For real? Fourty-Nine

Last night Desmond came back from Tres Dias, and he had an AMAZING experience! I am so grateful to our beautiful Lord for teaching him new things and softening his heart in new ways...I know that this experience will serve to help him grow in the Lord, as a husband and eventually as a father :)

So, after he got back we decided to do a late night Waffle house dinner since we were both hungry and we ended up getting locked out of our house and having to sleep in our car!! It was a shock to the system and immediately brought us off the high we had been on. In this we both realized that life will always slap you in the face with something but that it is our choice whether or not we lose our joy....

Food for today's thought:

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain. Even if I am to be poured out like a drink offering upon the sacrificial offering of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. Likewise you also should be glad and rejoice with me.” – Philippians 2.14-18

For Forty-Eight...

Coffee

The sun like gold shines through trees of wisdom.

Cool wind whips and twists along the edge of day.

Sitting still, enjoying the embrace,

Facing the truth and shadow,

What a wonder.

Squinting to see the reality of abstraction.

Warmth that cools and cool that warms,

Light that darkens and darkness that lights.

O the mystery.

Sensing a shift and solidarity of the day to day.

Stare out at the shapes that pass,

The outer shells of integrity.

The knowledge learned fades at end,

The next day learned all over.

-JHB-

3.25.2008

Frightened Fourty-Seventh

Saturday night, Des is in Cleveland, Josiah is at a friends, Mom and Derryck are out of town. Boots and I are alone in the house and so I'm a little freaked so mom tells me to turn on the alarm. I do and feel a bit better. 12:30ish I am searching for a gift card in the basement when I hear the alarm go off blazing through the house! I hear footsteps above me...I run, grab my phone, dash in my room, turn off the light and hide in the closet. I call 911...the woman starts asking 20 billion questions, and I try to answer them as best I can while trying not to breath!

I hear the footsteps moving around, the alarm goes off, I think maybe they cut the wire to it??

I hear the footsteps come down the basement steps, I hear the door to my room, the light comes on...I know I am about to die... then the light goes off and the door shuts, the person has left...

All of the sudden, I realize that it must be DESMOND! He would be the only one that would come straight to our room, look for me and then leave...I peak out and look and he's gone, I whisper "Hello...hello??" And suddenly there he is! The 911 operator is still on the phone waiting for me and I tell her, "It's just my husband, he drove into town and surprised me!!" I hang up and burst into tears as I was SO incredibly frightened I couldn't contain it... He hugs me and tells me HI! Haha! We go up to await the arrival of the sheriff who still had to come and check things out. We tell him what happened and he laughs and bids us good night!

Craziest night of my life, and I thought I was just gonna have a quiet girls night with masks and a foot spa...

Me with my face mask on, prior to the surprise from hell haha!

Food for today's thought:
"Life is a series of surprises, and would not be worth taking or keeping if it were not." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Favorite Fourty-SIxth :)

I am married.
WOW!!
I can't believe it and it has already been 20 days!

Our wedding was priceless from start to finish.
My Desmond is so amazing, he started writing me letters from Thursday night before the Bachelorette Party until Saturday 30 minutes before our wedding. He drove all over to the places I would be like the bridal luncheon local, the nail salon etc... and I had a PS I love you letter experience at every location, it was incredible and I have never felt so loved and special in my life.

We had such an amazing experience at every step of the way. Our rehearsal dinner was priceless; after everyone ate, we gave friends the opportunity to say a few words and our family and friends poured blessings and funny stories over us.

We had such a blessed ceremony also, with a conclusion of our grandparents and parents coming on stage to pray over us as we start our lives together.

The reception was crazy and fun, dancing with all our friends and family was a treasure.

It all went by too quickly but even so, I don't mind because at the end of the night I laid next to my new husband and felt such peace.

I have been so blessed by God to be chosen to marry this man I have and I cannot wait to see where we will go and the things we will do.

Food for today's thought:
"Success in marriage does not come merely through finding the right mate, but through being the right mate." -Barnett R. Brickner

Check out some of the pictures from our special day!

Flipping Fantastic Fourty-Fifth!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am the WORST blogger in the world. I know it, you know it haha!

So, here's the latest in my life...On November 7th, 2009

Desmond asked me to be his wife!!!

Desmond proposing to me!

With THIS!!! My GORGEOUS engagement ring!

So, needless to say, the past few months have been extremely busy and filled with lots of fun! My brother got married in December and he is now in MD finishing up his training for the army and should be back home withing the next month before being stationed somewhere.

I am still working on my MA in Counseling and I am working really hard. I have considered transferring and I am still considering that route as the program I am currently a part of is just too much Theology and not enough Counseling which will make me have to go an extra year. SO, I am planning a wedding, going to school, working part-time and also really jump starting my career as a Wedding and Lifestyles Photographer. My website www.flashesbyjill.com is currently in the works and should be up and fully functional by March or early April! I am soo blessed and excited about all the AWESOME things God has been doing in my life and I can't wait to see how the rest of 2010 will go!

Food for today's thought:

"The real act of marriage takes place in the heart, not in the ballroom or church or synagogue. It's a choice you make - not just on your wedding day, but over and over again -- and that choice is reflected in the way you treat your husband or wife." -Barbara De Angelis