying the planning more.  The lists don't feel quite so overwhelming and it's becoming fun to see our ideas start to take shape.  As things stand right now one of our new possibilities for a reception venue has more potential than I ever expected to find in a location and it has me believing as Dustin put in a text this week that maybe God is trying to give us a wedding we never dreamed would be ours as pieces come together in ways that surprise both of us.  It leaves me excited at the new pieces that come.  This week I'm looking forward to the first fitting for my dress and hopefully the nearing of an initial mock-up for our invitations from my creative genius.  From what I've seen so far they look pretty awesome!  Of course every time I go back to look at something only to find its on sale even cheaper I get just a little more excited about what the finished product looks like!  I feel like Dustin was right in pointing me toward my verse for the week....  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine... Ephesians 3: 20a  It's exciting seeing it come together in a way that just as my relationship with Dustin has been it's beyond anything my finite mind could dream up...